Lü Meng
Encyclopedia
Lü Meng was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan
during the late Han Dynasty
period of Chinese history
. He served as the commanding general in the invasion of Jing Province
(covering present-day Hubei
and Hunan
) that led to the death of Guan Yu
.
, Anhui
) in 178. His family migrated south of the Yangtze River
when Lü Meng was young, and he lived with his brother-in-law Deng Dang (鄧當), who served under Sun Ce
. When Lü Meng was 15 or 16, he would often follow Deng Dang in his expeditions against the Shanyue
secretly against Deng's wishes. When Deng Dang told Lü Meng's mother about this, she was furious, but Lü Meng said: "It is difficult to survive in poverty; if we can prove ourselves through hard work, then wealth would come eventually. How can we get the tiger's cub if we don't enter the tiger's den?" Lü Meng's mother was so touched at his words that she forgave him and did not punish him.
At the time, an official despised Lü Meng for his age, and often insulted him with words like: "What can he do? His behaviour would only feed himself to the tigers." Eventually, Lü Meng could not control his anger and he killed the official. Lü Meng then turned himself in to Yuan Xiong (袁雄), who pleaded with Sun Ce to spare his life. Sun Ce granted Lü Meng an audience with him, and he was very impressed with Lü, so he acquitted Lü of his crimes and appointed him as a general.
A few years later, Deng Dang died, and Zhang Zhao
recommended Lü Meng to take his place. When Sun Quan
succeeded Sun Ce, he planned to merge smaller troops into larger garrisons. When Lü Meng heard of this, he collected funds to decorate his troops with brilliant armour. When Sun Quan came to review his troops, he was very impressed by Lü Meng's troops and added more soldiers under Lü's command, thus saving Lü's men from being merged into another general's command.
again in the Battle of Jiangxia
. During the war, Ling Tong
and Dong Xi
brought down Huang Zu's two super-sized capital war ships
. Then Lü Meng's regiment crushed Huang Zu's navy, and Lü personally killed the enemy admiral Chen Jiu (陳就), while Ling Tong breached the castle wall. After the battle, Sun Quan deemed Lü Meng's contribution as the most significant, as Chen Jiu's death ensured Sun Quan's victory, Ling Tong's contribution as second, for Ling destroyed Huang's capital ships and took over the city, and Dong Xi the third, as he broke the connection between the two capital ships, and destroyed them. From this point on, Lü Meng had been moving up the ranks.
That same year, Lü Meng participated in the Battle of Red Cliffs
, where an alliance between Sun Quan
and Liu Bei
defeated the forces of Cao Cao
. Cao Cao perfunctorily retreated to the north, and left Cao Ren
and Xu Huang
at Jiangling in Nan Commandery (南郡), Yue Jin
in Xiangyang, and Man Chong
at Dangyang. When Sun Quan's forces invaded Nan Commandery, Gan Ning
was sent to attack Yiling
, but his forces were surrounded by a detachment of Cao Ren's forces. When Sun Quan's army received the news, most thought that they did not have enough men to spare to save Gan Ning, but Lü Meng insisted on saving him. He presented a plan to leave Ling Tong
behind to defend against the main forces of Cao Ren while the forces of Lü Meng, Zhou Yu
, and Cheng Pu
went to rescue Gan Ning, predicting accurately that Ling Tong will surely hold out until the three return. Lü Meng also convinced Zhou Yu to spare 300 men to block the enemy retreat route with giant logs. When the rescue forces arrived in Yiling, they killed half of the enemy's men, causing Cao Ren's army to retreat at night. However, their way of retreat was blocked by logs previously set up by Zhou Yu, so they all had to dismount and run to safety. Zhou Yu's pursuing army arrived at the blockade, and got themselves 300 horses abandoned by Cao Ren's army. The morale of Zhou Yu's army improved greatly after, and soon they routed Cao Ren and captured Nanjun. Lü Meng was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General (偏將軍).
) to harass Sun Quan's boundaries. Lü Meng first requested Xie Qi to surrender, and then attacked when Xie refused. Xie Qi was defeated and retreated, but his subordinates Sun Zicai (孫子才) and Song Hao (宋豪) came to Lü Meng and surrendered with their families. Later, Lü Meng followed Sun Quan to Ruxu (濡須), and proposed to build a dock to make boarding and landings more convenient. With this, Sun Quan's army defended their positions against Cao Cao's approaching forces, who retreated after several attempts to overcome Sun Quan's army.
