Li Su

Historical Record

Historical records of Li Su are extremely scarce; the official Records of the Three Kingdoms contains no independent biography of him, nor any detailed account of his deeds. This indicates that in the actual course of history Li Su may not have been a figure of consequence, his life, achievements, or faults never recorded in detail by the historians. As a result, we cannot learn from the historical sources Li Su's specific origins, early experiences, or his exact role and contributions within Dong Zhuo's or Lü Bu's faction. This stands in sharp contrast to his image in literary works and has left ample room for the imagination of later literary creation.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Li Su's image is rendered fuller and more complex; he is a key adviser and executor whose actions directly drive the development of the plot. His very first appearance displays his talent of "a three-inch tongue of unrotting eloquence" ^c:5717. After Dong Zhuo was defeated in battle against Ding Yuan, he was deeply impressed by Lü Bu's valor and longed to bring him into his service. At this point, Li Su volunteered, presenting Dong Zhuo a plan: to buy off Lü Bu with lavish gifts such as the Red Hare horse, gold and pearls, and a jade belt, and, relying on the convenience of being Lü Bu's fellow townsman, he successfully persuaded Lü Bu to betray his adoptive father Ding Yuan and defect to Dong Zhuo ^c:5717.

In persuading Lü Bu, Li Su not only cleverly exploited Lü Bu's character flaw of "forgetting righteousness at the sight of profit," but also through his words insinuated that Ding Yuan was no worthy lord, while Dong Zhuo "respects the worthy and treats officers with courtesy, rewards and punishes with clear judgment, and will in the end accomplish great deeds" ^c:12307, finally prompting Lü Bu to resolve to kill Ding Yuan. This episode fully displays Li Su's eloquence and his insight into the human heart, and laid the foundation for the growth of Dong Zhuo's faction.

Thereafter, Li Su continued to play a role within Dong Zhuo's faction. In the coalition campaign against Dong Zhuo, when Sun Jian attacked Sishui Pass, Li Su once devised a plan for Hua Xiong, advising a night raid on Sun Jian's camp ^c:12317; though it ultimately failed, it also showed one side of his military strategy.

However, Li Su's fate in the novel is also full of dramatic turns. As Dong Zhuo's atrocities grew ever worse and Wang Yun and Lü Bu secretly plotted to do away with Dong Zhuo, Li Su was once again drawn in. Because Li Su had once persuaded Lü Bu to kill Ding Yuan and defect to Dong Zhuo, Lü Bu reckoned he had the ability to persuade Dong Zhuo once more, and together with Wang Yun invited Li Su to take part in the plan to assassinate Dong Zhuo ^c:2474. Li Su gladly agreed and snapped an arrow as an oath, declaring "I too have long wished to be rid of this villain" ^c:2474. He was ordered to go to Meiwu and, forging an imperial edict in the name of "abdication of the throne," lured Dong Zhuo to Chang'an, where he was at last killed by Lü Bu at the Weiyang Palace ^c:12324. On the road luring Dong Zhuo back to the capital, faced with Dong Zhuo's doubts at ill omens such as a broken carriage wheel, a neighing horse, and a sudden gale, Li Su cleverly deceived him with auspicious interpretations such as "you are destined to receive the Han abdication, casting off the old for the new" and "ascending the dragon throne must be accompanied by red light and purple mist" ^{c:12319c:12321}, making Dong Zhuo firmly believe him and ultimately step into the trap of death. This further highlights Li Su's wit and skill with words.

After Dong Zhuo's death, Li Su followed Lü Bu out to battle the vengeful Niu Fu. Although he won a small victory at first, he was routed in Niu Fu's night raid and lost more than half his troops. Lü Bu was thereupon enraged, holding that Li Su had "blunted our keen spirit," and so beheaded him and hung his head at the army gate ^c:5719. Li Su's end also reflects the fickleness of fate among the novel's characters and the capriciousness of Lü Bu's nature.

Key Relationships

* Dong Zhuo's Faction (serves): Li Su was an important member of Dong Zhuo's Faction, playing a key role especially in Dong Zhuo's early recruitment of Lü Bu. He devised plans for Dong Zhuo and successfully persuaded Lü Bu to submit, strengthening Dong Zhuo's power ^c:5717.
* Lü Bu (friend_of, serves): Li Su and Lü Bu were fellow townsmen, and he used this relationship to successfully alienate Lü Bu from Ding Yuan. First as Dong Zhuo's envoy he brought about Lü Bu's defection to Dong Zhuo; later as an accomplice of Wang Yun and Lü Bu he lured Dong Zhuo to his death. The relationship between the two was colored throughout by using and being used, and in the end Li Su too was beheaded by Lü Bu after his defeat ^c:5719.
* Lü Bu's faction (serves) (novel only): After Dong Zhuo's death, Li Su briefly served Lü Bu, following him out on campaign. However, due to his defeat, he was ultimately executed by Lü Bu and never became a long-term core member of Lü Bu's faction ^c:5719.

Iconic Scenes

* Persuading Lü Bu with his clever tongue (novel only): Li Su devised the plan for Dong Zhuo to buy off Lü Bu with lavish gifts such as the Red Hare horse, gold and pearls, and a jade belt, and personally went to Lü Bu's camp, relying on his three-inch tongue of unrotting eloquence to successfully persuade Lü Bu to betray Ding Yuan and defect to Dong Zhuo. This scene fully displays Li Su's strategy and eloquence ^{c:5717c:12307}.
* Luring Dong Zhuo to his death (novel only): By the command of Wang Yun and Lü Bu, Li Su went to Meiwu and forged an imperial edict, using "abdication of the throne" as the bait to deceive Dong Zhuo into returning to Chang'an. On the road back to the capital, Li Su cleverly dispelled Dong Zhuo's doubts about various ill omens, finally leading him into the Weiyang Palace, where he was assassinated by Lü Bu ^{c:12319c:12321c:12324}. This was Li Su's most decisive action in the novel, directly bringing about Dong Zhuo's downfall.
* Beheaded after defeat (novel only): After Dong Zhuo's death, Li Su went out to battle Niu Fu under Lü Bu, but failed in the night raid, suffering heavy losses of troops. Lü Bu was thereupon enraged and beheaded him, hanging his head at the army gate. This ending put a period to Li Su's role in the novel and embodied Lü Bu's cruelty and capriciousness ^c:5719.