Misplaced Pages

#900099

109-452: Lü Meng was from Fupo County ( 富陂縣 ), Runan Commandery ( 汝南郡 ), which is located southeast of present-day Funan County , Anhui . His family migrated to the south of the Yangtze River when Lü Meng was young. Lü Meng lived with his brother-in-law, Deng Dang ( 鄧當 ), who served as a military officer under Sun Ce . When he was 14 or 15, he secretly followed Deng Dang to the battles against

218-517: A certain formation; on water, they sailed on light vessels linked together. They also wore elaborate and flamboyant garments to attract attention. When they stopped at a certain location, they used silk to tie their boats to the jetties; when they were departing, they cut the silk and abandoned it as a display of their extravagance. Among those who had dealings with Gan Ning were some local officials. They treated Gan Ning generously. In return, he befriended them and showed genuine feelings towards them. On

327-583: A character in the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms , which romanticises the historical events before and during the Three Kingdoms period. Some of the actual events in his life are exaggerated or dramatised in the novel. The description of Gan Ning's night raid on Cao Cao 's camp at the Battle of Ruxu in the novel is more vivid as compared to that mentioned in his biography. Before

436-460: A civilian household, even though that soldier was an old acquaintance of his. He shed tears after that. This incident shocked the other soldiers in Lü Meng's unit and they did not dare to defy his orders. Lü Meng won the hearts of the people by showing kindness towards them – he provided necessities such as food and clothing to the elderly and the poor, and distributed medicine to the sick. He also ordered

545-461: A colonel under Sun Ce. Yuan Xiong pleaded with his lord to spare Lü Meng's life. Sun Ce interviewed Lü Meng and was so impressed with him that he pardoned Lü Meng and appointed him as a close aide. A few years later, after Deng Dang died, Zhang Zhao recommended Lü Meng to replace Deng Dang, so Lü Meng was appointed as a Major of a Separate Command ( 別部司馬 ). In the year 200, after Sun Ce was assassinated, his younger brother Sun Quan succeeded him as

654-452: A delighted Sun Quan, who told him: "Were your actions enough to frighten the old man (Cao Cao)? I had the opportunity of witnessing your valour." Sun Quan then rewarded Gan Ning with 1,000 rolls of silk and 100 swords. He also remarked, "Mengde (Cao Cao) has Zhang Liao while I have Xingba. I can match him." Cao Cao withdrew his armies from Ruxu after slightly more than a month. Gan Ning commanded even greater respect among Sun Quan's forces and

763-462: A few hundred men who were willing to follow him and headed towards Zhu County. From there, they crossed the border into the Jiangdong territories. When Gan Ning brought his followers to Jiangdong , Zhou Yu and Lü Meng recommended him as a talent to their lord, Sun Quan . Sun Quan felt that Gan Ning was an extraordinary man and treated him like an old friend. Gan Ning proposed: "The Han Empire

872-444: A fire. Although the incident was over, Mi Fang still feared Guan Yu. Lü Meng showed understanding towards Mi Fang and convinced him to surrender as well. After entering Nan Commandery, Lü Meng treated the civilian population well, among whom included family members of Guan Yu's troops. He also gave strict orders to his men, forbidding them from disturbing the people. In one incident, Lü Meng executed one of his soldiers for stealing from

981-616: A general under Sun Quan, because of his violent and murderous ways. There was one incident where Lü Meng was so furious with Gan Ning that he wanted to kill him. Gan Ning also infuriated Sun Quan on a number of occasions when he defied his lord's orders. When Lü Meng heard about it, he told Sun Quan: "The Empire has yet to be pacified. Fierce generals like Gan Ning are hard to come by. You should tolerate him." Sun Quan heeded Lü Meng's advice and treated Gan Ning generously. In return, Gan Ning served Sun Quan faithfully until his death. Runan Commandery Runan Commandery ( Chinese : 汝南郡 )

1090-430: A group of wayward young men under his leadership to rob and plunder for a living. They armed themselves with bows and crossbows, wore feathers in their hats and tied bells on their bodies. The ringing of the bells alerted people to the presence of Gan Ning and his gang. Gan Ning's plundering and murderous ways made him infamous throughout Ba Commandery. On land, he and his gang travelled by riding on horses or in chariots in

1199-670: A long way to join them. Sun Quan agreed with Lü Meng and returned Xi Su's troops to him. During the siege of Nan Commandery, Zhou Yu ordered Gan Ning to lead a detachment to take control of Yiling (夷陵; present-day Yichang , Hubei), but Gan Ning came under attack by a separate enemy force led by Cao Ren's subordinates. When Gan Ning sent a messenger to Zhou Yu's camp to request for relief forces, most of Sun Quan's officers saw that they did not have enough men to spare, so they refused to help Gan Ning. Lü Meng, however, insisted on saving Gan Ning. He told Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu: "I suggest we leave Ling Tong behind while I follow you to help Gan Ning. It

SECTION 10

#1732848081901

1308-407: A military officer under the warlord Sun Quan. Throughout his years of service under Sun Quan until his death, Gan Ning fought in numerous battles for his lord, including the battles of Jiangxia (208), Red Cliffs (208–209), Xiaoyao Ford (214–215) and Ruxu (217). Gan Ning was from Linjiang County (臨江縣), Ba Commandery (巴郡), which is in present-day Zhong County , Chongqing . His ancestral home

1417-408: A moment before replying: "That's what I have in mind, but I can't find an excuse to leave." Su Fei then said: "I will suggest to Huang Zu to appoint you as the chief of Zhu County (邾縣; northwest of present-day Huanggang , Hubei). Although it may be a difficult start, it will eventually become easier for you to decide where to go from there." After Huang Zu approved Su Fei's suggestion, Gan Ning gathered

1526-455: A shield and stood between Ling Tong and Gan Ning to separate the two of them. When Sun Quan heard about the incident, he relocated Gan Ning to a garrison at Banzhou (半州). One of Gan Ning's servants committed an offence and was afraid of being punished so he sought shelter under Lü Meng . Lü Meng feared that Gan Ning would kill the servant so he did not send the servant away. Later, when Gan Ning visited Lü Meng's house and brought along gifts for

1635-523: A slightly different account of the meeting between Lu Su and Lü Meng. Lu Su placed his hand on Lü Meng's shoulder and said: "I heard you were previously a mere warrior. But now, you have taken up scholarly pursuits and you are no longer that Meng under Wu ." Lü Meng replied: "When scholars part ways for three days, they will see each other in a different light when they meet again later. Now, as you have succeeded Gongjin, your task will be difficult and you are also going to be neighbours with Guan Yu. Guan Yu

