L Bu

This is a Chinese name; the family name is L.

In the fth century, Pei Songzhi annotated the Sanguozhi

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
L Bu's biography include: Yingxiong Ji (Chronicles of
Heroes and Champions), by Wang Can; Xiandi Chunqiu (Chronicles of Emperor Xian), by Yuan Wei; Wei Shi
Chunqiu (Chronicles of the Ruling Family of Wei), by Sun
Sheng; Cao Man Zhuan (Biography of Cao Man), by an
unknown writer.

L Bu (died February 199),* [1]* [2] courtesy name

Fengxian, was a military general and warlord who lived
in the late Eastern Han dynasty. Originally a subordinate
of a minor warlord Ding Yuan, he betrayed and murdered
Ding and defected to Dong Zhuo, the warlord who controlled the Han central government in the early 190s. In
192, he turned against and killed Dong Zhuo after being instigated by Wang Yun and Shisun Rui, but was
later defeated and driven away by Dong Zhuo's followers.
From 192 to mid 195, L Bu wandered around central
and northern China, consecutively seeking shelter under
warlords such as Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao and Zhang Yang.
In 194, he managed to take control of Yan Province from
the warlord Cao Cao with help from defectors from Cao's
side, but Cao took back his territories within two years. In
196, L Bu turned against Liu Bei, who had oered him
refuge in Xu 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' an act perceived as treason
against the Han emperor and joined Cao Cao and others in attacking the pretender. However, in 198, he sided
with Yuan Shu again and came under attack by the combined forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, resulting in his defeat at the Battle of Xiapi in 199. He was captured and
executed on Cao Cao's order.

The second biography of L Bu is in the Book of the Later

Han (Houhanshu), which was compiled by Fan Ye in the
fth century.

2 Physical appearance
No descriptions of L Bu's physical appearance exist in
historical records. However, it was mentioned that he
specialised in archery and horse-riding, and possessed
great physical strength. He was nicknamedFlying General() for his martial prowess.* [Sanguozhi 1] He
also owned a powerful steed known as the "Red Hare" (
).* [Sanguozhi 2]* [Houhanshu 1] The Cao Man Zhuan
recorded that there was a saying at the time to describe L
Bu and the Red Hare: L Bu [who stands out] among
men, the Red Hare [which stands out] among horses
.* [Sanguozhi zhu 1]

Although L Bu is described in historical and ctional

L Bu is described as follows in Luo Guanzhong's historsources as an exceptionally mighty warrior, he was also
ical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms:
notorious for his temperamental behaviour. He switched
allegiances erratically and freely betrayed his allies, and
[...] a lofty and dignied look, a majestic
was noted for his poor planning and management skills.
and
awe-inspiring bearing, wielding a fangtian
He was always suspicious of others and could not control
*
[lower-alpha 1] [...] hair pulled back and
huaji,
his subordinates. All these factors ultimately led to his
worn
in
a golden headdress, donning a owerydownfall. In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance
patterned
battle robe, encased in body armour
of the Three Kingdoms, the details of his life are dramadecorated
with images of the ni,* [lower-alpha
tised and some ctitious elements including his ro2] wearing a precious belt adorned with the immance with the ctional maiden Diaochan are added
age of a lion, [...]* [3]
to portray him as a nearly unchallenged warrior who was
also a ruthless and impulsive brute bereft of morals.

3 Service under Ding Yuan and defection to Dong Zhuo

Historical sources on L Bu's life

L Bu was from Jiuyuan County ( ), Wuyuan

There are two ocial biographies of L Bu. The rst Commandery (), which is in present-day Jiuyuan
one is in the Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi), District, Baotou, Inner Mongolia. He was known for
which was written by Chen Shou in the third century.
his martial valour in Bing Province. When Ding Yuan,
1

was defeated and forced to retreat. Sun Jian then passed

through Luoyang's Xuanyang Gate (), where he
attacked L Bu and drove him back.* [Houhanshu 3]* [5]
Dong Zhuo was alarmed, so he decided to evacuate Luoyang and move the capital to Chang'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 re. The coalition did not pursue Dong Zhuo
to Chang'an and eventually dissolved by itself in the following year.

An illustration of L Bu killing Ding Yuan () in the

Long Corridor of the Summer Palace, Beijing.

the Inspector ( ) of Bing Province, was appointed

as a Cavalry Commandant () by the Han imperial court and ordered to garrison at Henei Commandery
(; in present-day Henan), he recruited L Bu as a
Registrar () and treated him kindly.* [Sanguozhi 3]
After the death of Emperor Ling in 189, Ding Yuan led
his troops to the capital Luoyang to assist the general He
Jin in eliminating the eunuch faction. He Jin ended up being assassinated by the eunuchs instead, after which the
warlord Dong 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 L Bu into
betraying Ding and defecting to his side. L Bu killed
Ding Yuan, cut o his head, and presented it to Dong
Zhuo, who had by then seized control of the Han central
government. Dong Zhuo appointed L Bu as a Cavalry
Commandant () and placed much faith and trust
in him. He also accepted L Bu as a foster son. L Bu
was later promoted from the position of a Cavalry Commandant to aGeneral of the Household(). He
also received the title of a Marquis of a Chief Village
().* [Sanguozhi 4]

Service under Dong Zhuo

See also: Campaign against Dong Zhuo

In 190, a coalition of warlords led by Yuan Shao initiated a punitive campaign against Dong 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
with Emperor Xian, who was actually a puppet ruler under his control. L Bu defended Dong Zhuo and fought
in battles against the coalition. In one battle at Yangren
(), Dong Zhuo ordered L Bu and Hu Zhen to attack Sun Jian (one of the coalition members), but L and
Hu 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]* [4]
Within months, the coalition forces had reached the capital Luoyang. 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

