Chen Gui陈珪

History vs. fiction

A famous scholar at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, father of Chen Deng. The official history does record the matter of dissuading the marriage alliance between Lü Bu and Yuan Shu, but the praise of Lü Bu arousing suspicion and sending his son to inform Liu Bei are both fictional.

• attestedPersuaded Lü Bu to break off the marriage with Yuan Shu and sent Han Yin to the capital in chains

  According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, Book of Wei, Biography of Lü Bu, Zhang Miao, and Zang Hong: 'Chen Gui, the chancellor of Pei, feared that if Yuan Shu and Lü Bu formed a marriage alliance, Xu and Yang would unite, which would become a national disaster, so he went to persuade Lü Bu... Lü Bu then broke off the marriage, sent Han Yin back in chains, and had him beheaded in the market at Xu.' The plot in Chapter 16 of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms where Chen Gui sees through and dissuades the marriage alliance is generally consistent with historical facts.

• novel inventionPraised Lü Bu excessively, arousing Chen Gong's suspicion

  Chapter 18 of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms fabricates the plot: 'Whenever there was a banquet for guests, Chen Gui and his son would always praise Lü Bu's virtue. Chen Gong was displeased and took the opportunity to tell Lü Bu: "Chen Gui and his son flatter you to your face, but their intentions are unfathomable."' In the official history, Chen Gui and his son were indeed secret agents of Cao Cao, but there is no specific record of them using this method to lull Lü Bu or being suspected by Chen Gong.

• novel inventionActing on his father's orders, informed Liu Bei

  In Chapter 21 of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cao Cao secretly ordered Che Zhou to kill Liu Bei. Chen Deng learned of this and 'returned to see his father Chen Gui, and told him everything. Gui ordered Deng to go first to inform Xuande.' This incident is a fabrication of the novel; the official history Records of the Three Kingdoms has no record of Chen Gui ordering his son to secretly inform Liu Bei.