Kong Rong

孔融
Courtesy name: Wenju (文舉)
Born
153
Died
208
Ancestral home
Lu (Qufu, Shandong)
Book mentions
62
Roles:
politician scholar warlord
Factions:
Han dynasty Kong Rong (primary)
Relationships:
Confucius Ancestor
Appears in 7 chapters:
  • Chapter 5 — Cao Cao Appeals To The Powerful Lords; The Three Brothers Fight Against Lu Bu.
    Kong Rong; among the named lords joining the coalition (Governor of Beihai).
  • Chapter 11 — Liu Bei Rescues Kong Rong At Beihai; Lu Bu Defeats Cao Cao Near Puyang.
    The prodigy of Qufu - 'intimate friend' of Li Ying at ten - now the hospitable Governor of Beihai. Besieged by Guan Hai's Yellow Scarves, he is saved by the chain of gratitude he forged: Taishi Ci's mother sends her son, who fetches Liu Bei. He then marches with Liu Bei for Xuzhou and dismisses Yuan Shu as 'a drying skeleton in a dark tomb' when Liu Bei tries to deflect Tao Qian's offer.
  • Chapter 15 — Taishi Ci Fights With The Young Overlord; Sun Ce Cuts Short The White Tiger King.
    Kong Rong; named in passing as one of the regional players watching events unfold.
  • Chapter 20 — Cao Cao Organizes A Hunting Expedition In Xutian; Dong Cheng Receives A Secret Command In The Palace.
    Saves Yang Biao from the trumped-up Yuan-intrigue charge with the Duke Zhou retort - if the regent kills great ministers, who believes him innocent? Cao Cao backs down to banishment.
  • Chapter 22 — Yuan Shao And Cao Cao Both Take The Field; Guan Yu And Zhang Fei Captures Two Generals.
    Kong Rong; argues at Cao Cao's court against the Yuan Shao campaign - overruled.
  • Chapter 23 — Mi Heng Slips His Garment And Rails At Traitors; Ji Ping Pledges To Kill The Prime Minister.
    Kong Rong; introduces Mi Heng to Cao Cao on the strength of Mi Heng's wit - the recommendation that triggers the naked-drumming scandal.
  • Chapter 40 — Lady Cai Renounces Jingzhou; Zhuge Liang Burns Xinye.
    Remonstrates against the unjustifiable southern war and cries at the palace gate that the perfectly inhumane attacking the perfectly humane must fail - overheard, denounced by Chi Lu, and executed with his whole family. His two young sons refuse to flee their chess board: 'when the nest is pulled down, are the eggs left unbroken?'