Pan Jun (died 239), courtesy name Chengming, was a minister and military general of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a minor official serving under the warlords Liu Biao and later Liu Bei in Jing Province, Pan Jun reluctantly switched allegiance to another warlord Sun Quan after Sun Quan seized control of Liu Bei's territories in Jing Province in 220. While serving under Sun Quan, Pan Jun held military commands and quelled a rebellion. After Sun Quan became emperor in 229, he appointed Pan Jun as Minister Steward and later Minister of Ceremonies. During this time, Pan Jun joined the general Lü Dai in suppressing a rebellion by indigenous tribes in his native Wuling Commandery (around present-day Changde, Hunan). He also oversaw civil and military affairs in Wuchang (present-day Ezhou, Hubei) alongside the general Lu Xun. In the 230s, he repeatedly spoke up against Lü Yi's abuses of power and even planned to assassinate him. Throughout his life, Pan Jun was known for being a man of bold character and an honest official who strictly and fairly upheld the law without fearing how others would see him.(評曰：潘濬公清割斷， ... 皆節槩梗梗，有大丈夫格業。) Sanguozhi vol. 61.
Early life and career Pan Jun was born in Hanshou County (), Wuling Commandery (), which is located northeast of present-day Changde, Hunan,(潘濬字承明，武陵漢壽人也。) Sanguozhi vol. 61. towards the end of the Eastern Han dynasty. After he reached adulthood around the age of 20, he studied under the tutelage of the scholar Song Zhong (宋忠; also known as Song Zhongzi 宋仲子).(弱冠從宋仲子受學。) Sanguozhi vol. 61. He was known for being intelligent, observant, and capable of providing well-thought and well-reasoned responses to questions. Wang Can, one of the "Seven Scholars of Jian'an", once said that Pan Jun was an extraordinary talent. After receiving such high praise from a famous intellectual like Wang Can, Pan Jun became more well known in his home commandery. The Administrator of Wuling Commandery appointed him as an Officer of Merit () to serve in the commandery office.(吳書曰：濬為人聦察，對問有機理，山陽王粲見而貴異之。由是知名，為郡功曹。) Wu Shu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 61.
Before Pan Jun reached the age of 29, Liu Biao, the Governor of Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan), recruited him to serve as an Assistant Officer () in Jiangxia Commandery (江夏郡; around present-day Xinzhou District, Wuhan, Hubei).(年未三十，荊州牧劉表辟為部江夏從事。) Sanguozhi vol. 61. At the time, the Chief of Shaxian County (沙羨縣; around present-day Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei), which was under Jiangxia Commandery, was notorious for his corruption. Pan Jun conducted an investigation, found him guilty of corruption, and had him executed according to the law. His actions stunned everyone in Jiangxia Commandery.(時沙羡長贓穢不脩，濬按殺之，一郡震竦。) Sanguozhi vol. 61. Pan Jun was later reassigned to Xiangxiang County to serve as the county's Prefect (). He gained a reputation for good governance during his tenure.(後為湘鄉令，治甚有名。) Sanguozhi vol. 61.
Service under Liu Bei Around late 209, when the warlord Liu Bei became the Governor of Jing Province, he appointed Pan Jun to serve as an Assistant Officer in the Headquarters Office (). Between 212 and 214, when Liu Bei was away on a campaign to seize control of Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) from its governor Liu Zhang, he left Pan Jun behind to assist his general Guan Yu in guarding his territories in Jing Province and overseeing daily affairs.(劉備領荊州，以濬為治中從事。備入蜀，留典州事。) Sanguozhi vol. 61.
Between November 219 and February 220, Liu Bei's ally Sun Quan broke the Sun–Liu alliance and ordered his general Lü Meng to lead a stealth invasion of Liu Bei's territories in Jing Province while Guan Yu was away at the Battle of Fancheng. After failing to take Fancheng, Guan Yu returned to Jing Province only to find out that Lü Meng had conquered his key bases in Gong'an County and Nan Commandery (南郡; around present-day Jingzhou, Hubei). While attempting to retreat to Yi Province to join Liu Bei, Guan Yu was captured in an ambush and executed by Sun Quan's forces.