1744-664: Is an avid learner and he is familiar with the Zuo Zhuan . He has a loud and confident voice, and a heroic aura around him. However, he is conceited and thinks highly of himself. Now that you are going to be his opponent, you should have some measures to counter him." He then presented three strategies to Lu Su on how to counter Guan Yu. Lu Su respected Lü Meng so he kept the strategies to himself and did not reveal them. The Chinese idioms "Ah Meng from Wu" ( 吳下阿蒙 ; 吴下阿蒙 ; wú xià ā méng ) and "rub one's eyes and look" ( 刮目相看 ; guā mù xiāng kàn ) originated from this conversation. The former

1853-639: Is currently far away in Hebei . He has defeated the Yuans not too long ago and is still busy pacifying You and Ji provinces in northern China, so he will not focus on the east. The troops defending Xu Province are not a cause for concern because they can be easily overcome. However, the terrain there is very accessible by land and is suitable for the deployment of cavalry forces. Even if you manage to conquer Xu Province now, Cao Cao will definitely come to claim it back later. By then, even if we have 70,000 to 80,000 men to defend

1962-581: Is declining day by day. Cao Cao is becoming increasingly arrogant and he will eventually usurp the throne. The southern territories in Jing Province are accessible in terms of travelling by land or water. The western domain of the Empire lies there. Based on my observation of Liu Biao , he won't last long while his sons are incapable of inheriting his jurisdiction. My lord, you should take control of these lands soon, lest Cao Cao seizes them later. The best plan now

2071-447: Is imperative that we lift the siege (on Gan Ning) because he may not be able to hold out for long. I assure you that Ling Tong can defend our current position for at least ten days." Lü Meng also suggested to Zhou Yu to send 300 men to block the enemy's retreat route with huge logs. When the reinforcements arrived at Yiling, they killed over half of the total number of enemy troops and forced the surviving ones to retreat at night. However,

2180-417: Is spared from death. He won't leave even if you try to chase him away. Why would he still court his own doom? If he really does that, I am willing to use my head to replace his in the box." Sun Quan then pardoned Su Fei. In the winter of 208–209, Gan Ning fought in the Battle of Red Cliffs under Zhou Yu 's command against the forces of Cao Cao , and defeated the enemy at Wulin (烏林). He also participated in

2289-434: Is still high. We can retreat via the water route after that. That's the way to secure total victory." Sun Quan heeded Lü Meng's suggestion. Lü Meng recommended Gan Ning to lead the assault on Wan County while he followed behind with the elite troops. When they attacked at dawn, Lü Meng himself beat a war drum to boost the soldiers' morale. They captured the fortress by noon. Around the same time, Cao Cao's general Zhang Liao

SECTION 20

#1732848081901

2398-1178: Is to attack Huang Zu first. Huang Zu is old and muddleheaded. He lacks funding and supplies, cheats those around them, and is only concerned with making personal gains. His subordinates are already unhappy with him because of his overbearing demands. His warships and military equipment are damaged and haven't been repaired; he neglects agriculture; his army is ill-disciplined. If you attack him now, you will surely win. After defeating him, you can move west further and take control of Chu Pass and expand your domain and influence. After that, you can prepare to attack Bashu. " Sun Quan wanted to follow Gan Ning's plan, but his adviser Zhang Zhao strongly objected: "The territories in Wu have not been completely pacified yet. If we proceed with this campaign, I am afraid there will be chaos." Gan Ning rebuked Zhang Zhao: "Our lord has entrusted responsibilities to you as if you were Xiao He . If you can't even be confident that there won't be chaos under your watch, how can you expect to be like Xiao He?" Sun Quan then raised his glass to Gan Ning and said: "Xingba, I have decided to put you in charge of

2507-588: Is used to describe an unlearned person who achieves improvement through diligent study while the latter means to see a person in a different light, especially after the person has made remarkable improvement. Cao Cao appointed Xie Qi ( 謝奇 ) as the Agricultural Officer ( 典農 ) of Qichun County and ordered him to station at Wan County (皖縣; present-day Qianshan County , Anhui ) to harass the border of Sun Quan's domain. Lü Meng tried to induce Xie Qi into surrendering but failed, so he attacked Xie Qi. Xie Qi lost

2616-665: The Yijing . Since I succeeded my brother, I have been reading the Three Histories – Records of the Grand Historian , Book of Han and Dong Guan Han Ji – and many military texts, and they have enriched me. The two of you are open-minded and fast-learning, so you can definitely pick up reading. Do you really not want to? You should start with Sun Tzu 's The Art of War , the Six Secret Teachings , Zuo Zhuan , Guoyu and

2725-524: The Battle of Red Cliffs , in which the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei defeated the forces of the northern warlord Cao Cao at Wulin (烏林; in present-day Honghu , Hubei ). Cao Cao perfunctorily retreated to northern China, leaving behind his general Cao Ren to defend Nan Commandery (南郡; around present-day Jingzhou , Hubei). Sun Quan's forces, led by Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu , pressed on their attack and besieged Cao Ren in Nan Commandery. Around

2834-618: The Battle of Xiakou in 203. Gan Ning was always on the defensive against Ling Tong and deliberately avoided meeting him. Sun Quan also ordered Ling Tong to not seek vengeance on Gan Ning. There was one incident during a banquet held in Lü Meng 's house, where both Gan Ning and Ling Tong were present. When Ling Tong was performing a sword dance to entertain the guests, Gan Ning stood up and said, "I can also perform with my pair of ji s." Lü Meng told Gan Ning: "You may be good in performing, but you're not as good as me." He then drew his sword and carried

2943-531: The Battle of Xiakou . Gan Ning, a skilled archer, led a detachment of troops as backup and came to Huang Zu's rescue. He fired an arrow which killed Ling Cao , a colonel under Sun Quan, thus saving Huang Zu's life. Huang Zu did not change his attitude towards Gan Ning after the incident. Su Fei (蘇飛), an area commander under Huang Zu, recommended Gan Ning as a talent but Huang Zu ignored him. Huang Zu even attempted to induce Gan Ning's followers to abandon their leader and join him instead; some of them agreed. Gan Ning