EXPULSION FROM CHANG'AN

As Dong Zhuo usually behaved rudely in front of other

people, he was afraid of being assassinated, hence he often kept L Bu by his side as a bodyguard. Dong also had
a bad temper and was easily agitated. During his outbursts, he would throw short jis at L Bu, but L reacted
fast and dodged the weapons. Dong Zhuo's anger would
subside after that, but L Bu was very unhappy and he
bore a grudge against his foster father. At the same time,
L Bu was tasked with guarding Dong Zhuo's central living quarters, and he had an illicit aair with one of Dong's
maids. He feared that Dong Zhuo would nd out and felt
very uneasy about it.* [Sanguozhi 5]
Earlier on, L Bu had been warmly received by Wang
Yun, the Minister over the Masses (), so he went to
see Wang and complained about how Dong Zhuo almost
killed him. At the time, Wang Yun and another ocial,
Shisun Rui (), were plotting to get rid of Dong
Zhuo so they told L Bu about their plan and sought his
help. L Bu said,But we are father and son!" Wang Yun
replied, Your family name is 'L' 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?" L Bu agreed to join them and personally killed
Dong Zhuo later. After Dong Zhuo's death, Wang Yun
and L Bu took charge of the central government. L
Bu was appointed as General of Uplifting Might(
) and the honours he received were equivalent to
those received by the Three Ducal Ministers three highranking ocials in the Han administration. He also received the titleMarquis of Wen() from Emperor
Xian.* [Sanguozhi 6]

5 Expulsion from Chang'an

After Dong Zhuo's death, his followers in Liang Province,
led by Li Jue, Guo Si and others, formed an army to
attack the capital Chang'an when Wang Yun refused
to grant them amnesty for their association with Dong
Zhuo.* [Houhanshu 4] Guo Si led his men to attack the
city's north gate, where he met L Bu, who said to him,
Let's not send our soldiers into battle. Instead, let's
have a man-on-man ght.L Bu then engaged Guo Si
in a duel, during which he injured his opponent. Guo
was rescued by his men. Both sides withdrew their
forces.* [Sanguozhi zhu 2] L Bu was unable to resist the
enemy so he eventually abandoned Chang'an and ed.

3
His defeat and subsequent ight took place 60 days after Dong Zhuo's death.* [Sanguozhi 7]
Pei Songzhi commented that the60 daysclaim in the
original text of the Sanguozhi was erroneous. According
to other sources, L Bu killed Dong Zhuo on the 23rd
day of the fourth month in the third year of the Chuping era (190193) in Emperor Xian's reign, and he ed
from Chang'an on the rst day of the sixth month. There
were no interpolated dates in between, so L Bu could
not have spent 60 days in Chang'an after Dong Zhuo's
death.* [Sanguozhi zhu 3]

Seeking shelter under Yuan Shu

After leaving Chang'an, L Bu, accompanied by a few

hundred horsemen and with Dong Zhuo's head tied to
his saddle, passed through Wu Pass (; located east
of present-day Danfeng County, Shangluo, Shaanxi) and
went to join Yuan Shu in Nanyang (; in present-day
Nanyang, Henan). The Sanguozhi and the Houhanshu
give diering accounts of how Yuan Shu treated L Bu.
The former claimed that L 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 L Bu because of his duplicity so he refused to accept him.* [Sanguozhi 8] The latter stated that Yuan Shu
treated L Bu generously, but L behaved arrogantly as
he felt that he deserved better treatment because he had
done Yuan a favour by killing Dong Zhuo. L Bu also
allowed his men to plunder the area. Yuan Shu became
worried that L Bu would pose a threat to him, and L
also felt uneasy after he heard that Yuan was suspicious
of him, so he left.* [Houhanshu 5]

Joining Yuan Shao and Zhang

Yang

After leaving Yuan Shu, L Bu then headed to northern

China to join Yuan Shu's relative Yuan Shao, and he assisted the latter in attacking Zhang Yan at Changshan (
; around present-day Shijiazhuang, Hebei). Zhang Yan
had thousands of elite soldiers and cavalry. L Bu led
his subordinates Cheng Lian () and Wei Yue ()
and dozens of riders to raid Zhang Yan's camp, killing
several enemies and then ghting their way out. They
did this three to four times per day continuously for a period of over ten days and eventually defeated Zhang Yan's
forces.* [Sanguozhi 9]* [Houhanshu 6]
L Bu behaved arrogantly in front of Yuan Shao because
he felt that he had done the Yuans a favour by slaying
Dong Zhuo, and 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

An illustration of L Bu.

greatly displeased and felt that L Bu posed a threat to

him. L Bu sensed that Yuan Shao was suspicious of
him so he requested to leave northern China and return to
Luoyang. Yuan Shao pretended to agree and he recommended L Bu to take up the appointment of Director
of Retainers( ) while secretly plotting to kill
him.* [Houhanshu 7]* [Sanguozhi 10]
On the day of L Bu's departure, Yuan Shao sent 30 armoured soldiers to escort L and personally saw the latter
o. Along the journey, L 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 L Bu
was dead. The following day, Yuan Shao received news
that L Bu was still alive so he immediately had the gates
in his city closed. In fact, L 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]
L Bu ed to Henei Commandery (; in presentday Henan) to join Zhang Yang after his escape. Yuan
Shao sent his men to pursue L Bu but they were afraid
of L and did not dare to approach him.* [Sanguozhi 12]
Zhang Yang and his subordinates were bribed by Li Jue
and Guo Si to kill L Bu. When L Bu heard about it,
he told Zhang Yang, I am from the same province as
you. If you kill me, you will 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 L Bu but he secretly offered refuge to L instead. When Li Jue and Guo Si learnt
that Zhang Yang had accepted L Bu, they became worried so they sent an imperial decree to Henei in Emperor
Xian's name, appointing L as the Administrator ()
of Yingchuan Commandery (; in present-day central Henan).* [Sanguozhi zhu 5]
The account of L Bu's association with Zhang Yang in
the Sanguozhi diered slightly from that recorded in the
Houhanshu. The former mentioned that L 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 the Houhanshu, however, it was
stated that L 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, L Bu
passed by Chenliu (; around present-day Kaifeng,
Henan), where he was warmly received by its Administrator, Zhang Miao. Zhang Miao made a pledge of friendship with L Bu when he saw the latter o from Chenliu.* [Houhanshu 8]

