Lü Bu is a general of the late Han Dynasty who is infamous for his many betrayals in the Central Plains. Like many warlords of the era, he attempted to establish himself as an independent power before he met his end against Cao Cao's forces. Romance of the Three Kingdoms famously dubs him to be the mightiest warrior of his time, though both versions of him were equally known for a fickle personality and lacking forte in tactics. His daughter is Lü Lingqi.
- Lu Bu (Dynasty Warriors) - This article contains relevant information on Lu Bu's Dynasty Warriors incarnation.
- Lu Bu (Romance of the Three Kingdoms) - This article contains relevant information on Lu Bu's Romance of the Three Kingdoms incarnation.
- Lu Bu (Other Titles) - This article contains relevant information on Lu Bu's incarnations in other titles created, published, or distributed by Koei Tecmo.
Historical Information
Early career
Lü Bu was born at Jiuyuan County, within the Wuyuan Commandery of Bingzhou before the said commandery's abolishment (modern day Baotou, Jiuyuan of Inner Mongolia). According to the Yīngxióng Jìyue, Lü Bu had left his home when he was still young and had previously considered living a life of banditry. Upon realizing that reading could land him a government post, Lü Bu sought to be educated. The earliest known recording of his military career began at Bingzhou under Ding Yuan, who quickly favored him after he had enlisted. He began as a Chief Registrar and eventually rose to be the Captain of the Cavalry.
Lü Bu followed his lord to Luoyang as Ding Yuan colluded with He Jin to deal with the corrupt ministers who reigned after Emperor Ling's death. After Ding Yuan was entitled Mayor of the Capital, he sought to assassinate the influential figure head who threatened his power: Dong Zhuo. Lü Bu protested Ding Yuan's decision and eventually killed him. Cutting off Ding Yuan's head, he sent a letter to Dong Zhuo offering his services to him. The letter explained the plot and his new loyalties, and the head sealed the deal. Dong Zhuo approved Lü Bu's actions so much that he allowed his new retainer to keep his title as Captain of the Cavalry.
The general first marched to battle Dong Zhuo's oppressors in 190, when Cao Cao and his regiment marched near Bianshui. Cao Cao's forces had defeated Xu Huang and were gaining momentum during their pursuit. Lü Bu's forces rode out at this time to counteract their raised spirits and to restore ally morale. A year later, he was a part of the subjugation army to intercept Sun Jian's forces at Yangren. Lü Bu is not known to have contributed much for the battle, instead choosing to bicker with the equally arrogant and foul natured Hu Zhen. Since they were members of the same cavalry unit, Lü Bu made his grudge apparent by lying about Hu Zhen's orders. The troops were miserably confused and disorganized and caused Hu Zhen to suffer defeat. Lü Bu's further whereabouts at this time are not recorded, but the conflict resulted in Sun Jian's withdraw.
Since Lü Bu was infamous for his prowess, Dong Zhuo tried to keep him beside him to deter his many hated rivals in Luoyang. People would normally confront Dong Zhuo personally if Lü Bu was not present; if Lü Bu was there, they wouldn't even dare to bump into him. His new master loved him like a son and even adopted Lü Bu into his family. Lü Bu eventually was given the titles Commander of the Palace Guards and Ting Marquis.
Mutiny with Wang Yun
Wang Yun, who had been exhausted by Dong Zhuo's iron grip around this time, conspired to assassinate his lord. He wanted other retainers who shared his beliefs to join his uprising. Somehow, he convinced Lü Bu to join his cause. Lü Bu expressed concern over slaying his adoptive father, but Wang Yun convinced him that their surnames were different enough to avoid confusion regarding their family ties to one another. Wang Yun said to him, "What difference does your ties with him make if the knowledge is to die with the dead?"
