Deng Zhong 鄧忠

In Chapter 111 of the Romance, Deng Ai gave his son Deng Zhong and the Colonel before the Tent Shi Zuan 5,000 troops each and had them lie in ambush at Duangu in advance. When Jiang Wei reached Duangu on his way to attack Shanggui, the two forces of Shi Zuan and Deng Zhong burst out, and Deng Ai also came up with his troops, attacking him from three directions. After the battle, on Chen Tai's memorial, Sima Zhao raised Deng Ai's offices and titles and also enfeoffed his son Deng Zhong as a village marquis. Romance, Ch. 111 §14 · 18–19 · 23

In Chapter 112 Deng Zhong appeared as a young general of twenty or so, with a face as white as if powdered and lips as red as if painted with cinnabar, shouting, 'Do you know General Deng?' He fought Jiang Wei for thirty or forty bouts without either gaining the upper hand; he threw himself forward to let pass an arrow that Jiang Wei, feigning flight, shot at him in secret, and then thrust at him with his spear, but when Jiang Wei caught the spear under his arm, he abandoned it and fled back to his own lines. Deng Ai came forward to face the pursuing Jiang Wei, and Jiang Wei, learning that the young general was Deng Ai's son, inwardly marvelled at him. Deng Ai wrote to Sima Wang that he would send his eldest son Deng Zhong to help defend the city. Romance, Ch. 112 §33–37

In Chapter 113, together with Shi Zuan, each leading 10,000 troops, he charged in from the left and right, and attacking from without in concert with the troops who had gone in through a tunnel, took the camp of Wang Han and Jiang Bin. But when Jiang Wei held his camp firmly and had it defended only with bows and crossbows, they could not break in even by daybreak. In Chapter 115, as he set out to relieve Qishan, Deng Ai told Deng Zhong to hold this position and not to go out lightly however much the enemy challenged him to fight, and Deng Zhong went into the city separately. Romance, Ch. 113 §26–28Romance, Ch. 115 §15–16

In Chapter 117, when Deng Ai was enraged to hear that Zhong Hui, in punishing Zhuge Xu, had said, 'Even if it were Deng Ai, if he were guilty he should be beheaded,' Deng Zhong restrained him, saying, 'Failure to bear small things brings confusion to great plans,' and that if his father fell out with Zhong Hui, it would ruin the great affairs of the state. When Deng Ai aimed for Chengdu by the byway of Yinping, Deng Zhong went ahead leading 5,000 picked troops, who wore no armor and carried axes and chisels, cutting into the mountains to make a road and building bridges and plank roads. When at Motianling he wept together with the strong men, saying that the west side was all sheer cliffs that could not be cut, Deng Ai wrapped himself in a felt blanket and was the first to roll down, and Deng Zhong too crossed the ridge with the remaining 2,000 troops. Romance, Ch. 117 §4–5 · 12 · 14–16

Shi Zuan and Deng Zhong, who had gone ahead to Mianzhu, saw in the Shu ranks a four-wheeled carriage flying the banner of 'Chancellor of Han, Marquis Wu Zhuge', and, crying that Kongming was still alive after all, fled and suffered a heavy defeat. Deng Ai was about to behead the two but relented at the urging of many, and the figure on the carriage turned out to be a wooden image of Zhuge Liang. Leading 10,000 troops they fought again, but were driven back by Zhuge Shang and badly defeated by Zhuge Zhan's army, and both came back wounded. Romance, Ch. 117 §31–37

In Chapter 119, when Wei Guan burst in saying, 'By imperial edict I arrest Deng Ai and his son,' Deng Zhong came out to ask what was happening, was seized and bound in a cart. After Zhong Hui's death, Deng Ai and his son were released from the prisoner's cart and were about to return to Chengdu when Tian Xu, sent by Wei Guan, caught up with them at Mianzhu. Deng Ai was cut down by a single stroke of Tian Xu's blade, and Deng Zhong also died amid the confused fighting. Romance, Ch. 119 §3 · 19