Battle of Yan Province

Main article: Battle of Yan Province

Yuan Shao was furious when he heard that Zhang Miao
whom he had a feud with had become friends with
L Bu. Around the time, Yuan Shao was still an ally of
Cao Cao, so Zhang Miao feared that Cao would combine
forces with Yuan to attack him. Besides, Zhang Miao's
jurisdiction, Chenliu (; around present-day Kaifeng,
Henan), was in Yan Province, which was controlled by
Cao Cao.* [Sanguozhi 13]
In 194, when Cao Cao left Yan Province to attack Xu
Province, Zhang Miao's younger brother Zhang Chao
(), along with Cao's subordinates Chen Gong, Xu
Si ( ) and Wang Kai ( ), started a rebellion
against Cao. Zhang Miao was persuaded by Chen Gong
to join them in welcoming L Bu into Yan Province.
With help from the defectors, L Bu seized control of
Puyang (; in present-day Puyang, Henan) and was
declared Governor of Yan Province(). The
various commanderies and counties in Yan Province responded to L Bu's call and defected to his side, except
for Juancheng ( ; present-day Juancheng County,
Heze, Shandong), Dong'e ( ; present-day Dong'e
County, Liaocheng, Shandong) and Fan (; present-day
Fan County, Puyang, Henan), which still remained under
Cao Cao's control.* [Sanguozhi 14]
Upon receiving news of the rebellion and L Bu's intrusion, Cao Cao aborted the Xu Province campaign and led

SEIZING XU PROVINCE FROM LIU BEI

his forces back to Yan Province. The armies of L Bu

and Cao Cao clashed at Puyang, where Cao was unable to
overcome L, 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 suered from famine
and many had resorted to cannibalism to survive. L Bu
moved his base from Puyang further east to Shanyang
(; in present-day southern Shandong). Within two
years, Cao Cao managed to take back all his territories in
Yan Province and he later defeated L Bu in a battle at
Juye (; present-day Juye County, Heze, Shandong).
L Bu ed east to Xu Province and took shelter under Liu
Bei.* [Sanguozhi 15]

9 Seizing Xu Province from Liu Bei

L Bu treated Liu Bei very respectfully when he rst met
the latter, and he said, You and I are both from the
northern borders. When I saw the Guandong Coalition
rising up against Dong Zhuo, I already wanted to help
them eliminate him. However, after I slew Dong Zhuo
and left Chang'an, none of the former coalition members
were willing to accept me, and they tried to kill me instead.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 L Bu
was unpredictable and untrustworthy, but he kept quiet
and pretended to be friendly towards L Bu.* [Sanguozhi
zhu 6]
When Liu Bei was governing Xu Province, he was stationed in the provincial capital Xiapi (; present-day
Pizhou, Xuzhou, Jiangsu) and he drew boundaries with
Yuan Shu in the areas around the Huai River. When Yuan
Shu learnt that L Bu was in Xu Province, he wanted to
instigate the latter into helping him deal with Liu Bei, so
he wrote to L Bu:Back then, Dong Zhuo monopolised
state power, harmed the imperial family, and murdered
my family. I participated in the campaign 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
rst favour you did me. When Jin Yuanxiu ()
was heading to Yan Province to assume oce, he was
defeated by Cao Cao and nearly driven to the point of destruction. Later, you attacked Cao Cao in Yan Province
and helped me repair 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 ghting battles for
a long time and you lack food supplies. I hereby send
you 200,000 hu () of grain and open my doors to you.

5
If they are insucient, I will continue to provide you a
steady ow of supplies. If you need weapons and military
equipment, just ask.L 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 the Houhanshu, were slightly dierent and more brief as compared
to that recorded in the Sanguozhi.* [Houhanshu 9]
L Bu led his forces to some 40 li west of Xiapi. Xu Dan
(), who was from Danyang (; covering parts of
present-day Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui) and was serving as aGeneral of the Household() under Liu
Bei, sent a Major () Zhang Kuang () to meet L
Bu at night. Zhang Kuang told L Bu, "Zhang Yide had a
quarrel with Cao Bao, the Chancellor () of Xiapi, 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.L
Bu mobilised his troops that night and reached Xiapi at
dawn, where the Danyang soldiers opened the west gate
for him. L Bu sat on the viewing platform above the gate
and instructed his troops to set re 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]

ordinate, who refused to betray L Bu and Hao Meng

was killed.* [lower-alpha 4] Later that year, L Bu used
his archery skill to prevent a battle between Liu Bei and
Yuan Shu's general Ji Ling from taking place. He had a
ji erected at the gate of the camp, and proposed, Gentlemen, watch me re an arrow at the lower part of the
curved blade on the ji. If I hit it in one shot, all of you
must withdraw your forces and leave. If I do not, you can
remain here and prepare for battle.He then raised his
bow and red an arrow at the ji, 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.* [6]* [7]* [8]

10 Allying with Cao Cao against

Yuan Shu

Liu Bei was away with his army resisting Yuan Shu's invading forces at Xuyi (; present-day Xuyi County,
Huai'an, Jiangsu) and Huaiyin ( ; present-day
Huaiyin District, Huai'an, Jiangsu) when L Bu attacked
and seized Xiapi from him. He also lost to Yuan Shu
and was forced to retreat to Haixi ( ; in presentday Jiangsu), where, in hunger and desperation, he surrendered to L Bu. This took place in around early
196.* [Sanguozhi 16] L 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 of Yu Province" () and ordered the latter to garrison at Xiaopei (; present-day Pei County,
Xuzhou, Jiangsu), while he declared himself Governor
of Xu Province()* [lower-alpha 3]* [Sanguozhi
17] and remained in Xiapi.* [Houhanshu 10]
Another illustration of L Bu.

