Wu Fan

Historical Record

Wu Fan, courtesy name Wenze, was a native of Shangyu in Kuaiji. He was renowned throughout his commandery for his mastery of the calendar and the prediction of atmospheric vapors ^c:4955. He had once been recommended as a man of virtuous conduct and was to go to the capital, but because the times were in chaos he was unable to make the journey. Later, when Sun Quan rose in the southeast, Wu Fan devoted himself to his service; whenever there was a calamity, portent, or auspicious sign, he could deduce and predict it accurately by his arts, and his predictions often came true, so his fame grew great ^c:4955.

When Sun Quan was in the lands of Wu, he once planned to campaign against Huang Zu. Wu Fan advised, "This year is unfavorable; better to wait until next year. Next year, the wuzi year, the Governor of Jing Province Liu Biao will also die and his domain will be lost." Sun Quan did not heed him and insisted on campaigning against Huang Zu, and in the end failed to take him. The following year Sun Quan again sent out troops, and when they reached Xunyang, Wu Fan observed a change in the atmospheric vapors, so he went to the ship to offer congratulations and urged Sun Quan to advance the army quickly. After the forces arrived, they indeed broke Huang Zu, who fled by night. Sun Quan feared Huang Zu would escape, but Wu Fan said, "He cannot get far; he will surely be captured alive." Sure enough, at the fifth watch Huang Zu was taken. Liu Biao too, as Wu Fan had said, ultimately died, and Jing Province was thereupon divided ^c:9157.

In the renchen year, Wu Fan again predicted, "In the jiawu year, Liu Bei will be able to seize Yi Province." Later, when Lü Dai returned from Shu, he met Liu Bei at Baidicheng and said that Liu Bei's host had scattered, more than half dead or wounded, and that the affair would surely fail. Sun Quan used this to question Wu Fan, who answered, "What I spoke of is the Way of Heaven, while what Lü Dai saw is the affairs of men." In the end Liu Bei did indeed obtain the lands of Shu ^c:9159.

When Sun Quan and Lü Meng secretly plotted to strike at Guan Yu, he sought the opinions of his close attendants, most of whom thought it could not be done. Sun Quan asked Wu Fan, who declared, "It can succeed." Later, when Guan Yu was besieged at Maicheng and sent an envoy to request surrender, Sun Quan asked Wu Fan, "Will he really surrender?" Wu Fan said, "He has the vapor of flight; his talk of surrender is a ruse." Sun Quan sent Pan Zhang to intercept and cut off Guan Yu's retreat. The scouts returned to report that Guan Yu had already left. Wu Fan said, "Though he has left, he cannot escape." Sun Quan asked when he could be captured, and Wu Fan said, "Tomorrow at noon." Sun Quan then waited beneath a sundial. When noon came and Guan Yu had still not been captured, Sun Quan asked the reason, and Wu Fan said, "The hour has not yet reached true noon." Before long, a gust of wind stirred the curtains, and Wu Fan clapped his hands and said, "Guan Yu has arrived!" In a moment, shouts of "Long live!" came from outside, and word was relayed that Guan Yu had been captured ^c:9161.

Later, when Sun Quan made peace with Cao Wei, Wu Fan said, "Judging from the atmospheric vapors, they show goodwill on the surface but in fact have other designs; we should be on guard." When Liu Bei massed heavy troops at Xiling, Wu Fan again predicted, "Afterward there will be a marriage alliance." These predictions all came true in the end. So discerning and careful were his divinations and their verifications ^c:9167.

Sun Quan appointed Wu Fan as Commandant of Cavalry, concurrently serving as Grand Astrologer, and repeatedly consulted him, hoping to learn the secret of his predictions. Yet Wu Fan kept it concealed and would not impart the most essential of his arts to Sun Quan. Sun Quan therefore harbored resentment against him ^c:962. Wu Fan was upright by nature and rather fond of self-praise, but in his dealings with close friends and old acquaintances he was constant from beginning to end ^c:9170. He had long been on good terms with his fellow townsman Wei Teng. Once Wei Teng committed an offense, and Sun Quan in great anger punished him severely, declaring that anyone who dared remonstrate would be put to death. Wu Fan said to Wei Teng, "I will go to my death together with you." Wei Teng said, "Dying would be useless; why go to die?" Wu Fan said, "How could I sit by and do nothing?" So he shaved his head and bound himself and went to the palace gate, having the bell-keeper announce him. The bell-keeper did not dare, saying, "You will surely die; I dare not report it." Wu Fan asked, "Do you have a son?" The bell-keeper answered, "Yes." Wu Fan said, "If you die for my, Wu Fan's, sake, I will raise your son." The bell-keeper agreed and then burst into the palace. Before he had finished speaking, Sun Quan in great anger wanted to hurl a halberd at him. The bell-keeper hurriedly fled out, and Wu Fan seized the chance to rush in, kowtowing until his head bled, his words and tears falling together. After a long while, Sun Quan's anger subsided, and he pardoned Wei Teng. When Wei Teng saw Wu Fan, he thanked him, saying, "My father and mother gave me life, yet they could not save me from death. For true friends who know one another, to have a friend like you is enough—what need is there of more!" ^c:9170

