Dushi

Biography & Historical Record

Lady Du (Dushi) was an imperial consort and noblewoman during the late Eastern Han dynasty and Three Kingdoms period. Originally the wife of Qin Yilu, a military officer serving under the northern warlord Lu Bu, Lady Du gave birth to Qin Yilu’s son, Qin Lang. Around 198 AD, Qin Yilu was dispatched by Lu Bu as an envoy to the northern warlord Yuan Shu. Impressed by Qin Yilu, Yuan Shu married a noblewoman from the Han imperial clan to him, forcing Qin Yilu to leave Lady Du and their infant son Qin Lang behind in Xiapi.

In late 198 AD, during the siege of Xiapi by the combined armies of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, Guan Yu repeatedly approached Cao Cao with a personal petition: asking that upon the city’s capitulation, he be granted permission to marry Lady Du, as his own wife had not borne him sons. Cao Cao initially agreed to Guan Yu’s request. However, as Xiapi was on the verge of falling, Guan Yu petitioned Cao Cao multiple times regarding Lady Du. Guan Yu’s persistent entreaties aroused Cao Cao’s suspicion about her beauty. Once Lu Bu was defeated and Xiapi surrendered, Cao Cao sent scouts to bring Lady Du to him first. Enchanted by her extraordinary beauty, Cao Cao broke his promise to Guan Yu and took Lady Du into his own harem as a concubine. Guan Yu harbored deep resentment over this betrayal, an incident recorded in both the Records of the Three Kingdoms and Huayang Guo Zhi.

Lady Du was treated with great affection by Cao Cao, who also raised her son Qin Lang as his own adoptive child, famously remarking that few men loved their stepson as much as he did. Lady Du bore Cao Cao two sons, Cao Lin (Prince of Dong’a) and Cao Gun (Prince of Zhongshan), as well as a daughter, Princess Jinxiang. Following Cao Cao’s death, her son Cao Lin carried on her noble line, and her grandson Cao Mao later ascended as the fourth emperor of Cao Wei.

Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Lady Du appears in Chapter 19 during the Siege of Xiapi. As Lu Bu’s general Qin Yilu is sent on a diplomatic mission to Yuan Shu and detained there, Lady Du remains in Xiapi with her young son Qin Lang. When the joint forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei surround Xiapi, Guan Yu approaches Cao Cao and petitions to take Qin Yilu’s wife as his spouse upon victory, explaining that his own wife has borne no children. Cao Cao grants permission. However, when Xiapi falls and Guan Yu reminds Cao Cao of his promise, Cao Cao orders Lady Du brought before him first. Struck by her captivating beauty, Cao Cao breaks his word to Guan Yu and claims Lady Du for his own harem, leaving Guan Yu secretly resentful and adding emotional friction to their complex relationship.

Lady Du (杜氏) — Literary Timeline

Key Relationships

Family

• Qin Yilu (秦宜禄, Tần Nghi Lộc) — First husband and military officer under Lu Bu who left her behind in Xiapi in 198 AD.
• Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo) — Second husband and warlord who claimed her as a concubine after the Siege of Xiapi in 198 AD.
• Qin Lang (秦朗, Tần Lãng) — Son from her first marriage, whom Cao Cao raised as his own adoptive son.
• Cao Lin (曹林, Tào Lâm) — Son born to Cao Cao, later titled Prince of Dong’a.
• Cao Gun (曹衮, Tào Cổn) — Son born to Cao Cao, later titled Prince of Zhongshan.
• Princess Jinxiang (金乡公主, Kim Hương Công Chúa) — Daughter born to Cao Cao.
• Cao Mao (曹髦, Tào Mao) — Grandson through her son Cao Lin, who became the fourth emperor of Cao Wei.

Friends

• Empress Dowager Bian (卞夫人, Biện Phu Nhân) — Primary wife of Cao Cao who oversaw the household and harem where Lady Du resided.

Enemies

• Lu Bu (吕布, Lữ Bố) — Warlord of Xiapi whose defeat in 198 AD resulted in the loss of her first husband and her subsequent capture by Cao Cao.
• Guan Yu (关羽, Quan Vũ) — General who sought to marry her after the fall of Xiapi in 198 AD; he harbored deep resentment toward Cao Cao for breaking his promise and taking her instead.

Other

• He Yan (何晏, Hà Án) — Son-in-law who married her daughter, Princess Jinxiang.

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