Cheng Pu

Cheng Pu (onyomi: Tei Fu) is a veteran warrior who served the Sun family for three generations and is posthumously heralded as one of the Five Elders of Wu. He held a reputation as a government official who possessed remarkable foresight, considerable skill, and an excellent appearance. According to Zhou Yu's records, not even the slaves argued when he and Zhou Yu were together.

Before his playable Dynasty Warriors appearance, he was a generic NPC since its second installment. In Famitsu's second most wanted Dynasty Warriors character poll, he placed fifth with 123 fan votes. Fans voted him to fourteenth place in Gamecity's Shin Sangoku Musou Blast first card promotion poll.

Dynasty Warriors
The Dynasty Warriors series has Cheng Pu as a constant Wu general who appears in most of their battles from the Yellow Turban Rebellion until Chibi. He might appear in the following battles against Wei and Shu as well by either joining the Vanguard or defending the main camp.

In Dynasty Warriors 8, Cheng Pu is popular gossip with Sun Ce's men during their campaign at Wujun.

In Dynasty Warriors: Unleashed, Cheng Pu is one of the many officers not privy to Zhou Yu's fake defection plot in Chibi, leading them to attack the player on sight.

In his playable debut in Dynasty Warriors 9, Cheng Pu begins as one of Sun Jian's most stalwart generals, often keeping the more unruly Huang Gai and Han Dang in line. He remains stoic at Sun Jian's death and sternly reprimands Zhou Yu for what he perceives as his youthful arrogance, even berating him during a war council with Sun Ce, who he also tries to keep from acting rashly. He also clashes with Taishi Ci, seeing him as inexperienced and naive, and disapproves of Daqiao and Xiaoqiao accompanying their husbands at first. Surprisingly, he agrees with Sun Ce and Zhou Yu's plan to attack Xuchang, and soon, he comes around on Zhou Yu, starting to regard him highly following Sun Ce's death and the Battle of Chibi, where they help Sun Quan defeat the Wei forces.

After Zhou Yu is injured, he tries to keep him from overexerting himself, but much to his bitter disappointment, Zhou Yu dies of his injuries. At the end of his story, after helping defend against a Wei invasion, Cheng Pu mourns and remembers his fallen friend at a banquet. He falls ill afterward along with Huang Gai, and they pass away shortly after the Battle of Hefei.

For Zhou Yu's DLC scenario, Cheng Pu plays the critical role of Zhou Yu's chief commander for his strategies. Agreeing with the strategist that the forces of Liu Bei couldn't truly be trusted, he accompanies the campaigns at Jing Province, Yi Province and, Liang Province. After Wu forms an alliance with Ma Teng's forces and Liu Bei's forces, the allied forces launch a three-pronged assault on Xiangyang, Cao Cao's last fortress within Jing province. Once they take the city, however, Zhuge Liang makes a request to have the city loaned to them, citing that they lacked fertile lands in Yi province. While Cheng Pu wished to outright dismiss the idea, Zhou Yu agreed to make a compromise and had the city governed by both sides, with Guan Yu acting as Liu Bei's representative, and Cheng Pu acting as Sun Quan's.

Together, Cheng Pu and Zhou Yu proceed to goad Guan Yu into advancing into Chang'an using a fake decree that contained Liu Bei's name. Using Guan Yu's charge as a cover, the pair advance into Luoyang and take the city. Once their deceit is revealed, Liu Bei opts to split apart. After the Shu forces leave, Cheng Pu asks if it was truly necessary to break their alliance in such a manner, but Zhou Yu responded that had they been the ones to burn the bridge, they'd also lose the support of the forces in Liang. Additionally, they would always be tools to Zhuge Liang's plan, so it was necessary to break the alliance at some point.

Now free from restraints, Wu, now the most dominant power in the land, begins preparing for the conquest of Yi Province. As soon as they defeat Liu Bei's men in open battle, Cao Cao begins another southern campaign for Jing Province, forcing the Wu forces back temporarily. Conquering the Shu forces and defeating their Nanman allies, Zhou Yu's dream of a country divided into two. As Cheng Pu reminisces of days past with both Zhou Yu and Lu Su, where they discuss about the alliance they previously had with Liu Bei. In the end, Cheng Pu asks his friend to bring out his zither once they returned home.

Warriors Orochi
In Warriors Orochi, Cheng Pu serves as part of Sun Ce's army during the Serpent King's reign. He will guard at the main camp at Mt. Ding Jun and protect Sun Ce's escape at Xia Kou. He is one of the few generals who faithfully follow Sun Ce when he decides to rebel against Orochi to rescue his father. When Sun Quan and Sun Jian are set to be executed at Komaki-Nagakute, it is Cheng Pu who suggests that he and the other generals serve as decoys at the center to draw the enemy's attention.

