Cheng Pu 程普 Demou 德謀

Contents

Introduction

Cheng Pu (程普), courtesy name Demou (德谋), was an Eastern Wu general from Youbeiping and one of the “Tiger Generals of Jiangbiao.” He served under Sun Jian (against Yellow Turbans at Wan and Deng, against Dong Zhuo at Yangren), then under Sun Ce in the Huai and in the conquest of Jiangdong—at Hengjiang and Dangli he helped defeat Zhang Ying and Yu Mi; at Moling, Hushu, Jurong, and Qu’a he had merit; Sun Ce added two thousand troops and fifty horses. He was Chief of Wu Commandery (at Qiantang), then Chief of Danyang (at Shicheng). He campaigned against bandits in Xuancheng, Jing, Anwu, Lingyang, and Chungu; when Sun Ce was surrounded by Zu Lang, Cheng Pu and one rider broke in with a spear and brought him out. He was made General of the Household Who Pacifies the Caitiffs and Administrator of Lingling, took part in the attack on Liu Xun at Xunyang and on Huang Zu at Shayi, and returned to guard Shicheng. Under Sun Quan he pacified the three commanderies, campaigned in Jiangxia and Lelan, and replaced the late Taishi Ci at Haihun. At Chibi (208) he was Right Commander with Zhou Yu (Left Commander) and they defeated Cao Cao; the next year he attacked Nan Commandery and helped drive out Cao Ren. He was made General of the Side and Administrator of Jiangxia (at Shayi, four counties). When Zhou Yu died (210) he acted as Administrator of Nan Commandery; after Sun Quan ceded Nan Commandery to Liu Bei he returned to Jiangxia and was made General Who Pacifies the Caitiffs. He died the same year. Chen Shou wrote that he was the eldest of the early generals and was called “Lord Cheng” (程公), that he was fond of giving and of the company of gentlemen, and that with the others he was “a tiger of Jiangbiao, well treated by the Sun house.”

Biography

Under Sun Jian

Cheng Pu was from Tuyin (土垠), Youbeiping (右北平). He served as an officer in the commandery and then followed Sun Jian on campaign. He took part in attacks on Yellow Turban remnants at Wan and Deng and in the defeat of Dong Zhuo at Yangren. He was brave and often in the front rank and was wounded many times. He was appointed Separate Commander (別部司馬).

Under Sun Ce

When Sun Jian died (191), Cheng Pu followed Sun Ce. He went with him to the Huai, attacked Lujiang, and crossed the river east. At Hengjiang and Dangli they defeated Zhang Ying, Yu Mi, and others; they then attacked Moling, Hushu, Jurong, and Qu’a, and Cheng Pu had merit in each. Sun Ce gave him two thousand extra troops and fifty horses. They went on to take Wucheng, Shimu, Bomen, Lingchuan, and Yuhang—Cheng Pu’s achievements were the greatest. When Sun Ce took Kuaiji he made Cheng Pu Chief of Wu Commandery (吳郡都尉), with his seat at Qiantang. He was later Chief of Danyang (丹楊都尉), based at Shicheng.

Cheng Pu then took part in campaigns against bandits in Xuancheng, Jing, Anwu, Lingyang, and Chungu. When Sun Ce attacked Zu Lang he was surrounded; Cheng Pu took a spear and one rider, fought his way in with loud shouts, and brought Sun Ce out. He was appointed General of the Household Who Pacifies the Caitiffs (蕩寇中郎將) and Administrator of Lingling (零陵太守). He followed the army against Liu Xun at Xunyang and against Huang Zu at Shayi, then returned to guard Shicheng.

Under Sun Quan

When Sun Ce was assassinated (200), Sun Quan succeeded. Cheng Pu joined Zhang Zhao and Zhou Yu in assisting him. He toured the three commanderies and put down those who did not submit. In 203 he went with Sun Quan on the campaign against Jiangxia; they reached Yuzhang and Cheng Pu led a separate force against Lelan, which he soon pacified. In 206 Taishi Ci died and Cheng Pu took over the defence of Haihun (海昬).

In 208 Sun Quan made Zhou Yu Left Commander (左都督) and Cheng Pu Right Commander (右都督), with Lu Su as Army Libationer, and they fought the Battle of Red Cliffs (Chibi), defeating Cao Cao at Wulin. In 209 they attacked Nan Commandery and after many months’ fighting drove out Cao Ren. Cheng Pu was made General of the Side (裨將軍) and Administrator of Jiangxia (江夏太守), with his seat at Shayi and revenue from four counties.

In 210 Zhou Yu died. Cheng Pu acted as Administrator of Nan Commandery. When Sun Quan made an alliance with Liu Bei and gave Nan Commandery to him, Cheng Pu returned to his post as Administrator of Jiangxia and was promoted to General Who Pacifies the Caitiffs (蕩寇將軍). He died soon after. The Wu shu says he had executed rebels and cast the corpses into fire, then fell ill and died more than a hundred days later.

Personality and traits

Cheng Pu had a dignified bearing and was skilled in debate and strategy; he enjoyed the company of gentlemen. He was the oldest of the Sun family’s early generals and was called “Lord Cheng” (程公) by the people of Wu. He was by nature generous and fond of giving. According to the Jiangbiao zhuan, Cheng Pu, feeling his seniority, repeatedly insulted Zhou Yu; Zhou Yu was broad-minded and did not take it to heart. Cheng Pu later came to respect Zhou Yu and grew closer to him, saying to others: “To associate with Zhou Gongjin is like drinking fine wine—before you know it you are intoxicated.”

