Ling Cao

Ling Cao (died 203) was a military officer serving under the warlords Sun Ce and Sun Quan in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He was the father of Ling Tong.

Service under Sun Ce
Ling Cao was known for his bravery and devotion to gallantry in his youth. When Sun Ce first raised his banner in 194, Ling Cao joined him and participated in the latter's conquests in the Jiangdong region. He fought for Sun Ce in various battles and always charged ahead of others on the field.

Within a few years, Sun Ce had completed the conquest of all of Yang Province; however, the restless Shanyue tribes in southeastern China continued to pose a threat to Sun Ce's administration. Sun Ce appointed Ling Cao as the Chief (長) of Yongping (永平) to counter the Shanyue. During his tenure, Ling Cao pacified the Shanyue and maintained low crime rates in the region. He was promoted to "Colonel Who Defeats Bandits" (破賊校尉) for his achievements.

Service under Sun Quan
After Sun Ce was assassinated in 200 CE, Ling Cao continued serving under Sun Quan, Sun Ce's younger brother and successor. In 203, Sun Quan launched a campaign against Huang Zu, the Administrator (太守) of Jiangxia (江夏; commandery capital in present-day Yunmeng County, Xiaogan, Hubei), to avenge his father Sun Jian, whose death at the Battle of Xiangyang in 191 was attributed to Huang. Ling Cao acted as the vanguard for Sun Quan's fleet. Upon his arrival at Xiakou (夏口), Ling Cao ordered a charge aimed at the enemy commanding unit. The defence line was immediately broken by Ling Cao's uninterrupted dash, and Huang Zu's navy was thrown into confusion by this sudden attack. Ling Cao then advanced further on a light vessel, but was killed by a stray arrow in the midst of battle. The historical record Wu Shu (吳書; Book of Wu) by Wei Zhao claimed that the arrow was fired by Gan Ning.

Ling Cao was succeeded by his son, Ling Tong, who became a prominent general under Sun Quan. Due to his father's death, Ling Tong bore a grudge against Gan Ning, who later surrendered and came to serve Sun Quan.