Lianshi

Lianshi (練師, onyomi: Renshi) is a documented given name for Lady Bu, one of Sun Quan's historical wives. Dearly loved by her lord, she was considered a candidate for Wu's first empress. She died before the right was granted to her, causing Sun Quan to bestow it to her posthumously in his grief.

She reached thirtieth place with fans in Gamecity's Dynasty Warriors 7 character popularity poll and fortieth place in the Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends popularity poll. In Famitsu's character survey, she placed in two categories: ninth place for most wanted sibling and sixth place for girlfriend. The latest poll for the eighth installment puts her in forty-eighth. The character poll for overseas fans puts her in eighth place for the Wu division.

In her debut her name followed the previous English localization methods of separating Chinese characters for characters' given names, thus making her name "Lian Shi". As of 2012, her historically recorded given name is now properly localized in the games.

Dynasty Warriors
Lian Shi is Bu Zhi's relative, a member of a once wealthy and prominent family that fell from grace. She serves as one of Sun Shangxiang's armed maids.

She first appears to assist the suppression for Ou Xing's rebellion. Supporting the siege at Xuchang, she witnesses Sun Ce's death. When Sun Quan becomes the new leader of the Sun family, she lectures him to stop living his brother's shadow and to realize that everyone is fighting for him. When Sun Shang Xiang leaves her home for Liu Bei, she stays in Wu to continue supporting Sun Quan at the behest of her lady. Living past Sun Quan's death, Lian Shi continues to fight for her country during Jin's Story Mode. She supports the Wu forces at Dongxing and Hefei Castle.

Her first Legendary Battle has her participate in a sparring match between Sun Shang Xiang and other Wu generals. During her second Legendary Battle, she escorts and protects Sun Quan and her lady against Cao Cao's massive army at Chibi.

The Xtreme Legends expansion adds a Hero Scenario focusing on Lian Shi's participation at Shiting. She supports the ally plot to feign defection to Cao Xiu's army by first defeating enemy troops surrounding the castle and helping Lu Xun with his ambush attack. Cao Ren is struck down to pave Zhou Fang's path towards the Wei main camp. She is given the task to simultaneously defend ally troops and Sun Quan as Zhang Liao and Sima Yi march into the field. Once Cao Xiu falls, the Wei army has suffered many losses to Wu.

After the conflict, a worried Sun Quan rides to Lian Shi's side to inquire for her safety. Though he is soon embarrassed by his fretful behavior, she assures him that she is fine. In an effort to recompose Sun Quan's focus, Lian Shi affirms that the bonds shared between him and his vassals is what truly led to their victory.

In Dynasty Warriors 8, Lianshi is first seen accompanying the Sun Family during their excursion at Liang Province suppressing the rebellious Qiang tribe together with Dong Zhuo. She is active in the historical route starting at Fan Castle, Shiting and at the final battle against Cao Pi at New Hefei Castle. The hypothetical route has her confront Guan Yu and Zhang Fei at Jiangxia. She defends Sun Shangxiang when they accuse her of betraying Liu Bei. When they are attacked by Wang Yi, who was behind the false letter sent to the brothers, they make amends and work together to repel the Wei forces. She survives to celebrate their final victory over Cao Cao.

During Jin's hypothetical route, she will be one of the defenders of Jianye before going to assist Jiang Wei at Chibi. During the battle, she and Ding Feng attempt to set fire to Wei's fleet, but both are slain for their efforts.

In the expansion, she accompanies Sun Quan at the revised Yiling, and provides reinforcements for Lu Xun and Zhu Ran at Jiangling. In Lu Bu's story, she appears as one of Sun Shangxiang's bodyguards, accompanying her at Shouchun in the historical route and Wujun in the hypothetical route.

Lianshi appears as an enemy officer in the Fan Castle campaign of Dynasty Warriors: Unleashed, joining Lu Meng's planned assault on Guan Yu.

Having recently moved to Jiangdong during her bond story, the maiden constantly endured unwanted affections from the men around her. As a result, she callously brushes off Sun Quan after bumping into him at the local market. It takes much effort on his part to court Lianshi, but she finally reciprocates enough to become his concubine.