There are three argued reasons why Lü Bu decided to join the plot against his adoptive father. One of them involves an incident in which Dong Zhuo was angry with Lü Bu, unsheathed a short sword, and hurled it at him. Lü Bu was barely able to dodge the thrown weapon in time. The other concerns his secret trysts with one of Dong Zhuo's servant maids. He remained in constant anxiety if and when the other palace attendants learned of their relationship for he feared suffering Dong Zhuo's wrath. The third reason is thought to be fueled by jealousy for other retainers' promotions or positive treatment they received from Dong Zhuo. In either scenario, it's generally accepted that Wang Yun had used Lü Bu's anxieties to sway him for his coup d'état.
In April 192, Lü Bu and Li Su waited in secret at Endless Palace. Dong Zhuo wanted to visit the palace to celebrate Emperor Xian's illness and was lured there by Wang Yun earlier the same morning. Once Dong Zhuo had entered the palace, Lü Bu and Li Su's soldiers emerged to strike him down. Dong Zhuo was able to hold off Li Su's troops and, as he neared the gate, he angrily summoned for Lü Bu to come to his aid. Lü Bu emerged at this time. He answered, "It's an imperial order", before he killed Dong Zhuo with his own blade. At Lü Bu's insistence, Dong Zhuo's relatives were massacred as well.
After the Dong family were slaughtered in Chang'an, Wang Yun claimed the capital. Lü Bu was given the title General of Summoned Might, was named one of the Three Excellencies, and was promoted to Marquis of Wen. Despite his celebrated services, Lü Bu was loosely trusted by his comrades in Chang'an. Wang Yun had originally considered Lü Bu as a last resort to remove Dong Zhuo and many didn't approve of his attitude. They also suspected that Lü Bu could someday turn against them if they were to somehow offend him.
Approximately one or two months later, Chang'an was surrounded by Dong Zhuo's former retainers who sought to avenge their lord's death. According to Yīngxióng Jìyue, Lü Bu led ten or so horsemen and confronted Guo Si in battle. He challenged his opponent to a duel and nearly killed the general. If the incident is true, then it would be one of the rare instances in history in which a military conflict was ended by a duel between generals. Although Lü Bu led troops to oppose them, the 100,000 troops overpowered Chang'an's defenses in ten days. Before the castle had completely fallen, Lü Bu gathered several hundred horsemen, attached Dong Zhuo's head to his horse, and rode out of the castle to flee. Whilst his horse circled around Chang'an's gates, he implored Wang Yun to escape as well. Wang Yun refused the request for he didn't want to turn his back on those remaining and was prepared to face his punishment.
When Chang'an fell, Lü Bu and his men fled southward through Guanzhong's Wu Pass. He was able to keep his three noble titles for a mere sixty days.
Establishing Independence
He first wandered towards Jizhou and eventually relied on Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao temporarily housed Lü Bu's forces and used the general to fight his current adversary at the moment, Zhang Yan and his bandits. The bandits were armed in the hundred thousands and severely outnumbered Lü Bu's forces at Changshan. Lü Bu led several dozen horsemen and rode with his retainers, Wei Yue and Cheng Lian, to oppose Zhang Yan. They clashed with their foe three or four times and, ten days of fighting later, Zhang Yan's army suffered defeat.
Lü Bu's stay with Yuan Shao was a weary and short one. Yuan Shao had planned to keep using Lü Bu's abilities for his expeditionary forces, but he was disturbed by Lü Bu's willingness to pillage for supplies. There have been also argued accounts that Yuan Shao disapproved his troops accepting Lü Bu's thievery. His visitor's request for additional troops under his command therefore disgusted Yuan Shao. Once he learned of Yuan Shao's ire, Lü Bu mutually shared these feelings and sought to desert Yuan Shao. Fearing that Lü Bu would strike against him, Yuan Shao planned to have the general assassinated. Lü Bu learned of the plot from his retainers and escaped before it succeeded. The Yīngxióng Jìyue states that he left Yuan Shao's borders by offering to play music for the Yuan retainers. As the generals enjoyed themselves and had drunken themselves into a slumbering stupor, Lü Bu used this chance to escape. Yuan Shao later regretted his failure to procure the general for his cause.
