Ling Tong
Encyclopedia
Ling Tong was a military general of the state of Eastern Wu
during the late Han Dynasty
and Three Kingdoms
era of Chinese history
. He started his service to the Sun family since his childhood, and throughout his entire life, he had been contributing to the foundation and solidification of Eastern Wu. He had participated in many campaigns, including those against Huang Zu
, Liu Bei
, and the Shanyue
barbarians. But his most noted performance would lie with those against the rival state of Cao Wei
, in which he displayed great skills under extremely adverse situation.
Besides being a military general, Ling Tong was highly praised by the scholars for his gracious demeanour, bonhomie and generosity. Even though he had achieved fame and glory when he visited his hometown later in his life, he still treated commoners with utmost respect and humanity (which was a rare case in the chaotic world he lived). He acted as a strategist after he returned from the frontline, and drastically changed the way Eastern Wu used to deal with the Shanyue tribes and successfully recruited over 10,000 strong army from the Shanyue through impressing them with a show of might and potential rewards (Ling Tong's strategy would be adopted and modified by Zhuge Ke
later). He was also well known for his integrity and loyalty; he, along with Lü Meng
, were the most valued generals of Sun Quan
.
, Zhejiang
). His father Ling Cao
was one of the warlord Sun Ce
's generals. Ling Cao held the rank of Colonel Who Routs the Caitiffs (破賊校尉), and continued serving the new lord Sun Quan
after the death of Sun Ce. In 204, Sun Quan
attacked Liu Biao
's general Huang Zu
, who controlled Jiangxia, which served as the western gate to Jing Province. During the battle at Xiakou, Ling Cao sailed alone a distance ahead on a small boat to infiltrate the enemy formation. Huang Zu abandoned the army and fled, but Ling Cao was killed by a stray arrow fired by Huang's subordinate Gan Ning
.
Ling Tong was 15 when his father died. Sun Quan appointed Ling Tong as a Senior Major (別部司馬) on account of the fact that Ling's father died for the Sun family. Since many spoke well of Ling Tong's ability, he was allowed to inherit his father's post as well, as acting Colonel Who Routs the Caitiffs, to lead his father's former subordinates under his command.
Subsequently, Ling Tong participated in the campaign against the bandits in the hilly regions. Sun Quan's main force captured the enemy garrison at Bao and left after leaving behind 10,000 men under the command of Ling Tong and Zhang Yi (張異) to lay siege to the garrison at Ma. The day before the battle, Ling Tong and Chen Qin (陳勤) attended a banquet together. Chen Qin was in charge of ceremonial duties during the banquet, but he abused his powers and went against the rules. Ling Tong was upset by Chen Qin's insolence and confronted the latter. However, the acerbic Chen Qin affronted Ling Tong back in anger and even insulted Ling's late father. Ling Tong was in tears but refrained himself and did not respond to the acrimony.
After the banquet, the drunk Chen Qin insulted Ling Tong again on the road. Unable to tolerate further swearword, Ling Tong injured Chen Qin with his saber, and caused Chen to die a few days later. The next day, prior to the battle, Ling Tong exclaimed, "Only through death can my transgression be cleansed!" He then charged ahead of his troops during the battle in the face of enemy arrows and boulders. The side of the garrison which Ling Tong's army attacked fell immediately. The other generals were roused by his victory and together they inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy. After returning from the battle, Ling Tong bound himself and surrendered to the discipline officer. Sun Quan was impressed with Ling's strong determination and pardoned him for insubordination in consideration of his contributions.
Knowing Zhang Shuo had been slain and the first line of defense was broken, Huang Zu used two of his largest vessels (mengchongs) to block the entrance at the choke point of Mian River, and sent his crossbowmen to station themselves there to fire at any approaching enemy forces. In addition, Huang Zu had strong men and archers ambushed on top of the cliff next to the river to thrown down rocks and flames. Thus, Sun Quan's forces suffered great casualties, and were unable to advance any further. Ling Tong and Dong Xi
, along with 100 "die-hard" soldiers, donned two suits of armour each and charged towards the enemy despite the rain of rocks from the cliff and the fusillade from the vessels. They succeeded in breaking the connections between the two vessels after bloody fightings, thus allowing Sun Quan's forces to break through and enter Miankou. Furthermore, the destruction of the mengchong actuated Sun Quan forces' fighting spirit, and they emerged victorious in the next battle, in which Lü Meng
defeated Huang Zu's navy while Ling Tong captured the enemy city of Jiangxia. Thus, Sun Quan appointed Ling Tong as the Commandant of Vehemence (承烈都尉).
launched his southern campaign against Liu Cong, and successfully forced the latter to succumb to his power. Fed on his success, Cao Cao assembled a force of 800,000 at Jiangling, where countless warships and weapons were stored, and sent an envoy to intimidate Sun Quan to give up resistance.
