Deng Zhi

Early career

A descendant of Deng Yu, Deng Zhi was from Xinye County (新野縣), Yiyang Commandery (義陽郡), which is present-day Xinye County, Henan. He went to Yi Province (益州; covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) to avoid the turmoil of central China. As he did not receive much recognition or respect from the locals, so he became concerned about his career prospects and decided to ask a fortune-teller Zhang Yu (張裕) about his future. Zhang Yu told him that he would become General-in-Chief and gain a marquis title, but only after he turned 70. Deng Zhi did not feel comforted by Zhang Yu's words, so when he heard that Pang Xi, the Administrator of Baxi Commandery, was open to hosting retainers, he travelled there and became one of Pang Xi's retainers.

Pang Xi surrendered to the warlord Liu Bei in around 214 after the latter seized control of Yi Province (which Baxi Commandery was part of) from its provincial governor Liu Zhang in a series of battles. Deng Zhi did not receive much attention and was assigned to be a low-ranking official in Pi County (郫縣). One day, when Liu Bei passed by Pi County, he spoke to Deng Zhi and discovered his talent. He then quickly promoted Deng Zhi to be the Administrator of Guanghan Commandery (廣漢郡). During his tenure, Deng Zhi governed Guanghan Commandery well and was later recalled to serve in the provincial capital, Chengdu.

As a diplomat

When Liu Bei died in 223 after his catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Xiaoting of 221–222, Zhuge Liang, the Imperial Chancellor and regent of Shu, was worried that their ally-turned-rival state Wu would ally with their rival state Wei to attack Shu. Around the same time, some local tribes in southern Shu territories had rebelled against the Shu government, captured Zhang Yi (the Administrator of Yuexi Commandery appointed by the Shu government) and sent him as a captive to Wu. Deng Zhi advised Zhuge Liang to send an envoy to Wu to make peace with the Wu ruler Sun Quan and renew the Shu–Wu alliance against Wei. Zhuge Liang then chose Deng Zhi for the mission.

When Deng Zhi arrived in Wu, Sun Quan refused to meet him initially, and only agreed to meet him after receiving a memorial from him. Sun Quan said that he was worried that Shu would be taken advantage of by Wei, given that the Shu emperor Liu Shan was too young at the time. Deng Zhi avoided mentioning Liu Shan and told Sun Quan, "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 Jiangnan lands will no longer be yours."

Deng Zhi's words put Sun Quan into deep thought. After a long period of silence, Sun Quan finally decided to break ties with Wei and renew the Wu–Shu alliance against Wei. He also released Zhang Yi from captivity and sent his representative, Zhang Wen, to accompany Deng Zhi back to Shu to meet Liu Shan and Zhuge Liang. Later, when Zhang Wen returned to Wu, Deng Zhi accompanied him on the journey and met Sun Quan again, who remarked, "Deng Zhi is the only person capable of bringing harmony to our two states!"

As a general

In 228, when Zhuge Liang launched the first of a series of military campaigns against Wei, he appointed Deng Zhi as Central Supervisor of the Army and General Who Spreads Martial Might to assist the veteran Shu general Zhao Yun. Together, they marched their troops along the Qi Valley and engaged enemy forces led by the Wei general Cao Zhen, who defeated them because their troops were weaker.

About seven years later in 234, Zhuge Liang died of illness during the standoff at the Battle of Wuzhang Plains. Liu Shan then appointed Deng Zhi as Vanguard Military Adviser and General of the Vanguard, in addition to enfeoffing him as the Marquis of Yangwu Village (just as Zhang Yu foretold some decades ago). He was later reassigned to be the Area Commander for the Jiangzhou Commandery region along the Shu–Wu border. Deng Zhi had much correspondence with Sun Quan during this time and received many gifts from the Wu emperor.

In 248, Liu Shan promoted Deng Zhi from General of the Vanguard to General of Chariots and Cavalry, a position ranking just below General-in-Chief (equivalent to a present-day chief of defence or chief of general staff). Five years later, when a rebellion broke out in Fu County, Deng Zhi led Shu imperial forces to crush the rebellion and executed the rebel leaders.

Appraisal and death

Deng Zhi had served as a general for over 20 years. Although he treated his men well, he did not live a life in accordance with the virtue of frugality as he acquired food and clothing from his office. Nevertheless, when he died, his family had no excess wealth or property. His son, Deng Liang, succeeded him and continued to serve Shu until its downfall.

Deng Zhi was obstinate and simple, also a boaster who would not act humbly, so he could not befriend the scholars. People at the time did not honour him, and Deng Zhi did not respect the others, except for Jiang Wei. 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 custom, men in their 60s shouldn't join the military, but you just accepted command of troops, why?" Jin Zhong rebuked Deng Zhi, "You are already over 70 years of age, yet you refuse to give back command of your troops, so why can't I take command at the age of 60?" Deng Zhi neglected his own age when he teased Jin Zhong, so the latter's reply became a mockery. Actually, Deng Zhi's arrogance in Shu was so well known that nearly everyone including his supervisor, General-in-Chief Fei Yi, avoided him, only Jin Zhong would not yield.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, after Liu Bei's death in 223, Zhuge Liang sent Deng Zhi as an envoy to renew their former alliance with Sun Quan. Sun Quan's adviser Zhang Zhao suggested to set up a large cauldron filled with boiling water outside the meeting hall. When Deng Zhi arrived, he did not pay proper respect to Sun Quan, so the latter threatened to throw him into the cauldron. However, Deng Zhi succeeded in persuading Sun Quan to let him live and convinced him to renew the Shu–Wu alliance against Wei.