When Cao Cao retreated from Xiaoyao Ford, he stationed Zhu Guang (朱光) in Lujiang
, and commanded him to develop the lands for agricultural use. Lü Meng warned Sun Quan that if the enemy food stockage in Lujiang should increase, their numbers would increase, so Sun Quan personally led a campaign to attack Lujiang. Before the battle, the generals suggested that they replenish their weapons before clashing with the enemy, but Lü Meng held a different opinion: he felt that by the time the equipments were replenished, the enemy would surely have reinforced and prepared their defenses; also, he warned that in a few days the river would return to low tide, which would make the retreat back to their ships difficult. Sun Quan agreed with Lü Meng, and had his army surround the city in the morning with Lü Meng as the vanguard. With Lü Meng himself beating the war drums, the spirited soldiers captured the city at about lunchtime. Lü Meng was appointed Grand Administrator of Lujiang for his contributions to the battle.
. Soon his breadth of knowledge became so broad that even some elder Confucians
could not match him, and Sun Quan was so impressed at Lü Meng's improvements that he often used Lü Meng as a role model for his other generals.
When Lu Su
took over Zhou Yu's position, he went to visit Lü Meng. Originally Lu Su viewed Lü Meng in contempt, thinking that he was a mere military man, but when Lü Meng discussed his five strategies against Guan Yu, defender of Jing Province, Lu Su was surprised. He commented, "I had previously said that you only had skills for war, but today I see you are both knowledgeable and wise, and no longer the Meng under Wu." To this, Lü Meng replied, "When you meet someone you have not met for three days, you should see him with a new eye." The two then became close friends, and Lu Su paid a visit to Lü Meng's mother as well.
This incident gave birth to the Chinese idioms "Meng under Wu" (吳下阿蒙), meaning "the clueless"; and "to see with a new eye" (刮目相看), meaning "to re-evaluate a character".
, who controlled Jing Province at the time, returned from Sichuan
to Jing Province once he received news of Sun Quan's advance. Liu Bei ordered Guan Yu to take the three commanderies of southern Jing Province with 30,000 men. In response, Sun Quan had Lu Su stationed in Baqiu (巴丘) with 10,000 men to defend against Guan Yu, and ordered Lü Meng to abandon Lingling and join with Lu Su.
When Lü Meng received the order to retreat, he ignored it and did not tell his men about it. He instructed Deng Xuanzhi (鄧玄之), a friend of Lingling's defender Hao Pu (郝普), to tell Hao that Liu Bei was in a dire battle with Xiahou Yuan
in Hanzhong
, Guan Yu just lost to Sun Gui in Nan Commandery, and neither could spare men to save Lingling. When Hao Pu heard this, he became afraid and quickly surrendered to Lü Meng. When Lü Meng laughingly revealed the truth to Hao Pu, that Liu Bei and Guan Yu were both free to reinforce Lingling, Hao Pu became wrecked with guilt. Lü Meng then left Sun Jiao
to guard the three newly taken commanderies and moved his own men to reinforce Lu Su. In the end, Sun Quan and Liu Bei made peace with each other, and Lingling was returned to the command of Liu Bei.
After that, Sun Quan campaigned against Cao Cao in the Battle of Xiaoyao Ford
, but were unsuccessful. During the retreat, Lü Meng and Ling Tong closely defended Sun Quan from Zhang Liao
's attack, thus Sun Quan was able to escape from that battle. Later, Cao Cao invaded Ruxu again, but Lü Meng defended their positions as he did the last time in Ruxu and again Cao Cao was unable to take Ruxu. Thus, Lü Meng was named as the Left Protector of the Army (左護軍) and the General of Tiger Might (虎威將軍).
In 219, Guan Yu attacked Cao Cao's fortress at Fancheng
while leaving troops behind to defend against a possible attack from Lü Meng. Lü Meng then feigned illness and placed Lu Xun
in command. Hearing this, Guan Yu then reduced his defenses, thinking that an attack from Lü Meng was unlikely. In the Battle of Fancheng
, Guan Yu defeated the reinforcement force led by Yu Jin
and accepted the surrender of several thousand men. To support his large army, Guan Yu took the nearby supply depot belonging to Sun Quan, which enraged the latter, who decided to launch a campaign on Jing Province. Originally, he was going to have Lü Meng share command with Sun Jiao, but Lü convinced him not to, saying, "If my lord feels that (Sun Jiao) is the right man, choose him. If my lord feels I am the right man, choose me." In the end, Sun Jiao was put under his command.
