Li Fu

Historical Record

Regarding records of Li Fu (styled Zixian), the verifiable official histories such as the Records of the Three Kingdoms contain no explicit record. Therefore, on the historical dimension, Li Fu's life, his official career, and the role he played during the Three Kingdoms period are all impossible to verify. This leaves Li Fu almost a blank in the official histories, his presence resting chiefly on the shaping and elaboration of later literary works. The lack of biographical material also means that we cannot make an objective evaluation of his character, ability, or merits and faults from a historical perspective. Therefore all descriptions of Li Fu will be based chiefly on the fictional plots of literary works such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

In the Novel

In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Li Fu appears as a Registrar under Yuan Shang, his image fashioned as a quick-witted, adaptable strategist skilled in stratagem on the battlefield. He first appears in chapter thirty-two, at the crucial moment when Yuan Shang, besieged by Cao Cao outside the walls of Jizhou, was anxious to make contact with Shen Pei, the defending commander within the city; here Li Fu displayed his cunning. Yuan Shang came out through the Fushui border crossing, went east to Yangping, and encamped at Yangping Pavilion, only seventeen li from Jizhou, leaning against the Fushui^[1]. To pass word into the city, Yuan Shang adopted Li Fu's plan. Li Fu disguised himself as a commander of Cao Cao's army and, under cover of night, came straight to the foot of Jizhou's walls, loudly calling for the gate to be opened^[1].

Shen Pei recognized Li Fu by his voice and let him into the city. Once inside, Li Fu conveyed to Shen Pei the message that Yuan Shang had stationed his troops at Yangping Pavilion awaiting a relief link-up, and proposed that the city too raise fire as a signal to pass word^[1]. Going further, Li Fu put forward a cunning scheme: since there was no grain in the city, the old, weak, and the women and children could be released to go out and surrender, and Cao Cao's side would surely not be on guard, whereupon Yuan Shang's army could seize the chance to mingle among the people and mount a surprise attack^[1]. Shen Pei adopted Li Fu's advice. This episode fully displays the wit and cunning Li Fu showed in a moment of crisis; though it could not in the end reverse Yuan Shang's defeat, the ingenuity of his scheme still left a deep impression on readers. Although Li Fu appears only briefly in the novel, with merely three lines of dialogue, the schemes he devised nonetheless advanced the plot to some degree and vividly delineated his character as "quick-witted and adaptable, cunning on the battlefield."

Key Relationships

* Yuan Shang (serves): In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Li Fu is a Registrar under Yuan Shang and one of his important strategists. At the crucial moment when Jizhou was besieged, Li Fu devised schemes for Yuan Shang, trying to help him break the siege and counterattack against Cao Cao^[1]. He loyally served Yuan Shang and carried out a dangerous infiltration mission, reflecting the trust and reliance between lord and follower (unique to the novel).

* Shen Pei (collaborates with): Li Fu and Shen Pei coordinated with each other within and outside the walls of Jizhou, jointly carrying out Yuan Shang's plan to break the siege. After entering the city, Li Fu conferred with Shen Pei on the scheme and won his approval and support^[1]. At a moment of life-and-death crisis, the two worked together for the fate of the Yuan house, displaying a relationship of cooperation between colleagues (unique to the novel).

* Cao Cao (opposes): As Yuan Shang's strategist, Li Fu's schemes aimed to counter Cao Cao's siege. He disguised himself as a commander of Cao Cao's army, trying to deceive Cao Cao's troops and planning to exploit their negligence for a counterattack^[1]. This shows that Li Fu was Cao Cao's direct adversary, his cunning all deployed to weaken Cao Cao's advantage (unique to the novel).

Iconic Scenes

Li Fu's iconic scene is concentrated in chapter thirty-two of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in the "feigned surrender and surprise attack" scheme he offered to break the siege of Jizhou for Yuan Shang. At that time Yuan Shang was besieged by Cao Cao and urgently needed to make contact with Shen Pei within the city. Li Fu volunteered, playing the part of a commander of Cao Cao's army, slipping by night to the foot of Jizhou's walls and loudly calling for the gate to be opened^[1]. Recognizing Li Fu's voice, Shen Pei let him into the city.

Once inside, Li Fu conveyed to Shen Pei the message that Yuan Shang was waiting at Yangping Pavilion to link up, and advised the city to raise fire as a signal to pass word. He then put forward a bolder scheme: "There is no grain in the city; we can send out the old, weak, and the women to surrender. The enemy will surely not be on guard, and I will follow the people out with troops to attack them"^[1]. Shen Pei adopted his advice. This scene fully displays Li Fu's wit and daring: he not only dared to impersonate the enemy and penetrate deep into peril, but could in a short time put forward a scheme both deceptive and practical. Although this plan could not in the end reverse Yuan Shang's defeat, it is without doubt Li Fu's best-known action in the novel and the finest embodiment of his character as "quick-witted and adaptable, cunning on the battlefield" (unique to the novel).