Here is the exhaustive biography of Leng Bao (冷苞 / 泠苞, Lãnh Bao) (? – 213/214, novel), also romanised Ling Bao, a Yi Province general under Liu Zhang (刘璋, Lưu Chương) who resisted Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị) at Luo Castle (雒城), incorporating historical notices and Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Contents
Biography & Historical Record
Leng Bao served Liu Zhang as a field commander in Yi. In 213, when Liu Bei turned against Liu Zhang, Leng Bao was sent with Zhang Ren (张任, Trương Nhiệm), Liu Kui (刘璝, Lưu Quý), and Deng Xian (邓贤, Đặng Hiền) to hold Fushui / Mianzhu. After defeat they fell back on Luo Castle, held by Liu Zhang’s son Liu Xun (刘循, Lưu Tuần). Official notices list Leng Bao among the resisting officers; they do not record a personal death scene. His fate after Luo and Chengdu fell is unspecified. The graph 泠苞 / 冷苞 and the English misspelling “Ling Bao” all refer to the same man.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Ch. 60–62 — Four Generals of the West River: Leng Bao is one of Liu Zhang’s “Four Generals of the West River” with Zhang Ren, Liu Kui, and Deng Xian. He opposes inviting Liu Bei into Yi. At a banquet he draws steel when Wei Yan (魏延, Ngụy Diên) moves against Liu Zhang.
Luo Castle: Sent to defend Luo with Zhang Ren, Deng Xian, and Liu Kui. He and Deng Xian camp outside the walls. Wei Yan duels him for many bouts until Huang Zhong (黄忠, Hoàng Trung) forces a retreat; returning to the castle, Leng Bao is ambushed and captured. Liu Bei releases him on a promise to urge Zhang Ren and Liu Kui to surrender.
Flood plot and death (novel only): Instead he returns and proposes cutting the river dikes to drown Liu Bei’s camp. Peng Yang (彭羕, Bành Dưỡng) exposes the scheme by divination; the camp is prepared. Wei Yan captures Leng Bao a second time; Liu Bei orders his execution. History: no double capture, flood plot, or ordered beheading is attested.
Leng Bao (冷苞, Lãnh Bao) — Historical & Literary Timeline
213 AD — Fushui / Luo
Dispatched with Zhang Ren
History: sent with Zhang Ren, Liu Kui, and Deng Xian to hold Fushui / Mianzhu; falls back on Luo Castle under Liu Xun. Novel: also named among the Four Generals of the West River opposing Liu Bei’s entry into Yi.
213 AD — Novel captures
Duel, release, flood plot
Novel only: duels Wei Yan, forced back by Huang Zhong, first capture and release, then the dike-flood scheme exposed by Peng Yang.
213/214 — End
Execution vs unrecorded fate
Novel: second capture by Wei Yan; executed on Liu Bei’s order. History: no named death; disappears with the fall of Luo / Chengdu.
Historical Note
Historically Leng Bao is a brief name in Liu Zhang’s defence of Yi — present at Fushui / Luo with Zhang Ren’s group, without an independent biography. The novel makes him memorable: West River marshal, banquet steel, two captures, and a failed flood. Keep the novel spectacle separate from the sparse chronicle listing.
For overview notes, see Leng Bao on Wikipedia.
Key Relationships
Family
- No father, mother, spouse, siblings, or children are named for Leng Bao (冷苞, Lãnh Bao) in the novel or in Yi Province historical notices — kinship unrecorded; do not invent.
Friends
- Liu Zhang (刘璋, Lưu Chương): Lord of Yi Province. Novel: Leng Bao is one of the Four Generals of the West River who oppose inviting Liu Bei and later defend Luo. History: subordinate general dispatched in the 213 resistance; no personal memorial of intimacy beyond service.
- Zhang Ren (张任, Trương Nhiệm): Senior colleague at Luo. Novel & history: co-commander of the Fushui / Luo defence; Leng Bao’s first release is conditioned (novel) on urging Zhang Ren to surrender — which Leng Bao breaks.
