40 Facts About Zhuge Jin

Zhuge Jin, courtesy name Ziyu, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China.

Zhuge Jin was appointed as a general and commandery administrator.

From 222 until his death in 241, despite being rather incompetent in military affairs, Zhuge Jin served as one of Eastern Wu's top generals and participated in some battles against Cao Wei forces.

Zhuge Jin had a reputation for conducting himself with grace and decorum, and for being thoughtful, magnanimous and tactful.

Zhuge Jin was known for helping to mediate conflicts between Sun Quan and his subjects, including Zhu Zhi and Yu Fan.

The earliest known ancestor of Zhuge Jin who bore the family name Zhuge was Zhuge Feng, a Western Han dynasty official who served as Colonel-Director of Retainers under Emperor Yuan.

Zhuge Jin's brothers were Zhuge Liang and Zhuge Jun.

Zhuge Jin treated his stepmother in a courteous and respectful manner, which earned him fame for his filial piety.

When chaos broke out throughout China towards the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, Zhuge Jin fled from home and headed south to the Jiangdong region for shelter.

Zhuge Jin travelled around the region with Bu Zhi and Yan Jun, and they earned themselves fine reputations as learned men.

Zhuge Jin then started his career under Sun Quan as a Chief Clerk.

Zhuge Jin's task was to ask Liu Bei to "return" the territories in southern Jing Province to Sun Quan, according to an earlier agreement that Liu Bei would only use Jing Province as a temporary base and would return them to Sun Quan once he found another base.

Zhuge Jin participated in the invasion, which turned out successful.

Zhuge Jin was stationed at Gong'an County, one of the key counties in Nan Commandery.

Zhuge Jin remarked that if Liu Bei and Guan Yu's relationship were to be described in words in the Sanguozhi, it would take up so much space that it becomes a waste of space.

Zhuge Jin promoted Zhuge Jin to General of the Left, granted him acting imperial authority, and ordered him to station at Gong'an County to oversee the Wu defences in southern Jing Province.

Zhuge Jin enfeoffed Zhuge Jin as the Marquis of Wanling.

When Zhuge Jin heard about it, he led Wu forces from Gong'an County to reinforce Zhu Ran.

However, Zhuge Jin lost the battle against Wei forces led by Sima Yi.

When Zhuge Jin learnt of Han Bian's capture, he became fearful so he wrote to Lu Xun and urged him to make a hasty retreat from Xiangyang.

Zhuge Jin believed that Lu Xun knew what he was doing so he did not panic.

Lu Xun then secretly conveyed his plan to Zhuge Jin and ordered him to supervise the fleet of vessels on which they would sail back to Wu, while he gathered his troops and headed towards Xiangyang.

Zhuge Jin was known for being tactful whenever he spoke to Sun Quan, be it giving advice or small talk.

Zhuge Jin spoke in a toned-down and indirect manner, gave only a brief outline of what he wanted to say, and stopped immediately once he sensed that Sun Quan got his point.

Zhuge Jin was successful as Sun Quan understood his views better and became more receptive of them.

The Jiang Biao Zhuan recorded that when Zhuge Jin was serving as the Administrator of Nan Commandery, someone secretly reported to Sun Quan that Zhuge Jin had covert dealings with Liu Bei.

When Lu Xun heard of such rumours, he wrote a memorial to Sun Quan to speak up for Zhuge Jin and reassure his lord that Zhuge Jin was loyal towards him.

Zhuge Jin is someone who will not do anything that is unprincipled, and will not say anything that is unrighteous.

Zhuge Jin has committed himself to this mission and won't waver in his commitment.

Apart from being one of Sun Quan's most trusted subjects, Zhuge Jin was known for helping to mediate conflicts between his lord and his subjects on a number of occasions as follows.

Zhuge Jin noticed Sun Quan's frustration and figured out why.

Zhuge Jin set up a hypothetical scenario similar to the conundrum Sun Quan faced, asked Sun Quan questions and guided his thoughts, and wrote them down as Sun Quan spoke.

Zhuge Jin saves lives in the same ways the gods do.

Zhuge Jin did not show any favouritism towards his son born to his concubine.

However, Zhuge Jin disapproved of Zhuge Ke's behaviour, treated him coldly, and constantly worried that his eldest son would bring doom to their family.

Zhuge Jin Rong took control of the troops previously under his father's command at Gong'an County.

However, after Zhuge Jin's descendants were purged in 253, Zhuge Pan reverted to his original lineage and moved to Wu to continue Zhuge Jin's bloodline there.

However, Zhuge Jin Pan was noted to have died young as well.

Zhuge Jin replied that Chengdu's city walls, houses and many other buildings were from the Qin era, where they were built by Sima Cuo.

Zhang Cheng and Zhuge Jin's daughter had a daughter, Consort Zhang, who married Sun Quan's third son Sun He.