Lü Bu | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 呂布 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 AQing dynasty illustration of Lü Bu | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 197–199 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| General of Vehement Might (奮威將軍) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 192–197 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | before 161[1] Jiuyuan County,Wuyuan Commandery (nowJiuyuan District, Baotou City, Inner Mongolia, China) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 7 February 199[a] Xiapi County, Xiapi Commandery | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Military general, politician, warlord | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 呂布 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 吕布 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Courtesy name | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 奉先 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 飛將 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Flying General | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marquis ofWen | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 溫侯 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Lü Bu (pronunciationⓘ; died 7 February 199),[a]courtesy nameFengxian, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the lateEastern Han dynasty ofImperial China. Originally a subordinate of a minor warlordDing Yuan, he betrayed and murdered Ding Yuan and defected toDong Zhuo, the warlord who controlled the Han central government in the early 190s. In 192, he turned againstDong Zhuo and killed him after being instigated byWang Yun and Shisun Rui (士孙瑞),[4] but was later defeated and driven away by Dong Zhuo's followers.
From 192 to early 195, Lü Bu wandered around central and northern China, consecutively seeking shelter under warlords such asYuan Shu,Yuan Shao, andZhang Yang. In 194, he managed to take control ofYan Province from the warlordCao Cao with help from defectors from Cao's side, but Caotook back his territories within two years. In 195, Lü Bu turned againstLiu Bei, who had offered him refuge inXu Province, and seized control of the province from his host. Although he had agreed to an alliance with Yuan Shu earlier, he severed ties with him after Yuan declared himself emperor – treason againstEmperor Xian of Han – and joined Cao and others in attacking thepretender. However, in 198, he sided with Yuan Shu again and came under attack by the combined forces of Cao and Liu, resulting in his defeat at theBattle of Xiapi in 199. He was captured and executed bystrangulation on Cao's order.
Although Lü Bu is described in historical and fictional sources as an exceptionally mighty warrior, he was also notorious for his unstable behaviour. He switched allegiances erratically and freely betrayed his allies. He was always suspicious of others and could not control his subordinates. All these factors ultimately led to his downfall. In the 14th-century historical novelRomance of the Three Kingdoms, the details of his life are dramatized and some fictitious elements – including his romance with the fictional maidenDiaochan – are added to portray him as a nearly unchallenged warrior who was also a ruthless and impulsive brute bereft of morals.
There are two official biographies of Lü Bu. The first one is in theRecords of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi), which was written byChen Shou in the third century.
In the fifth century,Pei Songzhi annotated theSanguozhi by incorporating information from other sources to Chen Shou's original work and adding his personal commentary. Some alternative texts used in the annotations to Lü Bu's biography include:Yingxiong Ji (Chronicles of Heroes and Champions), byWang Can;Xiandi Chunqiu (Chronicles of Emperor Xian), by Yuan Wei;Wei Shi Chunqiu (Chronicles of the Ruling Family of Wei), bySun Sheng;Cao Man Zhuan (Biography of Cao Man), by an unknown writer.
The second biography of Lü Bu is in theBook of the Later Han (Houhanshu), which was compiled byFan Ye in the fifth century.
No descriptions of Lü Bu's physical appearance exist in historical records. It was noted that he specialized in archery and horse-riding, and possessed great physical strength. He was nicknamed "Flying General" (飛將軍) for his martial prowess.[Sanguozhi 1] He also owned a powerful steed known as the "Red Hare".[Sanguozhi 2][Houhanshu 1] TheCao Man Zhuan recorded that there was a saying at the time to describe Lü Bu and theRed Hare: "Among men, Lü Bu; Among steeds, Red Hare)".[Sanguozhi zhu 1]
Lü Bu is described as follows in the 14th-century historical novelRomance of the Three Kingdoms:
[...] a lofty and dignified look, a majestic and awe-inspiring bearing, wielding afangtian huaji,[b] [...] hair pulled back and worn in a golden headdress, donning a flowery-patterned battle robe, encased in body armour decorated with images of theni,[c] wearing a precious belt adorned with the image of a lion, [...][5]
Lü Bu was from Jiuyuan County (九原縣),Wuyuan Commandery (五原郡), which is near present-dayBaotou,Inner Mongolia. He was known for his martial valour inBing Province. WhenDing Yuan, the Inspector (刺史) of Bing Province, was appointed as a Cavalry Commandant (騎都尉) by the Han central government and ordered to garrison atHenei Commandery, he recruited Lü Bu as a Registrar (主簿) and treated him kindly.[Sanguozhi 3]
After the death ofEmperor Ling in May 189, Ding Yuan led his troops to the capitalLuoyang to assist the generalHe Jin in eliminating theeunuch faction. He Jin ended up being assassinated by the eunuchs instead, after which the warlordDong Zhuo led his forces into Luoyang and occupied the capital. Dong Zhuo wanted to kill Ding Yuan and take control of Ding's troops, so he induced Lü Bu into betraying Ding and defecting to his side. Lü Bu killed Ding Yuan, cut off his head, and presented it to Dong Zhuo, who had by then seized control of the Han central government. Dong Zhuo appointed Lü Bu as a Cavalry Commandant (騎都尉) and placed much faith and trust in him. He also accepted Lü Bu as a foster son. Lü Bu was later promoted from the position of a Cavalry Commandant to a General of the Household (中郎將). He was also made a Marquis of a Chief Village (都亭侯).[Sanguozhi 4]
In 190, a coalition of warlords led byYuan Shao initiated apunitive campaign againstDong Zhuo in response to Dong's tyranny and monopoly of the central government. Dong Zhuo had deposed Emperor Ling's successor,Emperor Shao, earlier that year and replaced him withEmperor Xian, who was actually a puppet ruler under his control. Lü Bu defended Dong Zhuo and fought in battles against the coalition. In one battle at Yangren (陽人; believed to be near present-dayWenquan, Ruzhou,Henan), Dong Zhuo ordered Lü Bu andHu Zhen to attackSun Jian (one of the coalition members), but Lü Bu and Hu Zhen could not get along with each other, resulting in disorder in their army. Sun Jian used the opportunity to attack them and forced them to retreat.[Houhanshu 2][6] Within months, the coalition forces had reached the capitalLuoyang. Dong Zhuo personally led an army to engage the coalition vanguard, led by Sun Jian, in the area where the tombs of the Han emperors were located, but was defeated and forced to retreat. Sun Jian then passed through Luoyang's Xuanyang Gate (宣陽城門), where he attacked Lü Bu and drove him back.[Houhanshu 3][7] Dong Zhuo was alarmed, so he decided to evacuate Luoyang and move the capital toChang'an in the west. He sent his troops to pillage Luoyang and force its residents to move to Chang'an as well, and then had Luoyang destroyed by fire. The coalition did not pursue Dong Zhuo to Chang'an and eventually dissolved by itself in the following year.
