Ze Rong

Historical Record

Ze Rong was a native of Danyang, his life and deeds chiefly seen in the historical record. At first, Ze Rong gathered a following of several hundred men and went to attach himself to Tao Qian, Governor of Xu Province. Tao Qian then put him in charge of transporting grain for the two commanderies of Guangling and Pengcheng. During this time, however, Ze Rong acted wantonly, killing on his own authority, and privately withheld the tax revenues of three commanderies to enrich himself.^[1]

Ze Rong was passionate about building Buddhist shrines, lavishing vast sums upon them. He cast bronze images, gilded their bodies with gold, and adorned them with brocade garments. Above the Buddhist shrine hung nine tiers of bronze plates, and below it were built multi-story towers and galleried walkways, so grand in scale that they could hold more than three thousand people.^[1] To propagate Buddhism, Ze Rong diligently expounded the Buddhist scriptures and ordered those who believed in Buddhism within his jurisdiction and in the neighboring commanderies to come and receive the teaching. By exempting them from other corvée labor he drew in believers, so that those who came to join him from near and far numbered more than five thousand households.^[1] At every Buddha-bathing festival, Ze Rong would set out great feasts of wine and food, spreading the seats along the roads for several dozen li. The people who came to observe the rite and to eat numbered in the tens of thousands, and the expense ran to hundreds of millions.^[1]

When Cao Cao attacked Tao Qian and the Xu Province region fell into turmoil, Ze Rong seized the chaos to lead several tens of thousands of men and women and three thousand warhorses in flight to Guangling. Zhao Yu, Administrator of Guangling, received Ze Rong with the courtesy due a guest. Earlier, Xue Li, Chancellor of Pengcheng, pressed by Tao Qian, had stationed troops at Moling. Coveting the people and wealth of Guangling, Ze Rong, in the midst of a drinking feast, went so far as to murder Zhao Yu, then let his troops loose in a great pillage and departed laden with spoils.^[1] In the course of his flight he successively killed Xue Li, and at last killed Zhu Hao.^[1]

In the Novel

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms records Ze Rong only sparingly, mentioning him but once in chapter fifteen and giving no detailed literary shaping of his life. The novel's Ze Rong is largely consistent with the historical record, with no marked departure or added episodes peculiar to the novel. Thus, in the novel, Ze Rong appears chiefly as a participant in a historical event, his character and conduct no different from what the histories record, lacking the dramatic depiction peculiar to fiction.

Key Relationships

* Zhu Hao (enemy_of): After plundering Guangling, Ze Rong at last killed Zhu Hao.^[1]
* Tao Qian's Faction (serves): Ze Rong first gathered a following and attached himself to Tao Qian, Governor of Xu Province, and was charged by him with transporting grain.^[1]
* Zhao Yu (enemy_of): Ze Rong was received with guest courtesy by Zhao Yu at Guangling, yet in the midst of a drinking feast murdered him and seized the chance to plunder Guangling.^[1]
* Xue Li (enemy_of): After plundering Guangling, Ze Rong, passing through Moling, killed Xue Li, Chancellor of Pengcheng.^[1]

Signature Scenes

* Lavishly Building Buddhist Shrines and Drawing Crowds of Believers: Ze Rong expended vast sums to build a magnificent Buddhist shrine, cast gilded bronze images, and drew in more than five thousand households of believers by exempting them from corvée. At every Buddha-bathing festival he set out great feasts of wine and food, spreading the seats for several dozen li and drawing tens of thousands to observe and to eat, at a cost running to hundreds of millions.^[1] This scene fully displays Ze Rong's fanatical devotion to Buddhism and his boundlessly extravagant character.
* Killing Zhao Yu at the Feast and Pillaging Guangling: When Cao Cao attacked Tao Qian and Xu Province fell into turmoil, Ze Rong led his following to take refuge with Zhao Yu, Administrator of Guangling. Zhao Yu treated him with the courtesy due a guest, yet Ze Rong seized the chance at the drinking feast to murder Zhao Yu and let his troops loose in a great pillage of Guangling, departing laden with wealth.^[1] This act not only reveals Ze Rong's cruelty and treachery but stands as a typical portrayal of his "wanton, self-willed killing" character.