Jia Chong (217-282) was a minister of Cao Wei and a general of Western Jin, and he fought in the conquest of Shu in 263 AD and the conquest of Wu in 280 AD.
Biography[]
A painting of Jia Chong.
Jia Chong was born in 217 AD, the son of Cao Cao's strategist, Jia Kui. Jia Chong inherited his father's titles, and served as a general of Cao Wei. In 257 AD, he served as an adviser to Sima Zhao, the Regent-Marshal of Cao Wei for Emperor Cao Mao. Before Zhuge Dan's Rebellion, he lured Zhuge Dan into a ploy to find out his intentions, repeatedly praising Sima Zhao in front of him, for which he was rebuked.
Jia Chong told Sima Zhao that he would not submit, and Sima Zhao suppressed Zhuge Dan's rebellion in 258 AD. In 260 AD, Jia Chong aided Sima Zhao in his defeat of Cao Mao's Coup in Luoyang. His subordinate, Cheng Ji killed Cao Mao with a spear, but some loyalists of Cao Wei accused both Jia Chong and Cheng Ji of being regicides. Sima Zhao executed Cheng Ji to appease the public, but refused to kill Jia Chong, who was very loyal to him.
In 263 AD, he served in the conquest of Shu at the Battle of Jiange, and crushed Zhong Hui's uprising in 264 AD alongside his master, Sima Zhao. When Sima Zhao died in 265 AD, he suggested the overthrowing of Wei to his son, Sima Yan, who founded the Jin dynasty after an uprising. Jia Chong became an important minister under of him. Jia Chong opposed the invasion of Eastern Wu in 279 AD, saying that Wu was too strong.
However, Sima Yan was influenced by the opinions of the late general, Yang Hu, and his successor, Du Yu, who both noted that the Emperor Sun Hao was unpopular, and that the corruption and oppressiveness of his government would make Wu's people less-willing to fight.
Jia Chong was named commander-in-chief of the invasion of Wu despite his opposition, but Sima Yan kept him in check by refusing all of his suggestions to end the campaign and retreat. Despite his opposition to the invasion, after the victory he was given the tax income of 8,000 households.