During his time spent with Yuan Shao, Lü Bu had befriended Zhang Miao. He originally wanted to go to Zhang Miao, but he was close friends with Yuan Shao at the time. To avoid troubling him, Lü Bu eventually found another home at He'nei with Zhang Yang.
There are two accounts of Zhang Yang's treatment of Lü Bu. In the Yīngxióng Jìyue, Zhang Yang was a mild-mannered lord who showered his retainers with affection and resented calamity in his ranks or with other people. When he received news from Guo Si and Li Jue that a reward was on Lü Bu's head, Zhang Yang had thought to accept Lü Bu and kill him shortly after. Upon seeing Lü Bu's calm demeanor, Zhang Yang ultimately failed to carry out the deed. The other account in the Weizhi establishes that he accepted Lü Bu since they shared similar northern origins. In any case, Lü Bu was soon titled Governor of Yingchuan.
After experiencing a falling out with Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, Zhang Miao conspired with Chen Gong to oppose Cao Cao. Both instigators then sought to make Lü Bu their figurehead lord. In 194, as they rebelled against Cao Cao's army at Yanzhou, Zhang Miao granted Lü Bu's entry into the thick of their conflict at Yanzhou. Lü Bu and his forces successfully took Puyang away from Xiahou Dun during Cao Cao's absence. Lü Bu's forces tried to expand their influence deeper into Cao Cao's territory, but they were ultimately foiled by Xun Yu and Cheng Yu. When Cao Cao returned to Yanzhou, he gathered troops to attack Lü Bu at Puyang County. The following battle resulted in a disastrous defeat for Cao Cao who escaped due to the help of his capable vassals. Lü Bu was in a position to overwhelm Cao Cao, but the one hundred plus days of famine and the storm of locusts destroying crops and troop supplies stayed his hand. Lü Bu's forces eventually stationed themselves in Shanyang, which allowed Cao Cao's retreat.
A year of grueling and relatively fruitless conflicts later, each side was locked in a stalemate. When Cao Cao directed his attention towards other rebelling factions, Lü Bu's forces used this opportunity to pummel through their foe's dwindled numbers to flee towards Liu Bei's hospitality at Xuzhou.
Yīngxióng Jìyue remarks that Lü Bu was initially respectful towards Liu Bei and treated him with reverence. He gradually became more arrogant of his benefactor's generosity. Within mere days, Lü Bu boldly called Liu Bei "[his] younger brother" without the lord's consent, thus earning Liu Bei's inward scorn. About a month later, Liu Bei left Xuzhou to subjugate Yuan Shu at Shouchun. Cao Bao helped Lü Bu's takeover of Xiapi and drove Zhang Fei away from it.
Self-proclaiming himself the Governor of Xuzhou, Lü Bu arrogantly showed "charity" towards Liu Bei when the lord returned. He allowed Liu Bei to stay at Xiaopei. The Yīngxióng Jìyue states that Lü Bu also held Liu Bei's wife and child hostage for Liu Bei's obedience. Around this time, Yuan Shu ordered Ji Ling and others to assemble an army of 300,000 to attack Xiapi. Lü Bu concluded that Yuan Shu would surround him from the northern mountains if he allowed Liu Bei's defeat at Xiaopei and decided to intercept the invaders with 1,000 men and 200 horsemen.
As Lü Bu's troops reinforced Xiaopei, Chen Gong mediated between Liu Bei and Yuan Shu's generals to a meeting with his lord. Lü Bu invited them to a feast and said to Yuan Shu's retainers, "Liu Bei is [my]* younger brother. Gentleman, I am aware that my brother has caused you unneeded hardship so I came to help. It is not in my nature to perpetuate conflict. Nay, I prefer to stop disputes."
