Lu Zhi 魯芝

In Chapter 107 of the Romance, Cao Shuang, taking his younger brothers, his trusted followers and the Imperial Guard, follows Cao Fang, ruler of Wei, out of the city to pay respects at Emperor Ming's tomb and goes on from there to hunt. Seizing the opening, Sima Yi has the Minister over the Masses Gao Rou take over Cao Shuang's camp and the Minister Coachman Wang Guan take over Cao Xi's camp, and after reporting Cao Shuang's crimes to Empress Dowager Guo he personally leads a great army to seize the arsenal. Sima Zhao escorts his father, leads troops out of the city to camp by the Luo River, and holds the floating bridge. Romance, Ch. 107 §1–4

Lu Zhi, a Major under Cao Shuang, seeing that an upheaval has broken out in the city, comes to the Army Adviser Xin Chang to consult him: 'Now that Zhongda has raised this upheaval, what are we to do?' When Xin Chang says they should lead their own troops out of the city to go to the Son of Heaven, Lu Zhi agrees. In the rear hall Xin Chang asks his elder sister Xin Xianying whether he may go, since Major Lu is asking him to go along, and Xin Xianying answers that keeping to one's duty is a person's great righteousness. Following her words, Xin Chang, together with Lu Zhi, leads several dozen horsemen to cut through the barrier, seize the gate and get out. Romance, Ch. 107 §5–7

At the hunting ground, when Cao Shuang receives Sima Yi's memorial and does not know what to do, his younger brother Cao Xi proposes that they bind themselves and go to him so as at least to escape death, but before he has finished speaking Xin Chang and Lu Zhi arrive. The two report that the city is guarded as tightly as an iron bucket and the Grand Tutor is camped with his troops at the floating bridge over the Luo River, so that by the look of things they will be unable to return, and that he should settle on a great plan early. Then the Minister of Agriculture Huan Fan comes galloping up and urges him to ask the Son of Heaven to proceed to Xudu and to summon troops from outside to attack Sima Yi. Romance, Ch. 107 §10 · 13–14

Cao Shuang, unable to decide all night, throws down his sword, saying he will not raise troops, and following the advice of Xu Yun and Chen Tai sends his seal and cord to Sima Yi first. The Registrar Yang Zong clutches the seal and cord and weeps as he tries to stop him, but Cao Shuang says the Grand Tutor will not break faith. The three Cao Shuang brothers are later beheaded in the marketplace together with those implicated, and their clans are exterminated to the third degree. Romance, Ch. 107 §17–19 · 23

After Sima Yi has beheaded Cao Shuang, the Grand Commandant Jiang Ji says that Lu Zhi and Xin Chang cut through the barrier and seized the gate to get out, and that Yang Zong seized the seal and would not hand it over, so none of them must be let go. Sima Yi, saying, 'Each of them did it for his own master; they are men of righteousness,' restores each of them to his former post, and puts up a notice that all who were in Cao Shuang's following are spared death and those holding office are restored to their posts as before. After this passage Lu Zhi does not appear again in the Romance. Romance, Ch. 107 §27 · 29