1. The legendary Chen Deng
Chen Deng (AD 163 -20 1) was born in Xiapi Huaipu (now Lianshui County, Jiangsu Province) in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Reflection? "Lu Bu Zang Hongchuan" quoted "The Sage" as saying that Chen Deng was "loyal and far-sighted, and rarely had the ambition to help the people. There are books, elegant literature and art, and old articles in the Expo. "This has a lot to do with his family background. Chen Deng was born in an official family, Pei Xiang was the son of Chen Gui, and Chen Gui's uncle was Zhong Baoluo, a famous official in the later Han Dynasty. He once held important positions such as Dr. Guanglu, Taichang and Qiu. In the second year of Han Guanghe (A.D. 179), Zhong Baoluo contacted some ministers of the DPRK to kill eunuchs, but failed, and was finally killed. In the social environment at that time, the behaviors of Zhong Baoluo and others were highly respected, and they were incorruptible celebrities. Under such a family background, Chen Deng was naturally deeply influenced since he was a child, and he should have a clear understanding of the chaotic situation at that time, which seems to have a certain impact on Chen Deng's later life.
Speaking of Chen Deng's achievements and fame as an official, the official history and unofficial history are consistent and highly appreciated. At the age of twenty-five, Chen Deng "raised filial piety, except Dongyang, raised orphans and treated the people like injuries. At that time, there was a famine in the world, and the people were hungry and cold. Tao Qianbiao of Zhou Mu was appointed as a captain of Diannong, which was a good opportunity to inspect farmland and make full use of the benefits of canal irrigation to enrich rice. When the emissary arrived in Xu, Taizu made Deng the prefect of Guangling and made Yin try to make Lu Bu. Boarding Guangling, the rewards and punishments are clear, and the prestige is announced. Zhou Xue has more than 10 thousand families, a pirate, who gave up their lives. Less than a year, that is, achievements, people fear and love it. " (See Travels of the Sage, the source is not indicated below. ) During his tenure as governor of Guangling, he achieved remarkable achievements and enjoyed a high reputation. Later, Cao Cao promoted him to be the governor of Dongcheng, and there was a touching scene of "pulling the county together and chasing the old and weak". "Chen Shou in reflection? Lu Bu Zang Hongchuan also commented on Chen Deng's "reputation in Guangling". As can be seen from the above example, Chen Deng is indeed a master of internal affairs and a generation of good officials.
Chen Deng has not only made great achievements in internal affairs, but also is a good hand in military affairs, and belongs to a talented person with both civil and military skills. Cao Cao came to Pi, attacked Lu Bu, and Chen Deng acted as a pioneer and made great achievements. During his tenure as magistrate of Guangling, he fought a thrilling battle with Sun Ce, the god of war, in Jiangdong:
Sun Ce sent troops to attack Crazy Riding City. When the thief first arrived, his armor was full of water, and the group was ten times as salty as the county soldiers. I'm afraid I can't resist, so I can lead the army to avoid it and stay empty. Water lives on land. If you can't stay there for long, you must find it. Deng snapped, "I came here on orders from my country. Yesterday, the horse was in his position, and he was able to beat through the poplar in the south and wipe out the Germans in the north. Since I can't contain fierceness, why should I escape it? I have been serving the country in my life, fighting righteousness and correcting chaos, but I am obedient. " It is to stay behind closed doors, show weakness without fighting, and keep silent. Climb the city, see the situation, and know that you can fight. Shen ordered the sergeant to hold a gun, opened the south gate, led the army to the thief camp, and rode behind the money and grain. Thieves, Fang, must not return the ship. Boarded the drums, soldiers rode on them, thieves broke, and all abandoned the ship and fled. Climb to win and chase, cut tens of thousands of people. The thief was angry and lost his army, looking for an army to go to Deng. When Deng Bing was defeated, your father asked Mao for help. Denmi went to Shili military camp in the city to get firewood, and the two bundles were next to each other, ten steps apart, which caused a fire at night and the fire suddenly gathered. The city is called Qing, if the army arrives. The thief was stunned when he saw the fire. Deng Lebing chased and killed ten thousand people.
In the face of ten times his own tiger and wolf division, Chen Deng was fearless and decisive in command, and won before Cao Cao's reinforcements arrived.
