Pang De () (died 219), courtesy name Lingming, was a Chinese military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty. He started his career under the warlord Ma Teng, who was based in Liang Province. In 211, Ma Teng's son Ma Chao, along with a coalition of warlords from Liang Province, started a rebellion against the Han central government, which was controlled by the warlord Cao Cao. After Cao Cao defeated Ma Chao and the coalition at the Battle of Tong Pass, Ma Chao fled to Hanzhong Commandery and took shelter under the warlord Zhang Lu. Pang De accompanied him to Hanzhong. When Ma Chao defected from Zhang Lu's side in order to join the warlord Liu Bei, Pang De remained in Hanzhong and eventually came to serve Cao Cao after Cao Cao defeated Zhang Lu at the Battle of Yangping and took over Hanzhong. In 219, Pang De fought at the Battle of Fancheng under Cao Ren's command against Liu Bei's forces led by Guan Yu. Pang De was captured in battle and eventually executed by Guan Yu when he refused to surrender.
Biography Pang De was from Huandao County (), Nan'an Commandery (), Liang Province, which is located east of present-day Longxi County, Gansu. In his youth, he served as an Assistant Officer () in the local commandery office.
Early military career During the Chuping era (190–193) in the reign of Emperor Xian, the Liang Province Rebellion broke out. Pang De joined the warlord Ma Teng in suppressing the revolts by the Qiang and Di tribes, and was promoted to Colonel () for his contributions in battle.(龐德字令明，南安狟道人也。少為郡吏州從事。初平中，從馬騰擊反羌叛氐。數有功，稍遷至校尉。) Sanguozhi vol. 18.
In 202, the warlord Cao Cao, who controlled the Han central government, led his forces to attack rival warlords Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang at the Battle of Liyang. When Yuan Tan ordered his subordinates Guo Yuan and Gao Gan to lead a separate force to attack Hedong Commandery, Cao Cao ordered Zhong Yao to recruit forces from Liang Province to deal with Guo Yuan and Gao Gan. Ma Teng responded to Zhong Yao's call and sent his son Ma Chao and Pang De to assist Zhong Yao in attacking Guo Yuan and Gao Gan at Pingyang County (平陽縣; west of present-day Linfen, Shanxi). Pang De led the vanguard, slew Guo Yuan in the midst of battle and took his head, without knowing that the man he killed was Guo Yuan. After the battle, when Zhong Yao's men searched the battlefield, they found Guo Yuan's headless body. Shortly after, Pang De went to meet Zhong Yao and he threw Guo Yuan's head in front of him. Zhong Yao cried when he recognised Guo Yuan's head because Guo was actually his maternal nephew. Pang De immediately apologised to Zhong Yao, who replied, "Even though Guo Yuan was my nephew, he was an enemy of the state. Why do you apologise?"(魏略曰：德手斬一級，不知是援。戰罷之後，眾人皆言援死而不得其首。援，鍾繇之甥。德晚後於鞬中出一頭，繇見之而哭。德謝繇，繇曰：「援雖我甥，乃國賊也。卿何謝之？」) Weilue annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 18. For his contributions, Pang De was appointed as a General of the Household () and made a Marquis of a Chief Village ().(建安中，太祖討袁譚、尚於黎陽，譚遣郭援、高幹等略取河東，太祖使鍾繇率關中諸將討之。德隨騰子超拒援、幹於平陽，德為軍鋒，進攻援、幹，大破之，親斬援首。 ... 拜中郎將，封都亭侯。) Sanguozhi vol. 18.
Later, Pang De followed Ma Teng to suppress a rebellion by Zhang Baiqi () at Yao County (殽縣; present-day Luoning County, Henan). He was famous for his bravery in Ma Teng's army as Pang De recorded always personally charged inside the enemy formation during battles. When Ma Teng was recalled to the imperial capital, Xu (許; present-day Xuchang, Henan), to serve as Minister of the Guards (), Pang De remained behind in Liang Province with Ma Chao.(後張白騎叛於弘農，德復隨騰征之，破白騎於兩殽間。每戰，常陷陳卻敵，勇冠騰軍。後騰徵為衛尉，德留屬超。) Sanguozhi vol. 18.
Battle of Tong Pass & submitting to Cao Cao
Around 211, Ma Chao started a rebellion against the Han central government and led a coalition of warlords from Liang Province to attack Cao Cao, leading to the Battle of Tong Pass. Cao Cao defeated Ma Chao and his allies at the battle and caused the coalition to break up. Despite his defeat, Ma Chao, with assistance from the Qiang tribes and the warlord Zhang Lu in Hanzhong Commandery, continued to ravage the lands in Liang Province and even seized control of the provincial governorship at one point. However, he was eventually driven out of Liang Province and forced to take shelter under Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. Pang De accompanied Ma Chao to Hanzhong and became one of Zhang Lu's subordinates.(太祖破超於渭南，德隨超亡入漢陽，保冀城。後復隨超奔漢中，從張魯。) Sanguozhi vol. 18.
