Early life

When Zhuge Zhan was 16 years old, he married a Shu princess (a daughter of the Shu emperor Liu Shan) and was appointed as a Cavalry Commandant (騎都尉). One year later, he was promoted to a General of the Household (中郎將) in the Yulin (羽林) unit of the Imperial Guards. He subsequently held the following positions in the Shu government: Palace Attendant (侍中), Supervisor of the Masters of Writing (尚書僕射) and Military Adviser-General (軍師將軍).

Apart from serving as an official, Zhuge Zhan was also skilled in painting and calligraphy. Since the people of Shu deeply missed Zhuge Liang, who died in 234, they especially liked Zhuge Zhan for his talents because he reminded them of his father. Whenever the Shu government implemented a favourable policy, the people give credit to Zhuge Zhan even though it might have had nothing to do with him. As Zhuge Liang banned the position of official historian in the Shu government, it was hard to distinguish which policies Zhuge Zhan had a role in, although it was clear that Zhuge Zhan's reputation was greater than his actual accomplishments.

Pinnacle of power

Zhuge Zhan's frequent promotions continued until he reached the top of the imperial administrative system – the role of the Imperial Secretariat. At the same time, Zhuge Zhan was appointed as acting Protector-General (都護) and acting General of the Guards (衛將軍).

Having seen his father adopt an aggressive foreign policy towards Shu's rival state Cao Wei in the form of six military campaigns between 228 and 234, Zhuge Zhan recognised the inherent dangers of overly using military force, especially for Shu since it was far weaker than Wei in terms of military and economic power. After Jiang Wei became the de facto overall commander of the Shu army, Zhuge Zhan attempted to dissuade him from continuing to wage war against Wei but to no avail – Jiang Wei launched a total of 11 military campaigns against Wei between 240 and 262. After Jiang Wei suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Wei forces, Zhuge Zhan wrote to the Shu emperor Liu Shan, asking him to remove Jiang Wei from his military command and replace him with Yan Yu, a friend of the eunuch Huang Hao. Zhuge Zhan's memorial to Liu Shan was preserved and was still available by the time of the Jin dynasty. However, it is not known whether Liu Shan heeded Zhuge Zhan's advice, because Jiang Wei did not return to the Shu capital, Chengdu, after his failure in the last of the 11 campaigns, presumably because he knew that the people of Shu were increasingly resentful of him. Liu Shan also compromised Zhuge Zhan's proposal to switch from an offensive stance against Wei to a defensive one, because he had earlier replaced Wei Yan's tried-and-tested defensive layout with a high-risk-high-reward strategy by Jiang Wei.

Previously, the Shu general Wei Yan had invented a defensive strategy to hinder and repel invading forces by setting up "covering camps" on the outskirts and exits of trails leading to Hanzhong Commandery, a strategic location on the road into the Shu heartland. Even after Wei Yan's death, Liu Shan had followed this arrangement, which allowed the Shu forces to successfully keep Wei invaders out every time. However, Jiang Wei argued that Wei Yan's design "could only repel the enemy but not reap big profits." Hoping to score a decisive victory, Jiang Wei proposed to abandon the camps set up by Wei Yan and vacate all the passes in the Qin Mountains, so an invading Wei army could be lured deeper into Hanzhong Commandery, where the weary expedition force could be blocked and rendered vulnerable to a Shu counterattack upon retreat. Jiang Wei claimed his arrangement could achieve a decisive victory previously unimaginable when they had just defended along the Qin Mountains. Since Jiang Wei's analysis had sound logic and merit, Zhuge Zhan did not oppose dismantling Wei Yan's intertwined fortifications.

Futile effort to defend Shu

In early 263, Jiang Wei requested reinforcements from Chengdu after he heard that the Wei government had put the general Zhong Hui in charge of military affairs along the Wei–Shu border. However, Liu Shan believed in Huang Hao's witchcraft, according to which destiny dictated Wei that would not attack. Liu Shan did not inform Zhuge Zhan of Jiang Wei's warnings. Nevertheless, Liu Shan did send reinforcements before the Wei invasion commenced.

