Lü Chang

史载（Historical Record）

Concerning Lü Chang, the official histories contain no clear record whatsoever. In the Records of the Three Kingdoms and other historical sources, no biography, deeds, or any mention of him can be found. This means that in the true record of history, the figure of Lü Chang is absent; his life, offices, achievements, and even whether he truly existed cannot be confirmed from the historical materials. We therefore cannot make any objective statement about him from the standpoint of the histories.

演中（In the Novel）

Lü Chang appears in Romance of the Three Kingdoms as a member of the Cao Wei camp, his image shaped mainly in Chapter 73, with limited treatment. He is portrayed as a subordinate general, appearing in the Battle of Fancheng against the backdrop of Guan Yu's flooding of the seven armies and his might shaking all China^[1]. At that time, Cao Ren, having ignored Man Chong's advice, had suffered defeat and lost his generals, Xiangyang had fallen, and Guan Yu was leading his army to besiege Fancheng. As Cao Ren and Man Chong deliberated over a response, Lü Chang volunteered eagerly to fight, proposing to lead several thousand troops to intercept Guan Yu in the Xiang River, exploiting the principle of strategy that "an army may be struck when half across"^[1].

Although Man Chong remonstrated that the enemy should not be taken lightly, Lü Chang expressed dissatisfaction that the civil officials knew only how to hold firm, believing that if they waited until the enemy reached the walls and approached the moat, it would be even harder to resist. Cao Ren finally adopted Lü Chang's proposal and gave him two thousand troops to sally out and fight. However, Lü Chang's sortie ended in crushing defeat. When he reached the river mouth and faced Guan Yu—awe-inspiring and majestic, sword in hand astride his horse—his soldiers scattered without a fight, and Lü Chang could not stop them. Guan Yu pressed his advantage and cut his way through; the Cao troops were routed, and the bulk of his cavalry and infantry were lost^[1]. After this battle, Lü Chang's fate is no longer mentioned in the Romance, and his image stops here, serving as a foil to Guan Yu's mighty image. The Romance's portrayal of Lü Chang is plainly meant to highlight Guan Yu's valor and the plight of the Cao army, not to depict an independent character of any depth. His appearance and end are both tightly tied to Guan Yu's military operations; he is a typical "tool character," with no clear basis in history.

关键关系

* Relationship with Cao Ren: Lü Chang was a subordinate general of Cao Ren and obeyed his command. In the Battle of Fancheng, he requested to fight before Cao Ren and obtained Cao Ren's grant of troops^[1] (Romance only).
* Relationship with Man Chong: Lü Chang and Man Chong differed over military strategy. Man Chong advocated holding firm, while Lü Chang strongly argued for sallying out and expressed dissatisfaction with the conservative strategy of Man Chong and the other civil officials^[1] (Romance only).
* Relationship with Guan Yu: Lü Chang was Guan Yu's battlefield adversary. In the Battle of Fancheng, he volunteered to intercept Guan Yu, but was finally defeated by him^[1] (Romance only).

标志性场景

Lü Chang's defining scene is concentrated in the Battle of Fancheng in Chapter 73 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. At that time, Guan Yu had already broken Xiangyang and pointed his spearhead straight at Fancheng. Cao Ren's morale was low after his defeat, and Man Chong advised holding firm. It was against this backdrop that Lü Chang stepped forward and proposed the strategy of sallying out to attack. With impassioned fervor he declared, "I beg for several thousand troops; I am willing to meet the coming army within the Xiang River."^[1] This scene shows his mettle as a warrior and his eagerness for battle. He even argued with Man Chong, stressing the principle of strategy that "an army may be struck when half across," holding that they should not sit and wait for the enemy to reach the walls^[1].

Cao Ren then gave him two thousand troops, and Lü Chang led his force to the river mouth to fight. However, when he saw with his own eyes Guan Yu's heroic bearing—"awe-inspiring and majestic, sword in hand riding forth"—his soldiers fled at the sight, and Lü Chang could not stop them. In the end, Guan Yu pressed his advantage and cut his way in; the Cao troops were routed, and Lü Chang's force suffered grievous losses^[1]. This scene is not only Lü Chang's sole important appearance in the Romance but also the entirety of his characterization. It vividly depicts the image of a general who tried to turn the tide but was finally no match for his opponent, while also setting off Guan Yu's powerful deterrent force in the Battle of Fancheng. Lü Chang's sortie, with its crushing defeat, directly prompted Cao Ren to seek aid from Cao Cao, leading to the subsequent dispatch of reinforcements and the development of the campaign^[1] (Romance only).