Around 214, Ma Chao defected to the warlord Liu Bei and aided him in seizing control of Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) from its provincial governor, Liu Zhang. Pang De remained in Hanzhong with Zhang Lu. In 215, Cao Cao led his forces to attack Hanzhong and defeated Zhang Lu at the Battle of Yangping. Pang De joined Zhang Lu in surrendering to Cao Cao. As Cao Cao had heard of Pang De's valour, he immediately recruited Pang De as his subordinate and appointed him as General Who Establishes Righteousness (). Pang De was also enfeoffed as the Marquis of Guanmen Village () and given 300 taxable households to form his marquisate.(太祖定漢中，德隨眾降。太祖素聞其驍勇，拜立義將軍，封關門亭侯，邑三百戶。) Sanguozhi vol. 18.
Battle of Fancheng & death
In 219, when Hou Yin () and Wei Kai () started a rebellion in Wan (宛; present-day Wancheng District, Nanyang, Henan), Cao Cao sent Pang De and Cao Ren to quell the uprising. After accomplishing their mission, they garrisoned at Fan (樊; also called Fancheng, in present-day Fancheng District, Xiangyang, Hubei) to defend Cao Cao's territories in northern Jing Province from advances by Liu Bei's general Guan Yu, who guarded Liu Bei's territories in southern Jing Province. As Ma Chao (Pang De's previous lord) and Pang Rou (龐柔; Pang De's cousin) both served under Liu Bei, many of Cao Cao's other subordinates were suspicious of Pang De's allegiance towards their lord.(魏略曰：德從兄名柔，時在蜀。) Weilue annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 18.(侯音、衛開等以宛叛，德將所領與曹仁共攻拔宛，斬音、開，遂南屯樊，討關羽。樊下諸將以德兄在漢中，頗疑之。) Sanguozhi vol. 18. Pang De often said, "I've received grace from the State and I'm willing to serve the State with my life in the name of righteousness. I'll personally slay Guan Yu. If I don't kill Guan Yu within this year, he'll kill me."
As Pang De arrived in Fan, he battled the rebel forces and managed to slay the rebel leaders under Hou Yin (侯音) and Wei Kai (衛開) who conspired with Guan Yu. As Pang De often rode gray horse during the battle, so Guan Yu's men nicknamed him as "white-horse general" (baima jiangjun 白馬將軍), which he famous for, and feared him.(德常曰：「我受國恩，義在效死。我欲身自擊羽。今年我不殺羽，羽當殺我。」後親與羽交戰，射羽中額。時德常乘白馬，羽軍謂之白馬將軍，皆憚之。) Sanguozhi vol. 18. Pang De later engaged Guan Yu in battle and fired an arrow which hit Guan's forehead at one time, nearly killing the Shu general.
Cao Ren ordered Pang De to set up a separate camp ten li north of Fan. At the time, there were heavy rains for more than ten days and the Han River next to Fan burst its banks, with the water level reaching up to five-six zhang. Pang De and his subordinates retreated to the top of a dam. Guan Yu then led his marines to attack Fan and fired arrows from their warships at the dam. Pang De donned his armour, armed himself with a bow and arrows, and returned fire at the enemy, with not a single arrow missing its target. When Dong Heng () and Dong Chao (), two of Pang De's colleagues, wanted to surrender to Guan Yu, Pang De executed them on the spot. The battle dragged on from morning until afternoon, with Guan Yu's attacks increasing in intensity as time passed. By afternoon, Pang De and his men had expended all their arrows but they continued to engage the enemy in close quarters combat with short weapons. Pang De told his subordinate Cheng He (), "I heard a good general doesn't fear death, nor does he hope to be spared. A martyr won't violate his principles for the sake of preserving his life. Today is the day I die." The battle raged on as the water level rose higher. By then, many of Pang De's men had surrendered, leaving Pang with only three men. They boarded a small boat and attempted to escape and return to Cao Ren's main camp.(仁使德屯樊北十里，會天霖雨十餘日，漢水暴溢，樊下平地五六丈，德與諸將避水上堤。羽乘船攻之，以大船四面射堤上。德被甲持弓，箭不虛發。將軍董衡、部曲將董超等欲降，德皆收斬之。自平旦力戰至日過中，羽攻益急，矢盡，短兵接戰。德謂督將成何曰：「吾聞良將不怯死以苟免，烈士不毀節以求生，今日，我死日也。」戰益怒，氣愈壯，而水浸盛，吏士皆降。德與麾下將一人，五伯二人，彎弓傅矢，乘小船欲還仁營。) Sanguozhi vol. 18. However, the boat capsized and Pang De fell into the water. While grabbing on to the boat to stay afloat, he was surrounded and captured by Guan Yu's soldiers.
