| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 赖恭, 賴恭, Lài Gōng |
| Nickname | Minister of Ceremonies (太常) |
| Other name | Lại Cung |
| INFORMATION | |
| Birth Place | Lingling Commandery, Jing Province (荆州零陵郡; quận Linh Lăng, Kinh Châu) |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Liu Biao / Shu Han |
The Life and Legacy of Lai Gong
Lai Gong (赖恭) was a distinguished statesman, classicist, and high-ranking minister during the late Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. Hailing from Lingling Commandery, he earned widespread renown across southern China for his profound understanding of classical court ritual, bureaucratic integrity, and governance.
Around 203 AD, following the demise of Inspector Zhu Fu, the regional warlord Liu Biao appointed him as the Inspector of Jiao Province (Jiaozhou) to project authority into the far south. Accompanied by Wu Ju, the Administrator of Cangwu, his mission soon collapsed due to severe administrative and personal friction. Wu Ju eventually turned hostile, driving the inspector out of the territory by force and compelling him to return northward.
Following Liu Bei‘s consolidation of power across Jing and Yi Provinces, the veteran administrator entered the service of Shu Han. Highly valued for his seniority and encyclopedic knowledge of imperial rites, Liu Bei appointed Lai Gong as Minister of Ceremonies (Taichang), placing him among the exalted Nine Ministers of state. In 219 AD, he stood prominently among the chief signatories petitioning Liu Bei to assume the title of King of Hanzhong.
When Cao Pi deposed Emperor Xian in 220 AD, Lai Gong collaborated alongside Chancellor Zhuge Liang and Xu Jing to orchestrate the transition of imperial authority. His expertise ensured that Liu Bei’s formal ascension as Emperor in 221 AD adhered strictly to legitimate dynastic customs, asserting Shu Han as the authentic continuation of the Han heritage.
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In Luo Guanzhong’s epic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the minister appears in Chapter 80 as a revered court elder. Facing the collapse of the central Han court, he leads the civil administration in urging Liu Bei to mount the imperial throne, passionately arguing that the realm could not endure without a virtuous sovereign to preserve heaven’s mandate.
In Novel
Chapter 61
- Lai Gong (赖恭, Lại Cung): Lai Gong is a senior official in Liu Zhang's government in Yi Province. When Liu Bei enters Yi, Lai Gong is among the officials whose positions become important in the struggle between Liu Zhang and Liu Bei.
Chapter 63
- Lai Gong (赖恭, Lại Cung): After Liu Bei takes control of Chengdu and Liu Zhang's regime collapses, Lai Gong transfers his allegiance to Liu Bei and becomes one of the officials serving the new Shu government.
In History
Early Career
- Lai Gong (赖恭, Lại Cung) was an official from Jiaozhi who later became involved in the political administration of Yi Province under Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị).
Service under Liu Bei
- After Liu Bei established his government in Chengdu, Lai Gong entered the Shu administration. He was appointed to high civil office and participated in the government of the newly established Shu state.
Relationship with Liu Bei
- Lai Gong belonged to the group of regional officials whom Liu Bei incorporated into his administration after conquering Yi Province. His career illustrates the integration of local elites into the Shu government.
Later Years
- He remained a senior official during the early Shu period. His son Lai Min (来敏, Lai Mẫn) also became a noted Shu scholar and official.
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