Han Dang

Biography & Historical Record

Han Dang (韩当, Hàn Đương), courtesy name Yigong (义公, Nghĩa Công) (d. 226 AD), was a Liaoxi veteran of the Sun house—one of the “tiger-ministers of the Jiang table” (江表之虎臣) praised by Chen Shou (陈寿, Trần Thọ) in Sanguozhi volume 55. A native of Lingzhi in Liaoxi Commandery (辽西郡令支县; huyện Lệnh Chi, quận Liêu Tây; present-day Qian’an, Hebei), he was strong with bow and horse and joined Sun Jian (孙坚, Tôn Kiên) early, then served Sun Ce (孙策, Tôn Sách) and Sun Quan (孙权, Tôn Quyền) through the founding of Jiangdong and the first years of Eastern Wu. His recorded offices run from Separate-Command Major to Colonel Who First Ascends, General of the Household, General of the Interior, remotely Administrator of Yongchang, General Manifesting Martial Might (昭武将军), remotely Administrator of Guanjun, Area Commander, and Marquis of Shicheng (石城侯).

Historically he fought Sun Jian’s early wars, crossed east with Sun Ce against three commanderies, helped break Liu Xun (刘勋, Lưu Huân) of Lujiang and Huang Zu (黄祖, Hoàng Tổ), pacified Poyang and Le’an Yue peoples, stood with Zhou Yu (周瑜, Chu Du) at Red Cliffs (208), joined Lu Meng (吕蒙, Lã Mông) in the Nanjun surprise, and in 222 served under Lu Xun (陆逊, Lục Tốn) with Zhu Ran (朱然, Chu Nhiên) when Shu broke at Zhuoxiang (涿乡) in the Yiling / Xiaoting war. In Huangwu 5 (226) he led Dare-to-Die and Jiefan camp troops to put down Danyang rebels, then died of illness. His son Han Zong (韩综, Hàn Tông) inherited the marquisate and the troops; the next year, fearing punishment for debauchery at Wuchang, he loaded his father’s coffin and defected to Wei with several thousand retainers—later raiding Wu until he died as a Wei vanguard at Dongxing and Zhuge Ke (诸葛恪, Gia Cát Khác) sent the head to Sun Quan’s temple.

Luo Guanzhong’s novel keeps that three-generation loyalty and adds set-piece duels: Han Dang slays Zhang Hu (张虎, Trương Hổ) at Xiangyang, helps crush Yan Baihu (严白虎, Nghiêm Bạch Hổ), spears Jiao Chu (焦触, Tiêu Xúc) in the Red Cliffs inferno, and as vice-commander under Lu Xun burns Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị)’s linked camps at Xiaoting.

Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 5 (Sun Jian Crosses the River; the Coalition Gathers at Sishui): Under Sun Jian, courtesy Wen Tai (文台, Văn Đài), Han Dang stands with Cheng Pu (程普, Trình Phổ), Huang Gai (黄盖, Hoàng Cái), and Zu Mao (祖茂, Tổ Mậu) as the Changsha contingent of the eighteen-lord alliance against Dong Zhuo (董卓, Đổng Trác). He is the broadsword officer of that first generation—present when Hua Xiong (华雄, Hoa Hùng) terrorizes the allied camp and Cheng Pu cuts down Dong Zhuo’s general Hu Zhen (胡轸, Hồ Chẩn).

Chapter 7 (Yuan Shao Fights Gongsun Zan; Sun Jian Dies at Xiangyang): When Sun Jian attacks Liu Biao (刘表, Lưu Biểu), Huang Zu sends Chen Sheng (陈生, Trần Sinh) and Zhang Hu. Han Dang meets Zhang Hu in single combat and kills him; Huang Gai then takes Huang Zu alive, enabling an exchange that recovers Sun Jian’s position before the later ambush in which Lu Gong (吕公, Lã Công) slays Sun Jian at Mount Xian.

