Gu Cheng 顧承

Gu Cheng's courtesy name was Zizhi. His father Gu Shao, the son of the Chancellor Gu Yong, died in office as Administrator of Yuzhang, leaving two sons, Gu Tan and Gu Cheng. In the Jiahe era Gu Cheng was summoned with courtesy together with his maternal uncle Lu Mao. Sun Quan sent a letter to the Chancellor Gu Yong saying, 'Your noble grandson Zizhi had a fine reputation, but on meeting him I found him even better than I had heard. I rejoice for you.' Gu Cheng was appointed Chief Commandant of Cavalry and commanded the Feathered Forest troops. Records, Wu 7 §36–39 · 48

Later, as Chief Commandant of the Western Division of Wu Commandery, he pacified the Shanyue together with Zhuge Ke and others, separately obtained eight thousand picked troops, and returned to station his army at Zhangkeng. He was appointed General of the Household Who Manifests Righteousness and then came to court as Palace Attendant. Records, Wu 7 §48

In the 4th month, in summer, of the 4th year of Chiwu (241), Sun Quan sent the General of the Guards Quan Cong to raid Huainan, and Quan Cong fought the Wei general Wang Ling at Quebei. According to the biography of Gu Tan, Gu Cheng went north with Zhang Xiu to attack Shouchun; when the battle of the Grand Commander Quan Cong went badly and the Wei troops, taking advantage of their victory, broke the force of Qin Er, commander of five battalions, Zhang Xiu and Gu Cheng fought hard and at last halted the Wei army. Quan Cong's sons Quan Xu and Quan Duan advanced and attacked after the enemy had been halted, and Wang Ling's army withdrew because of this. Records, Wu 2 §95Records, Wu 7 §44–45

When merits were assessed, halting the enemy was judged the greater merit and driving the enemy back the lesser, so Zhang Xiu and Gu Cheng both became generals with miscellaneous titles, while Quan Xu and Quan Duan became only lieutenant and subordinate generals. At the time of the battle of Quebei Gu Cheng was appointed General Who Displays Might, and he went out to take charge as Area Commander of Jingxia. Records, Wu 7 §45 · 49

At this time Sun Ba, the King of Lu, enjoyed great favor and stood on a par with the crown prince Sun He, and when Gu Tan, Gu Cheng's elder brother, memorialized that the distinction between the heir and the other sons should be made clear, a rift opened between him and Sun Ba. Quan Ji (全寄), the son of Quan Cong, who had become a retainer of Sun Ba, was a man of crooked conduct whom Gu Tan had refused to receive, and over the rewards for Quebei Quan Ji and his father bore all the more resentment and together framed Gu Tan, who was implicated and exiled to Jiao Province. Records, Wu 7 §42 · 44–45

The biography of Zhang Xiu records that Zhang Xiu was slandered by the faction of Sun Ba, the King of Lu; in connection with the assessment of merits for the battle of Quebei, it was alleged that Zhang Xiu and Gu Cheng had colluded with Chen Xun, the Commander of the Guard, to falsely exaggerate their achievements, and he was exiled to Jiao Province together with Gu Tan and Gu Cheng. The biography of Lu Xun records that Lu Xun memorialized repeatedly to protect the crown prince but was not heeded, and that Lu Xun's nephews Gu Tan and Gu Cheng and Yao Xin were unjustly exiled because they had all attached themselves to the crown prince. Records, Wu 7 §24Records, Wu 13 §55

A few years after the battle of Quebei, Gu Cheng was exiled to Jiao Province together with his elder brother Gu Tan, Zhang Xiu and others, and died at the age of thirty-seven. Chen Shou's main text does not state the year of his death. His elder brother Gu Tan died in Jiaozhi at forty-two, two years after his exile, and Zhang Xiu was ordered to die after being slandered by the Prefect of the Palace Secretariat Sun Hong. Records, Wu 7 §49 · 46 · 25

In his assessment, Chen Shou said that Gu Tan offered upright counsel in public affairs and had the integrity of loyalty and uprightness, and that Zhang Xiu and Gu Cheng cultivated their resolve and both hoped to do good, but as love and hatred attacked each other they were exiled to the southern frontier, which was lamentable. Records, Wu 7 §101