3Kingdoms Spotlight: Lü Fan & Lü Ju
Though often overshadowed by his colleague Zhou Yu, Lü Fan was an equally vital part of Wu’s foundation and growth. A tactical and political advisor to Sun Ce as well as a personal friend, there are few who did more to build up and maintain the state. He helped found Wu, and under Sun Quan he fought to expand and preserve it. His son, Lü Ju, also proved to be one of the state’s key figures. He became one of Imperial Wu’s most accomplished and respected generals, earning fame in his own right separately from his father’s legacy.
Lü Fan was from Xiyang county in Runan, Yu province. He was from a family of no particular note, though he was known around the county for both his intelligence and his good looks. As a young man, he became a minor official in the local county and sought to make an official career. Around that time, he took a liking to the daughter of a wealthy local man named Liu Shi, and he sought to marry her. The woman’s mother objected to the match because Lü Fan was poor and she wanted a better husband for her daughter. Liu Shi, however, observed that despite his station, Lü Fan was a good worker, and he believed that Lü Fan could go far in life. So Liu Shi approved of the match and the two were wed.
Though originally peaceful, Lü Fan’s homeland became embroiled in the civil war early in the 190s as different warlords laid claim to Yu province and to Runan in particular. It was a large and wealthy province, so various warlords desired it. To avoid this danger, Lü Fan moved his family to Shouchun, though this did not help them escape the fighting. The Inspector of Yang - Chen Wen - died around the end of 192, possibly assassinated by Yuan Shu. Yuan Shao sent his cousin Yuan Yi to claim Shouchun, but Yuan Shu sent an officer named Chen Yu to drive him out. In 193, Yuan Shu himself arrived in Shouchun after being defeated by Cao Cao in a series of battles farther west. Chen Yu initially refused to accept him, but Yuan Shu drove him out of the city and claimed it. At that time, Sun Ce paid him a visit and was accepted as one of his officers. Word of Sun Ce spread throughout Shouchun, so Lü Fan decided to meet with him. He was quite impressed by Sun Ce and the two became instant friends. In order to support his new comrade, Lü Fan gathered a small host of some 100 men and led them to join Sun Ce’s warband.
Shortly after this, Sun Ce decided to relocate his family to the south. His relatives Wu Jing and Sun Ben were in control of Danyang, and Sun Ce wanted to bring the rest of his household there to join them. His mother and siblings were, at the time, staying in Xu province, but Sun Ce feared for their safety since Tao Qian held a grudge against his family. Lü Fan volunteered to go north to retrieve them. When he arrived in Xu, however, he was arrested by Tao Qian and imprisoned. Tao Qian accused him of espionage and intended to torture him for information. Fortunately for Lü Fan, some of those 100 men he recruited came with him and escaped arrest. They were able to break him out of prison, and Lü Fan proceeded on his way to the home of the Sun family. He successfully evacuated them and brought them safely to Yuan Shu’s territory, where they were free from Tao Qian. After this deed, Lü Fan enjoyed Sun Ce’s absolute trust and was treated as a member of his own family.
During 193, Sun Ce took his small warband to join Wu Jing and Sun Ben in Danyang, where he participated in numerous skirmishes against local forces. During this time, Lü Fan served him as a subordinate and an adviser. After a near disaster involving the local chieftain Zu Lang, Sun Ce moved back north and requested more important duties from Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu subsequently made him a colonel and sent him to conquer Lujiang commandery. Sun Ce achieved this task with ease, once again advised by Lü Fan. However, though Yuan Shu had promised to give Sun Ce the commandery if he succeeded, he broke his promise and named Liu Xun as the Grand Administrator instead.
Meanwhile, in Danyang, Wu Jing and Sun Ben were driven out of the commandery by Liu Yao, and though they attempted to retake the territory, they were prevented from crossing the river and stuck at Liyang. Sun Ce and Lü Fan went to join them. During this time, they were also joined by Sun Ce’s old friend, Zhou Yu. His uncle (Zhou Shang) was to be the new Grand Administrator of Danyang once the commandery was taken and was stalled at Liyang with Sun Ben and Wu Jing. Along the way, they recruited and gathered an army of several thousand men.
In 195, Sun Ce’s conquest of the south began. On the advice of his aunt, he used rafts made of reeds to sail across the Yangzi river and launch a surprise attack on Dangli, capturing the beachhead from Liu Yao’s men. He then captured Liu Yao’s main supply depot at Niuzhu and proceeded to destroy some of Liu Yao’s subordinates near Moling. After that, Sun Ce turned about and defeated a sudden attack on Niuzhu, then captured Moling itself. Having secured that position, he struck east towards Liu Yao’s headquarters at Qu’a, defeating several small armies sent against him along the way. When Sun Ce neared Qu’a, Liu Yao fled, allowing Sun Ce to capture the city and Danyang. During all of this, Lü Fan provided Sun Ce with essential strategies and tactical advice, serving as his chief tactician along with Zhou Yu.
For his part in the conquest of Danyang, Lü Fan was made Magistrate of Wanling, and he also held military command of some 2,000 men. Matters in Danyang were still troubled at that time, and Wanling was infested with bandits. They were, of course, no match for Lü Fan. He easily drove them out and established peace in his county. However, Lü Fan was concerned about the quality of Sun Ce’s army. He feared that though their force had grown, it comprised mostly untrained rabble with just a few veterans supporting them. Lü Fan believed that such an army could achieve limited success at best. As such, he requested that Sun Ce transfer him to his personal staff and make him the marshal of his forces. Though this title eventually came to hold a great deal of authority in Wei, at the time a marshal was just a minor staff officer responsible for training and drilling the troops. As such, this was a demotion for Lü Fan, and Sun Ce tried to talk him out of it. Lü Fan’s mind was made up, though, and he eventually persuaded Sun Ce of the importance of his request.
So at his own request, Lü Fan was demoted to be Sun Ce’s marshal, and he took charge of training the army. Because Sun Ce was the commander of the entire army in the south, Lü Fan’s authority extended to the troops of the subordinate generals, giving him power over the entire military administration. Under Lü Fan, the Sun family forces were transformed. They became a well-trained, highly disciplined fighting force, vastly superior to the conscripted armies of other warlords. In his oversight, Lü Fan was strict but fair. He ensured that all military regulations were obeyed to the letter, but he was not cruel or excessive, so the troops did not resent him. Thanks to Lü Fan, there was no army in the south that could match that of Sun Ce.
Around this same time, Sun Ce enjoyed his conquest of Wu and Kuaiji throughout 196. The campaign for Wu went very well, since the commandery’s military forces were controlled by Zhu Zhi, an old friend of the Sun family. He drove out the Grand Administrator, Xu Gong, and received Sun Ce warmly. Sun Ce then attacked Kuaiji, defeating Wang Ling at Guling and driving him south to Dongye. When Sun Ce arrived at Dongye, Wang Ling surrendered, bringing Kuaiji under Sun Ce’s control. Because Zhou Yu had been recalled north by Yuan Shu earlier that year, Lü Fan was Sun Ce’s chief tactical advisor for both of these successful campaigns.
In 197, Yuan Shu declared himself Emperor of Zhong, so Sun Ce cut off ties with him. He instead sought alliance with Cao Cao, who controlled the Han government. Though Cao Cao acknowledge Sun Ce’s control over the south, he feared Sun Ce’s growing power, so he sent an official named Chen Yu to Guangling. This was the same Chen Yu who had revolted against Yuan Shu in 193 and was driven out of Shouchun. Officially, Chen Yu was named Grand Administrator of Wu (an appointment Sun Ce had given to Zhu Zhi), but he never entered the commandery. Instead, he made his headquarters at Haixi (in Guangling) and tried to stir up revolt against Sun Ce. He contacted the tribal leader White Tiger Yan (Yan Baihu), who had rebelled against Sun Ce in the past, and stirred him up again. Sun Ce, of course, did not ignore this. While he personally led the campaign against White Tiger Yan, he ordered Lü Fan to attack Chen Yu with a naval force. Lü Fan sailed to Haixi, where he caught Chen Yu with a surprise attack. Chen Yu never anticipated such retaliation, and he was easily defeated. He fled to Yuan Shao for protection, evidently fearing to return to Cao Cao.
