Zheng Du 鄭度
| Occupation | RNOfficial · Attendant Officer | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | Native place | Guanghan Commandery | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R2 |
Profile
Zheng Du was a subject of Liu Zhang who, when Liu Bei turned his army around to attack Liu Zhang, proposed a plan to move the people, burn the grain and simply hold fast, and was dismissed for it. He has no biography of his own in the Records and appears once, in the section on Fa Zheng in the Biographies of Pang Tong and Fa Zheng in Records of Shu 7. Records, Shu 7 §16–18
Saying, 'I have heard of resisting the enemy to keep the people secure, but never of moving the people to avoid the enemy,' Liu Zhang dismissed Zheng Du and did not use his plan. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, his origins or his later deeds. Records, Shu 7 §17–18
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 64 as an Attendant Officer who proposes the same plan to Liu Zhang after the fall of Luocheng, and he appears in 2 of its 120 chapters, Chapters 64 and 65; no chapter has his name in its title. Romance, Ch. 64 §29Romance, Ch. 65 §2–3
In the Records
After conveying Liu Zhang's wishes to Liu Bei, Fa Zheng secretly offered him a plan to take advantage of Liu Zhang's weakness and seize Yi Province. Liu Bei approved it, went west up the river and met Liu Zhang at Fu County, went north as far as Jiameng, and then turned back south and attacked Liu Zhang. Records, Shu 7 §16
At this time Zheng Du spoke to Liu Zhang. The General of the Left, he said, had come to attack them with an isolated army far from home; his troops numbered fewer than ten thousand, his men were not yet loyal to him, he relied on the grain in the fields, and his army had no baggage train. The best plan, therefore, was to drive all the people of Baxi and Zitong west of the Fu River, burn all the granaries and the grain in the fields there, raise the ramparts, deepen the moats and wait quietly. If the enemy asked for battle and was refused, he would have nothing to rely on and would withdraw of his own accord within a hundred days, and if they struck him as he withdrew, they would surely capture him. Records, Shu 7 §17
When Liu Bei heard of this he disliked it and asked Fa Zheng, who replied that Liu Zhang would never be able to use it and there was nothing to worry about. Indeed, Liu Zhang said to his subordinates, 'I have heard of resisting the enemy to keep the people secure, but never of moving the people to avoid the enemy,' and he dismissed Zheng Du and did not use his plan. Later, when Liu Bei's army besieged Luocheng, Fa Zheng sent Liu Zhang a letter saying that the affairs of the state were already in peril and urging him to seek a change of course to preserve his house. Records, Shu 7 §18–19 · 26
This passage is the only place in Chen Shou's main text where Zheng Du appears, and his courtesy name, origins, office and what became of him after his dismissal are not recorded. The Biography of the First Sovereign records that Liu Bei attacked Luocheng for nearly a year, and that when Luocheng fell in the summer of the 19th year of Jian'an (214) he surrounded Chengdu for several tens of days and received Liu Zhang's surrender. Records, Shu 7 §17–18Records, Shu 2 §32–33
In the Romance
In Chapter 64 of the Romance, when Liu Zhang's son Liu Xun flees back and reports that Luocheng has fallen, Liu Zhang hastily gathers his officials to deliberate. The Attendant Officer Zheng Du says that although Liu Bei is attacking cities and seizing territory, his troops are not very many, his men are not yet loyal to him, he relies only on the grain in the fields, and he has no baggage train. He therefore proposes driving all the people of Baxi and Zitong across to the west of the Fu River, burning the granaries and the grain in the fields, digging deep moats, raising high ramparts and waiting quietly. If the enemy's challenges to battle are refused, they will withdraw of their own accord within a hundred days, and if they strike at that opening, Liu Bei can be captured. Romance, Ch. 64 §29–30
Liu Zhang rejects it, saying, 'Not so. I have heard of resisting the enemy to keep the people secure, but never of moving the people to prepare against the enemy,' and that this is no plan for keeping the state whole. While they are still deliberating, a letter from Fa Zheng arrives; Liu Zhang, in a great rage, tears up the letter, drives out the messenger, and sends his brother-in-law Fei Guan to hold Mianzhu. Romance, Ch. 64 §30–31