In early 197, Yuan Shu declared himself 'Emperor' in

Shouchun (; in present-day Lu'an, Anhui), the capital of his territories, and founded a Zhong () dynasty.* [9] This was deemed an act of treason against
the reigning Emperor Xian of the Han dynasty, so Yuan
Shu soon found himself the target of attacks by Cao
An illustration of L Bu shooting at a halberd () in the Cao* [lower-alpha 5] and other warlords who had reLong Corridor of the Summer Palace, Beijing.
ceived orders from the Han imperial court to eliminate
In the sixth lunar month of 196, L Bu's subordinate the pretender.
Hao Meng rebelled against him and attacked his oce Earlier on, Yuan Shu wanted to form an alliance with L
in Xiapi. The revolt was suppressed by L Bu's general Bu so he proposed a marriage between his son and L's
Gao Shun with the aid of Cao Xing Hao Meng's sub- daughter, to which L agreed. After proclaiming himself

11

'Emperor', Yuan Shu sent Han Yin to meet L Bu and escort L's daughter back to his territory for the marriage.
However, L Bu changed his mind after being persuaded
by Chen Gui, and after he recalled how Yuan Shu rejected him when he rst sought shelter under the latter.
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 had Han sent to Xu
(; present-day Xuchang, Henan), where Han was executed.* [Sanguozhi 18]
The Yingxiong Ji recorded:
When Emperor Xian was in Hedong (;
in present-day Shanxi), he once sent a written
order to L Bu, ordering the latter to lead his
men to Hedong to escort him. As his army
lacked supplies then, L 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 L Bu as
General Who Pacies the East()
and granted him the title Marquis of Pingtao(). However, the emissary who
was tasked with bringing the ocial seal to L
Bu lost the seal in Shanyang (; in presentday southern Shandong). Cao Cao personally
wrote to L Bu to console him, and he also
mentioned his desires to defend the emperor,
pacify the empire, and help the emperor eliminate Gongsun Zan, Yuan Shu, Han Xian, Yang
Feng and others. L 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 lial 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 of 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.L 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 (), a Commandant of Equipage (), as an emissary
to bring Emperor Xian's decree to Xu Province
and bestow the ocial seal of General Who
Pacies the Eastupon L Bu. Cao Cao also
wrote a personal letter to L Bu: The of-

WAR AGAINST YUAN SHU

cials in Shanyang oered a replacement for

your ocial 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.L Bu sent Chen
Deng (Chen Gui's son) as a messenger to Xu to
thank Emperor Xian and pass a ne silk cord to
Cao Cao to express his gratitude.* [Sanguozhi
zhu 9]
The main text of the Sanguozhi, however, mentioned that
the Han imperial court appointed L Bu as General of
the Left() instead of General Who Pacies
the East(as stated in the Yingxiong Ji). Nevertheless,
L Bu did allow Chen Deng to go to Xu to convey his
thanks to the court.* [Sanguozhi 19] In Xu, Chen Deng
urged Cao Cao to get rid of L Bu soon, and agreed to
work as a mole for Cao in Xu Province. After returning
to Xu Province, he was confronted by L Bu about the
promotions he and his father received from Cao Cao, but
he lied to L Bu and managed to pacify the latter.

11 War against Yuan Shu

See also: Campaign against Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu was furious that L Bu reneged on his word, so
he allied with Han Xian and Yang Feng, and sent his general Zhang Xun to attack L Bu. L Bu asked Chen 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]
L Bu heeded Chen Gui's advice and sent a letter to
Han Xian and Yang Feng, You two generals escorted
the Emperor in Luoyang, while I personally killed Dong
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

7
agreed to help L Bu. They defeated Zhang Xun at Xiapi
(; present-day Pizhou, Xuzhou, Jiangsu) and captured Qiao Rui, one of Yuan Shu's ocers. Yuan Shu's
forces suered heavy casualties and many of his soldiers
fell into the river and drowned.* [Houhanshu 12]
L Bu, Han Xian and Yang Feng later led their forces to
attack Shouchun (; in present-day Lu'an, Anhui), 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 (; around
present-day Chuzhou, Anhui), they had made much gains
so they retreated. Before crossing the Huai River back to
the north, L 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 rst
person to use this strategy. I am still nearby so I can wait
for your response.After L Bu crossed the Huai River,
Yuan Shu personally led 5,000 soldiers to the riverbank.
L Bu's forces, which were on the opposite end, laughed
at their enemy and retreated.* [Sanguozhi zhu 10]

