Gu Rong (顾荣, Cố Vinh; courtesy name Yanxian 彦先; d. 312), native of Wu Commandery, was the preeminent aristocratic statesman of Jiangnan, grandson of Eastern Wu Chancellor Gu Yong (顾雍), and the indispensable architect of the founding of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
Celebrated for lofty intellect and unyielding moral chivalry, he was famous for the legend of ‘Sharing Roast Meat’ (炙肉之义): seeing a servant looking hungrily at roast meat at a banquet, Gu Rong gave his own portion to the man; years later during the War of the Eight Princes, that very servant repeatedly saved Gu Rong’s life amidst chaos. In 307 AD, when rebel general Chen Min seized Jiangnan and declared himself King of Chu, Gu Rong organized the southern gentry, feigned submission, and launched a daring counter-coup: standing at the bridge with a white feather fan, Gu Rong waved the fan once, and Chen Min’s army instantly disintegrated and surrendered. Welcoming Sima Rui (Emperor Yuan of Jin) to Jiankang, Gu Rong unified the northern emigre and southern Jiangnan aristocracies, preserving Chinese civilization south of the Yangtze following the fall of Northern China.
Contents
Role in History (Jin Shu & Shishuo Xinyu)
Book of Jin (Jin Shu, vol. 68, Biography of Gu Rong): “Gu Rong held a white feather fan and stood at the head of the bridge; with one wave of his fan, Chen Min’s vanguard bowed in surrender. He brought the gentry of Jiangnan to welcome Sima Rui, laying the bedrock of the Eastern Jin throne.”
A New Account of the Tales of the World (Shishuo Xinyu): Relates the celebrated tale of Gu Rong sharing roast meat with the servant, who became his guardian angel in the cataclysm of the north.
Gu Rong — Historical & Literary Timeline
Three Kingdoms (Wu)
Noble Wu Gentry
Born to the paramount Gu clan; grandson of Chancellor Gu Yong.
c. 280s
Service in Western Jin
Travels to Luoyang with Lu Ji and Lu Yun; serves as Imperial Cavalier Attendant.
307
Crushing the Chen Min Rebellion
Waves his white feather fan to crush Chen Min’s revolt in Jiangnan.
307–312
Founding the Eastern Jin
Welcomes Sima Rui and Wang Dao to Jiankang, establishing the Eastern Jin dynasty.
312
Passing & Supreme Honors
Dies in Jiankang; posthumously honored as Grand General and Marquis of Jiangling.
Key Relationships
Family
- Grandfather Gu Yong (顾雍, Cố Ung – Chancellor of Wu): Paramount founding statesman of Eastern Wu.
- Father Gu Ti (顾悌): High official of Eastern Wu.
Friends
- Eastern Jin Founder Emperor Yuan of Jin (Sima Rui): Founding emperor of Eastern Jin whom Gu Rong installed at Jiankang.
- Chancellor Ally Wang Dao (王导, Vương Đạo): Co-architect of the Eastern Jin partnership between northern and southern gentry.
- Literary Companions Lu Ji (陆机), Lu Yun (陆云): Celebrated scholars of Jiangnan.
Enemies
- Rebel Usurper Chen Min (陈敏): Warlord whose rebellion Gu Rong extinguished with his feather fan.
Other
- Grateful Retainer The Roast-Meat Servant: Saved Gu Rong’s life during the northern purges.
In Jin Shu
The Wave of the White Fan
“Without a single arrow loosed, Gu Rong waved his white fan upon the bridge, and ten thousand rebel spears turned into the bulwarks of the Eastern Jin.”
Historical Significance
Gu Rong’s leadership was the decisive bridge that persuaded the indigenous Jiangnan aristocracy to accept Sima Rui’s northern court, saving Chinese imperial civilization during the Disaster of Yongjia.