When the Wei forces started advancing towards Shu in September 263, the first half of Jiang Wei's plan worked – the Wei forces marched unopposed until they reached Han (漢; in present-day Mian County, Shaanxi) and Yue (樂; in present-day Chenggu County, Shaanxi) counties, which served as bait to wear out the enemy. However, Zhong Hui sent two smaller detachments to attack the two counties and led the main Wei army further into Shu territory. In the meantime, Jiang Wei lost to the Wei generals Wang Qi (王欣) and Yang Xin (楊欣) and had to retreat to the highly fortified mountain pass at Jiange (劍閣; in present-day Jiange County, Sichuan). Upon learning that Jiang Wei's plan had failed and sown the seeds of destruction, Zhuge Zhan hastily assembled an army in Chengdu and moved to Fu County to prepare for a final defence.

Battles with Deng Ai, and death

The aforementioned military movements happened within weeks, and Zhong Hui's rapid advance shocked most of the Shu generals. As they realised the danger of letting the enemy in, Jiang Wei and his comrades were still stuck at Jiange. As he knew that Jiange was well-defended, Zhuge Zhan did not send reinforcements there and instead held his position in Fu County. When the Wei general Deng Ai suddenly appeared in Jiangyou (江由) with his troops after taking a dangerous shortcut across mountainous terrain, the official in charge of Jiangyou surrendered without putting up a fight. Huang Chong, a son of Huang Quan, had urged Zhuge Zhan on numerous occasions to move quickly and seize control of advantageous terrain before Deng Ai did. Zhuge Zhan, however, deemed Huang Chong's plan too ambitious and adopted a more "cautious" approach instead. When Huang Chong repeatedly urged him to attack Deng Ai, Zhuge Zhan relented and tentatively sent a vanguard force to attack the enemy, which defeated them. Zhuge Zhan then left Fu County for the better fortified Mianzhu, where he planned to make a last stand against Deng Ai.

When Deng Ai besieged Zhuge Zhan at Mianzhu, he offered the latter a chance to surrender and promised to recommend to the Wei government to enfeoff Zhuge Zhan as the Prince of Langye if he surrendered. However, Zhuge Zhan refused, had Deng Ai's messenger executed, and ordered his troops to prepare for battle outside the pass. He supposedly arranged his troops in the Eight Trigrams Formation invented by his father. At the time, there were other notable Shu figures with Zhuge Zhan at Mianzhu, including Zhang Zun (張遵; a grandson of Zhang Fei), Li Qiu (李球; an imperial guard commander), Huang Chong, as well as Zhuge Zhan's eldest son Zhuge Shang. After Huang Chong gave a speech to the Shu soldiers to boost their morale, both sides engaged in battle. Deng Ai ordered his son Deng Zhong (鄧忠) and another officer Shi Zuan (師纂) to flank Zhuge Zhan's position. They moved to the formation's left and right but the Shu forces intercepted them and drove them back; only Deng Ai's central force remained intact. When Deng Zhong and Shi Zuan complained that there was no way to break the formation and suggested that they retreat, Deng Ai angrily said that they must win if they wanted to live another day, and even threatened to execute anyone who spoke of retreat. Deng Zhong and Shi Zuan then led their men to attack the Shu formation again and succeeded in breaking it. Zhuge Zhan, Zhuge Shang, Zhang Zun, Li Qiu, Huang Chong and other Shu officers were killed in action.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which romanticises the events before and during the Three Kingdoms period, the writer Luo Guanzhong depicts the ill-fated defence of Chengdu in a dramatic fashion. When the Shu emperor Liu Shan sought Zhuge Zhan's opinion on how to drive the Wei invaders, Zhuge Zhan thought of dressing up as his deceased father to scare away the enemy. His ruse worked initially as the Wei soldiers panicked and scattered upon thinking that Zhuge Liang had returned from the dead. However, Deng Ai quickly pointed out that it was someone pretending to be Zhuge Liang and ordered his troops to regroup and attack. Zhuge Zhan died at the Battle of Mianzhu along with his eldest son Zhuge Shang, Huang Chong and others while helplessly outnumbered by Deng Ai's forces.

生平

美名虛譽

諸葛亮十分關心諸葛瞻，有一次收到諸葛瞻的來信，文字寫的很拙劣，諸葛亮十分不滿，同時告誡諸葛瞻飲酒要適度。234年，諸葛亮在軍旅中寫信給他的哥哥諸葛瑾說：「瞻今已八歲，聰慧可愛，嫌其早成，恐不為重器耳。」（《三國志·蜀書·諸葛亮傳》，下引同）。他17歲時便娶蜀國的公主為妻。為此，蜀國授給他以騎都尉的官職。這是一種比將軍略低的武官。第二年，他又被升為羽林中郎將，負責護衛皇宮。以後，他又升遷為射聲校尉、侍中、尚書僕射加軍師將軍等職。當時由於蜀國人不忘舊德，十分懷念諸葛亮，便對諸葛瞻愛屋及烏，凡是有了成績，都會歸功於他。

