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Lu Xun

Wu general and chancellor who helped take Jing province from Guan Yu, burned Liu Bei's camps at Yiling in 222 and defeated Cao Xiu at Shiting

Also known as Zi Boyan

Lu Xun, originally named Lu Yi, courtesy name Boyan, came of a leading family of Wu county, joined Sun Quan's staff at twenty-one and married a daughter of Sun Ce. In 219 he took over Lu Meng's post at Lukou and wrote Guan Yu letters so humble that Guan lowered his guard, then helped Lu Meng seize Jing province. When Liu Bei marched east, Lu Xun as grand commander held back for months and, once the Shu army was worn down, attacked with fire in 222, breaking more than forty camps. In 228 he routed the Wei general Cao Xiu at Shiting. He succeeded Gu Yong as chancellor in 244, but his support for the heir Sun He against Sun Ba, Prince of Lu, drew repeated rebukes from Sun Quan, and he died in anger the next year aged sixty-three; Sun Xiu later gave him the posthumous name Zhao. His grandson Lu Ji wrote the essay On the Fall of a State (Bianwang lun), recalling the family's service to Wu.

Life and times

  1. 183 CEBornHanThree Kingdoms
  2. 221Battle of YilingTook partage 38Burning connected encampments along the Yangtze, finalizing the tripartite borders of the Three Kingdoms.
    1. Lu Xun Burns Liu Bei's CampsLu Xun withheld attacks during scorching summer months before launching fire attacks against Liu Bei's extended camps at Yiling.
  3. 245 CEDied

Family tree

  1. Direct kin
    Lu Xun
    Son
    Children
    Children
  2. Other kin1
    1. Sun CeFather-in-law · 175 CE–200 CE