Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · General and Military Officer

Cheng Wenji 程文季

First attested AD 557; died AD 579

Passages: 28
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

Cheng Wenji was a general and Military Officer.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Shaoqing	少卿	Shàoqīng
Nickname	Cheng the beast	程獸

Life and dates

Death

AD 579 太建十一年
Died in prison · At Chang'an 長安
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 127

Age

20
Reckoning Sui · Label at twenty 弱冠
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 89

Attested activity

AD 568 光大二年
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 103
AD 561 天嘉二年
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 94
AD 563 天嘉四年
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 98
AD 570 太建二年
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 105
AD 570 太建二年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Chen 11, passage 151
AD 573 太建五年
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 113

Show 5 more source-backed claims

AD 576 太建八年
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 123
AD 579 太建十一年
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 127
AD 578 太建十年春
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 126
AD 557 to AD 559 永定中
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 91
AD 557 to AD 559 沌口
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 90

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Cheng Lingxi (程靈洗)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passages 3, 86
Parent of Cheng Xiang (程饗)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 134

Key source chapters

Career and standing

opener of the mansion equal to the three dukes 開府儀同三司
AD 578 太建十年春 · Granted
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 126
Marquis of Chong'an 重安縣侯
AD 583 至德元年 · Demoted posthumously · Households 1000
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 134
Duke of Chong'an 重安縣公
Inherited
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 106
Entered
AD 578 太建十年春 · Captivity
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 126
Recaptured
AD 579 太建十一年 · Escape failed · At Guoyang 渦陽
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 127

Places and affiliations

Polity Chen · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 91
Polity Northern Zhou · Relation Captive of
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 126

Learning and skills

Skill riding and archery 騎射 · Level trained
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 88

Events and relationships

Defeated
AD 561 天嘉二年 · Military · Commander · With Zan (瓚)
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 96
Feared as
AD 573 太建五年 · Military · Vanguard · nicknamed Cheng the beast by Qi troops
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 120
Light boats to burn enemy fleet
Military · Subordinate general
Directly stated · Book of Chen 11, passage 151
Relation Subordinate of · Person Zhang Zhaoda (章昭達)
Directly stated · Book of Chen 11, passage 151
Relation Subordinate of · Person Chen Bomao (陳伯茂)
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passages 92-93
Relation Child of · Person Cheng Lingxi (程靈洗)
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 86

Assessments and attributes

Assessment deeply filial; wasted away from grief · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 104
Assessment harsh like his father; shared hardship; prevailed in war · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passage 136

Source notes

Northern Supervisory and Hall editions read 虎; Nan Shi reads 彪; present text 獸 avoids Tang taboo on 虎
Field nickname · Witness Work History of the Southern Dynasties 南史
Directly stated · Book of Chen 10, passages 145-146

References in the histories

Search passages

History

28 passages

Book of Chen, Chapter 10Volume 10: Zhou Tiehu; Cheng Lingxi · 27 passages

周鐵虎程靈洗子文季 Zhou Tiehu; Cheng Lingxi; son Wenji

朝廷深嘉其忠，增其守備，給鼓吹一部，因推心待之，使其子文季領水軍助防。 The court praised his loyalty, reinforced his defenses, granted a suite of war drums, and treated him with full trust, putting his son Wenji in charge of the river force to help hold the post.

子文季嗣。 His son Wenji succeeded.

文季字少卿。 Wenji, styled Shaoqing.

靈洗與周文育、侯安都等敗於沌口，為王琳所執，高祖召陷賊諸將子弟厚遇之，文季最有禮容，深為高祖所賞。 When Lingxi, Wenyü, and Hou Andu were beaten at Dankou and held by Wang Lin, the Founder summoned the sons of captured generals and treated them well. Wenji bore himself best and won the Founder's deep regard.

是時王為揚州刺史，鎮冶城，府中軍事，悉以委之。 The prince was then inspector of Yangzhou, holding Yecheng; all military business of the staff was placed in Wenji's hands.

異黨向文政據有新安，文季率精甲三百，輕往攻之。 Yi's man Xiang Wenzheng held Xin'an. Wenji took three hundred picked armored men and struck lightly.

文政遣其兄子瓚來拒，文季與戰，大破瓚軍，文政乃降。 Wenzheng sent his brother's son Zan to meet him. Wenji routed Zan's force and Wenzheng surrendered.

三年，始興王伯茂出鎮東州，復以文季為鎮東府中兵參軍，帶剡令。 In the third year the Prince of Shixing, Boma, took up the eastern garrison; Wenji was again made military adjutant of the eastern staff, concurrently magistrate of Shan.

