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Contents
Biography & Historical Record
Zhong Jin was an officer serving under the Cao Wei general Cao Ren during the late Han Dynasty. Historical records regarding his early life are scarce. He served alongside his brother, Zhong Shen, during the defense of Fancheng against the invasion of the Shu Han general Guan Yu in 219 AD.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In Luo Guanzhong’s epic, Zhong Jin and his brother Zhong Shen were sent by Cao Ren to assist in the defense against Guan Yu. During the intense fighting, Zhong Jin engaged in combat but was ultimately overwhelmed and killed in the heat of the battle as Guan Yu’s forces broke through the Wei defensive lines.
Zhong Jin — Historical & Literary Timeline
219 AD
The Defense of Fancheng
Zhong Jin and his brother Zhong Shen are dispatched to support Cao Ren, ultimately meeting their end during the siege led by Guan Yu.
Key Relationships
Family
- Zhong Shen (钟绅, Chung Thân): Younger brother. Officer of Cao Wei who fought and died alongside Zhong Jin during the Battle of Fancheng (219 AD).
Friends
- Cao Ren (曹仁, Tào Nhân): Senior Grand General of Cao Wei. Supreme commander under whom Zhong Jin and Zhong Shen served as auxiliary officers during the defense of Fancheng (219 AD).
- Man Chong (满宠, Mãn Sủng): Senior strategist of Cao Wei who assisted Cao Ren in organizing the fortress defenses against Guan Yu.
Enemies
- Guan Yu (关羽, Quan Vũ): Supreme commander and God of War of Shu Han. Besieged Fancheng and drowned the seven Wei armies in 219 AD; in Chapter 74 of *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Guan Yu and his vanguard forces assaulted the Wei lines, cutting down Zhong Jin and Zhong Shen during the fierce fighting.
- Guan Ping (关平, Quan Bình): Vanguard general of Shu Han (adopted son of Guan Yu) who engaged the defending officers outside Fancheng (219 AD).
- Liao Hua (廖化, Liêu Hóa): Senior officer under Guan Yu who participated in the encirclement of Fancheng.
Others
- No information
In Novel
Chapter 61
- Zhong Jin (钟缙, Chung Tấn): Zhong Jin and his brother Zhong Shen serve as defenders who block Zhao Yun’s escape during the fighting in Jingzhou. Zhong Jin attacks Zhao Yun with a large axe and engages him in a short mounted duel. Zhao Yun quickly defeats him, striking him from his horse. Zhong Jin’s brief appearance is entirely military and ends with his death at Zhao Yun’s hands.
In History
Historical Status
- Zhong Jin (钟缙, Chung Tấn) is a minor figure in the Three Kingdoms character tradition. The surviving historical sources do not provide a substantial independent biography under this exact name.
Historical Evidence
- The available evidence is insufficient to reconstruct a detailed historical career for Zhong Jin without importing details from later literary or game traditions. No unsupported events are therefore assigned to him here.