At the time, most subordinates of Sun Quan suggested him to surrender due to apparent impossibility of defeating Cao Cao's massive congregation. Ling Tong was one of the few who insisted to protect Jiangdong from the hegemonist. Without the support from the majority of his officers, Sun Quan was hesitant and could not make up his mind to fight Cao Cao's seemingly invincible force, but his late brother's trusted aide, Zhou Yu, stood up and convinced him that the amount of troops Cao Cao brought was just roughly 240,000, and he could win with a force of 50,000. After Zhou Yu persuaded Sun Quan to join forces with Liu Bei
and lend him 30,000 men to fight Cao Cao, Ling Tong followed the former to the battlefield. They gained successes over some skirmishes over the ground forces of Cao Cao, but noticed that it would be far from enough to push the enemy back to the north, so they focused on the defense thereafter and awaited a change of wind direction from north to east. One night, the east wind finally blew, and the allied force launched an all-out assault following a large-scaled fire attack targeted on Cao Cao's warships. Suffered from Zhou Yu's tactic, Cao Cao's grandiose fleet were thrown into a sea of fire within a blink of eye, and Ling, along other Sun Quan's generals, fought valiantly within the smokes and flames, and finally dealt a ruinous blow to the enormous navy of Cao Cao on the Yangtze River
. The allied forces trailed Cao Cao to Wulin and dealt him another defeat, but the latter was able to escape with a high price. Once, Cao Cao even used weaker soldiers to act as fulcrum to pass through some muddy terrain. Although having suffered a great casualty, Cao Cao still possessed an unscathed force above 100,000 strong, and he scattered it around the frontline against Sun Quan before his return to Xuchang
.
, who was besieged in Yiling, Ling Tong was left along to engage the enemy generals Cao Ren
and Xu Huang
in battle for about ten days under numerical disadvantage. Nevertheless, Ling Tong was able to emerge triumphant against his much larger rival. The war dragged on, the battles were so fierce that even the allied force commander, Zhou Yu, was seriously wounded by a supposedly poisoned arrow, which broke his ribs. In addition, the allied force was unable to block the numerous reinforcements sent by Cao Cao, so the siege turned out to be a prolonged one. As Sun Quan's ally, Liu Bei went down to the very south of Jing Province, the battles were left to Ling Tong and his comrades, who were forced to expediently alter their temporary objective into inflicting damage to the enemy units. After a year of intense fighting, Zhou Yu regained some health and insisted to lead the army himself, he purposefully flaunted before Cao Ren and rallied his troops in order to illustrate his determination to keep the offensive. Being deceived by Zhou Yu, who was actually in a critical condition, Cao Cao ordered Cao Ren to retreat under the rationale that his forces could no longer afford continuous loss of materiel and labour. Therefore, Sun Quan's forces finally succeeded in their objective of capturing Nan Commandery, which would never be reclaimed by the state of Cao Wei.
Ling Tong was promoted to the rank of colonel (校尉) after the campaign. He then moved east and joined Lü Meng
and Gan Ning in the attack on Wan city and succeeded in capturing it. For his performance in the battle, he was promoted to General of the Household Who Rocks Bandits (盪寇中郎將) and appointed as chancellor (相) of Pei (沛). In 215, Ling Tong joined Lü Meng in capturing Liu Bei
's three commanderies of Changsha, Lingling
and Guiyang. Subsequently, they returned to Yiyang to counter Guan Yu
's army which advanced south in an attempt to recapture the lost commanderies. As Cao Cao was intending to attack Hanzhong
, which was the northern gateway of Shu region, Liu Bei decided to come to a border treaty with Sun Quan and divided Jing Province between the two regimes.
, Ling Tong had not forgotten the vendetta that his father was killed by Gan Ning, and he attempted to provoke the latter by a dance of swordplay during the middle of a banquet held in Lü Meng's house. Gan Ning took up his halberd and engaged Ling Tong, but the two were separated by the host in the end. Upon hearing what happened, Sun Quan decided to settle the conflict through political maneuver by openly "exiled" Gan Ning to station in Half Island, and asked him to avoid Ling Tong, hence Ling perceived justice, and withdrew from the thought of vengeance. Thereafter, Ling Tong and Gan Ning worked side by side on the battlefield, and together were regarded as the most ferocious generals under Sun Quan.
to divert Cao Cao's attention from Hanzhong
. Cao Cao's forces at Hefei under Zhang Liao
's command attacked the approaching Sun Quan's forces before they were organised. Chen Wu was killed in battle while the troops commanded by Song Qian and Xu Sheng
turned and fled. Pan Zhang
turned back and killed some deserting soldiers and forced them back into battle. Ling Tong led his troops to counter-attack the enemy and managed to force them to retreat. Sun Quan appoined Pan Zhang as Lieutenant General (偏將軍) and Ling Tong as Right Commander (右部督).
Sun Quan's troops were unsuccessful in attacking Hefei and were subsequently infected with plague, thus they had no choice but to retreat. At Xiaoyao Ford (逍遙津), Sun Quan's main army retreated first while the rear army of only 1,000 men led by Sun himself and a few generals stayed behind. Zhang Liao sent some men to destroy the bridge linking the north and south sections of the ford while he personally led several thousand cavalry on a charge into the enemy forces. Sun Quan's forces were separated from each other and were totally unprepared for the sudden charge attack. Sun Quan's troops were thrown into confusion, and Sun himself was surrounded by enemy troops. However, Ling Tong successfully led 300 cavalry into the encirclement, rescued Sun Quan and managed to hold off the enemy for some time. As Zhang Liao was personally leading the pursuit, Ling Tong urged Sun Quan to go to the southern shore before he turned back and fought Zhang Liao.
