Zhuge Jing Explained

Zhuge Jing
Birth Date:Before 257
Blank1:Courtesy name
Father:Zhuge Dan
Occupation:Military general, politician
Death Date:After 284[1]
Birth Place:Yinan County, Shandong
Native Name:諸葛靚
Term End:?
Term Start:?
Office:General of the Right (右将军)
Data1:Zhongsi (仲思)
Office1:Grand Marshal (大司馬)
Term End1:280
Term Start1:?
Monarch1:Sun Hao

Zhuge Jing (fl. 257-284), courtesy name Zhongsi, was a Chinese military general and politician of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Though originally from Cao Wei, he was sent to Wu as a hostage during the rebellion of his father, Zhuge Dan, in 257. After his father's death in 258, Zhuge Jing continued to stay in Wu where he served as a general until the state's demise in 280 which ended the Three Kingdoms.

Life

Zhuge Dan's Rebellion

See main article: Zhuge Dan's Rebellion. Not much is known of Zhuge Jing's early life apart from his family being from Yangdu County (present-day Yishui, Shandong Province), Langya Commandery. His father, Zhuge Dan, held important appointments in the Wei government and was involved in putting down major rebellions against Wei in 251 and 255. However, as his close associates were purged by the paramount Sima clan, he became fearful of his position and rebelled at Shouchun in 257. To ensure an alliance with Wei's rival, Eastern Wu, Dan sent Jing to Wu's capital at Jianye as a hostage.[2]

Dan's rebellion came to an end in 258 when he was slain by the general Hu Fen. Zhuge Jing's family was exterminated as punishment for Dan's insurrection, although one of his sisters was spared due to her marriage with one of the Sima clan's member, Sima Zhou. Zhuge Jing did not return to Wei and instead remained in Wu where he served as an officer in his new state. There, he grew to the position General of the Right (右将军) and Grand Marshal (大司馬).

Shi Dan's revolt

In 264, Sun Hao ascended the throne in Wu, and by 266, the state of Shu Han was conquered and Wei was replaced by the Sima Jin Dynasty. In 265, Sun Hao moved the capital from Jianye to Wuchang. As Sun Hao moved to Wuchang, he left Zhuge Jing and another general, Ding Gu (丁固), to defend Jianye.

In November to December 266, seeing Sun Hao's absent from Jianye, a bandit named Shi Dan (施但) took the opportunity to kidnap Sun Hao's brother Sun Qian (孫謙), hoping to install him as the new emperor. He then rebelled and gathered 10,000 men under his wing before making his way to Jianye. When Shi Dan arrived at the old capital, he sent an envoy to Zhuge Jing inviting him to join his revolt. However, Jing beheaded the envoy, and together with Ding Gu, went out to battle Shi Dan at Niutun (牛屯; southeast of present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu). Shi Dan's men were poorly armoured, so they were easily defeated and scattered. Sun Qian was rescued by the generals, but Sun Hao executed him as he thought Qian was a willing conspirator in the revolt.[3]

Battle of Hefei (268)

In 268, Zhuge Jing and Wu's Grand Marshal Ding Feng marched from Que Slope (芍陂; south of present-day Shou County, Anhui) and attacked Jin at Hefei, which was defended by Shi Bao. However, they were defeated by reinforcements led by Sima Jun. Ding Feng exchanged letters with Shi Bao regarding trivial matters, and after compromising, both sides retreated.[4]

Conquest of Wu

See main article: Conquest of Wu by Jin. At the end of 279, Emperor Wu of Jin launched a full-scaled invasion on Wu. As Jin forces advanced towards the capital in Jianye, Zhuge Jing with Shen Ying (沈瑩) and Sun Zhen (孫震), under the command of the Wu Chancellor Zhang Ti headed out with 30,000 men to repel the Jin commander, Wang Hun. They besieged Wang Hun's subordinate, Zhang Qiao (張喬), at Yanghe (杨荷; north of present-day He County, Anhui), who surrendered due to being outnumbered. Zhuge Jing advised Zhang Ti to execute Zhang Qiao and his men, as he believed that Zhang was only waiting for Jin reinforcements to arrive. Zhang Ti ignored his warnings and continued towards Wang Hun. The Wu forces then fought against the Jin Provisional Governor of Yangzhou, Zhou Jun (周浚), but this time, they were repelled. As they retreated, the Jin generals pursued and attacked them. As Jing had predicted, Zhang Qiao then rebelled, and the Jin forces decimated Wu at Banqiao (版橋; south of present-day He County, Anhui).[5]

Zhuge Jing broke out with a few hundred men before returning to find Zhang Ti. Once finding him, Jing tried convincing Zhang Ti to flee, but he was determined to stay and die fighting. Jing attempted to pull him away from the scene, but without success. In the end, he wept and left without Zhang Ti. It was said that after moving a hundred pace, he looked back and saw that Jin soldiers had already killed Zhang Ti.[6] Later, Zhuge Jing and his colleague, Sun Yi (孫奕), surrendered to Sima Zhou.

Life after the fall of Wu

After Wu capitulated in 280, Sun Hao and some former Wu officials, including Zhuge Jing, were relocated to Luoyang. Emperor Wu was a childhood friend of Zhuge Jing and wanted to get in touch with him. However, Zhuge Jing still bore a grudge against the Sima for the death of his family members and refused to meet him.

