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Gao Changgong
Northern Qi prince and general, Prince of Lanling, whose charge at Mount Mang in 564 inspired a famous war song and who was forced to take poison in 573
At dusk on a hilltop, a large tent stands open with a table holding a map marked with small stones inside, a saddled horse tethered outside, and fire stands burning; campfires dot the river plain below, and one tiny sentry stands on the slope.
Also known as Gao Xiaoguan · Lanling Wang
- Roles
- Commanders
Gao Changgong, also named Xiaoguan, was the fourth son of Gao Cheng and was made Prince of Lanling in 560. Gentle in looks but fierce in spirit, he led five hundred horsemen twice through the Northern Zhou lines besieging Luoyang in 564 and reached the walls of Jinyong; the defenders did not know him until he took off his helmet, and then they sent archers out to support him and the Qi won. The Book of Northern Qi says the soldiers made a song about the charge, the Prince of Lanling Breaks the Ranks, while the music treatise of the Old Tang History adds that he wore a mask in battle. His successes made the emperor Gao Wei suspicious, and taking bribes to look harmless did not save him. In 573 he was sent poisoned wine; he asked his wife, Lady Zheng, what crime his loyalty had earned, burned the bonds of everyone in his debt, and drank it. His posthumous name was Zhongwu.
Life and times
Dates c. 541 CE–573 CE