Chenggong Ying ( 180s–220s) was an official serving under the warlord
Han Sui
Han Sui () (140s - June or July 215According to Cao Cao's biography in ''Sanguozhi'', Han Sui was killed in the 5th month of the 20th year of the ''Jian'an'' era of Liu Xie's reign. This corresponds to 15 June to 13 July 215 on the Julian calend ...
during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. After Han Sui's death, Chenggong Ying served under the warlord Cao Cao and later in the state of
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...
period.
Life
Chenggong Ying was from Jincheng Commandery (), which is around present-day
Yuzhong County
Yuzhong County () is a county of Gansu Province, China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu, one of 58 counties of Gansu. Its postal code is 730100, and its population in 2019 was 560,000 ...
, Gansu. He became a subordinate and trusted aide of the warlord
Han Sui
Han Sui () (140s - June or July 215According to Cao Cao's biography in ''Sanguozhi'', Han Sui was killed in the 5th month of the 20th year of the ''Jian'an'' era of Liu Xie's reign. This corresponds to 15 June to 13 July 215 on the Julian calend ...
Ma Chao
Ma Chao () (176–222), courtesy name Mengqi, was a Chinese military general and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. A descendant of the general Ma Yuan, Ma Chao was the eldest son of Ma ...
and a coalition of warlords in the Guanzhong region to attack Cao Cao, the warlord who controlled the Han central government and the figurehead
Emperor Xian
Emperor Xian of Han (2 April 181 – 21 April 234), personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in China. He reigned from 28 September 189 until 11 December 220.
Liu Xie was a so ...
. Both sides clashed at the Battle of Tong Pass, which resulted in a victory for Cao Cao. As Han Sui fled after the defeat, many of his men abandoned him but Chenggong Ying remained loyal and stayed with him. After Yan Xing, Han Sui's son-in-law, attempted to murder him, Han Sui felt so disillusioned that he wanted to retreat to
Yi Province
Yizhou (益州), Yi Province or Yi Prefecture, was a '' zhou'' (province) of ancient China. Its capital city was Chengdu.de Crespigny, p. 256. During the Han dynasty, it included the commanderies Hanzhong, Ba, Guanghan, Shu, Wenshan, Jianwei, ...
(covering present-day
Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
Liu Bei
Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who founded the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period and became its first ruler. Although he was a distant relative of the ...
, a rival of Cao Cao. However, Chenggong Ying strongly objected as he felt that Han Sui should not simply abandon the power base he had built up over the years and become a vassal of another warlord. He urged Han Sui to take shelter under the Qiang tribes and wait for an opportunity to rise up again.
After Han Sui's death in 215, Chenggong Ying pledged allegiance to Cao Cao, who appointed him as a Military Adviser () and awarded him the title of a marquis. One day, when Chenggong Ying accompanied Cao Cao on a hunting excursion, he fired three consecutive arrows and shot down three deers. Cao Cao then asked him, "You were able to fulfil your loyalty towards Han Sui, so can you do the same with me?" Chenggong Ying knelt down and replied, "In all honesty, if Han Sui were still alive today, I wouldn't be here with you." He then shed tears. Cao Cao admired him for his loyalty towards his previous lord and treated him respectfully.
Chenggong Ying continued serving in the state of
Cao Pi
Cao Pi () ( – 29 June 226), courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Cao Cao, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty, but the eldest ...
, during the
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...
period after the end of the Eastern Han dynasty. During this time, he served as an Army Adviser () under Zhang Ji, the Inspector of Liang Province, and accompanied him on a campaign against rebel forces in Liang Province. He died of illness in an unknown year.