As Dong Zhuo usually behaved rudely in front of other people, he was afraid of being assassinated, hence he often kept Lü Bu by his side as a bodyguard. Dong Zhuo also had a bad temper and was easily agitated. During his outbursts, he threw shortjis at Lü Bu, but Lü Bu reacted fast and dodged the weapons. Dong Zhuo's anger subsided after that. Lü Bu was very unhappy and he bore a grudge against his foster father. At the same time, Lü Bu was tasked with guarding Dong Zhuo's central living quarters, and he had a secret affair with one of Dong's maids. He feared that Dong Zhuo would find out and felt very uneasy about it.[Sanguozhi 5]
Earlier on, Lü Bu had been warmly received byWang Yun, theMinister over the Masses (司徒), so he went to see Wang and complained about how Dong Zhuo almost killed him. At the time, Wang Yun and another official, Shisun Rui (士孫瑞), were plotting to get rid of Dong Zhuo so they told Lü Bu about their plan and sought his help. Lü Bu said, "But we are father and son!" Wang Yun replied, "Your family name isLü so you have no blood relations with him. He was not concerned about you at all when you almost died, so where was the father-son bond?" Lü Bu agreed to join them and personally killed Dong Zhuo later. After Dong Zhuo's death, Wang Yun and Lü Bu took charge of the central government. Lü Bu was appointed General of Vehement Might (奮威將軍) and received the honours equivalent to those received by theThree Ducal Ministers – three high-ranking officials in the Han administration. Emperor Xian also enfeoffed him as the Marquis ofWen (溫侯).[Sanguozhi 6]
AfterDong Zhuo's death, his followers inLiang Province, led byLi Jue,Guo Si and others, formed an army to attackChang'an when Wang Yun refused to grant them amnesty for their past activities under Dong Zhuo.[Houhanshu 4] Guo Si led his men to attack the city's north gate, where he met Lü Bu, who told him, "Let's not send our soldiers into battle. Instead, let's have a man-on-man fight." Lü Bu then engaged Guo Si in a duel and injured him. Guo Si's men saved their superior. Both sides withdrew their forces.[Sanguozhi zhu 2] Lü Bu was unable to resist the enemy so he eventually abandoned Chang'an and fled. His defeat and subsequent flight took place 60 days after Dong Zhuo's death.[Sanguozhi 7]
Pei Songzhi commented that the "60 days" claim in the original text of theSanguozhi was erroneous. According to other sources, Lü Bu killed Dong Zhuo on the 23rd day of the fourth month in the third year of the Chuping era (190–193) inEmperor Xian's reign, and he fled from Chang'an on the first day of the sixth month. There were no interpolated dates in between, so Lü Bu could not have spent 60 days in Chang'an after Dong Zhuo's death.[Sanguozhi zhu 3]
After leavingChang'an, Lü Bu, accompanied by a few hundred horsemen and withDong Zhuo's head tied to his saddle, passed throughWu Pass and went to joinYuan Shu inNanyang Commandery. TheSanguozhi and theHouhanshu give differing accounts of how Yuan Shu treated Lü Bu. The former claimed that Lü Bu expected to be received warmly because he felt that he had helped Yuan Shu take revenge by slaying Dong Zhuo. However, Yuan Shu detested Lü Bu because of his duplicity so he refused to accept him.[Sanguozhi 8] The latter stated that Yuan Shu treated Lü Bu generously, but Lü behaved arrogantly as he felt that he deserved better treatment because he had done Yuan a favour by killing Dong Zhuo. Lü Bu also allowed his men to plunder the area. Yuan Shu became worried that Lü Bu would pose a threat to him, and Lü also felt uneasy after he heard that Yuan was suspicious of him, so he left.[Houhanshu 5]
After leavingYuan Shu, Lü Bu then headed to northern China to join Yuan Shu's relative,Yuan Shao. He assisted Yuan Shao in attackingZhang Yan atChangshan. Zhang Yan had thousands of elite soldiers and cavalry. Lü Bu led his subordinates Cheng Lian (成廉) and Wei Yue (魏越) and dozens of riders to raid Zhang Yan's camp, killing several enemies and then fighting their way out. They did this three to four times every day continuously for a period of over ten days and eventually defeated Zhang Yan's forces.[Sanguozhi 9][Houhanshu 6]
Lü Bu behaved arrogantly in front of Yuan Shao because he perceived that he had done the Yuans a favour by slayingDong Zhuo. He belittled Yuan's followers and treated them with contempt. He once asked for more soldiers from Yuan Shao but was refused, after which he sent his men to plunder Yuan's territories. Yuan Shao was greatly displeased and felt that Lü Bu posed a threat to him. Lü Bu sensed that Yuan Shao was suspicious of him so he wanted to leave northern China and return toLuoyang. Yuan Shao pretended to agree and recommended Lü Bu to take up the appointment of Colonel-Director of Retainers (司隷校尉) while secretly plotting to kill him.[Houhanshu 7][Sanguozhi 10]