When Sun Quan headed towards the bridge, he saw that it was destroyed. On his subordinate's instructions, Sun Quan leapt across the broken bridge on his steed and escaped to safety. Ling Tong stayed behind to fight the enemy until all his fellow soldiers have been killed and he suffered grave wounds all over his body. He only retreated after killing several tens of cavalry and figuring that Sun had gone to safety. When Ling Tong reached the broken bridge, he saw that he could only head forward as the enemy was still hot on pursuit behind him. Before he could finish the divestiture of his armour, he dived into the water to escape and waded his way back.
By then, Sun Quan had boarded a boat and he was overjoyed when he caught sight of Ling Tong as he thought that Ling had been killed. Nevertheless, Ling Tong was deeply saddened by the loss of his closest comrades and he wept uncontrollably. Sun Quan wiped his tears with a corner of his sleeve and said, "Gongji (Ling Tong's style name), let go of those who have died. As long as you live, should you worry about not having men under your command?" Sun Quan then allowed Ling Tong to stay on his boat to recuperate. Ling Tong was appointed Lieutenant General later and was remunerated for command of twice the number of troops he used to command.
was a powerful tribe that was rooted in the Yue area of ancient China during the Han Dynasty. Since the southern part of China was not yet controlled by the Han Chinese (the Han court only claimed the ownership of the lands, but lacked the power to exert direct influence in reality), the Shanyue people would performe regular raids against Han citizens to gather living essentials. Since the day the Sun family set foot on Jiangdong, the Shanyue had been a nuisance for them.
Sun Quan had launched countless campaigns against them, but to no avail because the Shanyue had lived in the hills for a long time and they knew the area well, and would go into hiding once they lost in a battle. However, Ling Tong attempted a different approach to deal with the Shanyue tribe, he proposed that Sun Quan should attempt to win the hearts of the Shanyue peoples and assimilate them instead of purely using military force to hamper them. Ling Tong reasoned that if they could impress the Shanyue with Eastern Wu's dignity and potential rewards, the tribesmen would succumb to their government without bloodshed. After he was granted the staff of authority to request materiel from counties when required, he led a unit with flamboyant weapons and armors to begin his grand tactics. When the Shanyue discovered Wu troops when the latter ventured deep into their territories, they were indeed stunned by Ling Tong's unit; then Ling came out and told them if they would join the Wu forces, handsome rewards would be offered. Ling Tong's plan was a great success: Tens of thousands of the Shanyue came out from their caves and joined Ling. He then selected 10,000 strong males to form a unit, and returned. Because of Ling Tong's success, his strategy would be adopted and modified by Zhuge Ke
, another Wu general, at a later time.
to write a eulogy for Ling Tong and arranged the second grandest funeral ever in Wu for him. Ling Tong's sons were brought into the palace and placed under Sun Quan's personal care. Sun Quan treated Ling Tong's sons as though they were his own and even once he pointed them to guests, calling the boys his "tiger cubs." He also ensured the boys were well-educated and trained in martial arts as well.
, Ling Tong respected and befriended scholars and was admired by them even though he was a military general. Being receptive, he had a reputation for being accommodating towards men of talent. Even when he was busy with military affairs, he always took time to receive visitors. He viewed righteousness and loyalty as important values and saw wealth as inferior. He has thus been praised by the Jin Dynasty historian Chen Shou
to be a guoshi (國士), a term used to describe the most talented and virtuous individual in the kingdom. Once, Sun Quan
's subjects recommended a famous talent Sheng Xian to him. Ling Tong was asleep when he heard that Sheng Xian had arrived to meet his lord. He immediately got out of bed to receive Sheng Xian and held Sheng's hand while leading him to meet Sun Quan.
Ling Tong was reputed to have a strong sense of righteousness. During the battle at Nan Commandery, Zhou Yu
ordered Gan Ning
to attack Yiling. Cao Ren
sent an army to attack Gan Ning and had him surrounded. Gan Ning hurriedly requested for reinforcements, but the generals did not have enough men to spare to save him and believed it was not sagacious to send reinforcements because that would dilute the main army. Lü Meng
spoke up, saying that they should help Gan Ning. He proposed to Zhou Yu that Ling Tong stay behind to keep Cao Ren in check while the rest of the generals go to reinforce Gan Ning. Lü Meng boldly asserted that he had confidence that Ling Tong could hold on for ten days. Ling Tong then took up his duties with responsibility. He countered Cao Ren's attacks alone, and bought time for the other generals to rescue Gan Ning.
He was also brave in admitting his mistakes and displayed fervent determination in his actions. In his earlier years, Ling Tong struck down a superior officer called Chen Qin, who had earlier insulted him and his late father. The incident caused Chen Qin to die of severe wounds several days later. Ling Tong then fought recklessly in the battle against the bandits after exclaiming that only through death could he cleanse his deep guilt. Thus, his attack turned out to be a huge success, yet he bound himself and surrendered to the discipline officer after the victorious battle to await his punishment. However, Sun Quan pardoned him on account of his achievements and promoted him to a higher military rank.
