Wu Jing (Han dynasty)

Wu Jing
Wu Jing
吳景
Administrator of Danyang (丹楊太守); (under Sun Ce, then Sun Quan)
	In office; c. 190s–203
Monarch	Emperor Xian of Han
Preceded by	Zhou Xin
Succeeded by	Sun Yi
General Who Spreads Martial Might; (揚武將軍); (under Sun Ce, then Sun Quan)
	In office; c. 190s–203
Monarch	Emperor Xian of Han
Cavalry Commandant (騎都尉); (under Sun Jian)
	In office; c. 190s–?
Monarch	Emperor Xian of Han
Personal details
Born	Unknown; Suzhou, Jiangsu
Died	203
Children	Wu Fen; Wu Qi;
Relatives	Empress Wulie (sister); Sun Jian (brother-in-law);
Occupation	Military general, politician

Wu Jing (died 203)^[1] was a Chinese military general and politician who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was a brother-in-law of the minor warlord Sun Jian, whose descendants became the royal family of the state of Eastern Wu in the Three Kingdoms period.^[2]

Life

Wu Jing was from Wu County, Wu Commandery (around present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu) but he grew up in Qiantang County (錢唐縣; present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang). He was orphaned at a young age so he lived with his elder sister, Lady Wu. After Lady Wu married the general Sun Jian, Wu Jing became a subordinate of his brother-in-law.^[3]

Wu Jing participated in some battles under Sun Jian's banner and was commissioned as a Cavalry Commandant (騎都尉) for his contributions. Sun Jian was killed in action at the Battle of Xiangyang in 191 against Liu Biao's forces. Sometime in the early 190s, Wu Jing was appointed by the warlord Yuan Shu as the Administrator (太守) of Danyang Commandery (丹楊郡; around present-day Xuancheng, Anhui), and was sent to attack and seize the commandery from its previous administrator, Zhou Xin. Wu Jing was at Qu'e County (曲阿縣; in present-day Danyang, Jiangsu) at the time and had not moved to Danyang yet. Sun Jian's eldest son, Sun Ce, brought along his family and followers, including Sun He (孫河) and Lü Fan, to join Wu Jing in Qu'e County. Wu Jing combined forces with his nephew to attack the bandits led by Zu Lang (祖郎) in Jing County and drove the bandits away.^[4]

Later, Wu Jing came under attack by the warlord Liu Yao, so he headed north to join Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu appointed him as General of the Household Who Inspects the Army (督軍中郎將) and ordered him and Sun Ce's cousin Sun Ben to lead an army to attack Liu Yao's generals Fan Neng (樊能) and Yu Mi (于糜) at Hengjiang (橫江). Wu Jing and Sun Ben also defeated Ze Rong and Xue Li (薛禮) at Moling (秣陵; present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu).^[5]

Starting in 194, Sun Ce borrowed troops from Yuan Shu and embarked on a series of conquests in the Jiangdong (or Wu) region. He attacked territories under the control of warlords such as Liu Yao, Yan Baihu and Wang Lang and conquered them. When Sun Ce was trapped in Niuzhu (牛渚), Wu Jing came to his nephew's rescue and captured all the enemies. Wu Jing participated in Sun Ce's campaign against Liu Yao in 195. When Liu Yao fled to Yuzhang Commandery (豫章郡; around present-day Nanchang, Jiangxi) after his defeat, Sun Ce sent Wu Jing and Sun Ben to Shouchun (壽春; present-day Shou County, Anhui) to report his victory to Yuan Shu. Concurrently, Yuan Shu was fighting with another warlord Liu Bei for control over Xu Province, so he appointed Wu Jing as the Administrator of Guangling Commandery (廣陵郡; in present-day Jiangsu).^[6]

Around late 196 or early 197, Yuan Shu revealed his intention to declare himself emperor – an act perceived as treason against the reigning Emperor Xian. Sun Ce wrote to Yuan Shu and attempted to dissuade him from doing so, but was ignored. When Yuan Shu later did proclaim himself emperor, Sun Ce broke ties with him to avoid any association with the pretender. Sun Ce then sent a messenger to inform Wu Jing, who immediately left Guangling and brought his men to Jiangdong to join his nephew. Sun Ce reassigned Wu Jing as the Administrator of Danyang. The Han central government subsequently sent Wang Pu (王誧), a Consultant (議郎), as an envoy to Jiangdong to appoint Wu Jing as General Who Spreads Martial Might (揚武將軍) and approve his governorship of Danyang.^[7]

Wu Jing died in office in 203 during the reign of Emperor Xian.^[1]

Descendants

Wu Jing's son, Wu Fen (吳奮),^[8] was commissioned as a military officer, placed in command of some troops, and enfeoffed as the Marquis of Xin Village (新亭侯). In 219, when Sun Quan (Sun Ce's younger brother and successor) and his general Lü Meng attacked Jing Province, Wu Fen was appointed as the Commandant (都督) of Wu Commandery and was tasked with defending Sun Quan's home territories.^[9] Wu Fen was succeeded by his son, Wu An (吳安), after his death. In the 240s, a power struggle broke out between Sun Quan's sons Sun Ba and Sun He, both of whom were fighting for the succession to their father's throne. Wu An supported Sun Ba during the contention and died in the aftermath.^[10]

Wu Fen's younger brother, Wu Qi (吳祺), was made a Marquis of a Chief Village (都亭侯). Wu Qi was close friends with Zhang Wen and Gu Tan.^[11] Wu Qi's marquis title was inherited by his son, Wu Zuan (吳纂), after his death. Wu Zuan married Teng Yin's daughter. In 256, when Teng Yin was executed for plotting against the regent Sun Chen, Wu Zuan was implicated and lost his life as well.^[12]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c (八年，景卒官， ...) Sanguozhi vol. 50.
^ de Crespigny (2007), p. 871.
^ (本吳人，徙錢唐，早失父母，與弟景居。 ... 孫堅聞其才貌，欲娶之。 ... 於是遂許為婚， ...) Sanguozhi vol. 50.
^ (景常隨堅征伐有功，拜騎都尉。袁術上景領丹楊太守，討故太守周昕，遂據其郡。 ... 孫策與孫河、呂範依景，合衆共討涇縣山賊祖郎，郎敗走。) Sanguozhi vol. 50.
^ (會景為劉繇所迫，復北依術，術以為督軍中郎將，與孫賁共討樊能、于麋於橫江，又擊笮融、薛禮於秣陵。) Sanguozhi vol. 50.
^ (時策被創牛渚，降賊復反，景攻討，盡禽之。從討劉繇，繇奔豫章，策遣景、賁到壽春報術。術方與劉備爭徐州，以景為廣陵太守。) Sanguozhi vol. 50.
^ (術後僭號，策以書喻術，術不納，便絕江津，不與通，使人告景。景即委郡東歸，策復以景為丹楊太守。漢遣議郎王誧銜命南行，表景為揚武將軍，領郡如故。) Sanguozhi vol. 50.
^ de Crespigny (2007), p. 866.
^ (吳書曰：權征荊州，拜奮吳郡都督，以鎮東方。) Wu Shu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 50.
^ (... 子奮授兵為將，封新亭侯，卒。 ... 子安嗣，安坐黨魯王霸死。) Sanguozhi vol. 50.
^ (吳書曰：祺與張溫、顧譚友善，權令關平辭訟事。) Wu Shu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 50.
^ (奮弟祺，封都亭侯，卒。子纂嗣。纂妻即滕胤女也，胤被誅，并遇害。) Sanguozhi vol. 50.