Chapter 15 (Taishi Ci Fights Sun Ce; Sun Ce Conquers the Six Commanderies): After Sun Ce breaks Liu Yao (刘繇, Lưu Dao) and presses into Wu, Han Dang helps smash the White Tiger bandit Yan Baihu in Wuxing—one of the last independent powers between Sun Ce and control of Jiangdong.

Chapter 29 (The Little Conqueror Dies; Sun Quan Inherits Jiangdong): When Sun Ce is mortally wounded, Han Dang is among the old captains who accept the succession of young Sun Quan and hold the commanderies while Zhang Zhao (张昭, Trương Chiêu) and Zhou Yu steady the court.

Chapter 38 (Ding Chengyang Crosses the River; Sun Quan Attacks Jiangxia): In the naval assault on Huang Zu, Han Dang commands vanguard warships that wreck the Jiangxia fleet—the same campaign in which Gan Ning (甘宁, Cam Ninh) kills Huang Zu in flight and Ling Cao (凌操, Lăng Thao) dies, leaving Ling Tong (凌统, Lăng Thống) to inherit a blood feud.

Chapter 49 (On the Seven Stars Altar Zhuge Liang Sacrifices to the Winds; at Red Cliffs the Three Armies Use Fire): After Huang Gai’s fire ships lock Cao Cao’s chained fleet, Han Dang drives into the burning river and spears Jiao Chu—a former Yuan officer now under Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo)—to death in the water.

Chapter 51 (Cao Ren Fights the Southland Troops; Zhuge Liang Angers Zhou Yu): Han Dang supports Zhou Yu’s push on Nanjun against Cao Ren (曹仁, Tào Nhân) after Zhou Yu is wounded, helping Wu claim the Jiangling shore that the novel then lets Liu Bei occupy by stratagem.

Chapters 82–84 (Sun Quan Submits to Wei; Lu Xun Burns the Camps): Appointed vice-commander with Zhou Tai (周泰, Chu Thái) under Supreme Commander Lu Xun, Han Dang holds the Xiaoting / Yiling line while younger officers doubt the scholar-general. When the east wind and drought come, he executes Lu Xun’s fire order: Liu Bei’s interconnected camps ignite, the Shu host breaks, and the three-generation veteran closes his novel arc by burning the army of the man who once shared the anti-Dong Zhuo field.

Han Dang (韩当, Hàn Đương) — Historical & Literary Timeline

Further reading: Han Dang on Wikipedia.

Key Relationships

Family

• Han Zong (韩综, Hàn Tông) — Only named son. History: inherited the Shicheng marquisate and troops in 226; while Sun Quan campaigned against Shiyang he was left at Wuchang in mourning, behaved unlawfully, and in 227 fled to Wei with his father’s coffin, his mother, and several thousand retainers. Wei made him a general (Marquis of Guangyang); he raided Wu until he died at Dongxing, where Zhuge Ke sent his head to Sun Quan’s temple. Novel keeps the defection after the father’s death.

Friends

• Sun Jian (孙坚, Tôn Kiên) — First lord; favored Han Dang for bow, horse, and strength and made him Separate-Command Major.
• Sun Ce (孙策, Tôn Sách) — Second lord; gave him the First-Ascending colonelcy and 2,000 men for the Jiangdong conquest.
• Sun Quan (孙权, Tôn Quyền) — Third lord and founding emperor of Wu; kept Han Dang in the field from Jiangxia through Yiling and Danyang until 226.
• Huang Gai (黄盖, Hoàng Cái) — Fellow Lingling / Changsha-generation veteran; paired with Han Dang from Sishui through Jiangxia and Red Cliffs (Huang Gai’s fire ships, Han Dang’s river pursuit).
• Cheng Pu (程普, Trình Phổ) — Senior “Elder Cheng” of the same four-officer cadre under Sun Jian; comrade through three Suns.
• Zhou Yu (周瑜, Chu Du) — Red Cliffs commander under whom Han Dang fought in 208; later the Nanjun campaign (novel Ch. 51).
• Lu Xun (陆逊, Lục Tốn) — Supreme commander at Xiaoting / Yiling; Han Dang served as vice-commander (novel) and as a named colleague at Zhuoxiang (history).
• Zhou Tai (周泰, Chu Thái) — Fellow vice-commander under Lu Xun in the novel’s Xiaoting order of battle.
• Lu Meng (吕蒙, Lã Mông) — Historical partner in the surprise that took Nanjun after Red Cliffs.
• Zhu Ran (朱然, Chu Nhiên) — Co-commander with Lu Xun and Han Dang when Shu broke at Zhuoxiang (222).

