RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 15 §71
NHurried there through the night, and wept for the state when Kongming collapsedCh. 104 §6Ch. 104 §13
Li Fu 李福
| Occupation | ROfficial · Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat NOfficial · Master of Writing | Faction | Shu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | Native place | Guanghan Commandery Fu County | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R3 |
Profile
Li Fu, courtesy name Sunde, was a man of Fu County in Zitong Commandery. In Shu he served as Administrator of Baxi and as Area Commander of Jiangzhou and General Who Spreads Might before entering the court as Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat, and he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Pingyang Village. He has no biography of his own in the Records; his deeds are recorded in the notes beneath Yang Xi's Encomia on the Supporting Ministers of Ji Han, included in the Biographies of Deng Zhi, Zhang Yi, Zong Yu and Yang Xi in Records of Shu 15. Records, Shu 15 §71 · 33
At the beginning of Yanxi, when the General-in-Chief Jiang Wan marched out to Hanzhong, Li Fu served as Army Supervisor of the Front and concurrently as Major, and he died at that time. Records, Shu 15 §71
Yang Xi's encomium praised him as 'bold and keen,' and Chen Shou did not discuss him in his assessment in Records of Shu 15. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 104 as the Master of Writing who goes to see Zhuge Liang at Wuzhang Plains, and he appears in 2 of its 120 chapters; no chapter has his name in its title. In Chapter 104 he asks Zhuge Liang, just before he breathes his last, who should succeed him, and in Chapter 105 he reports his death to the Later Sovereign. Records, Shu 15 §65 · 85Romance, Ch. 104 §6 · 14–15Romance, Ch. 105 §4
In the Records
Li Fu, courtesy name Sunde, was a man of Fu County in Zitong Commandery. He has no biography of his own in the Records. Yang Xi composed the Encomia on the Supporting Ministers of Ji Han in the 4th year of Yanxi (241), and Chen Shou, in transcribing it into Records of Shu 15, explained that for those whom Yang Xi praised but who had no biographies, he had added notes beneath the encomia giving their careers from beginning to end. Li Fu's deeds are found in these notes. Records, Shu 15 §71 · 33
After the First Sovereign pacified Yi Province, Li Fu became an Assistant Clerk, Chief of Xichongguo County and Prefect of Chengdu. In the 1st year of Jianxing (223) he was transferred to Administrator of Baxi, became Area Commander of Jiangzhou and General Who Spreads Might, then entered the court as Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Pingyang Village. Chen Shou's main text does not record the year in which he became Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat. Records, Shu 15 §71
At the beginning of Yanxi, when the General-in-Chief Jiang Wan marched out to Hanzhong, Li Fu served as Army Supervisor of the Front and concurrently as Major, and he died. Records of Shu 3 dates Jiang Wan's departure to garrison Hanzhong to the 11th month, in winter, of the 1st year of Yanxi (238). Chen Shou's main text does not state the year, place or cause of Li Fu's death. Records, Shu 15 §71Records, Shu 3 §19
Yang Xi's encomium, praising eight men together including Li Sunde, said, 'Sunde was bold and keen.' In his assessment in Records of Shu 15, Chen Shou discussed only Deng Zhi, Zhang Yi, Zong Yu and Yang Xi and did not deal with Li Fu. Records, Shu 15 §65–66 · 85
In the Romance
In Chapter 104 of the Romance, when Zhuge Liang, gravely ill at Wuzhang Plains, sends up a memorial through the night, the Later Sovereign is greatly alarmed and has the Master of Writing Li Fu travel through the night to the army to ask after his health and also to ask about the arrangements to follow. When Li Fu reaches Wuzhang Plains and conveys the Later Sovereign's command, Zhuge Liang, shedding tears, tells him that the old institutions of the state must not be changed and that the men he has employed must not be lightly dismissed, and says that he has passed on all his military methods to Jiang Wei. Li Fu takes down his words, hastily bids farewell and leaves. Romance, Ch. 104 §5–7
That night Zhuge Liang gazes up at the Northern Dipper, points to his own general's star and recites an incantation, then returns to his tent and loses consciousness; while the generals are in confusion, Li Fu arrives again. Seeing that Zhuge Liang has fainted and cannot speak, Li Fu weeps loudly, crying, 'I have ruined a great affair of the state!' Romance, Ch. 104 §13
