Deng Zhi
Encyclopedia
Deng Zhi was a minister of Shu Han
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...

 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...

 era 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...

.

Early career

Deng Zhi was a native of Xinye (新野; in present-day Nanyang
Nanyang, Henan
Nanyang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Henan province, People's Republic of China. The city with the largest administrative area in Henan, Nanyang borders Xinyang to the southeast, Zhumadian to the east, Pingdingshan to the northeast, Luoyang to the north, Sanmenxia to the...

, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...

), and went to Yi Province (益州; covering the Sichuan Basin
Sichuan basin
The Sichuan Basin is a lowland region in southwestern China. Despite its historical name, it is not only synonymous to Sichuan province, comprising its central and eastern portions as well as part of Chongqing Municipality...

) to avoid the turmoil of central China. He was not recognized in the area and was not even respected, so he became concerned with his prospect and asked the local fortune-teller, Zhang Yu (張裕), about his future. Zhang Yu told him that he would become the Grand General and a marquis, but only after 70 years old. Still, Deng Zhi could not gain a sense of security from Zhang Yu, and when he heard the Grand Administrator of Western Ba, Pang Xi
Pang Xi
Pang Yi was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Zhang during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Pang Yi later assisted Zhang Lu as the prefect of Hanzhong. After Liu Bei's takeover of Yi Province, Pang Yi was selected to serve as minister of Hanzhong. Pang Yi is sometimes...

, was fond of guests, he quickly joined the later and took shelter under him.

When the warlord Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...

 invaded Yi Province
Liu Bei's takeover of Yi Province
Liu Bei's takeover of Yi Province was a military campaign by the warlord Liu Bei in taking control of Yi Province from its Governor, Liu Zhang. The campaign took place between 212 and 215 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...

, Pang Xi surrendered, and Deng Zhi was made a low-ranking official after Liu Bei took over the province. Once, Liu Bei passed by Picheng (郫城), where Deng Zhi held his post, and discovered the latter's talent after a conversation. Thus, Deng Zhi soon ascended to Grand Administrator of Guanghan, and worked hard on proving himself. As a result, Guanghan received good governance, and Deng Zhi was ordered to join the central politics in Shu's capital of Chengdu.

As an ambassador

When Liu Bei died soon after his catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Xiaoting
Battle of Xiaoting
The Battle of Xiaoting, also known as the Battle of Yiling and the Battle of Yiling and Xiaoting, was fought between the states of Eastern Wu and Shu Han in 222 during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...

, the regent, Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....

, was so worried that chief ally, 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...

, would alter its diplomatic policy. At the time, the residents in the southern part of Shu openly severed ties with the regime and had Zhuge Liang's representative, Zhang Yi, bound and sent to Wu, so Zhuge Liang became more worried and did not know what to do. Deng Zhi walked up to Zhuge Liang and proposed, "his Highness, being newly ascended, is young and weak, we should send an envoy to Wu to renew our good relationship." Zhuge Liang responded, "then it'll be you to be the envoy!" Thus, Deng Zhi went east, but the Wu ruler 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....

 deliberately refused to see him. It was after Deng Zhi personally presented a memorial to Sun Quan was he allowed a meeting. Sun Quan excused by saying the nature of Shu emperor, Liu Shan
Liu Shan
Liu Shan, , was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. As he ascended the throne at the young age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Liang and Imperial Secretariat Li Yan...

, made him hesitant and he was concerned that the smaller Shu might be taken advantage by its rival state of Cao Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...

. Deng avoided to mention Liu Shan, but said, "your Majesty is a dynastic hero, but Zhuge Liang is also a hero of the time. Considering the geographic advantages of our states, if we could combine them and work together, then we can take all lands under heaven if we proceed; or remain our positions if we recede. On the contrary, if you send your son as a hostage to Wei, then you will be asked to go north also. When you refused, they will claim you as a rebel and attack your position, and Shu will also follow the flow to go downstream and take your land. Thus, the land of Jiangnan will no longer be yours." Sun Quan was thrown into deep thought by Deng Zhi's speech. After a long while of silence, Sun Quan finally decided on severing ties with Wei, and at the same time released the inmate Zhang Yi. Finished with his mission, Deng Zhi went back to Shu with Sun Quan's representative, Zhang Wen (張溫). When Zhang Wen needed to go back, Deng Zhi was again sent to Wu a second time, and Sun Quan remarked that "Deng Zhi was the only person who could harmonize the two countries"!

