史载（Historical Record）
Chen Lin, courtesy name Kongzhang, whose dates of birth and death are unknown. He first served at the end of the Eastern Han as a Registrar under the General-in-Chief He Jin. He Jin wished to execute the eunuchs, but the Empress Dowager would not consent, so He Jin summoned fierce generals from the four quarters to the capital, intending thereby to overawe the Empress Dowager. Chen Lin remonstrated against this move, pointing out that it was like "hunting deer without a forester" or "covering one's eyes to catch sparrows." He held that He Jin ought to act swiftly and decisively with thunderbolt force, exercising authority and deciding on the spot, rather than summoning outside troops—lest he "grasp the halberd by the wrong end and hand the hilt to another," which would "surely fail and only become a stairway to disorder." However, He Jin failed to adopt Chen Lin's advice and ultimately brought disaster upon himself. After He Jin's death, Chen Lin fled to Jizhou to escape the chaos of war, taking refuge with Yuan Shao and managing documents for him. Within Yuan Shao's faction, Chen Lin's talent was given full play. For example, when Yuan Shao besieged Zang Hong, he ordered Chen Lin to write a letter urging Zang Hong to surrender. In addition, when Yuan Shao's general Cui Yan remonstrated against the soldiers' conduct of digging up graves and exposing bones, Chen Lin was also present as a witness. After the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao was defeated, and Chen Lin submitted to Cao Cao. When Cao Cao received Chen Lin, he brought up the proclamation Chen Lin had written for Yuan Shao, in which the words not only attacked Cao Cao himself but even reached up to Cao Cao's father and grandfather. Chen Lin apologized for this, but Cao Cao, prizing his talent, did not blame him for it.
演中（In the Novel）
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chen Lin's image is largely consistent with the historical record, but the plot is more vivid and dramatized. He first appears when He Jin wished to execute the eunuchs, remonstrating with He Jin as a Registrar. In the novel, Chen Lin's remonstrance is largely consistent with the histories; he plainly states that He Jin's move was "covering one's eyes to catch swallows and sparrows" and predicted that "the undertaking will surely fail and instead give rise to disorder." However, He Jin regarded Chen Lin's faithful counsel as "the view of a coward" and would not adopt it. When He Jin was about to enter the palace to see the Empress Dowager, Chen Lin again spoke up to dissuade him, holding that the Empress Dowager's edict was a plot of the Ten Attendants, and warning He Jin: "You absolutely must not go. To go would surely bring disaster." Sadly, He Jin still clung stubbornly to his own view, finally entering the palace and being killed. These episodes all reinforce Chen Lin's foresight and He Jin's stubborn self-conceit. Under Yuan Shao, Chen Lin's talent was further displayed. On the eve of the Battle of Guandu, Guo Tu advised Yuan Shao to issue a proclamation denouncing Cao Cao, and Yuan Shao then ordered Chen Lin to draft it. Chen Lin took up his brush and completed it on the spot, writing that famous proclamation against Cao Cao. This proclamation is quoted in detail in the novel; brilliant in style and majestic in force, it severely attacked Cao Cao's grandfather and father. After Yuan Shao's defeat, Chen Lin was captured by Cao Cao. Cao Cao demanded to know why Chen Lin had insulted his grandfather and father in the proclamation, and Chen Lin replied: "An arrow on the bowstring has no choice but to fly." Although his subordinates urged Cao Cao to kill him, Cao Cao, prizing his talent, finally pardoned Chen Lin and appointed him an Attendant Officer. The novel also mentions that after Cao Cao became Duke of Wei, Chen Lin, together with other civil officials, presented poems and verses praising Cao Cao's merits and virtue, (novel only) further highlighting his identity as a man of letters within the Cao Wei faction.
关键关系
* He Jin (advises_in): Chen Lin served as a Registrar under He Jin and remonstrated with him many times, urging him not to summon outside troops to the capital and warning of the danger of entering the palace. However, He Jin failed to adopt his advice, finally bringing about his own destruction. In the novel, Chen Lin's remonstrances to He Jin are depicted in detail, highlighting Chen Lin's foresight and He Jin's stubbornness.
* Yuan Shao (advises_in, serves): After He Jin's death, Chen Lin fled to Jizhou and took refuge with Yuan Shao, managing documents for him. He once wrote a letter urging Zang Hong to surrender by Yuan Shao's order. Before the Battle of Guandu, Chen Lin also wrote for Yuan Shao the famous proclamation against Cao Cao.
* Cao Cao (serves, pardons): After Yuan Shao's downfall, Chen Lin submitted to Cao Cao. Cao Cao pardoned him for his literary talent and took him into his service. Cao Cao once questioned Chen Lin over the wording of the proclamation against him, but finally let it go because he prized his talent. In the novel, Chen Lin replied to Cao Cao's questioning with "an arrow on the bowstring has no choice but to fly," all the more displaying his quick wit.
* Cui Yan (witnesses): Chen Lin once served under Yuan Shao together with Cui Yan and witnessed Cui Yan's remonstrance against the conduct of Yuan Shao's soldiers in digging up graves and exposing bones.
