RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsWei 1 §73
NRepaid Liu Bei, with whom he had no prior ties, with his deathCh. 31 §39Ch. 31 §34
Gong Du 龔都
| Occupation | RRuler NGeneral | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Cause of death | NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R2 |
Profile
Gong Du was a leader of a bandit band in Runan. The Records give him no biography of his own, and he appears once each in the Biography of the First Sovereign and the Annals of Emperor Wu. Before Yuan Shao had yet been defeated, he joined forces with the First Sovereign (Liu Bei), who had come back to Runan on Yuan Shao's orders, and their following grew to several thousand; according to the Annals of Emperor Wu, he defeated Cai Yang, whom Cao Cao had sent. Records, Shu 2 §18Records, Wei 1 §73
When Cao Cao marched south in person against Liu Bei, Liu Bei fled to Liu Biao, and Gong Du and the others all scattered. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name or origin, or his deeds and death after the scattering. Records, Wei 1 §73
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 26 as a Yellow Turban running rampant in Runan together with Liu Pi, and he appears in 4 of the 120 chapters, with no chapter title bearing his name. He feigns defeat before Guan Yu and yields Runan, later welcomes Liu Bei to Runan together with Liu Pi, and in Chapter 31, while transporting provisions, he is surrounded by Cao Cao's troops and killed by Xiahou Yuan. Romance, Ch. 26 §18 · 24Romance, Ch. 28 §61Romance, Ch. 31 §26 · 34
In the Records
According to the Biography of the First Sovereign, in the 5th year of Jian'an (200) the First Sovereign (Liu Bei), heavily defeated by Lord Cao, went to Yuan Shao. When Lord Cao faced Yuan Shao at Guandu, the Yellow Turbans of Runan, Liu Pi and others, turned against Lord Cao and answered Yuan Shao's call, and Yuan Shao had the First Sovereign lead troops and attack the area around Xu together with Liu Pi and the others. Around this time Guan Yu escaped and returned to the First Sovereign. When Lord Cao sent Cao Ren with troops to attack the First Sovereign, the First Sovereign returned to Yuan Shao's army. Records, Shu 2 §16–18
The First Sovereign secretly wished to leave Yuan Shao, and persuaded Yuan Shao to ally in the south with Liu Biao, Governor of Jing Province. Yuan Shao had the First Sovereign lead his original troops back to Runan, where he joined forces with the bandit Gong Du and others, and their following grew to several thousand. Lord Cao sent Cai Yang to attack them, but Cai Yang was killed by the First Sovereign. After defeating Yuan Shao, Lord Cao marched south in person against the First Sovereign, and the First Sovereign sent Mi Zhu and Sun Qian to make contact with Liu Biao. Records, Shu 2 §18–19
The Annals of Emperor Wu record this in the passage on Cao Cao's return to Xu in the 9th month of the 6th year of Jian'an (201). Before Yuan Shao had yet been defeated, he had Liu Bei attack Runan, and the Runan bandits Gong Du and others answered him. Cao Cao sent Cai Yang to attack Gong Du, but things went badly and Cai Yang was defeated by Gong Du. When Cao Cao marched south against Liu Bei, Liu Bei, hearing that Cao Cao was coming in person, fled to Liu Biao, and Gong Du and the others all scattered. Records, Wei 1 §73
The Biography of the First Sovereign writes his name as Gong Du (龔都), while the Annals of Emperor Wu write it as Gong Du (共都). The two also differ on Cai Yang's fate: the Biography of the First Sovereign says he was killed by the First Sovereign, and the Annals of Emperor Wu say he was defeated by Gong Du. These two passages are the only places in Chen Shou's main text where Gong Du appears, and his courtesy name and origin, and his deeds and death after the scattering, are not recorded. Records, Shu 2 §18Records, Wei 1 §73
In the Romance
In Chapter 26 of the Romance, while Cao Cao holds a banquet in Xudu to celebrate Guan Yu's feats, a report comes in that the Yellow Turbans Liu Pi and Gong Du are running rampant in Runan and that Cao Hong has fought them several times without success. When Guan Yu volunteers, Cao Cao picks fifty thousand troops for him and makes Yu Jin and Yue Jin his lieutenant generals. Sun Qian, who is caught as a spy near Runan, reports that the two men Liu Pi and Gong Du have submitted to Yuan Shao and are helping him attack Cao Cao, and that the next day the two will feign a defeat. Romance, Ch. 26 §18–19 · 21–22
The next day, when Gong Du comes out before the lines in full armour, Guan Yu rebukes him for turning against the court. Gong Du retorts that it is Guan Yu who has betrayed his lord: Liu Xuande is with Yuan Benchu, yet Guan Yu follows Cao Cao, so how can that be? When Guan Yu advances brandishing his blade, Gong Du flees, then turns and says that the kindness of an old lord must not be forgotten and that he will yield Runan. Liu Pi and Gong Du feign defeat and scatter in all directions, and Guan Yu seizes the province and counties and returns to Xuchang. Romance, Ch. 26 §23–24