忠勇死義

263年秋，曹魏大將軍司馬昭策劃大舉伐蜀，命鄧艾率三萬餘人進攻姜維，雍州刺史諸葛緒則率三萬餘人斷其歸路，鍾會統十餘萬眾主力進攻漢中，命衛瓘為監軍。不久，鍾會攻破漢中，姜維退守劍閣，雙方相持不下。同年十月，鄧艾率精兵，從陰平小路進攻。鄧艾到達江油後，蜀漢守將馬邈投降。鄧艾率軍迅速攻涪城及綿竹，諸葛瞻在涪城卻步不前，黃崇多次勸諸葛瞻快速前行，佔據險要地勢，阻止敵軍進入平地。可惜諸葛瞻猶豫並沒有採納，黃崇因此流涕。鄧艾長驅直入，諸葛瞻曰：「吾內不除黃皓，外不制姜維，進不守江油，吾有三罪，何面目而反！」最後退守綿竹；黃崇激勵部下死戰，但最後黃崇被殺。諸葛瞻盡力反抗，最後與兒子諸葛尚皆戰死，鄧艾築台以為京觀。但諸葛瞻臨難死義的行為，連敵人也表示敬佩。不久，鄧艾到達成都，劉禪投降，蜀漢滅亡。

評價

• 諸葛亮：瞻今已八歲，聰慧可愛，嫌其早成，恐不為重器耳。

• 鍾會：巴蜀賢智文武之士多矣。至於足下、諸葛思遠，譬諸草木，吾氣類也。

• 幹寶：瞻雖智不足以扶危，勇不足以拒敵，而能外不負國，內不改父之志，忠孝存焉。（《晉紀》）

• 司馬炎：諸葛亮在蜀，盡其心力，其子瞻臨難而死義，天下之善一也！

• 陳壽：瞻工書畫，強識念，蜀人追思亮，咸愛其才敏。每朝廷有一善政佳事，雖非瞻所建倡，百姓皆傳相告曰：「葛侯之所為也：」是以美聲溢譽，有過其實。

• 羅貫中：蒼天有意絕炎劉，漢室江山至此休。諸葛子孫皆效死，成都卿相盡添愁。智謀雖不扶危主，忠義真堪繼武侯。古往今來多少淚，行人哀怨哭墳丘。《三國志通俗演義》

• 蔡東藩：諸葛瞻不依黃崇之議，讓敵深入，猝至戰死，是咎在諸葛瞻。（《後漢演義》）

家族成員

祖先

• 諸葛豐，漢元帝時任司隸校尉，他以執法嚴格、性情剛直見稱。

祖父輩

• 諸葛珪，諸葛亮父親。東漢末年為太山郡丞。於諸葛亮幼年已死。

• 諸葛玄，諸葛亮叔父。本為豫章太守，後投靠劉表，照顧諸葛亮和諸葛均。

伯叔姑母

• 諸葛瑾，諸葛亮之兄。東吳大將軍、左都護、豫州牧、宛陵侯。

• 諸葛均，諸葛亮之弟。為蜀漢官吏，官至長水校尉。

• 諸葛亮有兩位姊姊，一位嫁給荊州名士龐季，一位嫁給襄陽望族蒯氏的蒯祺。

父

• 諸葛亮，蜀漢丞相、領司隸校尉、錄尚書事、武鄉侯

兄弟

• 諸葛喬，本為伯父諸葛瑾次子，後成為諸葛亮養子。官至翊武將軍，早逝。

子

• 諸葛尚，諸葛瞻長子。與父親諸葛瞻在涪城一役中戰死。

• 諸葛京，諸葛瞻次子。264年，與諸葛攀之子諸葛顯移居河東，在晉朝仕官。根據《三國志·裴松之注》，諸葛京依著他的才能，被任命為郿（今陝西眉縣）令，而晉朝大臣山濤也稱讚過諸葛京，為郿令時政績可稱，應予拔擢。諸葛京最後官至江州刺史。

