| Occupation | ROfficial · Director of the Imperial Secretariat NGeneral · General Who Pacifies Distant Lands | Faction | Shu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | Book of Shu |
| Born | R? Unverified | Native place | Nanyang Commandery |
| Died | R251 Unverified | Place of death | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R10 |
Lü Yi, courtesy name Jiyang, was a man of Nanyang. His father Lü Chang escorted Liu Yan into Shu and was never able to return. After Liu Bei pacified Yi Province, Lü Yi became Commandant of the Bureau of Manufactures at the request of Wang Lian, Colonel of the Salt Office, and after serving as Prefect of Xindu and of Mianzhu he held the posts of Administrator of Baxi, Hanzhong, Guanghan and Shu Commandery. Records, Shu 9 §39–40
While Administrator of Shu Commandery he got more than ten thousand people who had dropped out of the household registers to come forward of their own accord, and later he entered the court and replaced Dong Yun as Director of the Imperial Secretariat. He died in the 14th year of Yanxi (251). Records, Shu 9 §40–42
In his assessment Chen Shou said that he earned praise when governing a commandery but lost reputation at court, placing him in the same class as Huang Ba and Xue Xuan, only a step below them. In the Romance his name first appears in Chapter 65 among the surrendered officials promoted by Liu Bei, and he appears in 2 of its 120 chapters; his name is not in any chapter title. In Chapter 91 his name is listed as deputy general of the rear army of the northern campaign. Records, Shu 9 §45Romance, Ch. 65 §46Romance, Ch. 91 §41
Lü Yi, courtesy name Jiyang, was a man of Nanyang. His father Lü Chang escorted the former general Liu Yan into Shu, but as the road to the court happened to be cut off, he was never able to return. Lü Yi lost his father as a child, and loved reading books and playing the zither. Records, Shu 9 §39
When Liu Bei pacified Yi Province, he established a Colonel of the Salt Office to manage the profits of salt and iron; later the Colonel Wang Lian requested Lü Yi, Du Qi of Nanyang, Liu Gan of Nanxiang and others, and all were made Commandants of the Bureau of Manufactures. The Biography of Wang Lian also records that Wang Lian selected talented men as his subordinates, and that Lü Yi, Du Qi and Liu Gan all eventually rose to high office. Lü Yi was transferred to be Prefect of Xindu and Prefect of Mianzhu; he devoted himself to pitying and caring for the people, who praised him, and he was foremost among all the cities of the province. Records, Shu 9 §39Records, Shu 11 §10
He was transferred to be Administrator of Baxi. Chancellor Zhuge Liang sent out armies year after year and levied men from the various commanderies, which often could not help one another, but Lü Yi recruited 5,000 soldiers and sent them to Zhuge Liang, and by comforting, admonishing and controlling them he made sure none deserted. He was transferred to be Administrator of Hanzhong, concurrently serving as Supervisor of Agriculture, and kept up the supply of army provisions. Records, Shu 9 §40
After Zhuge Liang died, he was transferred several times and became Administrator of Guanghan and of Shu Commandery. Shu Commandery, where the capital stood, had many households, and after Zhuge Liang's death soldiers deserted and repeatedly assumed one another's names, so frauds and tricks were of more than one kind. On taking office Lü Yi set up measures to prevent and forbid this and guided the people by explanation and exhortation, and within a few years more than ten thousand people who had dropped out of the household registers came forward of their own accord. Records, Shu 9 §40–41
Later he entered the court as Master of Writing, and replaced Dong Yun as Director of the Imperial Secretariat. No business was ever left delayed, and no guests were kept waiting at his gate. Having held offices both in and outside the capital, he kept himself frugal, was modest, quiet and spoke little, and his administration was simple and not burdensome, so he was called upright and capable. However, he applied the law harshly and severely and liked to employ petty officials bound by the letter of the law, so his reputation in high office fell short of that in the commanderies and counties. Records, Shu 9 §41
He died in the 14th year of Yanxi (251). According to the record of Chen Zhi in the same volume, when Lü Yi died, Chen Zhi, as Palace Attendant, acted as Director of the Imperial Secretariat. His son Lü Chen became Prefect of Chengdu in the Jingyao era, and Lü Chen's younger brother Lü Ya was an Internuncio; he was upright, stern and talented in letters, and wrote the Ge Lun (Discourses on Standards) in 15 chapters. Du Qi and Liu Gan were both close friends of Lü Yi and were also praised in their time, but in frugality and observance of the law they did not match Lü Yi. Records, Shu 9 §42–43 · 34
