Historical Record
According to the extant historical and biographical material, records of Ju An are exceedingly scarce—indeed, the official histories such as the Records of the Three Kingdoms contain no clear, independent biography or detailed account of his deeds. This means that Ju An's true historical face—his life, achievements, or any specific actions—was never set down by the historians' brushes. We therefore cannot construct a concrete historical figure from the historical material. This is similar to the situation of many figures who are active in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms but poorly attested in the histories, whose images are fleshed out and shaped chiefly in literary creation.
In the Novel
In Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Ju An, as a general of Shu Han, played an important role during Jiang Wei's Northern Expeditions; although his appearances are few, each is tied to a key battle. He first appears in Chapter 107 of the novel, when he and Li Xin together garrisoned Qushan. Facing the assault of the Cao Wei Yong Province Inspector Guo Huai, Ju An and Li Xin, short of troops, were forced to retreat into the city to hold it. Guo Huai conspired with Chen Tai not only to besiege Qushan but also to cut off the Shu army's supply route from Hanzhong. Guo Huai then discovered that Qushan stood high with little water, and so ordered the upstream water sources cut off, intending to force the defenders to surrender by depriving them of water. The city indeed had no water, and the soldiers were tormented by thirst. Li Xin once tried to break out to fetch water but failed, returning alone gravely wounded. After Ju An rejoined Li Xin, they again attempted a breakout, but again failed and could only retreat into the city. In their extreme straits, Ju An and Li Xin discussed why Jiang Wei's reinforcements were so slow in coming, and Li Xin resolved to risk his life to break out and seek aid, in the end escaping alone, gravely wounded. In Chapter 108, Jiang Wei at last led troops to lift the siege, and only then was Ju An able to escape his predicament. In Chapter 116, Ju An appears again, but the specific episode is not detailed in the material provided here. Ju An's image in the Romance is that of a loyal but limited general who held fast to a city under extreme hardship, displaying the tenacity of Shu Han's officers and men while also highlighting his helplessness in a strategic predicament. As his deeds have no clear historical record, the portrayal in the Romance is entirely a matter of literary creation.
Key Relationships
* With Li Xin: In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Ju An and Li Xin were comrades fighting side by side, jointly garrisoning Qushan. In the desperate situation of being besieged by the Wei army and cut off from water and grain, the two supported each other, faced the predicament together, and discussed countermeasures. Li Xin even risked his life to break out and seek aid, displaying the deep comradeship between them. This relationship cannot be verified in the historical material and is unique to the Romance.
* With Jiang Wei: As a general under Jiang Wei's command, Ju An, while besieged at Qushan, placed his hopes in Jiang Wei's reinforcements. Jiang Wei did in the end lead troops to lift the siege, reflecting Jiang Wei's support and rescue of his subordinates as commander-in-chief. This superior-subordinate relationship is clear in the Romance, but owing to the lack of historical material its authenticity cannot be confirmed (novel only).
* With Guo Huai and Chen Tai: As a defending general, Ju An was in an adversarial relationship with the attacking Guo Huai and Chen Tai. The siege and water-cutting stratagems of Guo Huai and Chen Tai directly drove Ju An's force into a desperate situation. This adversarial relationship is a core component of the battle episodes in the Romance (novel only).
Defining Scenes
* Besieged at Qushan, cut off from water and grain: This is Ju An's most defining scene in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In Chapter 107, Ju An and Li Xin together garrisoned Qushan but were heavily besieged by Guo Huai and Chen Tai. The Wei army not only cut off their supply route but also severed their water source, plunging the Shu soldiers in the city into the desperate extremity of thirst. In this scene Ju An showed his determination to hold the city, but in the face of the enemy's siege and the harsh natural conditions he was at a loss. The description of the soldiers "dividing their grain and melting snow to eat" pushes this predicament to its climax, vividly depicting the cruelty of war and the hardship of the defenders. This scene is entirely a literary creation of the Romance, with no historical record.
Relationships
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Lines
- 演 ch.107 §27→ Li Xin
「姜都督之兵，至今未到，不知何故。」
Chapters1 回 ▸
- 演ch.107
Inner monologues · AI-generated1 段 ▸
- Only after the water supply in the city was cut off did I understand that a besieged city traps its people not only with
Life events1 ▸
- 0249-01-01 · QushanBattle of Qucheng· Warrior