On the day of Lü Bu's departure, Yuan Shao sent 30 armoured soldiers to escort him and personally saw him off. Along the journey, Lü Bu stopped and rested inside his tent. That night, Yuan Shao's soldiers crept into the tent and killed the person inside, who had covered himself with a blanket, after which they reported that Lü Bu was dead. The following day, Yuan Shao received news that Lü Bu was still alive so he immediately had the gates in his city closed. In fact, Lü Bu had secretly left his tent the previous night without Yuan Shao's soldiers knowing, and had ordered one of his men to remain inside as a decoy.[Sanguozhi 11][Sanguozhi zhu 4]
Lü Bu fled to Henei Commandery to joinZhang Yang after his escape. Yuan Shao sent his men to pursue Lü Bu but they were afraid of Lü and did not dare to approach him.[Sanguozhi 12] Zhang Yang and his subordinates were bribed byLi Jue andGuo Si to kill Lü Bu. When Lü Bu heard about it, he told Zhang Yang, "I'm from the same province as you. If you kill me, you'll become weaker. If you recruit me, you can obtain the same honours and titles as Li Jue and Guo Si." Zhang Yang pretended to agree to help Li Jue and Guo Si kill Lü Bu but he secretly offered refuge to Lü instead. When Li Jue and Guo Si learnt that Zhang Yang had accepted Lü Bu, they became worried so they sent an imperial decree to Henei inEmperor Xian's name, appointing Lü Bu as the Administrator (太守) ofYingchuan Commandery.[Sanguozhi zhu 5]
The account of Lü Bu's association with Zhang Yang in theSanguozhi differed slightly from that recorded in theHouhanshu. The former mentioned that Lü Bu joined Yuan Shao after he was rejected by Yuan Shu, and then he sought shelter under Zhang Yang after Yuan Shao sent assassins to kill him. In theHouhanshu, however, it was stated that Lü Bu went to join Zhang Yang after leaving Yuan Shu, and he managed to persuade Zhang to ignore Li Jue and Guo Si's urgings to kill him and instead provide him refuge. He left Zhang Yang later and went to join Yuan Shao, but returned to Zhang again after surviving the assassination attempt. On his way to Henei, Lü Bu passed by Chenliu (陳留; around present-dayKaifeng, Henan), where its Administrator,Zhang Miao, received him warmly. Zhang Miao made a pledge of friendship with Lü Bu when he saw him off from Chenliu.[Houhanshu 8]
Yuan Shao was furious when he heard thatZhang Miao – whom he had a feud with – had become Lü Bu's friend. Around the time, Yuan Shao was still an ally ofCao Cao, so Zhang Miao feared that Cao would combine forces with Yuan to attack him. Besides, Zhang Miao's jurisdiction, Chenliu, was inYan Province, which was under Cao Cao's control.[Sanguozhi 13]
In 194, when Cao Cao left Yan Province toattackXu Province, Zhang Miao's younger brother Zhang Chao (張超), along with Cao's subordinatesChen Gong, Xu Si (許汜) and Wang Kai (王楷), started a rebellion. Chen Gong persuaded Zhang Miao to join them in welcoming Lü Bu into Yan Province. With help from the defectors, Lü Bu seized control ofPuyang and declared himself the Governor (牧) of Yan Province. The various commanderies and counties in Yan Province responded to Lü Bu's call and defected to his side, except forJuancheng,Dong'e andFan counties, which still remained under Cao Cao's control.[Sanguozhi 14]
Upon receiving news of the rebellion and Lü Bu's intrusion, Cao Cao aborted the Xu Province campaign and led his forces back to Yan Province. The armies of Lü Bu and Cao Cao clashed at Puyang, where Cao was unable to overcome Lü, so both sides were locked in a stalemate for over 100 days. At the time, Yan Province was plagued by locusts and droughts so the people suffered from famine and many had resorted to cannibalism to survive. Lü Bu moved his base from Puyang further east toShanyang. Within two years, Cao Cao managed to retake all his territories in Yan Province and he later defeated Lü Bu in a battle atJuye County. Lü Bu fled east to Xu Province and took shelter underLiu Bei.[Sanguozhi 15]
Lü Bu treatedLiu Bei very respectfully when he first met him, and he said, "You and I are both from the northern borders. When I saw theGuandong Coalition rising up againstDong Zhuo, I already wanted to help them eliminate him. However, after I slew Dong Zhuo and leftChang'an, none of the former coalition members were willing to accept me. They even tried to kill me." He then brought Liu Bei to his camp, asked Liu to sit on his wife's bed, and instructed his wife to pay respect to Liu. He then threw a feast for Liu Bei and called Liu his "younger brother". Liu Bei knew that Lü Bu was unpredictable and untrustworthy, but he kept quiet and pretended to be friendly towards Lü Bu.[Sanguozhi zhu 6]