侄

• 諸葛攀，諸葛喬之子。諸葛恪被殺後，東吳諸葛瑾後裔滅絕，諸葛攀便恢復諸葛瑾之後的身份。

逸聞

• 落鳳坡的寺廟入口處的「將台」景點，相傳為諸葛亮之子諸葛瞻當年點將之地，有個神話故事說：在諸葛瞻點將的前一天，這裡還是一座土山，有神仙相助要建一點將台，晚上神仙偽裝成賣豬匠，將其他地方的石頭往白馬寺趕，可是快到清晨時，一農夫起床看見問神仙在幹什麼，神仙回答我在趕豬，農夫說你明明趕的石頭怎麼會是豬，魔法被點破，正在路上的石頭都停下來了，現在遊人參觀時仍然可以見到漫山的整齊方塊石頭，點將台看著也真有種未完工的景象。

• 根據華陽國志卷八紀載，蜀中軍士王富在江原和臨邛一帶造反時自稱自己是諸葛瞻，後被李高擒獲，送交給益州刺史董榮問斬。

• 四川綿竹建有諸葛雙忠祠紀念蜀漢末年在綿竹關戰死的諸葛瞻及其子諸葛尚，為四川重要蜀漢遺址之一，現存有清代建築與三國兩晉時期建造的諸葛瞻墓塚。祠內有「蜀漢三叛」士仁、麋芳與郝普的石雕跪像，與諸葛瞻父子形成強烈對比。

三國演義

• 小說中，諸葛瞻生母為黃夫人。父親諸葛亮和黃夫人死後，以忠孝為遺訓勉其子諸葛瞻。自幼聰明，娶後主劉禪女兒為夫人，後襲父親武鄉侯爵位。後遷升為行軍護衛將軍，因黃皓用事，而託病不出。

• 劉禪聽從郤正之言，即刻連發三道詔文召諸葛瞻到殿前。劉禪以成都受鄧艾侵攻等為理由哭泣，諸葛瞻愧疚接受，領兵防守。辭別劉禪整裝待發，集結諸將問誰領先鋒，一人喊著擔任先鋒之位，這就是自己的長子諸葛尚。諸葛瞻任命諸葛尚為先鋒，離開成都對抗魏軍，到綿竹進行駐兵防守。

• 第一次綿竹防守戰，諸葛瞻為了對抗鄧艾軍，使用上自己父親諸葛亮的木像和四輪車，讓正在進攻綿竹的師纂和鄧忠以為諸葛亮常在人世，導致敵軍混亂，大敗敵軍。鄧艾見二人回歸而責怒，喊道就算諸葛亮在世都不懼怕，而手下的哨兵回報是諸葛亮的木雕像，鄧艾派出二人再次進攻，下令師纂和鄧忠再次失敗就必當斬首，二人領一萬兵馬再次進攻。

• 第二次綿竹防守戰，諸葛尚先聲奪人壓倒性擊敗二人，諸葛瞻指揮兩隊人馬直撞魏陣，最後魏軍再次失敗。鄧艾見二人受傷未有責罵，見狀認為不能再拖時間，應該速破為佳。經過與監軍丘本商議後，派使者向諸葛瞻遞交招降書。諸葛瞻看罷怒斬使者，派人把頭顱領回鄧艾營地，鄧艾大怒，打算出擊，被丘本制止。

• 第三次綿竹防守戰，鄧艾派王頎、牽弘設伏兵於兩旁，然後親自攻擊諸葛瞻，諸葛瞻大怒衝入敵軍陣地還擊，鄧艾詐逃。諸葛瞻追擊路途上被伏兵擊敗，退守綿竹。此時，鄧艾與眾將士兵像鐵桶般圍著綿竹，諸葛瞻見此事危急派彭和齎書逃出，趕至東吳救援。至東吳吳主孫休與大臣討論後決定出兵，派老將丁奉作主帥率三萬兵力從壽春進發，丁封、孫異二人為副將，率兵五萬到沔中前進。諸葛瞻不見救兵，對眾將說：「長時間這樣防守不是辦法。」留諸葛尚和張遵，自己引兵出城進擊。鄧艾見諸葛瞻引兵出城便再次詐逃，諸葛瞻追趕忽然四面出現伏兵，把諸葛瞻圍住，雖然諸葛瞻引兵殺了數百人，但最後被鄧艾指揮的弓手把自軍弄到潰散，自己也射倒在馬下。諸葛瞻大呼，最後自刎報國。諸葛尚在城上看到父親死後憤怒出城，最後死於陣中。鄧艾憫二人忠孝，將二人合葬，並趁勢攻下綿竹。張遵、黃崇、李球三人各自引軍抵抗，可惜窮兵之下對鄧艾軍多人，三人最終戰死。吳軍聽到蜀軍失敗淪陷，便引軍退還。