Hu Zhen

Hu Zhen (onyomi: Ko Shin) was an officer serving under Dong Zhuo since the latter's tenure in Liang province. In the novel, he fought at the Battle of Si Shui Gate against Yuan Shao the leader of coalition, serving as a general under Hua Xiong.

Role in Games
In Dynasty Warriors 9, Hu Zhen is responsible for besieging Sun Jian's forces at Yangren Castle. In the allied side, Sun Jian's forces are also plagued with a supply shortage due to Yang Ding's forces blocking off Yuan Shu's supplies. Defeating Hu Zhen will allow Sun Jian to move forward while rescuing Yuan Shu's transport unit gives a morale boost to Sun Jian's men.

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, Hu Zhen is characterised like many of Dong Zhuo's officers as possessing good military stats with a war stat in the 70's, but having very poor stats otherwise with all of them ranging in the 10's. He is present in Dong Zhuo's army as early as the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

In the fourteenth instalment, Hu Zhen's single positive trait, Smasher increases the damage to durability his unit inflicts on obstacles. Unfortunately, his unit is given a bevy of negative traits which include Ambitious which will prevent his unit from retreating automatically after commands are fulfilled, Irritable which increases the duration of the provoked status and Violent which will increase the rate soldiers within his unit are killed. Compounding issues further, he also has the Greedy trait which will result in him demanding a greater stipend than other officers. If he is deployed as a unit alongside either Lu Bu or Wang Yun, he will refuse to cooperate with them as a reference to the enmity he felt to both individuals historically.

Historical Information
Hu Zhen like many of Dong Zhuo's officers originated from Liang province. In 191 during the Anti-Dong Zhuo coalition's campaign, Hu Zhen was sent to Yangren with 5,000 troops to resist the invasion of Sun Jian from the south alongside Lu Bu. The two defenders were on bad terms however and refused to cooperate, impacting their attack on Sun Jian's army. As a result, Hu Zhen suffered a great loss, his subordinate Hua Xiong dead, and Sun Jian's forces would in time win the engagement at Yangren.

After Dong Zhuo's death at the hands of Lu Bu in 192, Hu Zhen chose to serve Wang Yun and the new government he would lead at Chang'an, but their relationship was strained by Wang Yun's arrogant behaviour. When Dong Zhuo's loyalists, Li Jue and Guo Si revolted against the new administration after being denied amnesty, Wang Yun sent Hu Zhen alongside Yang Ding and Xu Rong to either battle or engage the rebels. After Xu Rong died however, Hu Zhen and Yang Ding would defect and join Li Jue and Guo Si's army.

After Li Jue and Guo Si captured the capital Chang'an, Hu Zhen was appointed the Colonel-Director of Retainers under their command. Hu Zhen would go on to falsely condemn a local officer named You Yin whom he was on bad terms with and condemned him to death. Months later, Hu Zhen fell ill and would die, attributing his sickness to the spirit of You Yin seeking to commit vengeance for his wrongful execution.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In the novel, Hu Zhen is stationed at the fictional Sishui Pass alongside Hua Xiong. Hu Zhen would perish at the hands of Sun Jian's general, Cheng Pu years earlier that his historically documented death.