Quan Cong 全琮

Quan Cong, courtesy name Zihuang, was a man of Qiantang County in Wu Commandery. His father Quan Rou was recommended as Filial and Incorrupt in the time of Emperor Ling of Han and became Right Assistant Gentleman of the Masters of Writing, but gave up office and returned home during Dong Zhuo's upheaval; when Sun Ce reached Wu Commandery, he raised troops and was among the first to submit, becoming Commandant of Danyang. When Sun Quan became General of Chariots and Cavalry, Quan Rou became his Chief Clerk and was then transferred to be Administrator of Guiyang. Records, Wu 15 §21

When Quan Rou gave Quan Cong several thousand hu of rice to take to Wu Commandery to trade, Quan Cong gave all of it away and came back with empty boats. When Quan Cong answered that the gentlemen scholars were in dire straits and so he had given them relief at once, Quan Rou thought him all the more remarkable. Among the scholars who had fled the turmoil of the Central Plains, those who lived in dependence on Quan Cong numbered in the hundreds, and Quan Cong spent his family fortune to help them, so that his name became known far and near. Pang Tong, who came to Wu after Zhou Yu's death, told Quan Cong that he 'loved to give and admired fame', and judged that though not great in wisdom or strength, he was a fine man of his generation. Records, Wu 15 §22Records, Shu 7 §4–5

Later Sun Quan made him Colonel Who Displays Might, gave him several thousand troops and had him attack the Shanyue. Quan Cong recruited more than 10,000 elite troops, garrisoned Niuzhu, and was gradually promoted to Lieutenant General. In the 24th year of Jian'an (219), when Guan Yu surrounded Fan and Xiangyang, Quan Cong submitted a memorial on a plan to attack Guan Yu, but Sun Quan, who was already secretly discussing a surprise attack with Lü Meng, did not reply for fear that the plan would leak. After capturing Guan Yu, Sun Quan said to him at a banquet at Gong'an, 'Today's victory is also your achievement,' and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Yanghua Precinct. Records, Wu 15 §23–24

In the 1st year of Huangwu (222), when the Wei navy came out in force to Dongkou, Lü Fan directed the generals in resisting it. Quan Cong always wore armour and carried weapons, keeping watch without rest, and when several thousand of the enemy came out into the middle of the river, he attacked and routed them, beheading their general Yin Lu and displaying his head. The Biography of the Lord of Wu records that in the 11th month, in winter, of that year Xu Sheng also joined in the pursuit. Quan Cong was promoted to General Who Pacifies the South and raised in rank to Marquis of Qiantang, and in the 4th year of Huangwu (225) he was granted Acting with Imperial Authority and concurrently made Administrator of Jiujiang. Records, Wu 15 §25Records, Wu 2 §47Records, Wu 11 §37

In the 7th year of Huangwu (228), when Sun Quan reached Wan, he had Quan Cong and Lu Xun, General Who Supports the State, attack Cao Xiu, and they defeated him at Shiting. The biography of Zhu Huan records that Lu Xun was commander-in-chief and that Quan Cong and Zhu Huan each led 30,000 men as Left and Right Commanders. When the mountain people of Danyang, Wu and Kuaiji turned to banditry again, Sun Quan carved out the rugged lands of the three commanderies to establish Dong'an Commandery and made Quan Cong its Administrator concurrently; the Biography of the Lord of Wu places this in autumn of the 5th year of Huangwu (226). Quan Cong made rewards and punishments clear and won over those who surrendered, gaining more than 10,000 people within a few years, and Sun Quan recalled him to Niuzhu and abolished Dong'an Commandery. Records, Wu 15 §26Records, Wu 11 §53Records, Wu 2 §54