12

Conict with Zang Ba

Around the time, there was one Xiao Jian () from

Donghai (; covering parts of present-day Shandong
and Jiangsu) who served as the Chancellor () of Langya
(; in present-day Shandong) and was stationed in Ju
(; also in Shandong). Xiao Jian was very conservative
and he did not have any contact with L Bu. L Bu wrote
to Xiao Jian, Initially, everyone throughout the Empire took up arms for the purpose of eliminating Dong
Zhuo. I killed Dong Zhuo and headed east, where I hoped
to be able to borrow troops and return west to defend
the Emperor and restore the capital Luoyang. However,
the warlords were ghting among themselves and none of
them were concerned about the state. I am from Wuyuan
(), which is located more than 5,000 li away from Xu
Province and is somewhere in the northwestern border.
As of now, I came here not to ght for the southeastern
lands. Ju and Xiapi (; present-day Pizhou, Xuzhou,
Jiangsu) 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, when Yue Yi attacked the Qi state, he conquered over 70 cities in Qi, except for Ju () and Jimo
() because of Tian 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 L Bu's letter, Xiao

Jian ordered Ji Jian (), a Registrar () under him,
to present ve ne steeds as gifts to L Bu.* [Sanguozhi
zhu 11]
Xiao Jian was later defeated by Zang Ba, who seized possession of his resources. When L Bu heard that, he
wanted to personally lead his men to attack Ju, but Gao
Shun advised him against it, General, you have 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 should not be so reckless
as to personally lead your men into battle. If you lose,
the damage to your reputation will not be minimal.L
Bu ignored him. Zang Ba heard of L Bu's violent and
plundering ways, so he remained inside Ju and put up a
rm defence against L Bu. L Bu was unable to conquer Ju so he withdrew his forces and returned to Xiapi.
Zang Ba later made peace with L Bu.* [Sanguozhi zhu
12]* [Houhanshu 13]

13 Battle of Xiapi
Main article: Battle of Xiapi
Around late 197 or early 198, L Bu sided with Yuan
Shu again and he sent Gao Shun to attack Liu Bei in Xiaopei (; present-day Pei County, Xuzhou, Jiangsu).
Gao Shun defeated Liu Bei, as well as the reinforcements
(commanded by Xiahou Dun) sent by Cao Cao to assist
Liu. Later, Cao Cao personally led a campaign against
L Bu and besieged Xiapi ( ; present-day Pizhou,
Xuzhou, Jiangsu). He wrote a letter to L Bu, explaining the benets of submitting and the consequences of
putting up resistance. L Bu wanted to surrender, but
Chen Gong and the others knew that they had already offended Cao Cao (when they betrayed him earlier), so they
urged L to change his decision.* [Sanguozhi 20]
When Cao Cao's army reached Pengcheng ( ; in
present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu), Chen Gong told L Bu,
We should attack the enemy now, since our troops have
rested well while the enemy is weary. We are sure to
win.L Bu replied, Why don't we wait for them to
attack rst? After that we will destroy them in the Si
River.When Cao Cao's attacks increased in intensity,
L Bu went up the White Gate Tower ( ; the
viewing platform above the main gate in the south of
Xiapi* [Houhanshu 14]* [Houhanshu 15]) and said to his
men, Cao Cao has no intention of nding 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 13]
L Bu sent Xu Si () and Wang Kai () to request
urgent aid from Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu said, L Bu re-

8
fused to send his daughter here, so it's expected for him to
meet his doom. Why does he seek help from me again?"
Xu Si and Wang Kai replied, If Your Highness does
not save L Bu, you will be courting your own doom. If
L Bu is destroyed, Your Highness will be next.Yuan
Shu then prepared his troops and claimed that he would
be sending reinforcements to L Bu.* [Sanguozhi zhu 14]
In the meantime, L Bu thought that Yuan Shu was reluctant to help him because he did not send his daughter
to the latter, so, one night, he tied his daughter to himself and attempted to ride out of the city with her. However, they encountered Cao Cao's soldiers, who red arrows at them, so they had no choice but to return to Xiapi.* [Sanguozhi zhu 15] L Bu personally 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.* [lower-alpha 6]* [Sanguozhi 21]
L Bu ordered Chen Gong and Gao 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 cannot 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 that you can consider this carefully and not be misled by Chen Gong and
the others. When I was in Chang'an, I was already abandoned by you, but I managed to return to you because
Pang Shu () secretly protected me and kept me with
him. You do not need to worry about me now.L Bu
felt gloomy after listening to his wife and he could not
decide on what to do.* [Sanguozhi zhu 16]

14 DOWNFALL AND DEATH

long siege, the morale of L Bu's forces fell drastically and his men gradually alienated him.* [Houhanshu
16]* [Sanguozhi 23] Later, L Bu's subordinates Hou
Cheng, Song Xian and Wei Xu captured Chen Gong and
Gao Shun, and then led their troops to surrender to Cao
Cao.* [lower-alpha 7]* [Houhanshu 17]
L Bu and his remaining subordinates went up the White
Gate Tower and surrendered when they saw that they
had been surrounded.* [Sanguozhi 24] The Houhanshu
recorded that before he chose to surrender, L Bu asked
his men to kill him and bring his head to Cao Cao but
they refused.* [Houhanshu 18]

14 Downfall and death

L Bu was tied up and brought before Cao Cao. He
said, I am being tied up too tightly. Can you loosen
the bonds?" Cao Cao replied,A tiger must be tightly restrained.L Bu then said,My lord, you dread only me,
but now, since I have already submitted to you, you should
not have any more worries. My lord, why don't you spare
me and let me help you lead your troops? In this way,
you will not need to worry about not being able to pacify
the Empire.When Cao Cao showed signs of reconsideration, Liu Bei said, My lord, haven't you seen what
L Bu did to Ding Jianyang and Grand Preceptor Dong?"
Cao Cao rubbed his chin. L Bu shouted at Liu Bei,You
are the most untrustworthy person!"* [Sanguozhi 25]

