Hou Cheng
Encyclopedia
Hou Cheng was a general serving under the warlord Lü Bu
during the late Han Dynasty
era of Chinese history
. He defected to the warlord Cao Cao
during the Battle of Xiapi
.
According to Sima Biao's Spring and Autumn Annals of the Nine Provinces (九州春秋), Hou once sent a man to graze a band of 15 horses outside the city, but the man drove the horse towards Xiaopei
, intending to defect to Liu Bei
. Hou personally led a pursuit and reclaimed the horses. His colleagues then gathered to celebrate. Before the feast ensued, Hou brought some wine to pay respect to Lü Bu, but the latter was enraged as he had enforced a ban on liquor. The fearful Hou then discarded all his wine and called off the celebration.
When Cao Cao laid siege on Lü Bu in Xiapi in 198, Hou, together with Song Xian
and Wei Xu
, captured Lü Bu's chief advisor Chen Gong
and surrendered. Lü was defeated and executed shortly afterwards. Hou Cheng's fate after the battle was not recorded in history.
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
, Lü Bu ordered Hou to be flogged 50 times for breaking the ban on liquor. The incident sowed the seed of discord between Lü and his generals, who were already dissatisfied with him.
Hou then plotted with his colleagues Song Xian
and Wei Xu
to betray Lü Bu to Cao Cao
. That very night, Hou stole the Red Hare
, Lü Bu's steed, and headed for Cao's camp outside the city. The next morning, Cao's army launched an attack on the city. Song Xian and Wei Xu turned against Lü Bu and captured him and handed to Cao's forces.
Lü Bu
Lü Bu was a military general and later a minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu was highly-skilled in horse-riding and archery, and was thus nicknamed "Flying General"...
during the late Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
era of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. He defected to the warlord Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
during the Battle of Xiapi
Battle of Xiapi
The Battle of Xiapi was a battle fought by the forces of Lü Bu against the allied armies of Cao Cao and Liu Bei in 198 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
.
According to Sima Biao's Spring and Autumn Annals of the Nine Provinces (九州春秋), Hou once sent a man to graze a band of 15 horses outside the city, but the man drove the horse towards Xiaopei
Xiaopei
Xiaopei is an ancient Chinese town located in present-day Pei County, Jiangsu. During the late Han Dynasty period, it was under the jurisdiction of Xu Province, governed by Tao Qian. Before Tao died, he handed his governorship over to Liu Bei. Liu Bei took refuge in Xiaopei when Lü Bu seized Xu...
, intending to defect to Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
. Hou personally led a pursuit and reclaimed the horses. His colleagues then gathered to celebrate. Before the feast ensued, Hou brought some wine to pay respect to Lü Bu, but the latter was enraged as he had enforced a ban on liquor. The fearful Hou then discarded all his wine and called off the celebration.
When Cao Cao laid siege on Lü Bu in Xiapi in 198, Hou, together with Song Xian
Song Xian
Song Xian was a military general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. In 198, when Cao Cao besieged Lü Bu at the Battle of Xiapi, Song Xian and his colleagues Hou Cheng and Wei Xu kidnapped Lü Bu's chief advisor Chen Gong and defected to Cao Cao's side...
and Wei Xu
Wei Xu
Wei Xu was a military general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.-Biography:When Lü Bu wandered the land, Wei closely followed him in the journey, together, they routed the Heishan Bandits, and fended off attacks from Yuan Shu...
, captured Lü Bu's chief advisor Chen Gong
Chen Gong
Gong Chen was an advisor to the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. However, he started his career under Cao Cao before defecting to Lü Bu and was executed when the latter was defeated by Cao....
and surrendered. Lü was defeated and executed shortly afterwards. Hou Cheng's fate after the battle was not recorded in history.
In fiction
In chapter 19 of Luo GuanzhongLuo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, Lü Bu ordered Hou to be flogged 50 times for breaking the ban on liquor. The incident sowed the seed of discord between Lü and his generals, who were already dissatisfied with him.
Hou then plotted with his colleagues Song Xian
Song Xian
Song Xian was a military general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. In 198, when Cao Cao besieged Lü Bu at the Battle of Xiapi, Song Xian and his colleagues Hou Cheng and Wei Xu kidnapped Lü Bu's chief advisor Chen Gong and defected to Cao Cao's side...
and Wei Xu
Wei Xu
Wei Xu was a military general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.-Biography:When Lü Bu wandered the land, Wei closely followed him in the journey, together, they routed the Heishan Bandits, and fended off attacks from Yuan Shu...
to betray Lü Bu to Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
. That very night, Hou stole the Red Hare
Red Hare
Red Hare was Lü Bu's horse during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Historical records only mention the horse when Lü Bu temporarily became a subordinate of Yuan Shao, where he charged and defeated the armies of Zhang Yan while riding the Red Hare...
, Lü Bu's steed, and headed for Cao's camp outside the city. The next morning, Cao's army launched an attack on the city. Song Xian and Wei Xu turned against Lü Bu and captured him and handed to Cao's forces.