Lü Fan
Encyclopedia
Lü Fan style name
Ziheng (子衡), was an official of the state of Eastern Wu
during the late Han Dynasty
and Three Kingdoms
era of Chinese history
.
, but later changed allegiance to Sun Ce
. He was integral to the military progress of Wu and contributed much to the state's welfare until his death in 228.
It is said that Lü Fan recommended himself through a game of weiqi
- Sun Ce made a bad opening move, and Lü Fan capitalized upon it, pointing out Sun's mistake. Sun Ce was suitably impressed and offered Lü Fan a post. Rather than accept a high and lofty position, however, Lü Fan insisted upon remaining in a low and humble one where he could more effectively manage troops. This also impressed Sun Ce, and the two became inseparable. The game of weiqi in question, called the "Sun-Lü Game", is purported to be the first weiqi game to be recorded move for move, but many scholars doubt its authenticity. After this, Lü Fan was appointed as Chief Controller.
At one point during the beginning of Sun Ce's career, Lü Fan was sent to fetch Sun's family from Guangling to Qu'e. The governor of Xu Province, Tao Qian, despised Sun Ce and sought to imprison Lü Fan as a spy and torture him, but some retainers freed him, and he was able to successfully rescue Sun Ce's family. Lü Fan became so trusted by Sun Ce that he was treated the same as a member of Sun's own family, given food and drink before Sun's own mother, Lady Wu
.
Lü Fan was third only to Cheng Pu
and Xu Kun in terms of merits, following Sun Ce in every battle. His unit defeated and killed Yan Baihu
's subordinate, Chen Mu. Later, when Yuan Shu declared himself emperor, Sun Ce declared his independence, and Lü Fan remained with his forces, and even participated in battle against his former master. Chen Yu, a man appointed by Cao Cao
to supposedly aid Sun Ce in the war against Yuan Shu, secretly plotted to destroy Sun Ce from within, but Sun foresaw this and sent Lü Fan to destroy him. Lü Fan decisively defeated Chen Yu, and as a result, Chen fled to Yuan Shao
in the north, never to be heard from again.
Upon his victory over the leader of the remnants of Yuan Shu's forces, Liu Xun, as well as Huang Zu
and Liu Biao
at Sha County, Sun Ce submitted a memorial to the emperor, naming Lü Fan as designated Grand Administrator of Guiyang (an area within Liu Biao's jurisdiction) among other things.
Lü Fan served as Sun Ce's chief strategist historically, while in popular culture, that role is often fulfilled by Sun Ce's close friend, Zhou Yu
. However, Zhou Yu was absent for many of Sun Ce's campaigns, whereas Lü Fan was present at each one.
's most trusted civil officers. Initially, before Sun Ce's death, Sun Quan and Lü Fan had had some disagreement - being young and foolhardy, Sun Quan often took money for personal interests and asked Lü Fan to fix the books. Lü Fan, however, remained honest, thus causing Sun Quan to dislike him. After his brother's death, however, Sun Quan matured greatly and admired Lü Fan's earlier honesty, thus valuing him highly.
In 208, Cao Cao led a fleet to the Battle of Red Cliffs
in hope of destroying his weakened rival, Liu Bei
, and sought Sun Quan's assistance in the matter. At the request of Zhou Yu and others, however, Sun Quan instead opposed Cao Cao and allied with Liu Bei. Lü Fan participated in the battle, serving as a subordinate to Zhou Yu.
After the victory at Red Cliffs, Lu Su
suggested ceding the southern part of Jing Province to Liu Bei. Zhou Yu and Lü Fan protested against such a plan, but after Zhou Yu's death in 210, Sun Quan agreed to Lu Su's plan instead, even allowing additional concessions to Liu Bei.
In 223, Wei
generals Cao Xiu
and Zang Ba
launched an attack on Dongkou
. Lü Fan commanded the defense, leading men such as Sun Shao
and Xu Sheng
into battle. Things went poorly for Wu from the start: a heavy wind came and destroyed much of Lü Fan's fleet, and Cao Xiu attacked viciously. To further add to Wu's troubles, Sun Quan's younger brother, Sun Lang
, accidentally burnt Lü Fan's supplies of food and weaponry. Miraculously, Sun Shao and Xu Sheng were able to counterattack, and it was through their hard work that the battle was won.
Afterwards, Lü Fan was appointed as governor of Yang Province and commander-in-chief. However, he died shortly after his appointment in 228. It is said that Sun Quan wept deeply upon his death, crying out his name repeatedly.
, inherited his father's title of nobility and was a talented general in his own right. However, in 252, he was part of a plot to overthrow the tyrannical Wu general, Sun Lin
, and when his part in the plot was discovered, he committed suicide before he could be imprisoned and executed.
