Contents
Biography & Historical Record
Zou Jing (Trâu Tĩnh) served as a Colonel (Xiaowei) under Liu Yan, the Governor of You Province during the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He is historically recognized for advising Liu Yan to recruit local volunteers to suppress the Yellow Turban Rebellion, which led to the enlistment of Liu Bei and his sworn brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. He provided the necessary military equipment and resources for their initial combat operations.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In Luo Guanzhong’s masterpiece, Zou Jing is portrayed as the officer who suggests to Liu Yan that the threat of the Yellow Turbans can be mitigated by gathering commoners. He plays a vital role in integrating Liu Bei into the imperial military apparatus, marking the beginning of the legendary hero’s rise to power.
Zou Jing — Historical & Literary Timeline
Suppression of the Yellow Turbans
Zou Jing advises Liu Yan to raise an army. He leads Liu Bei and the volunteers to successfully defeat the Yellow Turban rebels led by Cheng Yuanzhi and Deng Mao.
Key Relationships
Family
- No information
Friends
- Liu Yan (刘焉, Lưu Nghiên): Governor of You Province (and later Governor of Yi Province). Zou Jing served as his trusted Colonel (Xiaowei), advising him in 184 AD to post recruitment notices for volunteer militias to combat the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
- Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị): Founding First Sovereign of Shu Han. Responded to Zou Jing’s recruitment notice alongside Guan Yu and Zhang Fei (184 AD); Zou Jing integrated them into his imperial vanguard, providing equipment and joint command during the battles of Youzhou and Qingzhou.
- Guan Yu & Zhang Fei (关羽、张飞, Quan Vũ, Trương Phi): Brothers-in-arms under Liu Bei who spearheaded assault charges alongside Zou Jing’s cavalry during the early suppression campaigns.
- Gongsun Zan (公孙瓒, Công Tôn Toản): Senior commander in Youzhou who co-directed frontier cavalry operations alongside Zou Jing against northern tribal incursions.
Enemies
- Cheng Yuanzhi & Deng Mao (程远志、邓茂, Trình Viễn Chí, Đặng Mậu): Yellow Turban commanders in Youzhou who invaded Zhuo Commandery with 50,000 rebels in 184 AD; decisively defeated and slain during the counterattack led by Zou Jing and Liu Bei.
- Zhang Jue (张角, Trương Giác): Supreme leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion whose insurgent divisions Zou Jing campaigned to eradicate across northern China (184 AD).
Others
- No information
In Novel
Chapter 1
- Zou Jing (邹靖, Trâu Tĩnh): Zou Jing is an officer serving the Han government during the Yellow Turban crisis. He is associated with Liu Bei’s early military career and helps organize forces to fight the rebellion.
Chapter 2
- Zou Jing (邹靖, Trâu Tĩnh): Zou Jing continues to serve in the imperial campaign against the Yellow Turbans and participates in the operations around Zhuo Commandery.
In History
184 AD
- Zou Jing (邹靖, Trâu Tĩnh) was a Han military officer active during the Yellow Turban Rebellion. He served in the northern provinces and became associated with the defence of Han territory against rebel forces.
184 AD
- Zou Jing participated in the campaign against the Yellow Turbans and became acquainted with Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị), who served under his command during the fighting.
Later Career
- The surviving historical record contains relatively little information about Zou Jing’s later life. His importance comes primarily from his early military service and his connection with Liu Bei during the first major rebellion of the late Eastern Han.