Although Lianshi is highly regarded among Sun Quan's paramours, she insists on making herself useful through military training and gladly shares her beloved with other women despite his protests. She also helps him get over Zhou Yu's death by encouraging his survival for the sake of their two daughters. Years after her own passing, she is posthumously titled as queen by Sun Quan over his official wife Lady Xu.

Dynasty Warriors 9 has Lianshi introduced to Sun Quan by Shangxiang as being one of her best lady guards some time after Quan took power following Sun Ce's death. Lianshi proves herself well on the battlefield alongside Shangxiang and the Two Qiaos during Wu's battles against Huang Zu at Xiakou, Cao Cao at Chibi, and then facing Liu Bei and Cao Cao's forces in later battles. The first battle in the early stages of the Three Kingdoms after Chibi that Lianshi participates in is the Battle of Nanjun, but after capturing Jiangling, Zhou Yu is gravely wounded, with the stress of learning of southern Jing Province being captured by Liu Bei's forces worsening his condition. Shortly thereafter, in a bid to stabilize relations between Wu and Shu, Liu Bei is wedded to Sun Shangxiang, but Zhou Yu attempts to assassinate him, forcing Lianshi to defend both Liu Bei and Shangxiang as they flee Jianye to return to Chengdu, while Shangxiang asks Lianshi to watch after Sun Quan for her before fleeing with Liu Bei. After that, with Zhou Yu's passing, Lianshi helps with defending Ruxukou when Wei takes advantage to attack after learning of Zhou Yu's death. Lianshi continues to aid Sun Quan and Wu in numerous clashes against Wei with Hefei and Shu at Yiling after Liu Bei declares war on them for Guan Yu's death at Fan Castle and allying with Cao Cao.

Following Yiling, Lianshi continues to support Sun Quan as they renew their alliance with Shu following Liu Bei's passing and Liu Shan taking over, push back Wei from attacking Jianye with facing them at Guangling using a fake castle wall thought up by Xu Sheng to try and deceive the Wei forces, and finally push on New Hefei Castle around the same time as Zhuge Liang attacking Wei at Wuzhang Plains, only to be forced into retreat by massive Wei reinforcements. In the end, Lianshi proves her loyalty and faith to Sun Quan, having acted as a beacon of hope and support for him and Wu, and Sun Quan is deeply grateful to her for it.

In Wei's Story Mode, she is first seen in the clash at Wulin at the end of Chapter 5, defending her husband alongside Sun Shangxiang, Lu Su, and the Two Qiaos, but is forced to reposition herself with Shangxiang when Cao Cao threatens to flank them after taking their strong points in Yiling and Wuling, weakening their defenses at Xiakou Castle. Lianshi later attempts to help defend her husband during the Battle of Ruxukou, but is swiftly defeated, though Cao Cao later spares Sun Quan under agreement to join forces with Wei to remove Guan Yu from the Jing Province. To aid them, Lianshi helps to hold off two of Guan Yu's children in Jiangling so as to try and isolate him by taking out his children first so they have to return to Chengdu without their father as he meets his end alongside Guan Ping and Zhou Cang.

When Cao Pi takes over for his late father, Lianshi is defending Jianye with Zhou Tai during the battle of Guangling to avoid Wei discovering the fake castle plot early, but despite their numbers and use of catapults and assassins in ambush parties, the ruse is exposed and Wu is swiftly routed.

Warriors Orochi
Lianshi is among the many possessed by Kiyomori's spell in Warriors Orochi 3. She was placed under the sorcery's influence when she sacrificed herself for Sun Shangxiang's safe escape from Wu; she first attacks the coalition at Nagashino. Her mind is freed when Sun Shangxiang and company locate her in the past at Taoshui and beat her back to her senses. While grateful for the rescue, Lianshi wants to return to the Orochi loyalists as a spy for the coalition; she believes her actions serve as penance to her lady. Once the main party returns to the changed future, Lianshi betrays Masamune at Nagashino. After the battle, she is glad to join with the information she has gathered for their cause.