In the Novel

Romance of the Three Kingdoms does not give Wu Fan any independent literary characterization, so there are no novel-only episodes or dialogue. His image and deeds basically remain consistent with the biographical materials such as the Records of the Three Kingdoms, with no obvious deviation or addition. In the novel's narrative, Wu Fan generally appears as a background figure, and his marvelous calculations are mainly shown in his predictions of Sun Quan's major military actions and political events—such as the prophecy of the campaign against Huang Zu and the prophecy of Guan Yu's capture—all drawn directly from the historical record ^c:9161. The novel does not deeply portray Wu Fan's character traits, nor does it add dramatic conflict between him and Sun Quan or other figures, so his presence in the novel is relatively weak, his main function being to set off the wisdom of Sun Quan's decisions or the inevitability of events. The important details that reveal his character and relationships—such as his "keeping his arts concealed and not telling Sun Quan the most essential things" ^c:962 and his pleading for Wei Teng ^c:9170—are likewise not emphasized in the novel.

Key Relationships

* Eastern Wu (serves): Wu Fan was an official of the Eastern Wu regime, serving Sun Quan in posts such as Commandant of Cavalry and Grand Astrologer ^c:962. He provided Sun Quan with references for decision-making by predicting fortune and misfortune and deducing celestial phenomena.
* Sun Quan (advises_in): Wu Fan was one of Sun Quan's important advisers, repeatedly counseling him and predicting the occurrence and outcome of major events, such as the campaign against Huang Zu, Liu Bei's obtaining Yi Province, and Guan Yu's capture ^c:9157. However, Wu Fan kept his arts concealed and would not tell Sun Quan the most essential of them, which led Sun Quan to harbor resentment against him ^c:962.
* Wei Teng (friend_of): Wu Fan and his fellow townsman Wei Teng were close friends with a deep bond; Wu Fan once remonstrated at the risk of his own life, pleading for Wei Teng and ultimately saving him from the death penalty ^c:9170.

Iconic Scenes

* Predicting the campaign against Huang Zu and Liu Biao's death: Wu Fan accurately predicted the timing of the campaign against Huang Zu and successfully foretold the date of Liu Biao's death and its impact on the configuration of Jing Province, demonstrating his superb skill in the arts ^c:9157.
* Predicting Liu Bei's obtaining Yi Province: In the face of Lü Dai's description of Liu Bei's plight, Wu Fan held firm to his prophecy of the Way of Heaven, and in the end Liu Bei indeed seized Yi Province, once again proving the accuracy of his prediction ^c:9159.
* Precisely predicting Guan Yu's capture: When Sun Quan wavered over whether Guan Yu was truly surrendering, Wu Fan declared that Guan Yu was feigning surrender, and accurately predicted the direction of Guan Yu's flight and the specific time of his capture, even precise to "tomorrow at noon" ^c:9161. This scene fully displays Wu Fan's extraordinary power of marvelous calculation.
* Pleading for Wei Teng at the risk of death: When Wei Teng committed an offense and Sun Quan was furious, no one dared remonstrate. Yet Wu Fan, disregarding his own safety, shaved his head and bound himself, burst into the palace, and kowtowed until his head bled to plead for Wei Teng, ultimately moving Sun Quan and saving Wei Teng from death. This act not only embodies Wu Fan's upright character but also shows his quality of constancy from beginning to end in his dealings with friends and kin ^c:9170.
* Keeping his arts concealed and not telling Sun Quan the most essential things: Although Wu Fan repeatedly provided Sun Quan with accurate predictions, he always held back on the key arts and would not speak fully to Sun Quan. This behavior caused Sun Quan to harbor displeasure toward him, even striking his name from the rewards, embodying Wu Fan's distinctive philosophy of life and the subtle relationship between him and Sun Quan ^c:962.