When Liu Bei was governingXu Province, he was stationed in the provincial capitalXiapi and he drew boundaries withYuan Shu in the areas around theHuai River. When Yuan Shu learnt that Lü Bu was in Xu Province, he wanted to instigate Lü Bu to help him deal with Liu Bei, so he wrote to Lü Bu: "In the past,Dong Zhuo monopolised state power, harmed the imperial family, and murdered my family. I participated in thecampaign against Dong Zhuo but did not manage to kill him. You slew Dong Zhuo and sent me his head. In doing so, you helped me take revenge and salvage my reputation. This was the first favour you did me. When Jin Yuanxiu (金元休) was heading toYan Province to assume office,Cao Caodefeated and nearly drove him to the point of destruction. Later, you attacked Cao Cao in Yan Province and helped me regain my reputation. This was the second favour you did me. Throughout my life, I have never heard of the existence of Liu Bei, but he started a war with me. With your mighty spirit, you are capable of defeating Liu Bei, and this will be the third favour you do me. With these three favours you did me, I am willing to entrust matters of life and death to you even though I may not be worthy. You have been fighting battles for a long time and you lack food supplies. I hereby send you 200,000hu (斛) of grain and open my doors to you. If they are insufficient, I will continue to provide you a steady flow of supplies. If you need weapons and military equipment, just ask." Lü Bu was delighted and he agreed to help Yuan Shu attack Xiapi.[Sanguozhi zhu 7] The contents of Yuan Shu's letter, as recorded in theHouhanshu, were slightly different and briefer as compared to that recorded in theSanguozhi.[Houhanshu 9]
Lü Bu led his forces to some 40li west of Xiapi. Xu Dan (許耽), who was fromDanyang (丹楊) and was serving as a General of the Household (中郎將) under Liu Bei, sent Zhang Kuang (章誑) to meet Lü Bu at night. Zhang Kuang told Lü Bu, "Zhang Yide quarrelled withCao Bao and killed him. The city is now in a state of chaos. There are 1,000 soldiers from Danyang stationed at the west white gate. When they heard of your arrival, they jumped for joy as if they have been revitalised. The Danyang soldiers will open the west gate for you when you reach there." Lü Bu mobilised his troops that night and reached Xiapi at dawn, where the Danyang soldiers opened the west gate for him. Lü Bu sat on the viewing platform above the gate and instructed his troops to set fire in the city. They defeated Zhang Fei and his men in battle and captured Liu Bei's family, the families of Liu's subordinates, and Liu's supplies.[Sanguozhi zhu 8]
Upon receiving news of Lü Bu's intrusion, Liu Bei immediately headed back to Xiapi Commandery but most of his troops scattered along the way. With his remaining men, Liu Bei moved eastward to takeGuangling Commandery where Yuan Shu's forces defeated him. Liu Bei then retreated to Haixi County (海西縣; southeast of present-dayGuannan County, Jiangsu).[Sanguozhi zhu 9] Where, in hunger and desperation, he surrendered to Lü Bu. This took place in around early 196.[Sanguozhi 16] Lü Bu was displeased that Yuan Shu's supplies had not reached him yet, so he led his men to welcome Liu Bei. He appointed Liu Bei as the Inspector (刺史) ofYu Province and ordered him to garrison atXiaopei, while he declared himself the Governor of Xu Province[d][Sanguozhi 17] and remained in Xiapi.[Houhanshu 10]
In July or August 196, Lü Bu's subordinateHao Meng rebelled against him and attacked his office in Xiapi. Lü Bu's generalGao Shun suppressed the rebellion with help fromCao Xing – Hao Meng's subordinate, who refused to betray Lü Bu – and killed Hao Meng.[e] Later that year, Lü Bu used his archery skill to prevent a battle between Liu Bei and Yuan Shu's generalJi Ling from taking place. He had aji erected at the gate of the camp, and proposed, "Gentlemen, watch me fire an arrow at the lower part of the curved blade on theji. If I hit it in one shot, all of you must withdraw your forces and leave. If I don't, you can remain here and prepare for battle." He then raised his bow and fired an arrow at theji, hitting exactly the lower part of the curved blade. Everyone present at the scene was shocked. They said, "General, you possess Heaven's might!" The following day, they threw another party and then withdrew their forces.[8][9][10]
In early 197,Yuan Shu declared himself "Son of Heaven" inShouchun, the administrative centre of his territories, and founded a Zhong (仲) dynasty.[11] However, his declaration garnered little to no support, and this was deemed an act of treason against the reigningEmperor Xian of theHan dynasty, so Yuan Shu soon found himself the target of attacks byCao Cao[f] and other warlords who had received orders from the Han imperial court to eliminate thepretender.