Next, look at Chen Deng's vertical and horizontal skills. From the analysis of historical data, Chen Deng is also first-class in this respect.
After Tao Qian's death, Chen Deng personally advised Liu Bei to be a shepherd in Xuzhou: "The tomb of the Han Dynasty is dying, and the sea capsized, making contributions. His family is rich and has a million accounts, so let you care about state affairs. " At that time, Liu Bei seemed hesitant on the surface. Chen Deng said, "If you want to ride a hundred thousand horses today, you can help the people all over the world and become the industry of five tyrants. Next, you can cut the land and defend the site, and the book can be bamboo silk. If you don't listen to your promise, you won't dare to listen. " Do you see the reflection? Biography of Ancestors); Not only that, Chen Deng wrote to Yuan Shao in order to get support. Chen Deng said to Yuan Shao, "Let's take Liu Beifu as the patriarch and share the old plain so that the people will always know where to go." All this makes Liu Bei grateful to Chen Deng, so Liu Bei's memory of Chen Deng will appear as mentioned above.
When Lu Bu occupied Xuzhou, Chen Deng was ordered to meet Cao Cao. He stated to Cao Cao his disdain for Lu Bu: It is better to be brave than to go, and it is better to make plans as early as possible (see The History of the Three Kingdoms? Biography of Lu Bu. This evaluation was highly appreciated by Cao Cao (later, Chen Shou's point of view was basically the same as that of Chen Deng, which became the evaluation of Lu Bu's coffin determination by later generations). The result is "that is, the rank is increased by two thousand stones, and Biden Guangling is the satrap." When he left, Mao held his hand and said,' Things in the East will be repaid in kind.' "Father and son fame and fortune. Lu Bu originally wanted to use Chen Deng's mission to seek the post of Mu Zhi in Xuzhou, but found nothing, so he planted a spy beside him.
Next, let's take a look at another strength of Chen Deng: people's seaweed. In the post-Han period, algae cultivation was very common. And Chen Deng is also a good player. Reflection? Chen Jiaozhuan recorded a passage of Chen Deng's comments on people's articles:
Chen Deng, the satrap, invited him to be a meritorious Cao, and made Jiao Yi promise him, saying, "It is not enough for me to promise him; The first step is to observe and see. " Jiao Huan said, "When you hear about the distance, you have a lot of self-boasting." Deng said, "My husband's boudoir is quiet, and I respect my brother. Deep understanding, courtesy and law-abiding, I respect Chinese fish; I respect Zhao Yuanda's putting aside all evils and knowing the truth. Profound knowledge and strong memory, I respect Kong Wenju; Outstanding gesture, Wang Ba's strategy, I respect Liu Xuande: I respect this, why arrogant! The son is very obscene, how to record it? "Elegance means so, but deep respect and correction for friends.
From this passage, we can find that Chen Deng not only has self-knowledge, but also has the ability to learn from others, and his taste in seaweed is also very good.
From the above four aspects: political achievements, fame, military exploits, vertical and horizontal cooperation, people and literature, we can see that Chen Deng's life is very distinctive and really full of legends. Except the reflection? Chen Jiaozhuan said that he "heard the theory of distance and was quite arrogant and complacent." Apart from this small weakness, Chen Deng is a "perfect man". No wonder Chen Shou said that he was "heroic and failed in his career." . . . . . What a pity! "yes.
2. The sinister Chen Deng
From the above analysis, Chen Deng is indeed a rare wizard. But this can only prove that Chen Deng is very capable as an individual, but as a political figure, what is Chen Deng's political stance? It is not recorded in historical materials. We can analyze the complicated political situation at that time and every move of Chen Deng and the Xuzhou clan and powerful landlord forces he represented, so as to understand Chen Deng more clearly.
