Ling Tong () (189–217), courtesy name Gongji, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He started his service under Sun Quan when he was still a teenager and, throughout his entire life, had been contributing to the foundation and solidification of the state of Eastern Wu, which Sun Quan established in 229. He fought in numerous battles for his lord, including those against Huang Zu, Liu Bei and the Shanyue tribes, but is best known for his performance in the campaigns against Sun Quan's archrival Cao Cao, in which he displayed great skill and tact in extremely adverse situations.
Ling Tong received high praise from the scholar-gentry for his gracious demeanour, bonhomie and generosity.(雖在軍旅，親賢接士，輕財重義，有國士之風。) Sanguozhi vol. 55. Despite having achieved fame and glory, when visiting his hometown later in his life, he treated commoners with respect and humanity.(統素愛士，士亦慕焉。得精兵萬餘人，過本縣，步入寺門，見長吏懷三版，恭敬盡禮，親舊故人，恩意益隆。) Sanguozhi vol. 55. Behind the frontline, Ling Tong conceived a strategy for dealing with and pacifying the Shanyue tribes – impressing them with a show of military might and offering them potential rewards – which led to the Wu government recruiting over 10,000 Shanyue soldiers into their army and maintaining relative stability in the region. Due to his integrity and loyalty, Ling Tong, along with Lü Meng, was among Sun Quan's most valued generals.(自創業功臣疾病，權意之所鍾，呂蒙、凌統最重，然其次矣。) Sanguozhi vol. 56.
Early life Ling Tong was from Yuhang County (餘杭縣), Wu Commandery, which is present-day Yuhang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang. His father, Ling Cao, was a military officer serving under the warlord Sun Ce. Ling Cao held the rank of Colonel Who Defeats Bandits (破賊校尉) and continued serving Sun Quan after Sun Ce's death in the year 200. In 203, Sun Quan attacked Huang Zu, the Administrator of Jiangxia Commandery (江夏郡; around present-day Xinzhou District, Wuhan, Hubei). During the ensuing Battle of Xiakou, Ling Cao sailed alone a distance ahead on a small boat to infiltrate the enemy formation. Huang Zu abandoned his position and fled. Ling Cao was killed in the midst of battle by a stray arrow fired by Huang Zu's subordinate, Gan Ning.(凌統字公績，吳郡餘杭人也。 ... 父操，輕俠有膽氣，孫策初興，每從征伐，常冠軍履鋒。守永平長，平治山越，姦猾斂手，遷破賊校尉。及權統軍，從討江夏。入夏口，先登，破其前鋒，輕舟獨進，中流矢死。) Sanguozhi vol. 55.
Ling Tong was 15 (by East Asian reckoning) when his father died. Sun Quan appointed Ling Tong as a Major of Separate Command (別部司馬) in consideration of the fact that Ling Cao died in service of the Sun family. As many spoke well of Ling Tong's ability, the teenage Ling Tong was allowed to inherit his father's post, as acting Colonel Who Defeats Bandits, and assume command of the troops which used to be led by his father.(統年十五，左右多稱述者，權亦以操死國事，拜統別部司馬，行破賊都尉，使攝父兵。) Sanguozhi vol. 55.
Ling Tong participated in a campaign against bandits in the hilly regions of Wu. Sun Quan's main force captured a bandit stronghold and left behind 10,000 men under the command of Ling Tong and Zhang Yi (張異) to lay siege to another stronghold. The day before the battle, Ling Tong and Chen Qin (陳勤) attended a banquet together. Chen Qin was in charge of ceremonial duties during the banquet, but he abused his powers and went against the rules. Ling Tong was upset by Chen Qin's insolence so he confronted him. In anger, Chen Qin hurled abuse at Ling Tong and even insulted Ling Tong's deceased father. Ling Tong was in tears but he refrained himself and did not respond to the acrimony.(後從擊山賊，權破保屯先還，餘麻屯萬人，統與督張異等留攻圍之，克日當攻。先期，統與督陳勤會飲酒，勤剛勇任氣，因督祭酒，陵轢一坐，舉罰不以其道。統疾其侮慢，靣折不為用。勤怒詈統，及其父操，統流涕不荅，衆因罷出。) Sanguozhi vol. 55.
