Man Chong

Man Chong was from Changyi, Shanyang Commandery, which is around present-day Juye County, Shandong. He started his career as a strategist under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty. Around 219, when he was serving as the Administrator of Runan Commandery, he also became a adviser to the general Cao Ren at the Battle of Fancheng against Guan Yu.

Historically, Man Chong convinced Cao Ren to not withdraw by indicating that the flood was only temporary and would not last long. Man Chong also noted that Guan Yu's vanguard had already advanced to Jia (郏), yet his main force dared not follow, because he was afraid of being cut off from the behind and attacked from both sides. In 228, Man Chong participated in an unsuccessful three-way invasion on the state of Eastern Wu. Man Chong was also credited with the suggestion to build a new castle at a strategic location far away from the river on Hefei, as to minimise the advantage of the Wu navy. In 231, the Wu emperor Sun Quan leaked word that he was going to attack Hefei. In order to defend it, Man Chong summoned reinforcements from Yu and Yan provinces, gathering a large army. Sun Quan's army arrived but retreated before attacking, supposedly intimidated by the large defending army. The reinforcements were going to be dismissed, but one Xu Xuan suggested that Sun Quan's first attack had just been a feint and that he would return once the reinforcements were gone. On his advice, Man Chong did not dismiss his reinforcements. Sun Quan did indeed return 10 days later and assault the city, but because he still had a very large army, Man Chong easily repelled the attack.

Later that year, Sun Quan tried to set a trap for Wang Ling. He had a subordinate named Sun Bu offer to defect if Wang Ling would bring an army to take over his position. Wang Ling believed him, but Man Chong saw through this ploy and refused to give Wang Ling any soldiers for it. Wang Ling then slandered Man Chong, writing to the Wei emperor Cao Rui that he was too old to fulfil his duties. Because of this, Man Chong was summoned to the imperial capital Luoyang for questioning. However, he left strict orders that Wang Ling was not to be given any soldiers, so Man Chong's subordinates refused to help Wang Ling. As a result, Wang Ling could only send a handful of soldiers to Sun Bu. Though these were ambushed and defeated by Sun Quan, thanks to Man Chong's foresight, it was not a major loss. Meanwhile, Man Chong met with Cao Rui and the two discussed affairs. Cao Rui determined that Man Chong was fully qualified to hold his position and sent him back to Yang Province.

Sun Quan invaded Hefei again in 233, but he was so hesitant to land that he just stayed on the boat for 20 days. When he did land, he was ambushed by Man Chong, and lost a few hundred men before getting back on boat and retreating. During the fourth battle of Hefei in 234, Man Chong was responsible of the defence of the grand castle of Hefei (although he was not physically there). His suggestion to reinforce general Zhang Ying (who was commanding troops inside Hefei Castle) was rejected by Cao Rui, but he managed to burn down the rams that the Wu forces assembled to attack the city. As a result, the Wu forces retreated before Cao Rui led the main army to Hefei. In his later years, Man Chong was involved in the power struggle with Wang Ling, and eventually lost favour in the imperial court.