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
, Ling Tong bore a grudge against Gan Ning
for the death of his father. Ling Tong followed his father's footsteps by serving Sun Quan
. He took up the post of Auxiliary Corps Commanding Officer and then Deputy Commander to command his father's former subordinates.
During the third attack on Jiangxia, Ling Tong was in the vanguard army and scored a complete victory. He was promoted to the rank of Commander Who Upholds Justice. During the Battle of Red Cliffs
, Ling Tong held the rank of Commandant. During the Battle of Xiaoyao Ford
, Ling Tong was appointed Chancellor of Pei Country, Commander of the Right and Imperial Corps Commander Who Destroys the Rebels.
Ling Tong wanted to avenge his father's death but since Gan Ning had joined Sun Quan's side he was unable to do so. He could only vent his anger on Gan Ning by attacking him verbally and quarreling with him often. Ling Tong's grudge against Gan Ning was finally dispelled after Gan saved his life in a battle. Ling Tong was fighting with Yue Jin
when he was knocked off his horse and almost speared to death. Gan Ning fired an arrow which hit the enemy general and wounded him. Ling Tong was thus able to escape back to camp. When Ling Tong heard that it was Gan Ning who saved his life, he was astonished and touched. He apologised to Gan Ning for his earlier behavior and they became friends from then on.
and Warriors Orochi
video game series. He also appears in all 11 installments of Koei's Romance of the Three Kingdoms
series.
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
during the late Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
and Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
era of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. He started his service to the Sun family since his childhood, and throughout his entire life, he had been contributing to the foundation and solidification of Eastern Wu. He had participated in many campaigns, including those against Huang Zu
Huang Zu
Huang Zu was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Biao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was an experienced naval commander, and was most famous for having skillful warriors like Sun Jian and Ling Cao killed in battle.-Background:Huang was born in an influential...
, Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
, and the Shanyue
Shanyue
Shanyue was a tribe that was resided in the Yue area of ancient China during Han Dynasty. Since the Southern part of China was not yet controlled by the Han ethnicity , the Shanyue people would performe regular raids against Han citizens to gather living essentials...
barbarians. But his most noted performance would lie with those against the rival state of Cao Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
, in which he displayed great skills under extremely adverse situation.
Besides being a military general, Ling Tong was highly praised by the scholars for his gracious demeanour, bonhomie and generosity. Even though he had achieved fame and glory when he visited his hometown later in his life, he still treated commoners with utmost respect and humanity (which was a rare case in the chaotic world he lived). He acted as a strategist after he returned from the frontline, and drastically changed the way Eastern Wu used to deal with the Shanyue tribes and successfully recruited over 10,000 strong army from the Shanyue through impressing them with a show of might and potential rewards (Ling Tong's strategy would be adopted and modified by Zhuge Ke
Zhuge Ke
Zhuge Ke , style name Yuanxun , was a military general and regent of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was the son of Zhuge Jin and nephew of Zhuge Liang. He succeeded Lu Xun after the latter's death...
later). He was also well known for his integrity and loyalty; he, along with Lü Meng
Lü Meng
Lü Meng was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served as the commanding general in the invasion of Jing Province that led to the death of Guan Yu.-Early life:Lü Meng was born in Fupo, Runan Commandery in 178...
, were the most valued generals of Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
.
Early life
Ling Tong was born in Yuhang, Wu Commandery (present-day Yuhang District, HangzhouHangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
). His father Ling Cao
Ling Cao
Ling Cao was a military officer serving under the warlord Sun Ce during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the father of Ling Tong.-Early life:...
was one of the warlord Sun Ce
Sun Ce
Sun Ce was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the oldest of the children of Sun Jian who was killed during the Battle of Xiangyang when Sun Ce was only 16. Sun Ce then broke away from his father's overlord, Yuan Shu, and headed to...
's generals. Ling Cao held the rank of Colonel Who Routs the Caitiffs (破賊校尉), and continued serving the new lord Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
after the death of Sun Ce. In 204, Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
attacked Liu Biao
Liu Biao
Liu Biao , style name Jingsheng , was a warlord and the governor of Jing Province during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a member of the extended family of the Han Dynasty emperors...
's general Huang Zu
Huang Zu
Huang Zu was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Biao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was an experienced naval commander, and was most famous for having skillful warriors like Sun Jian and Ling Cao killed in battle.-Background:Huang was born in an influential...
, who controlled Jiangxia, which served as the western gate to Jing Province. During the battle at Xiakou, Ling Cao sailed alone a distance ahead on a small boat to infiltrate the enemy formation. Huang Zu abandoned the army and fled, but Ling Cao was killed by a stray arrow fired by Huang's subordinate Gan Ning
Gan Ning
Gan Ning was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was born in Linjiang, Ba Commandery .-Early life as a pirate:...
.
Ling Tong was 15 when his father died. Sun Quan appointed Ling Tong as a Senior Major (別部司馬) on account of the fact that Ling's father died for the Sun family. Since many spoke well of Ling Tong's ability, he was allowed to inherit his father's post as well, as acting Colonel Who Routs the Caitiffs, to lead his father's former subordinates under his command.