Enemies

• Dong Zhuo (董卓, Đổng Trác) — Target of the 190 coalition; Han Dang’s first novel campaign under Sun Jian at Sishui.
• Liu Biao (刘表, Lưu Biểu) / Huang Zu (黄祖, Hoàng Tổ) — Jing opponents at Xiangyang (Ch. 7) and Jiangxia (Ch. 38 / historical wars).
• Zhang Hu (张虎, Trương Hổ) — Huang Zu’s champion slain by Han Dang in single combat at Xiangyang (novel Ch. 7).
• Yan Baihu (严白虎, Nghiêm Bạch Hổ) — White Tiger of Wu; crushed during Sun Ce’s conquest (novel Ch. 15).
• Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo) — Principal northern rival; Red Cliffs 208 and the Nanjun sequel.
• Jiao Chu (焦触, Tiêu Xúc) — Cao officer (former Yuan general) whom Han Dang spears in the burning river (novel Ch. 49 only).
• Cao Ren (曹仁, Tào Nhân) — Defender of Nanjun / Jiangling after Red Cliffs (novel Ch. 51; history: driven off with Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu).
• Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị) — Opponent of the 222 Yiling campaign; novel Ch. 84: Han Dang helps burn the linked camps at Xiaoting.

Other

• Zu Mao (祖茂, Tổ Mậu) — Fourth of Sun Jian’s novel officer set at Sishui with Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang (Ch. 5).
• Chen Sheng (陈生, Trần Sinh) — Huang Zu’s other rider at Xiangyang when Han Dang kills Zhang Hu (Ch. 7; no dedicated post).
• Liu Xun (刘勋, Lưu Huân) of Lujiang — Historical target of Sun Ce’s Xunyang campaign that Han Dang joined (not the Shu Liu Xun 刘循).
• Gan Ning (甘宁, Cam Ninh) / Ling Cao (凌操, Lăng Thao) / Ling Tong (凌统, Lăng Thống) — Same Jiangxia naval war (Ch. 38) in which Han Dang’s vanguard ships fight.
• Kan Ze (阚泽, Khản Trạch) / Lu Su (鲁肃, Lỗ Túc) — Red Cliffs staff whose letter and coalition diplomacy frame the fire attack Han Dang then exploits on the river.
• Hua Xiong (华雄, Hoa Hùng) — Dong Zhuo’s champion whose Sishui raids open the chapter that first lists Han Dang among Sun Jian’s officers.
• Chen Shou (陈寿, Trần Thọ) — Compiler of the Wu biographies in Sanguozhi 55; groups Han Dang with Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Jiang Qin, Zhou Tai and others as Jiangdong’s tiger-ministers.
• Zhuge Ke (诸葛恪, Gia Cát Khác) — After Han Zong’s death at Dongxing, presents the rebel son’s head at Sun Quan’s temple — the grim epilogue to Han Dang’s loyal line.
• Jiang Qin (蒋钦, Tưởng Khâm) / Chen Wu (陈武, Trần Vũ) / Dong Xi (董袭, Đổng Tập) — Fellow early Wu captains in the same SGZ 55 roll as Han Dang.
• Xu Sheng (徐盛, Từ Thịnh) / Pan Zhang (潘璋, Phan Chương) — Later Wu officers of the Yiling generation who share Lu Xun’s 222 order of battle with the aging Han Dang.