Historical Record
According to the surviving historical material, such as the official Records of the Three Kingdoms, there is no clear record of Zhang Xian. In the historical documents of the Three Kingdoms period, the figure Zhang Xian is not mentioned, so his life and deeds, allegiance, office, or any specific activities cannot be verified. This suggests that Zhang Xian was not a real historical figure, or that his presence was so negligible that he was not recorded by the historians.
In the Novel
In Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhang Xian appears as a general under Zhang Xiu c:1630. His appearance is concentrated mainly in Chapter 17, when Cao Cao led his army to attack Zhang Xiu, and Zhang Xiu sought aid from Liu Biao and personally led the two generals Lei Xu and Zhang Xian out of the city to meet the enemy c:1630. As the two armies faced off, Zhang Xiu rode out first and reviled Cao Cao as "a man of false benevolence and righteousness without shame," enraging Cao Cao. Cao Cao then ordered Xu Chu to fight, and Zhang Xiu sent Zhang Xian to engage him c:1630. However, Zhang Xian's martial skill proved no match before Xu Chu. After only three bouts, Xu Chu cut down Zhang Xian from his horse, and Zhang Xiu's army was thereby badly defeated c:1630. In the novel, Zhang Xian is a typical "three-bout general," whose role is mainly to set off the valor of the enemy general Xu Chu and to foreshadow the defeat of Zhang Xiu's army. His life in the novel is brief and intense; through his swift defeat and death he advances the plot, especially the situation of Zhang Xiu being defeated by Cao Cao and retreating to hold Nanyang c:1630.
Key Relationships
* Zhang Xiu: Zhang Xian is a subordinate general of Zhang Xiu (novel only). In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhang Xian was under Zhang Xiu's command and went out of the city with him to fight Cao Cao c:1630. His death in battle directly caused a blow to the morale of Zhang Xiu's army and the defeat of the opening engagement, producing a negative effect on Zhang Xiu's military operations.
* Xu Chu: Zhang Xian and Xu Chu are opponents on the battlefield (novel only). In the clash between Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu, Zhang Xian was killed by Xu Chu within three bouts, becoming a victim of Xu Chu's fierce martial prowess c:1630.
Iconic Scenes
* Slain in three bouts: The scene for which Zhang Xian is best known, and his only appearance in the novel, is his fight with Xu Chu and being cut down from his horse within three bouts c:1630. This scene not only displays Xu Chu's formidable martial power but also directly causes the rout of Zhang Xiu's army and prompts Zhang Xiu to retreat to hold his city and shut his gates c:1630. This episode is the entire significance of Zhang Xian's existence in Romance of the Three Kingdoms and becomes the defining feature of his character (novel only).
Relationships
1 relationships
Other1
Chapters1 回 ▸
- 演ch.17
Relationship timeline1 条 ▸
演 ch.17
- Zhang Xiu§27
fights_in
部将；战许褚三合被斩
Inner monologues · AI-generated1 段 ▸
- I am Zhang Xian. My courtesy name is not recorded here. I lived in the late Han, and all I knew and did amounted to foll