In Chapter 27, Sun Qian relates that after Guan Yu withdrew his troops, Liu Pi and Gong Du retook Runan and sent him to Hebei to make friends with Yuan Shao and invite Xuande to plan together to defeat Cao Cao. In Chapter 28, when Guan Yu and Sun Qian reach Runan, Liu Pi and Gong Du receive them, and Guan Yu takes his leave of the two and returns to Gucheng. At the end of the chapter, as Xuande is about to abandon Gucheng and go to hold Runan, Liu Pi and Gong Du send men to invite him, and Xuande goes to Runan and stations his troops there. Romance, Ch. 27 §47Romance, Ch. 28 §41–42 · 61
In Chapter 31, Xun Yu informs Cao Cao that Liu Bei has gained the tens of thousands of followers of Liu Pi and Gong Du in Runan. While Cao Cao's troops refuse to come out and fight, a report comes in that Gong Du has been surrounded by Cao Cao's troops while transporting provisions, and Xuande hastily sends Zhang Fei to rescue him. By the time Zhang Fei arrives, however, Gong Du has already been killed by Xiahou Yuan. Romance, Ch. 31 §22 · 26 · 34
Where the Romance differs
Yellow Turban: In Chapter 26 of the Romance, Gong Du is called a Yellow Turban of Runan together with Liu Pi. The Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records calls Liu Pi and the others the Yellow Turbans of Runan but refers to Gong Du as the bandit Gong Du, and the Annals of Emperor Wu also call him a bandit of Runan. Romance, Ch. 26 §18Records, Shu 2 §17–18Records, Wei 1 §73
The fight with Guan Yu: In Chapter 26 of the Romance, Guan Yu comes to attack Runan on Cao Cao's orders, and Gong Du feigns defeat before the lines and yields Runan. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, Guan Yu escaped and returned to the First Sovereign while the First Sovereign was attacking the area around Xu together with Liu Pi and the others, and it was after this that the First Sovereign joined forces with Gong Du and the others. There is no record in Chen Shou's main text of Guan Yu fighting Gong Du. Romance, Ch. 26 §18–19 · 23–24Records, Shu 2 §18Records, Shu 6 §4–6
How he joined Liu Bei: In Chapters 27 and 28 of the Romance, Liu Pi and Gong Du send Sun Qian to Hebei to invite Xuande, and also send men to Xuande at Gucheng to welcome him to Runan. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, Yuan Shao had the First Sovereign lead his original troops back to Runan, and there the First Sovereign joined forces with the bandit Gong Du and others. Romance, Ch. 27 §47Romance, Ch. 28 §61Records, Shu 2 §18
Cai Yang: In Chapter 28 of the Romance, Cai Yang is cut down by Guan Yu's blade before Gucheng. In the Records, Cai Yang, sent by Cao Cao, went to attack the First Sovereign and was killed by him according to the Biography of the First Sovereign, while according to the Annals of Emperor Wu he went to attack Gong Du and was defeated by Gong Du. Romance, Ch. 28 §35–36Records, Shu 2 §18Records, Wei 1 §73
The loss of Runan: In Chapter 31 of the Romance, while Liu Bei is away attacking Xuchang, Xiahou Dun circles around behind and breaks Runan. In the Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records, when Cao Cao marched south against Liu Bei, Liu Bei, hearing that Cao Cao was coming in person, fled to Liu Biao, and Gong Du and the others all scattered. Romance, Ch. 31 §26–27Records, Wei 1 §73
Death: In Chapter 31 of the Romance, Gong Du is surrounded by Cao Cao's troops while transporting provisions and is killed by Xiahou Yuan. The Records say only that Gong Du and the others scattered, and do not record what happened to him afterwards or his death. Romance, Ch. 31 §26 · 34Records, Wei 1 §73
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Abilities
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
Records total383 / 1000Rank 713 of 996 · Top 72%Romance total441 / 1000Rank 275 of 1,113 · Top 25%
Romance adaptation index+58Romance total − Records total
- LEA5545−10
- STR4240−2
- INT3852+14
- POL3131±0
- CHA4242±0
- VIR4070+30
- ADP4045+5
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3350+17
- DIS3135+4
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsWei 1 §73
NExchanged words with Guan Yu and reminded him of the kindness of his old lordCh. 26 §23Ch. 26 §24
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsWei 1 §73
NYielded Runan to Guan Yu through a feigned routCh. 26 §24
RJoined forces with Liu Bei to form a band of several thousand and defeated Cai YangWei 1 §73Shu 2 §18
NRan rampant in Runan, and Cao Hong could not beat him despite repeated battlesCh. 26 §18
6 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a bandit leaderWei 1 §73
NNo direct record — estimated from his facing Guan YuCh. 26 §23
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a bandit leaderWei 1 §73
NNo direct record — estimated from his role transporting provisionsCh. 31 §26
RNo direct record — estimated from his leading a following of several thousandShu 2 §18
NNo direct record — estimated from his leading a following of tens of thousandsCh. 31 §22
RNo direct record — estimated from his scattering when Cao Cao campaigned in personWei 1 §73
NTook Liu Bei's side, yielding Runan and then welcoming him backCh. 26 §24Ch. 28 §61
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsWei 1 §73
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 26 §23
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsWei 1 §73
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 28 §41
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
Romance chapters (4)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →