Lü Bu

Who was Lü Bu?

Lü Bu, style name Fengxian, was a military general and warlord in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Originally a subordinate of a minor warlord Ding Yuan, he betrayed and murdered Ding and defected to Dong Zhuo, another warlord who controlled the Han central government in the early 190s. However, in 192, he turned against Dong Zhuo and killed the latter after being instigated by Wang Yun and others, but was later defeated and driven away by the former followers of Dong. From 192 to early 196, Lü Bu wandered around central and northern China, seeking shelter consecutively under various warlords and then leaving them afterwards. In 194, he managed to take control of Yan Province from the warlord Cao Cao with help from defectors from Cao's side, but Cao took back his territories within the following two years. In 196, Lü Bu turned against Liu Bei, who had offered him refuge in Xu Province, and seized control of the province from his host. Although he had agreed to an alliance with Yuan Shu earlier, he severed ties with the latter after Yuan declared himself 'Emperor' — an act perceived as treason against the Han emperor — and joined Cao Cao and others in attacking the pretender. However, in 198, he sided with Yuan Shu again and came under attack by the combined forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, resulting in his defeat at the Battle of Xiapi in 199. Lü Bu was captured and executed on Cao Cao's order.