RAs a general, was besieged by Guan Yu at XiangyangWei 17 §65
NWent out with 2,000 troops, but his soldiers fled without fighting and he was badly defeatedCh. 73 §49Ch. 73 §50
Lü Chang 呂常
| Occupation | RGeneral · General NGeneral | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R1 |
Profile
Lü Chang was a general on Cao Cao's side. He has no biography of his own in the Records and appears once, in the biography of Xu Huang. In the 24th year of Jian'an (219), when Guan Yu besieged Cao Ren at Fan, Lü Chang was besieged by Guan Yu at Xiangyang. Records, Shu 6 §10Records, Wei 17 §65
After Xu Huang broke through Guan Yu's siege lines, Cao Cao told Xu Huang, 'That Fan and Xiangyang were kept whole is your merit, General.' Chen Shou's main text does not record Lü Chang's origins, his later career or his death. Records, Wei 17 §65–68
In the Romance he appears in Chapter 73 as a subordinate general of Cao Ren defending Fancheng; of the 120 chapters he appears only in this one, and his name is in no chapter title. Rejecting Man Chong's attempt to dissuade him, he goes out with 2,000 troops to meet Guan Yu, but his soldiers flee before even fighting, and he is badly defeated. Romance, Ch. 73 §48–50
In the Records
In the 24th year of Jian'an (219), Guan Yu led his host to attack Cao Ren at Fan. Cao Cao sent Xu Huang to help Cao Ren against Guan Yu, and Xu Huang was stationed at Wan. Just then the Han River suddenly flooded and Yu Jin and the others were overwhelmed by the waters, and Guan Yu, while besieging Cao Ren at Fan, also besieged the general Lü Chang at Xiangyang. Because most of the troops Xu Huang led were new recruits, he judged it hard to confront Guan Yu head-on, and advanced to Yanglingpo and camped there. Records, Shu 6 §10Records, Wei 17 §65
After taking Yancheng, Xu Huang linked his camps on both sides and advanced little by little until he was about three zhang from the enemy's siege lines. He spread word that he would attack the camp at the head of the siege lines while secretly attacking Sizhong; Guan Yu came out in person with 5,000 foot and horse to fight but fell back, and Xu Huang, pursuing him, broke into the siege lines along with him and routed them. Records, Wei 17 §66
In a directive, Cao Cao said that the sieges of Fan and Xiangyang had been worse than those of Ju and Jimo, and when Xu Huang returned to Mopi he offered him a cup of wine and praised him, saying, 'That Fan and Xiangyang were kept whole is your merit, General.' In Chen Shou's main text this Lü Chang appears only in the account of the siege of Xiangyang, and his origins, later career and death are not recorded. Records, Wei 17 §65 · 67–68
In the Romance
In Chapter 73 of the Romance, Guan Yu defeats Cao Ren and takes Xiangyang. Cao Ren, who has fallen back to hold Fancheng, laments to Man Chong that by not heeding his words he has had his army defeated, his generals killed and even Xiangyang lost, and Man Chong says they must simply hold fast. When word then comes that Guan Yu is crossing the Xiang River to attack Fancheng, the subordinate general Lü Chang steps forward indignantly, saying that if he is given several thousand troops he will stop the oncoming enemy within the Xiang River. Romance, Ch. 73 §43–45 · 48
When Man Chong remonstrates that it must not be done, Lü Chang angrily demands how they can drive off the enemy if they only hold fast, as the civil officials say. The art of war, he argues, says that an army can be struck when it is halfway across a river; now Guan Yu's troops are halfway across the Xiang River, so there is no reason not to strike, and once the enemy reaches the foot of the walls it will be hard to hold them off. Cao Ren then gives Lü Chang 2,000 troops and has him go out of Fancheng to meet the enemy in battle. Romance, Ch. 73 §49
When Lü Chang reaches the river mouth, the embroidered banners ahead part and Guan Yu rides out, his blade held level. Lü Chang tries to meet him, but the soldiers behind him, seeing Guan Yu's awe-inspiring majesty, flee before even fighting, and his shouts cannot stop them. Cao Cao's army loses more than half its horse and foot, the remnants flee into Fancheng, and Cao Ren sends a messenger to Cao Cao in Chang'an to ask for relief. Lü Chang does not appear in the Romance after this. Romance, Ch. 73 §49–50
Where the Romance differs
Where Lü Chang was: In Chapter 73 of the Romance, Lü Chang is a subordinate general under Cao Ren, who is defending Fancheng. In the Biography of Xu Huang in the Records, Guan Yu besieged Cao Ren at Fan and, separately, besieged the general Lü Chang at Xiangyang. Romance, Ch. 73 §48Records, Wei 17 §65
The fate of Xiangyang: In Chapter 73 of the Romance, Guan Yu defeats Cao Ren and takes Xiangyang. In the Records, Xiangyang was only besieged, and Cao Cao told Xu Huang that keeping Fan and Xiangyang whole was his merit. Romance, Ch. 73 §45Records, Wei 17 §65 · 68
His sortie and defeat: In Chapter 73 of the Romance, Lü Chang rejects Man Chong's attempt to dissuade him and goes out with 2,000 troops to meet Guan Yu, but his soldiers flee and he is badly defeated. The Biography of Xu Huang in the Records has no record of Lü Chang leaving the city to fight, and it was Xu Huang who broke the siege. Romance, Ch. 73 §49–50Records, Wei 17 §65–68
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
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.
Records total399 / 1000Rank 621 of 996 · Top 63%Romance total340 / 1000Rank 959 of 1,113 · Top 87%
Romance adaptation index−59Romance total − Records total
- LEA5230−22
- STR4238−4
- INT3836−2
- POL3531−4
- CHA4035−5
- VIR5045−5
- ADP4530−15
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3333±0
- DIS3331−2
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a Wei generalWei 17 §65
NRejected Man Chong's advice to hold fast and insisted on a sortieCh. 73 §48Ch. 73 §49
8 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a Wei generalWei 17 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Cao Ren's subordinate generalCh. 73 §48
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a Wei generalWei 17 §65
NArgued for a sortie, citing the maxim of striking an army halfway across a riverCh. 73 §49
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a Wei generalWei 17 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Cao Ren's subordinate generalCh. 73 §48
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a Wei generalWei 17 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Cao Ren's subordinate generalCh. 73 §48
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a Wei generalWei 17 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Cao Ren's subordinate generalCh. 73 §48
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a Wei generalWei 17 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Cao Ren's subordinate generalCh. 73 §48
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a Wei generalWei 17 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Cao Ren's subordinate generalCh. 73 §48
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a Wei generalWei 17 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Cao Ren's subordinate generalCh. 73 §48
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.
Romance chapters (1)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Related events (2)
- Guan Yu Takes Xiangyang 219 · Appears (Romance scene)
- Battle of Fancheng 219 · Command
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).