- *Throughout the exchange, Lü Bu refers to himself in third person by full name. He calls himself "Lü Bu" with a tone of arrogance and superiority.
He then ordered one of his soldiers to position a halberd upright at Xiaopei's gate. As he drew an arrow back from a bow given to him, Lü Bu addressed them again, "Gentleman, please observe if you would my shot at that halberd's wooden end. If my arrow hits it, then I ask that both armies withdraw and disband their troops. If I am to fail, then your troops may do as you please." With the same arrow, Lü Bu hit the halberd exactly at the spot mentioned in his barter. Ji Ling and company were astonished and exclaimed, "You are the very light of Heaven!" On the same day, both sides conversed a while longer and obeyed Lü Bu. With Yuan Shu out of the picture, Lü Bu then attacked Liu Bei and claimed Xiaopei.
The Yīngxióng Jìyue claims that Emperor Xian asked for Lü Bu to receive his company when he was in Hedong. At the time, Lü Bu's supplies were low so the offer was respectfully refused. As Emperor Xian sent another messenger to reach Lü Bu, he included the appointed titles General who Pacifies the East and Pingtao Marquis in his letter. However, as the messenger left for Lü Bu, the letter was lost at Shanyang.
Fall and End
In 197, Yuan Shu desired to establish an alliance with Lü Bu. He sent Han Yin as his messenger and sought to create their alliance by marrying Yuan Shu's son with Lü Bu's daughter. Both parties consented and Lü Bu's daughter left with Han Yin's escort. Neighboring ruler of Pei Chen Gui quickly learned of the warlords' plans and feared that the two would someday overwhelm him. He visited Lü Bu and convinced the lord to cancel the marriage; Lü Bu asked for his daughter's return. The angered Yuan Shu ordered Zhang Xun to lead a large army to attack Lü Bu. To counter the threat against him, Lü Bu convinced Han Xian, Yang Feng, and their several thousand horsemen to defect by sending them a letter stating his accomplishments and belittling Yuan Shu.
To end their conflict quickly, Yuan Shu once again turned to negotiation to appeal to Lü Bu. Lü Bu demanded to maintain his independence and a letter of Yuan Shu's surrender to him. Yuan Shu agreed to the terms and obeyed. Meanwhile, Zang Ba either didn't know or hear of Lü Bu's plans for peace and attacked the independent ruler of Langye, Xiao Jian. Lü Bu was angered on two counts: Zang Ba disobeyed him and Zang Ba caused his third-party ally to lose his castle, Jucheng. Furious with his retainer, Lü Bu ignored Gao Shun's request to wait for Zang Ba's forgiveness and gathered an army to attack Zang Ba. The civil war ended with Lü Bu triumphant; the afflicted parties then reconciled and renewed their loyalties to one another.
With Cao Cao's support, Liu Bei returned to reclaim his spot at Xiaopei in 198. Liu Bei attacked Xiaopei, briefly reclaimed it, but ultimately lost his fight against Lü Bu. Cao Cao followed with an invasion of Xuzhou. Nearly the same time, Chen Deng displayed his displeasure for his lord by defecting to Cao Cao. Lü Bu tried to hold Chen Deng's younger brother as a hostage to regain the rioter's loyalties, but the plot failed. Seeing the tides turn against him, Lü Bu requested reinforcements from Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu's trust in Lü Bu had wilted as he was reminded of the lord's past betrayals. Lü Bu tried to offer his daughter once more to strengthen his ties with Yuan Shu, but the carriage was refused. At his wit's end, Lü Bu listened to his wife and ignored Chen Gong and Gao Shun's advice thenceforth. The sieges of Xiapi continued endlessly between the armies.