3052-469: The Shanyue tribes. Deng Dang was shocked to see his teenage brother-in-law in battle, so he scolded Lü Meng and warned him to stop. Lü Meng refused to listen so Deng Dang told Lü Meng's mother about this. When she wanted to punish him, Lü Meng said: "It is difficult to survive in poverty. If we can prove ourselves through hard work, then wealth will come eventually. How can we catch the tiger cub if we don't enter

3161-603: The Wu (or Jiangdong ) region, which was under the control of the warlord Sun Ce and later Sun Quan . When they reached Jiangxia Commandery (江夏郡; present-day eastern Hubei) in eastern Jing Province, they could not cross the border into Wu territory as Sun Quan was at war with Liu Biao at the time. Gan Ning thus remained at Jiangxia and became a subordinate of the commandery administrator, Huang Zu , who did not recognise his talent and treated him coldly for three years. In 203, Sun Quan led his forces to attack Huang Zu and defeated him at

3270-491: The Xiang River . Sun Quan released Hao Pu and returned Lingling Commandery to Liu Bei. Lü Meng received Xunyang ( 尋陽 ) and Yangxin ( 陽新 ) counties as his personal estate. In 214, after returning from Jing Province , Lü Meng joined Sun Quan in a campaign to conquer Hefei , which was defended by Cao Cao's general Zhang Liao . By 215, Sun Quan's forces had failed to breach Hefei's walls and had also sustained heavy casualties in

3379-524: The Administrator (太守) of Xiling Commandery (西陵郡) and let him oversee the counties of Yangxin (陽新) and Xiazhi (下雉; east of present-day Yangxin County, Hubei ). In early 215, Gan Ning was involved in an attack on Cao Cao 's garrison at Wan County (皖縣; in present-day Qianshan County , Anhui ) and was in charge of the unit assigned to scale the fortress's walls. Armed with a chain, he was the first to climb up

Lü Meng - Misplaced Pages Continue

3488-410: The Administrator of Jiangxia Commandery, scorned him because of that. However, Lü Meng never hated Cai Yi for treating him with contempt. When Gu Shao ( 顧邵 ), the Administrator of Yuzhang Commandery, died, Lü Meng recommended Cai Yi to Sun Quan to replace Gu Shao. Sun Quan laughed and asked Lü Meng, "Are you trying to be like Qi Xi?" He heeded Lü Meng's suggestion. Lü Meng was unhappy with Gan Ning ,

3597-777: The Crown Prince's Tutor (太子太傅) in Wu. Gan Chang had a son – Gan Zhuo (甘卓), whose courtesy name was Jisi (季思). Gan Zhuo served as Senior General Who Guards the South (鎮南大將軍) and Governor of Jing Province (荊州牧) during the Jin dynasty . Gan Ning was rough and violent; moreover he took pleasure in killing. However, he was also jovial, gregarious and capable of using strategy. He respected virtuous persons and had little regard for monetary wealth. He treated his men well and they were also willing to fight for him with their lives. Ling Tong ( Ling Cao 's son) never forgave Gan Ning for killing his father at

3706-540: The Three Histories. Confucius once said, 'You will gain nothing even if you give up on meals and sleep and keep thinking about something, so why don't you learn?' When Emperor Guangwu was busy with military affairs, he still found time to read. Mengde agrees he is already old but he never gives up on learning. Why don't you give some encouragement to yourselves?" Lü Meng was so inspired by Sun Quan's words that he began to study diligently and acquire more knowledge. He eventually surpassed some Confucian scholars in terms of

3815-950: The administrators of the three commanderies to ask them to submit to Sun Quan. They all agreed except Lingling's administrator, Hao Pu ( 郝普 ). Liu Bei returned to Jing Province when he heard of Lü Meng's advances and garrisoned troops at Gong'an County while ordering Guan Yu to lead an army to take back the three commanderies. At the time, Sun Quan was at Lukou (陸口; at Lushui Lake near present-day Chibi , Hubei ) and he sent Lu Su to lead 10,000 troops to Yiyang to block Guan Yu. Sun Quan also sent an urgent order to Lü Meng, ordering him to give up on Lingling and lead his troops to Yiyang to assist Lu Su. When Lü Meng pacified Changsha, he passed by Ling County (酃縣; east of present-day Hengyang , Hunan ) and met Deng Xuanzhi ( 鄧玄之 ), an old friend of Hao Pu. He planned to use Deng Xuanzhi to trick Hao Pu into surrendering. That night, Lü Meng summoned all his officers and gave them instructions on how to attack Lingling

3924-444: The age of 42 (by East Asian age reckoning ). Sun Quan was extremely grieved by Lü Meng's death. Before Lü Meng died, he had instructed his family to store all their prized possessions – including gifts from Sun Quan – in a vault and return them to his lord after his death. He had also asked for a simple funeral. Sun Quan felt even more sad when found out that Lü Meng had made such arrangements before his death. Lü Meng's marquis title

4033-481: The army, so I am afraid I won't have time to read." Sun Quan then said: "I am not saying that I want you to take up Confucian studies and become a scholar-official . What I hope you can do is to spend a bit of time reading and understanding history. Do you have as many issues to handle as I do? When I was young, I read the Classic of Poetry , Book of Documents , Book of Rites , Zuo Zhuan and Guoyu , but not

4142-629: The bandits. Sun Quan remarked: "A hundred birds of prey are not comparable to one osprey." He then ordered Lü Meng to attack the bandits. Lü Meng achieved success and killed the bandit chiefs but released the others and allowed them to revert to normal civilian life. Around 212, Sun Quan's ally Liu Bei embarked on a campaign to seize control of Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing ) from its governor, Liu Zhang . He left Guan Yu behind to defend his territories in southern Jing Province during his absence. After Liu Bei completely took over Yi Province in 214, Sun Quan perceived that he

4251-671: The battle and eventually ordered his troops to abandon their position and retreat. Sun Quan's forces captured Nan Commandery and gained control over central Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan ). Upon his return, Lü Meng was promoted to Lieutenant-General ( 偏將軍 ) and appointed as the Prefect ( 令 ) of Xunyang County (尋陽縣; southwest of present-day Huangmei County , Hubei). The Jiang Biao Zhuan ( 江表傳 ) recorded that Sun Quan once told Lü Meng and Jiang Qin : "Both of you are commanders now so you should enrich yourself with knowledge." Lü Meng replied: "I have many things to attend to in