Service under Sun Quan Joining Sun Quan After Sun Quan conquered Liu Bei's territories in Jing Province, most of the officials there agreed to surrender and serve under him. Pan Jun, however, claimed that he was ill, stayed at home and refused to get out of bed. Sun Quan then sent his servants to Pan Jun's residence and carry his bed over with him lying on it. As Pan Jun lay face down, crying and sobbing in a disconsolate manner,(江表傳曰：權克荊州，將吏悉皆歸附，而濬獨稱疾不見。權遣人以牀就家輿致之，濬伏面著牀席不起，涕泣交橫，哀哽不能自勝。) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 61. Sun Quan comforted him and told him: "Chengming, in the past, Guan Dingfu was a captive from Ruo, yet King Wu appointed him as a military commander; Peng Zhongshuang was a captive from Shen, yet King Wen appointed him as prime minister. Although these two famous men were initially captives from other states, the kings of Chu still employed them and gave them the opportunity to leave their names in history as great statesmen of Chu. Are you not willing to surrender and join me because you think I am not as magnanimous as these kings of ancient times?"(權慰勞與語，呼其字曰：「承明，昔觀丁父，鄀俘也，武王以為軍帥；彭仲爽，申俘也，文王以為令尹。此二人，卿荊國之先賢也，初雖見囚，後皆擢用，為楚名臣。卿獨不然，未肯降意，將以孤異古人之量邪？」) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 61.
Sun Quan then ordered his servants to use a piece of cloth to wipe away the tears from Pan Jun's face. Pan Jun got out of bed, knelt down and agreed to surrender and serve under Sun Quan. Sun Quan then appointed him as an Attendant Official at Headquarters () and often consulted him on affairs related to Jing Province.(使親近以手巾拭其面，濬起下地拜謝。即以為治中，荊州諸軍事一以諮之。) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 61. Some time later, Sun Quan commissioned Pan Jun as General of the Household Who Assists the Army () and put him in command of troops.(孫權殺關羽，并荊土，拜濬輔軍中郎將，授以兵。) Sanguozhi vol. 61.
Quelling a rebellion in Wuling Commandery In early 220, Fan Zhou (), a former official in Wuling Commandery (武陵郡; around present-day Changde, Hunan), which used to be under Liu Bei's control, incited the indigenous tribes in Wuling to rebel against Sun Quan. When Sun Quan's other subjects said that they needed at least 10,000 troops to suppress the rebellion,(武陵郡從事樊伷誘導諸夷，圖以武陵屬劉備，外白差督督萬人往討之。) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 61. Sun Quan rejected their idea and asked Pan Jun for his opinion. When Pan Jun said that 5,000 troops would suffice, Sun Quan asked him, "What makes you so confident?"(權不聽，特召問濬，濬荅：「以五千兵往，足可以擒伷。」權曰：「卿何以輕之？」) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 61. Pan Jun replied: "Fan Zhou is from an old clan in Nanyang Commandery. Although he has a way with words, he doesn't have the talents of an orator. I know this because Fan Zhou once said that he would prepare a day-long feast for the folks in the commandery, but the food never showed up by midday so about ten people got up and left. This is like seeing through a dwarf's lies about his true height."(濬曰：「伷是南陽舊姓，頗能弄脣吻，而實無辯論之才。臣所以知之者，伷昔甞為州人設饌，比至日中，食不可得，而十餘自起，此亦侏儒觀一節之驗也。」) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 61. Sun Quan laughed and accepted Pan Jun's suggestion. Pan Jun led 5,000 troops to deal with Fan Zhou and succeeded in eliminating him and quelling the rebellion.(權大笑而納其言，即遣濬將五千往，果斬平之。) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 61.
As a reward for his success, Pan Jun was promoted to General of Vehement Might () and enfeoffed as the Marquis of Changqian Village ().(遷奮威將軍，封常遷亭侯。) Sanguozhi vol. 61. When Rui Xuan () died, Pan Jun took over command of his troops and moved to the garrison at Xiakou (夏口; in present-day Wuhan, Hubei).(吳書曰：芮玄卒，濬并領玄兵，屯夏口。) Wu Shu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 61.
As Minister Steward and Minister of Ceremonies In 229, after Sun Quan declared himself emperor of the state of Eastern Wu (or simply Wu), he appointed Pan Jun as Minister Steward () and elevated him from the status of a village marquis to a county marquis under the title "Marquis of Liuyang" ().(權稱尊號，拜為少府，進封劉陽侯， ...) Sanguozhi vol. 61.