Chinese style name
A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...
Ziheng (子衡), was an official of the state of Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
during the late Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
and Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
era of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
.
Biography
Lü Fan was from Runan Commandery in Yang Province. He was married to a woman of the Liu clan. He first served Yuan ShuYuan Shu
Yuan Shu was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the imperial court in 189. He was said to be a younger cousin of the warlord Yuan Shao, but was actually Yuan Shao's younger half-brother...
, but later changed allegiance to Sun Ce
Sun Ce
Sun Ce was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the oldest of the children of Sun Jian who was killed during the Battle of Xiangyang when Sun Ce was only 16. Sun Ce then broke away from his father's overlord, Yuan Shu, and headed to...
. He was integral to the military progress of Wu and contributed much to the state's welfare until his death in 228.
Service under Yuan Shu and Sun Ce
Lü Fan began his career as a minor official in the service of Yuan Shu. It was there that he met Sun Ce, one of Yuan Shu's young generals. They became close friends, and Lü Fan participated in all of Sun Ce's battles under Yuan Shu from then on.It is said that Lü Fan recommended himself through a game of weiqi
Go (board game)
Go , is an ancient board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago...
- Sun Ce made a bad opening move, and Lü Fan capitalized upon it, pointing out Sun's mistake. Sun Ce was suitably impressed and offered Lü Fan a post. Rather than accept a high and lofty position, however, Lü Fan insisted upon remaining in a low and humble one where he could more effectively manage troops. This also impressed Sun Ce, and the two became inseparable. The game of weiqi in question, called the "Sun-Lü Game", is purported to be the first weiqi game to be recorded move for move, but many scholars doubt its authenticity. After this, Lü Fan was appointed as Chief Controller.
At one point during the beginning of Sun Ce's career, Lü Fan was sent to fetch Sun's family from Guangling to Qu'e. The governor of Xu Province, Tao Qian, despised Sun Ce and sought to imprison Lü Fan as a spy and torture him, but some retainers freed him, and he was able to successfully rescue Sun Ce's family. Lü Fan became so trusted by Sun Ce that he was treated the same as a member of Sun's own family, given food and drink before Sun's own mother, Lady Wu
Lady Wu
Lady Wu was the wife of the warlord Sun Jian, who lived during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. She had five children: four sons, Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Sun Yi, Sun Kuang, and a daughter, Lady Sun...
.
Lü Fan was third only to Cheng Pu
Cheng Pu
Cheng Pu was a military general serving under the warlord Sun family of Eastern Wu for three generations during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-Early service under Sun Jian:...
and Xu Kun in terms of merits, following Sun Ce in every battle. His unit defeated and killed Yan Baihu
Yan Baihu
Yan Baihu was a bandit leader active in the Wu region during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-The White Tiger among bandits:Baihu was not Yan's real name, but a nickname given to him due to his physical prowess or skin color; thus his name should be translated to "White Tiger Yan"...
's subordinate, Chen Mu. Later, when Yuan Shu declared himself emperor, Sun Ce declared his independence, and Lü Fan remained with his forces, and even participated in battle against his former master. Chen Yu, a man appointed by Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
to supposedly aid Sun Ce in the war against Yuan Shu, secretly plotted to destroy Sun Ce from within, but Sun foresaw this and sent Lü Fan to destroy him. Lü Fan decisively defeated Chen Yu, and as a result, Chen fled to Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil war that occurred towards the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era...
in the north, never to be heard from again.
Upon his victory over the leader of the remnants of Yuan Shu's forces, Liu Xun, as well as Huang Zu
Huang Zu
Huang Zu was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Biao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was an experienced naval commander, and was most famous for having skillful warriors like Sun Jian and Ling Cao killed in battle.-Background:Huang was born in an influential...
and Liu Biao
Liu Biao
Liu Biao , style name Jingsheng , was a warlord and the governor of Jing Province during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a member of the extended family of the Han Dynasty emperors...
at Sha County, Sun Ce submitted a memorial to the emperor, naming Lü Fan as designated Grand Administrator of Guiyang (an area within Liu Biao's jurisdiction) among other things.
Lü Fan served as Sun Ce's chief strategist historically, while in popular culture, that role is often fulfilled by Sun Ce's close friend, Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu was a military general and strategist who served his close friend, the warlord Sun Ce, during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
. However, Zhou Yu was absent for many of Sun Ce's campaigns, whereas Lü Fan was present at each one.
