Contents
Biography & Historical Record
Lu Su (鲁肃, Lỗ Túc) (172–217 AD), courtesy name Zijing (子敬, Tử Kính), was Eastern Wu’s great diplomat-strategist—the man who donated his family’s granaries to Zhou Yu (周瑜, Chu Du), who laid out a “divide-the-realm” plan to Sun Quan (孙权, Tôn Quyền), and who held the Sun–Liu alliance together long enough for Red Cliffs and the Jingzhou balance to matter. Born in Dongcheng, Linhuai, he combined private wealth with public vision: feed troops, ally with Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị), contain Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo).
In the novel he is the honest intermediary between Zhou Yu’s jealousy and Zhuge Liang’s (诸葛亮, Gia Cát Lượng) guile—most famously lending twenty straw boats for the arrow-borrowing stratagem (Ch. 46). In history he is even weightier: SGZ credits him with the core anti-Cao coalition logic and with succeeding Zhou Yu on the Jing front after 210 AD. He died of illness at Baqiu in 217 AD.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
From Chapter 29’s introduction through Chapters 42–46’s Red Cliffs arc, Lu Su escorts Zhuge Liang to Chaisang, backs war against the civil defeatists, mediates Zhou Yu’s plots, and secretly equips the straw fleet. Later he negotiates Jingzhou (Ch. 51–54), succeeds Zhou Yu (Ch. 57), and faces Guan Yu (关羽, Quan Vũ) at the Lukou single-blade meeting (Ch. 66)—always trying to keep alliance from collapsing into war between Wu and Shu.
Lu Su (鲁肃) — Historical & Literary Timeline
Enters Sun Quan’s service
Wealthy Linhuai lord who feeds Zhou Yu’s troops from family granaries; presents a grand strategy to stabilize Jiangdong and look west.
Builds the Sun–Liu link
Visits Xiakou under pretext of mourning Liu Biao; escorts Zhuge Liang to Chaisang and argues hard against surrender to Cao Cao.
War council mediator
Bridges Sun Quan, Zhou Yu, and Zhuge Liang as Wu commits to naval resistance.
Straw boats for 100,000 arrows
Secretly supplies Zhuge Liang with twenty boats, crews, and straw—enabling the Borrowing Arrows stratagem without telling Zhou Yu.
Jingzhou diplomacy
Repeated missions to reclaim or redefine Jingzhou while preserving the anti-Cao framework.
Succeeds Zhou Yu
Named Wu’s senior commander on Zhou Yu’s deathbed recommendation.
Lukou confrontation
Hosts Guan Yu at the single-blade banquet to press territorial claims without open rupture.
Death at Baqiu
Dies of illness; Sun Quan and Wu mourn the loss of their chief alliance architect.
For detailed historical records, explore Lu Su on Wikipedia and SGZ Wu biography.
Key Relationships
Family
- Linhuai landholding family; novel stresses his generosity with grain stores more than a detailed household roster.
Friends
- Zhou Yu (周瑜, Chu Du): Early benefactor relationship (grain gift) and predecessor as Wu’s Jing commander.
- Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮, Gia Cát Lượng): Diplomatic counterpart; Lu Su shields and supplies him even when Zhou Yu schemes.
- Sun Quan (孙权, Tôn Quyền): Lord who trusts Lu Su’s long-range alliance doctrine.
Enemies
- Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo): Primary northern rival the Sun–Liu pact was built to stop.
- Guan Yu (关羽, Quan Vũ): Shu general whose hard line on Jingzhou strained the alliance Lu Su managed.
Other
- Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị): Partner of convenience whom Lu Su insisted Wu must not discard.
- Zhang Zhao (张昭, Trương Chiêu) / civil surrender faction: Policy opponents before Red Cliffs.
Appearance
In Novel
Chapter 29
- Lu Su (鲁肃, Lỗ Túc): Courtesy name Zijing (子敬, Tử Kính); donates granaries to Zhou Yu (周瑜, Chu Du) and enters Sun Quan’s (孙权, Tôn Quyền) service with a long-term plan to secure Jiangdong and divide the realm.
Chapter 42
- Lu Su (鲁肃, Lỗ Túc): Travels to Xiakou under pretext of mourning Liu Biao (刘表, Lưu Biểu); forges contact with Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị) and escorts Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮, Gia Cát Lượng) to Chaisang.
Chapter 43
- Lu Su (鲁肃, Lỗ Túc): Counters Zhang Zhao’s surrender party; insists Wu must fight Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo) with Liu Bei as ally.
Chapter 44–45
- Lu Su (鲁肃, Lỗ Túc): Mediates the war conference among Sun Quan, Zhou Yu, and Zhuge Liang; remains the honest broker while Zhou Yu already fears Kongming.
Chapter 46
- Lu Su (鲁肃, Lỗ Túc): Secretly lends Zhuge Liang twenty straw boats, six hundred men, and straw screens for the Borrowing Arrows raid—breaking Zhou Yu’s intent to trap Kongming with a military pledge.
Chapter 51–54
- Lu Su (鲁肃, Lỗ Túc): Repeated Jingzhou missions and marriage-diplomacy support; tries to reclaim land without wrecking the anti-Cao pact.
Chapter 57
- Lu Su (鲁肃, Lỗ Túc): Succeeds Zhou Yu as Wu’s senior commander on Zhou Yu’s dying recommendation.
Chapter 66
- Lu Su (鲁肃, Lỗ Túc): Hosts Guan Yu (关羽, Quan Vũ) at Lukou’s single-blade banquet to press Jingzhou claims face-to-face.
Chapter 73
- Lu Su (鲁肃, Lỗ Túc): Dies of illness; mourned across Jiangdong as the alliance’s moral center.
Appearance
In History
Summary
- Lu Su (鲁肃, Lỗ Túc), courtesy Zijing, was a major Eastern Wu strategist and diplomat. SGZ portrays him as more forceful and clear-eyed than the sometimes naïve novel go-between.
Year: c. 200 AD
- Joins Sun Quan after Zhou Yu’s introduction; advises consolidating Jiangdong and preparing for northern pressure.
Year: 208 AD
- Key advocate of allying with Liu Bei against Cao Cao; central to the diplomatic runway of the Red Cliffs coalition.
Year: 210 AD
- Succeeds Zhou Yu in the Jing Province theater; manages the uneasy “loan” of Jingzhou territories while keeping Wu’s strategic depth.
Year: 217 AD
- Dies of illness at Baqiu (巴丘). Sun Quan later ranked his merit beside Zhou Yu’s.
Historical Record
- Biography in Sanguozhi, Wu section (Lu Su zhuan). Pei Songzhi’s notes preserve additional sayings and assessments of his alliance doctrine.
Appearance
Gallery