Zhang Bao (张苞) was the oldest son of Shu Han general Zhang Fei. There is little information on the historical personage, with Chen Shou's San Guo Zhi merely stating that he died prematurely. However, Zhang Bao appears as a fairly prominent character in Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The Kingdom of Shu (蜀 shǔ) (221 – 263) was one of the Three Kingdoms competing for control of China after the fall of the Han Dynasty. ... In the Romance of Three Kingdoms, Zhāng Fēi (張飛)(168?-222 AD), courtesy name Yìdé (翼德), was first a butcher, than an officer of the Kingdom of Shu and the second member of the Five Tiger Generals. ... Chen Shou (陳壽) (233-297), courtesy name Chengzuo (承祚) was the author of the Sanguo Zhi, a historical account of the Three Kingdoms period of China. ... The Sānguó Zhì (Chinese 三國志, or 三國誌), variously translated as Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms, Records of the Three States and Records of the Three Kingdoms was the official and authoritative historical text compiled by Chen Shou during the Chinese Jin Dynasty (265-420) on the period of the Three... Luo Guanzhong (Traditional Chinese: 羅貫中, Wade Giles: Lo Kuan-chung) was a 14th century Chinese author attributed with writing Romance of the Three Kingdoms and editing Outlaws of the Marsh, two of the most revered adventure epics in Chinese literature. ... Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Simplified Chinese: 三国演义; Traditional Chinese: 三國演義; Pinyin: sānguó yÇŽnyì), written by Luó Guànzhōng in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based upon events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty, and the Three Kingdoms period (220-280). ...

Zhang Bao's first appearance within the novel was to inform Liu Bei of his father's assassination. It was during this time that he met Guan Xing, second son of Guan Yu, with whom he contested the position of leader of the van. After nearly coming to blows, the two young men are stopped by Liu Bei and made to swear brotherhood to each other. The two were regularly depicted together from that moment onwards. Guan Xing was the second son of the 3rd century Chinese military general Guan Yu and the younger brother of Guan Ping. ... Guan Yu (關羽)(160–219) was a military general under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period in ancient China. ...

Zhang Bao was involved in several military campaigns, including Liu Bei's disastrous invasion of Wu and Zhuge Liang's northern campaigns against Wei. In the third campaign, Zhang Bao was fell into a gully while pursuing the generals Sun Li and Guo Huai, and died from the resulting injuries. When Zhuge Liang heard of Zhang Bao's death, he was greatly upset, fainting and spewing blood, serving as a prelude to his own eventual death caused by overwork and poor health. The Kingdom of Wu (Chinese: 吳, pinyin: wú) refers to a historical nation and several states in a region of China. ... It has been suggested that Dong Jue be merged into this article or section. ... The Kingdom of Wei (ch. ... In the classical Chinese semi-fiction novel the Water Margin, Sun Li, nicknamed the Sickly Warrior, was one of the most talented captains to join the Liangshan heroes. ... Guo Huai was a minor Wei general who served under Cao Cao. ...