Chen Gong



Chen Gong is Lu Bu's adviser and strategist in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Bio
While he was a magistrate of Zhongmou, Chen Gong rescued Cao Cao, who was then a fugitive, by releasing him and leaving his post to join him. However, after Cao Cao reveals his true nature to him, "I prefer to betray the world, rather than let the world betray me!", Chen Gong leaves him. He later tries to dissuade Cao Cao from attacking Tao Qian but fails and will instead offer his services to Zhang Miao.

That's when he meets Lu Bu and eventually becomes his advisor. It is partly because of his good advice that Lu Bu conquers most of Yan's province by defeating Cao Cao. However, not always listening to his advice, Lu Bu is defeated and captured in Xiapi. Chen Gong refuses to submit and is put to death under Cao Cao.

Trivia

 * Deconstructed on the historical route, where his and Lu Bu's differences in personality create a hostile situation where Lu Bu refuses to listen to Chen Gong's strategic and political advice, and Chen Gong gets so fed up with Lu Bu's arrogance and incompetence outside the narrow tactical sphere that he stops trying to talk to him. It leads to defeat after defeat, only deepening the chasm between them until each one dies insulting the other.