Deng Long

Historical Record

Regarding this man Deng Long, there is no explicit mention in the official histories. Neither the Records of the Three Kingdoms nor any other historical source contains a detailed record of his life, deeds, or office. Therefore, from the standpoint of historical verification, Deng Long is not a figure attested by history. He left no trace in the historical sources for later generations to trace, and whether he existed at all, as well as the role he may have played in historical events, cannot be verified. This indicates that the figure of Deng Long is very likely entirely a product of literary invention rather than a depiction based on a real historical person.

In the Novel

In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Deng Long appears as a general under Huang Zu, Grand Administrator of Jiangxia. His appearance centers mainly on Sun Quan's military campaign to avenge his father by attacking Huang Zu. In the novel, Deng Long is appointed by Huang Zu as a vanguard and, together with Chen Jiu, leads the naval forces charged with blocking the great Eastern Wu army at Miankou.^[1]

Specifically, Deng Long and Chen Jiu each commanded a squadron of mengchong warships, which were equipped with great numbers of strong bows and powerful crossbows and were fixed upon the water with thick ropes to form a solid line of defense. As the Eastern Wu forces approached, drums thundered on the mengchong and bows and crossbows fired in unison, so that the Wu army was unable to advance for a time and was forced to retreat several li.^[1] This tactic to some degree displayed the defensive capability of Deng Long and his troops. However, Deng Long's defensive line was ultimately broken by the Eastern Wu general Gan Ning. Gan Ning led a squadron of elite light boats and, braving the rain of arrows, charged straight at the mengchong, cutting the great ropes that fixed the ships so that the mengchong lost control and the formation fell into chaos.^[1] The novel does not detail Deng Long's final fate in this battle, but the rout of the troops he led undoubtedly foreshadowed the defeat of Huang Zu's faction. Deng Long's image in the novel is largely that of a minor character with a brief appearance in Huang Zu's camp, his role being to set off the valor of the Eastern Wu generals and the decline of Huang Zu's faction.

Key Relationships

Deng Long's key relationships in Romance of the Three Kingdoms center mainly on his lord Huang Zu. He was a general under Huang Zu, obeying Huang Zu's commands and joining in resisting the Eastern Wu offensive.^[1] (unique to the novel) He and Chen Jiu were together appointed by Huang Zu as vanguards, jointly carrying out the defensive task, fighting side by side on the battlefield as a temporary military pairing (unique to the novel). In addition, Deng Long's adversaries were the Eastern Wu generals, especially Gan Ning, whose valiant breakthrough led to the collapse of the defensive line held by Deng Long's troops.^[1] (unique to the novel)

Iconic Scenes

Deng Long's most iconic scene is his battle commanding the mengchong to block the great Eastern Wu army at Miankou. In this engagement, Deng Long and Chen Jiu jointly directed the warships, using strong bows and powerful crossbows to suppress the Wu army from a distance, for a time leaving the Eastern Wu forces unable to advance an inch.^[1] More than a thousand strong bows and powerful crossbows on the mengchong fired in unison, drums shaking the heavens, forming a powerful network of fire—this is the one shining moment in the novel where Deng Long displays his military command and combat ability. Yet this scene also became the witness to his defeat, for Gan Ning's breakthrough assault ultimately dismantled the defensive line Deng Long had carefully arranged.^[1] This scene displays not only Deng Long's duty as a general of Huang Zu, but also directly advances the course of Sun Quan's campaign against Huang Zu, laying the foundation for the subsequent Eastern Wu victory (unique to the novel).