Jiang Gan
Encyclopedia
Jiang Gan was an advisor to the warlord Cao Cao
during the late Han Dynasty
period of Chinese history
.
The annotations to Records of Three Kingdoms
from the Jiangbiao Zhuan (江表傳) described Jiang Gan as a good-looking man whose debating skills were unmatched in the Jiangnan
and Huai River
region. After the Battle of Red Cliffs
, Cao Cao knew that Jiang Gan was an old acquaintance of Zhou Yu, since their respective hometowns (Jiujiang and Lujiang) were located close to each other, so he sent Jiang to persuade Zhou to defect to his side. During the meeting between Zhou Yu and Jiang Gan, Zhou indirectly affirmed his loyalty to his lord in front of Jiang. Jiang Gan smiled and did not respond. He later praised Zhou Yu's demeanor and elegance and claimed that Zhou's loyalty could not be shaken by words.
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
, Jiang Gan was a former schoolmate of Zhou Yu
. Later, Jiang Gan served Cao Cao
as a minor civil official.
Prior to the Battle of Red Cliffs
, Cao Cao and Sun Quan
's forces had a naval battle in which Sun's outnumbered troops defeated Cao Cao. Cao Cao was furious with the defeat and after discussion with his generals, he realised that most of his troops came from northern China and were not familiar with naval warfare. Cao Cao ordered Cai Mao
and Zhang Yun
, who both formerly served the warlord Liu Biao
of Jing Province, to construct a naval base for training the troops in naval warfare.
Zhou Yu was disturbed by this and pondered how to get rid of the two generals, who were quite adept in naval warfare and were in charge of overseeing the training of Cao Cao's troops. Later, Jiang Gan offered to go to Zhou Yu's camp to persuade his old schoolmate Zhou Yu to defect to Cao Cao's side. Cao Cao was overjoyed and sent Jiang Gan off to Zhou Yu's camp.
Zhou Yu heard of Jiang Gan's arrival and was delighted as he intended to use Jiang Gan to get rid of Cai Mao and Zhang Yun. When Jiang Gan arrived, Zhou Yu received him warmly and even asked him whether he was here to persuade him to serve Cao Cao and if so, Jiang Gan would not be welcome. Jiang Gan denied and Zhou Yu threw a banquet in his honour as a reunion affair. Before the banquet, Zhou Yu handed his sword to Taishi Ci
, giving him the authority to execute anyone who spoke of military affairs as the banquet was meant to be a joyous and relaxed occasion in which no affairs of the state would be discussed. Jiang Gan was afraid and decided not to speak to Zhou Yu about serving Cao Cao yet.
After the banquet, Zhou Yu pretended to be drunk and showed Jiang Gan round his camp. He showed Jiang Gan how full his granary was and the might of his troops. Jiang Gan was intimidated by the sight of the military prowess of Zhou Yu's army and did not dare to speak anything regarding surrendering to Cao Cao to Zhou Yu. Later, Zhou Yu wanted Jiang Gan to sleep with him on the same bed that night just like in their schooldays. Jiang Gan could not sleep peacefully and he crept out of bed that night to browse through Zhou Yu's documents.
Jiang Gan found a letter addressed to Zhou Yu from Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, and he opened the letter quietly so as not to wake Zhou Yu up. Jiang Gan read the letter and was shocked when he found out that Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were planning to kill Cao Cao and defect to Sun Quan's side. Jiang Gan was happy that although he did not manage to complete his mission (to persuade Zhou Yu to join Cao Cao), he discovered an important military secret of the enemy. Zhou Yu pretended to wake up from his sleep in the middle of the night and vomited by the bedside. He said groggily to Jiang Gan, "Ziyi, in a few days time, I will show you Cao Cao's head."
Jiang Gan thought that what was written in the letter was true and quietly sneaked back into bed. Later, Zhou Yu's subordinates woke him up and Zhou Yu pretended to have awoken from his state of drunkenness. The subordinates told him to go outside the tent to tell him of some important military news. Jiang Gan crept out of bed again and eavesdropped on the conversation, hearing them mention plans of Cai Mao and Zhang Yun assassinating Cao Cao. Jiang Gan sneaked out of Zhou Yu's camp and went back to Cao Cao's camp with the letter.
Jiang Gan showed Cao Cao the letter and Cao Cao was furious. He summoned Cai Mao and Zhang Yun and asked them why the construction of the naval base was delayed. Cai Mao and Zhang Yun tried to explain but Cao Cao cut them off, saying "By then, my head would have already been in the hands of Zhou Yu!". Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were puzzled and Cao Cao ordered them to be executed immediately. Jiang Gan seemed pleased that he had made a great contribution by exposing the treachery of Cai Mao and Zhang Yun.
