Historical Record
Historical records about Li Peng are lacking; there is no clear record of his deeds in the official histories such as the Records of the Three Kingdoms. It is therefore impossible to verify his life, origins, official posts, or specific contributions from historical documents. As a figure, Li Peng falls within the category of those for whom no historical record can be found in scholarly research.
In the Novel
In Luo Guanzhong's literary narrative in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Li Peng appears as a general of Wei, his portrayal concentrated mainly in Chapter 112. He is depicted as one of the deputy generals under Sima Wang, the general guarding Changcheng (Great Wall), serving alongside Wang Zhen as a subordinate of Sima Wang. When Jiang Wei led the Shu Han army on a northern expedition and besieged Changcheng, Li Peng went out of the city to give battle together with Sima Wang and Wang Zhen. In this clash, Li Peng is cast as Sima Wang's loyal follower and a valiant warrior on the battlefield. When Wang Zhen was captured alive by the Shu general Fu Qian, Li Peng showed great anger and loyalty; he "flew into a rage, galloped his horse and whirled his blade to the rescue", attempting to retrieve Wang Zhen from Fu Qian's hands. However, Fu Qian lured Li Peng close by a ruse, and just as Li Peng was about to strike, Fu Qian deftly flung Wang Zhen to the ground and ambushed Li Peng with a concealed four-edged iron mace. Li Peng was thus "struck so that his eyeballs burst out, and he died beneath his horse", a rather tragic end that also highlighted Fu Qian's wit and courage. Li Peng's death directly dampened the morale of the Wei army and prompted Sima Wang ultimately to abandon field battle and retreat to defend the city. In the novel, though Li Peng's appearance is brief, his loyal courage and tragic end leave a deep impression on the reader; he is a typical sacrificial figure among the Wei generals, used to set off the valor of the Shu Han generals.
Key Relationships
* Sima Wang (serves): In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Li Peng is a deputy general under Sima Wang, obeying Sima Wang's command and going out to battle alongside him. In the Battle of Changcheng, he fought shoulder to shoulder with Sima Wang, reflecting a subordinate relationship and battlefield coordination (novel only).
Iconic Scenes
* Dying in the Battle of Changcheng while trying to rescue Wang Zhen: This is Li Peng's sole and most prominent appearance in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. During Jiang Wei's northern expedition against Changcheng, Li Peng went out to battle with Sima Wang. When his comrade Wang Zhen was captured alive by Fu Qian, Li Peng, filled with righteous indignation, rushed forward heedless of danger to the rescue. However, he fell into Fu Qian's ruse and was struck in the face by a concealed weapon, dying on the spot. This scene not only displays Li Peng's loyal courage but, through his tragic end, also foreshadows the Wei army's initial setback in the Battle of Changcheng (novel only).
Relationships
1 relationships
Lord & vassal1
Chapters1 回 ▸
- 演ch.112
Relationship timeline1 条 ▸
演 ch.112
- Sima Wang§21
serves
部将；轮刀来救王真，被傅佥铁简打死
Inner monologues · AI-generated1 段 ▸
- As we set up camp twenty li outside the city, I knew that although Changcheng held ample provisions, it had few men and