Lü Meng and his men invaded Jing Province under the disguise of merchant boats and captured the province by forcing its defenders Shi Ren and Mi Fang
to surrender. Once settled in the province, he treated the populace with respect and care, to the point of giving medicine to the ailing and clothes to the cold. When Guan Yu's men heard of their families' safety, they became dispirited and many surrendered to Lü Meng. Guan Yu, having nowhere to return to, attempted to flee to Sichuan
but was captured by Zhu Ran
and Pan Zhang
on the way. Guan Yu and his son Guan Ping
were then executed by Sun Quan.
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
, after defeating Guan Yu and taking Jing Province, Sun Quan threw a feast to celebrate the victory and congratulate Lü Meng, chief commander and planner of the attack. During the feast, however, Lü Meng was possessed by Guan Yu's spirit and he seized Sun Quan. As others rushed forward to save their lord, the possessed Lü Meng swore revenge. In moments, Lü Meng collapsed onto the floor and died. The frightened Sun Quan then sent Guan Yu's severed head in a box to Cao Cao, meaning to sow a discord between Cao Cao and Liu Bei.
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
during the late Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. He served as the commanding general in the invasion of Jing Province
Lü Meng's invasion of Jing Province
Lü Meng's invasion of Jing Province was a battle fought between the warlords Sun Quan and Liu Bei in 219 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Sun Quan's forces, led by Lü Meng, invaded Liu Bei's territory of Jing Province , which was defended by Guan Yu, and succeeded...
(covering present-day Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
and Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
) that led to the death of Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
.
Early life
Lü Meng was born in Fupo, Runan Commandery (southeast of present-day Funan CountyFunan County
Funan County is a county of western Anhui Province, East China, under the administration of Fuyang City.Funan has an area of and a population of 1,553,000.-Administrative divisions:Funan County administers twenty towns and 11 townships...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
) in 178. His family migrated south of the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
when Lü Meng was young, and he lived with his brother-in-law Deng Dang (鄧當), who served under Sun Ce
Sun Ce
Sun Ce was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the oldest of the children of Sun Jian who was killed during the Battle of Xiangyang when Sun Ce was only 16. Sun Ce then broke away from his father's overlord, Yuan Shu, and headed to...
. When Lü Meng was 15 or 16, he would often follow Deng Dang in his expeditions against the Shanyue
Shanyue
Shanyue was a tribe that was resided in the Yue area of ancient China during Han Dynasty. Since the Southern part of China was not yet controlled by the Han ethnicity , the Shanyue people would performe regular raids against Han citizens to gather living essentials...
secretly against Deng's wishes. When Deng Dang told Lü Meng's mother about this, she was furious, but Lü Meng said: "It is difficult to survive in poverty; if we can prove ourselves through hard work, then wealth would come eventually. How can we get the tiger's cub if we don't enter the tiger's den?" Lü Meng's mother was so touched at his words that she forgave him and did not punish him.
At the time, an official despised Lü Meng for his age, and often insulted him with words like: "What can he do? His behaviour would only feed himself to the tigers." Eventually, Lü Meng could not control his anger and he killed the official. Lü Meng then turned himself in to Yuan Xiong (袁雄), who pleaded with Sun Ce to spare his life. Sun Ce granted Lü Meng an audience with him, and he was very impressed with Lü, so he acquitted Lü of his crimes and appointed him as a general.
A few years later, Deng Dang died, and Zhang Zhao
Zhang Zhao
Zhang Zhao was an official of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China.-Biography:Zhang was born in present-day Jiangsu. A brilliant scholar, he devoted his life mainly to the study of Chinese classic texts...
recommended Lü Meng to take his place. When Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
succeeded Sun Ce, he planned to merge smaller troops into larger garrisons. When Lü Meng heard of this, he collected funds to decorate his troops with brilliant armour. When Sun Quan came to review his troops, he was very impressed by Lü Meng's troops and added more soldiers under Lü's command, thus saving Lü's men from being merged into another general's command.
Campaigns along Yangtze River
In the spring of 208, Lü Meng was tasked to be the navy commandant when Sun Quan set out to battle his nemesis Huang ZuHuang Zu
Huang Zu was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Biao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was an experienced naval commander, and was most famous for having skillful warriors like Sun Jian and Ling Cao killed in battle.-Background:Huang was born in an influential...
again in the Battle of Jiangxia
Battle of Jiangxia
The Battle of Jiangxia was a battle fought in 208 between the forces of the warlords Sun Quan and Liu Biao during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
. During the war, Ling Tong
Ling Tong
Ling Tong was a military general of the state of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He started his service to the Sun family since his childhood, and throughout his entire life, he had been contributing to the foundation and solidification of Eastern Wu...
and Dong Xi
Dong Xi
Dong Xi was a military general serving under the warlord Sun family of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He hailed from Yuyao county, Kuaiji commandery , and entered Sun Ce's camp when the later pacified Jiangdong...
brought down Huang Zu's two super-sized capital war ships
Capital ship
The capital ships of a navy are its most important warships; they generally possess the heaviest firepower and armor and are traditionally much larger than other naval vessels...