四年，陳寶應與留異連結，又遣兵隨周迪更出臨川，世祖遣信義太守余孝頃自海道襲晉安，文季為之前軍，所向克捷。 In the fourth year Chen Baoying allied with Liu Yi and sent troops with Zhou Di against Linchuan again. Emperor Wen sent Yu Xiaoqing, administrator of Xinyi, by sea against Jin'an with Wenji as vanguard. Everywhere they went they prevailed.

陳寶應平，文季戰功居多，還，轉府諮議參軍，領中直兵。 When Baoying was suppressed Wenji's battle merit stood first. On return he was made advisory military adjutant of the staff, still commanding the central straight guard.

華皎平，靈洗及文季嵭有扞禦之功。 After Hua Jiao was suppressed, both Lingxi and Wenji were credited with defensive merit.

及靈洗卒，文季盡領其红，起為超武將軍，仍助防郢州。 When Lingxi died, Wenji assumed command of all his troops, was made super-martial general, and continued to help defend Yingzhou.

文季性至孝，雖軍旅奪禮，而毀瘠甚至。 Wenji was deeply filial; though active service set mourning aside, he grew emaciated with grief.

時水長漂疾，昭達乃遣文季共錢道戢輕舟襲之，盡焚其舟艦。 With the river swollen and swift, Zhaoda sent Wenji and Qian Daozhi in light craft to strike and burn the entire fleet.

昭達因蕭巋等兵稍怠，又遣文季夜入其外城，殺傷甚红。 As Xiao Kui's men slackened, Zhaoda sent Wenji again by night into the outer city, killing many.

既而周兵大出，巴陵內史雷道勤拒戰死之，文季僅以身免。 Northern Zhou then brought up its main force; Lei Daoqin, interior secretary of Baling, died fighting; Wenji barely escaped alive.

[涂]水，[3]齊人嵭下大柱為杙，柵水中，乃前遣文季領驍勇拔開其柵，明徹率大軍自後而至，攻秦郡克之。 the Chu River. [3] Qi troops sank great pillars as stakes across the stream; Wenji was sent ahead with picked men to clear them, then Mingche brought the main force up and took Qin commandery.

又別遣文季圍涇州，屠其城，進攻盱眙，拔之。 He also detached Wenji to invest Jingzhou, sacked the city, then advanced on Xuyi and captured it.

文季臨事謹急，御下嚴整，前後所克城壘，率皆迮水為堰，土木之功，動踰數萬。 Wenji was exacting and quick in the field and strict with his men; every fortress he took he usually dammed with water, and the earthworks often ran to tens of thousands.

每置陣役人，文季必先諸將，夜則早起，迄暮不休，軍中莫不服其勤幹。 Whenever labor was set for the camp, Wenji outworked the other generals, rising before dawn and toiling until night; the whole army admired his industry.

每戰恆為前鋒，齊軍深憚之，謂為程獸。 He always led the van in battle; Qi troops feared him deeply and nicknamed him "Cheng the beast."

十年春，敗績，為周所囚，仍授開府儀同三司。 In the spring of year ten the army was beaten; Wenji was taken by Zhou but was still given a mansion equal to the three dukes.

尋又詔曰：「故散騎常侍、前重安縣開國公文季，纂承門緒，克荷家聲。 Soon another edict declared: "The late scattered-cavalry regular attendant and former duke of Chong'an, Lord Wenji, upheld the family line and honored its name.

但靈洗之立功扞禦，久而見思，文季之埋魂異域，有足可憫。 Lingxi's defensive service is long missed; Wenji lies abroad, which moves deep pity.

可降封重安縣侯，邑一千戶，以子饗襲封。」 Let him be demoted to marquis of Chong'an with one thousand households, his son Xiang to inherit the title."

謂為程獸「獸」北監本、殿本作「虎」，此避唐諱。 On "called Cheng the beast": Northern Supervisory and Hall editions read tiger, avoiding Tang taboo.

Book of Chen, Chapter 11Volume 11: Huang Faqu; Chunyu Liang; Zhang Zhaoda · 1 passage

時蕭巋與周軍大蓄舟艦於青泥中，昭達分遣偏將錢道戢、程文季等，乘輕舟襲之，焚其舟艦。 Kui and the Northern Zhou forces had massed many ships in the Qingni channel; Zhaoda detached Qian Daozhi, Cheng Wenji, and others in light craft to strike and burn the fleet.