Lingling is a southern commandery in the route Kong Ming recommends for consolidating Xuande’s position in Jingzhou. Its surrender becomes an early example of a campaign in which a show of force is paired with restraint toward local people and leaders, helping turn territorial expansion into a more secure base.

Place in the Southern Campaign

After Xuande’s gains in Jingzhou, Ma Liang advises him to strengthen Liu Qi’s standing as governor and then advance south for Wuling, Changsha, Guiyang, and Lingling. Ma Liang proposes taking Lingling first, followed by Wuling and then the two commanderies east of the river. The plan presents the southern commanderies not as isolated prizes but as a sequence of acquisitions that could provide Xuande with a firmer territorial base and abundant provisions.

The Campaign and the Surrender

Xuande sends Zhang Fei to attack Lingling. The commandery’s governor, persuaded by his son Liu Xian, relies on the warrior Xing Daorong to meet the advancing army. Kong Ming appears with Zhang Fei’s troops and urges Xing to surrender; Xing rejects the appeal and charges. Kong Ming withdraws his carriage, and Xing is drawn into a confrontation with Zhang Fei before Zhao Zilong blocks his escape. He is captured and brought before Xuande.

The capture does not end with Xing’s defeat. Liu Xian is also taken after returning toward the camp, but Kong Ming releases him, gives him fresh clothes and wine, and sends him back to his father to describe his treatment and encourage the governor to surrender. Liu Xian follows those instructions. His father yields Lingling, remains governor, and sends Liu Xian to join Xuande’s army at Gong’an.

Consequences and Narrative Significance

The account emphasizes the contrast between armed conquest and its treatment of the people living under the defeated regime. After the surrender, Lingling’s ordinary inhabitants rejoice that the change of rulers has not brought harm to them. The governor’s retention of office and Liu Xian’s place in Xuande’s army likewise turn surrender into accommodation rather than wholesale displacement.

Lingling therefore marks a practical step in Ma Liang’s territorial strategy and a demonstration of Kong Ming’s political method. The city changes hands through a combination of military advantage, a released captive’s appeal, and the promise of safety for the population. Its peaceful transfer supports the wider effort to make Xuande’s southern acquisitions a stable base.