Subsequently, Ling Tong participated in the campaign against the bandits in the hilly regions. Sun Quan's main force captured the enemy garrison at Bao and left after leaving behind 10,000 men under the command of Ling Tong and Zhang Yi (張異) to lay siege to the garrison at Ma. The day before the battle, Ling Tong and Chen Qin (陳勤) attended a banquet together. Chen Qin was in charge of ceremonial duties during the banquet, but he abused his powers and went against the rules. Ling Tong was upset by Chen Qin's insolence and confronted the latter. However, the acerbic Chen Qin affronted Ling Tong back in anger and even insulted Ling's late father. Ling Tong was in tears but refrained himself and did not respond to the acrimony.
After the banquet, the drunk Chen Qin insulted Ling Tong again on the road. Unable to tolerate further swearword, Ling Tong injured Chen Qin with his saber, and caused Chen to die a few days later. The next day, prior to the battle, Ling Tong exclaimed, "Only through death can my transgression be cleansed!" He then charged ahead of his troops during the battle in the face of enemy arrows and boulders. The side of the garrison which Ling Tong's army attacked fell immediately. The other generals were roused by his victory and together they inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy. After returning from the battle, Ling Tong bound himself and surrendered to the discipline officer. Sun Quan was impressed with Ling's strong determination and pardoned him for insubordination in consideration of his contributions.
Battle of Jiangxia
In 208, Sun Quan attacked Jiangxia again. Ling Tong was assigned as the leader of the vanguard army. He sailed in his boat far ahead of the main forces with only tens of his closest men with him, and emerged victorious in the first battle by slaying Huang Zu's general Zhang Shuo (張碩) and capturing all of Zhang's mariners with his much smaller force. He then reported back to Sun Quan and led another attack on the enemy again, advancing on both land and water.Knowing Zhang Shuo had been slain and the first line of defense was broken, Huang Zu used two of his largest vessels (mengchongs) to block the entrance at the choke point of Mian River, and sent his crossbowmen to station themselves there to fire at any approaching enemy forces. In addition, Huang Zu had strong men and archers ambushed on top of the cliff next to the river to thrown down rocks and flames. Thus, Sun Quan's forces suffered great casualties, and were unable to advance any further. Ling Tong and Dong Xi
Dong Xi
Dong Xi was a military general serving under the warlord Sun family of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He hailed from Yuyao county, Kuaiji commandery , and entered Sun Ce's camp when the later pacified Jiangdong...
, along with 100 "die-hard" soldiers, donned two suits of armour each and charged towards the enemy despite the rain of rocks from the cliff and the fusillade from the vessels. They succeeded in breaking the connections between the two vessels after bloody fightings, thus allowing Sun Quan's forces to break through and enter Miankou. Furthermore, the destruction of the mengchong actuated Sun Quan forces' fighting spirit, and they emerged victorious in the next battle, in which Lü Meng
Lü Meng
Lü Meng was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served as the commanding general in the invasion of Jing Province that led to the death of Guan Yu.-Early life:Lü Meng was born in Fupo, Runan Commandery in 178...
defeated Huang Zu's navy while Ling Tong captured the enemy city of Jiangxia. Thus, Sun Quan appointed Ling Tong as the Commandant of Vehemence (承烈都尉).
Battles along Yangtze River
Not long after the defeat of Huang Zu, Liu Biao of Jing Province also died of illness, and was succeeded by his younger son, Liu Cong. The warlord Cao CaoCao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
launched his southern campaign against Liu Cong, and successfully forced the latter to succumb to his power. Fed on his success, Cao Cao assembled a force of 800,000 at Jiangling, where countless warships and weapons were stored, and sent an envoy to intimidate Sun Quan to give up resistance.
At the time, most subordinates of Sun Quan suggested him to surrender due to apparent impossibility of defeating Cao Cao's massive congregation. Ling Tong was one of the few who insisted to protect Jiangdong from the hegemonist. Without the support from the majority of his officers, Sun Quan was hesitant and could not make up his mind to fight Cao Cao's seemingly invincible force, but his late brother's trusted aide, Zhou Yu, stood up and convinced him that the amount of troops Cao Cao brought was just roughly 240,000, and he could win with a force of 50,000. After Zhou Yu persuaded Sun Quan to join forces with Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
and lend him 30,000 men to fight Cao Cao, Ling Tong followed the former to the battlefield. They gained successes over some skirmishes over the ground forces of Cao Cao, but noticed that it would be far from enough to push the enemy back to the north, so they focused on the defense thereafter and awaited a change of wind direction from north to east. One night, the east wind finally blew, and the allied force launched an all-out assault following a large-scaled fire attack targeted on Cao Cao's warships. Suffered from Zhou Yu's tactic, Cao Cao's grandiose fleet were thrown into a sea of fire within a blink of eye, and Ling, along other Sun Quan's generals, fought valiantly within the smokes and flames, and finally dealt a ruinous blow to the enormous navy of Cao Cao on the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
. The allied forces trailed Cao Cao to Wulin and dealt him another defeat, but the latter was able to escape with a high price. Once, Cao Cao even used weaker soldiers to act as fulcrum to pass through some muddy terrain. Although having suffered a great casualty, Cao Cao still possessed an unscathed force above 100,000 strong, and he scattered it around the frontline against Sun Quan before his return to Xuchang
Xuchang
Xuchang is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest....
.