As a general

Later, when Zhuge Liang launched his Northern Expeditions to invade Wei, Deng Zhi was assigned as the Central-Commissioner to assist the veteran general, Zhao Yun
Zhao Yun
Zhao Yun was a military general who lived during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. For most of his career, Zhao served the warlord Liu Bei, playing a part in the establishment of state of Shu Han...

. Together they marched along the Qi Valley and fought the Wei commander, Cao Zhen
Cao Zhen
Cao Zhen was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. He was also a distant nephew of Cao Cao, though the latter treated him like a son. Cao Zhen participated in many...

, but was defeated because they were only given weaker soldiers. Seven years later, Zhuge Liang died and Deng Zhi was promoted to Adviser-of-the-Front and General-of-the-Front, and as Zhang Yu foretold years earlier, Deng Zhi received the honorific title of a marquis. He was later assigned as an Area Commander for Jiangzhou region, bordering Eastern Wu. Sun Quan explicitly communicated with this old friend of his on numerous occasions, and Deng Zhi received plenty of gifts from Sun during his tenure.

In 248, Deng Zhi was made General of Chariots, a title only next to the Grand General in military ranking. Five years later, the residents of Fu County rose against Shu Han regime and Deng Zhi led his force to suppress them, and succeeded in chopping off the heads of the local leaders.

Appraisal and death

Deng Zhi had been a general for over 20 years, during his tenure, he treated his troops nicely. He acquired clothing and food from his office, but did not act in accord with the virtue of frugality. When Deng Zhi died, his family had no excess wealth. His son, Deng Liang, succeeded him and continued to serve Shu until its downfall.

Deng Zhi was obstinate and simple, also an boaster who would not act humbly, so he could not befriend the scholars. People at the time did not honor him, and Deng Zhi did not respect the others, except for Jiang Wei
Jiang Wei
Jiang Wei was a military general and regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He originally served Shu's rival state, Cao Wei, as a middle-level military officer, but defected to the Shu strategist Zhuge Liang, leaving his mother in Wei. After that, Jiang...

. A story from the biography of Jin Zhong says that when Deng Zhi visited the imperial court from Jiangzhou, he saw the old Jin Zhong was given military command, so he teased the latter by saying, "according to ritual, sixty-year-old people don't take part in the military, but you just accepted troops, why?" Jin Zhong rebuked Deng Zhi, "you, who aged over 70, still refuse to give back the troops, why couldn't I take command at the age of sixty?" Deng Zhi neglected his own age when he teased Jin Zhong, so the latter's reply greatly made a mock. Actually, Deng Zhi's arrogance in Shu was so well-known that nearly everyone including his supervisor, the Grand General Fei Yi
Fei Yi
Fei Yi, style name Wenwei , was an official of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He succeeded Jiang Wan as regent of Shu Han, and avoided major expedition against rival state, Cao Wei...

, avoided him, only Jin Zhong would not yield.

In fiction

In Luo Guanzhong
Luo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...

's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...

, after the Battle of Xiaoting
Battle of Xiaoting
The Battle of Xiaoting, also known as the Battle of Yiling and the Battle of Yiling and Xiaoting, was fought between the states of Eastern Wu and Shu Han in 222 during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...

 and the death of Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...

, Deng Zhi was sent by Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....

 as an envoy to rebuild their former alliance with 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....

's forces. Sun Quan's advisor Zhang Zhao
Zhang Zhao
Zhang Zhao was an official of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China.-Biography:Zhang was born in present-day Jiangsu. A brilliant scholar, he devoted his life mainly to the study of Chinese classic texts...

 suggested to set up a large cauldron filled with boiling water outside the meeting hall. When Deng Zhi arrived, he did not pay the proper respects to Sun Quan, and Sun threatened to have him thrown into the cauldron. However, Deng Zhi succeeded in persuading Sun Quan to let him live and convinced Sun to form an alliance with the state of Shu Han
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...

.

Appointments and titles held

  • Picheng Official Residence Cabinet Supervisor (郫城府邸閣督)
  • Prefect of Pi (郫令)
  • Administrator of Guanghan (廣漢太守)
  • Imperial Secretary (尚書)
  • Central Army Supervisor (中監軍)
  • General Who Spreads Martial Might (揚武將軍)
  • Military Advisor of the Vanguard (前軍師)
  • General of the Vanguard (前將軍)
  • Inspector of Yan Province (袞州刺史)
  • Marquis of Yangwu (陽武亭侯)
  • General of Chariots and Cavalry (車騎將軍)
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