4360-404: The battle and retreated. His subordinates, Sun Zicai ( 孫子才 ) and Song Hao ( 宋豪 ), brought along several civilians and surrendered to Lü Meng. In 213, Lü Meng followed Sun Quan to Ruxu (濡須; north of present-day Wuwei County , Anhui) to guard against Cao Cao's advances. Sun Quan wanted to construct a dock at Ruxu, but his subordinates said, "We should land on the other side of the river and attack

4469-458: The battle. Two years later in 217, Cao Cao personally led an army, said to be 400,000 strong, to attack Sun Quan 's garrison at Ruxu (濡須). Sun Quan led about 70,000 troops to counter the enemy. Gan Ning commanded the 3,000 strong vanguard. Sun Quan gave a secret order for Gan Ning to attack the enemy under the cover of nightfall, so Gan Ning selected 100 elite soldiers. Before the battle, Sun Quan sent food and wine to Gan Ning and his men. After

Lü Meng - Misplaced Pages Continue

4578-482: The campaign this year just as I offer this drink to you. You should strive your best to come up with a strategy to defeat Huang Zu. Once you have proven yourself, you won't need to take Zhang Zhao's words to heart." In the spring of 208, Sun Quan led his forces west to attack Huang Zu at Jiangxia Commandery (江夏郡; around present-day Xinzhou District, Wuhan , Hubei ) and succeeded in defeating and capturing Huang Zu alive, as well as taking control over his troops. Gan Ning

4687-428: The coins and gold, but Sun Quan insisted that he accept. He became ill again before he was enfeoffed as a marquis. Sun Quan was at Gong'an County then, so he had Lü Meng brought to his personal residence to stay with him. He also offered 1,000 jin of gold as a reward to any person who could cure Lü Meng. Sun Quan became more worried as Lü Meng's condition deteriorated over time. He wanted to see Lü Meng but felt that it

4796-452: The conquest of Jing Province , Lü Meng was appointed as the Administrator ( 太守 ) of Nan Commandery. He was also enfeoffed as the Marquis of Chanling ( 孱陵侯 ) and awarded 100 million coins and 500 jin of gold. Earlier on, Sun Quan threw a feast at Gong'an County to celebrate the victory, but Lü Meng did not want to attend because he was ill. Sun Quan laughed and said: "Ziming, you deserve

4905-413: The division of southern Jing Province between their respective domains. Sun Quan sent Lü Meng and Ling Tong to seize the three commanderies of Changsha (長沙), Lingling (零陵; around present-day Yongzhou , Hunan ) and Guiyang (桂陽; around present-day Chenzhou , Hunan) from Liu Bei, and then ordered Lu Su to station at Yiyang as a precaution against any retaliation by Liu Bei's general Guan Yu , who

5014-525: The earlier engagements with the enemy. When a plague broke out in his army, Sun Quan decided to withdraw. While retreating, Sun Quan was caught up in a fierce counterattack by Zhang Liao, but managed to break out of the encirclement and reach safety when his officers, including Lü Meng, fought with their lives to protect their lord at all costs. Later, in 217, Cao Cao personally led a large army to invade Sun Quan's garrison at Ruxu (濡須; north of present-day Wuwei County , Anhui ). Sun Quan led his forces to resist

5123-459: The east. Before the campaign, Sun Quan had prepared two boxes for containing the heads of Huang Zu and Su Fei (蘇飛). After the battle, Su Fei, who had become a prisoner-of-war, immediately asked someone to inform Gan Ning. Gan Ning said: "If Su Fei didn't say anything, I would have forgotten about him." Later, when Sun Quan and his officers were celebrating the victory, Gan Ning left his seat and knelt down before Sun Quan. He kowtowed until his face

5232-424: The enemy and placed Lü Meng in charge of the army. Lü Meng arrived at the dock, which was constructed earlier in 213, and stationed thousands of archers there to rain arrows on the enemy when they approached. He also attacked the camp of Cao Cao's vanguard force before the enemy established a foothold and succeeding in destroying the camp. Cao Cao saw that he could not overcome Sun Quan and eventually retreated. Lü Meng

5341-516: The enemy encountered the huge logs and were unable to cross over on horseback, so they had to dismount and proceed on foot. Sun Quan's pursuing forces arrived at the blockade and seized about 300 horses left behind by the enemy, which they transported back to their camp on boats. The morale of Zhou Yu's army improved greatly, so they crossed the Yangtze River, set up a garrison near the enemy base, and then engaged Cao Ren's forces in battle. Cao Ren lost

5450-528: The enemy's numbers will rise after they gain a bountiful harvest. Within a few years time, Cao Cao's military prowess would have increased significantly, so we should eliminate them soon." Sun Quan heeded Lü Meng's advice and personally led a campaign to attack Lujiang Commandery. Before the battle, Sun Quan summoned all his officers and asked them for their opinions. The officers suggested to pile up earth to form small hills and replenish their equipment. However, Lü Meng disagreed: "It will take several days to build

5559-553: The enemy, then return to our ships. Why build a dock?" However, Lü Meng supported the idea of building a dock and he said: "Battles are unpredictable and we might not always win. If we lose and the enemy closes in, and we don't have time to retreat to the riverbank, how can we even board our ships?" Sun Quan agreed with Lü Meng and had the dock constructed to make boardings and landings more convenient. With this, Sun Quan's army defended their positions against Cao Cao's approaching forces, who retreated after several failed attempts to overcome

SECTION 50

#1732848081901

5668-469: The enemy. Gan Ning kills Ling Tong 's father, Ling Cao , at the Battle of Xiakou in 203. Since then, even after Gan Ning comes to serve Sun Quan , Ling Tong still holds a grudge against him. Their conflict is dramatised in chapters 67–68 of the novel, and is eventually resolved after Gan Ning saves Ling Tong's life. Gan Ning's death is described in Chapter 83. He is killed at the Battle of Xiaoting by

5777-584: The enemy. Around 214, Cao Cao retreated from Ruxu, he appointed Zhu Guang ( 朱光 ) as the Administrator ( 太守 ) of Lujiang Commandery (廬江郡; around present-day Lujiang County , Anhui ) and ordered him to station at Wan County (皖縣; present-day Qianshan County , Anhui). Zhu Guang developed the area for agricultural use, while bribing bandits from Poyang County to cause trouble in Sun Quan's territories. Lü Meng warned Sun Quan: "The lands in Wan County are very fertile so

