Hou Cheng

Hou Cheng was a cavalry commander who served under Lu Bu and eventually defected to rival warlord Cao Cao during the Battle of Xiapi.

Historical Information
According to the Spring and Autumn Annals of the Nine Provinces by Sima Biao, Hou Cheng once sent a man to graze a band of fifteen horses outside the city. But the man drove the horse towards Xiaopei, intending to defect to Liu Bei. Hou Cheng personally led a pursuit and reclaimed the horses. His colleagues then gathered to celebrate. Before the feast ensued, Hou Cheng brought some wine to pay respect to Lu Bu, but the latter was enraged as he had enforced a ban on liquor. The fearful Hou Cheng then discarded all his wine and called off the celebration.

When Cao Cao laid siege on Lu Bu in Xiapi in 198, Hou Cheng, together with Song Xian and Wei Xu, captured Lu Bu's chief adviser Chen Gong and Hou Cheng stole Lu Bu's horse Red Hare and surrended. Lu Bu was defeated and executed shortly afterwards. However, Hou Cheng's fate after the defection was not known.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Hou Cheng served as one of Lu Bu's top eight generals during the latter's initial invasion of Cao Cao's teritorry and homeland of Yanzhou. During Cao Cao's invasion of the Xiapi region, Hou Cheng was sent with fellow officers Gao Shun and Wei Xu to defend the western camp. Later, after Xiapi had been flooded by Cao Cao, Hou Cheng lost fifteen horses stolen by a subordinate, who had been meaning to deliver them to Liu Bei. Hou Cheng killed the thief and brought back the stolen horses, and in celebration, he brewed around six vats of wine, and brang five to Lu Bu. However, Lu Bu had recently set up a law outlawing any drinking of wine lest the criminal be killed. Hou Cheng said, "It was thanks to your awesome prestige that we recovered our horses. All the commanders are celebrating, and we have brewed this wine, which we offer first to you for your permission to drink." Lu Bu, however, took this as treason, and ordered Hou Cheng to be executed.

Fellow generals Song Xian and Wei Xu pleaded for the order to be called off, and Lu Bu then only ordered fifty lashes to Hou Cheng, disheartening the commanders. They later came together and conspired against Lu Bu, who they claimed only listened to his women and cared not for his generals. Hou Cheng later took his master's horse, Red Hare, and surrendered to Cao Cao. Wei Xu and Song Xian later tied up Lu Bu in his sleep and also surrendered. Xiapi and the surrounding counties were later pacified and Lu Bu was executed.