Historical Record
Zu Mao, styled Darong, with unknown dates of birth and death, appears in the official histories as a general under Sun Jian, renowned for his loyalty and valor. According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, during Dong Zhuo's misrule Sun Jian led troops to campaign against Dong Zhuo. When Sun Jian came under fierce siege by Dong Zhuo's great army at Liangdong, the situation became extremely perilous. In the course of breaking out, Sun Jian had only a few dozen riders left beside him. To cover his lord's retreat, Sun Jian took off the red felt headscarf he habitually wore and handed it to his close general Zu Mao to wear c:2888. Dong Zhuo's cavalry thereupon pursued Zu Mao, allowing Sun Jian to escape by a side path. Caught in the predicament of being pursued, Zu Mao thought quickly: he dismounted and hung the red felt headscarf on a charred pillar beside a grave, then hid himself in the grass. From afar Dong Zhuo's pursuers saw the red headscarf and surrounded it on all sides; only when they drew near did they find it was nothing but a pillar, and so they left. Zu Mao's act successfully drew the enemy's attention and won precious time for Sun Jian's escape. Afterward, Sun Jian regathered his forces and fought Dong Zhuo's army again at Yangren, finally crushing them and slaying their Commander Hua Xiong and others c:2888. The historical record concerning Zu Mao centers chiefly on his valor in this engagement; it makes no mention of his later deeds or his end, nor is any dialogue of his recorded. With his image of sacrificing himself for his lord and combining wisdom with courage, he left a vivid stroke in the early campaigns of Sun Jian's war against Dong Zhuo.
In the Novel
In Luo Guanzhong's literary shaping in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zu Mao's image is further fleshed out and dramatized, especially in the episode where Sun Jian, campaigning against Dong Zhuo, is pursued by Hua Xiong; here Zu Mao's loyalty, valor, and spirit of sacrifice are vividly depicted c:12881. In the novel, Zu Mao, styled Darong, is a fierce general under Sun Jian. In Chapter 5, Hua Xiong made a night raid on Sun Jian's main camp; Sun Jian hastily met the attack and exchanged several bouts with Hua Xiong, then fell into chaos when Li Su's troops set fires. At this point, only Zu Mao stayed close by Sun Jian and broke out with him. As Hua Xiong pursued relentlessly, Sun Jian loosed two arrows in succession without hitting; the third arrow, drawn too forcefully, snapped his magpie-painted bow, so he had to cast it aside and flee. Seeing this, Zu Mao volunteered to have Sun Jian take off his conspicuous red headscarf and wear it himself, to draw Hua Xiong's pursuit and win his lord a chance to escape c:12881. Sun Jian did as he said and took off the red headscarf; Zu Mao put it on, and the two fled in different directions. Hua Xiong indeed pursued only the one wearing the red headscarf, Zu Mao. Pursued to a desperate pass, Zu Mao hung the red headscarf on a charred courtyard pillar and hid himself in the woods. Hua Xiong's troops surrounded the headscarf and shot it with arrows, only then realizing they had fallen for a ruse. At this moment Zu Mao charged out from behind the woods, brandishing twin blades to cut down Hua Xiong, but Hua Xiong gave a great shout and with one stroke felled him from his horse—a valiant death c:2889. In the novel, Zu Mao's sacrifice brought Sun Jian enormous grief and so shocked Yuan Shao and the other lords at Hua Xiong's prowess, thereby leading into the later episode of "slaying Hua Xiong while the wine was still warm" c:2889. Compared with the historical fact, the novel not only depicts in detail the process of Zu Mao's sacrifice but also endows him with the heroic spirit of volunteering and giving his life for righteousness, and makes clear his end, rendering his image more vivid and tragic. In history Zu Mao escaped, while in the novel he dies to save his lord—this is the greatest divergence between the two.
Key Relationships
* Sun Jian (commands_in): Zu Mao was a general under Sun Jian, faithfully following him in both the histories and the novel. When Sun Jian met with danger, Zu Mao stepped forward to protect his lord's safety through a stratagem or by self-sacrifice. This master-servant relationship is the core of Zu Mao's deeds c:2888.
* Hua Xiong (enemy): In the novel, Hua Xiong is the enemy general who pursued and finally slew Zu Mao, the direct cause of Zu Mao's death c:2889. In history, Hua Xiong was a general under Dong Zhuo who was crushed by Sun Jian and beheaded at the Battle of Yangren, but no direct clash between him and Zu Mao is mentioned c:2888.
Iconic Scenes
* The Headscarf Changes Hands, Drawing the Enemy to Let the Lord Escape: When Sun Jian was surrounded and pursued by Dong Zhuo's army, Zu Mao, either of his own accord or at Sun Jian's bidding, put on Sun Jian's red felt headscarf to draw the enemy's pursuit, allowing Sun Jian to escape. This is the only record of Zu Mao in the histories and an embodiment of his loyalty, valor, and resourcefulness c:2888.
* Hanging the Headscarf to Lure the Enemy, Giving His Life for Righteousness: In the novel, Zu Mao, pursued to a desperate pass by Hua Xiong, hung the red headscarf on a courtyard pillar to draw off the enemy's attention. He then charged out from the woods in an attempt to ambush Hua Xiong, only to be slain by Hua Xiong in a valiant death. This scene greatly strengthens Zu Mao's tragic heroic image and became his iconic ending in the novel c:2889 (novel only).
Portrait file
Character profile
- Character
- Zu Mao was a close general of Sun Jian; in a night battle he once took Sun Jian's place, donning Sun Jian's red headscarf to draw off the pursuers.
- Life
- Zu Mao was a man of Fuchun in Wu Commandery. In one night battle he donned Sun Jian's red headscarf to draw off the pursuers, and in the end was cut down from his horse by a single stroke of Hua Xiong's blade.
- Weapons
- Zu Mao wielded a pair of sabers.
- Anecdotes
- Zu Mao was a general under Sun Jian.
Relationships
2 relationships
Lines
- 演 ch.5 §35→ Sun Jian
「主公頭上赤幘射目，為賊所識認。可脫幘與某戴之。」
Chapters2 回 ▸
- 史ch.46
- 演ch.5
Relationship timeline2 条 ▸
Inner monologues · AI-generated1 段 ▸
- I am Zu Mao, courtesy name Darong. I recall that when our forces were defeated at Liangdong, Dong Zhuo’s army pressed fi
Life events3 ▸
- 0190-01-01 · YangrenBattle of Yangren· Warrior
- 0190-01-01 · Sishui PassBattle of Sishuiguan· Killed in action
- 0191-01-01 · XiangyangSun Jian's Campaign Against Liu Biao· Warrior