5886-445: The feast, Gan Ning poured wine into a silver bowl and drank two bowls before offering it to an officer. The officer knelt down and did not dare to take the bowl, so Gan Ning drew his sword, placed it on his lap and said: "You respect our lord but not me? I don't fear death. Why do you fear death?" The officer saw that Gan Ning was very stern so he obliged and drank from it and then ordered each soldier to drink one bowl of wine." When it

5995-657: The following morning, without telling them that Sun Quan had given orders for them to give up on Lingling and move to Yiyang. He lied to Deng Xuanzhi that Liu Bei was besieged in Hanzhong by Cao Cao's general Xiahou Yuan and that Guan Yu was occupied in a battle at Nan Commandery. He then asked Deng Xuanzhi to help him persuade Hao Pu to give up on Lingling. Deng Xuanzhi went to see Hao Pu later and conveyed Lü Meng's message. Hao Pu became afraid when he heard that he had been isolated, so he agreed to surrender and asked Deng Xuanzhi to lead him to Lü Meng. When Lü Meng met Hao Pu, he revealed

6104-512: The guise of seeking medical treatment. When Guan Yu learns that I have left Jing Province, he will definitely withdraw the backup forces and move all out towards Xiangyang. When that happens, our troops will sail along the river, travelling day and night, and swiftly attack the weakly defended territories. We can thus conquer Nan Commandery and capture Guan Yu." Sun Quan agreed to Lü Meng's plan and played along by openly approving his request to return to Jianye for medical treatment. Guan Yu fell for

6213-482: The hills and replenish our equipment. By then, the enemy would have reinforced their defences and their relief forces would have arrived, and we can't defeat them. The rainwater has flowed in, and the water level will subside if we linger on for days. By then, it will be very difficult for our ships to retreat and we may be in danger. As of now, I observe that the fortress's defences are weak, so we can achieve victory if we attack it from all directions when our army's morale

6322-434: The honour of capturing Guan Yu. You have achieved victory but haven't received any reward yet, so how can you leave now?" He ordered the soldiers to play music, and personally selected subordinates for Lü Meng and the equipment required for the ceremony. After the ceremony, all the soldiers lined up along the path when Lü Meng took his leave, with music playing in the background. That was Lü Meng's finest hour. Lü Meng rejected

6431-408: The incident, you have already overstepped your role as a subject." Lü Meng was a filial son so his anger subsided after listening to his mother. He then went to Gan Ning's boat, laughed and said: "Xingba, my mother is treating you to a meal. Come up quickly!" Gan Ning wept and replied: "I have let you down." He followed Lü Meng to meet his mother and they feasted for the whole day. Gan Ning appears as

6540-402: The journey, they captured the watchtowers set up by Guan Yu along the river to prevent the defenders from learning of their approach. Guan Yu was totally unaware of this. Shi Ren, who was defending Gong'an County, surrendered to Lü Meng after Yu Fan , an official under Sun Quan, persuaded him to do so. Earlier on, Guan Yu had punished Mi Fang for negligently causing some weapons to be destroyed in

6649-418: The latter's mother, Lü brought the servant out to meet Gan, and Gan promised to spare the servant. However, Gan Ning reneged on his word later as he tied the servant to a tree and personally killed him by firing arrows at him. After that, he went back to his boat and ordered his men to lengthen the hawsers while he undressed and rested inside the cabin. Lü Meng was furious when he heard that Gan Ning had killed

SECTION 60

#1732848081901

6758-582: The maintenance of friendly relations between Sun Quan and Liu Bei to sustain their alliance against Cao Cao . Lü Meng wrote a secret letter to Sun Quan: "You can order Sun Jiao to guard Nan Commandery, Pan Zhang to station at Baidicheng , and Jiang Qin to lead 10,000 marines to sail along the river and attack any enemy position. I will personally head to the frontline at Xiangyang . In this way, we will not need to worry about Cao Cao, nor rely on Guan Yu. Besides, Guan Yu and his lord are untrustworthy so you should not be too faithful towards them. Currently,

6867-551: The midst of battle. Huang Zu attempted to flee after learning of Chen Jiu's death, but was captured by Sun Quan's soldiers. After the battle, Sun Quan deemed Lü Meng's contributions to be the most significant because Chen Jiu's death secured their victory. Lü Meng was promoted to General of the Household Who Sweeps Across the Wilderness ( 橫野中郎將 ) and awarded 10 million coins. In the winter of 208, Lü Meng participated in

6976-631: The neighbouring Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan ), and Liu Zhang's subordinates Shen Mi (沈彌) and Lou Fa (婁發). However, they failed and were forced to flee to Jing Province. Gan Ning eventually decided to stop plundering and pillaging. He read some books and picked up ideas from the Hundred Schools of Thought . Later, he brought along 800 men to join Liu Biao , the Governor of Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan ), and

7085-425: The number of texts he read. In 210, after Lu Su succeeded Zhou Yu (who died of illness earlier that year) as the frontline commander of Sun Quan's forces, he passed by Lü Meng's garrison on his way to Lukou (陸口; at Lushui Lake near present-day Chibi , Hubei ). Lu Su had all along regarded Lü Meng with contempt, but someone told him: "General Lü's fame and glory are increasing day by day. You shouldn't view him in

7194-573: The number of troops under his command increased by 2,000. When Gan Ning died, Sun Quan deeply lamented his death. No further details about Gan Ning's death were provided in his biography in the Sanguozhi . However, the Jiankang Shilu recorded that Gan Ning died in the winter of 215–216, while the Australian sinologist Rafe de Crespigny estimated that Gan Ning died around 220. Gan Ning's ancestor

7303-454: The opportunity to launch a devastating counterattack and throw the enemy into confusion. Gan Ning led a group of archers to fire arrows at the enemy while Ling Tong and the others fought fiercely to protect their lord. Gan Ning shouted at the men to beat the war drums and blow the horns loudly to raise the army's morale. Sun Quan eventually succeeded in escaping but his forces sustained heavy losses. He praised Gan Ning for his acts of courage after

7412-458: The other hand, those who treated him badly suffered the fate of being robbed of their possessions by him and his gang. Even government officials were not spared. Gan Ning led the life of a marauder until he was over 20 years old. After Liu Yan , the governor of Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing), died in 194, Gan Ning rebelled against his son and successor, Liu Zhang . He received support from Liu He (劉闔), an official from