. Then Lü Meng's regiment crushed Huang Zu's navy, and Lü personally killed the enemy admiral Chen Jiu (陳就), while Ling Tong breached the castle wall. After the battle, Sun Quan deemed Lü Meng's contribution as the most significant, as Chen Jiu's death ensured Sun Quan's victory, Ling Tong's contribution as second, for Ling destroyed Huang's capital ships and took over the city, and Dong Xi the third, as he broke the connection between the two capital ships, and destroyed them. From this point on, Lü Meng had been moving up the ranks.
That same year, Lü Meng participated in the Battle of Red Cliffs
Battle of Red Cliffs
The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive battle at the end of the Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was fought in the winter of 208/9 AD between the allied forces of the southern warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan...
, where an alliance between Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
and Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
defeated the forces of Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
. Cao Cao perfunctorily retreated to the north, and left Cao Ren
Cao Ren
Cao Ren was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He played a significant part in assisting Cao Cao in the civil wars leading to the end of the Han Dynasty...
and Xu Huang
Xu Huang
Xu Huang was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei, founded by Cao Cao's successor Cao Pi, during the Three Kingdoms period...
at Jiangling in Nan Commandery (南郡), Yue Jin
Yue Jin
Yue Jin was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty of China. He was noted as much for his short stature as for his valor and ferocity on the battlefield...
in Xiangyang, and Man Chong
Man Chong
Man Chong , style name Boning , was an official of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.-Biography:...
at Dangyang. When Sun Quan's forces invaded Nan Commandery, Gan Ning
Gan Ning
Gan Ning was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was born in Linjiang, Ba Commandery .-Early life as a pirate:...
was sent to attack Yiling
Battle of Yiling (208)
The Battle of Yiling of 208 was fought between the warlords Sun Quan and Cao Cao during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The battle was an integral part in the Red Cliffs campaign, as it was fought immediately after the major engagement at Wulin during the Battle of Red...
, but his forces were surrounded by a detachment of Cao Ren's forces. When Sun Quan's army received the news, most thought that they did not have enough men to spare to save Gan Ning, but Lü Meng insisted on saving him. He presented a plan to leave Ling Tong
Ling Tong
Ling Tong was a military general of the state of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He started his service to the Sun family since his childhood, and throughout his entire life, he had been contributing to the foundation and solidification of Eastern Wu...
behind to defend against the main forces of Cao Ren while the forces of Lü Meng, Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu was a military general and strategist who served his close friend, the warlord Sun Ce, during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
, and Cheng Pu
Cheng Pu
Cheng Pu was a military general serving under the warlord Sun family of Eastern Wu for three generations during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-Early service under Sun Jian:...
went to rescue Gan Ning, predicting accurately that Ling Tong will surely hold out until the three return. Lü Meng also convinced Zhou Yu to spare 300 men to block the enemy retreat route with giant logs. When the rescue forces arrived in Yiling, they killed half of the enemy's men, causing Cao Ren's army to retreat at night. However, their way of retreat was blocked by logs previously set up by Zhou Yu, so they all had to dismount and run to safety. Zhou Yu's pursuing army arrived at the blockade, and got themselves 300 horses abandoned by Cao Ren's army. The morale of Zhou Yu's army improved greatly after, and soon they routed Cao Ren and captured Nanjun. Lü Meng was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General (偏將軍).
Battles of Wancheng and Lujiang
Cao Cao then stationed Xie Qi (謝奇) in Huancheng (皖城; present-day Huaining, AnhuiAnhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
) to harass Sun Quan's boundaries. Lü Meng first requested Xie Qi to surrender, and then attacked when Xie refused. Xie Qi was defeated and retreated, but his subordinates Sun Zicai (孫子才) and Song Hao (宋豪) came to Lü Meng and surrendered with their families. Later, Lü Meng followed Sun Quan to Ruxu (濡須), and proposed to build a dock to make boarding and landings more convenient. With this, Sun Quan's army defended their positions against Cao Cao's approaching forces, who retreated after several attempts to overcome Sun Quan's army.