Earlier on, Yuan Shu wanted to form an alliance with Lü Bu so he proposed a marriage between his son and Lü Bu's daughter. Lü Bu initially agreed. After proclaiming himself emperor, Yuan Shu sent his subordinate Han Yin (韓胤) to meet Lü Bu and escort Lü Bu's daughter back to his territory for the marriage. However, Lü Bu changed his mind afterChen Gui convinced him to do so, and after he recalled how Yuan Shu rejected him when he first sought shelter under him. He then sent his men to chase Han Yin's convoy, which was on its way back to Shouchun, and retrieve his daughter. He also captured Han Yin and sent him as a prisoner toXu, where Han Yin was executed.[Sanguozhi 18]
TheYingxiong Ji recorded:
When Emperor Xian was inHedong, he once sent a written order to Lü Bu, ordering the latter to lead his men to Hedong to escort him. As his army lacked supplies then, Lü Bu did not personally travel to Hedong, but he sent a messenger to pass a memorial to the emperor. The Han imperial court later appointed Lü Bu as General Who Pacifies the East (平東將軍) and granted him the title "Marquis of Pingtao" (平陶侯). However, the emissary who was tasked with bringing the official seal to Lü Bu lost the seal inShanyang. Cao Cao personally wrote to Lü Bu to console him, and he also mentioned his desires to defend the emperor, pacify the empire, and help the emperor eliminateGongsun Zan, Yuan Shu,Han Xian,Yang Feng and others. Lü Bu was overjoyed, and he wrote another memorial to Emperor Xian: "I should have come to defend Your Majesty, but I heard that Cao Cao is loyal and filial and he has escorted Your Majesty safely to the new capital Xu. Earlier on, I fought battles with Cao Cao, and now he has come to defend Your Majesty. I am a general outside the central government, so I feared that if I brought along my troops and followed Cao Cao to escort Your Majesty, others may doubt my intentions. As such, I chose to remain in Xu Province and wait for Your Majesty to punish me for disobeying your order. I did not dare to make my own decision on whether to act or not." Lü Bu also wrote a reply letter to Cao Cao: "I am guilty (of disobeying the Emperor's order) and I deserve to be punished. However, you comforted me and gave me encouragement. When I receive the Emperor's decrees for the elimination of Yuan Shu and the others, I will, with my life, help His Majesty execute his orders." Cao Cao then sent Wang Ze (王則), a Commandant of Equipage (奉車都尉), as an emissary to bring Emperor Xian's decree to Xu Province and bestow upon Lü Bu the official seal of the General Who Pacifies the East. Cao Cao also wrote a personal letter to Lü Bu: "The officials in Shanyang offered a replacement for your official seal, which was lost there. However, the imperial treasury lacks gold reserves (for making your seal), so I took from my personal stores. The imperial treasury also lacks purple silk, so I took from my stores again. You are not making wise moves. Yuan Shu (committed treason when he) proclaimed himself emperor, so you should break all your connections with him. The Imperial Court trusts you, which was why they were willing to send you your commission again. You should prove your loyalty to the Emperor." Lü Bu sentChen Deng (Chen Gui's son) as a messenger to Xu to thank Emperor Xian and pass a fine silk cord to Cao Cao to express his gratitude.[Sanguozhi zhu 10]
The main text of theSanguozhi, however, mentioned that the Han imperial court appointed Lü Bu as General of the Left (左將軍) instead of General Who Pacifies the East (as stated in theYingxiong Ji). Nevertheless, Lü Bu did allow Chen Deng to go to Xu as his representative to thank the imperial court.[Sanguozhi 19] In Xu, Chen Deng urged Cao Cao to get rid of Lü Bu and agreed to serve as amole in Xu Province to help Cao Cao eliminate Lü Bu. Chen Deng also received a promotion while his father Chen Gui got a salary increase.[Sanguozhi zhu 11][Sanguozhi 20]
When Chen Deng returned to Xu Province, an angry Lü Bu confronted him, brandished hisji at him and said, "Your father advised me to side with Cao Cao and reject Yuan Shu's offer. Now, (after following his advice,) I have gained nothing, while you and your father got promoted and rewarded. You must have tricked me! What do you have to say?" Chen Deng maintained his composure and calmly replied, "When I met Cao Cao, I told him, 'You should treat the General (Lü Bu) in the same way you raise a tiger. Feed it well with meat. If it is not well-fed, it will attack people.' Cao Cao replied, 'You're wrong. He's like a hawk. If it is hungry, it will hunt for you. If it is well-fed, it will fly away.' That was what we talked about." Lü Bu's anger subsided.[Sanguozhi 21]
Yuan Shu was furious that Lü Bu reneged on his word, so he allied withHan Xian andYang Feng, and sent his general Zhang Xun (張勳) to attack Lü Bu. Lü Bu askedChen Gui, "Yuan Shu sends his forces to attack me because I followed your suggestion. What should I do now?" Chen Gui replied, "The alliance between Han Xian, Yang Feng and Yuan Shu is formed by a loose assembly of their forces. They have not decided on a common plan so they will not last long. They are like chickens tied up together and they cannot move in tandem. My son,Deng, has a plan to separate them."[Houhanshu 11]
Lü Bu heeded Chen Gui's advice and sent a letter to Han Xian and Yang Feng, "You two generals escorted theEmperor inLuoyang, while I personally killedDong Zhuo. We have all accomplished deeds worthy of praise. Yuan Shu has committed treason, so everyone should attack him. Why do you side with the traitor instead and join him in attacking me? We should combine forces to defeat Yuan Shu, help the Emperor eliminate this traitor, and achieve glory. We should not lose this opportunity now." He also promised to share the spoils of war with them. Han Xian and Yang Feng were pleased and they agreed to help Lü Bu. They defeated Zhang Xun at Xiapi and captured Qiao Rui (橋蕤), one of Yuan Shu's officers. Yuan Shu's forces suffered heavy casualties and many of his soldiers fell into the river and drowned.[Houhanshu 12]
