Gong Du

Historical Record

As for biographical material on Gong Du, there is at present no clear record. In the official histories such as the Records of the Three Kingdoms, neither his name nor related deeds are found. It is therefore impossible to verify, at the level of historical sources, his life, identity, faction, or specific activities.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Gong Du appears as a member of the remnants of the Yellow Turban Army, active in the Runan region, and is mentioned together with Liu Pi. He first appears in Chapter Twenty-Six. At that time Cao Cao was at war with Liu Bei, and after Guan Yu won great merit by slaying Yan Liang and Wen Chou, Cao Hong reported to Cao Cao: "In Runan the Yellow Turbans Liu Pi and Gong Du are rampant indeed. Cao Hong has fought them repeatedly without success and begs that troops be sent to relieve him." ^c:6913 Guan Yu volunteered to go and pacify the Runan Yellow Turbans. During this campaign, Sun Qian, acting as Liu Bei's envoy, secretly made contact with Guan Yu and informed him that Liu Bei had gone over to Yuan Shao, and that Liu Pi and Gong Du had likewise submitted to Yuan Shao and were aiding in the attack on Cao. Sun Qian suggested that Guan Yu put on a show together with Gong Du and Liu Pi, having Guan Yu pretend to defeat them so that he could smoothly bring the two ladies and go over to Yuan Shao ^c:6914.

The next day, Guan Yu faced off against Gong Du. Gong Du taunted Guan Yu as "a man who has betrayed his lord," but Guan Yu made no reply and spurred his horse forward. Gong Du thereupon fled in defeat, and as he withdrew hinted to Guan Yu: "The kindness of your former lord must not be forgotten. You should advance quickly; I yield Runan to you." Guan Yu understood, and so drove his army in pursuit and slaughter; Liu Pi and Gong Du feigned defeat and scattered, and Guan Yu smoothly took Runan ^c:4466. Thereafter Gong Du, together with Liu Pi, submitted to Liu Bei. In Chapter Thirty-One, Xun Yu reported to Cao Cao: "Liu Bei in Runan has gained the tens of thousands of Liu Pi and Gong Du. Hearing that the Chancellor has led his army out on campaign to Hebei, he has ordered Liu Pi to hold Runan, while Bei himself leads troops to take advantage of the emptiness and attack Xu Chang." ^c:6915 This shows that Gong Du had become an important general under Liu Bei, commanding a considerable force. In the ensuing campaign, however, Gong Du encountered Xiahou Yuan and was unfortunately killed. When Zhang Fei came to the rescue, Gong Du had already fallen ^c:4467.

Key Relationships

* Yellow Turban Army: Gong Du was originally a remnant of the Yellow Turban Army, active in the Runan region and mentioned together with Liu Pi ^c:6913 (unique to the novel).
* Yuan Shao's Faction: During Guan Yu's "Solitary Ride of a Thousand Li," Gong Du and Liu Pi had submitted to Yuan Shao and helped Yuan Shao attack Cao Cao ^c:6914 (unique to the novel).
* Guan Yu: Gong Du and Guan Yu fought a "battle of tacit understanding." To help Guan Yu smoothly break away from Cao Cao and go over to Liu Bei, Gong Du and Liu Pi feigned defeat and let Guan Yu take Runan ^c:4466 (unique to the novel).
* Liu Bei's faction: Gong Du finally submitted to Liu Bei, becoming a general under him and commanding tens of thousands of troops ^c:6915 (unique to the novel).
* Liu Pi: In the novel, Gong Du often appears together with Liu Pi; they were leaders of the Yellow Turban remnants in the Runan region, who later submitted to Yuan Shao together and then to Liu Bei (unique to the novel).
* Xiahou Yuan: Gong Du was finally killed in battle with Xiahou Yuan ^c:4467 (unique to the novel).

Signature Scenes

* Feigning defeat at Runan to help Guan Yu: This is Gong Du's best-known scene. During Guan Yu's "Solitary Ride of a Thousand Li" in search of Liu Bei, Gong Du and Liu Pi faced off against Guan Yu at Runan. Knowing that Guan Yu wished to go over to Liu Bei, Gong Du spoke with Guan Yu before the lines and cleverly hinted to him: "The kindness of your former lord must not be forgotten. You should advance quickly; I yield Runan to you." Then Gong Du and Liu Pi feigned defeat, letting Guan Yu smoothly take Runan and creating the conditions for the reunion of Guan Yu and Liu Bei ^c:4466. This scene displays Gong Du's loyalty to Liu Bei and his understanding of and help for Guan Yu, and is a key point in shaping his image in the novel (unique to the novel).
* Submitting to Liu Bei, attacking Xu Chang: After submitting to Liu Bei, Gong Du, together with Liu Pi, became an important force for Liu Bei in Runan. When Cao Cao campaigned north to Hebei, Liu Bei used the tens of thousands of troops led by Gong Du and Liu Pi to take advantage of the emptiness and attack Xu Chang, posing no small threat to Cao Cao ^c:6915. This shows that Gong Du once played an important military role in Liu Bei's faction (unique to the novel).
* Dying in battle at the hands of Xiahou Yuan: Gong Du's end came in battle with the Cao army, when he was unfortunately killed by Xiahou Yuan. By the time Zhang Fei arrived, Gong Du had already fallen ^c:4467. This scene marks the end of Gong Du's military career (unique to the novel).