Li Ru 李儒

In Chapter 3 of the Romance, when Dong Zhuo asks what he thinks of deposing the emperor and setting up the Prince of Chenliu, Li Ru says that it must be done now, while the court has no master, and that Dong Zhuo should assemble the officials in the Wenming Garden, announce the deposition and behead any who do not comply. When a man holding a sky-piercing halberd stands glaring behind Ding Yuan, Li Ru breaks up the gathering, saying that a banquet is no place to discuss affairs of state, and later tells Dong Zhuo that the man is Ding Yuan's adopted son Lü Bu, so that Dong Zhuo avoids him. When Li Su proposes winning Lü Bu over with Red Hare, Li Ru backs him, saying, 'If you mean to win the realm, why grudge a single horse?' Romance, Ch. 3 §27 · 31 · 34 · 37–38

When Li Ru urges him to hasten the deposition, Dong Zhuo holds a banquet and raises the matter before the high ministers. In Chapter 4, when Dong Zhuo wants to kill Yuan Shao, who has come out against him, Li Ru stops him, saying that the matter is not yet settled, and on the first day of the 9th month in the Jiade Hall he reads out, on Dong Zhuo's orders, the document deposing the emperor. It is also he who recommends Cai Yong so that Dong Zhuo may win the people's esteem. Romance, Ch. 3 §48–49Romance, Ch. 4 §1 · 4 · 6 · 11

Saying that the deposed emperor has written a resentful poem, Dong Zhuo gives Li Ru ten armed men and has him murder the emperor. Li Ru offers wine laced with poison, saying, 'Chancellor of State Dong has specially sent wine for your long life,' and says that if he will not drink it he must accept a dagger and a white silk cord instead. He rebukes Concubine Tang, who offers to drink in the emperor's place, seizes Empress He, who is cursing Dong Zhuo, with both hands and throws her down from the tower, has the armed men strangle Concubine Tang, and kills Emperor Shao by pouring the poisoned wine into his mouth. Romance, Ch. 4 §14–17

After Cao Cao presents a sword and flees, Li Ru reasons that if Cao Cao does not come when sent for, it will mean he had meant to stab Dong Zhuo, and when Cao Cao slips out by the east gate, he says that there must be fellow conspirators. In Chapter 5, after the loss of Hua Xiong, he advises first getting rid of Yuan Wei, the Grand Tutor and uncle of the alliance leader Yuan Shao, and Yuan Wei's household is wiped out. Romance, Ch. 4 §31–32Romance, Ch. 5 §40

In Chapter 6, when Li Jue returns after being driven off by Sun Jian, Li Ru says that Lü Bu has just been defeated and the soldiers have no stomach for fighting, and citing the children's song 'A Han in the west, a Han in the east', he advises moving the capital to Chang'an; Dong Zhuo rejoices, saying, 'Had it not been for your words, I would never have realized it.' Following his proposal to confiscate the wealth of the rich of Luoyang, several thousand wealthy households are beheaded outside the city. He devises the plan of placing Xu Rong in ambush at Xingyang, and Lü Bu, meeting the pursuing Cao Cao, says, 'Just as Li Ru reckoned.' Romance, Ch. 6 §3–4 · 8–9 · 15–16

In Chapter 8, on meeting Lü Bu after Dong Zhuo has driven him out, Li Ru advises Dong Zhuo to console him with gifts of gold and silk. In Chapter 9, rushing into the rear garden, he collides with Dong Zhuo, who is chasing Lü Bu, and knocks him down, and then, citing the story of King Zhuang of Chu's banquet at which the guests' hat strings were torn off, he advises Dong Zhuo to bestow Diaochan on Lü Bu. In Dong Zhuo's arms, Diaochan weeps that this is Li Ru's scheme, and the next day Dong Zhuo asks, 'Would you give your own wife to Lü Bu?' and says that if Li Ru raises it again he will behead him. Li Ru goes out, looks up to heaven and sighs, 'We shall all die at the hands of a woman!' Romance, Ch. 8 §33Romance, Ch. 9 §1–2 · 4–7

On the day Dong Zhuo enters Chang'an from Meiwu, Li Ru is at home ill and cannot go out to meet him. When Dong Zhuo is killed, Lü Bu cries, 'The one who helped Dong Zhuo in his tyranny was Li Ru!', and Li Ru's household slaves are already coming to hand him over bound. Wang Yun has him dragged to the marketplace and beheaded. Romance, Ch. 9 §20–21 · 27