- Deng Xian (邓贤, Đặng Hiền): Fellow outer-camp defender. Novel: camps with Leng Bao outside Luo and shares the opening clash with Wei Yan / Huang Zhong. History: named with the same relief column.
- Liu Kui (刘璝, Lưu Quý): Fourth of the West River generals (novel) and historical companion on the Fushui / Luo assignment. Distinct from Liu Gui (刘瑰, Lưu Quỳ) — different 汉字; do not merge the two posts.
Enemies
- Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị): Invader of Yi. Novel: releases Leng Bao once, then orders his execution after the flood plot. History: Leng Bao resists Liu Bei’s advance; no attested personal execution order.
- Wei Yan (魏延, Ngụy Diên): Novel: duels Leng Bao, ambushes him on the first capture, and takes him again after the dike scheme. History: not paired with Leng Bao in chronicle combat notices.
- Huang Zhong (黄忠, Hoàng Trung): Novel: joins the Luo outer fight and forces Leng Bao’s retreat before the ambush. History: no Leng Bao duel recorded.
Other
- Pang Tong (庞统, Bàng Thống): Novel: directs the Luo siege for Liu Bei while Leng Bao and Deng Xian hold the outer camps — operational opposite, not a personal feud line.
- Liu Xun (刘循, Lưu Tuần): Liu Zhang’s son holding Luo Castle itself while Leng Bao’s group fights outside / on the approaches (history + novel setting).
- Flood plot & Peng Yang (彭羕, Bành Dưỡng): Novel only — Leng Bao’s plan to cut the dikes is exposed by Peng Yang’s divination; plain text (no dedicated post). History: no flood scheme.
- Wu Yi (吴懿, Ngô Ý): Fellow Liu Zhang / later Shu Yi officer in the same provincial war; not one of the Four Generals quartet — listed here as same-arc Yi defender, not a Luo camp-mate of Leng Bao.
- History vs novel end: Chronicle = named resistor at Fushui / Luo, fate blank. Novel = West River marshal, two captures, flood, beheading. Treat the death scene as literary unless a source is cited.
In Novel
Chapter 60–62
- Leng Bao (冷苞, Lãnh Bao): One of the Four Generals of the West River under Liu Zhang (刘璋, Lưu Chương) with Zhang Ren (张任, Trương Nhiệm), Liu Kui (刘璝, Lưu Quý), and Deng Xian (邓贤, Đặng Hiền); opposes inviting Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị) and draws steel when Wei Yan (魏延, Ngụy Diên) threatens Liu Zhang at a banquet.
- Leng Bao (冷苞, Lãnh Bao): At Luo Castle camps outside with Deng Xian; duels Wei Yan until Huang Zhong (黄忠, Hoàng Trung) forces retreat; ambushed and captured; released on a promise to urge surrender.
- Leng Bao (冷苞, Lãnh Bao): Proposes flooding Liu Bei’s camp by cutting the dikes; Peng Yang (彭羕, Bành Dưỡng) exposes the plot; Wei Yan captures him again; Liu Bei orders execution. History: no flood plot or ordered beheading.
In History
Summary
- Leng Bao (冷苞, Lãnh Bao) was a Yi Province general of Liu Zhang (刘璋, Lưu Chương) listed among the officers resisting Liu Bei at Fushui / Luo in 213; no independent biography and no attested novel death scene.
Year: 213 AD
- Dispatched with Zhang Ren, Liu Kui, and Deng Xian to hold Fushui / Mianzhu; after defeat falls back on Luo Castle under Liu Xun (刘循, Lưu Tuần).
Historical Record
- Sanguozhi / Huayang Guozhi notices of Liu Zhang’s Yi defence; Leng Bao appears as a named subordinate only. Novel supplies West River title, double capture, flood, and execution.
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