7521-404: The others succeeded in lifting the siege at Yiling, while Ling Tong managed to hold his ground well for that period of time. Eventually, Cao Ren was ordered to abandon Nan Commandery because the prolonged war had drained much manpower and resources on Cao Cao's side, and this resulted in the capture of the commandery by Sun Quan's forces. In 215, Sun Quan had disputes with his ally Liu Bei over

7630-601: The past. Guan Yu knew that he had lost and was isolated, so he withdrew to Maicheng (麥城; around present-day Maicheng Village, Lianghe Town, Dangyang , Hubei). When they reached Zhang District ( 漳鄉 ) in the west, Guan Yu's men deserted and surrendered to Sun Quan's forces. Sun Quan sent Zhu Ran and Pan Zhang to block Guan Yu's retreat route. Guan Yu and his son Guan Ping were captured by Sun Quan's forces in an ambush and subsequently executed. Liu Bei lost all his territories in Jing Province to Sun Quan. For his achievements in

7739-399: The population was 2,596,148, in 461,587 households. In 140 AD during Eastern Han dynasty, the commandery administered 37 counties and had a population of 2,100,788, in 404,448 households. Two new commanderies, Yiyang and Ruyin (汝陰) was separated from Runan under Emperor Wen of Wei and Emperor Wu of Jin , respectively. In 280 AD, Runan Commandery retained 15 counties with the population

7848-518: The province, we will still need to be worried. Why do we not attack Guan Yu instead? If we succeed, we will have the Yangtze River to our advantage and our prowess will increase significantly." Sun Quan thought that Lü Meng's advice was appropriate so he heeded it. When Lü Meng was at Lukou, he treated his neighbours generously and maintained friendly ties with Guan Yu. In 219, Guan Yu led an army to attack Cao Cao's fortress at Fancheng (樊城; present-day Fancheng District , Xiangyang , Hubei ), which

7957-427: The raid, Ling Tong leads 3,000 troops to engage the enemy and duels with Zhang Liao before he receives orders to retreat. When Gan Ning sees that, he tells Sun Quan: "Tonight I'll bring only 100 men to raid Cao Cao's camp. If I lose a single soldier, this won't count as a contribution." That night, he leads 100 horsemen to attack Cao Cao's camp and all of them return alive after inflicting heavy damage and casualties on

8066-463: The reason why Guan Yu does not advance east, based on your keen sense of judgment, is because of my existence. Now, we should attack him when our forces are still very powerful, because it will be more difficult to do so later." Sun Quan agreed with Lü Meng and wanted to accept his suggestion. Later, he sought Lü Meng's advice on attacking Cao Cao in Xu Province , to which Lü Meng replied: "Cao Cao

8175-700: The ruse and withdrew the backup forces and advanced towards Fancheng. When Cao Cao heard of the attack at Fancheng, he sent Yu Jin to lead an army to relief Cao Ren, but Yu Jin lost the battle and surrendered to Guan Yu. Guan Yu's troops increased in numbers after his victory so he lacked food supplies. He sent his men to seize grain from one of Sun Quan's depots along the Xiang River . When Sun Quan heard about it, he sent Lü Meng ahead to invade Jing Province while he followed up behind. Lü Meng arrived at Xunyang County (尋陽縣; southwest of present-day Huangmei County , Hubei ), where he ordered his elite soldiers to disguise themselves as merchants and sail towards Nan Commandery. On

8284-434: The same light now as you did in the past. You should visit him soon." Lu Su then headed to Lü Meng's camp. After some drinks, Lü Meng asked Lu Su, "You have received an important appointment and you are going to be stationed near Guan Yu . Have you made any contingency plans to deal with unforeseen circumstances?" Lu Su lackadaisically replied, "I will adapt to the situation when the time comes." Lü Meng then said: "The east and

8393-428: The servant so he gathered his own men and prepared to confront Gan. Gan Ning continued resting when he heard Lü Meng approaching. Lü Meng's mother came out of the house barefooted and chided her son: "The lord (Sun Quan) treats you like his family and entrusts you with important responsibilities. How can you kill Gan Ning just because you have a private feud with him? If Gan Ning dies, even if the lord does not inquire into

8502-496: The strength of his army increased to around 1,000 after he recruited some men in the area. Cao Ren sent 5,000 to 6,000 troops to besiege Gan Ning at Yiling. Cao Ren's men built high towers, from which they rained arrows upon Yiling. Gan Ning's men were terrified but their commander remained calm. He sent a messenger to request aid from Zhou Yu, who heeded Lü Meng 's plan and led reinforcements to help Gan Ning while leaving behind Ling Tong to defend their position. Zhou Yu, Lü Meng and

8611-400: The subsequent Battle of Jiangling . Sun Quan's forces, led by Zhou Yu, attacked Cao Cao's general Cao Ren at Nan Commandery (南郡; around present-day Jiangling County , Hubei ) but were unable to conquer the city. Gan Ning suggested that he lead a separate force to capture Yiling (夷陵; around present-day Yichang , Hubei). He had only a few hundred soldiers with him when he reached Yiling but

8720-443: The tiger's den?" Lü Meng's mother sighed and let him have his way. At the time, an official scorned Lü Meng because of his young age and often insulted him by saying things like: "What can he do? His behaviour will only result in him feeding himself to the tigers." Lü Meng killed the official one day when he lost control of his anger. Initially, he took shelter under Zheng Chang ( 鄭長 ) but later turned himself in to Yuan Xiong ( 袁雄 ),

8829-408: The time, Xi Su ( 襲肅 ), a military officer from Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing ), brought along his men to defect to Sun Quan's side. Zhou Yu proposed to Sun Quan to let Lü Meng take charge of Xi Su's troops. However, Lü Meng praised Xi Su as a courageous person and declined to take over command of Xi Su's men. He believed it was disrespectful to do so because Xi Su had come

8938-512: The treasury in the commandery office to be sealed up while they awaited Sun Quan's arrival. Guan Yu was returning to Nan Commandery when he heard that his territories in Jing Province had fallen to Lü Meng. He sent messengers to meet Lü Meng, who brought them on a tour of the city. When the messengers returned to Guan Yu, they spread the word that their families were well. Guan Yu's troops lost their fighting spirit after hearing that Lü Meng treated their families better than how Guan Yu treated them in

