Li Fu

Historical Record

Based on the existing historical-biographical material, the record concerning Li Fu is blank. In the official histories such as the Records of the Three Kingdoms, no figure named Li Fu is found with any clear record of life's deeds or official post. Therefore, from the standpoint of historical verification, Li Fu is not a true historical figure supported by historical sources.

In the Novel

In the narrative of Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Li Fu, as a General of the Internuncios, played an active role in the political process of Wei supplanting the Han. He first appears in Chapter 79, when, together with the Assistant Grand Astrologer Xu Zhi, against the backdrop of various auspicious portents (such as a phoenix appearing at Shiyi County, a unicorn appearing at Linzi City, and a yellow dragon appearing in Ye Commandery), he discussed and promoted the ceremony of Cao Pi receiving the abdication. ^c:2425

Li Fu, together with a whole body of civil and military officials—Hua Xin, Wang Lang, Xin Pi, Jia Xu, and others, more than forty in all—entered the palace to memorialize Emperor Xian of Han, explicitly requesting that he abdicate the throne in favor of the King of Wei, Cao Pi. In Chapter 80, when Emperor Xian of Han expressed doubt about the talk of auspicious portents, Hua Xin specially introduced Li Fu and Xu Zhi to come forward and explain. Li Fu thereupon memorialized: "Since the King of Wei ascended his throne, a unicorn has been born, a phoenix has come, a yellow dragon has appeared, fine grain has flourished, and sweet dew has fallen: these are auspicious signs shown by Heaven above, the image of Wei being due to replace the Han." ^c:2426 These words of his were meant to provide, from the angle of celestial omens and portents, a basis of legitimacy as "the Mandate's rightful destination" for Cao Pi's supplanting the Han. Although Emperor Xian of Han expressed disbelief, holding that these "auspicious portents and prophetic charts are all empty and false matters," Li Fu's statement was undoubtedly an important component of the Cao Wei group's coercion of Emperor Xian of Han to abdicate. In the novel, Li Fu is cast as an official actively taking part in the political exhortation to ascend and waving the flag and shouting for the founding of the new dynasty; his role lies in reinforcing the "Mandate of Heaven" rationality of the Cao Wei regime replacing the Han house, rather than being a character of independent military or political talent. His presence is more that of a tool figure in the propaganda for the legitimacy of Cao Pi supplanting the Han than a character of profound portrayal.

Key Relationships

* Cao Pi: In the novel, Li Fu is a supporter and exhorter of Cao Pi. He actively took part in planning and carrying out the coercion of Emperor Xian of Han to abdicate in favor of Cao Pi, manufacturing public opinion and a basis of legitimacy for Cao Pi's supplanting the Han by proclaiming auspicious portents. ^c:2426 (unique to the novel)
* Liu Xie (Emperor Xian of Han): Li Fu directly addressed Emperor Xian of Han, demanding that he abdicate. Together with a body of Cao Wei officials he pressed Emperor Xian of Han, being one of the direct participants in ending Han rule. ^c:2425 (unique to the novel)
* Xu Zhi: Li Fu and Xu Zhi were colleagues in the novel, and the two jointly discussed and promoted Cao Pi's grand ceremony of receiving the abdication. When facing Emperor Xian of Han, the two also came forward together, each providing, from a different angle (Li Fu from auspicious portents, Xu Zhi from prophetic charts), an explanation of the "Mandate of Heaven" for Cao Pi's supplanting the Han. ^c:2426 (unique to the novel)

Signature Scenes

Li Fu's signature scenes are concentrated in his participation in the event of exhorting Emperor Xian of Han to abdicate in favor of Cao Pi. In Chapters 79 and 80 of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he together with the Assistant Grand Astrologer Xu Zhi jointly discussed, holding that "the various auspicious signs are the omen of Wei being due to replace the Han, and the rite of receiving the abdication may be arranged." ^c:2425 Subsequently, he together with Hua Xin and more than forty other civil and military officials entered the palace and directly presented the abdication request to Emperor Xian of Han, Liu Xie. When Emperor Xian of Han questioned the truth of the auspicious portents, Li Fu stepped forward and enumerated in detail a series of "auspicious signs shown by Heaven above"—"a unicorn born, a phoenix come, a yellow dragon appearing, fine grain flourishing, sweet dew falling"—to prove "the image of Wei being due to replace the Han." ^c:2426 This scene is not only Li Fu's sole dialogue and main scene in the novel, but also concentrates his role as a propagandist for the legitimacy of the Cao Wei regime replacing the Han. His words, together with Xu Zhi's reading of the prophetic charts and Wang Lang's argument that "where there is rise there must be fall," jointly formed the powerful political pressure on Emperor Xian of Han, finally bringing about the fall of the Han dynasty and the founding of Cao Wei. This series of exhortation activities is Li Fu's most central and decisive action in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and the only image given him in literary creation.