Three months later, Lü Bu's troops were riddled with anxiety and impoverished by hunger. Cao Cao planned a water attack with Xun Yu and Guo Jia by using the two rivers, Yishui and Sishui. He initiated the attack in winter when the morale of Lü Bu's troops were at their lowest. The water attack was the breaking point for Hou Cheng, Song Xian, and Wei Xu. They captured Chen Gong, Gao Shun, and Red Hare and surrendered to Cao Cao. Lü Bu tried to rouse his remaining men to keep resisting the coalition against them and threatened to kill them if they surrendered to Cao Cao. When he saw that his troops were unwilling to listen to him, Lü Bu surrendered.
As he was brought before Cao Cao, Lü Bu said to him, "Milord, if you lead the infantry and I lead the cavalry, we can pacify the land together." Upon hearing this, Cao Cao looked dismayed and considered the proposal. Upon noticing this, Liu Bei warned, "Have you forgotten the fates of Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo?" Thusly convinced, Cao Cao ordered for his prisoner's execution. Before he was hanged, Lü Bu's last words to Cao Cao were, "Under any circumstances, you mustn't trust the one with large ears (Liu Bei)." Shortly after his death, Lü Bu's head was removed and his body was buried.
Personal Info
There are repeated accounts throughout historical records which attest to his strength. The historian Fan Ye, compiler for the Book of Later Han, compared Lü Bu to be the very thing which caused people to shirk with fear. There is a famous saying about him and Red Hare, "Among men Lü Bu, among horses Red Hare" (人中呂布, 馬中赤兔). According to the Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu was a master in horse riding, archery, and armed combat. He was reportedly known as the "Flying General" (飛将).
However, strength alone was not enough to salvage his reputation. He was also known to be rough to the point of being nearly intolerable with other people, and he was known for his fickle nature. Chen Gong praised his lord as an invincible warrior in the field, but he also urged his lord to be cautious and to avoid disturbing the public opinion of him. Gao Shun remarked that it wasn't always the will of the vassal to follow his lord's orders, addressing the disfavor directed towards Lü Bu. As a retainer, he couldn't reprimand his lord's actions and felt that he should accept any joy or misgivings his lord showed him.
Historian Chen Shou remarked, "In history, there is no precedent in which a person like him was not ruined", as well as the fact that despite his strength Lü Bu lacked in proper battlefield strategy; he also only cared more about his gains. It was due to Lü Bu's aforementioned nature, he was known to be quite infamous for lack of control over his soldiers; not only did it make local populaces of the areas he conquered quite upset at him (due to the aforementioned soldiers committing unruly acts), but additional entries by Chen Shou had stated Lü Bu's soldiers and generals were all disunited due to their own motivations and Lü Bu's own lack of complete control and rationality towards them.
While debated, there was one supposed incident where during his scuffles with Hao Meng, he attempted an assault on Lü Bu whilst the latter was bare-naked (how Lü Bu was in such a state was never discovered to this day). Surprised, the leading general fled from his tent without even grabbing a bathrobe or any form of clothing as he screamed for Gao Shun's name. Gao Shun given he was used to his lord's behavior at this point, while unfazed gathered his elite forces to corner Hao Meng and forced him and his He'nei troops to flee; albeit later on his subordinate Cao Xing betrayed Hao Meng and presented his head to Lü Bu while gaining control over Hao Meng's troops.
He had one known wife whose name and family relations are unknown, who was often referred to as "Lady Yan" in most sources. He fathered one known daughter.
Fictional Information
Lü Bu was said to be a master of all of the martial arts, a crack shot with the bow, and a peerless rider. His most major flaws were his impatience and his temper, and he preferred action to talk and diplomacy, and made a rather poor general and politician. The adopted son of Ding Yuan, he led the army that his stepfather brought to oppose the usurping Dong Zhuo. Before the negotiations even ended, Lü Bu got impatient and with a yell he charged alone into Dong Zhuo's front line, causing the panicked infantry to flee.