Battles in central Jing Province
Ling Tong, along with Zhou Yu and other comrades, advanced further to attack Nan Commandery. While Zhou Yu and the other generals led the main force to rescue Gan NingGan Ning
Gan Ning was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was born in Linjiang, Ba Commandery .-Early life as a pirate:...
, who was besieged in Yiling, Ling Tong was left along to engage the enemy generals Cao Ren
Cao Ren
Cao Ren was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He played a significant part in assisting Cao Cao in the civil wars leading to the end of the Han Dynasty...
and Xu Huang
Xu Huang
Xu Huang was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei, founded by Cao Cao's successor Cao Pi, during the Three Kingdoms period...
in battle for about ten days under numerical disadvantage. Nevertheless, Ling Tong was able to emerge triumphant against his much larger rival. The war dragged on, the battles were so fierce that even the allied force commander, Zhou Yu, was seriously wounded by a supposedly poisoned arrow, which broke his ribs. In addition, the allied force was unable to block the numerous reinforcements sent by Cao Cao, so the siege turned out to be a prolonged one. As Sun Quan's ally, Liu Bei went down to the very south of Jing Province, the battles were left to Ling Tong and his comrades, who were forced to expediently alter their temporary objective into inflicting damage to the enemy units. After a year of intense fighting, Zhou Yu regained some health and insisted to lead the army himself, he purposefully flaunted before Cao Ren and rallied his troops in order to illustrate his determination to keep the offensive. Being deceived by Zhou Yu, who was actually in a critical condition, Cao Cao ordered Cao Ren to retreat under the rationale that his forces could no longer afford continuous loss of materiel and labour. Therefore, Sun Quan's forces finally succeeded in their objective of capturing Nan Commandery, which would never be reclaimed by the state of Cao Wei.
Ling Tong was promoted to the rank of colonel (校尉) after the campaign. He then moved east and joined Lü Meng
Lü Meng
Lü Meng was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served as the commanding general in the invasion of Jing Province that led to the death of Guan Yu.-Early life:Lü Meng was born in Fupo, Runan Commandery in 178...
and Gan Ning in the attack on Wan city and succeeded in capturing it. For his performance in the battle, he was promoted to General of the Household Who Rocks Bandits (盪寇中郎將) and appointed as chancellor (相) of Pei (沛). In 215, Ling Tong joined Lü Meng in capturing Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
's three commanderies of Changsha, Lingling
Lingling District
Lingling Districtis a district that constitutes the southern half of Yongzhou county in the north of Yongzhou prefecture in Hunan, China. It is under the administration of Yongzhou city.-References:*...
and Guiyang. Subsequently, they returned to Yiyang to counter Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
's army which advanced south in an attempt to recapture the lost commanderies. As Cao Cao was intending to attack Hanzhong
Hanzhong
Hanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...
, which was the northern gateway of Shu region, Liu Bei decided to come to a border treaty with Sun Quan and divided Jing Province between the two regimes.
Quarrel with Gan Ning
According to the Chronicles of Wu, by Wei ZhaoWei Zhao
Wei Zhao , style name Hongsi , was a scholar and politician of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history....
, Ling Tong had not forgotten the vendetta that his father was killed by Gan Ning, and he attempted to provoke the latter by a dance of swordplay during the middle of a banquet held in Lü Meng's house. Gan Ning took up his halberd and engaged Ling Tong, but the two were separated by the host in the end. Upon hearing what happened, Sun Quan decided to settle the conflict through political maneuver by openly "exiled" Gan Ning to station in Half Island, and asked him to avoid Ling Tong, hence Ling perceived justice, and withdrew from the thought of vengeance. Thereafter, Ling Tong and Gan Ning worked side by side on the battlefield, and together were regarded as the most ferocious generals under Sun Quan.
Battle of Xiaoyao Ford
After reaffirming their alliance with Liu Bei, Sun Quan's forces attacked HefeiHefei
Hefei is the capital and largest city of Anhui Province in Eastern China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Anhui...
to divert Cao Cao's attention from Hanzhong
Hanzhong
Hanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...
. Cao Cao's forces at Hefei under Zhang Liao
Zhang Liao
Zhang Liao was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He participated in many campaigns, including those against Yuan Shao's clan and the Wuhuan tribes...
's command attacked the approaching Sun Quan's forces before they were organised. Chen Wu was killed in battle while the troops commanded by Song Qian and Xu Sheng
Xu Sheng
Xu Sheng , style name Wenxiang , was a military general of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He fought in at least 5 wars for the southern regime during his lifetime...
turned and fled. Pan Zhang
Pan Zhang
Pan Zhang was a military general of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Although an active general with high rank, he was known to desire wealth and treasure, and to dress himself in a gaudy fashion...
turned back and killed some deserting soldiers and forced them back into battle. Ling Tong led his troops to counter-attack the enemy and managed to force them to retreat. Sun Quan appoined Pan Zhang as Lieutenant General (偏將軍) and Ling Tong as Right Commander (右部督).
