Jiang Gan

Jiang Gan (onyomi: Shō Kan) is one of Zhou Yu's friends who tried to convince him to surrender to Cao Cao.

Role in Games
Jiang Gan fights for Wei in numerous battles in Dynasty Warriors 6 and often serves as a replacement officer in Special. Dynasty Warriors 7 has him fight at Xiapi, Chibi, and Mt. Dingjun as an enemy officer. During the escape section of Chibi's stage, he blocks Zhang Fei's path with a wall of fire. In Dynasty Warriors 8, Jiang Gan ambushes Sun Ce after the young man is injured by Gan Ji. In Dynasty Warriors 9, possibly as a reference to his friendship with Zhou Yu, some of his messengers are among Wu's men at Chibi who can be bribed into sending false messages to Cao Cao about the imminent defection of naval commanders Cai Mao and Zhang Yun which can lead to their execution before the main battle of Chibi thus weakening Cao Cao's large naval assault. He is a mediocre officer in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Voice Actors

 * Kazumi Tanaka - Romance of the Three Kingdoms drama CD series

Quotes

 * "We're going to defend this position with our lives if that's what it takes!"

Historical Information
Jiang Gan was born in Jiujiang Commandery of Yang Province. He was known throughout Jiangdong as a good-looking man who was skilled in debating. After the defeat at Chibi, Cao Cao wanted to employ Zhou Yu and secretly traveled to the Yangtze River. He then sent Jiang Gan to be his envoy. According to Yu Pu's Jiang Biao Zhuan, this was because Jiang Gan and Zhou Yu were old friends, but Records of the Three Kingdoms states that they were barely acquainted and Jiang Gan only knew his face. He dressed up simply and carried his luggage with him when he met Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu personally welcomed Jiang Gan and already knew of his intentions, but Jiang Gan told him that he only came to reminisce over the old days and tour through the region. Zhou Yu invited him to a meal and after they were finished, he told him that he had to leave and would dine with Jiang Gan another time again. Three days later, Zhou Yu invited Jiang Gan to his camp and showed him his granaries and armories. He then invited him to a feast, where he showed him various expensive items and said to him, "In his life, when a man meets a lord who truly appreciates him, he should fulfill his duty as a subordinate and forge a close relationship with his lord. He should follow his lord's orders faithfully and share weal and woe together with his lord. Even if Su Qin, Zhang Yi and Li Yiji were to return from the dead, they will not be able to affect his loyalty towards his lord. So, how can you even hope to make someone switch his allegiance?" Jiang Gan laughed after that and did not answer his question. He left Jiangdong the next day and returned to Cao Cao. Upon his return, Jiang Gan told Cao Cao about what happened and praised Zhou Yu in front of him, saying that his magnanimity could not be described in words.

Chinese Fiction
Jiang Gan was known as one of Zhou Yu's old friends in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He volunteered to spy on Sun Quan's navy and to convince his friend to surrender before the battle of Chibi. When he went to Zhou Yu's camp, the latter already knew his intentions and tricked Jiang Gan into believing that Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were planning to assassinate Cao Cao by forging a fake letter of their defection and placing it within Jiang Gan's tent for easy discovery. Jiang Gan found the letter as Zhou Yu had predicted and returned to Cao Cao while his friend was sleeping. Cao Cao believed the ruse and ordered for Cai Mao and Zhang Yun's executions. Jiang Gan later introduced Pang Tong to Cao Cao and supported the plan to chain the ally boats together.

His actions unintentionally contributed to Cao Cao's defeat at Chibi. While Romance of the Three Kingdoms wrote him out of the narrative, Sanguozhi Pinghua wrote about the consequences. His own men held him accountable for their loss and killed Jiang Gan in mutiny.