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Chen Lin

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Chen Lin
Romance of the Three Kingdoms XII~XIV portrait
Romance of the Three Kingdoms XII~XIV portrait
Character Information
Force(s): Han
Yuan Shao's Forces
Wei
Weapon Type: Sword (6)
Fan (7)
Greatsword (8)
Unit Type: Strategist
Significant Battle(s):
Guandu
Hebei
First Appearance: Dynasty Warriors 6
Historical Information
Real name:
Chén Lín
Chinese name:
陳琳
Style name:
Kongzhang
Chinese name:
孔璋
Born:
?
Died:
217

Chen Lin (onyomi: Chin Jin) is an official of the Han dynasty known for his calligraphy. When Yuan Shao left the court due to its fall into Dong Zhuo's hands, he joined Yuan Shao's army. He famously wrote the letter of condemnation used by Yuan Shao as justification for waging war on Cao Cao. For his part, Cao Cao chose to overlook this personal attack and appoint him as an administrator after Yuan Shao's faction was destroyed. Cao Pi named him one of the seven scholars of Jian'an.

Roles in Games[]

Chen Lin first appeared in Dynasty Warriors 6, defending the main base Guan Du. When Yuan Shao gives the order, he launches an attack alongside his lord. In the follow up game, Chen Lin fights among the officers trying to defeat the seemingly sparsely defended Cao Cao, falling into the pincer attack. In Dynasty Warriors 8, Chen Lin attempts to defend Baima from Cao Cao's forces. At Mt. Bailang, he defends the western approach to Yuan Xi.

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms game series, Chen Lin typically has abysmal combat stats. However, he also tends to have fairly good domestic stats and amazing negotiation and cultural buffs, reflecting his writing talents..

Voice Actors[]

  • Kazuyoshi Hayashi - Sangokushi Three Kingdoms TV series

Historical Information[]

Chen Lin was from the Sheyang County of Guangling, and at some point in his life made his way to the capital at Luoyang, entering service under He Jin as Registrar. When conflict arose between He Jin and the Eunuchs, Chen Lin opposed He Jin's plan to bring In experienced warlords to help intimidate his sister into stop protecting the Eunuchs. He Jin rejected this advice and summoned Dong Zhuo to aid him, who for his part seized the emperor after the infighting was said and done.

With Dong Zhuo now running the Han empire, Chen Lin chose to instead leave the court and head to Ji province, joining up with Yuan Shao in 191. Under Yuan Shao, Chen Lin served as a secretary, putting his penmanship to good work, transcribing laws and letters for his lord. Zang Hong, the prefect of Dongjun, resented Yuan Shao for not preventing Cao Cao from killing Zhang Chao during the battle for Yan Province and rose up in rebellion. Chen Lin attempted to persuade Zang Hong to surrender, but his attempt failed. Although Zang Hong was defeated and executed, his reply was preserved, documenting various injustices committed by Yuan Shao.

Chen Lin continued in this service up to 199, when he wrote a proclamation against Cao Cao, derailing the man's crimes, deeds, ancestors, claiming that all his constructive actions were in compliance with Yuan Shao's orders, but he went against Yuan Shao's wishes to do evil and called for the rebellion of Yu Province against Cao Cao. The letter was entitled, Proclamation to Yu Province on Yuan Shao's Behalf.

His lord, however, went on to lose his campaign against Cao Cao in Guandu, ending with Yuan Shao's death in 202. Afterwards Shao's children devolved into infighting, with officials like Chen Lin attempting to keep the peace. It took the pleadings of Chen Lin and Yin Kai save Cui Yan, another talented advisor, from being condemned to prison when he had refused to take sides in their civil war. After Yuan Shang was defeated by Cao Cao in Ye, he sent Chen Lin as an envoy to seek peace, but was rejected. Chen Lin remained loyal to Yuan clan until the fall of Ye to Cao Cao.

Instead of taking revenge on Chen Lin, as many assumed he would, Cao Cao chose to pardon him and recruit him into his retinue, recognizing his literary skill. It is said that they had the following interaction: Cao Cao condemned Chen Lin, "You wrote the manifesto for Benchu and it is reasonable to accuse me, but the hatred for a person should only be directed at the person himself. Why do you insult my father and ancestors?" Chen Lin declared, "The arrow is on the bowstring and cannot be unshot."