Sun Quan's troops were unsuccessful in attacking Hefei and were subsequently infected with plague, thus they had no choice but to retreat. At Xiaoyao Ford (逍遙津), Sun Quan's main army retreated first while the rear army of only 1,000 men led by Sun himself and a few generals stayed behind. Zhang Liao sent some men to destroy the bridge linking the north and south sections of the ford while he personally led several thousand cavalry on a charge into the enemy forces. Sun Quan's forces were separated from each other and were totally unprepared for the sudden charge attack. Sun Quan's troops were thrown into confusion, and Sun himself was surrounded by enemy troops. However, Ling Tong successfully led 300 cavalry into the encirclement, rescued Sun Quan and managed to hold off the enemy for some time. As Zhang Liao was personally leading the pursuit, Ling Tong urged Sun Quan to go to the southern shore before he turned back and fought Zhang Liao.
When Sun Quan headed towards the bridge, he saw that it was destroyed. On his subordinate's instructions, Sun Quan leapt across the broken bridge on his steed and escaped to safety. Ling Tong stayed behind to fight the enemy until all his fellow soldiers have been killed and he suffered grave wounds all over his body. He only retreated after killing several tens of cavalry and figuring that Sun had gone to safety. When Ling Tong reached the broken bridge, he saw that he could only head forward as the enemy was still hot on pursuit behind him. Before he could finish the divestiture of his armour, he dived into the water to escape and waded his way back.
By then, Sun Quan had boarded a boat and he was overjoyed when he caught sight of Ling Tong as he thought that Ling had been killed. Nevertheless, Ling Tong was deeply saddened by the loss of his closest comrades and he wept uncontrollably. Sun Quan wiped his tears with a corner of his sleeve and said, "Gongji (Ling Tong's style name), let go of those who have died. As long as you live, should you worry about not having men under your command?" Sun Quan then allowed Ling Tong to stay on his boat to recuperate. Ling Tong was appointed Lieutenant General later and was remunerated for command of twice the number of troops he used to command.
As a strategist
The ShanyueShanyue
Shanyue was a tribe that was resided in the Yue area of ancient China during Han Dynasty. Since the Southern part of China was not yet controlled by the Han ethnicity , the Shanyue people would performe regular raids against Han citizens to gather living essentials...
was a powerful tribe that was rooted in the Yue area of ancient China during the Han Dynasty. Since the southern part of China was not yet controlled by the Han Chinese (the Han court only claimed the ownership of the lands, but lacked the power to exert direct influence in reality), the Shanyue people would performe regular raids against Han citizens to gather living essentials. Since the day the Sun family set foot on Jiangdong, the Shanyue had been a nuisance for them.
Sun Quan had launched countless campaigns against them, but to no avail because the Shanyue had lived in the hills for a long time and they knew the area well, and would go into hiding once they lost in a battle. However, Ling Tong attempted a different approach to deal with the Shanyue tribe, he proposed that Sun Quan should attempt to win the hearts of the Shanyue peoples and assimilate them instead of purely using military force to hamper them. Ling Tong reasoned that if they could impress the Shanyue with Eastern Wu's dignity and potential rewards, the tribesmen would succumb to their government without bloodshed. After he was granted the staff of authority to request materiel from counties when required, he led a unit with flamboyant weapons and armors to begin his grand tactics. When the Shanyue discovered Wu troops when the latter ventured deep into their territories, they were indeed stunned by Ling Tong's unit; then Ling came out and told them if they would join the Wu forces, handsome rewards would be offered. Ling Tong's plan was a great success: Tens of thousands of the Shanyue came out from their caves and joined Ling. He then selected 10,000 strong males to form a unit, and returned. Because of Ling Tong's success, his strategy would be adopted and modified by Zhuge Ke
Zhuge Ke
Zhuge Ke , style name Yuanxun , was a military general and regent of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was the son of Zhuge Jin and nephew of Zhuge Liang. He succeeded Lu Xun after the latter's death...
, another Wu general, at a later time.
Death
During his journey, Ling Tong passed by his hometown and paid a visit. He still treated the town residents with the utmost respect and humility even though he had achieved fame and glory. Ling Tong died of illness on the return journey at the untimely age of 48 or 28. When Sun Quan heard of Ling Tong's death, he was filled with grief for several days. In reminiscence of Ling Tong's contributions to his regime, Sun Quan ordered Zhang ChengZhang Cheng
Zhang Cheng , style name Zhongsi , was a military general of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
to write a eulogy for Ling Tong and arranged the second grandest funeral ever in Wu for him. Ling Tong's sons were brought into the palace and placed under Sun Quan's personal care. Sun Quan treated Ling Tong's sons as though they were his own and even once he pointed them to guests, calling the boys his "tiger cubs." He also ensured the boys were well-educated and trained in martial arts as well.
Appointments and titles held
- Senior Major (別部司馬)
- Commandant Who Defeats Bandits (破賊都尉)
- Commandant of Vehemence (承烈都尉)
- Colonel (校尉)
- General of the Household Who Rocks Bandits (盪寇中郎將)
- Chancellor of Pei (沛相)
- Right Commander (右部督)
- Lieutenant General (偏將軍)
- Marquis of Vehemence (烈亭侯) - granted to Ling Tong posthumously
Appraisals
According to the Records of Three KingdomsRecords of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms , is regarded as the official and authoritative historical text on the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history covering the years 184-280 CE. Written by Chen Shou in the 3rd century, the work combines the smaller histories of the rival states of Cao Wei , Shu Han and...
