Lü Fan (died 228), courtesy name Ziheng, was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He continued serving in the state of Eastern Wu during the early Three Kingdoms period.
Lü Fan | |
|---|---|
| 呂範 | |
| Grand Marshal (大司馬) | |
| In office 228 | |
| Monarch | Sun Quan |
| Chancellor | Gu Yong |
| Governor of Yang Province (揚州牧) | |
| In office 223–228 | |
| Monarch | Sun Quan |
| Chancellor | Sun Shao (222–225) Gu Yong (from 225) |
| General of the Vanguard (前將軍) | |
| In office 222 or earlier – 228 | |
| Monarch | Sun Quan |
| Chancellor | Sun Shao (222–225) Gu Yong (from 225) |
| Administrator of Danyang (丹楊太守) | |
| In office 220 – 222 or earlier | |
| General Who Establishes Might (建威將軍) | |
| In office 220 – 222 or earlier | |
| General Who Pacifies the South (平南將軍) | |
| In office ?–220 | |
| Administrator of Pengze (彭澤太守) | |
| In office 209–? | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Unknown Taihe County, Anhui |
| Died | 228 |
| Spouse | Lady Liu |
| Children |
|
| Occupation | Military general, politician |
| Courtesy name | Ziheng (子衡) |
| Peerage | Marquis of Nanchang (南昌侯) |
Early life
editLü Fan was from Xiyang County (細陽縣), Runan Commandery (汝南郡), which is around present-day Taihe County, Anhui. He married a woman from a certain Liu family. He started his career as a minor official under the warlord Yuan Shu. During this time, he met Sun Ce, a general under Yuan Shu, and became close friends with him. Since then, he had accompanied Sun Ce on the battles he fought under Yuan Shu's banner, and later in the battles that Sun Ce fought as a warlord in his own right.[1]
It is said that Lü Fan recommended himself to Sun Ce through a game of weiqi – after Sun Ce made a bad opening move, Lü Fan capitalised on it and pointed out the 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 one where he could more effectively manage troops. Sun Ce was further impressed and since then 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 a Chief Controller.[2]
Career under Sun Ce
editAt one point during the beginning of Sun Ce's career as a warlord, he sent Lü Fan to fetch his family from Guangling Commandery in Xu Province to his new base in Qu'e County. Tao Qian, the Governor of Xu Province, despised Sun Ce and wanted to have Lü Fan arrested as a spy and tortured, but some of his retainers freed Lü Fan and helped him escape from Guangling Commandery with Sun Ce's family. Sun Ce trusted Lü Fan so highly that he treated him like a member of the Sun family and even allowed Lü Fan to dine in the presence of his mother, Lady Wu.[3]
Lü Fan was third only to Cheng Pu and Xu Kun in terms of merit, having followed Sun Ce in his conquests in the Jiangdong region from 194 to 199. His unit defeated and killed Yan Baihu's subordinate, Chen Mu. However, Lü Fan was concerned about the quality of Sun Ce's army. He feared that though their forces had grown, it comprised mostly untrained rabble with just a few veterans supporting them. Lü Fan believed that such an army could achieve limited success at best. As such, he requested that Sun Ce transfer him to his personal staff and make him the commander of his forces. At the time a marshal was simply a minor staff officer responsible for training and drilling the troops. As he saw that this was a demotion for Lü Fan, Sun Ce tried to talk Lü Fan out of it, but the latter insisted and managed to convince Sun Ce to agree to his request. Lü Fan thus took charge of training Sun Ce's troops. As Sun Ce was the supreme commander of the military forces in the Jiangdong region, Lü Fan's authority extended to the units under the command of Sun Ce's subordinates, effectively giving him control over the entire military administration in Jiangdong.[4]
In 197, when Yuan Shu declared himself emperor – an act deemed treasonous against the figurehead Emperor Xian of the Han dynasty – Sun Ce broke ties with Yuan Shu and joined other warlords in a two-year-long campaign against the pretender. Chen Yu, who was sent by the warlord Cao Cao to assist Sun Ce in the campaign against Yuan Shu, secretly plotted to destroy Sun Ce from within. However, Sun Ce sensed Chen Yu's intentions and sent Lü Fan to deal with him. Lü Fan defeated Chen Yu in battle and forced him to retreat north.[5]
Around 199, after defeating Yuan Shu's remnants, the minor warlord Liu Xun, as well as Huang Zu and Liu Biao at the Battle of Sha County, Sun Ce wrote a memorial to the Han central government to recommend Lü Fan to be the Administrator of Guiyang Commandery, among other things.[6]
Career under Sun Quan
editFollowing Sun Ce's death in the year 200, his younger brother Sun Quan succeeded him and took control over his territories and forces in the Jiangdong region. In 208, the warlord Cao Cao, who controlled the Han central government, led a massive army to attack his rivals, Liu Bei and Sun Quan, in southern China. Sun Quan heeded the advice of Zhou Yu and Lu Su, and decided to ally with Liu Bei against Cao Cao. Lü Fan participated in the Battle of Red Cliffs in the winter of 208–209 under Zhou Yu's command; the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei defeated Cao Cao's larger army in this decisive battle. After the victory at Red Cliffs, Liu Bei visited Sun Quan at his capital. While he was there, Lu Fan secretly advised Sun Quan to have Liu Bei keep as an hostage however Sun Quan refused.[7]
Lü Fan continued serving under Sun Quan after the end of the Eastern Han dynasty in 220. Although Sun Quan initially agreed to be a vassal king under the Cao Wei state (established by Cao Cao's successor Cao Pi), he broke ties with Cao Pi and declared independence in 222 as the ruler of his own Eastern Wu regime.