In Chapter 65, the messenger Fa Zheng had sent with the letter returns to Liu Bei at Luocheng and reports that Zheng Du has urged Liu Zhang to burn the grain in the fields and the granaries everywhere, lead the people of Baxi to take refuge west of the Fu River, and not give battle. Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang are both greatly alarmed and say that if this advice is used their position will be in peril, but Fa Zheng laughs and says that though the plan is vicious, Liu Zhang will certainly be unable to use it. Romance, Ch. 65 §2
Within days comes word that Liu Zhang has refused to move the people and has not followed Zheng Du's advice, and only then is Liu Bei at ease. Zhuge Liang urges taking Mianzhu quickly, and Huang Zhong and Wei Yan advance with troops and face Li Yan, whom Fei Guan has sent out. Romance, Ch. 65 §3
Where the Romance differs
When the plan was proposed: In Chapter 64 of the Romance, Zheng Du proposes his plan before Liu Zhang after news of the fall of Luocheng. The Biography of Fa Zheng in the Records places this at the time when Liu Bei turned back south to attack Liu Zhang, and records the siege of Luocheng by Liu Bei's army after it. In the Biography of the First Sovereign, Luocheng fell only in the summer of the 19th year of Jian'an (214), after being attacked for nearly a year. Romance, Ch. 64 §29Records, Shu 7 §16–18Records, Shu 2 §32–33
Office: Chapter 64 of the Romance calls him 'the Attendant Officer Zheng Du.' Chen Shou's main text in the Records does not record his office. Romance, Ch. 64 §29Records, Shu 7 §17
The words of the plan: Zheng Du in Chapter 64 of the Romance says that Liu Bei's troops are not very many. Zheng Du in the Records gives a figure, saying that the General of the Left's troops number fewer than ten thousand. Romance, Ch. 64 §29Records, Shu 7 §17
Reaction on Liu Bei's side: In Chapter 65 of the Romance, the messenger Fa Zheng had sent reports Zheng Du's advice, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang are both greatly alarmed, and Fa Zheng reassures them with a laugh. In the Records, Liu Bei disliked the plan when he heard of it and asked Fa Zheng, who replied that Liu Zhang would never be able to use it. Zhuge Liang does not appear in this passage. Romance, Ch. 65 §2Records, Shu 7 §18
Liu Zhang's answer: Liu Zhang in Chapter 64 of the Romance says, 'I have never heard of moving the people to prepare against the enemy,' and calls it no plan for keeping the state whole. Liu Zhang in the Records says, 'I have never heard of moving the people to avoid the enemy.' Romance, Ch. 64 §30Records, Shu 7 §18
How Zheng Du was treated: The Romance records only that Liu Zhang did not follow Zheng Du's plan. The Records state that Liu Zhang dismissed Zheng Du and did not use his plan. Romance, Ch. 64 §30Romance, Ch. 65 §3Records, Shu 7 §18
Fa Zheng's letter: In Chapter 64 of the Romance, Fa Zheng's letter arrives while Zheng Du's plan is being discussed, and Liu Zhang tears it up. In the Biography of Fa Zheng in the Records, Fa Zheng sends his letter to Liu Zhang after Zheng Du has been dismissed, when Liu Bei's army is besieging Luocheng, and nothing is said of Liu Zhang tearing it up. Romance, Ch. 64 §30–31Records, Shu 7 §18–26
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.
- LEA3535±0
- STR3131±0
- INT7072+2
- POL4040±0
- CHA3535±0
- VIR4242±0
- ADP4040±0
- SCH3838±0
- DIP4240−2
- DIS3535±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
No ability differs by 10 or more — the Romance portrays this person much as the Records do.
10 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his being a strategistShu 7 §17
NNo direct record — estimated from his being an Attendant Officer and strategistCh. 64 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his being a strategistShu 7 §17
NNo direct record — estimated from his being a strategistCh. 64 §29
RProposed a scorched-earth, hold-fast plan that the First Sovereign fearedShu 7 §17Shu 7 §18
NProposed a scorched-earth plan that greatly alarmed Xuande and KongmingCh. 64 §29Ch. 65 §2
RNo direct record — estimated from his being a subject of Liu ZhangShu 7 §17
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Attendant OfficerCh. 64 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 7 §18
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 64 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his being a strategistShu 7 §17
NNo direct record — estimated from his being a strategistCh. 64 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 7 §17
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 64 §29
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 (2)
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