Additional details about the conversation between L Bu

and Cao Cao were recorded in other texts and they were
later added by Pei Songzhi as annotations to the SanChen Gong said to L Bu, Cao Cao has come a long
guozhi.
way and he will not be able to last long. General, you
can bring some troops with you and set up a camp out- The Yingxiong Ji recorded:
side the city, while the others and I will remain behind to
defend the city. If the enemy attacks you, I will lead the
L Bu said to Cao Cao, I treated my
city's soldiers to attack them from behind. If they attack
subordinates generously, but they betrayed me
the city, you can reinforce the city from outside. Within
when I was in trouble.Cao Cao replied,
ten days, the enemy's supplies will be depleted and we can
You abandoned your wife, and you have dedefeat them easily.L Bu agreed to Chen Gong's suggessigns on your men's wives. You call this
tion. However, L Bu's wife said, Back then, the Caos
'treating them generously'?" L Bu remained
treated Gongtai (Chen Gong) like a newborn child, but he
silent.* [Sanguozhi zhu 18]
still turned against them and joined you. Now, the way
you treat Gongtai is no lesser than how Cao Cao treated
The Xiandi Chunqiu recorded:
him, and you intend to entrust the entire city to him, along
with your family, while you venture out alone? If someL Bu asked Cao Cao,My lord, you have
thing happens, I will not be your wife anymore!" L Bu
*
lost
weight. Why?" Cao Cao asked him,How
then changed his mind. [Sanguozhi zhu 17]
do
you
recognise me?" L Bu replied,When
Yuan Shu was unable to come to L Bu's aid.* [Sanguozhi
I was in Luoyang, I saw you at the Wen Family
22] Cao Cao could not conquer Xiapi despite pressing
Gardens ().Cao Cao said,Yes, I forattacks on the city and his men were growing weary.
got. I lost weight because I am depressed over
He wanted to abort the campaign and return to Xu (;
not having recruited you earlier.L Bu said,
present-day Xuchang, Henan), but his advisors Guo Jia
In the past, Duke Huan of Qi forgave Guan
and Xun You urged him to soldier on. He then orZhong for injuring him earlier and even apdered his troops to direct the waters of the Yi ()
pointed Guan as his chancellor. Now, is it posand Si () rivers to ood Xiapi. After a three-monthsible for you to allow me to do my best to serve

9
you?" As L Bu had been tightly restrained, he
turned to Liu Bei and said,Xuande, you are a
guest here. I am 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 L Bu so he ordered his men to loosen L's bonds. However,
Wang Bi (), a Registrar () under Cao
Cao, interrupted,L Bu is a powerful foe and
his subordinates are nearby. He should not be
spared.Cao Cao then said to L Bu,I wanted
to spare your life, but my Registrar says no. So,
what should I do?"* [Sanguozhi zhu 19]
Cao Cao had L Bu executed by hanging,* [lower-alpha
8] along with Chen Gong, Gao Shun and others. Their
dead bodies were later decapitated and their heads sent
to the capital Xu (; present-day Xuchang, Henan) and
then buried.* [Sanguozhi 26]

16 Family
Not much about L 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.
L Bu abandoned his wife when he was eeing from
Chang'an, but his subordinate Pang Shu () secretly
protected her and kept her with him, and returned her
to her husband later. She was most prominently mentioned during the Battle of Xiapi when she cautioned L
Bu against overly trusting Chen Gong. L Bu's daughter
was initially arranged to be married to Yuan Shu's son as
part of an alliance between L and Yuan, but L reneged
on his word and took her back when she was on her way
for the marriage. When Xiapi was under siege by Cao
Cao's forces, L 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, L Bu failed to
break out of the siege so he returned to Xiapi with her.
The eventual fates of L Bu's wife and daughter are not
known.

L Bu's nal moments recorded in the Houhanshu are

slightly dierent from that recorded in the Sanguozhi, as
the Houhanshu combined parts of the main text in the In the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms,
Sanguozhi with the Xiandi Chunqiu annotation, but the L Bu had two wives, a concubine, and a daughter. His
two accounts are generally similar.* [Houhanshu 19]
concubine was Diaochan, a ctional character and Wang
Yun's foster daughter. She accompanied him after he
killed Dong Zhuo and was mentioned to be with him during the Battle of Xiapi. L Bu's rst wife was Lady Yan
15 Appraisal
(), who was based on L Bu's real-life wife (the one
mentioned in historical sources). L Bu's second wife,
Chen Shou, who wrote L Bu's biography in the Sanwho was only mentioned by name in the novel, was a cguozhi, commented:
tional daughter of Cao Bao. The role played by L Bu's
daughter in the novel was similar to that of her counterL Bu possessed the might of a tiger, but he
part in actual history. She was also unnamed in the novel,
lacked the planning skills of a talented person.
but she is called L Lingqi(; ; L
He was frivolous and temperamental, and was
Lngq ) in video games and popular culture.
only concerned about the gains he could make.
Throughout history, there had never been such
persons like him who did not end up being de17 In ction
stroyed.* [Sanguozhi 27]
In the main text of L Bu's biography, while describing In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the
the events of the Battle of Xiapi, Chen Shou also wrote: Three Kingdoms, which dramatises the events before and
during the Three Kingdoms period, L Bu is portrayed
as a nearly invincible warrior but an incapable leader who
Although L Bu was a valiant and powerful
is further marred by character aws. While adhering to
warrior, he lacked wisdom and was constantly
historical records in the general course of events, Luo exsuspicious of others. He was unable to control
aggerated and sentimentalised many stories about L Bu,
his subordinates even though he trusted them.
drawing inspirations from traditional operas and folklore.
His men had their personal motives and were
See the following for some ctitious stories in Romance
very disunited, which was why he kept losing
of the Three Kingdoms involving L Bu:
battles.* [Sanguozhi 28]
Fan Ye, who wrote L Bu's biography in the Houhanshu,
commented:
[...]
L Bu was erratic and capricious.* [Houhanshu 20]

