courtesy name
A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theob ...
Wenbo, was a Chinese military general of the state of
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...
period of China. He previously served under the warlords
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao (, ; died 28 June 202), courtesy name Benchu (), was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil wars that occurred t ...
Zhu Ling was from Shu County (), Qinghe State (), which is located between present-day Pingyuan and Xiajin counties in Shandong. He started his career as a military officer under the warlord
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao (, ; died 28 June 202), courtesy name Benchu (), was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil wars that occurred t ...
. Around 193 or 194, when Yuan Shao's ally Cao Cao was attacking
Xu Province
Xuzhou as a historical toponym refers to varied area in different eras.
Ordinarily, it was a reference to the one of the Nine Provinces which modern Xuzhou inherited.
History
Pre-Qin era
Xuzhou or Xu Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ...
, Yuan Shao sent Zhu Ling and some troops to assist Cao Cao. During this time, Zhu Ling became so impressed with Cao Cao that he remained with Cao Cao and never returned to Yuan Shao. His troops followed his decision and remained with Cao Cao too.
In 199, Cao Cao sent Zhu Ling and
Liu Bei
Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who founded the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period and became its first ruler. Although he was a distant relative of the ...
to lead troops to intercept the warlord
Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu () (died July or August 199), courtesy name Gonglu, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the Han central government in 189 ...
, who was attempting to escape to northern China to join Yuan Shao after his defeat. Starting with the
Battle of Guandu
The Battle of Guandu was fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Yuan Shao in 200 AD in the late Eastern Han dynasty. Cao Cao's decisive victory against Yuan Shao's numerically superior forces marked the turning point in their war. The victo ...
in 200, Zhu Ling participated in Cao Cao's battles against Yuan Shao and later against Yuan Shao's heirs throughout the 200s. In 208, after Cao Cao received the surrender of Liu Cong, the Governor of Jing Province, he put Zhu Ling in charge of one of the seven divisions stationed in Jing Province under the command of the general Zhao Yan. Zhu Ling fought on Cao Cao's side at the Battle of Red Cliffs in the winter of 208–209 against the allied forces of the warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan.
In 211, Zhu Ling accompanied Cao Cao on a campaign against a coalition of warlords from the west of Tong Pass and engaged them at the Battle of Tong Pass. During the battle, Cao Cao ordered Zhu Ling and
Xu Huang
Xu Huang () (died 227), courtesy name Gongming, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He later served in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period under the first ...
to lead a detachment north into
Hedong Commandery
Hedong Commandery () was a historical region in the Qin and Han dynasties of ancient China.
Hedong was located to the east of the Yellow River in Shanxi (around present-day Yuncheng).
History
Hedong Commandery was established by the Qin state ...
to establish a bridgehead at the Puban crossing of the
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the sixth-longest river system in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Ha ...
so he could launch an oblique attack on Huayin County. After Cao Cao returned to Ye city in 212 following his victory at the Battle of Tong Pass, Zhu Ling remained in
Chang'an
Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin S ...
and served as a subordinate of the general
Xiahou Yuan
Xiahou Yuan () (died 219), courtesy name Miaocai, was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He is known for his exploits in western China (in parts of present-day G ...
, who continued to launch attacks against the warlords. In 215, Zhu Ling participated in the battle against the Di people in Wudu Commandery and opened the path for Cao Cao's later invasion of Hanzhong Commandery.
Despite Zhu Ling's contributions and achievements, Cao Cao never seemed to favour him for reasons unknown. Cao Cao did not pay much attention to Zhu Ling and used to put him under the command of the general
Yu Jin
Yu Jin (died 221), courtesy name Wenze, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He joined Cao Cao in 192 around the start of the civil wars leading to the collapse of the dyna ...
. However, Zhu Ling did not show any disappointment or anger towards Cao Cao for neglecting him; on the contrary, he fought fiercely for Cao Cao in battles and was known for being one of the best commanders. According to the ''Wen Di Ji Jie'' (), Zhu Ling's actions in battle earned him a reputation that put him on par with
Xu Huang
Xu Huang () (died 227), courtesy name Gongming, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He later served in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period under the first ...
, whom the historian
Chen Shou
Chen Shou (; 233–297), courtesy name Chengzuo (), was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer who lived during the Three Kingdoms period and Jin dynasty of China. Chen Shou is most known for his most celebrated work, the '' Records of ...
named one of the
Five Elite Generals
The Five Elite Generals refer to five military generals serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. They later served in the state of Cao Wei, founded by Cao Cao's son and successor Cao Pi, during the Three Kingdoms ...
serving under Cao Cao.
Following Cao Cao's death in 220, his son
Cao Pi
Cao Pi () ( – 29 June 226), courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Cao Cao, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty, but the eldest ...
usurped the throne from the figurehead
Emperor Xian
Emperor Xian of Han (2 April 181 – 21 April 234), personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in China. He reigned from 28 September 189 until 11 December 220.
Liu Xie was a so ...
Cao Xiu
Cao Xiu (died 29 September 228?), courtesy name Wenlie, was a Chinese military general of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. A distant younger relative of the warlord Cao Cao, Cao Xiu started his career in the late Ea ...
lost at the
Battle of Shiting
The Battle of Shi'ting (literal meaning "stone pavilion") was fought between the states of Cao Wei and Eastern Wu in 228 during the Three Kingdoms period of China. The battle concluded with a Wu victory.
Battle
The Wu king Sun Quan ordered Zho ...
against forces from Wei's rival state Eastern Wu, Zhu Ling and other officers led troops to drive back the enemy, who were pursuing Cao Xiu as he was retreating, and managed to save Cao Xiu. Zhu Ling died of illness after the Battle of Shiting in an unknown year and was honoured with the
posthumous title
A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments o ...
Zizhi Tongjian
''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song (960–1127), Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959&n ...