Chen Gong

史载（Historical Record）

Chen Gong, courtesy name Gongtai, was a native of Dong Commandery. He was upright, fierce, and resolute, and in his early years formed many ties with renowned men of the realm.^[1] When the empire fell into chaos, Chen Gong briefly followed Cao Cao. In the second year of Chuping (191 CE), Cao Cao became General Who Exerts Valor and was stationed in Dong Commandery, and it was at this time that Chen Gong joined Cao Cao's camp.^[2]

In the first year of Xingping (194 CE), Cao Cao campaigned east against Tao Qian and left Chen Gong in command of troops to garrison Dong Commandery. However, Chen Gong, together with Zhang Miao's younger brother Zhang Chao, the Attendant Officer Xu Si, Wang Kai, and others, conspired to betray Cao Cao. Chen Gong advised Zhang Miao, pointing out that with warlords rising up across the realm, Zhang Miao—holding a populace of a thousand li and a land embattled on all sides—could have made himself a hero in his own right, yet was content to be controlled by another, which was unwise. He suggested that Zhang Miao seize the moment, while Cao Cao was campaigning east and Yanzhou lay empty, to welcome Lü Bu, who was renowned for his martial valor, and together hold Yanzhou, observing the situation of the realm and acting when the moment came.^[3] Zhang Miao adopted Chen Gong's advice and, with his forces, welcomed Lü Bu from the east, honoring him as Governor of Yanzhou and occupying Puyang. The commanderies and counties of Yanzhou responded one after another; only Juancheng, Dong'e, and Fan counties were preserved through the staunch defense of Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, and others.^[3]

When Cao Cao learned of this, he led his army back to the rescue and fought fierce battles with Lü Bu at Puyang. Cao Cao's army fared poorly at first, and the two sides remained deadlocked for over a hundred days. During this time, locusts and famine caused the people to eat one another, and Lü Bu's army also ran out of grain, so in the end both sides withdrew their troops.^[4] Over the next two years, Cao Cao gradually recovered the lost territory and defeated Lü Bu at Juye. After his defeat, Lü Bu fled east to take refuge with Liu Bei.^[3]

In the third year of Jian'an (198 CE), Lü Bu was besieged by Cao Cao at Xiapi and was finally defeated and captured. Chen Gong was also taken prisoner. Cao Cao once asked Chen Gong whether he was concerned for his aged mother and daughter, to which Chen Gong replied: "I have heard that one who governs the realm through filial piety does not cut off another man's kin, and one who extends benevolence over the four seas does not deprive another man of his sacrifices. Whether my aged mother lives lies with you, my lord, not with me."^[1] He held that the survival of his aged mother, wife, and children all lay within a single thought of Cao Cao's. Chen Gong also pointed out that Lü Bu was defeated precisely because he did not follow his strategies. In the end, Chen Gong asked to be executed to uphold military law, and, disregarding Cao Cao's attempts to keep him, resolutely went to his death. Cao Cao saw him off in tears, and after Chen Gong's death, Cao Cao treated his family as generously as before.^[1]

演中（In the Novel）

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chen Gong's character is given a more dramatic opening. When he first appears, he is the magistrate of Zhongmou County.^[5] After Cao Cao's failed assassination of Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao fled to Zhongmou County and was arrested. Chen Gong saw through Cao Cao's identity, but, moved by his loyal and righteous determination to serve the state,^[6] abandoned his office and fled together with Cao Cao.^[7] This episode has no basis in the histories and is a fabrication of the novel.

During their flight, Cao Cao and Chen Gong lodged at the home of Lü Boshe. Suspecting that Lü Boshe's family meant to harm him, Cao Cao cruelly killed all eight members of Lü Boshe's household, and even slew Lü Boshe himself when he returned from buying wine. Faced with Chen Gong's reproach, Cao Cao uttered the classic line: "I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me."^[8] This incident greatly shook Chen Gong's trust in Cao Cao, making him realize the ruthlessness of Cao Cao's nature. That night, Chen Gong even conceived the thought of killing Cao Cao, but in the end could not bring himself to do it and chose instead to abandon Cao Cao and head for Dong Commandery.^[9] Although this "I would rather betray the world" episode has a similar account in the Shishuo Xinyu, linking it to Chen Gong's break with Cao Cao is the novel's distinctive creation.

