[ Son of Gongsun Du, Governor of Liaodong.
Officer Details
Wade-Giles: Kungsun K‘ang
Simplified Chinese: 公孙康
Family and Relationships
Gongsun Du (Father); Gongsun Gong (Brother); Gongsun Yuan, Gongsun Huang (Sons)
Literary Appearances
Romance of the Three Kingdoms: 33, 106
Biography
Gongsun Kang was the son and heir of Gongsun Du. Having been fortunate enough to inherit his father’s domain, Gongsun Kang continued consolidating power over the land that Gongsun Du had taken. In AD 207, the warlord Cao Cao had defeated the Wuhuan and the successors of Yuan Shao (two adversaries with territory close to Gongsun Kang’s border). Yuan Shang, Yuan Xi and Supuyan (the latter a Wuhuan chief), all fled to Gongsun Kang and asked for military assistance. Once Cao Cao had retreated away from nearby Kang’s lands, however, Gongsun Kang put the two Yuans and Supuyan to death. Because Gongsun Kang sent the three heads to Cao Cao, he was awarded with the rank of ’Marquis of Xiangping.’