Chen Shi

史载（Historical Record）

Chen Shi, as a Shu Han general, has his deeds recorded chiefly in the Records of the Three Kingdoms. He first appears in the histories in the first month of spring in the second year of Zhangwu (223 CE), when Liu Bei, having been defeated at the Battle of Xiaoting, withdrew his army to Zigui. Chen Shi, together with Wu Ban, led the naval forces and garrisoned both banks of the Yangtze at Yiling.^[1] This shows that he held an important military post in Liu Bei's faction, responsible for the riverine line of defense. However, the Battle of Xiaoting ended in a crushing defeat for Shu Han, with Liu Bei's army broken by Lu Xun; Chen Shi's specific performance and fate in this battle are not detailed in the histories, but he did take part in this crucial campaign.

Several years later, in the seventh year of Jianxing (229 CE), Chen Shi distinguished himself again. The Chancellor Zhuge Liang dispatched Chen Shi to lead troops to attack the Wei commanderies of Wudu and Yinping.^[2] This military action succeeded, and Chen Shi smoothly took and pacified both commanderies. When the Wei Inspector of Yong Province, Guo Huai, learned of this, he led troops attempting to counterattack Chen Shi, but Zhuge Liang personally led forces to Jianwei, causing Guo Huai to withdraw, so that Chen Shi was able to consolidate control over the two commanderies of Wudu and Yinping.^[3] The victory in this campaign enabled Shu Han to successfully bring the Di, Qiang, and other peoples under its administration and to expand its territory. Zhuge Liang was accordingly commended in an imperial edict, which specially noted: "This year on campaign, Guo Huai fled; the Di and Qiang were brought to submission, the two commanderies recovered and restored, his might overawing the violent—his merit is manifest."^[3] This was without doubt an affirmation of the achievements of Chen Shi and his forces. In this Northern Expedition Chen Shi displayed his military talent and contributed to Shu Han's expansion.

演中（In the Novel）

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chen Shi's image is given more literary color and drama, differing from the historical record and even contradicting it in certain episodes. He first appears during the Hanzhong Campaign. When Huang Zhong and Fa Zheng were garrisoned at Mount Dingjun, Chen Shi volunteered and led one thousand troops out to fight Xiahou Shang.^[4] However, he fell for Xiahou Shang's ruse of feigned defeat, was lured into an ambush, and was finally taken alive by Xiahou Yuan. This episode has no basis in the histories and was created by the novel to enrich the character and the plot. In this engagement, Chen Shi comes across as rash and contemptuous of the enemy, lacking strategy—a contrast to the steady performance of taking Wudu and Yinping in the histories.

Chen Shi's more controversial conduct in the novel appears during Zhuge Liang's fourth Northern Expedition. When Zhuge Liang divided his forces for the attack, Chen Shi, together with Wei Yan, Zhang Ni, and Du Qiong, was ordered to march out through Jigu.^[5] However, when the staff officer Deng Zhi conveyed the Chancellor's order "not to advance rashly," Chen Shi displayed clear insubordination and mocked Zhuge Liang as overly suspicious, even bringing up the loss of Jieting to question Kongming's strategy.^[6] Presuming on his five thousand troops and disregarding Deng Zhi's repeated efforts to stop him, he insisted on marching out through Jigu without authorization, hoping to claim merit first. As a result, Chen Shi did indeed fall into a Wei ambush and returned in a crushing defeat.^[7] After the battle, in the army tent, Chen Shi tried to falsely implicate Wei Yan, but Zhuge Liang saw into his heart and finally had him taken out and beheaded as a public warning to others.^[7] This episode likewise has no basis in the histories and was fabricated by the novel to portray Zhuge Liang's "miraculous foresight" and strict military discipline, and to highlight Chen Shi's character of "being so self-conceited that he would not submit to the Chancellor's many schemes, and dragging in his peers when the matter failed."

关键关系

* Liu Bei's faction (serves): Chen Shi was a general under Liu Bei, taking part in the Battle of Xiaoting and garrisoning Yiling together with Wu Ban.^[1]
* Zhuge Liang (fights_in / serves): During Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions, Chen Shi was ordered to take the two commanderies of Wudu and Yinping and succeeded.^[2] In the novel, however, he was finally beheaded for disobeying Zhuge Liang's orders.^[7] (novel only)
* Shu Han (serves): As a Shu Han general, Chen Shi contributed to Shu Han's military expansion and the consolidation of its frontiers, performing especially well in the campaign to take the two commanderies of Wudu and Yinping.^[3]
* Wei Yan (the one implicated): In the novel, after his defeat, Chen Shi tried to falsely implicate Wei Yan, but failed.^[7] (novel only)

标志性场景

* Garrisoning at the Battle of Xiaoting: In the second year of Zhangwu (223 CE), Chen Shi and Wu Ban led the naval forces to garrison Yiling, taking part in Liu Bei's campaign against Wu; although the outcome was disappointing, this was the first military action clearly recorded for him in the histories.^[1]
* Taking Wudu and Yinping: In the seventh year of Jianxing (229 CE), Chen Shi, by Zhuge Liang's order, successfully took and pacified the two commanderies of Wudu and Yinping. When Guo Huai attempted a counterattack, Zhuge Liang personally led forces in support, securing the pacification of the two commanderies; this campaign was Chen Shi's most notable achievement in the histories.^[2]
* Defeat and beheading at Jigu: In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chen Shi disobeyed Zhuge Liang's order "not to advance rashly" and led troops out through Jigu without authorization, only to fall into a Wei ambush and suffer a crushing defeat. After the battle, he tried to shirk responsibility and falsely implicate Wei Yan, and was finally beheaded by Zhuge Liang as a public warning, becoming a sacrifice to Zhuge Liang's strict military discipline.^[7] (novel only) This scene deeply shapes his image in the novel as self-conceited and insubordinate.