Suddenly, Cao Cao realised that he had been tricked by Zhou Yu and ordered the executioners to hold on, but was too late as Cai and Zhang had already been executed. Cao Cao did not want to admit that he had been tricked and forced himself to praise Jiang Gan for exposing the treachery although he was fuming inside. Jiang Gan had not realised that this was a scheme all set up by Zhou Yu to get rid of Cai Mao and Zhang Yun and was pleased with himself.
Later, Cao Cao decided to send Jiang Gan again to spy on Zhou Yu but many of Cao Cao's advisors objected. Nevertheless, Jiang Gan still went to Zhou Yu's camp. At that time, Zhou Yu was planning his attack on Cao Cao's forces when he heard of Jiang Gan's arrival. He laughed again and decided to make use of Jiang Gan to aid him in completing his plan. Zhou Yu pretended to be furious with Jiang Gan, saying "Last time, you stole the letter and allowed military secrets to be leaked out, causing my plan to end up in failure." Zhou Yu wanted to have Jiang Gan executed but on account of their past friendship, he ordered to have Jiang Gan barred from entering his camp.
Jiang Gan wandered to a nearby temple and met Pang Tong
. After a conversation with Pang, Jiang recognised Pang's talent and tried to recruit him into Cao Cao's camp. Pang agreed and went back to Cao Cao's camp with Jiang Gan. This was meant to be a ruse as Pang Tong and Zhou Yu had agreed beforehand on this plan. Pang was to meet Cao Cao, who would not suspect him, and suggest to Cao Cao the strategy of 'linking the battleships together with iron chains', which would later cause Cao Cao's defeat in the Battle of Red Cliffs.
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
during the late Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
.
The annotations to Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms , is regarded as the official and authoritative historical text on the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history covering the years 184-280 CE. Written by Chen Shou in the 3rd century, the work combines the smaller histories of the rival states of Cao Wei , Shu Han and...
from the Jiangbiao Zhuan (江表傳) described Jiang Gan as a good-looking man whose debating skills were unmatched in the Jiangnan
Jiangnan
Jiangnan or Jiang Nan is a geographic area in China referring to lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, including the southern part of the Yangtze Delta...
and Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
region. After the Battle of Red Cliffs
Battle of Red Cliffs
The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive battle at the end of the Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was fought in the winter of 208/9 AD between the allied forces of the southern warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan...
, Cao Cao knew that Jiang Gan was an old acquaintance of Zhou Yu, since their respective hometowns (Jiujiang and Lujiang) were located close to each other, so he sent Jiang to persuade Zhou to defect to his side. During the meeting between Zhou Yu and Jiang Gan, Zhou indirectly affirmed his loyalty to his lord in front of Jiang. Jiang Gan smiled and did not respond. He later praised Zhou Yu's demeanor and elegance and claimed that Zhou's loyalty could not be shaken by words.
In fiction
In Luo GuanzhongLuo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, Jiang Gan was a former schoolmate of Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu was a military general and strategist who served his close friend, the warlord Sun Ce, during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
. Later, Jiang Gan served Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
as a minor civil official.
Prior to the Battle of Red Cliffs
Battle of Red Cliffs
The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive battle at the end of the Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was fought in the winter of 208/9 AD between the allied forces of the southern warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan...
, Cao Cao and Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
's forces had a naval battle in which Sun's outnumbered troops defeated Cao Cao. Cao Cao was furious with the defeat and after discussion with his generals, he realised that most of his troops came from northern China and were not familiar with naval warfare. Cao Cao ordered Cai Mao
Cai Mao
Cai Mao was a military general specializing in naval warfare during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He was from Xiangyang in Jing Province and originally served the warlord Liu Biao before joining Cao Cao's forces. He gained his status when his sister married Liu Biao.Cai Mao initially...
and Zhang Yun
Zhang Yun
Zhang Yun was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Biao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was Cai Mao's maternal nephew and specialized in naval warfare like his uncle...
, who both formerly served the warlord Liu Biao
Liu Biao
Liu Biao , style name Jingsheng , was a warlord and the governor of Jing Province during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a member of the extended family of the Han Dynasty emperors...
of Jing Province, to construct a naval base for training the troops in naval warfare.
Zhou Yu was disturbed by this and pondered how to get rid of the two generals, who were quite adept in naval warfare and were in charge of overseeing the training of Cao Cao's troops. Later, Jiang Gan offered to go to Zhou Yu's camp to persuade his old schoolmate Zhou Yu to defect to Cao Cao's side. Cao Cao was overjoyed and sent Jiang Gan off to Zhou Yu's camp.
