Gongsun Du

Historical Record

Gongsun Du, styled Shengji, was a native of Xiangping in Liaodong. His father Gongsun Yan, to avoid the harassment of officials, moved the family to Xuantu. In his early years Gongsun Du served as a clerk in Xuantu Commandery. Because his childhood name was Bao, the same as that of the son of the then Grand Administrator of Xuantu, Gongsun Qiong, who was born in the same year, Gongsun Qiong took a liking to him, supporting his studies and arranging a marriage for him. Later Gongsun Du was recommended as Having the Way, and successively served as Imperial Secretariat Gentleman and Inspector of Ji Province, but was dismissed because of slander^[1].

By a turn of fortune, Xu Rong—a fellow commandery man then serving as a General of the Household under Dong Zhuo—recommended Gongsun Du as Grand Administrator of Liaodong. When he first arrived in Liaodong, Gongsun Du was scorned by the locals because of his lowly origins as a minor clerk. Earlier, Gongsun Zhao of the Dependent State had served as Magistrate of Xiangping and had conscripted Gongsun Du's son Gongsun Kang as a squad leader. After taking up his post, Gongsun Du immediately arrested Gongsun Zhao and had him flogged to death in the market of Xiangping. Those notable magnates and great clans of the commandery who had never shown him favor, such as Tian Shao, were all executed under the law, with more than a hundred families exterminated, so that the whole of Liaodong Commandery trembled^[1].

Having gained a firm footing in Liaodong, Gongsun Du began to expand outward, campaigning east against Goguryeo and striking west at the Wuhuan, so that his fame spread beyond the seas^[1]. In the first year of Chuping (190 CE), foreseeing chaos in the Central Plains, Gongsun Du said to his confidants Liu Yi, Yang Yi, and others: "The mandate of Han is about to be cut off; I shall plan for kingship together with you, my lords." Citing the prophetic text that "Sun Deng shall be Son of Heaven," he likened himself to one answering the mandate of Heaven, since his courtesy name "Shengji" shared meaning with the character "Deng" (ascent). At that time a great stone over a zhang tall grew in the village shrine of Yanli at Xiangping, with three small stones beneath it as feet; some construed this as the auspicious omen of Emperor Xuan's "cap-stone" of Han, and noted that the village's name matched that of Gongsun Du's late father, foretelling that he would possess the land and have three ministers to assist him—and Gongsun Du was overjoyed to hear it^[2].

Gongsun Du was cruel in his conduct. The Grand Administrator of Henei, Li Min, loathing his deeds, took his household and fled by sea to escape calamity. Gongsun Du was so enraged that he dug up the grave of Li Min's father, split the coffin and burned the corpse, and executed his clan^[2]. He also divided Liaodong Commandery into Liaoxi and Zhongliao commanderies and installed Grand Administrators. Crossing the sea, he recovered the various counties of Donglai and set up an Inspector of Ying Province. Gongsun Du proclaimed himself Marquis of Liaodong and Governor of Ping Province, and posthumously enfeoffed his father Gongsun Yan as Marquis of Jianyi. He even set up temples to the two founding ancestors of Han south of the city of Xiangping, and in imperial fashion established altars to sacrifice to Heaven and Earth, tilled the ceremonial field, drilled troops, and when traveling rode in the phoenix carriage with the nine-tasseled banner and feathered cavalry escort with yak-tail standards—the very image of an emperor. Cao Cao once memorialized to make Gongsun Du General of Martial Might and enfeoff him as Village Marquis of Yongning, but Gongsun Du disdained it, saying: "I am king of Liaodong—what 'Yongning' is this!" and stored the seal and ribbon away in the armory^[2].

During Gongsun Du's rule, many renowned gentlemen of the Central Plains came to take refuge in Liaodong to escape the chaos of war. Men such as Guan Ning, Bing Yuan, and Wang Lie all went to Liaodong because "they heard that Gongsun Du's writ ran beyond the seas"^[3]. Gongsun Du once kept a guest-lodge ready in anticipation of Guan Ning, but after Guan Ning arrived he chose to build a thatched hut in a mountain valley and dwell there, taking no part in worldly affairs, to show he had no intention of settling. Though Gongsun Du respected his worthiness, he could not make use of him. While Bing Yuan was in Liaodong, in the matter of Liu Zheng he interceded with Gongsun Du, finally enabling Liu Zheng and his family to be preserved^[4]. Liang Mao too was detained in Liaodong without leave by Gongsun Du; when Gongsun Du wished to seize the chance of Cao Cao's distant campaign to march west on the city of Ye, Liang Mao strongly remonstrated, pointing out that Cao Cao's merit was high and his virtue broad and that he must not be made an enemy, and Gongsun Du finally heeded Liang Mao's advice^[5]. Gongsun Du died in the ninth year of Jian'an (204 CE), and his son Gongsun Kang succeeded him^[2].