* Yuan Shao's faction (serves): Chen Lin served under Yuan Shao as a secretary in charge of documents, being one of Yuan Shao's important advisers.
标志性场景
* Remonstrating against He Jin summoning outside troops to the capital: As He Jin's Registrar, faced with He Jin's decision to summon fierce generals from the four quarters to overawe the Empress Dowager, Chen Lin plainly stated that this was "grasping the halberd by the wrong end and handing the hilt to another," predicting that this move would surely invite disorder. In the novel, this scene is depicted more vividly, with He Jin denouncing Chen Lin's remonstrance as "the view of a coward," highlighting He Jin's shortsightedness.
* Dissuading He Jin from entering the palace: When He Jin was about to enter the palace to see the Empress Dowager, Chen Lin again warned that this was a plot of the Ten Attendants and that entering the palace would surely bring disaster. (novel only) Although He Jin did not heed the advice, this episode further displays Chen Lin's insight.
* Writing the proclamation against Cao Cao for Yuan Shao: Before the Battle of Guandu, Chen Lin, by Yuan Shao's order, took up his brush and completed on the spot that famous proclamation against Cao Cao. This proclamation was not only brilliant in style but also became famous for its attack on Cao Cao's grandfather and father. This scene is the concentrated expression of Chen Lin's literary talent.
* Being pardoned by Cao Cao: After Yuan Shao's downfall, Chen Lin was captured by Cao Cao. Cao Cao demanded to know why he had insulted his father and grandfather in the proclamation, and Chen Lin replied, "An arrow on the bowstring has no choice but to fly," finally being pardoned by Cao Cao for his talent and taken into his service. This scene displays both Chen Lin's quick wit and Cao Cao's magnanimity in cherishing talent.
Portrait file
Character profile
- Character
- Long renowned for his talent, he once served as records officer for Yuan Shao, and later submitted to Cao Cao and was pardoned. He once sought surrender to the Grand Progenitor together with Yin Kui, and also once rescued Cui Yan. Chen Lin was one of the Seven Masters of the Jian'an era, praised as a man of talent from his home region.
- Manner of speech
- His memorials and proclamations were exceptionally vigorous, though somewhat over-ornate. His prose ran in parallel and expansive array, drawing on the ancient to prove the present, denouncing crimes to justify a punitive campaign, in pieces of great length.
- Life
- Chen Lin, styled Kongzhang, was a man of Guangling. He first served as recorder to He Jin, and remonstrated with He Jin against summoning outside troops into the capital and against entering the palace at the Empress Dowager's summons, but neither counsel was heeded. Later he took refuge in Jizhou, where Yuan Shao employed him as records officer; he composed for Yuan Shao a proclamation reviling Cao Cao's father and forebears. After the fall of the Yuan clan he submitted to Cao Cao and was pardoned, and together with Ruan Yu served as libationer of military planning to the Excellency of Works, managing the records office. He died in the twenty-second year of Jian'an.
- Anecdotes
- He once remonstrated with He Jin against summoning outside troops into the capital, pointing out that 'to hold the spear reversed and hand others the hilt—the enterprise is bound to fail, and turmoil will arise instead.' He also remonstrated with He Jin against entering the palace at the Empress Dowager's summons, saying, 'This edict of the Empress Dowager must be the scheme of the Ten Attendants; you must not go. If you go, disaster will surely follow.'
Relationships
5 relationships
Lord & vassal1
Friends1
Other3
Quotes
3 recorded lines · 2 featured
「不可！俗云：『掩目而捕燕雀』，是自欺也。微物尚不可欺以得志，況國家大事乎？今將軍仗皇威，掌兵要，龍驤虎步，高下在心：若欲誅宦官，如鼓洪爐燎毛髮耳。但當速發，行權立斷，則天人順之﹔卻反外檄大臣，臨犯京闕，英雄聚會，各懷一心：所謂倒持干戈，授人以柄，功必不成，反生亂矣。」
This line warns that He Jin was inviting a wolf into the house; its keen reading of the moment gives it great historical significance.
「箭在弦上，不得不發耳。」
'The arrow is on the bowstring and must be loosed' has become a common saying, giving it high cultural recognition.
Chapters8 回 ▸
- 史ch.7ch.12ch.21
- 演ch.2ch.3ch.22ch.32ch.56
Relationship timeline7 条 ▸
Inner monologues · AI-generated1 段 ▸
- I am Chen Lin, courtesy name Kongzhang. I recall serving as a registrar in He Jin’s residence. I saw that he wanted to e
Life events4 ▸
- 0195-01-01 · DongwuyangYuan Shao Besieges and Kills Zang Hong· Advisor
- 0204-01-01 · YeBattle of Ye· Witness
- 0210-01-01 · YeBronze Bird Terrace Inauguration Ceremony· Witness
- 0217-01-01 · YeGreat Epidemic of the 22nd Year of Jian'an· Killed in action