Under Cao Cao, Chen Lin served as Liberator and Military Advisor for the minister of works. There is a document purportedly written by him, "A Proclamation to the Officers and Soldiers of the State of Wu," which was issued under the name of Xun Yu (or possibly Xun You or Hua Xin, considering the former's generally accepted date of death).

Sun Quan, the youngster, cannot yet distinguish between beans and wheat. His body is not strong enough to be cut by the axe, nor is his name worthy of being stained with ink. He is like a chick, just beginning to grow feathers, yet he is so unruly that he turns back and barks at his master...
The Prime Minister held the Yellow Axe with mighty power, like a blazing fire under a fierce wind. The army marched out, crushing the enemy before even beating the drum...
Sheng Xiaozhang was his lord, yet Quan executed him; Sun Fu was his brother, yet Quan killed him. There is no greater traitor to righteousness and cruelty than these. This is a sin against the gods, a hatred shared by the common people...

He died in 217 to the plague that swept China that year. Cao Pi was recorded as morning the death of such talented individuals after the plague finished.

Several pieces of Chen Lin's writing remain to this day, most famously a Yuefu poem who's translated title is: Water the Horses at a Breach in the Great Wall. Several anecdotes exist about the literary and philosophical skills of Chen Lin. One such tale takes place towards the end of Cao Cao's life, when he'd be seized by terrible migraines, completely crippled by them. The story goes that during one such episode, Cao Cao was brought a new piece of proclamation that was so good that Cao Cao claimed it cured his headache.


Romance of the Three Kingdoms[]

Chen Lin is introduced in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms chapter 2 as one of He Jin's subordinates, staunchly opposed to He Jin's plan to summon experienced warlords to the capital to force his sister into submission. He claimed that He Jin wielded enough power to deal with his sister and the Eunuchs like a man using a furnace to burn off a hair. He foresaw ruin should such warlords gather, but was ignored by He Jin, who claimed his words were the fancies of a bookworm.

Chen Lin appears again in chapter 22, serving as a secretary of Yuan Shao. He is called upon to write a manifesto, operating essentially as a declaration of war against Cao Cao. The letter was full of accusations against Cao Cao's character and deeds, painting him as the chief villain of the Han Dynasty.

This Cao Cao, now Minister of Works, forsooth, had for ancestor a certain eunuch named Cao Teng, fitting companion of Xu Huan and Zuo Guan. All three were prodigies of wickedness and insatiably avaricious and, let loose on the world, they hindered ethical progress and preyed upon the populace. This Cao Teng begged for and adopted Cao Cao’s father who, by wholesale bribery, wagons of gold and cartloads of jewels presented at the gates of the influential, contrived to sneak his way into considerable office where he could subvert authority. Thus Cao Cao is the depraved bantling of a monstrous excrescence, devoid of all virtue in himself, ferocious and cunning, delighting in disorder and reveling in public calamity...
I have investigated the cases of evil deeds in the regions, but I have been unable to reform him. I have given him repeated opportunities hoping that he would repent. But he has the heart of a wolf, the nature of a wild beast. He nourishes evil in his bosom and desires to pull down the pillars of the state, to weaken the House of Han, to destroy the loyal and true, and to stand himself conspicuous as the chiefest of criminals.

Chen Lin remained under service to the Yuan clan by following Yuan Shang after the death of Yuan Shao. He, alongside Shen Pei is left to defend the city of Ye while Yuan Shang sets out to eliminate his brother's faction. When this rash decision costs the Yaun clan control over Ji province, Chen Lin was among those captured, facing the possibility of execution. When presented to Cao Cao, he asked Chen Lin why his manifesto had gone so far to implement Cao Cao's ancestors. Lin replied, "When the arrow is on the string, it must fly." Cao Cao was impressed and permitted him to live and join his faction on the merit of his writing skills.

His final mention is in chapter 56, during Cao Cao's party to celebrate the completion of the bronze bird tower, where he presents some poetry praising the accomplishments of Cao Cao.

Gallery[]

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