Lady Yan 嚴氏

In Chapter 16 of the Romance, Yuan Shu, hearing from Ji Ling how Lü Bu had made peace by shooting at a halberd at the camp gate, flies into a rage and says that he will attack Liu Bei in person and Lü Bu as well. Ji Ling, saying that if Lü Bu and Liu Bei are joined like head and tail they will be hard to deal with, advises him that Lü Bu's wife Lady Yan has a daughter of marriageable age, and that if he asks for her hand for his son, Lü Bu will surely kill Liu Bei. That same day Yuan Shu sends Han Yin as go-between to Xu Province with betrothal gifts. Romance, Ch. 16 §18–19

When Han Yin conveys Yuan Shu's wish to take his daughter as a daughter-in-law, Lü Bu goes in to consult his wife, Lady Yan. Lü Bu originally had two wives and one concubine. He first took Lady Yan as his principal wife, later took Diaochan as his concubine, and while at Xiaopei also took the daughter of Cao Bao (曹豹) as his second wife. Lady Cao died first without children, and Diaochan too had no children; only Lady Yan bore a daughter, whom Lü Bu loved most dearly. Romance, Ch. 16 §20

Lady Yan says that Yuan Gonglu has long governed Huainan, with many troops and ample grain, and is said to be about to become Son of Heaven, so that if he achieves the great enterprise their daughter may hope to become an imperial consort, and she asks how many sons he has. When Lü Bu answers that he has only one, Lady Yan says that they should consent at once, for even if their daughter does not become empress, Xu Province will have nothing to fear, and Lü Bu makes up his mind and agrees to the match. Later, when Chen Gong tells him to send his daughter to Shouchun at once, before the other lords learn of it, Lü Bu goes in to tell Lady Yan, has the trousseau prepared overnight, and has Song Xian and Wei Xu escort his daughter together with Han Yin. Romance, Ch. 16 §21 · 26–27

In Chapter 19, when Cao Cao attacks Xiapi, Chen Gong proposes that Lü Bu lead foot and horse out to camp outside the city while he himself shuts the gates and holds the city from within, so that the two forces support each other like the horns and legs of a deer. When Lü Bu returns to his residence to gather his military gear, Lady Yan comes out and asks where he is going. Hearing of Chen Gong's plan, Lady Yan says that if he entrusts the whole city to others, abandons his wife and children and goes far off with an isolated force, and some mishap should befall him one day, how could she remain the general's wife. Lü Bu hesitates, unable to decide, and does not go out for three days. Romance, Ch. 19 §24 · 27–28

When Chen Gong again tells him that Cao Cao's army's grain is about to arrive from Xudu and that he should lead picked troops to cut the supply route, Lü Bu goes back inside and tells Lady Yan of it. Lady Yan weeps and asks how, if the general goes out, Chen Gong and Gao Shun could hold the city firmly, and she wails aloud, saying that once before in Chang'an she had already been abandoned by the general and was able to be reunited with him only because Pang Shu fortunately hid her in secret, and who would have thought he would now abandon her and leave again. Chapter 11 tells how Pang Shu secretly hid Lü Bu's wife and children inside the city of Chang'an and sent them back to him. Romance, Ch. 19 §28–30Romance, Ch. 11 §35

Troubled by Lady Yan's words, Lü Bu tells Diaochan too, and Diaochan tells him not to go out in person lightly. Lü Bu tells Chen Gong that the report of Cao Cao's army's grain coming is a ruse and that he dare not move, and Chen Gong sighs that they will die without even a place to be buried. Lü Bu does not go out all day and only drinks wine with Lady Yan and Diaochan to relieve his gloom. Romance, Ch. 19 §30–31