The situation at the end of the Han Dynasty is just as Zhuge Liang said in the "Model": "Since Dong Zhuo came, heroes have risen together, and there are countless people who have crossed the state and even the county." In this complex social environment, Xuzhou's powerful landlord clan forces (hereinafter referred to as Xuzhou forces), like other regions, were in a dilemma at first. On the one hand, they should try their best to safeguard their vested interests and do not want regional turmoil and chaos to harm their interests; On the other hand, they are unwilling to accept the intervention of foreign forces and become the battlefield of warlord melee; Third, they all have doubts about the management of outsiders. Therefore, when Tao Qian, a Yangzhou native appointed by the court, entered Xuzhou, Xuzhou troops took a seemingly supportive but actually wait-and-see attitude. So there will be many celebrities who don't buy it. However, with the effective control of Tao Qian in Xuzhou, the self-interests of Xuzhou troops were basically guaranteed. Therefore, Tao Qian gradually became the political leader of Xuzhou forces. In this case, Tao Qian was able to rule Xuzhou successfully for several years. Because of this, when Tao Qian killed Cao Cao's father and family, causing Cao Cao's bloody massacre, Xuzhou troops United as one to resist Cao Cao's crazy attack. From this perspective, the Xuzhou regime itself has not yet appeared a recognized local political leader, so it has to rely on "outsiders" Tao Qian. This situation lasted for a long time in Xuzhou until Tao Qian died. Although Chen Deng was famous in Xuzhou at this time, he was still young enough to become the leader of Xuzhou troops. However, because Chen Deng entered the political arena under the impetus of Tao Qian, he probably maintained a good working and personal relationship with Tao Qian. In addition, Chen Deng's family had great influence in Xuzhou, and Tao Qian and Xuzhou forces regarded Chen Deng as a middleman for communication and coordination between the two sides. At this time, Chen Deng gradually became a spokesperson.
After Tao Qian's death, the role of Chen Deng's spokesman was brought into full play. Liu Bei can become a shepherd in Xuzhou, not necessarily because Chen Deng appreciates Liu Bei, but because the harsh reality makes Xuzhou have too few choices of troops, which is the only correct choice in the face of Cao Cao's crazy attack on Xuzhou. Liu Bei asked Chen Deng why he didn't choose Yuan Shu, which is close at hand after the "Four Kingdoms". Chen Deng hit the nail on the head and said that Yuan Shu's "arrogant highway is not a master of chaos." Cao Cao's two attacks greatly weakened Xuzhou's influence, and there was no recognized political leader, so he had to adopt the old method: using his own strength to continue to use Liu Bei as an outsider to help stabilize the situation in Xuzhou. This choice is well-meaning. How did Xuzhou troops show this idea? It's a letter from Chen Deng to Yuan Shao. According to common sense, counties should recommend officers to the court, but the practice of Xuzhou troops is to tell Yuan Shao, which makes people feel very strange. Why? Because Yuan Shao is an ally of Cao Cao, and the relationship between Liu Bei and Yuan Shao is quite special. Although there is no record, from Yuan Shao's reply, "Liu Xuande Hongya has faith, and now Xuzhou is happy to wear it, and I sincerely hope it." From the tone, we can know that Yuan Shao's evaluation of Liu Bei is so high that it is very likely that they are old friends and have close relations, and the relationship between the two sides is well known. Xuzhou forces took advantage of this relationship and pushed Liu Beimu to Xuzhou, hoping to dissuade Cao Cao with Yuan Shao in exchange for peace in Xuzhou. (Incidentally: Since Xuzhou forces are so interested in Yuan Shao, why not directly ask Yuan Shao to control Xuzhou? The author thinks: I don't want to, but I dare not. Yuan Shao was very powerful at that time, and the forces in Xuzhou were afraid that it was really easier to ask God to send him. The forces in Xuzhou themselves do not have that much confidence in Liu Bei. Chen Qun once said in front of Liu Bei:
Xuzhou was ready to go, and the ministers said, "Yuan Shu is still strong, and now he is in the east, and I will fight with him. If Lu Bu attacks the general, the general will have Xuzhou, and nothing will happen. " Do you see the reflection? The biography of Chen Qun).
This kind of doubt, it is estimated that Xuzhou troops have long thought of it. Their use of Liu Bei is only temporary, and they are very suspicious of his military command ability and local control ability. Therefore, when Lu Bu, the best military commander in the world, appeared in Xuzhou, Xuzhou troops immediately had another choice: whether to let Liu Bei, who is "generous and kind", continue to rule Xuzhou or let Lu Bu, the best military commander in the world, resist foreign enemies? Obviously, Xuzhou troops chose the latter. Reflection? Lu Bu Zhuan's annotation and quotation of Heroes recorded such a story:
Cloth and water traveled eastward, and the army went west to Xiapi for forty miles. Cao Cao called for Sima Zhang to be sent to Lu Bu overnight, saying that he was at war with Cao Bao and killed the leopard. The city is in chaos. I don't believe it. There are thousands of Danyang soldiers in Xibaimen City. When he heard that the general was coming to the East, he was as enthusiastic as a shower. When the general arrives at the west gate of the city, the army will open the door and enter, and the general will slap it. " Cloth went in at night and arrived at the gate in the morning. At dawn, Danyang Bing learned to deploy troops inside the door. Sitting on the door, riding a horse and setting fire, a German soldier was defeated, and his wife was separated, and the general was prepared.