In 223, Lü Fan led the Wu forces during the Battle of Dongkou against Wei forces led by Cao Xiu and Zang Ba. The situation was highly unfavourable for Wu at the beginning: the Wu fleet came under heavy attack and much of the fleet was destroyed in a storm. To add on to their troubles, Sun Lang, a younger half-brother of Sun Quan, accidentally burnt down the Wu forces' supply of food and weaponry. However, due to the efforts of Lü Fan's subordinates Sun Shao and Xu Sheng, the Wu forces were able to stage a counterattack and barely win the battle.[8]
After the Battle of Dongkou, Sun Quan appointed Lü Fan as the Governor of Yang Province. In 228, he further promoted Lü Fan to the position of Grand Marshal, but Lü Fan, who was already critically ill then, died of illness before assuming his new appointment. Sun Quan wept bitterly upon learning of Lü Fan's death and called his name repeatedly.[9]
Appraisal
editLü Fan as a man was friendly and possessed majestic apparence. Even the men put in charge of whole province such as Lu Xun (Eastern Wu) and Quan Cong would show great reverence toward him. At the time, his depense for his house and clothes were extravagant yet he was diligent and assiduous in his duties therefore Sun Quan was pleased by his merits and wasn't bothered by his excess.[10]
Like his brother before him, Sun Quan highly trusted Lü Fan even though they previously had some disagreements – Sun Quan, being young and foolhardy, often embezzled official funds for his personal interests and expected Lü Fan to cover up for him. Lü Fan, however, remained honest and reported Sun Quan's behaviour to Sun Ce, causing Sun Quan to dislike him. Nevertheless, as Sun Quan grew older and became more mature, he started to see Lü Fan in a different light and admired his honesty.[11]
Family
editLü Fan had at least two sons. The elder one, whose name is not recorded in history, died early. The younger one, Lü Ju, inherited his father's marquis title and rose through the ranks to become General of Agile Cavalry (驃騎將軍) during the reign of the second Wu emperor, Sun Liang.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ (時唯範與孫河常從策，跋涉辛苦，危難不避，策亦親戚待之，每與升堂，飲宴於太妃前。) Sanguozhi vol. 56.
- ^ (江表傳曰：策從容獨與範棋，範曰：「今將軍事業日大，士眾日盛，範在遠，聞綱紀猶有不整者，範願蹔領都督，佐將軍部分之。」策曰：「子衡，卿既士大夫，加手下已有大眾，立功於外，豈宜復屈小職，知軍中細碎事乎！」範曰：「不然。今捨本土而託將軍者，非為妻子也，欲濟世務。猶同舟涉海，一事不牢，即俱受其敗。此亦範計，非但將軍也。」策笑，無以答。範出，更釋〈衤冓〉，著蔥褶，執鞭，詣閤下啟事，自稱領都督，策乃授傳，委以眾事。由是軍中肅睦，威禁大行。) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 56.
- ^ (後避亂壽春，孫策見而異之，範遂自委昵，將私客百人歸策。時太妃在江都，策遣範迎之。徐州牧陶謙謂範為袁氏覘候，諷縣掠考範，範親客健兒篡取以歸。) Sanguozhi vol. 56.
- ^ (後從策攻破廬江，還俱東渡，到橫江、當利，破張英、于麋，下小丹楊、湖孰，領湖孰相。策定秣陵、曲阿，收笮融、劉繇餘眾，增範兵二千，騎五十匹。) Sanguozhi vol. 56.
- ^ (是時下邳陳瑀自號吳郡太守，住海西，與彊族嚴白虎交通。策自將討虎，別遣範與徐逸攻瑀於海西，梟其大將陳牧。) Sanguozhi vol. 56.
- ^ (後領宛陵令，討破丹楊賊，還吳，遷都督。) Sanguozhi vol. 56.
- ^ (策薨，奔喪于吳。後權復征江夏，範與張昭留守。曹公至赤壁，與周瑜等俱拒破之，拜裨將軍，領彭澤太守，以彭澤、柴桑、歷陽為奉邑。劉備詣京見權，範密請留備。後遷平南將軍，屯柴桑。) Sanguozhi vol. 56.
- ^ (曹休、張遼、臧霸等來伐，範督徐盛、全琮、孫韶等，以舟師拒休等於洞口。遷前將軍，假節，改封南昌侯。時遭大風，船人覆溺，死者數千，還軍，拜揚州牧。) Sanguozhi vol. 56.
- ^ (黃武七年，範遷大司馬，印綬未下，疾卒。權素服舉哀，遣使者追贈印綬。及還都建業，權過範墓呼曰：「子衡！」言及流涕，祀以太牢。) Sanguozhi vol. 56.
- ^ (性好威儀，州民如陸遜、全琮及貴公子，皆脩敬虔肅，不敢輕脫。其居處服飾，於時奢靡，然勤事奉法，故權悅其忠，不怪其侈。) Sanguozhi vol. 56.
- ^ (初策使範典主財計，權時年少，私從有求，範必關白，不敢專許，當時以此見望。權守陽羨長，有所私用，策或料覆，功曹周谷輒為傅著簿書，使無譴問。權臨時悅之，及後統事，以範忠誠，厚見信任，以谷能欺更簿書，不用也。) Sanguozhi vol. 56.
- Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
- de Crespigny, Rafe (1990). Generals of the South. Canberra: National Library of Australia. ISBN 0-7315-0901-3.
- Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).