Three Kingdoms History: Shen Rong

Sanguo Yanyi

Shen Rong was Shen Pei’s nephew in service to Yuan Shang. After Cao Cao was convinced by Xin Pi to march on Yuan Shang he succeed in defeating him and also took possession of his personal seal and garments. Cao Cao then turned his sights upon Shen Pei, who defended Jizhou city. Overnight he created a deep channel and flooded Jizhou city from the River Zhang.

When Shen Pei’s army surrounded by water and low on food, Xin Pi rode forth and displayed the captured seal and garments of Yuan Shang hung out on spears, to the great shame of their late owner, and called upon the people of the city to surrender. This angered Shen Pei, who avenged the insult by putting to death on the city wall the whole of the Xin family who were within the city. There were eighty of them, and their severed heads were cast down from the walls. Xin Pi wept exceedingly.

Shen Pei’s nephew Shen Rong, one of the gate wardens, was a dear friend of Xin Pi, and the murder of Xin Pi’s family greatly distressed him. He wrote a secret letter offering to betray the city and tied it to an arrow, which he shot out among the besiegers. The soldiers found it, gave it to Xin Pi who took it to his chief.

Cao Cao ordered, “The family of the Yuans should be spared when the city should be taken and that no one who surrendered should be put to death,” and marched on the city. Shen Rong opened the west gate and Xin Pi entered first with his army. Shen Pei was captured and bound by Xu Huang outside the city and his city fell. When delivered to Cao Cao, he teased, “Do you know who opened the gate to let me in? It was your nephew Shen Rong who gave up the gate.” Shen Pei replied, “He was always unprincipled, and it has come to this!” Cao Cao offered Shen Pei a chance to surrender, but he refused. Xin Pi pleaded for Shen Pei’s death and Shen Pei was condemned to execution. He died facing the north, the direction of his lord.