From this historical analysis: Lu Bu captured Xuzhou and got the support of Xuzhou forces. If Lu Bu was beaten by Cao Cao in Yanzhou and fled to Xuzhou, his strength was limited. Liu Bei also said something to him, so he came prepared. Without Xuzhou troops as the inside man, could Lu Bu easily seize Xuzhou, leaving Liu Bei powerless to fight back in the future? Obviously impossible. Lu Bu forced Liu Bei to become "the army of Guangling, hungry and cold, and hundreds of officials were hungry and cold. They wanted to control the big with small ones, so they asked hundreds of officials to surrender their cloth." Do you see the reflection? The tragic situation in Biography of Grandfather is probably related to the position of Xuzhou forces-supporting Lu Bu and opposing Liu Bei. At this time, from a historical point of view, Chen Deng did not give any support and help to Xuande, who was rated as "outstanding and slightly Wang Ba" by himself. Instead, he followed his father, Chen Gui, and became Lu Bu's Shangguan, indicating that Chen Deng recommended Liu Bei insincerely at that time, which was forced by the situation.
After Lu Bu occupied Xuzhou, Cao Cao was busy welcoming the Emperor Xian of Han Dynasty, "holding the emperor to make the princes", and at the same time dealing with Yuan Shu, so that Xuzhou could have a brief peaceful scene. At this time, Xuzhou forces began to play a small abacus for their own interests. Lyu3 bu4 capricious, foolhardy, sooner or later will be eliminated by cao cao. This is very clear to Chen Deng and Xuzhou troops. In order to avoid becoming cannon fodder again, Xuzhou forces, represented by Chen Deng's father Chen Gui, began to look for new backers. They focused their attention on Cao Cao, who had just begun to "support the emperor and make the princes". Although Xuzhou forces had a blood feud with Cao Cao, after all, their own interests were greater than everything else. So when Lu Bu was ready to form an alliance with Yuan Shu through marriage, Chen Deng's father, Chen Gui, came forward to dissuade him and solved the problem that Cao Cao had been worried about. Is this a reflection? The biography of Lu Bu is clearly written:
Pei was afraid that Gui Shu and Buyi would get married, so Xu and Yang would be in harmony, which would be a national disaster, so he said Buyi Yue; "Tso ingratiates himself with the right son of heaven, assists in praising national politics, establishes the world, and will levy the four seas. The general should cooperate with the plan and seek peace in the mountains. If you get married by surgery today, you are in danger of accumulating eggs in the name of injustice in the world. "
Obviously, Xuzhou forces have long planned to take refuge in Cao Cao, and the so-called "national disaster" is more accurately understood as "national disaster." At this time, Yuan Shu has gone from bad to worse and won't last for a few days. At this time, Cao Cao's forces are thriving, which Xuzhou forces can see clearly.
Next, Chen Deng took advantage of the opportunity of meeting Cao Cao to show his kindness to Cao Cao and stood on the opposite side with Lu Bu. That's why Xuzhou forces attacked Lu Bu as an insider and a pioneer. At this time, Chen Deng was appointed as the prefect of Guangling by Cao Cao because of his repeated meritorious deeds, and gradually became a representative figure of Xuzhou forces.
Based on the same consideration, when Liu Bei returned to Xuzhou and became an enemy of Cao Cao, Xuzhou's power obviously fell to Cao Cao's side. Liu Bei and Cao Cao were defeated in the battle, "The Three Kingdoms? The biography of the late Lord refers to Shu Wei's records:
At that time, the public was anxious about Guandu, so they left the general in Guandu and recruited their own troops. At the beginning of the preparation, it was said that it was a public alliance with the enemy and it was not allowed to travel eastward. It was said that Zuo Zongtang had come in person. I was scared, but I still didn't believe it. As dozens of people rode out of Wang Gong, they abandoned the crowd when they saw people's voices.
