Taishi Ci

Taishi Ci
A Qing dynasty illustration of Taishi Ci
General of Sun Quan
Born	166
Died	206 (aged 40)
Names
Traditional Chinese	太史慈
Simplified Chinese	太史慈
Pinyin	Tàishǐ Cí
Wade–Giles	T'ai-shih Tz'u
Courtesy name	Ziyi (traditional Chinese: 子義; simplified Chinese: 子义; pinyin: Zǐyì; Wade–Giles: Tzu-i)

Taishi Ci (166–206),courtesy name Ziyi, was a military general who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. A native of Donglai Commandery (around present-day Longkou, Shandong), he started his career as a minor official in the local commandery office. In 186, at the age of 20, he became famous after successfully completing a mission to prevent a letter from the provincial administration from reaching the imperial court in Luoyang first. However, out of fear that the provincial administration would take revenge against him, he went into hiding in Liaodong. After returning from Liaodong, he travelled to Beihai (around present-day Weifang, Shandong) to rescue the warlord Kong Rong, who was besieged by Yellow Turban rebels. By resorting to trickery, he managed to break out of the siege and seek aid from another warlord, Liu Bei. The siege was lifted when Taishi Ci returned to Beihai with reinforcements from Liu Bei.

Taishi Ci travelled to Yang Province later to join the warlord Liu Yao, an old acquaintance of his. However, he got caught up in a war between Liu Yao and another warlord, Sun Ce. He fought on Liu Yao's side and once engaged Sun Ce in a one-on-one fight. Following Liu Yao's defeat and death, Taishi Ci headed to Jing County (north of present-day Jing County, Anhui) and tried to establish his own power base there. However, he was eventually defeated and captured by Sun Ce's forces. Touched by Sun Ce's sincerity and generosity towards him, Taishi Ci agreed to serve Sun Ce and even helped to persuade many former followers of Liu Yao to join Sun Ce as well. Sun Ce appointed him as a Commandant and put him in charge of security around Jianchang County (present-day Fengxin County, Jiangxi). During this time, he drove back Liu Pan and his men, who often raided Sun Ce's territories in that area. After Sun Ce's death, Taishi Ci continued serving under Sun Ce's successor, Sun Quan. Sun Quan deeply mourned Taishi Ci when the latter died in 206.