Cheng Bing, style name

Chinese style name

A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...

 Deshu (德樞), was a Confucian

Confucianism

Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...

 scholar and official of Eastern Wu

Eastern Wu

Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...

 during the Three Kingdoms

Three Kingdoms

The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...

 period of Chinese history

History of China

Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...

.

Biography

Cheng was a native of Nandun, Runan. He was a student of the Confucian scholar Zheng Xuan

Zheng Xuan

Zheng Xuan , courtesy name Kangcheng , was an influential Chinese commentator and Confucian scholar of the Han Dynasty. He was born in modern Weifang, Shandong, and was a student of Ma Rong.-See also:*Three Kingdoms...

. He left for Jiao Province

Annam (Chinese Province)

Annam or Jiaozhi was the southernmost province of the Chinese Empire. It is now part of present-day Vietnam...

 in the far south when civil war broke out in northern China. During that time, he studied the Five Classics

Four Books and Five Classics

The Four Books and Five Classics are the authoritative books of Confucianism in China written before 300 BC.-Four Books:The Four Books are Chinese classic texts illustrating the core value and belief systems in Confucianism...

 with Liu Xi (劉熙). He was later appointed Chief Clerk (長史) by Shi Xie

Shi Xie

Shi Xie , style name Weiyan, was a Chinese official in Jiaozhi, present-day Vietnam during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Biography:...

, the Administrator of Jiaozhi

Jiaozhi

Jiaozhi was the name of all or part of Vietnam's territory, from the Hùng Vương era to the middle of the Third Chinese domination, and during the Fourth Chinese domination.-Giao Chỉ in the Văn Lang era:...

.

When Sun Quan

Sun Quan

Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....

 became emperor

Emperor of China

The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...

 of Eastern Wu

Eastern Wu

Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...

, he heard about Cheng and was eager to recruit Cheng to serve him. Cheng agreed and was appointed as the Crown Prince's Tutor (太子太傅), mentoring Sun Quan's oldest son Sun Deng

Sun Deng

Sun Deng , style name Zigao , was a crown prince of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the oldest son of Sun Quan, founding emperor of Eastern Wu. It is known that Sun Deng was both wise and virtuous, having all the makings of a great man...

. In 225, during the marriage between Sun Deng and Zhou Yu

Zhou Yu

Zhou Yu was a military general and strategist who served his close friend, the warlord Sun Ce, during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...

's daughter, Cheng served as Minister of Ceremonies (太常) in Wu Commandery. Sun Quan personally boarded Cheng's boat upon the arrival. Cheng taught Sun Deng to observe Confucian rules on propriety after the wedding. He died of illness during service.

List of works

Cheng wrote texts discussing the Five Classics

Four Books and Five Classics

The Four Books and Five Classics are the authoritative books of Confucianism in China written before 300 BC.-Four Books:The Four Books are Chinese classic texts illustrating the core value and belief systems in Confucianism...

. His works include:

• Selections from the Book of Changes
  I Ching
  The I Ching or "Yì Jīng" , also known as the Classic of Changes, Book of Changes and Zhouyi, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts...
  
  (周易摘)
• Arguments on the Book of History (尚書駮)
• Guide to the Analects (論語弼).

Appointments and titles held

• Chief Clerk (長史) to Shi Xie
  Shi Xie
  Shi Xie , style name Weiyan, was a Chinese official in Jiaozhi, present-day Vietnam during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Biography:...
  
  , Administrator of Jiaozhi (交趾太守)
• Crown Prince's Tutor (太子太傅)