After the banquet, Chen Qin, who was drunk, insulted Ling Tong again on the road. Unable to tolerate further abuse, Ling Tong injured Chen Qin with his sword. Chen Qin died a few days later. The next day, before the battle, Ling Tong exclaimed: "Only through death can my transgression be cleansed!" He charged ahead of his troops during the battle in the face of enemy arrows and boulders. The side of the garrison which Ling Tong's army attacked fell immediately. The other commanders were roused by his victory and together they inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy. After returning from the battle, Ling Tong bound himself and surrendered to the disciplinary officer. Sun Quan was impressed with Ling Tong's strong determination and pardoned him for insubordination in consideration of his contributions.(勤乘酒凶悖，又於道路辱統。統不忍，引刀斫勤，數日乃死。及當攻屯，統曰：「非死無以謝罪。」乃率厲士卒，身當矢石，所次一靣，應時披壞，諸將乘勝，遂大破之。還，自拘於軍正。權壯其果毅，使得以功贖罪。) Sanguozhi vol. 55.
Battle of Jiangxia
In 208, Sun Quan attacked Huang Zu at Jiangxia Commandery (江夏郡; around present-day Xinzhou District, Wuhan, Hubei) again. Ling Tong was assigned as the leader of the vanguard force. He sailed in his boat far ahead of the main army with only tens of his closest men with him, and emerged victorious in the first engagement by slaying Huang Zu's subordinate, Zhang Shuo (張碩), and capturing all of Zhang Shuo's mariners with his much smaller force. He reported back to Sun Quan and led another attack on the enemy again, advancing on both land and water.(後權復征江夏，統為前鋒，與所厚健兒數十人共乘一船，常去大兵數十里。) Sanguozhi vol. 55.
Knowing that Zhang Shuo had been slain and that the first line of defence had been broken, Huang Zu scuttled two of his largest mengchongs to block the entrance at the chokepoint of the Mian River, and sent his crossbowmen to station themselves there to fire at any approaching enemy forces. In addition, Huang Zu had strong men and archers ambushed on top of the cliff next to the river to throw down rocks and flaming debris. Sun Quan's forces firstly suffered great casualties and were unable to advance any further. Ling Tong and Dong Xi, along with 100 "commandos", donned two layers of armour each and charged towards the enemy despite the rain of rocks and arrows from the cliff and the fusillade from the vessels. They succeeded in breaking the connections between the two vessels after tough fighting, thus allowing Sun Quan's forces to break through and enter Miankou. Furthermore, the destruction of the mengchongs actuated Sun Quan forces' fighting spirit, and they emerged victorious in the next battle, in which Lü Meng defeated Huang Zu's navy while Ling Tong, Dong Xi and others conquered Jiangxia and massacred its population. Sun Quan appointed Ling Tong as a Commandant of Vehemence (承烈都尉).(行入右江，斬黃祖將張碩，盡獲船人。還以白權，引軍兼道，水陸並集。時呂蒙敗其水軍，而統先搏其城，於是大獲。權以統為承烈都尉， ...) Sanguozhi vol. 55.([建安]十三年春，權復征黃祖，祖先遣舟兵拒軍，都尉呂蒙破其前鋒。而淩統、董襲等盡銳攻之，遂屠其城。) Sanguozhi vol. 47.
Battle of Red Cliffs
In late 208, the northern warlord Cao Cao launched a campaign aimed at wiping out opposing forces in southern China. He successfully pressured Liu Cong, who had succeeded Liu Biao as the Governor of Jing Province, into surrendering. A few months later, Cao Cao assembled a force of 800,000 at Jiangling County, where countless warships and weapons were stored, and sent an envoy to intimidate Sun Quan to give up resistance.(曹操遺權書曰：「近者奉辭伐罪，旄麾南指，劉琮束手。今治水軍八十萬眾，方與將軍會獵於吳。」) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 65. Sun Quan eventually hardened his decision to go to war with Cao Cao after Lu Su and Zhou Yu convinced him. He then formed an alliance with another warlord, Liu Bei, to resist Cao Cao. Ling Tong, under Zhou Yu's command, participated in the Battle of Red Cliffs, in which the combined armies of Sun Quan and Liu Bei dealt Cao Cao's massive fleet a crushing defeat at Wulin (烏林).(... 與周瑜等拒破曹公於烏林， ...) Sanguozhi vol. 55.