Political achievements

Under Sun Jian: Separate Commander; campaigns at Wan, Deng, Yangren. Under Sun Ce: merit at Hengjiang, Dangli, Moling, Hushu, Jurong, Qu’a, Wucheng, and elsewhere; Chief of Wu Commandery, Chief of Danyang; campaigns in Xuancheng and neighbouring counties; rescued Sun Ce from Zu Lang’s encirclement; General of the Household Who Pacifies the Caitiffs and Administrator of Lingling; attack on Liu Xun and Huang Zu. Under Sun Quan: pacification of three commanderies; Jiangxia campaign and Lelan; defence of Haihun; Right Commander at Chibi (208); attack on Nan Commandery and defeat of Cao Ren (209); General of the Side, Administrator of Jiangxia; acting Administrator of Nan Commandery; General Who Pacifies the Caitiffs.

Relationships

Sun Jian, Sun Ce, Sun Quan

Cheng Pu served three generations of the Sun family and was one of the “Tiger Generals of Jiangbiao” whom the Sun house treated with great favour.

Zhou Yu

At Chibi, Cheng Pu was Right Commander and Zhou Yu Left Commander. Cheng Pu initially resented Zhou Yu’s youth and high rank; after Zhou Yu’s forbearance he became an admirer and friend (“drinking fine wine”).

Lü Meng

Lü Meng later said that when Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu were left and right commanders in the attack on Jiangling, although decisions lay with Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu relied on his long service and equal rank as commander, so the two were at odds and nearly brought the state to disaster.

Anecdotes and allusions

Rescuing Sun Ce from Zu Lang

When Sun Ce was surrounded by Zu Lang’s forces, Cheng Pu and one rider broke in with a spear, shouting and striking left and right, and brought Sun Ce out.

Source: Records of the Three Kingdoms, Jiangbiao zhuan
Type: Historical

“Drinking fine wine”

After Cheng Pu had repeatedly slighted Zhou Yu and Zhou Yu had not responded, Cheng Pu said: “To associate with Zhou Gongjin is like drinking fine wine—before you know it you are intoxicated.”

Source: Jiangbiao zhuan
Type: Historical

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In the novel, Cheng Pu appears with Zu Mao, Han Dang, and Huang Gai as Sun Jian’s earliest officers. He uses an iron-spine serpent spear, kills Hu Zhen (Hua Xiong’s lieutenant), and suggests that Sun Jian return home to build his base. He fights Yan Liang and Wen Chou with Huang Gai and Han Dang. After Sun Jian’s death he kills Lü Gong to avenge Sun Jian. He and Huang Gai and Han Dang join Sun Ce after Lü Fan’s persuasion. He duels Taishi Ci to a draw. Under Sun Quan he takes part in the campaign against Huang Zu and is said to shoot Huang Zu (with Gan Ning taking the head). He serves as a commander and has a period of friction with Zhou Yu.

Achievements

Documented achievements include: campaigns under Sun Jian (Wan, Deng, Yangren); under Sun Ce (Hengjiang, Dangli, Moling, Hushu, Jurong, Qu’a, Wucheng, and other places; rescue of Sun Ce from Zu Lang; Liu Xun, Huang Zu); under Sun Quan (pacification of three commanderies; Jiangxia, Lelan; Haihun; Chibi as Right Commander; Nan Commandery; Administrator of Jiangxia; General Who Pacifies the Caitiffs).

Behind the scenes

Historical sources

Cheng Pu’s biography is in the Records of the Three Kingdoms (三国志), “Biographies of Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, Jiang Qin, Zhou Tai, Chen Wu, Dong Xi, Gan Ning, Ling Tong, Xu Sheng, Pan Zhang, and Ding Feng” (吳書·程黃韓蔣周陳董甘凌徐潘丁傳). The Wu shu (in Pei Songzhi’s commentary) gives the story of his executing rebels, casting bodies into fire, and dying of illness. The Jiangbiao zhuan gives the “drinking fine wine” anecdote. In Bu Zhi’s list of eleven officials for Sun Deng, “Cheng Pu” appears; Chen Jingyun suggested this might be a scribal error for “Lü Dai,” since Cheng Pu had long been dead.

Chen Shou’s evaluation

“Of the first generals to come forward, Cheng Pu was the oldest; his contemporaries all called him Lord Cheng. He was by nature fond of giving and liked the company of gentlemen.” “All these generals were tigers of Jiangbiao, and the Sun house treated them with great favour.”

Historical evaluations

Sun Quan

Sun Quan’s later order: “The late generals Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu—their retainers and guests are not to be questioned.”

Lu Ji

“Gan Ning, Ling Tong, Cheng Pu, He Qi, Zhu Huan, Zhu Ran and the like displayed their might; Han Dang, Pan Zhang, Huang Gai, Jiang Qin, Zhou Tai and their kind exerted their strength.”

Legacy

Cheng Pu is remembered as one of the “Tiger Generals of Jiangbiao,” the eldest of the Sun family’s early commanders, and as Right Commander with Zhou Yu at the Battle of Red Cliffs.

References

Chen Shou. Records of the Three Kingdoms (三国志), “Biographies of Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, and others” (吳書·程黃韓蔣周陳董甘凌徐潘丁傳).
Pei Songzhi. Commentary citing Wu shu, Jiangbiao zhuan.
Luo Guanzhong. Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三國演義), chapters on Sun Jian, Sun Ce, Chibi, and Nan Commandery.