Meet the Person #
His biography records early service under Ding Yuan, then Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu. After Cao Cao defeated Lü Bu at Xiapi, he surrendered with his troops and joined Cao Cao's campaigns in Hebei and the north.
At Hefei, he defended against Sun Quan with Li Dian, Yue Jin, and others, taking the initiative to lead elite troops into attack. The biography records his promotion to General Who Campaigns against the East afterward. His life is more than one relationship as joint vanguard with Guan Yu.
Approximate sequence, not a timeline drawn to scale.
Limits of the Evidence #
Changes of allegiance occur in sequence. Colors index later factions, not fixed lifelong camps.
People and Relationships #
- Guan YuZhang Liao — Guan Yu: colleaguesSanguozhi, Volume 36, Guan–Zhang–Ma–Huang–Zhao Biographies ↗
Related Deeds and Periods
Cao Cao ordered both to serve as the vanguard against Yan Liang.
- Cao CaoZhang Liao → Cao Cao: subordinate generalSanguozhi, Volume 17, Zhang–Yue–Yu–Zhang–Xu Biographies ↗
Related Deeds and Periods
After Lü Bu's defeat at Xiapi: Zhang Liao led his followers to join Cao Cao, was appointed Zhonglang Jiang (General of the Household), and later accompanied him on many campaigns.
- Dong ZhuoZhang Liao → Dong Zhuo: former subordinate generalSanguozhi, Volume 17, Zhang–Yue–Yu–Zhang–Xu Biographies ↗
Related Deeds and Periods
After He Jin's downfall and death: Zhang Liao and the troops he had recruited came under Dong Zhuo; this preceded his service under Cao Cao.
- Zhang HeZhang He → Zhang Liao: subordinate general (that campaign)Sanguozhi, Volume 17, Zhang–Yue–Yu–Zhang–Xu Biographies ↗
Related Deeds and Periods
Chen Lan and Mei Cheng campaign: Zhang Liao commanded Zhang He, Niu Gai, and others against Chen Lan.
- Lü BuZhang Liao → Lü Bu: former subordinate generalSanguozhi, Volume 17, Zhang–Yue–Yu–Zhang–Xu Biographies ↗
Related Deeds and Periods
Zhang Liao's main biography explicitly records that after Dong Zhuo's fall he brought his troops under Lü Bu and followed him east to Xu Province; he joined Cao Cao only after Xiapi fell.
Related Historical Events (Not Personal Relationships) #
- Sun QuanBattle of Hefei: Zhang Liao attacked Sun Quan's army and pursued it during withdrawal; not a fixed lifelong service relationship.Sanguozhi, Volume 17, Zhang–Yue–Yu–Zhang–Xu Biographies ↗
- Lü MengRetreat from Hefei: attacked by Zhang Liao and others; Lü Meng helped provide protection.Sanguozhi, Volume 54, Zhou Yu, Lu Su, and Lü Meng Biographies ↗
In This Book #
Specific chapters in which each figure appears will be cross-checked after QA of Shiji Sanguo's final manuscript; they are not filled in ahead of time.
Cite This Page
Shiji Sanguo website, “Zhang Liao,” data version 2026-09-29.13, updated 2026-09-29.
https://shijisanguo.com/ai/people/zhang-liao/
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