The fat tyrant realized that he would never defeat Ding Yuan so long as Lü Bu served him. Li Su, a general under Dong Zhuo and a fellow villager of Lü Bu, then volunteered to persuade the formidable warrior to defect. Bringing along a famous steed named the Red Hare, a thousand taels of gold, dozens of pearls and a jade belt (which would amount to a $1,000,000 bribe in today's market), Li Su came to see Lü Bu, who was encamped outside the city. It did not take much persuasion to convince Lü Bu to betray his master, who felt that his career was going nowhere under Ding Yuan. That very night, Lü Bu carried a sword into the tent of Ding Yuan, who was reading under the candlelight. Ding Yuan questioned him as to why he was holding the sword. Quickly sensing that Lü Bu had switched sides, Ding Yuan tried to escape but was unsuccessful.
With a stroke of his sword Lü Bu cut down his father's head, which he brought to Dong Zhuo the next morning. Lü Bu then took Dong Zhuo as his new adoptive father, who was overjoyed and showered his newly adopted son with more gifts. The constant presence of Lü Bu at his side deterred future assassins. For his personal safety, Dong Zhuo relied heavily on Lü Bu, who had by then been promoted to Knight General. The son would be seen beside the father almost all the time.
Battle with Three Heroes at Hulao Pass
Since he placed the puppet Emperor Xian in the throne, Dong Zhuo's tyrannical and cruel ways had angered many warlords around the country. The warlords formed a coalition under Yuan Shao in 190 and came for Dong Zhuo in the capital Luoyang to vanquish him.
However, they were stopped at Hulao Pass, 50 li from Luoyang. Riding forth on his Red Hare, his halberd in hand, dressed in the finest silver armor and wearing a twin pheasent-tail headpiece, Lü Bu taunted for challengers to duel him. Every warrior who came within range of his halberd were either maimed horribly or met a swift, bloody death. Amid the chaotic screams of panic and death, Lü Bu heard a loud, bass voice call him a "bastard slave with three last names". Wielding his Eight-Zhang Serpent Spear, Zhang Fei shouted the insult at Lü Bu to get his attention and galloped out to fight him.
Zhang Fei was said to have wielded the strength of a hundred men in battle, but he struggled against Lü Bu for more than fifty bouts, either side unable to gain an advantage. Then Guan Yu, brandishing his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, dashed out to assist his brother. The three fighters were engaged in another thirty bouts, but still Lü Bu held his ground. Then Liu Bei, holding up his Dual Swords, also joined the battle.
Like a merry-go-round, the three brothers galloped in a circle caging Lü Bu inside, who finally began to tire. Whenever Lü Bu tried to attack one, the other two would ride in and attack his exposed flanks forcing him back on the defensive, and soon he became exhausted. Unable to face the combined efforts of his three opponents at once, Lü Bu then made a feign at Liu Bei, whose martial ability he determined was the least of the three, and retreated through the resulting gap back to the pass gate. The Trio chased after Lü Bu but due to the speed of Red Hare, his horse, they could not keep up with him. However they abandoned the chase after they spotted Dong Zhuo and then pursued him unsuccessfully.
Romance with Diaochan and Slaying Dong Zhuo
After Dong Zhuo moved the capital to the more strategically sound Chang'an, Minister of Interior Wang Yun started to contemplate a plot to assassinate the tyrant by using Diaochan, a song girl who was brought up in his household but whom he treated like his own daughter, to plant the seed of dissension between Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu.
Inviting Lü Bu over one night, Wang Yun asked Diaochan to serve wine to the guest. Lü Bu was immediately left speechless by the girl's beauty. Well aware of this, Wang Yun then promised to marry Diaochan to the mighty warrior.
A few days later, however, Wang Yun laid a feast for Dong Zhuo and repeated the feat. Like Lü Bu, Dong Zhuo could not lift his eyes off Diaochan, who also displayed her prowess in song and dance. Dong Zhuo then brought Diaochan home and made her his concubine.