In the second and third titles, he still loyally serves Wu, appearing as a defensive reinforcement at Nan Zhong as part of Zhou Yu's strategy, and joining in the offensive at Yang Ping Gate, while in the third title, he accompanies Sun Jian to Honnoji.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Cheng Pu is an all-rounder general in Romance of the Three Kingdoms who fares well in every stat with his leadership and charisma ranking in the mid-80's while his remaining stats land in the mid-to-high 70's. Like most Wu generals, Cheng Pu is an expert in naval warfare and can swiftly destroy untrained units in naval battles. His skill in the eleventh title improves the recruitment of soldiers, resulting in approximately twice as many soldiers, which makes it easy to create big armies in a short amount of time. Serving as Sun Jian's strategist/warlord in early scenarios, Cheng Pu is present as a Sun family retainer always and will serve their leader with the utmost loyalty.

Development
Suzuki commented that his Dynasty Warriors design aims to present him as an elderly general who is also "admirable and on active duty". His asymmetrical armor and elegant scarf are meant to invoke a scholarly warrior image. His full-body design aims to leave no openings, in ode to his masterful persuasiveness.

Personality
Stern and to-the-point, Cheng Pu is the stiffest amongst the retainers of Sun Jian, yet is also part of the most trustworthy due to his commitment. Because of his cynical and more pessimistic approach to matters, he does not completely get along with even the closest of fellow retainers.

In times of crisis and doubt, however, Cheng Pu will always be the first one to remain loyal and convince his peers to stand firm as well. He often acts as the cooler head to the more active Han Dang and Huang Gai and will make sure they actually carry out their duties if they get too caught up in the action or emotion. He initially sees Zhou Yu as someone too green to be placed in the role commander, but after witnessing the young man's own commitments and successes, does the veteran eventually warm up and become one of the strategist's closest aides.

Voice Actors

 * Richard Epcar - Dynasty Warriors 4~5 (English)
 * Smokey Miles - Dynasty Warriors 9 (English)
 * Cong Liu - Dynasty Warriors 9 (Chinese)
 * Atsuki Tani - Dynasty Warriors 9 (Japanese)
 * Tomohisa Asō - Romance of the Three Kingdoms drama CD series
 * Yūichi Karasuma - Sangokushi Legion
 * Kōsuke Gotō - Sangokushi Hadou (Japanese)
 * Takuya Sato - Sangokushi Three Kingdoms TV series

Quotes

 * "Show no fear, brave soldiers of Wu!"
 * "You haven't changed at all, Master Huang Gai. Actually, you're even stronger now."
 * "One must not allow oneself to weaken with age. I can still beat all those young'uns out there."
 * "You're absolutely right. Maybe I should strive to stay on active duty for life too!"
 * "Hahahaha! That's the spirit. There's no place like the battlefield!"
 * Cheng Pu and Huang Gai; Dynasty Warriors 8


 * "Hey there... hold it now... You went a little far, didn't you? Personally, I really think he had a point back there, I really do."
 * "He did... But... he is way too passionate for his age. It comes from being a highly intelligent, but rash, youth. We must... teach him better, understand?"
 * "I understand."
 * "At least for now... we must... show him exactly what a battle truly is."
 * Han Dang and Cheng Pu; Dynasty Warriors 9


 * "Out of my way! I have to speak to my brother!"
 * "I cannot allow any to pass. Even you."
 * "Then you leave me no choice but to resort to force."
 * Sun Quan and Cheng Pu; Warriors Orochi

Historical Information
Cheng Pu was born in the Youbeiping prefecture, otherwise known as Fanyang (modern Beijing). He served with Sun Jian during the Yellow Turban Rebellion by helping siege Dengcheng and Wancheng (modern Nanyang). He was recorded to have also assisted his liege while fighting Dong Zhuo's army, helping to rout Hu Zhen, Lu Bu, and Hua Xiong. Since he personally rode in the battlefront in both of these campaigns, his body became scarred due to the experiences.

After Sun Jian passed away, Cheng Pu followed his lord's son to Huainan and served Yuan Shu with Sun Ce, joining the attack on Lujiang. He kept following his younger master as they conquered the east. As Sun Ce banished Liu Yao, Cheng Pu was awarded for his services and was given 2,000 soldiers and 50 elite cavalry. While his lord proceeded to charge and defeat the surrounding territories, Cheng Pu stayed behind and kept a strong defense at Jiangdong. When Sun Ce was in Guiji, he appointed Cheng Pu as the protector of Wu, trusting his vassal to take care of affairs. As Danyang became under their control, he chose to reside in Shicheng and defeated all the insurgents in Xuancheng, Jing, Anwu, Daoyang and Chungu.

Cheng Pu helped in his lord's escape when Sun Ce was surrounded by Zu Lang, who was the leader of rioters in Danyang. Assisted by a single nameless subordinate, he rode on horseback, emitted a great yell, and plunged his halberd into a rioter's chest. Cutting a path through the rioters in their way, they were able to forge a safe exit for Sun Ce's escape. For his services, he was appointed as the Palace Guard of Dangkou and the Prefect of Lingling. After he assisted the subjugation of Liu Xun in Xun Yang and Huang Zu, Cheng Pu returned to Shicheng.

