Kong Rong | |
|---|---|
| 孔融 | |
 A Qing dynasty illustration of Kong Rong | |
| Palace Counsellor (太中大夫) | |
| In office ?–208 | |
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Minister Steward (少府) | |
| In office ?–? | |
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Court Architect (將作大匠) | |
| In office 196–? | |
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Chancellor of Beihai (北海相) | |
| In office 189–196 | |
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 151/153 Qufu, Shandong |
| Died | 26 September 208 (aged 55 or 57) Xuchang, Henan |
| Occupation | Poet, politician, warlord |
| Courtesy name | Wenju (文舉) |
| Other name(s) | Kong Beihai (孔北海) |
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| Chinese | 孔融 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kong Rong () (151[1]/153 – 26 September 208[2]), courtesy name Wenju, was a Chinese poet, politician, and minor warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was a 20th generation descendant of Confucius.[3] As he was once the Chancellor of Beihai State, he was also known as Kong Beihai. He was defeated by Yuan Tan in 196 and escaped to the capital Xuchang. For being a political opponent of Cao Cao and humiliating him on multiple occasions, Kong Rong was eventually put to death on various charges.
Famed for his quick wits and elaborate literary style, Kong Rong was ranked among the Seven Scholars of Jian'an, a group of representative literati of his time. However, most of his works had been lost. Those that survived can be found in compilations from the Ming and Qing dynasties.
A well-known story commonly used to educate children – even in contemporary times – on the values of courtesy and fraternal love involves a four-year-old Kong Rong giving up the larger pears to his older and younger brothers. This story, commonly known as "Kong Rong giving up pears" (孔融讓梨), is also mentioned in the Three Character Classic, a text used for elementary education since the Song dynasty.
- ^ Kong Rong's biography in Book of the Later Han indicate that he was 13 (by East Asian reckoning) when his father Kong Zhou died. On a plaque erected for Kong Zhou, it was recorded that he died in the yi'wei day of the 1st month of the 6th year of the Yan'xi era of Emperor Huan's reign; the date corresponds to 10 Mar 163 in the Julian calendar.
- ^ According to the Annals of the Later Han by Yuan Hong and Liu Xie's biography in Book of the Later Han, Kong Rong was executed on the renzi day of the 8th month of Jian'an 13 during the reign of Emperor Xian of Han. This date corresponds to 26 Sept. 208 in the Julian calendar. [(建安十三年八月)壬子，太中大夫孔融下狱诛] Houhanji, vol. 30. ([建安十三年八月]壬子，曹操杀太中大夫孔融，夷其族) Houhanshu, vol.09. Kong Rong's biography in Book of the Later Han indicate that he was 56 (by East Asian reckoning) when he died. However, if his birth year was 151, then he should be 58 (by East Asian reckoning) when he died.
- ^ Fan Ye, ed. (1965) [445]. "70: 鄭孔荀列傳". 後漢書 [Book of the Later Han]. Beijing: Zhonghua Publishing House. p. 2261.