Horse
Red Hare 赤兔
About this item
The Red Hare was the fine horse ridden by Lü Bu. Chen Shou's text records, at the point where Lü Bu attacked Zhang Yan at Changshan together with Yuan Shao, that "he had a fine horse called Red Hare." The Romance depicts this horse as red all over like burning charcoal, without a single stray hair, and running a thousand li a day, and follows its path as it passes from Dong Zhuo to Lü Bu, from Lü Bu through Cao Cao to Guan Yu, and after Guan Yu's death to Ma Zhong. Records, Wei 7 §7Romance, Ch. 3 §37–39Romance, Ch. 19 §48Romance, Ch. 25 §30–31Romance, Ch. 77 §16
Chen Shou's text mentions the Red Hare once, in Records of Wei 7. The Romance first introduces this horse in Chapter 3 and mentions it in eleven chapters, through Chapters 5, 19, 25, 26, 27, 28, 42, 50, 77 and 94, and closes its thread in Chapter 77 with the horse refusing food for several days and dying. Records, Wei 7 §7Romance, Ch. 3 §37Romance, Ch. 5 §43Romance, Ch. 19 §44Romance, Ch. 25 §30Romance, Ch. 26 §38Romance, Ch. 27 §4Romance, Ch. 28 §13Romance, Ch. 42 §18Romance, Ch. 50 §26Romance, Ch. 77 §16Romance, Ch. 94 §10
In the Records
In Chen Shou's text the Red Hare appears once, in Records of Wei 7. Lü Bu, who had killed Dong Zhuo, was defeated by Li Jue and others, left Chang'an and went to Yuan Shu, but Yuan Shu, disliking his inconstancy, would not take him in. Lü Bu went north to Yuan Shao, and Yuan Shao, together with Lü Bu, attacked at Changshan Zhang Yan, who commanded more than 10,000 elite troops and several thousand cavalry. Records, Wei 7 §6–7
At this point Chen Shou writes that "Lü Bu had a fine horse called Red Hare," and goes on to say that Lü Bu, always together with his close followers Cheng Lian, Wei Yue and others, pierced the enemy's spearheads and charged into their lines, and at last broke Zhang Yan's army. Chen Shou's text does not record how Lü Bu obtained this horse, nor what became of it after Song Xian, Wei Xu and others seized Chen Gong and surrendered the city at Xiapi in the 3rd year of Jian'an (198) and Lü Bu was captured and put to death. Records, Wei 7 §7 · 26Records, Wei 1 §46 · 48–49
In the Romance
In Chapter 3 of the Romance, when Dong Zhuo wants to win over Lü Bu, who is serving under Ding Yuan, Li Su, General of the Household Rapid as Tigers and a man from Lü Bu's home district, proposes using Dong Zhuo's famous horse Red Hare, which runs a thousand li a day. Dong Zhuo gladly hands over the horse and adds a thousand taels of gold, several dozen bright pearls and a jade belt. The horse that Li Su presents to Lü Bu is red all over like burning charcoal, without a single stray hair, one zhang long from head to tail and eight chi tall from hoof to neck (a zhang being ten chi, a chi roughly a foot), and crosses rivers and climbs mountains as if treading level ground. Lü Bu is overjoyed, and when Li Su reveals that this horse too is Dong Zhuo's gift, he cuts off Ding Yuan's head that night. Romance, Ch. 3 §36–39 · 43–46
At Hulao Pass in Chapter 5 Lü Bu comes out riding this horse, and the Romance says he truly deserves the saying "Among men, Lü Bu; among horses, Red Hare." When Lü Bu spurs the Red Hare after Gongsun Zan, the horse flies like the wind. In Chapter 19, when Cao Cao breaches the river to flood Xiapi, Lü Bu is unafraid, saying that with the Red Hare he can cross water as if it were level ground. But Hou Cheng, who has been flogged for breaking the ban on wine, conspires with Song Xian and Wei Xu, saying that what Lü Bu relies on is the Red Hare; he steals the horse from the stable at night, goes out by the east gate and presents it at Cao Cao's camp, and the next day Lü Bu is bound and captured by Song Xian and Wei Xu. Romance, Ch. 5 §43 · 48Romance, Ch. 19 §44–51
