Zhang Fan (died 212),
courtesy name
A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theob ...
Gongyi, was an official serving under the warlord
Cao Cao during the late
Eastern Han dynasty of China.
Life
Zhang Fan was born in the
Eastern Han dynasty in Xiuwu County (),
Henei Commandery
Henei Commandery ( zh, 河內郡) was a commandery of China from Han dynasty to Tang dynasty, located in modern Henan province, to the north of Yellow River.
In ancient China, Henei ("Inside the Yellow River") referred to the land north of the low ...
(), which is present-day
Huojia County
Huojia County () is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Xinxiang, in the northwest of Henan province, China.
The name Huojia, which means "capturing üJia", was used as the county name in 111 BC when Emperor Wu of H ...
,
Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
. His grandfather, Zhang Xin (), served as
Minister over the Masses Situ was one of the highest ranking government offices in ancient China. Established in the Western Zhou dynasty, it was originally written as (), meaning Administrator of Land.
During the Han dynasty, the title became written with the different c ...
() in the Han imperial court, while his father, Zhang Yan (), served as Grand Commandant ().
Yuan Wei (), the Grand Tutor (), wanted to arrange for his daughter to marry Zhang Fan, but Zhang Fan declined.
Zhang Fan desired a quiet, peaceful and happy life. As he had little regard for fame and material wealth, he rejected offers and invitations to serve in the Han government. He had two younger brothers,
Zhang Cheng and Zhang Zhao (). Around 190, Zhang Fan and his family relocated to
Yang Province
Yangzhou, Yangchow or Yang Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China mentioned in historical texts such as the ''Tribute of Yu'', '' Erya'' and '' Rites of Zhou''.
Name
There are four different theories regarding the origin of t ...
after the warlord
Dong Zhuo
Dong Zhuo () (died 22 May 192), courtesy name Zhongying, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. At the end of the reign of the Eastern Han, Dong Zhuo was a general and powerful minist ...
seized control of the Han central government and held the figurehead
Emperor Xian
Emperor Xian of Han (2 April 181 – 21 April 234), personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in China. He reigned from 28 September 189 until 11 December 220.
Liu Xie was a so ...
hostage.
In the 190s, the warlord
Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu () (died July or August 199), courtesy name Gonglu, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the Han central government in 189 ...
controlled the lands around the
Huai River
The Huai River (), formerly romanized as the Hwai, is a major river in China. It is located about midway between the Yellow River and Yangtze, the two longest rivers and largest drainage basins in China, and like them runs from west to ea ...
in Yang Province. He had heard of Zhang Fan and wanted to recruit him as an adviser. However, Zhang Fan claimed that he was ill and refused to go. Yuan Shu did not force him. Zhang Fan then sent his brother Zhang Cheng to meet Yuan Shu instead.
Around 207, after the warlord
Cao Cao had defeated his rivals in northern China and unified the region under his control, he sent a messenger to invite Zhang Fan to serve in the Han government. However, Zhang Fan claimed that he was ill and remained behind in Pengcheng (彭城; around present-day
Xuzhou
Xuzhou (徐州), also known as Pengcheng (彭城) in ancient times, is a major city in northwestern Jiangsu province, China. The city, with a recorded population of 9,083,790 at the 2020 census (3,135,660 of which lived in the built-up area ma ...
,
Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its ca ...
). He sent his brother Zhang Cheng to meet Cao Cao instead.
On one occasion, Zhang Fan's son Zhang Ling () and nephew Zhang Jian (張戩; Zhang Cheng's son) were kidnapped by bandits in
Shandong. When Zhang Fan asked them to release the boys, they freed only Zhang Ling. Zhang Fan then asked them if he could trade his son for his nephew instead because his nephew was younger. The bandits were so impressed by his act of sacrifice that they released both Zhang Ling and Zhang Jian.
[(範子陵及承子戩為山東賊所得，範直詣賊請二子，賊以陵還範。範謝曰：「諸君相還兒厚矣。夫人情雖愛其子，然吾憐戩之小，請以陵易之。」賊義其言，悉以還範。) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 11.]
In 209, after Cao Cao returned from the
Battle of Red Cliffs, he met Zhang Fan in
Chen Commandery
Chen Commandery ( zh, 陳郡) was a Chinese commandery that existed from the late Han dynasty to the Sui dynasty. It was located in present-day eastern Henan province.
For much of the Western Han dynasty, the territory was part of the vassal Prin ...
(陳郡; around present-day
Huaiyang County
Huaiyang District () is a district in the prefecture-level city of Zhoukou in the east of Henan province, People's Republic of China. During the Spring and Autumn period the capital of the state of Chen was located there.
The Chinese Ma cliq ...
,
Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
) and appointed him as a Consultant () and Army Adviser (). Cao Cao highly regarded Zhang Fan and treated him respectfully. When he went on military campaigns against rival warlords, he often left Zhang Fan and
Bing Yuan
Bing most often refers to:
* Bing Crosby (1903–1977), American singer
* Microsoft Bing, a web search engine
Bing may also refer to:
Food and drink
* Bing (bread), a Chinese flatbread
* Bing (soft drink), a UK brand
* Bing cherry, a variety ...
behind to guard his base together with his son and heir apparent,
Cao Pi
Cao Pi () ( – 29 June 226), courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Cao Cao, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty, but the eldest ...
. He also once told Cao Pi, "You should consult these two men before you do anything." Cao Pi heeded his father's advice and treated them as if they were the elders of his family.
Zhang Fan kept no surplus wealth for himself and his family. He generously used his personal wealth to help the poor and needy, and provided shelter for many widows and orphans. He neither rejected the gifts he received from others nor used them, and instead kept them somewhere. After he died in 212, his family returned the gifts in accordance with his final wishes.
Family
In late 220, more than half a year after
Cao Cao's death,
Cao Pi
Cao Pi () ( – 29 June 226), courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Cao Cao, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty, but the eldest ...
usurped the throne from
Emperor Xian
Emperor Xian of Han (2 April 181 – 21 April 234), personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in China. He reigned from 28 September 189 until 11 December 220.
Liu Xie was a so ...
, ended the
Eastern Han dynasty, and established the