Chunyu Qiong

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Chunyu Qiong
Traditional Chinese: 淳于瓊
Simplified Chinese: 淳于琼

Chunyu Qiong (? – 200), styled Zhongjian (仲簡), was a general serving under Yuan Shao during the last years of the Han Dynasty in China. He played a significant part in the Battle of Guandu in 200 AD.

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[edit] Life

Little is known about Chunyu Qiong's background other than that in 188, he was a Colonel of the newly created Western Garden Army along with Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. He may have left the capital at around the same time as Yuan and joined the coalition against Dong Zhuo in 190. It is clear that by the end of the decade, Chunyu had become one of Yuan Shao's leading and most trusted commanders. In a later memorial submitted by Cao Cao, he is referred to as "the great general under Yuan Shao." (紹大將)

In 200, the warlord Cao Cao had become Yuan's main rival for domination of northern China. In the preparations for the clash, Chunyu Qiong sided with Guo Tu against Ju Shou, calling for a more aggressive strategy against Cao Cao. As a result, he was given command of a third of the Yuan Shao's army along with Guo Tu. In ths spring of 200, he joined Guo Tu and Yan Liang in an attack on Baima, held by Cao Cao's commander Liu Yan.

In the latter stages of the battle of Guandu, Chunyu led more than 10,000 troops to Wuchao, about 40 li north of Yuan's main camp, to receive a new shipment of grain supplies. In early dawn, he was surprised by a raid led by Cao Cao himself. Yuan Shao's relief cavalry were routed and Chunyu Qiong was captured in the fighting. His nose was cut off, and he was brought to Cao Cao. Cao Cao asked, "What do you have to say for yourself?" and Chunyu replied: "The sky decides the victor, what need have you to ask?" Impressed by the answer, Cao Cao wanted to spare his life, but Xu You, the mastermind behind the Wuchao raid, urged his execution. Thus Chunyu Qiong was beheaded.

With the fall of Wuchao, Yuan Shao's positions collapsed and a number of his commanders, such as Gao Lan and Zhang He, defected to Cao Cao. Chunyu's defeat at Wuchao has earned him a reputation in Chinese folklore as a commander without any real ability.

[edit] Chunyu Qiong in Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong he was described as a heavy drinker and often seen with a bottle of wine. During the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao left Chunyu Qiong as the overseer of a very important supply depot in Wuchao. When Cao Cao, who listened to Xu You's advice, found the depot, Chunyu Qiong was drunk at the time and failed to put up any significant defence. This resulted in Cao Cao succeeding in burning down the supply depot. Afterwards, Cao Cao mutilated Chunyu Qiong and sent him back to Yuan Shao. Furious over the loss at Guandu (caused mainly by the burning of the depot) Yuan Shao executed Chunyu Qiong in 200 AD.

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