Chen Deng was known for his forthright yet steady character, widely read and aspiring to save the world and aid the people. From an early age, he demonstrated his talent and ambitions. This combination of political wisdom and idealism allowed him to navigate flexibly among various powers during turbulent times while steadfastly upholding the interests of his homeland.
Leveraging his family background and strategic acumen, Chen Deng switched allegiances multiple times, serving under Tao Qian, Liu Bei, Lü Bu, and Cao Cao in succession. He initially served as the Commandant of Agriculture under Tao Qian, responsible for managing agricultural affairs in Xu Province (Xuzhou). After Tao Qian’s death from illness, he strongly urged Liu Bei to assume the governorship of Xu Province and assisted him in stabilizing the situation.
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chen Deng’s exceptional strategic prowess is primarily showcased in his role in helping Cao Cao eliminate Lü Bu. As the foremost warrior of the Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu had the strategist Chen Gong and renowned generals like Gao Shun and Zhang Liao. Why, then, was he so easily deceived and betrayed by Chen Deng?
The outsider needs the support from natives
Xu Province was originally the domain of Tao Qian. When Cao Cao attacked Tao Qian to avenge his father, Liu Bei proactively came to the rescue. After Cao Cao withdrew his forces, Tao Qian, knowing his death was near, chose Liu Bei as his successor—the famous “Thrice Offering Xu Province.“
After suffering a major defeat in the battle for Yanzhou against Cao Cao, Lü Bu fled and sought refuge with Liu Bei, who had recently taken control of Xu Province.
That same year, while Liu Bei was engaged in a major battle with Yuan Shu, Lü Bu, instigated by Yuan Shu, launched a surprise attack and captured Xiapi, appointing himself as the military and administrative leader of Xu Province.
The fundamental reason Liu Bei lost Xu Province so easily to Lü Bu, and later was easily defeated by Cao Cao after retaking it, was his short tenure and failure to secure the people’s hearts. In simpler terms, he was a new leader whose subordinates were not fully loyal. Liu Bei had not ruled Xu Province long enough to establish an effective governing order.
When Lü Bu fled from Yan Province, his key followers were primarily military commanders like Gao Shun, Zhang Liao, Song Xian, and Wei Xu. These men were skilled in charging into battle but were utterly lost when it came to administrative work or guiding agricultural and fishery production. His senior strategist Chen Gong was capable, but Chen Gong was not from Xu Province.
Therefore, Lü Bu had no choice but to seek the strong support of the powerful local families, notably Chen Gui and Chen Deng.
The Chen Gui family was a prominent scholar-official clan that had resided in Xu Province for generations. Chen Gui had once served as the Chancellor of Pei, and Chen Deng held the position of Commandant of Agriculture under Tao Qian’s rule. The father and son possessed both prestige and capability, and, more crucially, had formed a solid network with other major families in Xu Province.
Chen Deng’s Exceptional Abilities
Firstly, Chen Deng possessed remarkable adaptability and a glib tongue.
Chen Deng gained an audience with Cao Cao because Lü Bu wanted the court to appoint him as Governor of Xu Province. However, when Chen Deng returned, both he and his father received important appointments, while Lü Bu was left empty-handed. Sensing he might have been betrayed by the Chens, Lü Bu was furious. Unexpectedly, Chen Deng had a ready explanation:
Lü Bu drew his sword, but Chen Deng only laughed as he said, “How foolish can you be, General?” “What do you mean?” asked Lü Bu. “When I saw Cao Cao,” Chen Deng said, “I told him to provide for you as for a tiger that needs his fill of meat lest hunger drive him to bite someone. ‘No, my friend,’ Cao answered me, smiling. ‘We’ll provide for Lü Bu as if he were a hunting hawk that must be kept hungry when hares and foxes are running about. Well fed, he’ll just soar off contented.’ ‘Who are the hares and foxes?’ I asked, and he replied, ‘Yuan Shu of Huainan, Sun Ce of the Southland, Yuan Shao of Jizhou, Liu Biao of Jingzhou, Liu Zhang of Yizhou, and Zhang Lu of Hanzhong—every one of them fair game.’” Tossing his sword aside, Lü Bu laughed and said, “Cao Cao knows me well!”
— Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 16
The subtext was that Cao Cao hoped to utilize Lü Bu and urged patience, hinting at greater rewards after he had proven his worth.
In reality, Cao Cao had no intention of allowing Lü Bu to grow powerful in Xu Province, hence denying him the legitimate title of Governor. Yet, in Chen Deng’s words, this became reserved for more important use, showcasing his silver tongue. Chen Deng continually used his “specialty” to sow discord between Lü Bu and his subordinates like Chen Gong, and between Lü Bu and neighboring forces like Yuan Shu, ultimately isolating Lü Bu.
Secondly, Chen Deng possessed exceptional administrative ability, capable of governing a region with great order and efficiency.
While serving as Commandant of Agriculture under Tao Qian, Chen Deng promoted scientific crop cultivation based on land conditions and actively developed water conservancy projects. As a result, Xu Province achieved abundant harvests, and both the government and the people enjoyed considerable prosperity.
After assuming the post of Grand Administrator of Guangling, Chen Deng clarified rewards and punishments, emphasized authority and governance, and revitalized the lax administration in Guangling. Simultaneously, he paid close attention to pacifying the populace and developing production. Within a year, Guangling exhibited a thriving atmosphere.
