Li Fu 李孚
| Occupation | ROfficial · Colonel-Director of Retainers NOfficial · Registrar | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | Native place | Julu Commandery | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R3 |
Profile
Li Fu appears in Chapter 32 of the Romance as Yuan Shang's Registrar. When Cao Cao surrounds Ji Province with a great army, Yuan Shang turns back to relieve it and stations his troops at Yangping Pavilion, and he sends Li Fu to the foot of the city wall disguised as a commander (dudu) of Cao Cao's army. Once inside the city, Li Fu tells Shen Pei that when the troops in the city sally out they too should raise a fire as a signal, and proposes that, since there is no grain in the city, they send out the old and weak soldiers and the women to surrender, and then send troops out right behind them to attack. Romance, Ch. 32 §38–41
He appears in only one of the Romance's 120 chapters, Chapter 32, and no chapter title bears his name. He does not appear in Chen Shou's main text and is recorded only in Pei Songzhi's commentary. In Chen Shou's main text, the Annals of Emperor Wu record that in the 7th month, in autumn, of the 9th year of Jian'an (204) Yuan Shang returned to relieve Ye, and the Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao record that Yuan Shang, leading more than 10,000 soldiers, came along the Western Hills to Yangping Pavilion, 17 li from Ye, and raised a fire to signal to the city, and that the city raised a fire in answer. Li Fu's name does not appear in these passages. Romance, Ch. 32 §40Records, Wei 1 §81–82Records, Wei 6 §64
In the Romance
In Chapter 32 of the Romance, Cao Cao surrounds Ji Province with a great army, but when Feng Li and 300 strong men, trying to get in through a tunnel, are blocked by Shen Pei and all die in the earth, he gives up the tunnel plan, pulls his troops back to the banks of the Huan River and waits for Yuan Shang. Yuan Shang, who has been attacking Pingyuan, withdraws his troops and turns back to relieve the city; following the advice of his lieutenant Ma Yan, he takes the byway through the Western Hills, comes out at the border mouth of the Fu River and stations his troops at Yangping Pavilion, 17 li from Ji Province. Cao Cao, saying that Yuan Shang is sure to raise a fire as a signal for the city to answer him, divides his troops in readiness. Romance, Ch. 32 §36–39
Yuan Shang has his soldiers pile up firewood and dry grass to be burned as a signal when night falls, and sends his Registrar Li Fu, disguised as a commander (dudu) of Cao Cao's army, straight to the foot of the city wall. When Li Fu shouts for the gate to be opened, Shen Pei recognizes his voice and lets him into the city. Li Fu reports that Yuan Shang has already drawn up his troops at Yangping Pavilion and is waiting to support them, and that when the troops in the city sally out they too should raise a fire as a signal; Shen Pei has grass piled up and set alight in the city to pass the message. Romance, Ch. 32 §40
Li Fu further says that since there is no grain in the city, if they send out the old and weak soldiers and the women to surrender, the enemy will surely be off guard, and they can then send troops out right behind the people to attack; Shen Pei follows his advice. The next day a white flag reading 'The people of Ji Province surrender' is raised on the wall, but Cao Cao, saying that the city has no grain and is sending out its old and weak people, so troops are sure to come out behind them, gives Zhang Liao and Xu Huang 3,000 troops each and has them lie in ambush on both sides. When the people have all come out, the troops in the city charge out, but the two columns of Zhang Liao and Xu Huang come out together and cut them down, and they have no choice but to turn back; Cao Cao, pursuing them as far as the drawbridge, is struck on the helmet by a crossbow bolt. In the battle that follows Yuan Shang is badly defeated, and Li Fu does not appear in the Romance after this passage. Romance, Ch. 32 §41–44
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
There is no record in the main text of Chen Shou’s Records, so only the Romance score is given.
- LEA38
- STR35
- INT60
- POL40
- CHA38
- VIR48
- ADP52
- SCH42
- DIP50
- DIS35
Evidence by ability
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Registrar and his brief recordCh. 32 §40
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Registrar and his brief recordCh. 32 §40
NProposed the plan of sending out the old and weak to surrender and attacking right behind themCh. 32 §41
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Registrar and his brief recordCh. 32 §40
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Registrar and his brief recordCh. 32 §40
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Registrar and his brief recordCh. 32 §40
NEntered the besieged city disguised as a commander of Cao Cao's armyCh. 32 §40
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as RegistrarCh. 32 §40
NConveyed Yuan Shang's intentions into the city and arranged the fire signalCh. 32 §40
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Registrar and his brief recordCh. 32 §40
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 (1)
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