In the 1st year of Huanglong (229) he became General of the Guards, Left Protector of the Army and Governor of Xu Province, and married a princess. The princess was Sun Luban, the eldest daughter of Sun Quan and Lady Bu, who had first married Zhou Yu's son and later married Quan Cong. In the 2nd year of Jiahe (233) he led 50,000 infantry and cavalry to attack Liu'an, and when the people all scattered and fled, the generals wanted to divide their forces to capture them. Quan Cong stopped them, saying that to count on luck and undertake something less than certain was not the great principle of the state, and that he would rather take the blame himself. The Biography of the Lord of Wu records that in this year Quan Cong attacked Liu'an and returned without success. Records, Wu 15 §26–28Records, Wu 5 §15Records, Wu 2 §76

In the 3rd year of Jiahe (234) he and Zhu Ran were granted the axes of authority as Left and Right Commanders, but their troops fell ill, and they withdrew without attacking. In the 6th year of Jiahe (237), when Lü Xi, Registrar of Lujiang for Wei, offered to open the city gate and act as an inside collaborator, Quan Cong went with Zhu Huan to meet him, but the plot was discovered. When Quan Cong, who was in command, proposed dividing the generals to make surprise raids because nothing had been gained, Zhu Huan flew into a rage and argued with him. Quan Cong excused himself by saying that His Majesty had personally made Hu Zong commander, and that this was Hu Zong's intention. Records, Wu 11 §19 · 55–57

In the 4th month, in summer, of the 4th year of Chiwu (241), Quan Cong raided Huainan, breached the dykes of Quebei and burned the granaries at Ancheng, and in fighting the Wei general Wang Ling at Quebei he lost more than ten men, including Qin Huang, General of the Household. The biography of Gu Tan records that at this time the army of the Grand Commander Quan Cong was faring badly, but Zhang Xiu and Gu Cheng fought hard and halted the Wei army, and Quan Cong's sons Quan Xu and Quan Duan then advanced and attacked, so that Wang Ling's army withdrew. When, in the award of merit, Quan Xu and Quan Duan were made only lieutenant and subordinate generals, Quan Cong and his son Quan Ji, father and son, bore an even deeper grudge and together framed Gu Tan. Records, Wu 2 §95Records, Wei 28 §5Records, Wu 7 §44–45

When the two palaces of the Crown Prince and the King of Lu stood side by side, Quan Cong informed Lu Xun that he was sending his sons and younger kinsmen to serve in attendance. Lu Xun held that one should not privately send out one's sons to seek glory and profit, and when Quan Cong's son Quan Ji did indeed attach himself to the King of Lu and sow discord, Lu Xun sent a letter saying, 'In the end he will bring disaster on your house.' Quan Cong did not accept this, and a rift opened between the two men over the matter. Records, Wu 13 §54–55Records, Wu 7 §44

In the 9th year of Chiwu (246) he was promoted to Grand Marshal of the Right and Left Military Adviser. Chen Shou wrote that he was respectful and compliant, good at reading his lord's face and offering admonition, and that his words were never harsh or offensive. Earlier, when Sun Quan wanted to attack Zhuya and Yizhou, Quan Cong advised against it, saying that because of the miasmic diseases of those distant lands, those who went would not return, but Sun Quan did not listen. After a year, eight or nine out of ten of the soldiers had died of pestilence, and Sun Quan deeply regretted it. Records, Wu 15 §28–29Records, Wu 2 §104

Quan Cong was close to the ruler and trusted, so that the sons and younger members of his clan all obtained high positions and the gifts he received amounted to thousands of gold many times over, yet he still treated scholars with humility and showed no sign of arrogance. He died in the 12th year of Chiwu (249). The Biography of the Lord of Wu records that Quan Cong, Grand Marshal of the Right, died in the 1st month of the 10th year of Chiwu (247). His son Quan Yi succeeded him, and later, when sent to relieve Zhuge Dan at Shouchun, he was the first to surrender to Wei and became General Who Pacifies the East. Records, Wu 15 §30Records, Wu 2 §105Records, Wei 28 §99

In his assessment, Chen Shou wrote that Quan Cong had the talents of his age and was esteemed in his time, but that because he failed to restrain his wicked son, he incurred criticism and sullied his name. Records, Wu 15 §86