Three Kingdoms History: Gan Ning

Historic (Confirmed)

Gan Ning hailed from Nanyang commandery in Jing and became a famous commander of Wu during the Three Kingdoms era. Initially, Gan Ning was a bandit and outlaw. He and a group of armed followers would go around the land terrorizing the citizenry, stealing and eating at lavish parties. Gan Ning’s gang commonly wore silk robes and bells to distinguish themselves from other criminals. Eventually, Gan Ning and his followers entered the service of Liu Zhang, a warlord established in the Riverlands (the Han province of ‘Yizhou’). Along with several other generals, however, Gan Ning revolted against Liu Zhang. When the rebellion failed, Gan Ning went back to Jing province and sought employment with Liu Biao, another lord. At around this time, Gan Ning also decided to reform himself and become a scholar. Because he was not hired by Liu Biao, Gan Ning tried to flee to the Sun family of the Southlands. Before he could make it to Wu, however, Gan Ning was captured by Huang Zu, a leader based in Xiakou.

Huang Zu forced Gan Ning to stay in his service, but from the beginning Huang Zu showed contempt for Gan Ning. Despite the fact that Gan Ning distinguished himself numerous times in battle against Sun Quan (whom Huang Zu was attacked by frequently), Huang Zu treated Gan Ning like a common soldier. In one instance, Gan Ning saved Huang Zu’s life by shooting and killing Ling Cao, who had pursued and nearly managed to slay Huang Zu. Even after this incident though, Gan Ning was still treated poorly. At the urgings of Su Fei, an advisor of Huang Zu’s, Gan Ning was finally promoted to Chief of Zhu. Luckily for Gan Ning, Zhu happened to be located close to Sun Quan’s territories, and so Gan Ning was able to escape from Huang Zu’s clutches and flee to the East. Zhou Yu and Lü Meng, two generals under Sun Quan, entreated Sun Quan to allow Gan Ning into service. Then upon joining Sun Quan’s ranks, Gan Ning advised his new lord to attack Huang Zu immediately.

In AD 208, Xiakou was at last subjugated, and Huang Zu was finally slain. Sun Quan had made two boxes prior to this victory: One for the head of Huang Zu, and one for the head of his strategist, Su Fei. Gan Ning pleaded with Sun Quan to allow Su Fei, who had always been generous to Gan Ning in the past, amnesty, however. Because of this, Su Fei was let off scot-free. Gan Ning then obtained military command, but because Ling Tong, the son of Ling Cao (whom Gan Ning had killed), held a grudge against Gan Ning, Gan Ning was moved to a distant commandery.

After the battle of Chi Bi, where Sun Quan won a victory against the fleets of a warlord named Cao Cao, Gan Ning was ordered to besiege and capture the city of Yiling. Although Gan Ning easily took the city, he was immediately surrounded and hard-pressed by the troops of Cao Ren, a general of Cao Cao’s. Despite the fact that his army was outnumbered and bombarded by siege towers daily, Gan Ning held Yiling long enough for Zhou Yu, an officer of Sun Quan’s, to repulse Cao Ren’s forces (and later defeat Cao Ren decisively). Supposedly, one of Liu Bei’s commanders, Guan Yu, later attempted an attack on the Southlands, yet was so scared of Gan Ning that he aborted his plans.

Gan Ning would later distinguish himself during Sun Quan’s attack on Wan by scaling the walls of Wan city with a silken rope and helping to defeat the governor of that city, Zhu Guang. At the Battle of Ruxu, some time later, Gan Ning raided the camp of Cao Ren and then helped the forces of Sun Quan defeat their enemies. Finally, at Hefei, Gan Ning would defend Sun Quan’s carriage from a general of Cao Cao’s named Zhang Liao. If not for the valiant efforts of Gan Ning, Ling Tong and Lü Meng, Sun Quan would have surely perished during one of his assaults on Hefei.

Sun Quan dearly loved Gan Ning and praised him multiple times for his ability. On one occasion, Sun Quan said, “Cao Cao may have Zhang Liao but I have Gan Ning! Thus we are evenly matched.” Gan Ning fell ill, however, shorly after one of Sun Quan’s attacks on Hefei. His son, Gan Huai, sadly, inherited his father’s affinity for mischief, and was exiled from the Southlands for committing a crime (soon after being exiled, he perished as well). Nevertheless, Gan Ning was generally remembered fondly by the Southland.