She speaks with Taishi Ci and Nagamasa on how they can save Lu Meng. Later she teams up with Aya to investigate the odd fiasco they spot near Luo Castle. Their efforts ultimately leads to Okuni joining the coalition. One of the new scenarios in the expansion has her and Ding Feng investigate Jiangdong, leading to their recruitment of Rachel. She also cooperates with Joan of Arc and Rachel to rescue a village settlement at Nanjun and fights under a doppelganger of Sun Shangxiang alongside Zhou Tai in Ultimate.

In Mikatagahara, she also support Lu Meng, Masanori and Kiyomasa to search Gan Ning, as well with Ling Tong and Mitsunari.

She is one of the Wu officers who mistake the Tokugawa army for Wei in the early stages of Warriors Orochi 4. They eventually join forces to find out more about the new world. Later on she helps the coalition to defeat as well as bring the Hōjō and Sun Jian's army over to their side.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Bu Lianshi makes her debut in the XII title in which she is suited for domestic assignments. While relatively inadequate for military affairs, she possesses aptitude for naval battles.

Development
Lian Shi was developed specifically to be added as the love interest for Sun Quan. To contrast her with the other Wu ladies, she was designed to be the "adult" character. Her facial features and voluptuous body were designed with hopes to personify her as the most matured female in the cast. To make up for her lack of military training, they decided to associate her with the crossbow.

Suzuki would later comment that she holds the position of the female character with "the most tolerance" in the series.

Personality
Kind and sincere, Lianshi is gentle support for Sun Shangxiang and Sun Quan. If either one of them doubts themselves, Lianshi is the one who advocates to restore their focus with a friendly and mature tone. While she is often content to watch her masters mature from a respectful distance, she may occasionally break the tension between them by mildly teasing them. Even if she may share a close bond between her masters, Lianshi is quite aware of her status as a servant. Should she feel it necessary, she will boldly sacrifice herself to protect them without hesitation. Although she feels she is just staying true to her duty, she is always surprised when her lady or master ride to her rescue.

Lianshi is the one person outside of family who can make Sun Quan lose his otherwise serious composure. While she may be charmed by his flustered mannerisms to her, Lianshi keeps redirecting his focus to the importance of their kingdom and the morale of his followers. Soldiers do report that she often reprimands her lord whenever he gets drunk. She also shares many interactions with Sun Shangxiang, with the Wu princess treating her much like a friend. Within the Warriors Orochi series, she shares an affinity with Aya, Okuni, Naomasa as well as Naotora Ii. Lianshi comments that Aya's method of encouraging her loved ones are too harsh for her liking.

Voice Actors

 * Cristina Valenzuela - Dynasty Warriors 7~8 (English-uncredited)
 * Ratana - Dynasty Warriors 9 (English)
 * Xiaomeng Li - Dynasty Warriors 9 (Chinese)
 * Akemi Kanda - Dynasty Warriors 7~8, Warriors Orochi 3 (Japanese)

Quotes

 * See also: Lianshi/Quotes


 * "The meal you made the other day was excellent. I'd love to sample your cooking again."
 * "I'm glad you enjoyed it. It is something of a hobby of mine. Focusing my whole being on cutting the ingredients... It does wonders to relieve my stress."
 * "I didn't know you were so stressed. I'm sorry if I did anything to add to it."
 * Sun Quan and Lian Shi; Dynasty Warriors 7


 * "Our lord grows stronger by the day. I can't help but think it's because of your influence."
 * "No, I haven't done a thing. Lord Sun Quan is a natural-born leader. Just look at how well he leads everyone. He's the secret behind Wu's strength."
 * Lu Xun and Lian Shi; Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends


 * "You are a strange one. The look on your face seems to show that you think you can protect everybody."
 * "That is correct. I refuse to lose a single person under my care. As long as I am alive, I shall ensure that it is so."
 * Wang Yi and Lianshi; Dynasty Warriors 8


