13 Facts About Zhuge Zhan

Zhuge Zhan, courtesy name Siyuan, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China.

Zhuge Zhan was a son of Zhuge Liang, the first Imperial Chancellor of Shu.

When Zhuge Zhan was 16 years old, he married a Shu princess and was appointed as a Cavalry Commandant.

Zhuge Zhan subsequently held the following positions in the Shu government: Palace Attendant, Supervisor of the Masters of Writing and Military Adviser-General.

Apart from serving as an official, Zhuge Zhan was skilled in painting and calligraphy.

Since Jiang Wei's analysis had sound logic and merit, Zhuge Zhan did not oppose dismantling Wei Yan's intertwined fortifications.

Zhuge Zhan deemed Huang Chong's plan too ambitious and adopted a more "cautious" approach instead.

When Huang Chong repeatedly urged him to attack Deng Ai, Zhuge Zhan relented and tentatively sent a vanguard force to attack the enemy, which defeated them.

Zhuge Zhan then left Fu County for the better fortified Mianzhu, where he planned to make a last stand against Deng Ai.

However, Zhuge Zhan refused, had Deng Ai's messenger executed, and ordered his troops to prepare for battle outside the pass.

Zhuge Zhan supposedly arranged his troops in the Eight Trigrams Formation invented by his father.

Zhuge Zhan's ruse worked initially as the Wei soldiers panicked and scattered upon thinking that Zhuge Liang had returned from the dead.

Zhuge Zhan died at the Battle of Mianzhu along with his eldest son Zhuge Shang, Huang Chong and others while helplessly outnumbered by Deng Ai's forces.