When the pirate Xue Zhou and others led a “reactionary force” of over ten thousand households to cause trouble in Guangling, Chen Deng did not resort to large-scale armed suppression. Instead, he combined kindness with power, successfully winning over Xue Zhou’s forces and converting them to his own use. By the time Cao Cao launched his large-scale campaign against Lü Bu, Chen Deng was able to lead these elite Guangling troops as the vanguard.
Compared to Chen Gong, Chen Deng was more eloquent and possessed greater ability in local governance. Lü Bu had every reason to heavily employ such a subordinate. Unfortunately, the Chen father and son were physically in Lü’s camp but hearts with the Han, ultimately planting a time bomb for Lü Bu’s eventual downfall.
The Father’s Assistance
As Chen Deng’s father, Chen Gui provided crucial support during pivotal moments.
In 197, Yuan Shu proclaimed himself emperor in Jiujiang and sent Han Yin to inform the warlord Lü Bu, who controlled Xu Province, of the event. Yuan Shu also proposed a marriage alliance, requesting that Lü Bu send his daughter to Jiujiang. As Lü Bu’s chief strategist, Chen Gong saw through Yuan Shu’s scheme but pretended not to know, deliberately facilitating this political marriage.
Chen Gui feared that a united Yangzhou and Xu Province would pose a grave threat to the realm. He advised Lü Bu: The Duke of Cao (Cao Cao) upholds the Son of Heaven, governs the state, and commands unparalleled prestige. He will soon launch campaigns to unify the land. You should align with Cao Cao. If you wed Yuan Shu, you will bear the stigma of defiance and face imminent peril.
“Some time ago,” replied Chen Gui, “Yuan Shu sent presents, hoping you would kill Xuande. But your marksmanship got Xuande out of that. Now he’s back again seeking an alliance through marriage. He must want your daughter as a hostage so he can attack Xuande. Once Xiaopei falls to him, Xuzhou is no longer safe. After the marriage they will come to borrow food or soldiers. If you meet their demands, you will be wearing yourself out for nothing and making enemies into the bargain. If you refuse, you will lose your daughter and find yourself at war with Yuan Shu. Or else, since Yuan Shu has seditious intentions and may declare himself emperor, you could be treated as a relative of the traitor, guilty of high treason, and have to face the world’s wrath.”
— Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 16
Lü Bu, resentful of Yuan Shu’s past betrayals, recalled his daughter and handed Han Yin over to Cao Cao’s forces in Xu Du, where he was publicly executed.
Later, when Cao Cao attacked Lü Bu, Lü Bu ordered Chen Gui to defend Xu Province. Chen Gui seized the opportunity to conspire with Chen Deng to aid Cao Cao. Together, they seized Xu Province with Mi Zhu. When Lü Bu attempted to retake the city, Mi Zhu shut the gates and falsely claimed to have killed Chen Gui, forcing Lü Bu to retreat.
Cao Cao’s Honeyed Words
Nominally, Lü Bu was loyal to the Han Dynasty and Emperor Xian. The most prominent deed in his life was, ostensibly, to ally with Wang Yun to assassinate Dong Zhuo. However, Lü Bu’s self-positioning was simple: nominal allegiance to the central government while acting as a local warlord free from restraint. This aimlessness led him to drift unpredictably after his defeat in Chang’an.
Cao Cao, meanwhile, used Emperor Xian’s banner to launch expeditions everywhere to unify the realm. This created a complex relationship between Lü Bu and Cao Cao, which ultimately directly affected Lü Bu’s judgment of the overall situation.
To express his loyalty to the court, Lü Bu submitted a memorial to Emperor Xian, indicating his desire to serve the court as an external minister. At the time, Cao Cao was preoccupied with pacifying surrounding forces and couldn’t spare the resources to eliminate Lü Bu immediately. Cao Cao had started the campaigns against Zhang Xiu and Liu Biao at the west. Thus, he adopted a temporary policy of appeasement towards Lü Bu, successively conferring upon him the titles of General Who Pacifies the East and General of the Left (but never appointing him as Governor of Xu Province), and ordering him to campaign against forces like Gongsun Zan, Yuan Shu, Han Xian, and Yang Feng.
Cao Cao’s combination of official appointments, promises, and emotionally manipulative letters created an illusion for Lü Bu regarding the current situation: Cao Cao, as the “spokesperson” for Emperor Xian, was his ally, while Yuan Shu, Liu Bei, and others were his primary enemies. Consequently, Lü Bu actively opposed forces like Yuan Shu and Liu Bei but neglected active defense against Cao Cao. When Cao Cao personally led a massive army in a sudden attack, Lü Bu was completely stunned.
After the second campaign against Zhang Xiu finished in 198AD, Cao Cao finally turned his attention to Lü Bu, seeking vengeance for the earlier loss of Yanzhou. In 199 AD, under the combined attacks of Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Chen Deng, Lü Bu was defeated and captured. At the final moment of his life, Lü Bu still harbored the illusion of surrendering to Cao Cao and jointly unifying the land. But Liu Bei’s remark—”My lord, have you forgotten how Lü Bu served Ding Jianyang and Dong Zhuo?”—made Cao Cao resolve decisively to execute Lü Bu.
Lü Bu being easily manipulated by Chen Deng was not merely due to Lü Bu’s foolishness or Chen Deng’s cunning. More importantly, as an outsider occupying Xu Province, Lü Bu had no choice but to place considerable trust and heavy reliance on locals like Chen Deng.
The Ming Dynasty literary scholar Li Zhi once lamented,
“Chen Gui and his son manipulated Lü Bu as if he were an infant; pitifully, Lü Bu remained completely unaware.”
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