Xu Rong (general)

Xu Rong (died c.June 192^[1]) was a military general serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China.

Xu Rong
徐榮
General of the Household (中郎將)
In office ? (?)–192 (192)
Monarch	Emperor Xian of Han
Personal details
Born	Unknown Liaoyang or Shenyang, Liaoning
Died	192 Weinan, Shaanxi
Occupation	General

In this Chinese name, the family name is Xú (徐).

Life

Xu Rong was from Xiangping County (襄平縣), Liaodong Commandery (遼東郡), which is around present-day Liaoyang, Liaoning, but another account claimed that he was from Xuantu Commandery, which is around present-day Shenyang, Liaoning.^[2] Very little is known about his early life. He started his career as a subordinate of the warlord Dong Zhuo, who controlled the Han central government and the figurehead Emperor Xian from 189 to 192. He held the position of a General of the Household (中郎將). During this time, he recommended Gongsun Du, who was from the same commandery as him, to serve as the Administrator of Liaodong Commandery.^[3]

In 190, Xu Rong fought on Dong Zhuo's side against a coalition of warlords from the east of Hangu Pass. He defeated Cao Cao, who joined the coalition under Zhang Miao's banner, at the Battle of Xingyang.^[4] Later that year, he defeated Sun Jian, who joined the coalition under Yuan Shu's banner, at the Battle of Liangdong (梁東). He also captured Li Min (李旻), the Administrator of Yingchuan Commandery, and killed him via boiling.^[5]

In May 192, after Dong Zhuo was assassinated in Chang'an, Xu Rong switched allegiance to the new central government led by Wang Yun. Wang Yun ordered him to lead troops to attack Dong Zhuo's former followers led by Li Jue and Guo Si. Xu Rong was killed in action at Xinfeng County (新豐縣; south of present-day Weinan, Shaanxi).^[6]

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Xu Rong appears as a minor character in the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which romanticises the events before and during the Three Kingdoms period. In the novel, after Dong Zhuo relocates the imperial capital from Luoyang to Chang'an, Cao Cao sets off in pursuit of Dong Zhuo's forces. During this time, Xu Rong intercepts Cao Cao and defeats him in an ambush. Cao Cao narrowly escapes with the help of his cousin Cao Hong.

See also

• Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms

References

1. Sanguozhi indicated that Xu Rong died soon after Dong Zhuo, who died in May 192. Thus, Xu Rong's death date should be c.June 192
2. Volume 59 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded that Xu Rong was from Xuantu. However, Gongsun Du's biography in Sanguozhi recorded that Xu Rong was from the same commandery as him. The confusion may have arisen from the account in Du's biography that he was originally from Xiangping County, but his father Gongsun Yan later moved to Xuantu. (公孙度字升济，本辽东襄平人也。度父延，避吏居玄菟，任度为郡吏。时玄菟太守公孙琙，子豹，年十八岁，早死。度少时名豹，又与琙子同年，琙见而亲爱之，遣就师学，为取妻。后举有道，除尚书郎，稍迁冀州刺史，以谣言免。同郡徐荣为董卓中郎将，荐度为辽东太守。) Sanguozhi, vol.08
3. (同郡徐荣为董卓中郎将，荐度为辽东太守。) Sanguozhi, vol.08
4. (董卓在雒阳，袁绍等诸军皆畏其强，莫敢先进。曹操曰：“举义兵以诛暴乱，大众已合，诸君何疑！向使董卓倚王室，据旧京，东向以临天下，虽以无道行之，犹足为患。今焚烧宫室，劫迁天子，海内震动，不知所归，此天亡之时也，一战而天下定矣。”遂引兵西，将据成皋，张邈遣将卫兹分兵随之。进至荥阳汴水，遇卓将玄菟徐荣，与战，操兵败，...) Zizhi Tongjian vol.59
5. (时长沙太守孙坚亦率豫州诸郡兵讨卓。卓先遣将徐荣、李蒙四出虏掠。荣遇坚于梁，〈故城在今汝州梁县西南。〉与战，破坚，生禽颖川太守李旻，亨之.) Houhanshu, vol.72
6. (傕等然之，各相谓曰：“京师不赦我，我当以死决之。若攻长安克，则得天下矣；不克，则钞三辅妇女财物，西归乡里，尚可延命。”众以为然，于是共结盟，率军数千，晨夜西行。王允闻之，乃遣卓故将胡轸﹑徐荣击之于新丰。荣战死，轸以众降.) Houhanshu, vol.72

• Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
• Luo, Guanzhong (14th century). Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo Yanyi).
• Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).