Gao Shun

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Gao (高).

Gao Shun (? – 198 AD) was a commander known for his exceptional bravery and vigour in battle. During the later period of the Han dynasty, Gao Shun set out to serve under Lü Bu and came to be known as one of Lü Bu’s most able commanders. He was most noted for his conquest of Xiaopei and the subsequent victory over a relief force led by Xiahou Dun, a prominent general under Cao Cao. In the same year, however, Cao Cao personally led a siege on Lü Bu's base city Xiapi and triumphed. Gao Shun was then executed alongside his lord, Lü Bu.

Life

According to Pei Songzhi's annotation, Gao Shun was a man of honour, with an air of authority and few words. Gao Shun was a great general, he trained his troops very well. Gao Shun was an unblemished and pure person. He was very strict in nature; therefore he didn't drink wine or send/accept undue gifts.

According to the Records of Heroes (英雄記) by Wang Can: Gao Shun had only 700 men under his command, was well-equipped and disciplined. Whenever his battalion fought they were always successful of breaking into enemy formation and fought completely surrounded by enemies.

Zang Ba, bandit leader of Mount Tai, attacked and defeated the Chancellor of Langye, Xiao Jian, at Ju. He captured Xiao Jian's treasure and provisions, and promised to present them to Lü Bu. When he failed to do so, however, Lü Bu went to ask for the goods himself. Gao Shun objected: "Your authority and reputation are known and respected everywhere. How can you ask for something and fail to obtain it? Yet you are going in person to beg for a present. If for some reason you are not successful, you will surely lose face." Lü Bu would not agree.

One night in 198 a subject of Lü Bu named Hao Meng rebelled. Hao Meng ordered his troops to surround the government house of Xiapi, where Lü Bu resided. The startled Lü Bu had to climb over the wall of the toilet and escape to the camp of Gao Shun, who then led a force to quell the rebellion. By the next morning Hao Meng and his troops had all been forced to retreat back to their own camp. Cao Xing, a subordinate of Hao Meng, then opposed his superior and the two dueled. Cao Xing was injured in the fight but cleaved an arm off Hao Meng. Gao Shun had also arrived by this point and finished off Hao Meng.

Although Lü Bu knew Gao Shun was very loyal, his advice was not always welcome. Lü Bu trusted Gao Shun even less after the Hao Meng incident. He stripped Gao Shun of his commission and reassigned his troops to Wei Xu. Whenever there was a battles, however, Gao Shun would be reinstated. Despite this treatment, he remained eternally loyal and never bore a grudge against his lord.

Lü Bu, who made decisions hastily, and his actions were seldom consistent. Gao Shun would often remonstrate with him, saying, "When you start something, you never think of the details. Whenever there is a choice between the way to success or the possibility of failure, you always make the wrong decisions!" Lü Bu appreciated his loyalty, but he could not follow his advice.

In the same year, Lü Bu felt threatened by Liu Bei's presence and sent Gao Shun to attack Xiaopei. Cao Cao then sent his trusted general Xiahou Dun to rescue Xiaopei, but Xiahou Dun was defeated by Gao Shun. In the end, Liu Bei had to desert the city to take shelter under Cao Cao. In the winter of 198, Cao Cao and Liu Bei allied together in the Battle of Xiapi, and when the city finally fell Gao Shun was captured along with Lü Bu. Showing no fear nor resistance, Gao Shun then saw Cao Cao shifting his attention to him, and guards surrounding Gao Shun hustled him in front of Cao Cao.. "Anything to say?" Cao Cao asked him. Not wishing to join Cao Cao, Gao Shun remained silent and accepted his fate. Cao Cao had him executed along with Chen Gong.

The heads of Lü Bu, Chen Gong, Gao Shun and others were sent to Xuchang and subsequently were buried.

Gao Shun in Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a 14th-century historical novel by Luo Guanzhong, was a romanticization of the events that occurred before and during the Three Kingdoms era. In Chapter 18, Gao Shun was said to have dueled Xiahou Dun during an encounter outside Xiaopei.

After forty to fifty bouts, Gao Shun was outmatched and had to retreat. Xiahou Dun urged his mount forward and chased Gao Shun deep into the enemy ranks. Then Cao Xing, a subject of Gao Shun, secretly took aim and fired an arrow at Xiahou Dun. The arrow hit the target right in the left eye. With a cry, Xiahou Dun pulled out the arrow along with his eyeball, which he swallowed.

His spear firmly held up, Xiahou Dun then came straight for Cao Xing. With no time to react, Cao Xing was impaled through the face and died beneath his nemesis' horse. Gao Shun then turned and rallied his troops forward to defeat Xiahou Dun.

References

• Chen Shou (2002). San Guo Zhi. Yue Lu Shu She. ISBN 7-80665-198-5. 
• Luo Guanzhong (1986). San Guo Yan Yi. Yue Lu Shu She. ISBN 7-80520-013-0. 
• Lo Kuan-chung; tr. C.H. Brewitt-Taylor (2002). Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 0-8048-3467-9. 

See also

• Three Kingdoms
• Personages of the Three Kingdoms
• Records of Three Kingdoms
• Romance of the Three Kingdoms