9047-466: The truth, clapped his hands and laughed. Hao Pu became wrecked with guilt when he learnt that both Liu Bei and Guan Yu were actually free to reinforce Lingling but it was too late. Lü Meng left Sun He ( 孫河 ) behind to guard the three commanderies while he headed towards Yiyang per Sun Quan's order. The territorial dispute between Sun Quan and Liu Bei was eventually resolved when both sides agreed to divide Jing Province between their respective domains along

9156-452: The walls and his men captured Wan County's defending commander, Zhu Guang (朱光). Lü Meng earned the top credit while Gan Ning received the second highest credit for the victory. Gan Ning was promoted to General Who Breaks and Charges (折衝將軍). Later that year, Gan Ning participated in Sun Quan 's campaign to seize control of Hefei , which was defended by Cao Cao's general Zhang Liao . Sun Quan

9265-645: The warlord ruling the territories in the Jiangdong region. Sun Quan planned to reorganise his army by merging small units into larger garrisons. When Lü Meng heard about it, he collected funds to purchase elaborately designed armour for his troops. When Sun Quan came to inspect Lü Meng's unit, he was so impressed that he placed more soldiers under Lü Meng's command, thus saving Lü Meng's troops from being merged into another unit. Lü Meng participated in Sun Quan's conquest of Danyang Commandery (丹楊郡; around present-day Xuancheng , Anhui ) and made many contributions in battle. He

9374-428: The waters when he hears of my approach. But if he does, I will capture him." Lu Su then chose 1,000 troops and put them under Gan Ning's command. Gan Ning headed towards Guan Yu's position at night. As Gan Ning expected, Guan Yu did not cross the shallows and instead set up camps there. That place was thus named 'Guan Yu's Shallows' (關羽瀨). Sun Quan was so pleased with Gan Ning's achievement that he appointed him as

9483-469: The west may be one family now, but Guan Yu is a person with the might of bears and tigers. How can you not make preparations beforehand?" Lü Meng then proposed five strategies to Lu Su on how to deal with Guan Yu. Lu Su left his seat, came closer to Lü Meng, placed his hand on his shoulder and said, "Lü Ziming, I never knew you had such insights until I came here." He also visited Lü Meng's mother and became friends with Lü Meng. The Jiang Biao Zhuan recorded

9592-531: Was Gan Mao (甘茂), a chancellor of the Qin state in the Warring States period . Gan Ning's son, Gan Gui (甘瓌), was exiled to Kuaiji Commandery (around present-day Shaoxing , Zhejiang ) for committing an offence and died not long later. Gan Shu (甘述), another son of Gan Ning, served as a Master of Writing (尚書) in the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. Gan Shu's son, Gan Chang (甘昌), served as

9701-473: Was "lending" territories in Jing Province to Liu Bei per an earlier agreement in 210 so he wanted the territories back because Liu Bei already had a new base in Yi Province. When Liu Bei refused, Sun Quan ordered Lü Meng to lead troops to seize three commanderies – Changsha ( 長沙 ), Lingling (零陵; around present-day Yongzhou , Hunan ) and Guiyang (桂陽; around present-day Chenzhou , Hunan). Lü Meng wrote to

9810-451: Was 21,500 households, while the three commanderies together had a population of 46,700 households. During Emperor Hui 's reign, two new commanderies, Xincai and Nandun, were established in the region. Under Northern Wei , the commandery consisted of 8 counties, and the Book of Wei recorded a population of 37,061, or 15,889 households. The commandery was abolished in early Sui dynasty . Runan

9919-528: Was a Chinese commandery from Han dynasty to Tang dynasty , located in modern Henan and Anhui provinces. The name referred to its location to the south of Ru River (汝水), a historical river that flowed into the Huai . Runan was part of the Huaiyang Kingdom in early Western Han dynasty. In 156 BC, Runan was granted to Liu Fei , son of the reigning Emperor Jing as a principality. A year later, Fei's fief

10028-510: Was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan in the late Eastern Han dynasty . Originally a notorious pirate, he gave up the life of a marauder in the late 190s and became a subordinate of Huang Zu , the Administrator of a commandery in present-day east-central Hubei . Disheartened by Huang Zu's indifferent attitude towards him, Gan Ning eventually left Huang and made his way into Wu territory (present-day eastern and southeastern China), where he found his calling and became

10137-453: Was actually in Nanyang, Henan ; his ancestors migrated to Ba Commandery and settled there. When he was still a youth, he accepted an offer to serve as an accounting assistant in the local commandery office. He resigned and went home after serving for a short period of time. In his younger days, Gan Ning was known to be very energetic and eager to behave like a youxia or vigilante. He gathered

10246-629: Was changed to Jiangdu (江都), and Runan became a commandery. In late Western Han dynasty, it administered 37 counties, Pingyu (平輿), Yang'an (陽安), Yangcheng (陽城), Liqiang (郦強), Fubo (富波), Nüyang (女陽), Tongyang (鮦陽), Wufang (吳房), Ancheng (安成), Nandun (南頓), Langling (朗陵), Xiyang (細陽), Yichun (宜春), Nüyin (女陰), Xincai (新蔡), Xinxi (新息), Quyang (灈陽), Qisi (期思), Shenyang (慎陽), Shen (慎), Zhaoling (召陵), Yiyang (弋陽), Xiping (西平), Shangcai (上蔡), Qin (浸), Xihua (西華), Changping (長平), Xilu (宜祿), Xiang (項), Xinqi (新郪), Guide (歸德), Xinyang (新陽), Anchang (安昌), Anyang (安陽), Boyang (博陽), Chengyang (成陽) and Dingling (定陵). In 2 AD,

10355-420: Was covered in blood and, with tears in his eyes, he pleaded with Sun Quan: "I owe Su Fei a favour. If not for him, I'd have been dead and my body abandoned in a ravine. I'd not have been able to serve under you. Now, even though Su Fei's actions warrant death, I still hope you can spare him." Sun Quan was moved and he asked: "What if he leaves after I spare his life?" Gan Ning replied: "Su Fei will be grateful if he

10464-448: Was defended by Cao Ren . He left behind his subordinates Shi Ren and Mi Fang to defend Gong'an County and Nan Commandery (南郡; around present-day Jingzhou , Hubei) respectively. When Lü Meng heard about that, he wrote to Sun Quan: "When Guan Yu went to attack Fancheng, he left behind many backup forces because he was afraid that I would seize the territories in his absence. I am often ill. Now, I request to return to Jianye under

