13 Facts About Kong Rong

Kong Rong, courtesy name Wenju, was a Chinese poet, politician, and minor warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China.

Kong Rong was defeated by Yuan Tan in 196 and escaped to the capital Xuchang.

For being a political opponent of Cao Cao and humiliating him on multiple occasions, Kong Rong was eventually put to death on various charges.

Kong Rong answered that his ancestor Confucius was a student and friend of Lao Tzu.

When he grew older, Kong Rong entered the bureaucracy of the Eastern Han dynasty.

Kong Rong was successively promoted and in 190 was appointed Chancellor of Beihai State, situated in Qing Province, the area most heavily contested by the Yellow Turban rebels during the 180s.

Kong Rong promoted Confucian studies and provided proper burial for deceased refugees who had no family members to look after their funeral affairs.

Kong Rong sent Taishi Ci to seek help from Liu Bei, then the Prefect of Pingyuan County.

In 195, through Liu Bei's nomination, Kong Rong was further promoted to be the Inspector of Qing Province.

Kong Rong escaped to the capital Xuchang, where he was appointed Minister Steward.

Kong Rong held a pessimistic view, telling Cao Cao's adviser Xun Yu that Yuan Shao would be extremely difficult to defeat as he had ample food supplies, far superior troop strength and many capable and loyal subjects.

When Kong Rong heard of this, he wrote Cao Cao a letter, falsifying a parallel in ancient history, claiming King Wu of Zhou arranged marriage between his brother the Duke of Zhou and the beautiful consort Daji, lately the favourite of the defeated king Di Xin, and legendarily blamed for the downfall of the Shang dynasty.

In 208, Kong Rong spoke ill of Cao Cao before an emissary from Sun Quan, a warlord who ruled the territories in the Jiangdong region.