Lü Bu, Han Xian and Yang Feng later led their forces to attack Shouchun, the capital of Yuan Shu's territories, travelling on both land and water. They plundered the lands along their journey. By the time they reached Zhongli (鍾離; around present-dayChuzhou, Anhui), they had made much gains so they retreated. Before crossing theHuai River back to the north, Lü Bu left Yuan Shu a letter: "You think that your army is powerful and you always boast of having mighty warriors under your command. You wanted to destroy me, but why did you change your decision every time? I may not be courageous, but I have dominated the Huainan region. Within a short period of time, you have become like a rat scurrying for shelter in Shouchun and you cannot emerge again. Where are your mighty warriors? You enjoy telling lies to everyone, but you cannot make everyone believe you. Since ancient times, people have employed the technique of sowing discontent between their enemies to overcome them. I am not the first person to use this strategy. I am still nearby so I can wait for your response." After Lü Bu crossed the Huai River, Yuan Shu personally led 5,000 soldiers to the riverbank. Lü Bu's forces, which were on the opposite end, laughed at their enemy and retreated.[Sanguozhi zhu 12]
Around the time, Xiao Jian (蕭建) served as the Chancellor (相) ofLangya State and was stationed inJu County. Xiao Jian, a conservative man, did not have any contact with Lü Bu. Lü Bu wrote to Xiao Jian: "Initially, everyone throughout the Empire took up arms for the purpose of eliminatingDong Zhuo. I killed Dong Zhuo and headed east, where I hoped to be able to borrow troops and return west to defend theEmperor and restore the capitalLuoyang. However, the warlords were fighting among themselves and none of them were concerned about the state. I am from Wuyuan (五原), which is located more than 5,000li away from Xu Province and is somewhere in the northwestern border. As of now, I came here not to fight for the southeastern lands. Ju and Xiapi are not far from each other so it is easy to maintain communication between them. You behave like you are an emperor in a commandery and a king in a county! In the past, whenYue Yi attacked theQi state, he conquered over 70 cities in Qi, except for Ju and Jimo because ofTian Dan. I am not Yue Yi, and neither are you Tian Dan. You can seek the counsel of wise men on this letter." After receiving Lü Bu's letter, Xiao Jian ordered Ji Jian (齎牋) to present five fine steeds as gifts to Lü Bu.[Sanguozhi zhu 13]
Zang Ba defeated Xiao Jian later and seized possession of his resources. When Lü Bu heard that, he wanted to lead his forces to attack Zang Ba in Ju County, butGao Shun advised him against it, "General, you've earned yourself widespread fame for killing Dong Zhuo. Even if you remain in your current position, those near and far will still be afraid of you. You shouldn't be so reckless as to personally lead your men into battle. If you lose, the damage to your reputation won't be minimal." Lü Bu ignored him. Zang Ba heard of Lü Bu's violent and plundering ways, so he remained inside Ju County and put up a firm defence against Lü Bu. Lü Bu was unable to conquer Ju County so he withdrew his forces and returned to Xiapi. After that, the generals of Taishan bandits include Zang Ba, Sun Guan, Wu Dun, Yin Li and Chang Xi all submitted to Lü Bu, the power of Lü Bu was significantly stronger.[Sanguozhi zhu 14][Houhanshu 13]
During the year 197,Yang Feng andHan Xian were brigands who raided the area between Yang and Xu provinces and were ordered by Lü Bu to lead their troops to raid Liu Bei's supplies.[12] However, Liu Bei successfully lured them into a trap. Yang Feng was killed while Han Xian managed to escape.[Houhanshu 14]
Around late 197 or early 198, Lü Bu sided with Yuan Shu. Lu Bu also ordered his soldiers to gather gold and money to buy some military horses however along the way Liu Bei led his troops and managed to capture the gold and money. In response, Lu Bu sentGao Shun andZhang Liao to attack Liu Bei at Peicheng. Cao Cao sentXiahou Dun to support Liu Bei but Gao Shun defeated Liu Bei, as well as the reinforcements Cao Cao had sent to assist him.[Sanguozhi 22][Sanguozhi zhu 15][13]
In the winter of 198, Cao Cao personally led a campaign against Lü Bu and besiegedXiapi. He wrote a letter to Lü Bu, explaining the benefits of submitting and the consequences of putting up resistance. Lü Bu wanted to surrender, butChen Gong and the others knew that they had already offended Cao Cao (when they betrayed him earlier), so they urged Lü Bu to change his decision.[Sanguozhi 23]
When Cao Cao's army reachedPengcheng, Chen Gong told Lü Bu, "We should attack the enemy now, since our troops have rested well while the enemy is weary. We're sure to win." Lü Bu replied, "Why don't we wait for them to attack first? After that we'll destroy them in theSi River." When Cao Cao's attacks increased in intensity, Lü Bu went up the White Gate Tower (白門樓; the viewing platform above the main gate in the south of Xiapi[Houhanshu 15][Houhanshu 16]) and told his men, "Cao Cao has no intention of finding trouble with you. I should surrender to the wise lord." Chen Gong said, "The treacherous Cao Cao is no wise lord! Surrendering to him is like hitting a rock with an egg! How can you expect to live (after you surrender)?"[Sanguozhi zhu 16]
Lü Bu sent Xu Si (許汜) and Wang Kai (王楷) to request urgent aid from Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu said, "Lü Bu refused to send his daughter here, so it's expected that he'll meet his doom. Why does he seek help from me again?" Xu Si and Wang Kai replied, "If Your Highness doesn't save Lü Bu, you'll be courting your own doom. If Lü Bu is destroyed, Your Highness will be next." Yuan Shu then prepared his troops and claimed that he would be sending reinforcements to Lü Bu.[Sanguozhi zhu 17] In the meantime, Lü Bu thought that Yuan Shu was reluctant to help him because he did not send his daughter to Yuan Shu, so, one night, he tied his daughter to himself and attempted to break out of the siege. However, they encountered Cao Cao's soldiers, who fired arrows at them, so they had no choice but to return to Xiapi.[Sanguozhi zhu 18] Lü Bu led some 1,000 riders out of the city to engage the enemy, but lost the battle so he retreated back to Xiapi and did not dare to venture out.[g][Sanguozhi 24]
Lü Bu ordered Chen Gong andGao Shun to defend Xiapi, while he personally led some horsemen to attack Cao Cao's supply routes. However, before he left, his wife told him, "General, I know you want to attack Cao Cao's supply lines, but Chen Gong and Gao Shun can't get along with each other. If you leave, they may not work well together in defending the city. If a mishap occurs, what will become of you, General? I hope you'll consider this carefully and not be misled by Chen Gong and the others. When I was inChang'an, you already abandoned me, but I managed to return to you because Pang Shu (龐舒) secretly protected me and kept me with him. You don't need to worry about me now." Lü Bu felt gloomy after listening to his wife and could not decide on what to do.[Sanguozhi zhu 19]