Battles in central Jing Province
Following the Battle of Red Cliffs, Zhou Yu led Sun Quan's forces to attack Nan Commandery (南郡; around present-day Jingzhou, Hubei), which was defended by Cao Cao's general Cao Ren. Zhou Yu sent Gan Ning to guard Yiling (夷陵; around present-day Yichang, Hubei), but Cao Ren ordered his subordinates to attack Yiling later. Gan Ning was under siege so he requested aid from Zhou Yu, who followed Lü Meng's plan to leave Ling Tong behind to defend their position while Zhou Yu and the other generals would lead reinforcements to help Gan.(瑜即遣甘寧前據夷陵。仁分兵騎別攻圍寧。寧告急於瑜。瑜用呂蒙計，留凌統以守其後，身與蒙上救寧。寧圍旣解，乃渡屯北岸，克期大戰。) Sanguozhi vol. 54.(瑜使甘寧前據夷陵，曹仁分衆攻寧，寧困急，使使請救。諸將以兵少不足分，蒙謂瑜、普曰：「留淩公績，蒙與君行，解圍釋急，勢亦不乆，蒙保公績能十日守也。」) Sanguozhi vol. 54. Ling Tong was left alone to engage the enemy in battle for about ten days under numerical disadvantage, but he managed to triumph against the odds by holding his ground firmly while his comrades were away. The battle dragged on until Cao Ren was eventually ordered to abandon Nan Commandery, resulting in the capture of the commandery by Sun Quan's forces. Ling Tong was promoted to Colonel (校尉) for his achievements in the battle(... 遂攻曹仁，遷為校尉。) Sanguozhi vol. 55.
Ling Tong later moved east and followed Lü Meng and Gan Ning to attack Cao Cao's garrison at Wan County (皖縣; present-day Qianshan County, Anhui). They succeeded in conquering it. He was promoted to General of the Household Who Defeats Bandits (蕩寇中郎將) and was appointed as the Chancellor of Pei (沛相). In 215, Ling Tong joined Lü Meng in capturing Liu Bei's three commanderies of Changsha, Lingling and Guiyang. Later, they returned to Yiyang to counter an army led by Liu Bei's general Guan Yu, who was advancing south in an attempt to retake the lost commanderies.(又從破皖，拜盪寇中郎將，領沛相。與呂蒙等西取三郡，反自益陽， ...) Sanguozhi vol. 55. The territorial dispute was eventually resolved when both Sun Quan and Liu Bei agreed to divide Jing Province between their respective domains along the Xiang River.
Conflict with Gan Ning Ling Tong had never forgiven Gan Ning for killing his father Ling Cao. Gan Ning was always on the defensive against Ling Tong and he tried to avoid meeting Ling whenever possible. Sun Quan also ordered Ling Tong to not seek vengeance on Gan Ning. Despite so, the two of them nearly exchanged blows in an incident during a banquet held in Lü Meng's house. When Ling Tong was performing a sword dance to entertain the guests, Gan Ning stood up and said: "I can also perform with my pair of jis." Lü Meng told Gan Ning: "You may be good in performing, but you aren't as good as me." He then drew his sword and carried a shield and stood between Ling Tong and Gan Ning to separate them. When Sun Quan heard about the incident, he reassigned Gan Ning to another garrison at Banzhou (半州).(吳書曰：凌統怨寧殺其父操，寧常備統，不與相見。權亦命統不得讎之。甞於呂蒙舍會，酒酣，統乃以刀舞。寧起曰：「寧能雙戟舞。」蒙曰：「寧雖能，未若蒙之巧也。」因操刀持楯，以身分之。後權知統意，因令寧將兵，遂徙屯於半州。) Wu Shu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 55.
Battle of Xiaoyao Ford
After reaffirming his alliance with Liu Bei, Sun Quan personally led an army to attack Hefei, which was defended by Cao Cao's general Zhang Liao, in order to divert Cao Cao's attention away from Hanzhong Commandery. Ling Tong served as a Commandant of the Right Section (右部督) during this campaign.(... 從往合肥，為右部督。) Sanguozhi vol. 55. Sun Quan's forces suffered heavy losses in the early skirmishes against Zhang Liao and were unable to conquer Hefei. When a plague broke out among his troops, Sun Quan decided to give up on the campaign and retreat.