Lü Fan returned to Sun Ce and, in 198, assisted him in conquering the rest of Danyang. They first defeated a tribal coalition under Zu Lang in the east of the commandery, then they defeated Liu Yao’s loyalists, led by Taishi Ci. Their campaign brought a total of seven rebellious counties into Sun Ce’s control, and Lü Fan proved to be a major part of the victory. As such, Sun Ce gave him independent command as General of the Interior Who Pacifies Bandits.
Around that time, Liu Yao passed away, so Sun Ce sent Taishi Ci to Yuzhang commandery to scout out the situation. When Taishi Ci returned with a favorable report, Sun Ce decided to invade and take the commandery. However, Yuan Shu’s passing in 199 further complicated matters. Most of Yuan Shao’s subordinates joined Liu Xun in Lujiang, and this presented an opportunity for Sun Ce.
Liu Xun did not have enough resources to care for his large new population, and he sought help from various local leaders, all of whom rebuffed him. Sun Ce sent him a letter feigning friendship and urging him to attack Huaihan county, which had a large store of foodstuffs. Sun Ce offered to join him in the attack. Liu Xun gratefully accepted this advice and led his men to Huaihan. However, Sun Ce warned Huaihan before the attack, and Liu Xun found the county well-defended. Meanwhile, Sun Ce attacked Liu Xun’s capital, Huan, and captured it in his absence. When Liu Xun attempted to march back to retake the city, he was defeated by an ambush force led by Sun Ben at Lake Pengze. Lü Fan had a major hand in crafting this complex strategy.
After his defeat at Lake Pengze, Liu Xun turned to Liu Biao for aid. He retreated to Mount Xisai, where he was joined by Huang She, Liu Biao’s general. Sun Ce advanced to Xisai, where he easily defeated them. Huang She returned to Shaxian in Jiangxia, while Liu Xun fled to join Cao Cao. Now at war with Liu Biao, Sun Ce advanced om Shaxian, where he dealt Huang Zu a crushing defeat. This victory ended any plans Liu Biao might have had to annex Yuzhang in Liu Yao’s absence and partially avenged the death of Sun Jian some 7 years prior.
With Liu Biao and Huang Zu no longer enemies of concern, Sun Ce turned his sights on Yuzhang. Early in 200, the commandery’s Grand Administrator Hua Xin was persuaded to surrender to Sun Ce. Other elements throughout Yuzhang still refused to accept his authority, so Sun Ce dispatched his various generals to deal with them while he himself returned to Wu to deal with another insurrection by White Tiger Yan. Lü Fan was sent to Poyang, in northern, Yuzhang, where he pacified local malcontents.
Tragically, Sun Ce was killed during his campaign against White Tiger Yan. Lü Fan managed to return to Wu in time for the funeral, and he helped ensure that power transitioned smoothly to Sun Quan. Before this, Sun Quan had somewhat resented Lü Fan. Along with his other duties, Lü Fan had been in charge of finances for the army. As a teen, Sun Quan wanted to take some of this money for his own use, and Lü Fan never permitted it for obvious reasons. A little while later, Sun Quan was put in charge of Yangxian county, where he proceeded to use the government as his piggy bank. Though Sun Ce could guess what was happening, an official named Zhou Gu worked to cover up Sun Quan’s indiscretion. When Sun Quan took control of the state, though, he realized that Lü Fan was both wise and trustworthy, while Zhou Gu was foolish and unreliable. As a result, he came to rely on Lü Fan while Zhou Gu never received favor. During the early years of Sun Quan’s reign, Lü Fan took on a more administrative role. While military affairs fell to Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu, Lü Fan and Zhang Zhao became the central administrators of the new government. There were no matters upon which he was not consulted.
In 208, however, the situation called Lü Fan into a military role again. With the threat of Cao Cao’s invasion, Sun Quan called upon every resource at his disposal for the defense at Chibi. This included Lü Fan, who was assigned to assist Zhou Yu in the defense. Lü Fan’s personal contributions to the subsequent campaign are not clear, but he evidently provided distinguished service, since Sun Quan promoted him to the rank of major general upon Cao Cao’s retreat. In order to defend against further incursions by Cao Cao, Sun Quan created Pengze commandery in the area around Lake Pengze. Since Huan in Lujiang was, at that time, under Cao Cao’s control it was the likely point of origin for future campaigns, and Pengze commandery was intended to guard against advances from Huan.
During the defensive campaign against Cao Cao, Sun Quan formed an alliance with Liu Bei, who subsequently absorbed the southern half of Jing province. Though Zhou Yu and Lü Fan supported this alliance from an anti-Cao perspective, they worried about Liu Bei’s growing power and urged Sun Quan to take action against him. Though Sun Quan and Liu Bei were allies, they communicated through ambassadors and Liu Bei did not come to see Sun Quan in person until 210 (most likely to marry Sun Quan’s sister). When Liu Bei visited, Lü Fan urged Sun Quan to detain him so that he and his army could be controlled. However, Sun Quan decided not to take this suggestion and allowed Liu Bei to proceed without incident.
As the alliance grew more strained, Sun Quan transferred Lü Fan slightly east, to Chaisang, where he would be better able to keep an eye on Liu Bei and intervene in a confrontation. He was also promoted to the rank of General Who Subdues the South. Chaisang was an extremely important territory, strategically. It was close enough to intercept advances south from Lujiang, but it bordered Jiangxia (split between Cao Cao and Sun Quan) and was close enough to offer aid to any of Sun Quan’s territories in eastern Jing. Lü Fan’s mandate remained the defense of Wu’s northernmost territories
In 219, Lü Meng destroyed Guan Yu and Sun Quan seized Jing province, relocating his headquarters to Wuchang. Since this abutted Lü Fan’s territory, Sun Quan decided to transfer Lü Fan farther east, to oversee the eastern territories that were now more distant from Sun Quan’s headquarters. Lü Fan was transferred to be Grand Administrator of Danyang, promoted to General Who Establishes Might, and he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Wanling, the county where he had been a magistrate so many years before. He made his headquarters at Jianye (formerly Moling, a city he helped capture), from whence he took general command over Yang province.
During his time as a civil official, Lü Fan acquired quite the reputation among Sun Quan’s army. He was typically consulted on all matters of policy or strategy, and his respect was extremely valued. Though he was primarily an administrative official, the generals of the army all respected him for his tactical knowledge as well as his past deeds. Quan Zong seems to have held him in particular esteem. He had a commanding and dignified presence that his subordinates all found quite inspiring. In his presence, no one ever dared to be slothful or disrespectful. There were, however, some unfounded accusations that Lü Fan was guilty of corruption and embezzlement. He and He Qi both had a taste for extravagance and often competed over who could waste the most money. Some officials argued that the two of them must have been corrupt in order to afford such wealth, and a few even went further and claimed that they were plotting to seize power. Sun Quan, however, did not credit any of these accusations and firmly refused to even investigate them.
Though Lü Fan had been relegated to a civilian role for the last decade or so, he was once again called into military service in 222. After relations between Cao Pi and Sun Quan broke down, Cao Pi launched a massive invasion of the south. One prong of the invasion, led by Cao Xiu, Zhang Liao, and Zang Ba, was directed towards Jianye. Lü Fan gathered his forces and established a defensive line at Dongkou. He was joined by Quan Zong, Sun Shao (Gongli), and Xu Sheng, with He Qi also ordered to provide reinforcements. In preparation for this invasion, Lü Fan was made General of the Front, with plenipotentiary authority, as well as Marquis of Nanchang.
Cao Xiu’s force reached Dongkou near the end of the year, and for the next month or so, the battle consisted of many small skirmishes along the river, with Cao Xiu hoping to wear down the Wu defenders. Lü Fan had Quan Zong defend against these raids, and despite the exhaustion he was able to hold the line. However, misfortune in 223 nearly cost Lü Fan the battle. His primary defense was his naval fleet, which intercepted Cao Xiu’s raiding parties and prevented Cao Xiu from forcing a crossing. This fleet was caught up in an unexpected storm, which smashed most of the ships against Wei’s side of the Yangzi. Cao Xiu took full advantage of this and captured or killed more than 10,000 of Lü Fan’s soldiers, a significant blow. He followed this up by sending Zang Ba across the river to strike at the Wu army, now weakened and vulnerable. Lü Fan decided to withdraw to Xuling, where Zang Ba pursued them. Xu Sheng managed to hold him off long enough for Lü Fan to fortify his position, and when Zang Ba finally arrived, he was repelled. Zang Ba assaulted Xuling for some time, with Quan Zong and Sun Shao mounting a desperate defense of the city. The battle finally turned in Wu’s favor when, He Qi arrived with a new navy and was able to reestablish the line at Dongkou. This forced Zang Ba to retreat, and with these renewed defenses, Lü Fan was able to hold out against Cao Xiu once again. After several more months of inconclusive fighting, the Wei army retreated. As a reward for Lü Fan’s victory, he was made Inspector of Yang.
Lü Fan remained in Jianye for the next five years, where he oversaw the defensive efforts against Cao Pi in 224 and 225, though little fighting actually took place. For all of his past deeds, as well as his exceptional administrative skills, Sun Quan decided to give Lü Fan complete authority over the military in 228. Early in the year, he promoted Lü Fan to be Grand Commander. However, Lü Fan did not live long enough to accept the appointment. He became ill that year and passed away before the messenger arrived. Sun Quan decided to give him the appointment posthumously. He was greatly saddened by Lü Fan’s passing and conducted mourning for him like a member of his own family. He personally carried out Lü Fan’s funerary rites and called him by his style. Sun Quan would not appoint another Grand Commander again until 246, almost 20 years later, when the title was divided between Zhu Ran and Quan Zong.
While in Jianye, Lü Fan did a great deal to develop and fortify the city. In 229, Sun Quan moved the capital there, and he was further impressed by Lü Fan’s good work. His efforts turned Jianye into perhaps the greatest city of the south. It served as Wu’s capital during its Imperial period (229-280), and it became the capital of Eastern Jin. The strength and prosperity of the city began with Lü Fan, and his efforts to cultivate it lasted long after his death. His efforts so many years before made it possible for Sima Rui to defeat Shi Le and preserve Eastern Jin, preventing China from being dominated entirely by the Xiongnu. In this way, Lü Fan’s work far outlasted not only himself, but the state he helped build.
Lü Fan had two sons, though the eldest (Lü Xian) died young. As such, Lü Fan’s marquisate and command of his personal troops were inherited by his second son, Lü Ju. Because of Lü Fan’s prestige, Lü Ju became a military officer at a very young age, though the SGZ isn’t clear on exactly when or what his job was. Presumably he served as a commander under his father, probably as a personal assistant and then a subordinate commander. When Lü Fan became ill around the end of his life, he promoted Lü Ju to be Colonel Who Supports the Army. In this capacity, Lü Ju served as his father’s second-in-command and took his place controlling the army when Lü Fan was too ill to perform his duties. Despite his relatively young age, Lü Ju showed great aptitude for military affairs and seems to have inherited his father’s skill for command. After Lü Fan’s passing in 228, Lü Ju was promoted to a general’s rank (General of the Interior Who Calms the Army) and given control of his father’s soldiers at Jianye.
Danyang, though a core of Wu’s territory, was inhabited by various hill tribes. Furthermore, due to the rough terrain, it was also a haven for bandits. Despite many campaigns over the previous decades, this problem still persisted. Newly in command, Lü Ju began a series of expeditions into the wilderness to hunt down bandits and drive out disruptive tribes. Despite the obstructions posed by Danyang’s difficult terrain, Lü Ju was always victorious in these battles and began to earn himself a reputation among Wu’s generals. After two years of these campaigns, he was transferred to Wuling, under Pan Jun’s command. Sun Quan had become concerned about the rebellious tribes in Wuling, so he commissioned Pan Jun and Lü Dai to lead a campaign against them. Because of his victories in Danyang, Lü Ju was considered an especially appropriate commander for this operation. The subsequent campaign lasted until 234, though little is recorded about it. During these battles, Lü Ju distinguished himself more than any other general and impressed Pan Jun and Lü Dai.
Lü Ju remained in Jing for the next several years, though he came to prominence again during the great northern campaign in 241. As part of a larger assault, Zhu Ran led an army to attack Fan, and Lü Ju was assigned to his command, along with Zhu Yi. Together, the two of them led the vanguard and achieved great initial success. Lü Ju launched frequent assaults against the city walls and destroyed a number of subsidiary camps and lesser commanders. Because of his heroics, it appeared that Fan would soon fall. Despite Lü Ju’s efforts, though, the campaign ended in defeat for Wu. Sima Yi arrived with unexpected reinforcements, forcing Zhu Ran’s retreat. While withdrawing, the Wu army was caught by Sima Yi at Sanzhou, where they lost about 20% of the army. Still, Lü Ju had impressed Zhu Ran throughout the campaign, and when they returned to Wuchang he was made a lieutenant general.
Shortly after this, Sun Quan decided to transfer Lü Ju to the central court, where he was given the rank Colonel of the Elite Cavalry. Though theoretically inferior to his rank as a general, this was a title that came with special prestige. Under the Later Han, the only standing military force was the Northern Army, assembled to deal with raids by the Xiongnu and Xianbei. It consisted of five regiments, each led by a colonel. The Elite Cavalry was one of these regiments. Though it is impossible to say for certainty, it appears that Sun Quan recycled these titles for the Imperial guards of Wu, making Lü Ju a commander of his bodyguards. As a figure in the central government, Lü Ju played a small role in the Crown Prince Affair. He was a declared supporter of Sun He as the rightful Crown Prince, but as he was a minor figure in Wu’s court at the time, Lü Ju’s support meant little and he never suffered any particular harm for it.
Lü Ju’s service in Jianye was relatively uneventful, due mostly to lack of military activity on Wu’s part, but he was involved in a few incidents. In 250, Wen Qin sent a letter to the Wu court with a false offer to defect. Lü Ju saw this as an obvious trap and advised Sun Quan to reject the offer, an opinion that Zhu Yi shared. However, Sun Quan thought it was worth a try. He ordered Lü Ju to join his old friend Zhu Yi with 20,000 men in order to receive Wen Qin. He reasoned that if Wen Qin’s defection was legitimate, he would be better protected. If it was a trap, then Lü Ju and Zhu Yi would be able to defend themselves. Word of this large force reached Wen Qin, who realized that his plot had been foiled and canceled his plans.
In 251, torrential rain caused the river outside of Jianye to flood. The flooding was so extensive that even the city gates were partially submerged. Realizing that people were in danger, Lü Ju took it upon himself to commandeer a large boat and rescue stranded people. He sought no particular fame or praise from this and was just doing it to help those in need. However, Sun Quan had sent a messenger to inspect the flooding, and this messenger observed Lü Ju’s heroics. He reported it to Sun Quan, who subsequently promoted Lü Ju, giving him the unique title General Who Sweeps Away Wei.
