Zhu Jianping

Historical Record

Zhu Jianping, a man of Pei, was renowned in his time for his consummate skill in physiognomy^[1]. He often read faces for people in the lanes and alleys, and his predictions frequently came true, so that his fame spread far and wide. When Cao Cao was enfeoffed as Duke of Wei, he heard of Zhu Jianping's remarkable physiognomic skill, summoned him into his establishment, and appointed him a gentleman attendant^[1].

Before Cao Pi had ascended the throne, while he served as General of the Five Office Corps, he once held a banquet for more than thirty guests. During the feast, Cao Pi asked Zhu Jianping about his own lifespan and ordered him to read the faces of the assembled guests one by one. Zhu Jianping predicted that Cao Pi would enjoy a lifespan of eighty years, but would meet with a minor calamity at the age of forty, and reminded him to take careful precautions when that time came^[1]. He also made predictions for other important figures present: he told Xiahou Wei that at the age of forty-nine he would hold the post of provincial governor but would meet with misfortune, and that if he could pass safely through this calamity he would live to seventy and ultimately attain the rank of high minister^[1]. To Ying Qu, Zhu Jianping predicted that he would serve as a Permanent Companion at the age of sixty-two, and that the year before that he would, alone, see a white dog that others could not see^[1]. In addition, Zhu Jianping told Cao Biao that he would hold a vassal state, but at the age of fifty-seven would meet with the calamity of war, and admonished him to guard well against it^[1].

Zhu Jianping was skilled not only at reading men but also at reading horses. On one occasion, Cao Pi was about to go out, and a horse was led out of the stables. Zhu Jianping happened to encounter this horse on the road and declared that it would surely die that day^[2]. By coincidence, when Cao Pi was about to mount this horse, the horse was startled by its dislike of the scent of his robes and bit Cao Pi's knee. Cao Pi was greatly enraged and immediately ordered the horse put to death^[2]. Zhu Jianping finally died during the Huangchu era^[2].

In the Novel

Romance of the Three Kingdoms does not give Zhu Jianping any literary treatment, and so there is no specific plot or portrayal of him in the novel. Zhu Jianping's physiognomy and predictions recorded in the historical sources are nowhere mentioned in the Romance, and his life and deeds were not incorporated into the novel's narrative framework. Therefore, it is impossible to point out any deviation of the Romance from the historical record, because he is entirely absent from the Romance's narrative^[1].

Key Relationships

* Cao Wei (serves): Because of his superb physiognomic skill, Zhu Jianping was summoned into Cao Cao's establishment and served as a gentleman attendant, serving the Cao Wei regime^[1]. His presence embodies the importance and use that rulers of the time gave to esoteric arts.
* Cao Pi (witnesses): Zhu Jianping's relationship with Cao Pi was especially close. He not only read Cao Pi's face when the latter was General of the Five Office Corps, predicting his lifespan and calamity^[1], but also predicted the fate of the horse Cao Pi was to ride, which ultimately came true^[2]. Cao Pi was the direct witness of Zhu Jianping's physiognomy and the one who personally experienced the fulfillment of his predictions.
* Xiahou Wei, Ying Qu, Cao Biao (witnesses): At Cao Pi's banquet, Zhu Jianping read the faces of these three men and made detailed predictions about their future offices and the calamities they might meet^[1]. These predictions demonstrate the breadth and depth of Zhu Jianping's physiognomic skill, and also make these figures indirect witnesses of his predictive ability.

Iconic Scenes

* Reading faces at the banquet of the General of the Five Office Corps: This is Zhu Jianping's best-known iconic scene. At Cao Pi's banquet, Zhu Jianping read the faces of more than thirty guests, including Cao Pi, one by one, and made precise predictions about their lifespans, offices, and the calamities they might meet. Among these, his prediction that Cao Pi would have "a lifespan of eighty, with a minor calamity at forty," and his specific predictions for Xiahou Wei, Ying Qu, Cao Biao, and others, all fully display his superb physiognomic skill^[1]. This scene not only highlights Zhu Jianping's core ability but also leaves to later generations many allusions to the fulfillment of his predictions.
* Predicting the death of a horse: Zhu Jianping happened to encounter on the road the horse Cao Pi was about to ride and declared that it would surely die that day^[2]. Subsequently, the startled horse bit Cao Pi and was finally put to death, confirming Zhu Jianping's prediction. This scene, though brief, vividly displays Zhu Jianping's distinctive ability to read not only men but also things, further consolidating his image as a master of physiognomy^[2].