In the Novel

Romance of the Three Kingdoms records very little of Gongsun Du, mentioning him only in Chapters 33 and 106—two chapters in all, with only seven lines of dialogue [c:33, 106]. The novel gives no detailed account of his life and deeds, nor does it mention his historical achievements in carving out and dominating Liaodong or in his eastern and western campaigns. As for his cruel and unrestrained character, the novel likewise does not dwell on it, passing over him only as a background figure.

In the novel Gongsun Du appears mainly as a peripheral figure of Gongsun Zan's faction; but in history Gongsun Du had no direct subordinate relationship with Gongsun Zan, the two being rather separate powers each carving out their own domain. The novel also does not mention Gongsun Du proclaiming himself Marquis of Liaodong and Governor of Ping Province, nor his disdain for the office and rank bestowed by Cao Cao—episodes all recorded in detail in the histories but unattested in the novel.

Key Relationships

* Gongsun Zan's faction (serves): In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Gongsun Du is mentioned as a member of Gongsun Zan's faction, but in history Gongsun Du was an independent regional power with no subordinate relationship to Gongsun Zan. (novel only)
* The Gongsun Du clan (founded): Gongsun Du was the founder of the autonomous Gongsun regime in Liaodong; his father Gongsun Yan, his sons Gongsun Kang and Gongsun Gong, and his grandson Gongsun Yuan were all under his clan's rule^[2].
* The Gongsun Du faction (lord_of): Gongsun Du was the de facto ruler of the Liaodong region, proclaiming himself Marquis of Liaodong and Governor of Ping Province, holding independent military and political power^[2].
* Gongsun Kang (parent_of): Gongsun Du's son, who inherited the rule of Liaodong after his death^[2].
* Gongsun Qiong (benefactor): The Grand Administrator of Xuantu, Gongsun Qiong, doted on Gongsun Du because he shared a name with his own son, supporting his studies and arranging a marriage for him^[1].
* Xu Rong (recommender): Xu Rong, a fellow commandery man then under Dong Zhuo, recommended Gongsun Du as Grand Administrator of Liaodong^[1].
* Li Min (victim): The Grand Administrator of Henei, Li Min, fled to escape calamity because he loathed Gongsun Du's deeds; Gongsun Du thereupon dug up the grave of his father, burned the corpse, and executed his clan^[2].
* Guan Ning, Bing Yuan, Liang Mao (associates): These renowned gentlemen of the Central Plains came to take refuge in Liaodong to escape the chaos of war and had dealings with Gongsun Du, but did not truly submit to him^[3][4][5].

Iconic Scenes

* Establishing his authority on first arriving in Liaodong: When Gongsun Du first took office as Grand Administrator of Liaodong, to overawe the local magnates he flogged to death in the market Gongsun Zhao, who had once conscripted his son as a squad leader, and executed more than a hundred notable magnate clans who would not submit, so that the whole commandery trembled^[1]. This act established his absolute authority in Liaodong.
* His ambition to proclaim himself king: As early as the first year of Chuping (190 CE), Gongsun Du predicted that "the mandate of Han is about to be cut off; I shall plan for kingship together with you, my lords," and likened himself to the Son of Heaven by citing prophetic texts; later he even proclaimed himself Marquis of Liaodong and Governor of Ping Province, set up altars to sacrifice to Heaven and Earth, in the very posture of an emperor, and disdained the office and rank bestowed by Cao Cao^[2]. This fully displays his ambition to carve out a domain and dominate Liaodong.
* The cruelty of grave-digging and corpse-burning: Enraged by Li Min's flight to escape calamity, Gongsun Du dug up the grave of Li Min's father, split the coffin and burned the corpse, and executed his clan^[2]. This event profoundly reflects his cruel and unrestrained character.
* Liang Mao's forceful remonstrance for withdrawal: Gongsun Du once wished to seize the chance of Cao Cao's distant campaign to march directly on the city of Ye with thirty thousand troops and ten thousand horse, but was strongly remonstrated into withdrawing by Liang Mao on the grounds that "Lord Cao grieves over the peril and ruin of the state, pities the bitter suffering of the people, leads a righteous army to punish the cruel rebels of the realm—his merit is high and his virtue broad"^[5]. This scene shows that although Gongsun Du was cruel, he was not wholly deaf to remonstrance.
* Guan Ning's reclusion in Liaodong: Guan Ning took refuge in Liaodong because "he heard that Gongsun Du's writ ran beyond the seas," yet chose to build a thatched hut in a mountain valley and dwell there, taking no part in worldly affairs; though Gongsun Du respected his worthiness, he could not make use of him^[3]. This reflects Gongsun Du's complex attitude toward men of lofty character, as well as the appeal of his Liaodong to Central Plains refugees.