Bao Su

Historical Record

Bao Su has no clear record in the official history, the Records of the Three Kingdoms, or its related sources. His life, official posts, faction allegiance, and any military or political activities are nowhere to be found in the historical record. Therefore, from the standpoint of historical verification, Bao Su is not a real historical figure, or at least his deeds were never recorded in the official sources.

In the Novel

In the literary narrative of Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Bao Su appears as a general of Shu Han, his role centered chiefly on the later campaigns of Jiang Wei's Northern Expeditions. Both Bao Su's appearance and his end are closely tied to Jiang Wei's military operations in the Mount Qi region. In Chapter 111 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Jiang Wei led his troops on a northern expedition, intending to take Mount Qi. The campaign, however, did not go smoothly. When Jiang Wei was ambushed by the Wei generals Shi Zuan and Deng Zhong, and was attacked from three directions by Deng Ai, the Shu army fell into a great defeat. Only thanks to Xiahou Ba arriving in time with troops to the rescue was Jiang Wei able to escape danger. At this point Xiahou Ba reported an unfortunate piece of news to Jiang Wei: "The Mount Qi stockade has already been broken by Chen Tai, Bao Su has fallen in battle, and all the men and horses of the stockade have retreated back to Hanzhong."^[1]

This episode makes Bao Su's fate clear: while defending the Mount Qi stockade, he was overrun by the Wei general Chen Tai and ultimately died on the battlefield. Bao Su's death not only marked the loss of the Mount Qi stockade but also further aggravated the predicament of Jiang Wei's expedition, forcing Jiang Wei to abandon Dongting and instead retreat along remote mountain paths. Bao Su's sacrifice is a microcosm of the late Shu Han's dwindling talent and the repeated setbacks of the northern expeditions, and it foreshadowed Jiang Wei's subsequent difficulties and self-demotion. Although the novel's depiction of Bao Su is brief, it grants him the image of a loyal and brave defender of the frontier who ultimately gave his life for his country, even though this image has no counterpart in the histories.

Key Relationships

* Jiang Wei: Bao Su was a general under Jiang Wei, serving Jiang Wei's northern expedition cause in the novel. His death directly affected Jiang Wei's military deployments, leading to the loss of the Mount Qi stockade and forcing Jiang Wei to change his retreat route^[1]. After learning of Bao Su's death, Jiang Wei had to face the reality of the expedition's setback, and ultimately demoted himself because of the unfavorable course of the campaign. Bao Su's sacrifice was one of the prices paid during Jiang Wei's northern expedition, and it also reflects the superior-subordinate and comrade-in-arms relationship between the two (novel only).
* Chen Tai: Chen Tai was the Wei general who caused Bao Su's death. In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it was Chen Tai who led troops to break the Mount Qi stockade that Bao Su guarded, causing Bao Su to die in battle^[1]. The two were generals of opposing camps, with the relationship ending in Bao Su's death (novel only).

Iconic Scenes

* Death at the Mount Qi stockade: Bao Su's main—and only—iconic scene mentioned in Romance of the Three Kingdoms is when, while defending the Mount Qi stockade, he had the stockade broken by the Wei general Chen Tai and ultimately fell in battle. This event, reported by Xiahou Ba to Jiang Wei, became an important marker of the setback in Jiang Wei's expedition^[1]. Bao Su's sacrifice was not only the end of one man's fate but also a symbol of the difficulties and hardships of Shu Han's later northern expeditions, and of the tragic heroism of soldiers giving their lives for their country. Although this scene does not directly depict Bao Su's fighting, through the outcome of his death it shapes the image of a general loyally defending his post and bravely sacrificing his life (novel only).