In Chapter 25 Cao Cao, seeing that Guan Yu's horse is thin, gives him the Red Hare together with its saddle and bridle. Guan Yu, who had not bowed for beautiful women, gold or silk, bows twice, and Cao Cao is displeased, but Guan Yu answers that since this horse covers a thousand li a day, if he learns where his elder brother is he can meet him within a single day, leaving Cao Cao startled and regretful. Guan Yu rides this horse to Baima, and the horse is so fast that he reaches Yan Liang before Yan Liang can act and beheads him. In Chapter 26 Guan Yu, riding the Red Hare, escorts the carriages out through the north gate, and in Chapter 28 Guo Chang's son tries to steal this horse and is kicked to the ground by it. Romance, Ch. 25 §30–31 · 44 · 47Romance, Ch. 26 §38Romance, Ch. 28 §13
In Chapters 42 and 50 as well, Guan Yu blocks Cao Cao's path wielding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and riding the Red Hare. In Chapter 77, after Guan Yu's death, the horse is taken by Ma Zhong and presented to Sun Quan, and Sun Quan gives it back to Ma Zhong to ride, but the horse refuses food for several days and dies. In the same chapter Pujing of Mount Yuquan sees in the sky the spirit of Guan Yu riding the Red Hare and holding the Green Dragon Blade, and in Chapter 94 Guan Xing sees in the clouds the figure of his father riding the Red Hare. Romance, Ch. 42 §18Romance, Ch. 50 §26Romance, Ch. 77 §16 · 20Romance, Ch. 94 §10
Where the Romance differs
How the horse was obtained: In Chapter 3 of the Romance, Dong Zhuo has Li Su send the Red Hare along with gold and pearls to make Lü Bu betray Ding Yuan. The Records, in Records of Wei 7, say only that Dong Zhuo induced Lü Bu to kill Ding Yuan; the Red Hare first appears afterward, when Lü Bu attacked Zhang Yan together with Yuan Shao, and there is no account of how it was obtained. Romance, Ch. 3 §37–39 · 44Records, Wei 7 §2–3 · 7
The Red Hare at Xiapi: In Chapter 19 of the Romance, Hou Cheng's theft of the Red Hare and its presentation to Cao Cao become the signal for Song Xian and Wei Xu to bind Lü Bu. The Records, in Records of Wei 7, say only that Lü Bu's subordinates Hou Cheng, Song Xian and Wei Xu bound Chen Gong and surrendered at the head of their followers; there is no stealing of the horse. Romance, Ch. 19 §48–50Records, Wei 7 §26
Guan Yu and the horse: In Chapter 25 of the Romance, Cao Cao gives Guan Yu the Red Hare, and thanks to its speed Guan Yu reaches Yan Liang at Baima and beheads him. The Biography of Guan Yu in the Records says that Guan Yu, seeing Yan Liang's canopy from afar, whipped his horse on and stabbed Yan Liang in the midst of ten thousand men, but it gives no name for the horse and has no record of Cao Cao giving Guan Yu a horse. Romance, Ch. 25 §30–31 · 47Records, Shu 6 §4–5
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.
Ownership history
| Owner | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dong Zhuo | ~189 | Romance 「某聞主公有名馬一匹，號曰赤兔」 · 「赤兔馬亦董公所贈也」(yy-003:s44) |
| Lü Bu | 189~198 | Novel & History 「布有良馬曰赤兔」 · 「名曰赤兔：特獻與賢弟」 |
| Cao Cao | 198~200 | Romance 「盜了那匹赤兔馬…侯成到曹操寨，獻上馬匹」 |
| Guan Yu | 200~219 | Romance 「莫非呂布所騎赤兔馬乎」 · 「遂並鞍轡送與關公」(yy-025:s31) |
| Sun Quan | 219 | Romance 「坐下赤兔馬被馬忠所獲，獻與孫權」 |
| Ma Zhong(馬忠) | 219 | Romance 「權即賜馬忠騎坐。其馬數日不食草料而死」 |
Ownership is checked against the source texts (3KDEX) — each entry rests on the passage where the item changes hands. Owners not in the People index are not shown.