RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 2 §32
NSaid Liu Bei's heart could not be fathomed and precautions should be takenCh. 60 §65Ch. 60 §66
Deng Xian 鄧賢
| Occupation | RNGeneral | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Cause of death | NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R1 |
Profile
Deng Xian was a general of Liu Zhang, Governor of Yi Province. In Chen Shou's main text his name appears once, in the Biography of the First Sovereign. When Liu Bei, having fallen out with Liu Zhang, seized Fu County, Deng Xian, together with Liu Gui, Leng Bao, Zhang Ren and others, resisted Liu Bei at Fu, but they were all defeated and fell back to hold Mianzhu. His later career and death are not recorded. Records, Shu 2 §31–32
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 60 among the generals who warn Liu Zhang, delighted after meeting Liu Bei at Fu City, to be on guard against Liu Bei, and he appears in 3 of its 120 chapters, Chapters 60 to 62. No chapter title bears his name. In Chapter 62 he sets up camp in front of Luo City together with Leng Bao, and at the very moment he is about to spear the fallen Wei Yan, he falls from his horse at the twang of a bowstring and is killed by Huang Zhong's troops. Romance, Ch. 60 §65–66Romance, Ch. 62 §32 · 41–43
In the Records
In the 16th year of Jian'an (211) Liu Zhang sent Fa Zheng to invite Liu Bei in, and after meeting him at Fu County he had Liu Bei attack Zhang Lu. The following year Liu Bei asked Liu Zhang for 10,000 troops and supplies, but Liu Zhang granted only 4,000 troops and gave only half of everything else. When Zhang Song's elder brother Zhang Su, Administrator of Guanghan, fearing the disaster would reach him, told Liu Zhang of the plot, Liu Zhang beheaded Zhang Song, and only then did a rift open between the two. Liu Bei beheaded Liu Zhang's Commander of the Baishui Army, Yang Huai, and together with Huang Zhong, Zhuo Ying and others advanced to Fu County and occupied the city. Records, Shu 2 §27–32
Liu Zhang sent Liu Gui, Leng Bao, Zhang Ren, Deng Xian and others to resist Liu Bei at Fu, but they were all defeated and fell back to hold Mianzhu. Liu Zhang then sent Li Yan to supervise the armies at Mianzhu, but Li Yan led his men over to Liu Bei. Liu Bei besieged Luo County, took Luo City in the summer of the 19th year of Jian'an (214), surrounded Chengdu and received Liu Zhang's surrender. Chen Shou's main text records nothing of Deng Xian after the defeat at Fu, nor does it say when or how he died. Records, Shu 2 §32–33
In the Romance
In Chapter 60 of the Romance, Liu Zhang comes to Fu City with 30,000 men and horses, meets Liu Bei and shares a brotherly bond with him; he laughs at Huang Quan and Wang Lei for their groundless suspicions and sends Zhang Song his green robe and 500 taels of gold. At this point the civil and military officers under him, including his generals Liu Gui, Leng Bao, Zhang Ren and Deng Xian, say that Liu Bei has firmness beneath his gentleness and his heart cannot be fathomed, so precautions should be taken, but Liu Zhang laughs and says they worry too much, and they all withdraw sighing. Romance, Ch. 60 §62 · 64–66
In Chapter 61, at a banquet in the city the next day, when Pang Tong has Wei Yan kill Liu Zhang in the course of a sword dance, the Attendant Officer Zhang Ren draws his sword and dances opposite him, and at a glance from Wei Yan, Liu Feng too draws his sword and joins in. Thereupon Liu Gui, Leng Bao and Deng Xian each draw their swords and step forward, saying they will all dance together. Liu Bei, greatly alarmed, draws the sword of a man beside him, stands up on his mat and declares that anyone who does not lay down his sword will be beheaded, and Liu Zhang too has his attendants take off the swords they are wearing. Romance, Ch. 61 §1–4
In Chapter 62, when Liu Bei kills Yang Huai and Gao Pei and seizes the Fushui Pass, Liu Zhang follows Huang Quan's advice and has Liu Gui, Leng Bao, Zhang Ren and Deng Xian muster a great army of fifty thousand and march through the night to hold Luo County. On the way the four generals visit Zixu Shangren of Mount Jinping to ask about the future; Zixu Shangren writes out eight lines for them, and when asked about the fortunes of the four men, says only that fixed fate is hard to escape. On reaching Luo County, when Liu Gui proposes that two of them hold the city while the other two go forward and set up camps, Leng Bao and Deng Xian volunteer, and the two receive twenty thousand troops between them and set up two camps sixty li from the city. Romance, Ch. 62 §27–32
When Liu Bei asks who will take the two generals' camps, Huang Zhong steps forward, and Wei Yan argues to go in his place, saying that Leng Bao and Deng Xian are famous generals of Shu in the prime of their vigor. On Pang Tong's advice, Huang Zhong is to attack Leng Bao's camp and Wei Yan Deng Xian's. Wei Yan sets out before Huang Zhong, but halfway, thinking that attacking only Deng Xian's camp will not show off his ability, he changes course to go first to Leng Bao's camp. Romance, Ch. 62 §33–34 · 36–39