Battle of Hulao Pass

List of ctitious stories in Romance of the Three
Kingdoms#L Bu and Diaochan
Battle of Xiapi#In ction

10

18

21

Modern references

Because of his image as an unmatched warrior in traditional folklore and in the historical novel Romance of the
Three Kingdoms, L Bu is often held in high regard in
works based on the Three Kingdoms and even in unrelated works.
Notable actors who have portrayed L Bu on screen include: Zhang Guangbei, in Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1994); Huang Lei, in L Bu and Diaochan (2001);
Peter Ho, in Three Kingdoms (2010).
L Bu appears as a playable character in Koei's video
games based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms, including the strategy game series of the same title as the novel,
the action game series Dynasty Warriors and Warriors
Orochi, and others. In the games, his name is spelled as
Lu Buwithout the diaeresis in theuinLu. Other
non-Koei titles in which L Bu appear include Capcom's
Destiny of an Emperor, Neo Geo's World Heroes 2 Jet,
and Fate/Extra.

REFERENCES

in Xuchang. With the emperor in his control, Cao Cao

represented imperial authority.
[6] This engagement between L Bu and Cao Cao's forces was
mentioned in the main text of the Sanguozhi. It was possible that L Bu's attempt to bring his daughter out of Xiapi,
as mentioned in the Yingxiong Ji, took place concurrently
with this skirmish. Otherwise, L Bu would have engaged
Cao Cao's forces twice after requesting Yuan Shu's help.
[7] See Hou Cheng#In historical records for the reason for
Hou's defection.
[8] Y () was the term used to describe the method by which
L Bu was executed. It is translated ashangorstrangle. L Bu might not have been executed by means of
a typical hanging (tying a rope around the neck and suspending from a point) because y could also refer to an
execution in a garrote-style manner (tying a rope, cord,
piece of cloth or something similar around the neck and
tightening it until the person died).

21 References

L Bu is also referenced in the anime Ikki Tousen and

Ryofuko-chan, in which he is usually known by his names
21.1
in Japanese.* [10]

Sanguozhi

In the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering, there Citations from the Sanguozhi
is a card namedLu Bu, Master-at-Arms, in the Portal
Three Kingdoms set.* [11]
[1] () Sanguozhi vol. 7.
L Bu is a cardin the Japanese mobile game Puzzle
& Dragons as part of the Three Kingdoms Gods set. His
in-game name is spelled Lu Bu.* [12]

19

See also

List of people of the Three Kingdoms

20

Notes

[1] Fangtian huaji (traditional Chinese: ; simplied

Chinese: ; pinyin: fngtin huj ) was the name
given to L Bu's weapon, a ji, in the novel. It was translated as Sky Piercer.
[2] The ni (Chinese: ; pinyin: n) is a lion-like creature in
Chinese mythology.
[3] The Houhanshu recorded that L Bu declared himself
Governor of Xu Province, but the Sanguozhi stated that
L Bu proclaimed himselfInspector of Xu Province(
). Inspector(; cishi) was ranked below
Governor(; mu) in the Han dynasty.
[4] See the articles on Hao Meng and Cao Xing for details.
[5] Cao Cao had become the de facto head of the Han government after fetching Emperor Xian to Xu (; presentday Xuchang, Henan), which was under his control, in
196. The new capital and imperial court was established

[2] (
) Sanguozhi vol. 7.
[3] (...

) Sanguozhi vol. 7.
[4] (

...
) Sanguozhi vol. 7.
[5] (

) Sanguozhi vol. 7.
[6] (

...
) Sanguozhi
vol. 7.
[7] (
...
) Sanguozhi vol. 7.
[8] (
) Sanguozhi vol.
7.

21.1

Sanguozhi

11

[9] ()
Sanguozhi vol. 7.

[24] () Sanguozhi
vol. 7.

[10] (
) Sanguozhi vol. 7.

[25] (

) Sanguozhi vol. 7.

[11] () Sanguozhi
vol. 7.

[12] (
[26] (
) Sanguozhi vol. 7.
) Sanguozhi vol. 7.
[13] (
) [27] (
)
Sanguozhi vol. 7.
Sanguozhi vol. 7.
[14] (
[28] (
) Sanguozhi vol.

7.

) Sanguozhi vol. 7.
[15] (

) Sanguozhi vol. 7.

Chen, Shou. Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).

Citations from annotations in the Sanguozhi
[1] (

) Cao Man Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 7.

[2] (
[16] (

Yingxiong Ji annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 7.

) Sanguozhi
[3] (
vol. 32.
) Pei Songzhi's
[17] (
annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 7.
) Sanguozhi vol. 7.
[4] (

[18] (

...

Sanguozhi vol. 7.

[19] (
) Yingxiong Ji annotation in
) Sanguozhi
Sanguozhi vol. 7.
vol. 7.
[5] (
[20] (

) Sanguozhi vol. 7.
) Yingxiong Ji annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 7.
[21] ( [6] (

) Sanguozhi vol. 7.

[22] () Sanguozhi vol. 7.

) Yingxiong Ji annotation in
[23] (...
Sanguozhi vol. 7.

[7] (

) Sanguozhi vol. 10.

12

21

REFERENCES

) Yingxiong Ji

annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 7.

[13] (

) Yingxiong Ji annotation in Sanguozhi

vol. 7.
) Xiandi Chunqiu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 7.
[8] (
[14] (

) Yingxiong Ji annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 7.

) Yingxiong Ji annotation [15] (

in Sanguozhi vol. 7.
) Yingxiong Ji annotation in Sanguozhi
vol. 7.
[9] (

[16] (

...

