Deng Yu Deng Yu ( 鄧禹 ) , courtesy name Zhonghua ( 仲華 ) ( 2 - 58 ) , was a Han Dynasty general and statesman who was a major contributor to Emperor Guangwu ( Liu Xiu ) ' s campaign to reestablish the Han Dynasty . He was well known in history for his accomplishments at a young age , but his main strengths might have been his abilities to find the right people for the right responsibilities , rather than his own personal military might . Initial following of Liu Xiu . Deng first met Liu Xiu when both were visiting and studying in the Xin Dynasty capital of Chang ' an , perhaps in 12 . He befriended Liu as both were from Nanyang Commandery ( roughly modern Nanyang , Henan ) . Later , both went back home , and Liu Xiu would eventually be involved in his brother Liu Yan ' s rebellion against Xin in 22 . Deng apparently was not involved in any revolutionary activities against Xin at this point . After Xin fell to Emperor Gengshi ' s rebel armies in 23 , Liu Xiu was commissioned by Emperor Gengshi to pacify the territory north of the Yellow River . Deng , having heard this , and believing from his earlier experience with Liu Xiu that Liu Xiu was a capable man who could do great things , left home and chased Liu Xiu , finally catching him at Yecheng ( 鄴城 , in modern Handan , Hebei ) . When Liu Xiu saw Deng , he asked Deng whether he was looking for a commission . Deng gave a famous reply : Liu was impressed , and requested Deng to remain and give him suggestions . Deng analyzed the situation and suggested to him that Emperor Gengshi ' s administration would eventually fall , and that he should be ready to establish great things . Liu agreed . Deng was later part of Liu Xiu ' s train while fleeing the attacks of the pretender Wang Lang ( 王郎 ) in 23 - 24 , and contributed to Liu ' s eventual defeat of Wang . After Wang ' s defeat , it was at Deng ' s suggestion that Liu , who had decided to break away from Emperor Gengshi by that point , entrusted his base of the He ' nei ( 河內 , modern northern Henan north of the Yellow River ) region to Kou Xun ( 寇恂 ) - - a key suggestion since Kou was an able administrator who turned He ' nei into a wealthy territory capable of supplying Liu ' s subsequent campaigns . Campaign in the west . As Liu began to increase his influence in the east , he was pondering whom to entrust with an army to head west to try to take over territories while Emperor Gengshi ' s forces battled the Chimei . In 24 , he commissioned Deng with a relatively small force of 20 , 000 . Deng was quickly able to capture the Hedong ( 河東 , modern southern Shanxi ) region for Liu . After Liu declared himself emperor in 25 , he gave Deng the title of prime minister and created him the Marquess of Zhan — the same title as Xiao He , his ancestor Emperor Gao ' s famed prime minister — implicitly comparing Deng to Xiao . Deng , at age 23 , was the youngest prime minister in Han history . As Chimei forces destroyed Emperor Gengshi ' s later that year , forcing Emperor Gengshi ' s surrender , Deng decided to let the militarily mighty but administratively inept Chimei generals wear themselves out , and chose not to engage them directly , but rather made raids to harass them and meanwhile pacified the modern northern Shaanxi region by treating the people with kindness . Although he became popular among the people who were tired and fearful of Chimei ' s pillages , Emperor Guangwu was not pleased with his failure to engage the Chimei . Deng , reluctantly , engaged the Chimei in a number of battles but had limited success , perhaps showing that his reluctance to engage the Chimei was correct . Eventually , as he predicted , the Chimei wore out their welcome in the Guanzhong region after they pillaged and destroyed wherever they went , and they were forced to retreat east . Forces led by Emperor Guangwu himself was able to corner the Chimei and force their surrender in 27 . Role in Emperor Guangwu ' s administration . After the surrender of the Chimei , Emperor Guangwu , seeing that Deng was more useful as a prime minister who governs and a strategist than a general himself , summoned Deng back to the capital to be the head of his administration . In 37 , after Emperor Guangwu had largely reunified the entire empire , he created Deng the Marquess of Gaomi , with a large march — four counties . Deng , like a number of other generals , realizing that Emperor Guangwu wanted to preserve their status by not giving them major duties , resigned his prime minister post . He would remain a trusted advisor to Emperor Guangwu , however , throughout Emperor Guangwu ' s reign . After Emperor Guangwu died in 57 , Deng , being recognized as chief among those who had contributed to Emperor Guangwu ' s reestablishment of Han Dynasty , was given the honorary post of imperial professor ( 太傅 , " taifu " ) by Emperor Guangwu ' s son Emperor Ming . Deng himself died in 58 . In 60 , when Emperor Ming honored those who had served his father well by painting their portraits on a palace tower , Deng ' s portrait was placed in the first position . His granddaughter Deng Sui would eventually become empress to Emperor He .