When Wei Yan, checked by Leng Bao and badly defeated, flees, Deng Xian leads a body of troops out of a valley behind the hill to cut him off, shouting at Wei Yan to dismount and surrender. Wei Yan's horse stumbles on its forelegs and Wei Yan is thrown to the ground, and Deng Xian gallops up and levels his spear to stab him. But before the spear reaches him a bowstring twangs, Deng Xian tumbles headlong from his horse, and Huang Zhong comes galloping down the hillside. The Romance says that a detachment under Huang Zhong rescued Wei Yan and killed Deng Xian. Liu Bei, following behind in support, takes advantage of the momentum to seize Deng Xian's camp, and Liu Zhang in Chengdu is greatly alarmed at the news that Deng Xian has been lost. Romance, Ch. 62 §40–44 · 48
Where the Romance differs
Warning against Liu Bei: In Chapter 60 of the Romance, when Liu Zhang is delighted after meeting Liu Bei at Fu City, Deng Xian, together with Liu Gui, Leng Bao, Zhang Ren and others, tells him to be on guard against Liu Bei. In the Biographies of the Two Governors Liu in the Records, those who opposed welcoming Liu Bei were the Registrar Huang Quan and the Attendant Officer Wang Lei, and the meeting at Fu is described only as more than a hundred days of happy drinking. Deng Xian's name does not appear in this passage. Romance, Ch. 60 §65–66Records, Shu 1 §16
The sword dance at the banquet at Fu City: In Chapter 61 of the Romance, Deng Xian, together with Liu Gui and Leng Bao, draws his sword and steps forward, saying they will all dance together. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, Zhang Song had Fa Zheng advise Liu Bei, and Pang Tong too urged him to attack Liu Zhang at the meeting place, but Liu Bei merely said that this was a great matter and must not be rushed; neither the sword dance nor Deng Xian appears. Romance, Ch. 61 §3Records, Shu 2 §28–29
Where he resisted Liu Bei: In Chapter 62 of the Romance, Deng Xian goes to Luo County with Liu Gui, Leng Bao and Zhang Ren, and together with Leng Bao sets up camp sixty li from Luo City. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, Liu Zhang sent Liu Gui, Leng Bao, Zhang Ren, Deng Xian and others to resist Liu Bei at Fu, and they were all defeated and fell back to hold Mianzhu. Romance, Ch. 62 §27 · 32Records, Shu 2 §32
Death: In Chapter 62 of the Romance, Deng Xian, about to spear the fallen Wei Yan, falls from his horse at the twang of a bowstring and is killed by Huang Zhong's troops. The Records stop at his defeat at Fu and retreat to Mianzhu and do not record Deng Xian's death. Romance, Ch. 62 §41–43Records, Shu 2 §32
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Abilities
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
Records total373 / 1000Rank 772 of 996 · Top 78%Romance total392 / 1000Rank 576 of 1,113 · Top 52%
Romance adaptation index+19Romance total − Records total
- LEA4048+8
- STR4545±0
- INT3848+10
- POL3231−1
- CHA3835−3
- VIR4550+5
- ADP3838±0
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3333±0
- DIS3333±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
9 similar abilities — show evidence
RResisted Liu Bei at Fu with Liu Gui, Leng Bao and Zhang Ren, but was defeated and fell back to MianzhuShu 2 §32
NSet up camp and cut off Wei Yan from a valleyCh. 62 §32Ch. 62 §41
RNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a generalShu 2 §32
NAbout to spear Wei Yan, fell from his horse to Huang Zhong's arrowCh. 62 §42
RNo direct record — estimated from his being a military manShu 2 §32
NNo direct record — estimated from his being a military manCh. 62 §32
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 2 §32
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 62 §32
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 2 §32
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 60 §65
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 2 §32
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 62 §32
RNo direct record — estimated from his being a military manShu 2 §32
NNo direct record — estimated from his being a military manCh. 62 §32
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 2 §32
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 60 §65
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 2 §32
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 62 §32
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
Romance chapters (3)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Liu Zhang faction · Records · 「璋遣劉璝、冷苞、張任、鄧賢等拒先主於涪」
Related events (2)
- Liu Bei's takeover of Yi Province 212~214 · Command
- Huang Zhong and Wei Yan Vie at Luo Romance ch. 62 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).