Following Sun Ce's passing, he and Zhang Zhao banded the other vassals to continue working for the younger Sun Quan. Cheng Pu helped unite the three provinces for their home (Guiji, Wu, and Danyang) by defeating and chasing out any rogues in the areas. Only intent on solidifying their political power, he made no attempts to completely suppress either territory. When Sun Quan led a campaign to subjugate Jiangdong once more, Cheng Pu took Taishi Ci's place as the Defender of the Navy. Years later, he was appointed as Right Commander for the Battle of Red Cliffs. He and Zhou Yu defeated Cao Cao's army at Wulin and proceeded to aid the assault against Cao Ren at Nanjun. For his deeds, he was awarded the government post of Divine General and was appointed the Prefect of Jiangxia, ruling over four prefectures.

By now, he became a fine senior general and was held in high regard by his fellow comrades. A likable, generous, and popular elder who became intimately familiar with those around him, he was given the nickname "Cheng Gong" (程公) or "Duke Cheng" as a sign of respect. In Jiang Biao's scroll, Cheng Pu had his doubts about the younger Zhou Yu achieving power, but he reevaluated the youth later and came to regard his compatriot in a better light. Cheng Pu replaced Zhou Yu's position as the Prefect of Nanjun after the younger man's death but returned to Jiangxia due to Liu Bei's occupation in Jing. He was then appointed the General who Strikes Fear into Bandits. His last mention in the The Book of Wu is being involved in an incident where hundreds of rebels voluntarily hopped into a tall blaze for their execution. Cheng Pu contracted leprosy that day and died one hundred days later.

Sun Quan praised Cheng Pu's services when he became Emperor of Wu and gave his son, Cheng Zi, the title of Ting Marquis.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel, he was among the four generals who accompanied Sun Jian at River Si Pass, originated from Tuying, and wielded his beloved serpent lance (much like Zhang Fei's weapon in appearance). When Hua Xiong ordered Hu Zhen to engage Sun Jian's troops, Cheng Pu dueled and quickly killed his adversary in a few bouts. Although they were able to advance towards the gate with his victory, they eventually were routed by Hua Xiong's army. He rejoined his lord after their retreat and continued to partake in the struggle at Hulao Gate as Sun Jian's advisor. Cheng Pu was the one who identified the Imperial Seal and offered plans to head south for his lord's pre-destined rise to greatness. Sun Jian agreed with his vassal's words and later carried out his plans.

Cheng Pu was mentioned once more when Sun Ce succeeded his father and invaded Liu Yao's territory. When the youth clashed with Taishi Ci to a draw, they were interrupted by Liu Yao and an army of 1,000. As Sun Ce presently only had twelve followers present, the young commander was at a grave disadvantage until Zhou Yu rode to Sun Ce's rescue and both camps retired. The following day, both armies jeered at the other and Taishi Ci roared for another duel. To spare his lord the burden, Cheng Pu rode in his master's place. Taishi Ci, who wanted to fight Sun Ce, was disappointed yet they clashed for thirty blows. Their duel was interrupted when Liu Yao rang the gong for withdraw due to suspicious movements in Zhou Yu's troops. Cheng Pu would later assist the battles to rout Yan Baihu, Wang Lang, and Zhou Xin. Later, when Sun Ce was ambushed during his lone hunting trip by remnants of Xu Gong's men, Cheng Pu was the general who led a small party to dispatch his lord's offenders. He came too late to save their master from serious injury and they carried him home. Their lord would eventually die when he executed Yu Ji.

As Sun Quan had led the campaign against Huang Zu and gained Gan Ning in his services, Cheng Pu was the one who rode to observe the former pirate's deed of executing Huang Zu. Prior to the Battle of Chibi, Cheng Pu was the admiral in charge of military affairs. When Sun Quan assigned the positions for the army, he was indignant to be serving under the younger Zhou Yu as Vice Admiral. Therefore, he refused to attend the first meeting for the expedition and sent his eldest son, Cheng Zi, in his place. After hearing of Zhou Yu's bold leadership, however, Cheng Pu came to Zhou Yu personally and apologized for his behavior. The Supreme Admiral accepted him kindly. He and Lu Su accompanied Zhou Yu's unit as they sailed at Xiakou and with the fleet at Chibi.

When they attacked Nanjun, the elder worried for Zhou Yu's ailed condition during the campaign. Since the physician who mended Zhou Yu's wound from an arrow instructed silence, Cheng Pu ordered the troops to not give into Niu Jin's taunts. The army was able to retreat when Zhou Yu feigned his death and dressed with robes of mourning. When they arrived at Chaisang, Cheng Pu and a handful of troops were sent on a boat to aid Sun Quan back at Hefei. Thanks to Zhou Yu's insightful prediction, he was able to save his lord from Zhang Liao's pursuit.

When Zhou Yu was appointed the Governor of Nanjun, Cheng Pu was simultaneously named the Governor of Jiangxia. He is last mentioned in passing by Lu Meng, who noted that their victory at Chibi was only successful since Cheng Pu eventually came to trust Zhou Yu.