Pan Jun was soon promoted to Minister of Ceremonies () and stationed in Wuchang (武昌; present-day Ezhou, Hubei). Around March or April 231, the indigenous tribes living in Wuxi (五谿; literally "five streams"; referring to an area around present-day Huaihua, Hunan) rebelled against Wu rule, Sun Quan granted Pan Jun acting imperial authority and ordered him to supervise the general Lü Dai as he led 50,000 troops to pacify the rebellion. During this time, Pan Jun ensured that promises were kept, and rewards and punishments were given out fairly. By December 234, the rebellion ended with over 10,000 rebels killed or taken captive. The indigenous tribes also became so drastically weakened that they could not rebel again in a long time.(... 遷太常。五谿蠻夷叛亂盤結，權假濬節，督諸軍討之。信賞必行，法不可干，斬首獲生，蓋以萬數，自是羣蠻衰弱，一方寧靜。) Sanguozhi vol. 61.
At the end of the four-year-long campaign, around December 234 or January 235, Pan Jun returned to Wuchang, where he was previously stationed. When he was in Wuchang, he and the Wu general Lu Xun were in charge of civil and military affairs in Jing Province.(先是，濬與陸遜俱駐武昌，共掌留事，還復故。) Sanguozhi vol. 61.
Attempting to assassinate Lü Yi Sometime the 230s, Sun Quan appointed Lü Yi as the supervisor of the bureau in charge of auditing and reviewing the work of all officials throughout Wu. The bureau essentially functioned like a modern secret service and served as a precursor to the censorate of later Chinese dynasties. Lü Yi freely abused his powers by falsely accusing many officials of serious offences, resulting in some of them being wrongfully arrested, imprisoned and tortured. His victims included the Imperial Chancellor Gu Yong and the general Zhu Ju.(時校事呂壹操弄威柄，奏桉丞相顧雍、左將軍朱據等，皆見禁止。) Sanguozhi vol. 61.
Lü Yi initially wanted to make a case against Gu Yong for incompetence and ask Sun Quan to remove him from office. However, after an official Xie Gong () reminded him that Pan Jun, the Minister of Ceremonies, would most likely succeed Gu Yong as Imperial Chancellor, Lü Yi immediately dropped the case against Gu Yong. This was because he knew that Pan Jun resented him and would take action against him if he became Imperial Chancellor.(黃門侍郎謝厷語次問壹：「顧公事何如？」壹荅：「不能佳。」厷又問：「若此公免退，誰當代之？」壹未荅厷，厷曰：「得無潘太常得之乎？」壹良乆曰：「君語近之也。」厷謂曰：「潘太常常切齒於君，但道遠無因耳。今日代顧公，恐明日便擊君矣。」壹大懼，遂解散雍事。) Sanguozhi vol. 61.
Pan Jun managed to seek permission from Sun Quan to leave his post at Wuchang (武昌; present-day Ezhou, Hubei) and return to the Wu imperial capital, Jianye (present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu). Although he wanted to speak up about Lü Yi's abuses of power, he decided to take matters into his own hands after seeing that Sun Quan paid no attention to the crown prince Sun Deng, who had already voiced concerns to his father about Lü Yi on numerous occasions. He pretended to host a banquet, invited all his colleagues to attend, and hoped to use the opportunity to assassinate Lü Yi, whom he regarded as a threat to the Eastern Wu state. Lü Yi caught wind of Pan Jun's plan, so he lied that he was ill and did not show up.(濬求朝，詣建業，欲盡辭極諫。至，聞太子登已數言之而不見從，濬乃大請百寮，欲因會手刃殺壹，以身當之，為國除患。壹密聞知，稱疾不行。) Sanguozhi vol. 61.
Despite his failure to assassinate Lü Yi, Pan Jun did not stop speaking up about Lü Yi's wicked deeds every time he had an opportunity to meet Sun Quan. Over time, Lü Yi fell out of Sun Quan's trust and favour, and his abuses of power eventually came to light in 238. Sun Quan removed him from office, ordered Gu Yong to thoroughly investigate his crimes, and had him executed. After the Lü Yi scandal was over, Sun Quan sent an apology to all his senior officials for not heeding their advice and urging them to point out his mistakes.(濬每進見，無不陳壹之姦險也。由此壹寵漸衰，後遂誅戮。權引咎責躬，因誚讓大臣，語在權傳。) Sanguozhi vol. 61.
Death Pan Jun died in 239. His son, Pan Zhu (), inherited his peerage and became the next Marquis of Liuyang ().(赤烏二年，濬卒，子翥嗣。) Sanguozhi vol. 61.
Family