Luo Tong 駱統

Luo Tong, courtesy name Gongxu, was a man of Wushang County in Kuaiji Commandery. His father Luo Jun rose to be Chancellor of Chen but was killed by Yuan Shu. When his mother remarried and became a concubine of Hua Xin, Luo Tong, then eight years old, returned to Kuaiji with relatives and retainers. When his mother saw him off, Luo Tong bowed in farewell, got into the carriage and faced forward without looking back, while his mother wept behind him. When the driver said that the lady was still there, Luo Tong said he did not look back because he did not want to add to his mother's longing. He served his father's principal wife with great care. Records, Wu 12 §51

At that time there was a famine, and many of the local people and of the guests from afar were in want, so Luo Tong cut back on his own food and drink for their sake. When his elder sister, who had been widowed and returned to her family home, asked him the reason several times, Luo Tong said, 'When gentlemen do not even have enough dregs and husks, how could I have the heart to eat my fill alone?' His sister gave her own grain to Luo Tong and also told their mother, and their mother too thought him worthy and let him share it out in charity. Because of this he became known. Records, Wu 12 §52

When Sun Quan, as a general, also held the post of Administrator of Kuaiji, Luo Tong at twenty was made Chancellor of Wucheng on trial, and the people, more than ten thousand households, all praised his kindly government. Sun Quan commended him, summoned him as Officer of Merit with acting rank as Chief Commandant of Cavalry, and gave him the daughter of his cousin Sun Fu as a wife. Luo Tong set his mind on making up for shortcomings and keeping watch, and whenever he heard or saw something he reported it that evening without waiting for morning. He constantly urged Sun Quan to honour the worthy and receive scholars, and on days of banquets and gifts to have each man come forward separately so that he could ask after his circumstances and learn his aims and inclinations, and Sun Quan adopted this. Records, Wu 12 §53–54

Luo Tong was sent out as General of the Household Who Establishes Loyalty, in command of 3,000 martial archer officers, and when Ling Tong died he also took command of his troops. Records, Wu 12 §54

At this time, when levies and labour service were frequent and an epidemic was added to them so that the number of households declined, Luo Tong submitted a memorial. He said that wealth and strength, authority and blessings, virtue and righteousness all depended on the people, and that those who went out as soldiers lived in hardship and in death did not even have their bones returned, so that the people regarded conscription as the same as death. At every levy, he said, the weak and those with many dependants were sent first, those with some wealth paid bribes, and the agile fled to rugged places and joined bands of evildoers. He also said that among the common people many did not raise the children born to them, and that the poor soldiers of the agricultural garrisons also abandoned their children, and that a state's having its people was like water's having boats. Sun Quan was moved by Luo Tong's words and gave the matter deep attention. Records, Wu 12 §55–61

For his merit in following Lu Xun and defeating the Shu army at Yidu, Luo Tong was transferred to Lieutenant General. When Liu Bei stayed at Baidi, Xu Sheng, Pan Zhang, Song Qian and others asked to attack again, saying that Liu Bei could be captured, but Lu Xun, together with Zhu Ran and Luo Tong, held that since Cao Pi was assembling a large army they should return at once. Before long the Wei army did indeed set out. Records, Wu 12 §62Records, Wu 13 §28

At the beginning of Huangwu, when Cao Ren attacked Ruxu and had his subordinate general Chang Diao and others raid Zhongzhou, Luo Tong and Yan Gui together held them off and defeated them. For this merit he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Xinyang Village, and later became Commander of Ruxu. Records, Wu 12 §62

When Zhang Wen fell into disgrace, General Luo Tong submitted a memorial defending him, saying that Zhang Wen truly had no disloyal intent at heart and no trace of rebellion in his conduct, and was merely young and lacking in gravity. But Sun Quan in the end did not accept it. Records, Wu 12 §36–37 · 48

Luo Tong repeatedly presented proposals suited to the times, submitting dozens of documents in all, and Chen Shou wrote that they were all excellent but too long to record in full. In particular he said that private recruitment of soldiers (zhanmu) fostered evil among the people, ruined customs and bred disloyalty, and should be stopped at once; Sun Quan debated it with him back and forth many times and finally put it into effect. Luo Tong died in the 7th year of Huangwu (228) at the age of thirty-six. Records, Wu 12 §62

In his assessment Chen Shou said that Luo Tong upheld and made clear the great principles, his words earnest and his reasoning complete, but that he happened to meet a time when Sun Quan's mind was closed and would not open. Records, Wu 12 §89