When brought before Guan Yu, he refused to kneel down and surrender. Guan Yu told Pang De, "Your cousin is serving in Hanzhong, and I want to recruit you as a subordinate. Why don't you surrender now?" Pang De retorted angrily, "Mean fellow, what is surrender? The King of Wei has thousands of troops and his might trembles the Empire. Liu Bei is an inferior man. How can he hope to resist (the King of Wei)? I'd rather be a ghost of the State than be a servant of my enemy." An angered Guan Yu then had Pang De executed.(水盛船覆，失弓矢，獨抱船覆水中，為羽所得，立而不跪。羽謂曰：「卿兄在漢中，我欲以卿為將，不早降何為？」德罵羽曰：「豎子，何謂降也！魏王帶甲百萬，威振天下。汝劉備庸才耳，豈能敵邪！我寧為國家鬼，不為賊將也。」遂為羽所殺。) Sanguozhi vol. 18.
Cao Cao was deeply grieved when he learnt of Pang De's death and he shed tears. In 220, after Cao Pi – Cao Cao's son and successor – forced Emperor Xian to abdicate the throne to him and established the state of Cao Wei, he granted Pang De the posthumous title "Marquis Zhuang", which literally means "robust marquis". He ordered an emissary to read out the imperial edict at Pang De's tomb.(太祖聞而悲之，為之流涕， ... 文帝即王位，乃遣使就德墓賜諡，策曰：「昔先軫喪元，王蠋絕脰，隕身徇節，前代美之。惟侯式昭果毅，蹈難成名，聲溢當時，義高在昔，寡人愍焉，諡曰壯侯。」) Sanguozhi vol. 18. According to the Shu Ji (蜀記; Records of Shu) by Wang Yin (), when the state of Shu Han (founded by Liu Bei) was conquered by the state of Cao Wei in 263, the Wei general Zhong Hui had Pang De's body transported from Shu to Ye (鄴; in present-day Handan, Hebei) in Wei territory. Pang De seemed alive inside the tomb.(王隱蜀記曰：鍾會平蜀，前後鼓吹，迎德屍喪還葬鄴，冢中身首如生。) Shu Ji annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 18. However, Pei Songzhi, who annotated Pang De's biography in the Sanguozhi, dismissed this account as nonsense. He wrote: "Pang De died in Fancheng. After Cao Pi ascended the throne, he sent an emissary to read out an imperial edict at Pang De's tomb, so Pang's body should not be in Shu. What Wang Yin wrote was nonsense."(臣松之案德死於樊城，文帝即位，又遣使至德墓所，則其屍喪不應在蜀。此王隱之虛說也。) Pei Songzhi's annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 18.
Appraisal Chen Shou, the author of Records of the Three Kingdoms, has likened Pang De defiance towards Guan Yu with Zhou Kao, a minister of Liu Bang, who stands and defying Xiang Yu even when he facing death.
According to Fu Xuan, Jin dynasty historian and politician, there is record that before the battle of Tong Pass, or more known as battle of Weinan, against Cao Cao, Ma Chao and Pang De broke into a stable which contained hundred horses. Pang De were said taking the low quality horse while Ma Chao taken the finest horse, which caused Pang De being laughed at. However, it is said that Pang De horse were the fastest running during the battle of Tong Pass.太平御覽·卷897Taiping Yulan·Volume 897
According to Longxi County Chronicle and Shanxi tong zhi (chronicle of Shanxi), there are "White Horse General Temple" on the top of Chishan Mountain which commemorate the bravery of two Chinese warrior, the first were Li Guang and the second are Pang De, whose bravery were praised well during the battle of Fancheng against Guan Yu.
Descendants After Pang De's death, two of his sons were granted marquis titles in recognition of their father's contributions. When Cao Pi ascended the throne, he granted the title of a Secondary Marquis () to each of Pang De's four sons and gave them each 100 taxable households as their marquisates.(... 封其二子為列侯。 ... 又賜子會等四人爵關內侯，邑各百戶。) Sanguozhi vol. 18. The names of Pang De's sons were not recorded in history, except for one – Pang Hui ().