The story of Deng Chanyu

Deng Chanyu was the daughter of Deng Jiugong, commander of Three Mountain Pass. She had trained in arms with her father, used paired sabres, and kept five-light stones in a brocade bag; when a stone left her hand nothing showed but five-coloured light, and it usually came at an opponent’s face just as he wheeled his horse to pursue.

Deng Jiugong was ordered to campaign against Western Qi, and father and daughter brought their troops to the walls. In her first engagement Deng Chanyu struck Nezha full in the face with a five-light stone; with his nose and eyes swollen he had to retire to the chancellor’s residence.

The next day Huang Tianhua came out on his jade qilin, and as he closed he too was struck in the face by a five-light stone. Deng Chanyu, having won twice, went back to camp and reported to her father.

Long Xuhu then came out of the city to fight her and threw stones the size of millstones with both hands. Deng Chanyu was knocked from her horse by them and carried back to the Shang camp by her soldiers, and Tu Xingsun brought out the elixir he had stolen and healed her.

To repay Tu Xingsun for saving his daughter, and hoping he would do his utmost to break Western Qi, Deng Jiugong had promised to give her to him if it succeeded. When Tu Xingsun was later taken into the city by Juliusun, Jiang Ziya used that spoken promise to press the Deng family to come over.

When the Zhou army raided Deng’s camp by night, Deng Chanyu was taken in the confusion into Western Qi. Jiang Ziya had her married to Tu Xingsun that same day; she said nothing, weeping, and was led away to the inner rooms by the serving women.

The next day Deng Chanyu asked leave to go back and persuade her father. She told Deng Jiugong that she was now Tu Xingsun’s wife, and that the Shang army had been beaten again and again and had no road back; Deng Jiugong called his officers together and at last broke camp and went over to Zhou.

Once with the Zhou camp, Deng Chanyu still took the field in armour. When Hong Jin trapped Nangong Kuo, Huang Tianhua and others inside his banner-gate escape formation, she did not follow them into it but listened outside for the sound of his horse-bell, and a five-light stone flew into the black vapour and struck Hong Jin squarely in the face.

Before Jinji Ridge, when Kong Xuan was swallowing Zhou officers with the five-coloured divine light, Tu Xingsun fought him on foot while Deng Chanyu covered him from behind; as Kong Xuan turned she struck him in the face with a stone and then, in the pursuit, in the back of the neck, and husband and wife withdrew to the Zhou camp together.

The Zhou army marched on east and Deng Chanyu crossed the five passes with it. Tu Xingsun oversaw the grain, so that husband and wife were often one at the front and one on the supply road, until the army closed on the county of Mianchi.

The commander of Mianchi, Zhang Kui, was master of the earth-travelling art. He killed Tu Xingsun at Mengshou Cliff on Mount Jialong and hung his head on the city wall. Hearing that her husband was dead, Deng Chanyu came weeping out of her tent and went down with her paired sabres to challenge before the walls.

Gao Lanying came out to fight her, and the two exchanged twenty passes. Deng Chanyu feigned a retreat and wheeled her horse, and a five-light stone struck Gao Lanying in the face and left her lips bruised; Deng Chanyu returned to the Zhou camp first to report the success.

When Gao Lanying came out again she loosed forty-nine sun-god needles from a red gourd. The light of the needles held Deng Chanyu’s eyes so that she could not see the blade coming, and Gao Lanying rode up and cut her from her horse.

When the roll was read at the investiture terrace, the souls of Deng Chanyu and Tu Xingsun came together below it. Jiang Ziya installed Tu Xingsun as the Star of the Earth Bureau and Deng Chanyu as the Star of the Six Harmonies.