 * "You are quite a delicate person, aren't you. So strong and elegant, and yet the smallest thing sets you off."
 * "Don't try to analyze me. I'm not used to people being kind to me, that's all. I've been alone for most of my life."
 * "I see. The sadness from your past still casts a shadow over you. You shouldn't be afraid of people's kindness, though."
 * "I'm not so sure. After all the scheming I've seen, I keep looking for the ulterior motives. I can't trust kindness."
 * "There's no reason to be that way, but it can also be hard to just suddenly start trusting in people. I understand. If someone does treat you kindly, however, try saying "thank you" to them. That's all you need to do. Repeat that and you'll find more people gather around you. Eventually, your feelings will start to change."
 * "I see. I will consider your advice. I mean... thank you."
 * Lianshi and Lu Lingqi; Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers


 * "I have a feeling you are too strict, Lady Aya. You punish even those you like without hesitation, and for the slightest misstep. Can't you lead people by watching over them, and by nurturing them with kind words?"
 * "You're a kind soul, aren't you. I must warn you, though, that a gentle blade can still cut deeply."
 * Lianshi and Aya; Warriors Orochi 3


 * "Oh, Master Naomasa. Do you have a moment?"
 * "If I recall correctly, you are Lady Lianshi, yes? What do you want from me?"
 * "You have a very small cut on your cheek there. I would hate to see it become infected. Please use this ointment."
 * "Thank you. It's remarkable that you would notice such a tiny cut."
 * "I am used to being around my lady and Lord Sun Quan... They are both so reckless that I have become accustomed to checking that they are all right. Still, I must apologize for my forwardness. I hardly know you."
 * "You have nothing to apologize for. I am grateful for your concern."
 * "Hehe... Good. Then I hope I will get to know you better soon, Master Naomasa."
 * Lianshi and Naomasa; Warriors Orochi 4

Gameplay

 * See also: Lianshi/Movesets

Weapons

 * See also: Lianshi/Weapons

Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires
Lianshi still uses the crossbow as her default weapon in this title. But starting in Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires, her new weapons of choice are the Mandarin duck hooks.

Historical Information
Lady Bu was born in Xuzhou, Huaiyin. According to the Jiankang Shilu, she was also known under the name Lianshi. She came from the same family roots as Bu Zhi but was not directly related to him.

When she and her mother were fleeing the wars with Liu Xun to Jiangdong, Sun Quan happened to find her at Han Pass. For one reason or another, Sun Quan made her one of his wives on the spot. It is not made entirely clear why he did so and is considered to be a whimsical decision. Out of the wives Sun Quan had, Lady Bu was the one who received Sun Quan's utter attention and was granted several luxuries. Since nothing particularly negative is written about her, most people assume that he prided himself on choosing her and that she loved him in kind. A further romanticized interpretation is that he fell in love with her at first sight. There are few hints that note when exactly they met, but it is thought that he accepted her after Lady Xu (argued to be approximately be the years 200 through 209). She gave birth to Sun Quan's daughters, Sun Luban and Sun Luyu.

When Sun Quan ascended to the throne, he thought of making Lady Bu his empress. However, since Lady Xu was the one who gave birth to his heir, he couldn't readily make the choice. Sun Deng and other vassals pushed for him to accept Lady Xu, but he never truly accepted her. It's said but not necessarily recorded that people were also arguing to make Lady Bu empress as well. To null the dispute, Sun Quan refused to give either maiden the title. When Lady Bu died, however, he granted her the posthumous title of Zhuifeng Jing'ai and buried her in a mausoleum at Purple Mountain. Sun Quan dedicated his longing thoughts to her in ink after her death. A rough translation of his written thoughts are listed below.

"My Empress, though you are my support in my divine right to rule, you may not know how orderly the heaven and earth became with your presence. Day and night you served as a lawful wife who completed the harem with unfaltering gratitude, with a heart filled with utter consideration, with a body learned in absolute virtue and chastity. Everyone –the subjects, the public, and people near and far– had their hearts moved by you. The land is not united within my rule and I did not want to permit an Empress so soon. But, ever so suddenly, you left this world. It pains me so much that I did not grant this title while you were alive. Right now, I'm sending the order to make you Empress to Chancellor Gu Yong. If by some happenstance should the title reach your soul, would you be able to rejoice? I honesty feel remorseful."

According to the Jing'ai Wentei, Wu's vassals continued to accept her as their empress –in spite of her death– to respect Sun Quan's decision.