In his assessment Chen Shou, after naming Dong He, Liu Ba, Ma Liang, Chen Zhen and Dong Yun as fine ministers of Shu, said that Lü Yi earned praise when governing a commandery but lost reputation at court, and was also of the class just below Huang Ba and Xue Xuan. Records, Shu 9 §45
In Chapter 65 of the Romance, Liu Bei takes the post of Governor of Yi Province himself, richly rewards the civil and military officials who surrendered, and settles their titles and ranks. After fixing the posts of a few men, such as making Yan Yan General of the Front and Fa Zheng Administrator of Shu Commandery, he promotes and employs all the rest of the more than sixty surrendered civil and military officials, Lü Yi among them, together with Wu Yi, Fei Guan, Peng Yang, Li Yan, Li Hui, Qin Mi, Qiao Zhou and others. Romance, Ch. 65 §46
In Chapter 91, Zhuge Liang receives the edict for the northern campaign and summons his generals to assign their posts. The Romance lists 'General Who Pacifies Distant Lands and acting Administrator of Hanzhong, Lü Yi' as deputy general to Li Hui, General Who Pacifies the Han and acting Administrator of Jianning, who is Commander of the Rear Army. After the posts are thus assigned, it is decided to set out against Wei on the day bingyin of the 3rd month, in spring of the 5th year of Jianxing (227). These two are the only times Lü Yi's name appears in the Romance. Romance, Ch. 91 §41 · 43
How he came to Shu: In Chapter 65 of the Romance, Lü Yi's name appears among the surrendered officials whom Liu Bei promotes after taking Yi Province. In the Records, his father Lü Chang escorted Liu Yan into Shu and was never able to return, and after Liu Bei pacified Yi Province, Wang Lian, Colonel of the Salt Office, requested him and made him Commandant of the Bureau of Manufactures. The Records does not record what he did under Liu Zhang. Romance, Ch. 65 §46Records, Shu 9 §39
His post during the northern campaign: In Chapter 91 of the Romance, Lü Yi sets out as deputy general to Li Hui, as General Who Pacifies Distant Lands and acting Administrator of Hanzhong. In the Records, as Administrator of Baxi he gathered 5,000 soldiers and sent them to Zhuge Liang, and after being transferred to Administrator of Hanzhong he concurrently served as Supervisor of Agriculture and supplied army provisions. The title General Who Pacifies Distant Lands does not appear in Chen Shou's main text. Romance, Ch. 91 §41Records, Shu 9 §40
Shu Commandery and the Imperial Secretariat: The Romance does not mention that Lü Yi became Administrator of Guanghan and Shu Commandery and brought out the people who had dropped out of the household registers, nor that he replaced Dong Yun as Director of the Imperial Secretariat. In the Records, in Shu Commandery he got more than ten thousand people to come forward of their own accord within a few years, and as Director of the Imperial Secretariat he left no business delayed. Romance, Ch. 91 §41Records, Shu 9 §40–41
Death: In the Romance, Lü Yi no longer appears after Chapter 91, and his death is not recorded. The Records states that he died in the 14th year of Yanxi (251). Romance, Ch. 91 §41Records, Shu 9 §42
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.
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.
RForemost in governing his county, uncovered over ten thousand hidden households, and left no business delayed as Director of the Imperial SecretariatShu 9 §39Shu 9 §45
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Administrator of HanzhongCh. 91 §41Ch. 65 §46
RThe people praised him, and deserters dropped from the registers came forward of their own accordShu 9 §39Shu 9 §41
NNo direct recordCh. 65 §46
RFrugal, modest and upright, but harsh and severe in applying the lawShu 9 §41Shu 9 §45
NNo direct recordCh. 65 §46
RLoved reading books and playing the zitherShu 9 §39
NNo direct recordCh. 65 §46
RGathered 5,000 soldiers and, by comforting and controlling them, let none desertShu 9 §40
NServed as deputy general of the rear army and Administrator of Hanzhong in the northern campaignCh. 91 §41
RNo direct recordShu 9 §40
NNo direct recordCh. 91 §41
RNo direct recordShu 9 §41
NNo direct recordCh. 91 §41
RNo direct record — estimated from his career in offices both in and outside the capitalShu 9 §41
NNo direct record — estimated from his surrender to Liu Bei and promotionCh. 65 §46
RNo direct record — recorded as a man of few wordsShu 9 §41
NNo direct recordCh. 91 §41
RLiked to employ petty officials bound by the letter of the law, and his reputation fell at courtShu 9 §41Shu 9 §45
NNo direct recordCh. 91 §41
RSkilled +10 Loved playing the zither from his youthShu 9 §39
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.
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