Chen Gong told Lü Bu, "Cao Cao has come a long way and he won't be able to last long. General, you can bring some troops with you and set up a camp outside the city, while the others and I will remain behind to defend the city. If the enemy attacks you, I'll lead the city's soldiers to attack them from behind. If they attack the city, you can reinforce the city from outside. Within ten days, the enemy's supplies will be depleted and we can defeat them easily." Lü Bu agreed with Chen Gong's idea. However, Lü Bu's wife said, "In the past, the Caos treated Gongtai (Chen Gong) like a newborn child, but he still turned against them and joined you. Now, the way you treat Gongtai is no lesser than how Cao Cao treated him, and you intend to entrust the entire city to him, along with your family, while you venture out alone? If something happens, I won't be your wife anymore!" Lü Bu then changed his mind.[Sanguozhi zhu 20]
Yuan Shu was unable to come to Lü Bu's aid.[Sanguozhi 25] Cao Cao could not conquer Xiapi despite pressing attacks on the city and his men were growing weary. He wanted to abort the campaign and return toXuchang, but his advisorsGuo Jia andXun You urged him to press on. He then ordered his troops to direct the waters of the Yi (沂) andSi (泗) rivers to flood Xiapi. After a siege lasting three months, the morale of Lü Bu's forces fell drastically and his men gradually alienated him.[Houhanshu 17][Sanguozhi 26] On 7 February 199,[a] Lü Bu's subordinatesHou Cheng, Song Xian (宋憲) and Wei Xu (魏續) captured Chen Gong and Gao Shun, and then led their troops to surrender to Cao Cao.[h][Houhanshu 18]
Lü Bu and his remaining subordinates went up the White Gate Tower and surrendered when they saw they had been surrounded.[Sanguozhi 27] TheHouhanshu recorded that Lü Bu asked his men to kill him and bring his head to Cao Cao but they refused. Lü Bu surrendered to Cao Cao immediately after.[Houhanshu 19]
Lü Bu was tied up and brought before Cao Cao. He said, "I'm being tied up too tightly. Can you loosen the bonds?" Cao Cao replied, "A tiger must be tightly restrained." Lü Bu then said, "My lord, you dread only me, but now, since I've already submitted to you, you shouldn't have any more worries. My lord, why don't you spare me and let me help you lead your troops? In this way, you won't need to worry about not being able to pacify the Empire." When Cao Cao showed signs of reconsideration, Liu Bei interjected, "My lord, haven't you seen what Lü Bu did toDing Jianyang andGrand PreceptorDong?" Cao Cao rubbed his chin. Lü Bu shouted at Liu Bei, "You're the most untrustworthy person!"[Sanguozhi 28]
Additional details about the conversation between Lü Bu and Cao Cao were recorded in other texts and they were later added byPei Songzhi as annotations to theSanguozhi.
TheYingxiong Ji recorded:
Lü Bu told Cao Cao, "I treated my subordinates generously, but they betrayed me when I was in trouble." Cao Cao replied, "You abandoned your wife, and you've designs on your men's wives. You call this 'treating them generously'?" Lü Bu remained silent.[Sanguozhi zhu 21]
TheXiandi Chunqiu recorded:
Lü Bu asked Cao Cao, "My lord, you've lost weight. Why?" Cao Cao asked him, "How do you recognise me?" Lü Bu replied, "When I was inLuoyang, I saw you at the Wen Family Gardens (溫氏園)." Cao Cao said, "Yes, I forgot. I lost weight because I'm depressed over not having recruited you earlier." Lü Bu said, "In the past,Duke Huan of Qi forgaveGuan Zhong for injuring him earlier and even appointed Guan as his chancellor. Now, is it possible for you to allow me to do my best to serve you?" As Lü Bu had been tightly restrained, he turned to Liu Bei and said, "Xuande, you're a guest here. I'm a prisoner being tied up. Why don't you say anything to help me?" Cao Cao laughed and said, "Why do you turn to him instead of speaking directly to me?" Cao Cao had the intention of sparing Lü Bu so he ordered his men to loosen Lü's bonds. However, Wang Bi (王必), a Registrar (主簿) under Cao Cao, interrupted, "Lü Bu is a powerful foe and his allies are nearby. He shouldn't be spared." Cao Cao then said to Lü Bu, "I wanted to spare your life, but my Registrar says no. So, what should I do?"[Sanguozhi zhu 22]
Cao Cao had Lü Bu executed by hanging,[i] along withChen Gong,Gao Shun and others. Their dead bodies were later decapitated and their heads sent to the capital Xu and then buried.[Sanguozhi 29]
Lü Bu's final moments recorded in theHouhanshu are slightly different from that recorded in theSanguozhi, as theHouhanshu combined parts of the main text in theSanguozhi with theXiandi Chunqiu annotation, but the two accounts are generally similar.[Houhanshu 20]
.jpg)
Chen Shou, who wrote Lü Bu's biography in theSanguozhi, commented:
Lü Bu possessed the might of a tiger, but he lacked the planning skills of a talented person. He was frivolous and temperamental, and was only concerned about the gains he could make. Throughout history, there had never been such persons like him who did not end up being destroyed.[Sanguozhi 30]
In the main text of Lü Bu's biography, while describing the events of theBattle of Xiapi, Chen Shou also wrote:
Although Lü Bu was a valiant and powerful warrior, he lacked wisdom and was constantly suspicious of others. He was unable to control his subordinates even though he trusted them. His men had their personal motives and were very disunited, which was why he kept losing battles.[Sanguozhi 31]
Fan Ye, who wrote Lü Bu's biography in theHouhanshu, commented:
[...] Lü Bu was erratic and capricious.[Houhanshu 21]
Not much about Lü Bu's family was documented in historical texts, but it is known that he had a wife and a daughter, whose names were not recorded in history. Lü Bu abandoned his wife when he was fleeing fromChang'an, but his subordinate Pang Shu (龐舒) secretly protected her and kept her with him, and returned her to her husband later. She was most prominently mentioned during theBattle of Xiapi when she cautioned Lü Bu against overly trustingChen Gong. Lü Bu's daughter was initially arranged to be married toYuan Shu's son as part of an alliance between Lü and Yuan, but Lü reneged on his word and took her back when she was on her way for the marriage. When Xiapi was under siege byCao Cao's forces, Lü Bu attempted to bring his daughter out of the city so that she could be delivered to Yuan Shu, as he hoped that Yuan would send reinforcements to him after receiving his daughter. However, Lü Bu failed to break out of the siege so he returned to Xiapi with her. The eventual fates of Lü Bu's wife and daughter are not known.