Zhou Yu heard of Jiang Gan's arrival and was delighted as he intended to use Jiang Gan to get rid of Cai Mao and Zhang Yun. When Jiang Gan arrived, Zhou Yu received him warmly and even asked him whether he was here to persuade him to serve Cao Cao and if so, Jiang Gan would not be welcome. Jiang Gan denied and Zhou Yu threw a banquet in his honour as a reunion affair. Before the banquet, Zhou Yu handed his sword to Taishi Ci
Taishi Ci
Taishi Ci was a military general during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served several warlords, including Kong Rong, Liu Yao, and Sun Ce.-Early life:...
, giving him the authority to execute anyone who spoke of military affairs as the banquet was meant to be a joyous and relaxed occasion in which no affairs of the state would be discussed. Jiang Gan was afraid and decided not to speak to Zhou Yu about serving Cao Cao yet.
After the banquet, Zhou Yu pretended to be drunk and showed Jiang Gan round his camp. He showed Jiang Gan how full his granary was and the might of his troops. Jiang Gan was intimidated by the sight of the military prowess of Zhou Yu's army and did not dare to speak anything regarding surrendering to Cao Cao to Zhou Yu. Later, Zhou Yu wanted Jiang Gan to sleep with him on the same bed that night just like in their schooldays. Jiang Gan could not sleep peacefully and he crept out of bed that night to browse through Zhou Yu's documents.
Jiang Gan found a letter addressed to Zhou Yu from Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, and he opened the letter quietly so as not to wake Zhou Yu up. Jiang Gan read the letter and was shocked when he found out that Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were planning to kill Cao Cao and defect to Sun Quan's side. Jiang Gan was happy that although he did not manage to complete his mission (to persuade Zhou Yu to join Cao Cao), he discovered an important military secret of the enemy. Zhou Yu pretended to wake up from his sleep in the middle of the night and vomited by the bedside. He said groggily to Jiang Gan, "Ziyi, in a few days time, I will show you Cao Cao's head."
Jiang Gan thought that what was written in the letter was true and quietly sneaked back into bed. Later, Zhou Yu's subordinates woke him up and Zhou Yu pretended to have awoken from his state of drunkenness. The subordinates told him to go outside the tent to tell him of some important military news. Jiang Gan crept out of bed again and eavesdropped on the conversation, hearing them mention plans of Cai Mao and Zhang Yun assassinating Cao Cao. Jiang Gan sneaked out of Zhou Yu's camp and went back to Cao Cao's camp with the letter.
Jiang Gan showed Cao Cao the letter and Cao Cao was furious. He summoned Cai Mao and Zhang Yun and asked them why the construction of the naval base was delayed. Cai Mao and Zhang Yun tried to explain but Cao Cao cut them off, saying "By then, my head would have already been in the hands of Zhou Yu!". Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were puzzled and Cao Cao ordered them to be executed immediately. Jiang Gan seemed pleased that he had made a great contribution by exposing the treachery of Cai Mao and Zhang Yun.
Suddenly, Cao Cao realised that he had been tricked by Zhou Yu and ordered the executioners to hold on, but was too late as Cai and Zhang had already been executed. Cao Cao did not want to admit that he had been tricked and forced himself to praise Jiang Gan for exposing the treachery although he was fuming inside. Jiang Gan had not realised that this was a scheme all set up by Zhou Yu to get rid of Cai Mao and Zhang Yun and was pleased with himself.
Later, Cao Cao decided to send Jiang Gan again to spy on Zhou Yu but many of Cao Cao's advisors objected. Nevertheless, Jiang Gan still went to Zhou Yu's camp. At that time, Zhou Yu was planning his attack on Cao Cao's forces when he heard of Jiang Gan's arrival. He laughed again and decided to make use of Jiang Gan to aid him in completing his plan. Zhou Yu pretended to be furious with Jiang Gan, saying "Last time, you stole the letter and allowed military secrets to be leaked out, causing my plan to end up in failure." Zhou Yu wanted to have Jiang Gan executed but on account of their past friendship, he ordered to have Jiang Gan barred from entering his camp.
Jiang Gan wandered to a nearby temple and met Pang Tong
Pang Tong
Pang Tong was an advisor to Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was nicknamed "Young Phoenix" by his uncle Pang Degong due to his ugly appearance but great capabilities and talent...
. After a conversation with Pang, Jiang recognised Pang's talent and tried to recruit him into Cao Cao's camp. Pang agreed and went back to Cao Cao's camp with Jiang Gan. This was meant to be a ruse as Pang Tong and Zhou Yu had agreed beforehand on this plan. Pang was to meet Cao Cao, who would not suspect him, and suggest to Cao Cao the strategy of 'linking the battleships together with iron chains', which would later cause Cao Cao's defeat in the Battle of Red Cliffs.