When Zhuge Liang comes to again and, seeing Li Fu before his couch, says that he already knows why he has returned, Li Fu apologizes that, on the Son of Heaven's command, he should have asked who would be fit to take on the great affairs after the Chancellor's hundred years were over, but in his haste he had failed to ask. Zhuge Liang answers that Jiang Gongyan (Jiang Wan) is suitable and that after Gongyan, Fei Wenwei (Fei Yi) can succeed, but when asked who should come after Wenwei, he does not answer. When the generals approach to look, he has already breathed his last; it was the 23rd day of the 8th month, in autumn, of the 12th year of Jianxing (234). Romance, Ch. 104 §14–15
In Chapter 105, the Later Sovereign in Chengdu dreams that Mount Jinping collapses, and Qiao Zhou interprets it as an omen of great misfortune for the Chancellor. At that moment Li Fu returns, kowtows and, weeping, reports that the Chancellor has already passed away, and relates in detail the words the Chancellor left at his death. The Later Sovereign wails, 'Heaven is destroying me!' and collapses on the dragon throne. Romance, Ch. 105 §3–4
Where the Romance differs
At Zhuge Liang's sickbed: In Chapter 104 of the Romance, Li Fu goes to Wuzhang Plains on the Later Sovereign's command, hears Zhuge Liang's words, then returns again to ask about Jiang Wan and Fei Yi as successors. Li Fu's record in Chen Shou's main text contains no such episode; it gives only the sequence of his offices and his death at the time of Jiang Wan's campaign to Hanzhong. Romance, Ch. 104 §6–7 · 13–15Records, Shu 15 §71
Office: In Chapter 104 of the Romance, Li Fu appears as a Master of Writing. In the Records, he served as Administrator of Baxi and as Area Commander of Jiangzhou and General Who Spreads Might, then entered the court as Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat. Romance, Ch. 104 §6Records, Shu 15 §71
Later career: In the Romance, Li Fu does not appear after reporting Zhuge Liang's death to the Later Sovereign in Chapter 105. In the Records, at the beginning of Yanxi, when the General-in-Chief Jiang Wan marched out to Hanzhong, Li Fu died while serving as Army Supervisor of the Front and concurrently as Major. Romance, Ch. 105 §4Records, Shu 15 §71
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Abilities
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
Records total446 / 1000Rank 381 of 996 · Top 39%Romance total430 / 1000Rank 323 of 1,113 · Top 30%
Romance adaptation index−16Romance total − Records total
- LEA4531−14
- STR3331−2
- INT5545−10
- POL5848−10
- CHA4240−2
- VIR4560+15
- ADP4842−6
- SCH4040±0
- DIP4255+13
- DIS3838±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as Area Commander of Jiangzhou and Army Supervisor of the FrontShu 15 §71
NNo direct record — estimated from his title of Master of WritingCh. 104 §6
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 15 §71
NAs envoy, conveyed the command, received the last words and the succession, and reported them in detailCh. 104 §14Ch. 105 §4
RThe encomium called him bold and keenShu 15 §65
NRealized he had failed to ask about the succession and came back to askCh. 104 §14
RRose through county Prefect and Administrator of Baxi to Supervisor of the Imperial SecretariatShu 15 §71
NAs Master of Writing, asked about the arrangements to follow on the Later Sovereign's commandCh. 104 §6
5 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his record as a civil officialShu 15 §71
NNo direct record — estimated from his title of Master of WritingCh. 104 §6
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 15 §71
NNo direct record — estimated from his title of Master of WritingCh. 104 §6
RNo direct record — estimated from the encomium calling him boldShu 15 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his title of Master of WritingCh. 104 §6
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as Assistant Clerk and Supervisor of the Imperial SecretariatShu 15 §71
NNo direct record — estimated from his title of Master of WritingCh. 104 §6
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 15 §71
NNo direct record — estimated from his title of Master of WritingCh. 104 §6
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
Romance chapters (2)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Shu · Romance · Romance ch. 104 「后主闻奏大惊，急命尚书李福，星夜至军中问安，兼询后事」 · Q124586305
Related events (1)
- A Great Star Falls: the Han Chancellor Dies 234 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).