According to a story from the Shishuo Xinyu, the emperor, knowing that his uncle Sima Zhou was married to Jing's elder sister, decided to visit their home to find Jing. When Jing heard of the emperor's arrival, he attempted to hide in the lavatory but was eventually discovered by Emperor Wu. The emperor spoke to him, "Today, we finally meet each other again," to which Jing replied tearfully, "I regret not being able to cover my body in paint and remove the skin from my face before I meet Your Majesty again!", alluding to the stories of Yu Rang and Nie Zheng. Emperor Wu then left the home in shame.[7] [8]

Emperor Wu offered Zhuge Jing the appointment of Grand Marshal and later Palace Attendant (侍中), but on both occasions, Jing refused. He returned to his hometown to live the rest of his life as a commoner. Until his death, it is said that he never sat facing the direction of Luoyang due to his grudge. He had at least two sons, Zhuge Hui (诸葛恢) and Zhuge Yi (諸葛頤), who both served in the Jin government.[9]

Anecdote

Conversation with Sun Hao

Sun Hao once asked Zhuge Jing in court, "Gracious minister Zhongsi, what are you thinking about?" Zhuge Jing told him, "When at home I think about filial piety; when at work I think of devotion; when I'm with friends I think of trust; that's all there is to think about."[10]

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Zhuge Jing appears as a minor character in Luo Guanzhong's 14th century historical novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which romanticizes the events before and during the Three Kingdoms period. He appears in the final chapter of the novel, Chapter 120, which covers the Conquest of Wu by Jin. He and Shen Ying followed Zhang Ti to resist the invading Jin forces at Niuzhu (牛渚; in present day, Ma'anshan, Anhui). As Jin marched into Wu with little difficulty, Zhang Ti sent the two generals to check on the enemy advances. When reports of a strong Jin army arriving reached the generals, the two rushed in a panic to inform Zhang Ti about the situation. Jing was convinced that Wu was lost and urged Zhang Ti to flee. After his proposal was rejected, he wept and left Zhang Ti and Shen Ying to their fate.

References

Notes and References

  1. Jing's younger son Hui was born in 284 and was not noted to be a posthumous son.
  2. (遣長史吴綱將小子靚至吴請救。) Sanguozhi vol. 28.
  3. (泰始二年十月)永安山贼施但,因民劳怨,聚众数千人,劫吴主庶弟永安侯谦作乱,北至建业,众万馀人,未至三十里住,择吉日入城。遣使以谦命召丁固、诸葛靓,固、靓斩其使,发兵逆战于牛屯。但兵皆无甲胄,即时败散。谦独坐车中,生获之。固不敢杀,以状白吴主,吴主并其母及弟俊皆杀之。初,望气者云:“荆州有王气,当破扬州。”故吴主徙都武昌。及但反,自以为得计,遣数百人鼓噪入建业,杀但妻子,云“天子使荆州兵来破扬州贼。”
  4. (寶鼎三年,皓命奉與諸葛靚攻合肥。奉與晉大將石苞書,搆而間之,苞以徵還。) Sanguozhi vol. 55.
  5. (三月,悌等濟江,圍渾部將城陽都尉張喬於楊荷;喬衆纔七千,閉栅請降。諸葛靚欲屠之,悌曰:「強敵在前,不宜先事其小;且殺降不祥。」靚曰:「此屬以救兵未至,力少不敵,故且僞降以緩我,非眞伏也。若捨之而前,必爲後患。」悌不從,撫之而進。悌與揚州刺史汝南周浚,結陳相對,沈瑩帥丹陽銳卒、刀楯五千,三衝晉兵,不動。瑩引退,其衆亂,將軍薛勝、蔣班因其亂而乘之,吳兵以次奔潰,將帥不能止,張喬自後擊之,大敗吳兵于版橋。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 80
  6. (諸葛靚帥數百人遁去,使過迎張悌,悌不肯去,靚自往牽之曰:「存亡自有大數,非卿一人所支,柰何故自取死!」悌垂涕曰:「仲思,今日是我死日也!且我爲兒童時,便爲卿家丞相所識拔,常恐不得其死,負名賢知顧。今以身徇社稷,復何道邪!」靚再三牽之,不動,乃流淚放去,行百餘步,顧之,已爲晉兵所殺,幷斬孫震、沈瑩等七千八百級,吳人大震。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 80
  7. (諸葛靚後入晉,除大司馬,召不起。以與晉室有仇,常背洛水而坐。與武帝有舊,帝欲見之而無由,乃請諸葛妃呼靚。既來,帝就太妃間相見。禮畢,酒酣,帝曰:“卿故复憶竹馬之好不?”靚曰:“臣不能吞炭漆身,今日復睹聖顏。”因涕泗百行。帝於是慚悔而出。) A New Account of the Tales of the World, Volume 5.10
  8. A similar story was also recorded in the biography of Jing's son Hui in Book of Jin.
  9. (諸葛恢,字道明,琅邪陽都人也。祖誕,魏司空,為文帝所誅。父靚,奔吳,為大司馬。吳平,逃竄不出。武帝與靚有舊,靚姊又為琅邪王妃,帝知靚在姊間,因就見焉。靚逃於廁,帝又逼見之,謂曰:「不謂今日復得相見。」靚流涕曰:「不能漆身皮面,復睹聖顏!」詔以為侍中,固辭不拜,歸於鄉里,終身不向朝廷而坐。) Jin Shu vol. 77.
  10. (諸葛靚在吳,於朝堂大會。孫皓問:「卿字仲思,為何所思?」對曰:「在家思孝,事君思忠,朋友思信,如斯而已。」) A New Account of the Tales of the World, Volume 2.21