Historical Record
Records of Li Feng are exceedingly scarce; the official histories such as the Records of the Three Kingdoms contain no explicit biography or detailed account of his deeds. This means that in the true historical record Li Feng was not a figure of consequence; his life, official posts, achievements, and even his end were never touched by the historians' brush. Therefore his true historical likeness is almost impossible to verify. This stands in sharp contrast to the many figures who left a strong mark on the Three Kingdoms period, and it makes the name Li Feng appear vague and lacking in concrete form within the context of the official histories.
In the Novel
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Li Feng appears as a fictional character, his main role concentrated in chapters eleven and twelve. He is fashioned as a general under Lü Bu, responsible for guarding the cities of Xu Province. In the novel, Li Feng is portrayed as a general loyal to Lü Bu who tried to resist Cao Cao's advance. He waged a series of attacking and defending battles with Cao Cao's army, but ultimately failed to hold the cities. The novel's depiction of Li Feng serves to set off the plight of Lü Bu's faction and Cao Cao's military talent. His appearance serves more to advance the plot and to display the cruelty of the battlefield and the fates of the characters. It is worth noting that these episodes concerning Li Feng in the novel have no record in the historical texts and are entirely Luo Guanzhong's fictional invention for the sake of literary creation.
Key Relationships
* With Lü Bu: In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Li Feng is a subordinate general of Lü Bu and shows a degree of loyalty to him. He guarded Xu Province on Lü Bu's orders and tried to resist Cao Cao's advance, reflecting the superior-subordinate relationship between them and his military subordination. However, this relationship ultimately could not save Lü Bu's faction from defeat, nor could it alter Li Feng's own fate. Whether such a relationship existed between Li Feng and Lü Bu in reality is unrecorded in history.
* With Cao Cao: In the novel, Li Feng stands in opposition to Cao Cao. As the defending general of Xu Province, he directly faced Cao Cao's army and waged fierce battle with it. Cao Cao's military strategy and powerful assault ultimately led to Li Feng's defeat and the loss of Xu Province. This hostile relationship is one of the important threads driving the novel's plot, displaying the resistance Cao Cao faced in the course of unifying the north. In reality, there is no explicit record of any encounter between Li Feng and Cao Cao.
Iconic Scenes
* The Defense of Xu Province: In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Li Feng's best-known scene is his defense of Xu Province on orders and the city-defense battle he waged against Cao Cao's great army. This scene depicts in detail the tension and cruelty of the fighting, with Li Feng commanding the soldiers atop the walls to resist Cao Cao's fierce assault. Though he resisted with all his might, in the end, outnumbered or outschemed, he lost the city. This scene is the core of the novel's portrayal of Li Feng and the turning point of his fortunes. It is unique to the novel and unrecorded in history.
* Defeat and Capture or Death in Battle: Following the defense of Xu Province, Li Feng's end is usually defeat and capture or death in battle. In the novel, his failure marks not only the end of his personal fortunes but also symbolizes the step-by-step retreat of Lü Bu's faction under Cao Cao's powerful assault. This scene reinforces Cao Cao's military strength and lays the groundwork for Lü Bu's later downfall. This ending too is unique to the novel and unrecorded in history.
Relationships
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Chapters1 回 ▸
- 演ch.12
Life events1 ▸
- 0194-01-01 · YanzhouLü Bu's Seizure of Yanzhou· Warrior