Huang Zhong 黃忠 was a military general who served Liu Bei notable for killing the Wei general, Xiahou Yuan, at Mt. Dingjun. He is the fifth general commonly associated with the Five Tiger Generals.
Biography[]
Huang Zhong was from Nanyang commandery. He served Liu Biao, who appointed Huang Zhong as Gentleman of the Household and had him defend You county in Changsha commandery with Liu Biao's nephew, Liu Pan. However, after Liu Biao's death in 208, Cao Cao annexed Jing province. Huang Zhong was given the temporary rank of Major-General and still retained his duties, this time under the command of Han Xuan. But after Cao Cao's forces were defeated at Chibi, Liu Bei began taking the various commanderies of southern Jing province; Huang Zhong decided to then follow Liu Bei.[1] In 211, after accepting office in Jiameng 葭萌, Huang Zhong was dispatched to attack Liu Zhang in Yi province. Huang Zhong was assigned to be the vanguard and bravely charged through the enemy ranks. After Liu Zhang surrendered, Huang Zhong was promoted to General Who Exterminates Caitiffs for his efforts.
In 219, Liu Bei attempted to seize Hanzhong from Cao Cao. Liu Bei's forces established their base on Mt. Dingjun (定軍山) and the Wei forces, under the command of Xiahou Yuan, were to the east.[2] Xiahou Yuan's forces were well-trained, so Huang Zhong thought pressuring their vanguard would entice the enemy to advance; he managed to lure Xiahou Yuan's forces into the valley below Mt. Dingjun. The Wei forces had surrounded the mountain, Zhang He on the eastern side and Xiahou Yuan on the southern side. During the night, Liu Bei led his personal forces against Zhang He and set fire to the abatis protecting Xiahou Yuan's position. Zhang He's forces were struggling, so Xiahou Yuan split half his forces to assist him as the rest tried extinguishing the fires.[3] Huang Zhong beat the drums fiercely and bravely stormed down the mountain into Xiahou Yuan's encirclement; his army slew Xiahou Yuan. Huang Zhong was promoted to General Who Subdues the West.[2] With Liu Bei securing Hanzhong, he titled himself as King of Hanzhong. In commemoration, Huang Zhong was promoted to General of the Rear and ennobled as Marquis within the Passes.[2][n 1] In 220, Huang Zhong died. In 260, Huang Zhong was posthumously titled "Unyielding" (剛) Lord by Liu Bei's successor, Liu Shan.[4]
Family[]
- Son: Huang Xu 黃敘 - Huang Xu died prior to Huang Zhong's death. With no other sons, Huang Zhong's line ended upon his death.
Notes[]
Fact vs. Fiction[]
- …Did not fight with Guan Yu when Liu Bei was seizing Jing province. Historically, Guan Yu was annoyed with Huang Zhong being equal ranked with himself. Had the two fought as suggested in the novel, Guan Yu would have respect for Huang Zhong and thus not make a fuss.
- ...There is no record of Huang Zhong's age or him being old. However, Huang Zhong was the first of the "Five Tigers" to die and it doesn't mention an illness, so perhaps he was older.
- ...Huang Zhong died in 220, so he did not participate in the Battle of Yiling.
References[]
- ↑ 黃忠字漢升，南陽人也。荊州牧劉表以為中郎將，與表從子磐共守長沙攸縣。及曹公克荊州，假行裨將軍，仍就故任，統屬長沙太守韓玄。先主南定諸郡，忠遂委質，隨從入蜀。自葭萌受任，還攻劉璋，忠常先登陷陣，勇毅冠三軍。益州旣定，拜為討虜將軍。Chen Shou, Pei Songzhi. "Biography of Huang Zhong" in the Annotations to the Records of the Three Kingdoms
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 建安二十四年，於漢中定軍山擊夏侯淵。淵衆甚精，忠推鋒必進，勸率士卒，金鼓振天，歡聲動谷，一戰斬淵，淵軍大敗。遷征西將軍。是歲，先主為漢中王，欲用忠為後將軍，諸葛亮說先主曰：「忠之名望，素非關、馬之倫也。而今便令同列。馬、張在近，親見其功，尚可喻指；關遙聞之，恐必不恱，得無不可乎！」先主曰：「吾自當解之。」遂與羽等齊位，賜爵關內侯。Chen Shou, Pei Songzhi. "Biography of Huang Zhong" in the Annotations to the Records of the Three Kingdoms
- ↑ SGZ: Biography of Zhang He.
- ↑ SGZ: Biography of Liu Shan.
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Sources[]
- Chen Shou 陳壽 (233–297). Sanguo zhi 三國志 “Records of the Three Kingdoms”, with official commentary compiled by Pei Songzhi 裴松之 (372-451).