In the battle of Xuzhou, Liu Bei not only escaped, but also lost his wife, children and favorite Guan Yu. What is the reason? What was the momentum of unity in the World War I in Xuzhou? In fact, the reason is very simple: Xuzhou forces saw that Cao Cao's power was obviously higher than Liu Bei's, so they simply stood by and even secretly assisted Cao Cao, and Liu Bei naturally fled hastily. What is Chen Deng doing at this time? Cao Cao appointed him as the prefect of Guangling. With Chen Deng's prestige and his family's influence in Xuzhou, if he had the heart to help Liu Bei, Liu Bei would never have lost so quickly and so miserably. From this we can see the thoughts and practices of Chen Deng and Xuzhou troops.
Poor Liu Bei has always wondered why Chen Deng and the Xuzhou forces he represents would recommend themselves as Xuzhou shepherds. If he knew Chen Deng's real intention, he didn't know whether he would praise Chen Deng more.
Speaking of Cao Cao's views on Chen Deng and Xuzhou troops, he is much more sober than Liu Bei. How did Cao Cao treat Chen Deng and Xuzhou troops? Most people tend to focus on Cao Cao's failure to reuse Chen Deng. In fact, this is just one of Cao Cao's ways to deal with problems. In the reflection? A dialogue in Biography of Chen Jiao best illustrates the relationship between Cao Cao, Chen Deng and Xuzhou forces.
Sun Quan surrounded the county and ordered him to ask Taizu for help. Jiao said, Taizu said, "Although the humble county is small, it is also a convenient country. If it is saved and turned into a foreign country, the people of Wu will be rewarded. Xu An is far-reaching in martial arts, patriotic, looking at the scenery, respecting morality and showing off his prestige. So is this Wang Ye. " Mao Qijiao wants to keep it. Exactly. He said, "Our country has fallen to the county. We are in a hurry, but we can't. How dare we forget the meaning of the performance? "Mao sent someone to save. Wu Jun retreats, setting more ambushes, chasing after the soldiers, and breaking.
This "being an outsider" is very telling: Cao Cao knows the real intention of Chen Deng and Xuzhou forces: he is afraid that the control of outsiders will affect his own interests. Therefore, Cao Cao took a federal way to govern Xuzhou, did not send heavy troops to the front line, and let Chen Deng and Xuzhou troops consume each other in the confrontation with Sun Ce, further weakening the strength of Xuzhou troops, and only waited for the time when Xuzhou troops consumed almost to make profits for themselves, so he would strengthen his control over Xuzhou. In the use and control of power in Xuzhou, the treacherous man is obviously superior to the fierce one. This also reflects the real reason why Chen Deng, as the representative of Xuzhou forces, was not reused by Cao Cao: the local consciousness was too strong, and what he did to safeguard the interests of Xuzhou forces was really sinister and sinister. Fortunately, Cao Cao was not fooled by Chen Deng's illusion, and his career development was on the rise, so he managed Xuzhou forces in the right way. Otherwise, once his power is hit hard, Cao Cao may become the next Liu Bei or Lu Bu.
Three. Chen Deng's evaluation
Through the above two kinds of analysis, we can get such an evaluation: as an individual, Chen Deng is indeed a wizard and a good official. As a talented young man with the ambition of "helping the world and the people", on the one hand, Chen Deng has a personal pursuit of success, on the other hand, he also has a political desire to benefit the people. All his basic demands are to safeguard the self-interest of Xuzhou forces and the stability of one side, which is also the reason why Chen Deng's political stance seems unstable. The instability of this political stance reflects Chen Deng and Xuzhou's strong local consciousness and an instinctive resistance to foreign forces. As a representative of Xuzhou forces, Chen Deng naturally will not wholeheartedly cooperate with any foreign political forces, including Cao Cao, so it is doomed that Chen Deng himself will not have much development. In order to safeguard their own interests, Chen Deng and Xuzhou forces will choose to break with any foreign forces at the most favorable time. Therefore, if it weren't for Chen Deng's bizarre death, maybe he would turn against Cao Cao for Xuzhou's own interests or for the change of the strength of the vassal power. From this perspective, Chen Deng's death is really timely. Otherwise, we will see Chen Deng's true colors more clearly.