In the historical novelRomance of the Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu had two wives, a concubine, and a daughter. His concubine wasDiaochan, a fictional character andWang Yun's foster daughter. She accompanied him after he killedDong Zhuo and was mentioned to be with him during theBattle of Xiapi. Lü Bu's first wife was Lady Yan (嚴氏), who was based on Lü Bu's real-life wife (the one mentioned in historical sources). Lü Bu's second wife, who was only mentioned by name in the novel, was a fictional daughter ofCao Bao. The role played by Lü Bu's daughter in the novel was similar to that of her counterpart in actual history. She was also unnamed in the novel, but she is called "Lü Lingqi" (吕玲绮;呂玲綺;Lǚ Língqǐ) in video games and popular culture.[citation needed]
In the 14th-century historical novelRomance of the Three Kingdoms, which dramatises the events before and during theThree Kingdoms period, Lü Bu is portrayed as a nearly invincible warrior but an incapable leader who is further marred by character flaws. While adhering to historical records in the general course of events, Luo exaggerated and sentimentalised many stories about Lü Bu, drawing inspirations from traditional operas and folklore.
See the following for some fictitious stories inRomance of the Three Kingdoms involving Lü Bu:
 | This articlemay containirrelevant references topopular culture. Please help Wikipedia toimprove this article by removing the content or addingcitations toreliable andindependent sources.(January 2022) |
Because of his image as an unmatched warrior in traditional folklore and in the historical novelRomance of the Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu is often held in high regard in works based on the Three Kingdoms and even in unrelated works.
Notable actors who have portrayed Lü Bu on screen include: Tong Chun Chung inThe Beauty Diu Sim (1987);Zhang Guangbei inRomance of the Three Kingdoms (1994);Huang Lei inLü Bu and Diaochan (2001);Peter Ho inThree Kingdoms (2010);Godfrey Gao inGod of War, Zhao Yun (2016);Yu Shirota inThe Untold Tale of the Three Kingdoms (2020);Louis Koo inDynasty Warriors (2021). Notable actors who have portrayed Lü Bu on stage includeYang Li-hua inTaiwanese operaDiaochan and Lü Bu (1991); Wang Zhiliang inCantonese operaLove in War (2022).[14]
Lü Bu appears as a playable character inKoei's video games based onRomance of the Three Kingdoms, including thestrategy game series of the same title as the novel, the action game seriesDynasty Warriors andWarriors Orochi, andWo Long: Fallen Dynasty. In the games, his name is spelled as "Lu Bu" without thedouble-dot over the "u" in "Lu". He also appears as a boss in the ARPG published by Koei Tecmo and developed by Team Ninja, Wolong: Fallen Dynasty. Other non-Koei titles in which Lü Bu appear include theCreative Assembly'sTotal War: Three Kingdoms,Capcom'sDestiny of an Emperor,Neo Geo'sWorld Heroes 2 Jet,Fate/Extra,Puzzle & Dragons, andArena of Valor. Additionally, Lü Bu is referenced as character skins in the gamesOverwatch (Reaper) andLeague of Legends (Jarvan IV).
Lü Bu appears in the video gameFate/EXTRA as a Berserker-class Servant possessed by Rani VIII. He later appears in the same class as a Servant able to be summoned by the protagonist in the mobile gameFate/Grand Order. He reappears inFate/Extella andFate/Extella Link as a playable Servant.
Lü Bu appears as a girl in the manga-animeIkki Tousen,Ryofuko-chan, andKoihime Musō. In these media, Lü Bu is usually known by the Japanese name Ryofu Hōsen.[15]
In the collectible card gameMagic: The Gathering, there is a card named "Lu Bu, Master-at-Arms", in thePortal Three Kingdoms set.[16]
Lü Bu appears as a character in the mangaRecord of Ragnarok, regarded as "The Strongest Hero in the History of Mankind." He is the first combatant on the human side, and confronts the god Thor in the battle of Ragnarok. His backstory was retold as a bored man with no competition who can match his strength. He is also the main character of the spin-off mangaRyo Fu Hō Sen Hishōden. In the anime adaptation of Record of Ragnarok he is voiced in the original Japanese byTomokazu Seki & in theEnglish dub byKaiji Tang.
InThe God of Highschool, Lü Bu appeared as a source of borrowed power for Yu Mira. Mira's borrowed power is of the general, which is loosely based on the historical figure of the same name. This power gives her several abilities such as enhanced strength and the ability to summon a red horse (based on Red Hare, the legendary steed of Lü Bu).
Lu Bu is a playable character in the Mobile/PC GameRise of Kingdoms.