Lü Kuang

史载（Historical Record）

Lü Kuang is little recorded in the historical sources, appearing mainly in the critical period after Yuan Shao's death, when his sons Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang contended for control of Jizhou. After Yuan Shao died, his youngest son Yuan Shang, owing to the favor of his mother Lady Liu and the support of Shen Pei, Feng Ji and others, was able to inherit Yuan Shao's position, while the eldest son Yuan Tan could not be installed and styled himself General of Chariots and Cavalry, the two brothers thus falling out. Cao Cao seized the opportunity to campaign north, and after the brothers Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang were defeated by Cao Cao at Liyang, Yuan Shang withdrew to Ye while Yuan Tan fled to Pingyuan. When Yuan Shang attacked Yuan Tan at Pingyuan, Yuan Tan sent Xin Pi to seek rescue from Cao Cao. Cao Cao therefore turned his army back to relieve Yuan Tan. As Cao Cao marched north to relieve Yuan Tan, Yuan Shang, hearing that Cao Cao had turned north, abandoned Pingyuan and returned to Ye. It was against this backdrop that Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang betrayed Yuan Shang and surrendered to Cao Cao. To win over Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang, Yuan Tan secretly carved general's seals and bestowed them on the two ^c:4905. The historical record of Lü Kuang ends here and does not mention his subsequent military actions or fate.

演中（In the Novel）

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Lü Kuang's image is further developed, and he takes part in more military actions, his career being more eventful. He appears together with his brother Lü Xiang as a subordinate general of Yuan Shang. When Cao Cao crossed the river to attack Yuan Tan, Yuan Shang led his army back to Ye and ordered Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang to cover the rear. Yuan Tan seized the opportunity to pursue, and before the lines urged Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang to surrender, pointing out that Yuan Shao had not treated them poorly while he lived. Hearing this, Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang dismounted and surrendered to Yuan Tan ^c:898. However, Yuan Tan did not directly take them in, but advised them to surrender to Cao Cao. So Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang went with Yuan Tan to see Cao Cao, and Cao Cao was overjoyed; he not only betrothed his daughter to Yuan Tan but also enfeoffed Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang as full marquises and kept them on to serve in his army ^c:4906.

Afterward, on Cao Cao's instruction, Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang took part in a scheme of feigned surrender to Gao Gan. They falsely claimed that Cao Cao was a treacherous man who had treated them poorly, and that they intended to return to the Yuan camp, in order to win Gao Gan's trust and launch a night raid on his camp ^c:9059. This episode displays their cunning side as Cao Cao's surrendered generals in the Romance. After Cao Cao pacified Hebei, Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang were sent to Fancheng, where together with Cao Ren and Li Dian they garrisoned and kept a watchful eye on Jingxiang. At this time, they volunteered to Cao Ren, requesting to lead five thousand troops to capture Liu Bei and thereby earn merit ^c:4907. In the battle with Liu Bei, Lü Kuang faced Zhao Yun, and after only a few rounds was run through and knocked off his horse by Zhao Yun's spear; Lü Xiang, seeing this and unable to hold out, led his army in flight ^c:9062. With this, Lü Kuang's career in the Romance also came to an end.

关键关系

* Yuan Shang: Lü Kuang first served Yuan Shang, but owing to the infighting between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang, betrayed Yuan Shang and surrendered to Cao Cao ^c:4905.
* Yuan Tan: Lü Kuang, at Yuan Tan's urging, defected from Yuan Shang's camp to Yuan Tan, and finally surrendered to Cao Cao through Yuan Tan ^c:898 (Romance only). Yuan Tan once secretly carved a general's seal and bestowed it on Lü Kuang, intending to win him over ^c:4905.
* Cao Cao: Lü Kuang finally surrendered to Cao Cao and was enfeoffed as a full marquis, becoming a subordinate general of Cao Cao and taking part in several of his military actions ^c:4906.
* Lü Xiang: Lü Kuang's brother; the two always appear together in both the histories and the Romance, surrendering to Cao Cao together, taking part in military actions together, and suffering setbacks together in the battle with Liu Bei ^c:9062.
* Zhao Yun: In the Romance, Lü Kuang was finally killed by Zhao Yun, falling to Zhao Yun's spear ^c:9062 (Romance only).

标志性场景

* Betraying Yuan Shang and surrendering to Cao Cao: This is Lü Kuang's most important act in the historical sources. Amid the complex situation of the brothers Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang contending and Cao Cao campaigning north, Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang betrayed Yuan Shang and went over to Cao Cao. This act had a certain impact on the political and military situation in Hebei at the time, and reflected the fickleness of generals in a chaotic age ^c:4905.
* Feigned surrender to Gao Gan: In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang, on Cao Cao's instruction, feigned surrender to Gao Gan in order to launch a night raid on the enemy camp. This scene displays their scheming and execution as surrendered generals in the literary work, and also highlights Cao Cao's skill in employing surrendered generals ^c:9059 (Romance only).
* Death at Zhao Yun's spear: Lü Kuang's final end in Romance of the Three Kingdoms is to be run through and knocked off his horse by Zhao Yun's spear while fighting Liu Bei. This scene not only brings Lü Kuang's life to a close but also further sets off Zhao Yun's valorous image ^c:9062 (Romance only).