Ling Tong

Historical Record

Ling Tong, styled Gongji, came from Wu Commandery. His father Ling Cao served under Sun Quan and later fell in battle. After his father's death, Ling Tong, only fifteen, inherited his father's enterprise; Sun Quan appointed him Major of a Separate Detachment and Acting Commandant for Destroying Bandits, and put him in command of his father's troops. By his boldness and loyalty he won Sun Quan's esteem.

On one occasion, Ling Tong followed Sun Quan in a campaign against mountain bandits. Sun Quan withdrew ahead, leaving Ling Tong with the Supervisor Zhang Yi and others to besiege over ten thousand bandits at Matun. On the eve of the planned assault, Ling Tong drank together with the Supervisor Chen Qin. Chen Qin was a man of harsh and reckless temper who, at the feast, presuming upon his rank as supervising libationer, gave much offense to those present and behaved improperly. Displeased at the man's arrogance and rudeness, Ling Tong rebuked him to his face. Chen Qin thereupon flew into a rage, not only insulting Ling Tong but even implicating Ling Tong's deceased father, Ling Cao. Though Ling Tong wept, he made no reply, and the gathering broke up. Drunk, Chen Qin grew exceptionally vicious and insulted Ling Tong again on the road. Ling Tong, unable to bear it, drew his blade and cut Chen Qin down; Chen Qin died several days later.

Afterward, with the time set for the assault on Matun, Ling Tong felt the weight of his guilt deeply, declaring that "nothing but death can atone for my crime," and so led his soldiers, taking the lead himself, braving arrows and stones to charge into the line. The stretch of wall in his charge was swiftly breached, and the Wu army pressed its advantage to rout the bandits. After the battle, Ling Tong voluntarily turned himself in to the army's justice officer. Sun Quan, admiring his resolute conduct, specially allowed him to offset his crime with his battle merit and exempted him from punishment ^c:376. This displayed Ling Tong's valor in battle and Sun Quan's tolerance and high regard for him.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Ling Tong receives richer literary treatment, especially regarding his feud with Gan Ning and his valiant performances on the battlefield. He first appears when Sun Quan was widely recruiting worthy men, being held in esteem by Sun Quan along with Gu Yong, Zhang Hong, and others ^c:4627.

The novel particularly portrays the conflict between Ling Tong and Gan Ning arising from the feud over his father's death. At Jiangxia, Gan Ning had shot dead Ling Tong's father Ling Cao, a hatred Ling Tong could never erase from his heart. At a banquet, seeing Gan Ning, Ling Tong was overcome and drew his sword to kill him, but Sun Quan strenuously stopped him. Weeping bitterly, Ling Tong declared, "How can a feud that bars us from sharing the same sky go unavenged!" To avoid conflict, Sun Quan specially transferred Gan Ning to garrison Xiakou and promoted Ling Tong to Commandant of Manifest Valor, whereupon Ling Tong reluctantly let the matter rest ^c:378. This hatred erupted again at the victory banquet at Wan, where Ling Tong, under the pretext of a sword dance, sought to stab Gan Ning, and the situation was only calmed by Lü Meng stepping in between them dancing with shield and saber ^c:7485.

In the novel, Ling Tong took part in many campaigns, displaying his valor. Before the Battle of Red Cliffs, he was appointed by Zhou Yu as commander of the third unit, acting together with Pan Zhang ^c:4629. After Cao Cao fled by way of Huarong Road, Ling Tong once led troops to intercept Cao Cao, leaving him "shattered in courage" ^c:7483. During the Battle of Xiaoting, he was ordered to remain and guard Hanyang Commandery ^c:4630. At the Battle of Ruxukou, Ling Tong volunteered, leading three thousand men against Zhang Liao, fighting fifty bouts without a decision ^c:384. In another engagement with Yue Jin, Ling Tong's warhorse was struck by a stray arrow from Cao Xiu, and he was thrown to the ground; at this critical moment, Gan Ning saved his life with an arrow, so that the two men dissolved their feud and became sworn friends to the death ^c:385. This contrasts sharply with history, in which there is no clear record of a personal feud between Ling Tong and Gan Ning; it is artistic embellishment by the novel for dramatic conflict and character development. During Liu Bei's campaign against Wu, Ling Tong also served as part of the reserve forces, setting out under generals such as Han Dang and Zhou Tai ^c:4631.

Key Relationships

* Sun Quan (fights_in, serves): From the age of fifteen Ling Tong served under Sun Quan and was deeply esteemed by him. Sun Quan not only allowed him to inherit his father's enterprise but also pardoned him for his crime of killing a man, on account of his battle merit ^c:376. In the novel, Sun Quan repeatedly stepped in to mediate the conflict between Ling Tong and Gan Ning, showing his care for Ling Tong ^c:378.
* Eastern Wu (serves): Ling Tong was an important general of the Sun Wu regime, serving Eastern Wu all his life and taking part in many important battles, such as the campaigns against the mountain bandits, the Battle of Red Cliffs (unique to the novel), and the Battle of Ruxukou. By his valor and loyalty he rendered great service to Eastern Wu.
* Sun Quan's Faction (serves): As a member of the Sun Wu faction, Ling Tong fought side by side with generals such as Zhou Yu, Lü Meng, and Gan Ning, jointly maintaining and expanding Eastern Wu's power.
* Gan Ning (enemy_of, then friend): In the novel, Gan Ning was the slayer of Ling Tong's father, and a deep personal feud existed between the two ^c:378. This hatred erupted on several occasions, but in the end, on the battlefield, Gan Ning saved Ling Tong's life, turning the two from enemies into sworn friends to the death ^c:385 (unique to the novel).

Iconic Scenes

* Atoning for a crime with merit: Ling Tong committed a grave crime by killing Chen Qin before the assault on Matun, but with the resolve that "nothing but death can atone for my crime," he took the lead and valiantly broke the enemy; in the end Sun Quan pardoned him for his battle merit. This event fully displays Ling Tong's resoluteness and Sun Quan's discernment in employing men ^c:376.
* Drawing his sword to stab Gan Ning: In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, over the feud of his father's death, Ling Tong drew his sword to stab Gan Ning at Sun Quan's banquet, a tense and dramatic scene; Sun Quan stepped in personally to stop him, averting bloodshed ^c:378 (unique to the novel). This scene profoundly portrays Ling Tong's fierce spirit and his fixation on avenging his father.
* Fighting Zhang Liao at Ruxukou: At the Battle of Ruxukou, Ling Tong volunteered, leading three thousand men against the renowned Cao Wei general Zhang Liao, the two fighting fifty bouts without a decision, displaying Ling Tong's superb martial skill and dauntless courage ^c:384.
* Gan Ning's arrow saving Ling Tong: In another clash at the Battle of Ruxukou, Ling Tong was locked in fierce combat with Yue Jin when his warhorse was struck by a stray arrow from Cao Xiu, leaving his life hanging by a thread. At the crucial moment, Gan Ning struck Yue Jin with an arrow, saving Ling Tong's life. This event not only dissolved the two men's years of enmity but prompted them to become sworn friends to the death ^c:385 (unique to the novel). This scene is an important part of Ling Tong's character arc in the novel, embodying the heroic spirit of "no fight, no friendship."