, Ling Tong respected and befriended scholars and was admired by them even though he was a military general. Being receptive, he had a reputation for being accommodating towards men of talent. Even when he was busy with military affairs, he always took time to receive visitors. He viewed righteousness and loyalty as important values and saw wealth as inferior. He has thus been praised by the Jin Dynasty historian Chen Shou
Chen Shou
Chen Shou was a historian during the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history. He is best known as the author of Records of Three Kingdoms, a historical account of the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period.-Biography:...
to be a guoshi (國士), a term used to describe the most talented and virtuous individual in the kingdom. Once, Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
's subjects recommended a famous talent Sheng Xian to him. Ling Tong was asleep when he heard that Sheng Xian had arrived to meet his lord. He immediately got out of bed to receive Sheng Xian and held Sheng's hand while leading him to meet Sun Quan.
Ling Tong was reputed to have a strong sense of righteousness. During the battle at Nan Commandery, Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu was a military general and strategist who served his close friend, the warlord Sun Ce, during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
ordered Gan Ning
Gan Ning
Gan Ning was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was born in Linjiang, Ba Commandery .-Early life as a pirate:...
to attack Yiling. Cao Ren
Cao Ren
Cao Ren was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He played a significant part in assisting Cao Cao in the civil wars leading to the end of the Han Dynasty...
sent an army to attack Gan Ning and had him surrounded. Gan Ning hurriedly requested for reinforcements, but the generals did not have enough men to spare to save him and believed it was not sagacious to send reinforcements because that would dilute the main army. Lü Meng
Lü Meng
Lü Meng was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served as the commanding general in the invasion of Jing Province that led to the death of Guan Yu.-Early life:Lü Meng was born in Fupo, Runan Commandery in 178...
spoke up, saying that they should help Gan Ning. He proposed to Zhou Yu that Ling Tong stay behind to keep Cao Ren in check while the rest of the generals go to reinforce Gan Ning. Lü Meng boldly asserted that he had confidence that Ling Tong could hold on for ten days. Ling Tong then took up his duties with responsibility. He countered Cao Ren's attacks alone, and bought time for the other generals to rescue Gan Ning.
He was also brave in admitting his mistakes and displayed fervent determination in his actions. In his earlier years, Ling Tong struck down a superior officer called Chen Qin, who had earlier insulted him and his late father. The incident caused Chen Qin to die of severe wounds several days later. Ling Tong then fought recklessly in the battle against the bandits after exclaiming that only through death could he cleanse his deep guilt. Thus, his attack turned out to be a huge success, yet he bound himself and surrendered to the discipline officer after the victorious battle to await his punishment. However, Sun Quan pardoned him on account of his achievements and promoted him to a higher military rank.
In fiction
In Luo GuanzhongLuo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, Ling Tong bore a grudge against Gan Ning
Gan Ning
Gan Ning was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was born in Linjiang, Ba Commandery .-Early life as a pirate:...
for the death of his father. Ling Tong followed his father's footsteps by serving Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
. He took up the post of Auxiliary Corps Commanding Officer and then Deputy Commander to command his father's former subordinates.
During the third attack on Jiangxia, Ling Tong was in the vanguard army and scored a complete victory. He was promoted to the rank of Commander Who Upholds Justice. During the Battle of Red Cliffs
Battle of Red Cliffs
The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive battle at the end of the Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was fought in the winter of 208/9 AD between the allied forces of the southern warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan...
, Ling Tong held the rank of Commandant. During the Battle of Xiaoyao Ford
Battle of Xiaoyao Ford
The Battle of Xiaoyao Ford, also known as the Battle of Leisure Ford, Battle of Hefei, and Hefei Campaign, was fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Sun Quan between 215 and 217 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history over the control of Hefei...
, Ling Tong was appointed Chancellor of Pei Country, Commander of the Right and Imperial Corps Commander Who Destroys the Rebels.
Ling Tong wanted to avenge his father's death but since Gan Ning had joined Sun Quan's side he was unable to do so. He could only vent his anger on Gan Ning by attacking him verbally and quarreling with him often. Ling Tong's grudge against Gan Ning was finally dispelled after Gan saved his life in a battle. Ling Tong was fighting with Yue Jin
Yue Jin
Yue Jin was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty of China. He was noted as much for his short stature as for his valor and ferocity on the battlefield...
when he was knocked off his horse and almost speared to death. Gan Ning fired an arrow which hit the enemy general and wounded him. Ling Tong was thus able to escape back to camp. When Ling Tong heard that it was Gan Ning who saved his life, he was astonished and touched. He apologised to Gan Ning for his earlier behavior and they became friends from then on.
Modern references
Ling Tong is featured as a playable character in Koei's Dynasty WarriorsDynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
and Warriors Orochi
Warriors Orochi
, is a PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 hack and slash video game developed by Koei and Omega Force. It is a crossover of two of Koei's popular video game series, Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors...
video game series. He also appears in all 11 installments of Koei's Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms (video game series)
, or Sangokushi in Japanese, is a series of turn-based tactical role-playing simulation grand strategy wargames produced by Koei. Originating from Japan in 1985, eleven installments of the game have been published in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China and North America to date.-Overview:The games are...
series.