When Lü Bu heard about this the next morning, he headed for Dong Zhuo's bedroom and peeped in through the window. There he saw Diaochan sitting up grooming her hair while Dong Zhuo was still asleep. Seeing Lü Bu's reflection in the pond near the window, Diaochan then put up a sorrowful expression and pretended to wipe tears off her eyes with a handkerchief.
When Dong Zhuo fell sick a month later, Lü Bu took the chance to see Diaochan on the pretext of asking after Dong Zhuo's health, but this time Dong Zhuo woke up in time to see Lü Bu staring fixedly at Diaochan. The arrogant and ungrateful Dong Zhuo then had Lü Bu shoved out and forbidden to enter the inner chambers henceforth.
Then one day, while Dong Zhuo was holding a conversation with Emperor Xian, Lü Bu stole to his adoptive father's residence and met with Diaochan in the Fengyi Arbor. Weeping, Diaochan pled with Lü Bu to rescue her from Dong Zhuo vowing to drown herself in the pond rather than spend another minute with the horrid tyrant. Taken in by Diaochan's act, Lü Bu placed his halberd aside and held Diaochan in his arms while comforting her with promises for her rescue.
Back at the palace, Dong Zhuo realized that Lü Bu had slipped away. Returning to his residence, he found the Red Hare horse outside and realized that Lü Bu had gone against his orders and reentered the inner chambers. In a huff, Dong Zhuo entered his residence to find the duo in the pavilion arbor. The startled Lü Bu turned to flee, forgetting to retrieve his halberd in the process. Dong Zhuo grabbed the halberd and gave chase. Being too obese however, Dong Zhuo could not catch up with the more agile Lü Bu. He then hurled the halberd with his strength akin to javelin at Lü Bu but the latter fended it off and got away.
After the incident, Lü Bu was becoming increasingly fed up with Dong Zhuo's egotistical arrogance. This displeasure was further enticed by Wang Yun, who suggested subtly that Lü Bu take Dong Zhuo's life. Lü Bu attempted to argue for Dong Zhuo's paternal relationship to himself, but Wang Yun dismissed it, saying, "His surname is Dong and yours is Lü. Where were the paternal feelings when he threw that halberd at you?" Upon this, Lü Bu decided that he'd had enough and made up his mind to kill Dong Zhuo.
The conspirators then sent Li Su to fetch Dong Zhuo from his castle in the county of Mei under the pretense that the emperor intended to abdicate the throne to the warlord. Despite repeated ill omens, the overjoyed Dong Zhuo came to the palace gate, where his troops were barred from entering. As Dong Zhuo's carriage neared the palace building, soldiers loyal to Wang Yun surrounded the carriage and stabbed Dong Zhuo with spears.
Dong Zhuo was however injured only in the arms due to the breastplate he had taken the caution to wear that day. He then cried out for Lü Bu, giving him a "Imperial order to slay the traitor!". Unfortunately for Dong Zhuo, he was impaled in the throat by Lü Bu's halberd like a wild pig, while Lü Bu sarcastically proclaimed, "Then by imperial order I'll slay the traitor!" It was said that Lü Bu not only skewered his stepfather, but also the carriage as well, with the bloody tip of his halberd sticking out the back. Not content with this slaughter, Lü Bu called for the death of Li Ru as well.
Exile and Independence
After Dong Zhuo's death, rumors spread that the court intended to execute all his former troops from Liangzhou (涼州). When a royal decree of pardon was not issued, former subjects of Dong Zhuo, Li Jue and Guo Si, staged a coup and defeated Lü Bu within ten days. Escaping from Chang'an, Lü Bu first went to Yuan Shu in Yangzhou (楊州). Deterred by Lü Bu's fickleness, however, Yuan Shu declined to keep him.