Service under Sun Quan
Lü Fan served as one of Sun QuanSun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
's most trusted civil officers. Initially, before Sun Ce's death, Sun Quan and Lü Fan had had some disagreement - being young and foolhardy, Sun Quan often took money for personal interests and asked Lü Fan to fix the books. Lü Fan, however, remained honest, thus causing Sun Quan to dislike him. After his brother's death, however, Sun Quan matured greatly and admired Lü Fan's earlier honesty, thus valuing him highly.
In 208, Cao Cao led a fleet to the Battle of Red Cliffs
Battle of Red Cliffs
The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive battle at the end of the Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was fought in the winter of 208/9 AD between the allied forces of the southern warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan...
in hope of destroying his weakened rival, Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
, and sought Sun Quan's assistance in the matter. At the request of Zhou Yu and others, however, Sun Quan instead opposed Cao Cao and allied with Liu Bei. Lü Fan participated in the battle, serving as a subordinate to Zhou Yu.
After the victory at Red Cliffs, Lu Su
Lu Su
Lu Su , style name Zijing , was a politician, militarist and diplomat serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
suggested ceding the southern part of Jing Province to Liu Bei. Zhou Yu and Lü Fan protested against such a plan, but after Zhou Yu's death in 210, Sun Quan agreed to Lu Su's plan instead, even allowing additional concessions to Liu Bei.
In 223, Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
generals Cao Xiu
Cao Xiu
Cao Xiu was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. A distant nephew of Cao Cao, Cao Xiu was given special attention by the former, who once asserted him befitting...
and Zang Ba
Zang Ba
Zang Ba was a general during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served the warlord Tao Qian initially, followed by Lü Bu and finally Cao Cao and his successors, but for the most part of his career, he remained semi-autonomous over his troops and eastern China...
launched an attack on Dongkou
Dongkou County
Dongkou is a county and a city in Hunan province in China. It has a population of approximately 790,000. It is under the jurisdiction of Shaoyang administration district....
. Lü Fan commanded the defense, leading men such as Sun Shao
Sun Shao
Sun Shao, born Yu Shao , style name Gongli , was a military general of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is presumed by some to be the adopted son of Sun Ce. His uncle, Sun He was granted the surname "Sun" by Sun Jian, and Sun Shao is presumed to have been given his...
and Xu Sheng
Xu Sheng
Xu Sheng , style name Wenxiang , was a military general of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He fought in at least 5 wars for the southern regime during his lifetime...
into battle. Things went poorly for Wu from the start: a heavy wind came and destroyed much of Lü Fan's fleet, and Cao Xiu attacked viciously. To further add to Wu's troubles, Sun Quan's younger brother, Sun Lang
Sun Lang
Sun Lang, style name Zao'an , was a son of the warlord Sun Jian during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was a half-sibling of the other five known children of Sun Jian, all of whom were born to Sun's first wife Lady Wu.Sun Lang's misfortune occurred in 222,...
, accidentally burnt Lü Fan's supplies of food and weaponry. Miraculously, Sun Shao and Xu Sheng were able to counterattack, and it was through their hard work that the battle was won.
Afterwards, Lü Fan was appointed as governor of Yang Province and commander-in-chief. However, he died shortly after his appointment in 228. It is said that Sun Quan wept deeply upon his death, crying out his name repeatedly.
Descendants and legacy
Lü Fan was succeeded by two sons, the first of which had died young. The third, Lü JuLu Ju
Lü Ju , style name Shiyi , was a military general of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the second son of Lü Fan. When the Wei army invaded Wu's territory after the death of Sun Quan, Lü Ju went out to battle along with Dong Xing, under the command...
, inherited his father's title of nobility and was a talented general in his own right. However, in 252, he was part of a plot to overthrow the tyrannical Wu general, Sun Lin
Sun Lin
Sun Lin , style name Zitong , was a regent of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled as regent during the reigns of the emperors Sun Liang and Sun Xiu. His conflict with Sun Liang eventually led him to depose the emperor in favor of Sun Xiu...
, and when his part in the plot was discovered, he committed suicide before he could be imprisoned and executed.
Appointments and titles held
- Chancellor of Hushu (湖孰相)
- Area Commander of Wu (吳都督)
- General of the Household Who Attacks Barbarians (征虜中郎將)
- Major General (裨將軍)
- Administrator of Pengze (彭澤太守)
- General Who Pacifies the South (平南將軍)
- General Who Establishes Might (建威將軍)
- Marquis of Wanling (宛陵侯)
- Administrator of Danyang (丹楊太守)
- General of the Vanguard (前將軍)
- Marquis of Nanchang (南昌侯)
- Governor of Yang Province (揚州牧)
- Grand Marshal (大司馬) - granted to Lü Fan posthumously