Chen Tai 陳泰

Chen Tai, courtesy name Xuanbo, was the son of the Minister of Works Chen Qun. When Chen Qun died in the 4th year of Qinglong (236), Chen Tai succeeded him, and Emperor Ming, recalling Chen Qun's merit and virtue, divided his fief and enfeoffed one more of his sons as a full marquis. During the Qinglong era Chen Tai became Gentleman Cavalier Attendant. Records, Wei 22 §36 · 38

During the Zhengshi era he was transferred to General of the Roving Strike and became Inspector of Bing Province, was given the additional title of General Who Spreads Awe, and became, with Imperial Credentials, General of the Household Protecting the Xiongnu. He pacified and won over the non-Han peoples and was greatly respected for both his authority and his kindness. When nobles of the capital entrusted him with treasures, wanting to buy slaves through him, Chen Tai hung them all on the wall without breaking their seals, and when he was summoned to become a member of the Imperial Secretariat he returned every one of them. Records, Wei 22 §38

In the 1st month of the 1st year of Jiaping (249), when Sima Xuanwang (Sima Yi) had the General-in-Chief Cao Shuang dismissed, Chen Tai, then a member of the Imperial Secretariat, together with the Palace Attendant Xu Yun, persuaded Cao Shuang to admit his guilt without delay. Cao Shuang sent the two of them to Sima Xuanwang to beg pardon for his offenses and ask for death. Records, Wei 4 §28Records, Wei 9 §85

At the beginning of Jiaping he replaced Guo Huai as Inspector of Yong Province and was given the additional title of General Who Displays Might. When Jiang Wei of Shu built two forts at Qushan and had Gou An, Li Xin and others hold them, Chen Tai said that the Qu forts were far from Shu and would need grain carried to them, and that the Qiang, suffering under Jiang Wei's labor levies, would not follow him, so if they surrounded the forts they could take them without staining their blades with blood. Guo Huai followed this plan and had Chen Tai lead Xu Zhi, Deng Ai and others to surround the forts, and Chen Tai cut off their supply route and the water outside the forts. Gou An and the others gathered snow to hold out from day to day. Records, Wei 22 §38–40

When Jiang Wei came out to Mount Niutou to relieve them, Chen Tai said that to subdue the enemy without fighting was what the art of war prized most, and ordered the armies only to hold their fortifications. He then sent word to Guo Huai that if he himself crossed the Bai River and moved east along it while Guo Huai went to Mount Niutou and cut off the line of retreat, they could capture even Jiang Wei. When Guo Huai advanced to the Tao River, Jiang Wei fled in fear, and Gou An and the others, left isolated, all surrendered. The Biography of Guo Huai records this as an achievement of the 1st year of Jiaping, accomplished by Guo Huai together with Chen Tai, Inspector of Yong Province, through their combined plans. Records, Wei 22 §40–41Records, Wei 26 §77

According to the Biography of Jiang Wei, when Jiang Wei besieged Nan'an in the 16th year of Yanxi of Shu (253), Chen Tai, Inspector of Yong Province, came as far as Luomen to lift the siege, and Jiang Wei withdrew as his provisions ran out. After Guo Huai's death Chen Tai became General Who Conquers the West, with the Credentials, and Commander-in-Chief of the military affairs of Yong and Liang Provinces. Records, Shu 14 §36Records, Wei 22 §42Records, Wei 26 §78

When Wang Jing, Inspector of Yong Province, said that Jiang Wei and Xiahou Ba would come out by three routes and asked to send the army out in divisions, Chen Tai replied that the enemy could not come by three routes and that a military force should avoid being divided, and told him to advance only after learning where the enemy was heading and after the forces of east and west had joined. In the 8th month of the 2nd year of Zhengyuan (255), when Jiang Wei headed for Didao with tens of thousands of men, Chen Tai ordered Wang Jing to stay at Didao and wait for the main army, and himself advanced to Chencang. But Wang Jing, after faring badly at Guguan, crossed the Tao River on his own initiative and was heavily defeated by Jiang Wei, and with only some ten thousand men he went back to defend the city of Didao. Records, Wei 22 §42–43Records, Wei 4 §57

When Chen Tai encamped at Shanggui, Deng Ai, Hu Fen and Wang Bi arrived. Deng Ai and the others said that an enemy riding a victory could not be withstood, and proposed dividing the army to hold the strategic points and waiting for the enemy to tire before going to the rescue. Chen Tai countered that Jiang Wei was being worn down below a high-walled city and that his isolated army could not keep up its grain supply, so this was the time to advance swiftly and defeat him; if they climbed to high ground and looked down on the nape of his neck, he would flee without a fight. Records, Wei 22 §44–48

Chen Tai crossed the Gaocheng Ridge and advanced in secret, reaching the high mountains southeast of Didao by night, where he raised many beacon fires and sounded drums and horns, and the officers and men in the city, seeing the relief army, were all roused. Chen Tai pretended to take the southern road, and Jiang Wei laid an ambush for three days, but Chen Tai's army came out secretly to the south of it. When Jiang Wei charged along the mountain, Chen Tai met him in battle and drove him back, and when Chen Tai agreed with Wang Jing to head for Jiang Wei's line of retreat together, Jiang Wei fled and stopped at Zhongti. Wang Jing lamented that with less than ten days of food left, had relief come any later the whole city would have been slaughtered and an entire province lost. Records, Wei 22 §49–50Records, Shu 14 §37

The prevailing view at court was to wait for great armies to gather from all sides before attacking, but the General-in-Chief Sima Wenwang (Sima Zhao) said that the General Who Conquers the West's hasty rescue was the best plan. Chen Tai believed that every time something happened in one region, false rumors would unsettle the whole realm, so he reported to the throne rarely and briefly. Sima Wenwang said to Xun Yi, 'Xuanbo is calm, brave and decisive,' and said that saving a city on the verge of falling without asking for more troops was exactly what a commander-in-chief and a great general ought to do. Records, Wei 22 §52–53

Later he was summoned to become Right Deputy Director of the Imperial Secretariat in charge of selecting officials, with the additional titles of Palace Attendant and Grand Master of the Palace. When the Wu grand general Sun Jun came out toward the Huai and Si rivers, Chen Tai became General Who Guards the Army, with the Credentials, and Commander-in-Chief of the military affairs north of the Huai, and when Sun Jun withdrew he moved to Left Deputy Director. When Zhuge Dan rebelled at Shouchun and Sima Wenwang encamped at Qiutou, Chen Tai oversaw the Branch Secretariat. Sima Jingwang and Sima Wenwang were both close friends of Chen Tai. When Sima Wenwang asked Wu Gai how Chen Tai compared with his father, Wu Gai replied that in taking the moral transformation of the realm as his own responsibility he fell short of his father, but in achieving merit and accomplishing affairs he surpassed him. Records, Wei 22 §54–55

For his achievements over the years Chen Tai's fief was increased by 2,600 households. He died in the 1st year of Jingyuan (260), was posthumously made Minister of Works, and was given the posthumous name Marquis Mu. His son Chen Xun succeeded him but died without an heir, and his younger brother Chen Wen inherited the fief. In his assessment, Chen Shou said that Chen Tai was broad-minded and capable in affairs, concise and thorough, truly worthy of carrying on the family's work. Records, Wei 22 §55–56 · 108