Lü Bu then headed north to seek a position under Yuan Shao. Having been given some troops by the northern warlord, Lü Bu successfully flushed out the army under Zhang Yan. However, with his own force growing in strength, Lü Bu began to look like a threat to Yuan Shao. Sensing this himself, Lü Bu then bid his short-term master farewell. Yuan Shao sent assassins after Lü Bu, but Lü Bu eluded them.
In 194, while Cao Cao was away on a campaign against Tao Qian in the western reaches of Xuzhou, his subjects Zhang Miao and Chen Gong rebelled and handed Yanzhou's Dong Commandery to Lü Bu through Puyang County. When Cao Cao heard the news, he quickly turned back and laid siege on Lü Bu in Puyang. After more than a hundred days of stalemate, a famine breakout forced Lü Bu to give up his position.
Thinking that forcing Cao Cao's retreat from Xuzhou had done Liu Bei a favor, Lü Bu then headed for Xiapi to take refuge under Liu Bei. He often referred to Liu Bei as "little brother" which Liu Bei's oath brothers, particularly Zhang Fei, found disrespectful. In 196, however, after a number of misunderstandings, Lü Bu turned on his host and took over Xiapi, proclaiming himself the governor and sending Liu Bei to the nearby town of Xiaopei. He later performs his historical act of preventing Ji Ling's attack on Liu Bei.
Hoping to prevent Cao Cao's expanding influence, Yuan Shu offered an alliance with Lü Bu. Their marriage alliance ends in the same manner with Lü Bu initially agreeing but then recalling his decision. Lü Bu also imprisoned Yuan Shu's envoy and sent the captive to Cao Cao as a token of friendship.
Downfall
In 198, Cao Cao and Liu Bei formed a short-term alliance and laid siege on Lü Bu in Xiapi. The siege dragged on for two months without significant gains. After the water attack on Xiapi flooded the city gates, Lü Bu's subjects rushed to inform their leader, but Lü Bu dismissed the threat on account that his Red Hare could run as well in water as on land. Thereupon he returned to his wine cups and consorts. However, heavy indulgence in alcohol and women had wasted his health away such that one day Lü Bu looked into the mirror and found himself looking thin and pallid. Making the resolution to quit drinking, Lü Bu then passed an order for all within the city to keep off wine.
One day, Hou Cheng caught a defector who attempted to steal fifty horses and give it to the enemy. Hou Cheng then prepared barrels of wine to celebrate with his colleagues. Fearing wrath of Lü Bu, he then had five bottles sent to his superior to appease the latter, which turned out to a terrible mistake. Seeing the bottles of wine, Lü Bu was enraged at the opposition to his alcoholic ban, and had Hou Cheng thrashed sixty times as punishment.
The unhappy Hou Cheng then plotted with two colleagues, Song Xian and Wei Xu, to betray Lü Bu to the enemy. Under the cover of the night Hou Cheng stole Lü Bu's Red Hare and galloped out of the only gate not submerged in water towards Cao Cao's camp.
The next morning, Cao Cao's troops launched a fierce attack on the city. Lü Bu personally took part in the defense of the walls. The battle dragged into high noon and the attackers backed off for a rest. The exhausted Lü Bu then slept in a guardhouse on top of the wall. Taking the opportunity, Song Xian and Wei Xu very carefully tied Lü Bu with chains and hoisted a white flag. The two also threw Lü Bu's halberd down the wall as proof. Seeing the signals, Cao Cao's troops then poured into the city and seized it in no time.
After he had been captured, he thrashed like a beast in his chains until he was taken in front of Cao Cao. Lü Bu attempted to appeal to Cao Cao in the same manner as historical counterpart. To reinforce his point, Lü Bu then tried to get Liu Bei to plea for him. Liu Bei continued to speak against Lü Bu by speaking the same words he did historically. Lü Bu's last words were spent threatening to kill Liu Bei like a dog for speaking against him. Cao Cao had Lü Bu strangled and then beheaded.
This article is a stub. You can help the wiki by expanding it.