Blood and Loyalty Series (I): Geng Gong

The long historical novel Blood and Loyalty: Geng Gong is the first of six books in the Blood and Loyalty series. Based on the true story of the Eastern Han general Geng Gong, it vividly brings to life his heroic stand: leading a few hundred isolated soldiers in holding Shule Fortress against twenty thousand Xiongnu cavalry. It recounts Geng Gong’s youth and growth, his decision to abandon the brush for the army, his farming at Jinpu, and his dispatch of a message to Wusun. It also paints in vivid detail the tragic course of his defense of Shule Fortress, where supplies ran out and reinforcements never came: his men boiled crossbows for food, prayed for water and found a spring, roasted an envoy to death, and held out to the bitter end. At last, twenty-six men left the fortress, and only thirteen made it to Yumen Pass. The novel tells of Geng Gong’s troubled fate after returning to court: he was rewarded, framed by Ma Fang, falsely accused and imprisoned, stripped of office, and sent home, where he died in despair. It also shows the profound influence of Geng Gong’s spirit on the Chinese people’s sense of honor. With “Never bring shame upon the Great Han” as its soul, the novel celebrates the righteous courage of those who sacrifice their lives for what is right, remaining loyal and unyielding.

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.