Sun Quan fell ill later that year and decided to assemble a council of regents to rule the county on behalf of his young heir, Sun Liang. Zhuge Ke was selected as the head of this council, invested with nearly absolute authority. Lü Ju was also selected to be part of this council, along with Teng Yin, Sun Jun, Sun Hong, and Lü Dai. When Sun Liang became emperor in 252, Lü Ju received further promotion and was made General of the Right.
After coming to power, Zhuge Ke took a number of measures to strengthen Wu. One of these was the construction of a fortified dam at Lake Chao, in Dongxing, which was territory claimed by Wei. This provoked retaliation by Wei, who sent Sima Zhao with an army of 70,000 men to reclaim the lake, while Guanqiu Jian and Wang Chang were sent to attack Wuchang and Jiangling, respectively. Zhuge Ke personally led the army to reinforce the defenders at Lake Chao, and because of his many past merits, Lü Ju was chosen to serve as Zhuge Ke’s right hand in this matter. They brought 40,000 men to relieve Lake Chao.
When they neared the lake, Ding Feng was sent ahead with a small detachment to observe the situation, with the main force following several days behind. After observing for several days, Ding Feng determined that the forward camps were undisciplined and lax, so he decided to lead a surprise attack against them. Ding Feng struck at night, taking the defenders by surprise and routing the forward positions. Just at that time, Lü Ju and Zhuge Ke arrived with the main body, and Lü Ju personally led the follow-up assault. Coming in the wake of Ding Feng’s raid, this attack completely routed the Wei army. During all of this, Zhu Yi arrived with a naval force and destroyed the bridges that Wei had been using to cross the lake, leaving many Wei soldiers stranded. Many were trampled to death or drowned in the river, while others surrendered or were captured. The battle was a massive victory for Wu and one of the most devastating losses Wei ever suffered, thanks largely to Lü Ju.
Though Zhuge Ke was loved during the immediate aftermath of the victory, the Wu court was soon turned against him. Ignoring all advice, he led a follow-up invasion of Wei and was defeated by Sima Fu at Hefei. During this campaign, Zhuge Ke was dismissive and even abusive to his subordinates and to the soldiers, which turned popular opinion against him. Upon returning to the palace, he replaced the guards with his own loyalists. This was enough for Sun Jun to claim Zhuge Ke was plotting a coup d'état. With Sun Liang’s authorization, Sun Jun executed him, along with the rest of his family. He replaced Zhuge Ke as the head of state.
Though Lü Ju probably fought at Hefei, his role in the campaign was a minor one, and it seems he had no particular fondness for the famously-abrasive Zhuge Ke. When Sun Jun took power, he made Lü Ju General of the Agile Cavalry, the highest regular title in the army. Only Sun Jun and the Grand Commander Lü Dai outranked him.
Guanqiu Jian’s revolt in 255 presented Wu with an opportunity to invade Wei, and it was one that Sun Jun eagerly seized. He led several generals to advance on Shouchun, including Lü Ju, hoping to capture it in the confusion. However. Sun Jun’s main force was repelled by Deng Ai’s forces at Futing, forcing them to retreat. They were pursued by several Wei generals, including Cao Zhen (not the famous one) and Jiang Ban. The Wu army did battle with Cao Zhen at Gaoting, and Lü Ju performed exceptionally well, along with Ding Feng. Together, they defeated Cao Zhen and scored a firm victory. However, Jiang Ban inflicted significant casualties against the Wu army at Gupo, killing Liu Zan (the General of the Left), Sun Leng, and Jiang Xiu. This forced Sun Jun’s full retreat.
