Liu Fu

Historical Record

Liu Fu, styled Yuanying, was a native of Xiang in the Pei state. Amid the great upheaval at the end of the Eastern Han, he fled the chaos to Yang Province. In the early years of Jian'an, Liu Fu displayed his extraordinary strategy and powers of persuasion, successfully convincing Yuan Shu's generals Qi Ji and Qin Yi to lead their followers in submission to Cao Cao. Cao Cao deeply appreciated Liu Fu's ability and at once appointed him Assistant to the Minister over the Masses ^c:4767.

At the time the situation in Yang Province was turbulent and unstable. Li Shu, the Grand Administrator of Lujiang appointed by Sun Ce, went so far as to attack and kill Yan Xiang, the Inspector of Yang Province, leaving the province without a master. At the same time, local powers in Lujiang commandery such as Mei Qian, Lei Xu, and Chen Lan rose with the tide, gathering followers tens of thousands strong and rampaging through the Jiang-Huai region, so that the commanderies and counties lay in ruins and the people had no means of livelihood. Just then Cao Cao faced his great campaign against Yuan Shao and had no time to attend to the southeastern frontier. After careful deliberation, Cao Cao judged that Liu Fu was fully capable of taking up the heavy task of stabilizing the southeast, and so memorialized the court to appoint Liu Fu as Inspector of Yang Province ^c:4767. On taking up his charge, Liu Fu, starting from Hefei, set about rebuilding the provincial seat, gathering in the scattered populace, founding schools, opening extensive military farms, and devoting himself to restoring production and education, securing the southeastern rear for Cao Cao with outstanding achievement. His pragmatic, capable governance and his far-sighted concern for both attack and defense were fully embodied in this series of measures.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Fu's image is given more literary coloring, especially on the eve of the Battle of Red Cliffs, where his end diverges greatly from the historical fact. The Liu Fu of the novel, as Inspector of Yang Province, likewise rose from Hefei, founded the provincial seat, gathered in refugees, established schools, promoted military farms, and fostered education, long serving Cao Cao and achieving much merit ^c:4768. Yet his appearance and end carry a tragic coloring.

When Cao Cao held a banquet upon the great river, leveled his lance and composed a poem, chanting "Facing the wine, one should sing—how long does life last?", Liu Fu spoke up among the assembly. He bluntly pointed out that the lines Cao Cao chanted—"The moon is bright, the stars are few; crows and magpies fly south; circling the tree three times, they find no branch to rest upon"—were inauspicious words that should not be uttered on the eve of a great battle ^c:4768. Hearing this, Cao Cao flew into a rage, holding that Liu Fu had spoiled his mood, and with his own hand he ran Liu Fu through with his lance. This sudden calamity stunned all present, and the banquet broke up in haste ^c:4768.

The next day, when Cao Cao had sobered up, he was filled with remorse for his deed. Liu Fu's son Liu Xi came to ask that his father's body be conveyed home for burial. Shedding tears, Cao Cao said that he had injured Liu Fu by mistake in his drunkenness and regretted it beyond measure, and he ordered that Liu Fu be buried with full honors befitting one of the Three Excellencies, sending soldiers to escort the coffin home ^c:675. This episode has no basis in the histories; it is an artistic creation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, designed both to portray the many-sided nature of Cao Cao's character and to foreshadow the defeat at Red Cliffs.

Key Relationships

* Cao Wei (serves): Liu Fu was an important adviser and regional official under Cao Cao. In history, valued by Cao Cao, he rose from Assistant to the Minister over the Masses all the way to Inspector of Yang Province, making great contributions to stabilizing the southeast, developing production, and securing the rear for Cao Cao ^c:4767. In the novel, too, he is an old subordinate of Cao Cao with outstanding achievements ^c:4768.
* Liu Xi (parent_of): Liu Xi is the son of Liu Fu. This relationship appears mainly in the novel: after Liu Fu was killed by Cao Cao by mistake, Liu Xi came forward to ask for his father's body and received Cao Cao's promise of an honorable burial ^c:675 (unique to the novel).
* Yuan Shu (opponent): In his early career Liu Fu persuaded Yuan Shu's generals Qi Ji and Qin Yi to submit to Cao Cao, weakening Yuan Shu's power and showing his outstanding political skill ^c:4767.
* Sun Ce (opponent): While Liu Fu served as Inspector of Yang Province, the region lay at the edge of Sun Ce's expanding power; Li Shu, the Grand Administrator of Lujiang appointed by Sun Ce, had attacked and killed Yan Xiang, throwing Yang Province into turmoil, and Liu Fu's governance served to some degree as a check on Sun Ce's power ^c:4767.

Signature Scenes

* Persuading Yuan Shu's generals to submit to Cao Cao: This is the scene where Liu Fu first displays his political talent in the histories. He successfully persuaded Yuan Shu's generals Qi Ji and Qin Yi to lead their followers in submission to Cao Cao, contributing to Cao Cao's early growth and thereby gaining his appreciation and trust ^c:4767. This event established Liu Fu's standing in Cao Cao's camp.
* Rebuilding Yang Province and promoting governance and education: After being appointed Inspector of Yang Province, Liu Fu, starting from Hefei, set about rebuilding the provincial seat, gathering in the scattered populace, establishing schools, promoting military farms, and fostering education, bringing Yang Province back to life from the ravages of war. This series of pragmatic, capable measures fully embodies his ability and foresight as an excellent regional official ^c:4767.
* Killed for remonstrating during the lance-leveling and poem-composing: In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, on the eve of the Battle of Red Cliffs, when Cao Cao leveled his lance and composed his poem, Liu Fu bluntly remarked that the lines "The moon is bright, the stars are few; crows and magpies fly south; circling the tree three times, they find no branch to rest upon" were inauspicious. In his fury Cao Cao ran him through with his own hand ^c:4768. This scene is the best-known end of Liu Fu in the novel; though it contradicts history, it greatly heightens the dramatic conflict and tragic coloring of the character and foreshadows Cao Cao's obstinacy and his defeat at Red Cliffs (unique to the novel).
* Cao Cao sobers up, repents, and buries Liu Fu with honor: The day after Liu Fu's death, Cao Cao sobered up and was deeply remorseful for his deed, burying Liu Fu with full honors befitting one of the Three Excellencies and sending soldiers to escort the coffin home ^c:675. This episode shows a complex side of Cao Cao's character—both his cruel impulsiveness and his remorse once sobered and his regard for talent (unique to the novel).