Huang Gai (Gongfu)

[Huang Gai]

Huang Gai (Gongfu)

Basic Information

Age: 63
Birthday: 2nd of July
Gender: Male
Occupation : General of the Gentlemen of the Household
Kingdom : Wu
Height: 6’2
Weight: 16.5 Stone
Orientation:

Personality and Appearance

Huang Gai is a tall man compared to his countrymen, a muscular veteran for his age. With stamina that belies his age, he can still out duel a well experienced swordsman on a good day. He is a bold and confident general for Wu. A devoted vassal, he is considered to be an irreplaceable member of the Wu military.

Huang Gai’s appearance is stern and determined, during a military expedition, the veteran would be usually be leading the vanguard after the death of Sun Ce. During civil affairs Gai is known as a strict but fair, for this the commoners have a great amount of respect for Huang Gai.

His beard has turned from a silky black; silvered and now as finally turned white and slowly thinning out, showing his age. The same has happened to his head, known for his thick locks back in his heyday, as now turned white and has a bald patch. Gai’s body is still thick with muscle but over the years his body has gained many scars, gashes, burns and even an arrow wound.

Huang Gai’s armour is usually quite heavy compared to the average Officer, his natural strength alouds him to wear a full set of iron. His amour is chipped and dented from blows it had received over the years, it bears no jewels or plated in gold, each blow and slash shows each battle he had survived, making him a formidable opponent, although not as formidable as he was in his younger days. The only ‘decoration’ you find upon Huang Gai in battle is an old cape which has been dyed red, but even this has been riddled in tears and cuts.

Skills and Abilities

An able and reliable Vanguard General.

Decisive and determined as an officer, and did not tarry on any of his tasks.

Still quite formidable with a sword, although age has caught up with him.

Well learnt in making and carrying out strategies.

Huang Gai is known to be an excellent recruiter and trainer of soldiers.

Receives popular support from the Shanyue because he puts down the corrupted and supported the weak in office.

Known to quell rebellions peacefully.

The Huang family is extremely loyal to the Sun family.

History

In Gongfu’s childhood years back in the mid 150’s as a boy Gai had a tough childhood, growing up in the poor southern county Quanling. Huang Gai was orphaned at an early age, and endured many difficulties as a boy. Even in his poor situation, he retained great ambition and studied how to read and write during breaks from cutting firewood. Though he was in poverty, Huang Gai refused to be a mediocrity. As Gai got older he took interest in military affairs and studied books of tactics.

Huang Gai started his career, running errands for the district office in Quanling. When Sun Jian took up the post of Grand Administrator of Chang Sha Commandery, Huang Gai went to serve him. When Dong Zhuo took over Luo Yang, Sun Jian was sent north to do battle and Huang Gai followed him as well. He was appointed Auxiliary Corps Commanding Officer and fought against Dong Zhuo in Liang Province under Sun Jian. During his time with Sun Jian, Gai became one of Jian’s leading and trusted Officers.

After the death of Sun Jian, Huang Gai and his friends, loyal to the Sun clan, followed their young Master Sun Ce back to their headquarters in Lu Jiang Commandery. Since Sun Jian was under the command of Yuan Shu, the old troops were transferred back to Yuan Shu’s camp. Huang Gai and his old compatriots did not follow Yuan Shu like their late Master, but instead they stayed close to Sun Ce. Through hard work and amazing feats of leadership, Sun Ce was able to break away from Yuan Shu, and established himself south of the Yangzi. Sun Ce organised his family and their troops, and conquered many counties in the Jiang Dong area. Huang Gai was especially effective in the battles against Hill People and Non–Chinese natives, and he was recognized for his amicable treatment of commoners.

When Sun Ce established his base in the lower region of the Yangzi basin, a war against Huang Zu began. Huang Gai lead troops against Huang Zu, and successfully struck the first blow in the long campaign against Liu Biao’s command in Danyang. In his memorial to the court, Sun Ce appointed Huang Gai as the Acting Colonel of the Firm Attack.

After the death of Sun Ce in AD 200, Huang Gai followed his younger brother Sun Quan, who took over command of the Sun Clan’s forces. Sun Quan resumed the war against Huang Zu and was successful in destroying Liu Biao’s forces in Danyang. He appointed Colonel Huang as Chief Commandant of Danyang, and titled him General of the Gentlemen of the Household.

When Cao Cao turned his attention to the south and threatened Wu, Sun Quan allied with Liu Bei to put up a defense that would deter any influence from the North. Zhou Yu took 30,000 elite troops and led the Wu navy up the Yangzi near present day Huarong, to do battle with Cao Cao’s fleet in Xiangyang. Huang Gai was appointed as Divisional Commander under Zhou Yu, while Cheng Pu, Lu Su and Sun Quan commanded the vanguard. In one of the earlier skirmishes between the two forces in the year AD 208, Huang Gai was sent out to do battle and to examine the enemy formation. Huang Gai reported back to Zhou Yu; for this plan to work, Huang Gai willingly allowed himself to be beaten in public by Zhou Yu for suggesting to surrender to Cao Cao. This trick fooled Cao Cao’s spies, who reported the incident to their Headquarters. Shortly after, Huang Gai sent a fake letter of defection to Cao Cao, and prepared special transport for the exchange. Huang Gai filled his boats with dry grass and poured fatty oil over them, then covered them with red sheets and ornaments. A time was arranged for the transfer, and Huang Gai led his ships through the canal to the basin where Cao Cao’s fleet was anchored. Before Cao Cao could pick up the boats, Huang Gai set them on fire and rammed them into Cao Cao’s barges. Zhou Yu ignited a new offense and drove Cao Cao and his fleet out of the southland, sending them back to Xiangyang, and ending the Northern threat.

During that final battle, Huang Gai was hit by a stray arrow, and fell into the river in full winter cold. He was saved by some soldiers of Wu, but they didn’t know that it was Huang Gai. They placed him lying in a bed. Huang Gai gathered enough strength to cry out Han Dang’s name, and when Han Dang heard it, he said, “That’s the voice of Gongfu!” Thus he turned to him, and weeping, he assisted him to change his wet clothes. And so Huang Gai survived.

After the battle, Sun Quan held an even higher regard for Huang Gai, and he was sent to nine counties in Wu to settle uprisings and to help the non–Chinese people get settled. Wherever Huang Gai was stationed, the area was quickly pacified, and the Shanyue people adored and admired him.

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[Lexi]

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