Lü Yi

Historical Record

Lü Yi was an official responsible for inspecting documents within the Secretariat and investigative affairs apparatus of Eastern Wu. He once worked with Qin Bo to inspect documents from government offices and commanderies and counties. Historical records state that he gradually gained unchecked power, using investigations and prosecutions of officials as an opportunity to wield authority arbitrarily. He even pursued cases on false and sordid charges and disparaged senior ministers, leading Gu Yong and others to face accusations and reprimands.^[1] Because Lü Yi inspected documents and brought numerous accusations, Bu Zhi submitted a memorial advocating that the court entrust important matters to senior ministers and citing celestial signs as warnings. Lu Xun, too, shared Pan Jun’s concern about Lü Yi’s abuse of power, and wept when speaking of the matter.^[2][3]

Lü Yi impeached the Chancellor Gu Yong, Left General Zhu Ju, and others, and those involved were at one point detained. Zhu Ju’s troops were due to receive 30,000 strings of cash, but an artisan named Wang Sui fraudulently claimed the money. Lü Yi suspected that Zhu Ju had taken it himself and interrogated those who had handled the matter, causing one of them to die under the blows of the staff. Zhu Ju was thus unable to clear his name and was reprimanded and made to plead guilty. Later, Liu Zhu uncovered what Wang Sui had done. Sun Quan lamented that even Zhu Ju had suffered a wrongful accusation, and wondered how much worse it must be for officials and commoners; he then pursued Lü Yi’s crimes.^[4][5]

Lü Yi also once falsely accused Diao Jia, the former Administrator of Jiangxia, of slandering the government. Those questioned alongside him, fearing Lü Yi, all claimed to have heard of the matter. Only Shi Yi answered truthfully that he had never heard of it. Sun Quan ultimately released Shi Yi, and Diao Jia was also spared.^[6] After Lü Yi’s crimes were exposed, Sun Quan had him executed.^[7] Kan Ze once advised Sun Quan that even if the relevant officials recommended the death penalty for Lü Yi, he should not also be subjected to the punishment of burning and dismemberment. This reflects the debate at the time over the severity of the punishments to be imposed in Lü Yi’s case.^[8]

In the Novel

The novel does not portray this person. The materials available provide no account of how Lü Yi was depicted in novels such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, so no novelistic episodes can be added on that basis; accounts of him can only rely on the Records of the Three Kingdoms and Pei Songzhi’s annotations.^[1]

Key Relationships

Lü Yi served in the Eastern Wu court’s document and oversight affairs. Sun Quan initially appointed him to inspect government documents, but later had him executed after his crimes were exposed; Sun Quan also blamed himself over the wrongful accusation against Zhu Ju.^[1][7][4] When Gu Yong faced the imprisoned Lü Yi, he still questioned him in a calm and genial manner. He rebuked Huai Xu for insulting Lü Yi to his face, saying that the matter should be handled according to the law. Xu Zhong’s commentary, quoted by Pei Songzhi, criticized Gu Yong for allowing Lü Yi to speak in his own defense, showing that historians offered a different assessment of Gu Yong’s conduct.^[1]

Pan Jun repeatedly warned Sun Quan of Lü Yi’s treachery. He even once considered killing Lü Yi with his own hands at a banquet for the officials and accepting the consequences himself. On learning of this, Lü Yi claimed to be ill and did not attend. His influence later waned, and he was executed.^[5] Xie Hong, meanwhile, tested and alarmed Lü Yi by suggesting that Pan Jun might succeed Gu Yong and then move against Lü Yi, prompting him to drop his pursuit of the case against Gu Yong.^[5] Senior ministers including Bu Zhi and Lu Xun also submitted memorials or offered advice expressing their concern about Lü Yi’s autocratic power.^[2][3]

Representative Scenes

The case involving the wrongful accusation of Zhu Ju over 30,000 strings of cash best illustrates Lü Yi’s conduct and its consequences. Wang Sui fraudulently claimed the money, but Lü Yi directed suspicion at Zhu Ju and tortured the person in charge until he died. Zhu Ju suffered accusations and had no way to defend himself, until Liu Zhu revealed the truth. Only then did Sun Quan come to his senses and pursue Lü Yi.^[4] This case vividly shows how the power to inspect and investigate could harm officials and commoners, and how the ruler later recognized that the investigations had gone awry.

Another scene took place when Gu Yong interrogated Lü Yi. Gu Yong calmly asked whether he had anything more to say. Lü Yi kowtowed and remained silent; when Huai Xu insulted Lü Yi to his face, Gu Yong instead stopped him, saying, “The law provides for proper procedure.”^[1] A related account describes Pan Jun’s wish to assassinate Lü Yi at a banquet for the officials, and Lü Yi claiming illness and avoiding the gathering after hearing of it. This is a historical event recorded in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, not an episode from the novel.^[5]