10573-545: Was in charge of his lord's territories in southern Jing Province. Gan Ning joined Lu Su at Yiyang. Guan Yu claimed he had 30,000 troops as he selected 5,000 elite troopers to the upstream shallows located some 10 li away from Yiyang, and planned to cross the shallows at night. Lu Su held a discussion with his subordinates on how to deal with Guan Yu. At the time, Gan Ning had only 300 men under him and he told Lu Su, "If you give me another 500 troops, I will go to confront Guan Yu. I assure you that Guan Yu won't dare to cross

10682-535: Was inherited by his son, Lü Ba ( 呂霸 ). Lü Ba received 50 qing of land and 300 households to help him keep watch over his father's tomb. After Lü Ba died, his elder brother Lü Cong ( 呂琮 ) succeeded him and inherited the marquis title. Lü Cong, in turn, passed on the marquis title to his younger brother, Lü Mu ( 呂睦 ), after his death. In his younger days, Lü Meng was not competent in reading and writing. Whenever he issued orders, he had to verbally instruct his subordinates or ask someone to help him write. Cai Yi ( 蔡遺 ),

10791-756: Was leading reinforcements from Hefei to help Zhu Guang. When he reached Jiashi ( 夾石 ), he heard that Wan County had fallen to the enemy so he withdrew his troops. Sun Quan praised Lü Meng for his bravery and appointed him as the Administrator of Lujiang Commandery. Lü Meng gained 600 households from Xunyang County (尋陽縣; southwest of present-day Huangmei County , Hubei ) for his tuntian system and had 30 more subordinates placed under his command. When Lü Meng returned to Xunyang County, he heard that some bandits were causing trouble in Luling Commandery (廬陵郡; southwest of present-day Ji'an , Jiangxi ), and that many of Sun Quan's officers had been unsuccessful in defeating

10900-435: Was nearing midnight, Gan Ning and his 100 men raided Cao Cao's camp and destroyed some defensive structures and killed dozens of enemy soldiers. Cao Cao's troops were shocked so they sounded the alarm and lit up the entire camp with torches. By then, Gan Ning and his men had already returned safely to their own camp, where they beat their drums, blew their horns, and shouted " wansui !" Later that night, Gan Ning went to see

11009-438: Was part of Yu Prefecture until Northern Zhou dynasty, during which the prefecture was renamed Cai (蔡州). Later during Sui and Tang dynasties, Runan Commandery became an alternative name of Cai Prefecture. In 741 AD, the prefecture consisted of 10 counties, and the total population was 460,205, or 87,061 households. Gan Ning Gan Ning ( pronunciation ) ( c. early 170s - c. 220 ), courtesy name Xingba ,

11118-433: Was placed in command of some soldiers and ordered to garrison at Dangkou (當口). Sometime in the late 200s to early 210s, Gan Ning were involved in a revolt orchestrased by some officials against the newly ascended Liu Zhang , whose father who had just passed away. Liu Zhang sent Zhao Wei (趙韙), a key ally of his late father, to march on the rebels and managed to suppress the rebels and forced them to flee into Jingzhou (荊州) in

11227-613: Was promoted to Commandant Who Pacifies the North ( 平北都尉 ) and appointed as the Chief ( 長 ) of Guangde County . In the spring of 208, Lü Meng was assigned to be the navy commandant when Sun Quan launched a campaign against Huang Zu , the Administrator ( 太守 ) of Jiangxia Commandery (present-day eastern Hubei ). During the battle, Ling Tong and Dong Xi destroyed Huang Zu's two large mengchong s while Lü Meng's unit defeated Huang Zu's navy. Lü Meng killed Huang Zu's subordinate Chen Jiu ( 陳就 ) in

11336-604: Was promoted to General of Tiger's Might ( 虎威將軍 ) and appointed as Left Protector of the Army ( 左護軍 ). In 217, when Lu Su died, Lü Meng took over command of the former's troops, numbering over 10,000, and moved west to the garrison at Lukou (陸口; at Lushui Lake near present-day Chibi , Hubei ). Lü Meng was also appointed as the Administrator ( 太守 ) of Hanchang Commandery (漢昌郡; southeast of present-day Pingjiang County , Hunan ) and received Xiajun ( 下雋 ), Liuyang ( 劉陽 ), Hanchang and Zhouling ( 州陵 ) counties as his personal marquisate. He

11445-476: Was stationed in Nanyang Commandery . Liu Biao had a scholarly background and was not proficient in military affairs. Around the time, chaos had broken out all around China as contending warlords fought each other for territorial gains and hegemony over the empire. Gan Ning observed that Liu Biao was doomed to failure and was worried that he would be affected, so he and his followers planned to head east towards

11554-510: Was stationed near the Sun-Liu border, which was guarded by Liu Bei 's general Guan Yu on the other side. Lü Meng was aware of Guan Yu's military prowess and his intention of seizing Sun Quan's territories in Jing Province . He also knew that Guan Yu was in a strategic position on the upstream of the Yangtze River . He recognised that the temporary stability and truce between Sun Quan and Liu Bei would not last long. Previously, Lu Su had advocated

11663-560: Was too troublesome to keep moving around, so he had a hole drilled in the wall to observe Lü Meng's room. He was happy when he saw Lü Meng having his meals, but could not sleep at night when he saw that Lü Meng did not eat anything. When Lü Meng's condition improved slightly, he was so happy that he ordered his subjects to visit Lü Meng and wish him well. He even invited Taoist priests to perform rituals to increase Lü Meng's lifespan. Despite Sun Quan's efforts, Lü Meng eventually died in Gong'an County at

11772-427: Was unable to capture Hefei after besieging the city for days and suffering defeats in the initial skirmishes, and he eventually withdrew his forces when a plague broke out in his army. Sun Quan's other units retreated first, while Sun Quan himself remained behind at Xiaoyao Ford (逍遙津) with only about 1,000 men and a few officers (including Lü Meng, Jiang Qin , Ling Tong and Gan Ning). When Zhang Liao saw that, he seized

11881-454: Was very unhappy with Huang Zu and wanted to leave him, but was worried that Huang Zu would not allow it so he felt very frustrated. Su Fei understood Gan Ning's frustration so he invited him for drinks and said: "I recommended you to Huang Zu many times, but he doesn't want to make good use of your talents. As days pass, people grow older. You should make plans for your future and find someone who truly appreciates your talents." Gan Ning paused for

#900099