The next year, Sun Jun decided to launch another invasion against Wei. Determining that he himself was not up to the task, Sun Jun named Lü Ju as the commander of the entire expedition. Unlike previous campaigns, this one was directed towards Xu and Qing provinces. It is worth noting that Zhuge Ke was making plans for such an attack at the time of his execution, and the Wu generals may have been working off of his designs. The army gathered at Shitou, where Sun Jun saw them off, and they began to march north. This time, Lü Ju was in full command of the entire Wu army, and he had an unprecedented opportunity to earn spectacular glory for himself.
Unfortunately for Lü Ju, this was not to be. Sun Jun passed away while Lü Ju’s forces were still on the march, and he gave power to his cousin, Sun Chen. Sun Chen, in turn, canceled the operation and ordered Lü Ju to return to Jianye. Lü Ju decided to remove Sun Chen from power and plotted with Teng Yin to accomplish this. Teng Yin was a high official of Wu - Minister of Ceremonies, among his other titles - and he was married to the sister of Lü Ju’s wife. As such, the two were essentially brothers-in-law and fully trusted one another.
Lü Ju’s motive for acting against Sun Chen is a subject of some debate. Those who take a positive view of him say that Lü Ju knew Sun Chen would be an even worse tyrant than Sun Jun and sought to remove him from power and restore Sun Liang’s authority. Some, who favor a more circuitous route, even theorize that he was being manipulated by Sun Luban, who later plotted against Sun Chen. More cynical minds suggest that Lü Ju was acting out of his own self-interest; he was angry that Sun Chen had canceled his campaign. There are even grounds to suggest that Lü Ju and Teng Yin wanted to seize control for their own sakes. They were, at that point, the two highest officials beneath Sun Chen and could reasonably have claimed the highest offices of the government if he was ousted, and it would be easy to perform such an operation under a veneer of loyalty.
Sadly, Lü Ju’s true motives can never be known. The sequence of events, though, is quite clear. He sent letters to Teng Yin to arrange an uprising. Teng Yin himself was in Jianye, while Lü Ju was on his way back with a massive army. The plan was for Teng Yin to help them enter the capital, then Lü Ju would remove Sun Chen by force. It seems that some of the generals under Lü Ju knew of this plan and supported it, though matters in that area are not precisely clear from the historical texts. Sun Chen found out about this plan and acted first. He named Teng Yin as the new Grand Commander and ordered him to go to Wuchang. Teng Yin knew their plan had been discovered, and that he would not be of particular use outside of Jianye. So instead of leaving, he seized Sun Chen’s messengers and raised his household guards in revolt.
Teng Yin’s situation was quite desperate. His only hope was to hold out long enough for Lü Ju to arrive with the main force. This, however, proved to be an impossibility. Sun Chen’s forces soon overwhelmed Teng Yin’s estate and killed him. Meanwhile, Sun Chen sent an army under his own loyalists to halt Lü Ju’s advance, and he ordered Lü Ju’s subordinates to arrest and execute him.
Lü Ju’s fellows urged him to flee to Wei for his own safety. However, Lü Ju refused. He said that he would rather die as a loyal servant of Wu than live as a traitor in Wei. So, on November 12 of 256, Lü Ju drank poison and died, rather than defect to Wei or be captured by Sun Chen. His family was seized and killed, putting an end to Lü Fan’s line.
Of all Wu’s generals and officials, there are few as pivotal as Lü Fan. He was as vital to the state’s foundation and growth as Zhou Yu and Zhang Zhao, and he proved himself capable of fulfilling either man’s role single-handedly. Charming, intelligent, hard-working, and brave, he was a man of exceptional qualities. He served the Sun family for over three decades, and at the time of his death there was no more respected man in Wu. Lü Ju proved himself worthy of his father’s legacy. He was one of the most successful commanders of Imperial Wu, a man who often found victory on the battlefield even when all others were defeated. During the great flood, he risked his own life to save strangers, and he always displayed the same fine character traits that his father so prominently showed. It is truly a shame that he fell victim to the deadly intrigues of Wu, and that Lü Fan’s line perished with him.