Cheng Pu 程普

Cheng Pu, courtesy name Demou, was a man of Tuyin County in Youbeiping Commandery. He first served as an official of the province and commandery; he had a fine appearance, was resourceful in planning and skilled at handling exchanges. Following Sun Jian on campaign, he attacked the Yellow Turbans at Wan and Deng and defeated Dong Zhuo at Yangren, and in storming cities and fighting in the field he suffered wounds to his body. Records, Wu 10 §2

When Sun Jian died, he again followed Sun Ce in Huainan, attacked and took Lujiang, and returned to cross the river eastward with him. When Sun Ce defeated Zhang Ying and others at Hengjiang and Dangli and took Moling, Hushu, Jurong and Qu'e, Cheng Pu won merit in every engagement and was given an additional 2,000 soldiers and 50 horses. In the subsequent defeat of Wucheng, Shimu, Bomen, Lingchuan and Yuhang, Cheng Pu's merit was the greatest. When Sun Ce entered Kuaiji, he made Cheng Pu Commandant of Wu Commandery with his seat at Qiantang. Records, Wu 10 §3

He was later transferred to Commandant of Danyang and stationed at Shicheng, and he attacked and defeated all the bandits of Xuancheng, Jing, Anwu, Lingyang and Chungu. Once, when Sun Ce attacked Zu Lang and was heavily surrounded, Cheng Pu, together with a single horseman, shielded Sun Ce, spurred his horse forward with a great shout and charged into the enemy with his spear. When the enemy scattered, Sun Ce broke out through the gap. He later became General of the Household Who Sweeps Away Bandits and concurrently Administrator of Lingling, followed Sun Ce in attacking Liu Xun at Xunyang and Huang Zu at Shaxian, and then returned to guard Shicheng. Records, Wu 10 §4

When Sun Ce died, he assisted Sun Quan together with Zhang Zhao and others, going round the three commanderies to subdue those who would not submit. The Biography of the Lord of Wu records that at this time Sun Quan treated Zhang Zhao with the courtesy due to a mentor and made Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu, Lü Fan and others his commanders. In the 8th year of Jian'an (203), when Sun Quan was returning from attacking Huang Zu in the west, he passed through Yuzhang and had Cheng Pu attack Le'an; when Le'an was pacified, Cheng Pu replaced Taishi Ci in guarding Haihun. Records, Wu 10 §5Records, Wu 2 §5 · 7

In the 13th year of Jian'an (208), when Liu Biao died and Lord Cao reached Jing Province, Liu Bei, who was at Xiakou, sent Zhuge Liang to Sun Quan, and Sun Quan sent Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu and others. Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu, as Left and Right Commanders each leading 10,000 men, advanced together with Liu Bei and routed Lord Cao's army at Red Cliffs. The Biography of Zhuge Liang gives the navy of Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu, Lu Su and others sent by Sun Quan at this time as 30,000, and the Biography of Cheng Pu records this battle as the defeat of Lord Cao at Wulin. Records, Wu 2 §11–13Records, Shu 5 §16Records, Wu 10 §5

Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu then advanced on Nan Commandery and faced Cao Ren across the great river. When Gan Ning, whom Zhou Yu had sent ahead, was surrounded at Yiling by Cao Ren's troops, the other generals said their forces were too few to divide, but Lü Meng proposed to Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu that they leave Ling Tong behind and go together to relieve him. The Biography of Cheng Pu records that Cheng Pu attacked Nan Commandery and drove Cao Ren away. Cheng Pu became Assistant General (pi jiangjun) and concurrently Administrator of Jiangxia with his seat at Shaxian, and received four counties as his fief. Records, Wu 9 §17 · 60–61Records, Wu 10 §5

Among the generals who had served from the beginning, Cheng Pu was the eldest, and the people of the time all called him Lord Cheng. He loved giving to others and was fond of men of letters. The Biography of Zhou Yu, however, records that while Zhou Yu generally won people's hearts, he alone was on bad terms with Cheng Pu. Later, when Sun Quan wished to make Sun Jiao and Lü Meng Grand Commanders of the Left and Right Divisions, Lü Meng warned him that when Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu had served as Commanders of the Left and Right Divisions in attacking Jiangling, Zhou Yu made the decisions, yet Cheng Pu prided himself on being a veteran general, and since both were commanders they could not work in harmony and nearly ruined the affairs of the state, urging him to take this as a warning. Records, Wu 10 §6Records, Wu 9 §22Records, Wu 6 §16

When Zhou Yu died, Cheng Pu succeeded him as concurrent Administrator of Nan Commandery. When Sun Quan divided Jing Province and gave part of it to Liu Bei, Cheng Pu returned to take charge of Jiangxia once more, and he died after being transferred to General Who Sweeps Away Bandits. The Records do not give the year of his death. The Biography of Sun Jiao records that Sun Jiao replaced Cheng Pu in overseeing Xiakou. Sun Quan later issued an ordinance saying, 'The people and retainers commanded by the late generals Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu are not to be questioned,' and when he took the imperial title he reviewed Cheng Pu's merit and enfeoffed his son Cheng Zi as Marquis of a Village (tinghou). Records, Wu 10 §6Records, Wu 9 §48 · 21Records, Wu 6 §10

In his assessment, Chen Shou called Cheng Pu and the other generals of this volume all tiger-like servants of Jiangbiao whom the Sun family treated generously. Records, Wu 10 §109