Gao Ding

Historical Record

Gao Ding, during the Three Kingdoms period, once held the title of King of the Yue-Sui Yi. According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, in the summer of the first year of Jianxing (223 CE), Yong Kai, a powerful clan leader of Yizhou Commandery, rebelled, banished the Administrator Zhang Yi to Wu, and occupied the commandery's territory. At the same time, the King of the Yue-Sui Yi, Gao Ding, also turned against the Shu Han court.^[1] Before this, the Administrator of Zangke, Zhu Bao, had likewise held his commandery in revolt in answer to Yong Kai. Gao Ding, together with Yong Kai, Zhu Bao, and other local forces, posed a threat to the Shu Han regime. The historical records of Gao Ding are relatively brief, centering mainly on his act of rebellion and his identity as King of the Yue-Sui Yi, and giving no detailed account of his life or final fate.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Gao Ding is portrayed as Administrator of Yue-Sui Commandery, with an image and career far richer and more dramatic than the historical record. The novel opens by describing how, in the third year of Jianxing (225 CE), Gao Ding joined with Yong Kai and Zhu Bao in answering the Man king Meng Huo and attacking Yongchang Commandery.^[2] When Zhuge Liang campaigned in the south, Gao Ding, as one of the rebel forces, fought against the Shu army. After his subordinate general E Huan was captured alive by Wei Yan, Zhuge Liang treated him with benevolence and righteousness and released E Huan back to his camp, intending to sow discord between Gao Ding and Yong Kai. Gao Ding thereby came to feel grateful to Zhuge Liang.^[3]

Zhuge Liang used a stratagem of sowing discord, making Gao Ding mistakenly believe that Yong Kai wished to harm him. On E Huan's advice, Gao Ding set a banquet to invite Yong Kai, but Yong Kai, suspicious, did not come. Gao Ding then led his troops in a night raid on Yong Kai's camp, and E Huan, moreover, lay in ambush on the mountain road, personally stabbing Yong Kai to death and presenting his head to Zhuge Liang.^[4] However, Zhuge Liang did not immediately trust Gao Ding; instead, citing Zhu Bao's secret letter of surrender, he accused Gao Ding of feigned surrender and demanded that he capture Zhu Bao to prove his loyalty.^[5] Gao Ding once again acted according to the plan, and when he met Zhu Bao, E Huan again stabbed Zhu Bao to death with his halberd. In the end, Gao Ding presented Zhu Bao's head, and only then did Zhuge Liang truly accept him, appointing Gao Ding as Administrator of Yizhou with overall charge of the three commanderies, and appointing E Huan as a Vanguard General.^[6] The Gao Ding of the novel transforms from a rebel into a loyal subject of Shu Han, his transformation full of stratagems and discord-sowing, displaying Zhuge Liang's superb military wisdom and political skill.

Key Relationships

* Shu Han (defected_from / rejoined): In the histories, Gao Ding was King of the Yue-Sui Yi and once turned against Shu Han.^[1] In the novel, he too at first rebelled against Shu Han together with Yong Kai and Zhu Bao, but under Zhuge Liang's stratagems finally submitted to Shu Han and was appointed Administrator of Yizhou.^[6]
* Yong Kai (enemy_of): In the histories, Yong Kai was a powerful clan leader of Yizhou Commandery, whose rebellion broke out almost simultaneously with Gao Ding's defection, the two being allies.^[1] In the novel, however, Zhuge Liang successfully sowed discord between Gao Ding and Yong Kai, and in the end Gao Ding, with E Huan's help, personally stabbed Yong Kai to death^[4], turning from ally into enemy.
* Zhu Bao (enemy_of): In the histories, Zhu Bao was Administrator of Zangke and also held his commandery in revolt in answer to Yong Kai, belonging with Gao Ding to the rebel forces.^[1] In the novel, Zhu Bao was used by Zhuge Liang as a tool in his stratagem of sowing discord, and was finally killed by Gao Ding and his subordinate general E Huan.^[6]
* E Huan (subordinate general, unique to the novel): E Huan was an important subordinate general of Gao Ding in the novel, who repeatedly devised plans for Gao Ding and carried out tasks at crucial moments, including the assassinations of Yong Kai and Zhu Bao, being a capable helper in Gao Ding's process of submitting to Shu Han.^[4]
* Zhuge Liang (the one who turned him, unique to the novel): In the novel, Zhuge Liang was the one who decided Gao Ding's fate, successfully turning Gao Ding through a series of ingenious stratagems of sowing discord, so that he changed from a rebel into an official of Shu Han.^[3]

Iconic Scenes

* The King of the Yue-Sui Yi turns against Shu Han: The histories record that Gao Ding, as King of the Yue-Sui Yi, turned against Shu Han together with Yong Kai and Zhu Bao, posing a threat to the Shu Han regime.^[1] This is the most important record of Gao Ding's action in the historical sources, marking his participation, as one of the local separatist forces, in the revolt against Shu Han.
* E Huan captured and released by Zhuge Liang: In the novel, Gao Ding's subordinate general E Huan was captured alive by Wei Yan, but Zhuge Liang treated him with benevolence and righteousness and released him back to Gao Ding's camp. This act deeply moved Gao Ding and laid the groundwork for the subsequent turning of his allegiance.^[3]
* Gao Ding kills Yong Kai and submits to Zhuge Liang: This is the turning point of Gao Ding's image in the novel. Under Zhuge Liang's stratagem of sowing discord, Gao Ding mistakenly believed that Yong Kai wished to harm him, and so conspired with his subordinate general E Huan to raid Yong Kai's camp by night; E Huan personally stabbed Yong Kai to death, and Gao Ding presented his head to Zhuge Liang as a token of submission.^[4] This scene not only displays Zhuge Liang's cleverness but also shapes Gao Ding's complex and changeable image in the novel.
* Gao Ding captures and kills Zhu Bao to prove his loyalty: In the novel, to test Gao Ding further, Zhuge Liang demanded that he capture and kill Zhu Bao. Gao Ding once again acted according to the plan, and when he met Zhu Bao, E Huan stabbed Zhu Bao to death; Gao Ding presented Zhu Bao's head and finally won Zhuge Liang's trust, being appointed Administrator of Yizhou.^[6] This scene consolidated Gao Ding's loyal image in the novel and completed his transformation from rebel into official of Shu Han.