) Yingxiong Ji annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 7.

[17] (

...

)
) Yingxiong
Wei Shi Chunqiu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 7.
Ji annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 7.
[18] (
[10] (

) Yingxiong Ji annotation in Sanguozhi

vol. 7.

[19] (

) Yingxiong Ji annotation in

Sanguozhi vol. 7.

[11] (

) Xiandi Chunqiu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 7.

Pei, Songzhi. Annotations to Records of the Three

Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).

) 21.2 Houhanshu
Yingxiong Ji annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 7.
[12] (

Citations from the Houhanshu

[1] (...) Houhanshu
vol. 75.

21.3

Other sources

[2] (

) Houhanshu vol. 72.

[3] (

) Houhanshu vol. 72.

[4] (
) Houhanshu vol. 75.
[5] (

) Houhanshu vol. 75.

[6] (...
)
Houhanshu vol. 75.

13

) Houhanshu
vol. 75.
[14] (

) Song Wu Beizheng Ji annotation in Houhanshu vol. 75.

[15] (
) Shui Jing Zhu annotation in Houhanshu vol. 75.
[16] (
) Houhanshu vol. 75.
[17] (

) Houhanshu vol. 75.

[7] ( [18] (
) Houhanshu vol. 75.
) Houhanshu vol. 75.
[8] ( [19]

...

)
Houhanshu vol. 75.

) Houhanshu vol. 75.

[9] (

[20] (

) Houhan
shu vol. 75.

Fan, Ye. Book of the Later Han (Houhanshu).

) Houhanshu vol. 75.

[10] (

) Houhanshu vol. 75.

[11] (

) Houhanshu vol. 75.

[12] (

) Houhanshu vol. 75.

21.3 Other sources

[1] de Crespigny, Rafe. To Establish Peace: being the

Chronicle of the Later Han dynasty for the years 189 to
220 AD as recorded in Volumes 59 to 69 of the Zizhi
tongjian of Sima Guang. Volume 1. Faculty of Asian
Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra.
1996. ISBN 978-0-7315-2526-3. Section Jian'an 3, p.
49.
[2] de Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A biographical dictionary of
Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23220 AD). Brill. p.
624. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0.
[3] (
...

) Sanguo Yanyi
ch. 3.

[4] (
[13] (

) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 60.

[5] (
) Zizhi Tongjian

vol. 60.

14

[6] (
) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 62.
[7] (

) Sanguozhi vol. 7.
[8] (

) Houhanshu
vol. 75.
[9] ([] ... ...)
Zizhi Tongjian vol. 62.
[10] (Japanese) StarChild:

[11] Lu Bu, Master-at-Arms - Portal Three Kingdoms - All

Magic: The Gathering Sets - Magic: The Gathering
[12] http://www.puzzledragonx.com/en/monster.asp?n=1239

Sima, Guang. Zizhi Tongjian.

Luo, Guanzhong. Romance of the Three Kingdoms
(Sanguo Yanyi).

21

REFERENCES

15

22
22.1

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

Text

L Bu Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%BC_Bu?oldid=732378362 Contributors: Kowloonese, Ktsquare, Wshun, DopeshJustin, Docu, Whkoh, Jiang, Adam Bishop, WhisperToMe, Secretlondon, Frazzydee, Lowellian, Bkell, Xanzzibar, Everyking, No
Guru, Jdavidb, Ezhiki, Ran, Adashiel, Rich Farmbrough, Brutannica, Pavel Vozenilek, Liuyao, El C, Russ3Z, Aquillion, Rje, Alansohn,
SlimVirgin, Ynhockey, Carioca, Stemonitis, Chochopk, TheGreatTinHead, Magister Mathematicae, BD2412, Bikeable, Rjwilmsi, Maeglin
Lmion, JHMM13, Mouselmm, Plastictv, Nguyen Thanh Quang, FlaBot, Skyler, Alphachimp, Chobot, Mhking, The Rambling Man, Satanael, YurikBot, Wavelength, DTRY, Chensiyuan, Wiki alf, Badagnani, Arichnad, Irishguy, Xedaf, Nlu, Closedmouth, DGaw, Chris1219,
Eustachius, PRehse, DVD R W, SmackBot, Looper5920, Nahald, MattieTK, Hanchi, KnowledgeOfSelf, Lds, Tyek1230, Gilliam, DHNbot~enwiki, Onikage725, Oatmeal batman, Theonekatze, Can't sleep, clown will eat me, Magicstu, Nakon, Underbar dk, Where, Ligulembot, Birdman1, ScytheMaster, Valfontis, Jonathan Gro, Tenkosaurus, Zerath13, BillFlis, A-cai, Intranetusa, Lorddraconis, A Merchant,
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Sanada Yuki-kun, Walrusfunk, Good Olfactory, , Rontombontom, Fdkdfkjdfk, Addbot, Aquaguy1, SpellingBot, Fieldday-sunday,
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22.2

Images

File:Long_Corridor-Ding_Yuan.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Long_Corridor-Ding_Yuan.jpg

License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Shizhao
File:Long_Corridor.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Long_Corridor-%E8%BE%95%E9%
97%A8%E5%B0%84%E6%88%9F.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Shizhao
File:Lu_Bu_Qing_dynasty_portrait.jpg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Lu_Bu_Qing_dynasty_
portrait.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Taken from http://threekingdoms.wikia.com/wiki/File:L%C3%BC_Bu_-_Qing_
ZQ-SGYY.jpg Original artist: Unknown author
File:L_Bu_archer.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/L%C3%BC_Bu_archer.png License: Public
domain Contributors: Qing dynasty edition of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms Original artist: ?

22.3

Content license

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