Deng Xia was from
Chen Commandery and his father, Deng Yue (鄧嶽), once served the government. Deng Xia's strength was very well-known even among the common people, who began comparing him to the famous
Han dynasty general
Fan Kuai. He joined Huan Wen's army and became his Army Advisor. He eventually rose to the rank of General of the Best of the Army and Administrator of Jingling. Very few details were recorded about his exact activities in Huan Wen's campaigns, but it was said he followed Huan in many of them, which made him famous at the time. In 352, Deng Xia assisted Zhou Fu (周撫) in besieging Xiao Jingwen (蕭敬文) although Zhou Fu had to eventually withdraw. Xiao Jingwen would be defeated by
Sima Xun instead. In August 362, Former Yan forces led by
Lü Hu besieged Luoyang. Deng Xia and the General of the Household Gentlemen of the North, Yu Xi (庾希) were sent by Huan Wen to reinforce the defenders. Lü Hu soon retreated but was hit by a stray arrow and died. Deng Xia advanced to Xincheng (新城; around present-day Fang County, Hubei), where he camped to defend the place. Deng Xia's last noted activity would be in 369, during Huan Wen's campaign against Former Yan. He and
Zhu Xu defeated the Former Yan general
Fu Yan at Linzhu (林渚, around present-day
Xinzheng,
Henan). Ultimately, the campaign ended disastrously as Huan Wen was defeated at the
Battle of Fangtou. Huan Wen was greatly angered and ashamed at his defeat. He had always feared that Deng Xia's courage would get in the way of his imperial ambition, so he used this campaign as an excuse to remove Deng from office. Sometime after his removal from office, Deng Xia visited the imperial tombs. Along the way, he met Huan Wen again, who noticed that Deng Xia had grown thinner. When he asked him why, Deng Xia replied, "I am ashamed before Shuda, for I cannot forget the broken pot." Deng Xia died not long after, and he was posthumously awarded the office of Grand Warden of Luling (廬陵; around present-day
Ji'an,
Jiangxi). == In folklore ==