Thereafter, Chen Gong appears repeatedly in the novel as Lü Bu's strategist. When Cao Cao attacked Xu Province to avenge his father and intended to massacre the city, Chen Gong came as an Attendant Officer of Dong Commandery to remonstrate with Cao Cao, but Cao Cao would not listen, and Chen Gong then turned to Zhang Miao.^[10] While Lü Bu held Yanzhou, Chen Gong devised strategies for him—for instance, advising Lü Bu to set an ambush at the strategic heights of Mount Tai to ambush Cao Cao—but Lü Bu failed to adopt it.^[11] In the Battle of Puyang, Chen Gong proposed using the wealthy Tian household within the city as an inside agent to lure Cao Cao into the city, but because Cao Cao's strategist Liu Ye saw through the plan, Lü Bu's fire attack failed to succeed.^[12]

In the novel, Chen Gong's loyalty and strategy toward Lü Bu run throughout, but Lü Bu often would not heed his words, leading to repeated defeats. For example, at the Battle of Xiaopei, Chen Gong advised Lü Bu to attack Xu Province while Liu Bei was drunk,^[13] and when Lü Bu wished to let Liu Bei go, he urged him to root out the threat entirely,^[14] but Lü Bu failed to fully adopt either. In the end, Lü Bu was besieged at Xiapi, and Chen Gong still devised strategies for him, but Lü Bu remained set in his ways, finally bringing about his ruin. After Chen Gong was captured, his dialogue with Cao Cao and his final scene of going to his death are largely consistent with the historical record, but through the earlier groundwork the novel makes his words—"as a subject I was disloyal, as a son I was unfilial; death is my just lot"—all the more tragic and stirring.^[1]

关键关系

* Lü Bu (friend_of / serves): Chen Gong was one of Lü Bu's most important strategists. In the histories, Chen Gong persuaded Zhang Miao to welcome Lü Bu to take control of Yanzhou and devised strategies for him.^[3] In the novel, Chen Gong repeatedly offered counsel to Lü Bu, exhausting his efforts whether in attacking cities or resisting Cao Cao. Yet Lü Bu often failed to adopt Chen Gong's advice, causing him to miss good opportunities again and again, until at last he was defeated and killed.^[11] Before his death, Chen Gong also reproached Lü Bu for not heeding his words, which led to such an end.^[1]
* Zhang Miao (advises_in): Chen Gong advised Zhang Miao, urging him to betray Cao Cao, welcome Lü Bu, and together hold Yanzhou.^[3] Zhang Miao adopted Chen Gong's advice and became an important member of Lü Bu's faction.
* Cao Cao (dies_in): Chen Gong followed Cao Cao early on, but in the novel chose to leave because of Cao Cao's cruel deeds (such as killing Lü Boshe's whole family).^[8] Later, Chen Gong became a strategist for Cao Cao's formidable rival Lü Bu and clashed with Cao Cao many times. In the end, Chen Gong was captured by Cao Cao at the Battle of Xiapi and put to death.^[1] Cao Cao recognized his talent but could not keep him on a matter of principle.
* Xun Yu, Cheng Yu: When Chen Gong and Zhang Miao betrayed Cao Cao and welcomed Lü Bu to occupy Yanzhou, it was Xun Yu and Cheng Yu who staunchly held the three places of Juancheng, Dong'e, and Fan county, preserving Cao Cao's foothold.^[3] They were the key figures in Cao Cao's camp who contended with Chen Gong's stratagems.

标志性场景

* Abandoning office to follow Cao Cao, then breaking with him over the Lü Boshe incident (novel only): As magistrate of Zhongmou County, Chen Gong was moved by Cao Cao's loyal courage in attempting to kill Dong Zhuo and resolutely abandoned his office to flee together with Cao Cao.^[7] However, at Lü Boshe's home, Cao Cao's cruel deeds utterly changed Chen Gong's view of him, making him recognize Cao Cao's "ruthlessness."^[9] This incident was both the trigger for the rupture in Chen Gong's relationship with Cao Cao and a profound revelation of Cao Cao's character trait of "I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me."^[8]
* Persuading Zhang Miao to welcome Lü Bu into Yanzhou: Chen Gong analyzed the situation of the realm for Zhang Miao, pointing out that with Cao Cao campaigning east against Xu Province and Yanzhou left empty, it was the perfect moment to welcome Lü Bu to take control of Yanzhou. This stratagem successfully enabled Lü Bu to occupy Yanzhou, posing a great threat to Cao Cao and utterly changing Chen Gong's political stance.^[3]
* Offering strategies to Lü Bu at the Battle of Puyang, repeatedly unheeded: In the Battle of Puyang, where Cao Cao and Lü Bu contended for Yanzhou, Chen Gong repeatedly offered Lü Bu clever stratagems, such as advising him to set an ambush at the strategic heights of Mount Tai, or to use an inside agent to lure Cao Cao into the city.^[11][12] However, Lü Bu, presuming on his own martial valor, often would not heed Chen Gong's advice, causing the campaign to falter and ultimately losing Yanzhou.^[15] This series of events fully displays Chen Gong's strategy and highlights Lü Bu's stubborn self-conceit.
* The fall of Xiapi, his dialogue with Cao Cao, and his heroic death: When Lü Bu was defeated at Xiapi, Chen Gong was captured. Faced with Cao Cao's questioning, Chen Gong calmly acknowledged his failure and blamed Lü Bu's refusal to heed his words for bringing about the ruin. He refused Cao Cao's offer to surrender and resolutely sought death, displaying his fierce and unyielding character. Cao Cao, moved by their old ties, saw him off in tears and treated his family well after Chen Gong's death; this scene became the highest climax of Chen Gong's tragic life.^[1]