When Cao Cao retreated from Xiaoyao Ford, he stationed Zhu Guang (朱光) in Lujiang
Lujiang
Lujiang may refer to:*Lujiang County , a county in Chaohu Municipality, Anhui*Lujiang River , a passage in Xiamen Harbour*Lujiang Station, station of Line 2 of the Guangzhou Metro, Guangdong, China...
, and commanded him to develop the lands for agricultural use. Lü Meng warned Sun Quan that if the enemy food stockage in Lujiang should increase, their numbers would increase, so Sun Quan personally led a campaign to attack Lujiang. Before the battle, the generals suggested that they replenish their weapons before clashing with the enemy, but Lü Meng held a different opinion: he felt that by the time the equipments were replenished, the enemy would surely have reinforced and prepared their defenses; also, he warned that in a few days the river would return to low tide, which would make the retreat back to their ships difficult. Sun Quan agreed with Lü Meng, and had his army surround the city in the morning with Lü Meng as the vanguard. With Lü Meng himself beating the war drums, the spirited soldiers captured the city at about lunchtime. Lü Meng was appointed Grand Administrator of Lujiang for his contributions to the battle.
Scholarly pursuits
In Jiangbiao Zhuan (江表傳), it was said that Lü Meng focused entirely on martial skills until he was admonished by Sun Quan. Lü Meng used to say that military matters take away his time and he had no time to read, but Sun Quan stated that he himself had to tend to matters both big and small in his land, even so, he had the time to read and enhance himself. Lü Meng was enlightened, and started to take up scholarly pursuits with another general, Jiang QinJiang Qin
Jiang Qin , style name Gongyi , was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Jiang Qin was a pirate at the time he joined Sun Quan's predecessor, Sun Ce...
. Soon his breadth of knowledge became so broad that even some elder Confucians
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
could not match him, and Sun Quan was so impressed at Lü Meng's improvements that he often used Lü Meng as a role model for his other generals.
When Lu Su
Lu Su
Lu Su , style name Zijing , was a politician, militarist and diplomat serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
took over Zhou Yu's position, he went to visit Lü Meng. Originally Lu Su viewed Lü Meng in contempt, thinking that he was a mere military man, but when Lü Meng discussed his five strategies against Guan Yu, defender of Jing Province, Lu Su was surprised. He commented, "I had previously said that you only had skills for war, but today I see you are both knowledgeable and wise, and no longer the Meng under Wu." To this, Lü Meng replied, "When you meet someone you have not met for three days, you should see him with a new eye." The two then became close friends, and Lu Su paid a visit to Lü Meng's mother as well.
This incident gave birth to the Chinese idioms "Meng under Wu" (吳下阿蒙), meaning "the clueless"; and "to see with a new eye" (刮目相看), meaning "to re-evaluate a character".
First confrontation with Guan Yu
In 214, Sun Quan ordered Lü Meng and Ling Tong to take the three commanderies of southern Jing Province. With subordinate generals Xianyu Dan (鮮于丹), Xu Zhong (徐忠), and Sun Gui (孫規), Lü Meng's army of 20,000 marched to southern Jing Province. The commanderies of Changsha and Guiyang (桂陽) immediately surrendered, but the remaining Lingling (零陵) refused to submit. Liu BeiLiu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
, who controlled Jing Province at the time, returned from Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
to Jing Province once he received news of Sun Quan's advance. Liu Bei ordered Guan Yu to take the three commanderies of southern Jing Province with 30,000 men. In response, Sun Quan had Lu Su stationed in Baqiu (巴丘) with 10,000 men to defend against Guan Yu, and ordered Lü Meng to abandon Lingling and join with Lu Su.
When Lü Meng received the order to retreat, he ignored it and did not tell his men about it. He instructed Deng Xuanzhi (鄧玄之), a friend of Lingling's defender Hao Pu (郝普), to tell Hao that Liu Bei was in a dire battle with Xiahou Yuan
Xiahou Yuan
Xiahou Yuan was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was killed in the Battle of Mount Dingjun against Liu Bei's general Huang Zhong in 219, and was given the posthumous title of Marquis Min , literally meaning "sympathetic...
in Hanzhong
Hanzhong
Hanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...
, Guan Yu just lost to Sun Gui in Nan Commandery, and neither could spare men to save Lingling. When Hao Pu heard this, he became afraid and quickly surrendered to Lü Meng. When Lü Meng laughingly revealed the truth to Hao Pu, that Liu Bei and Guan Yu were both free to reinforce Lingling, Hao Pu became wrecked with guilt. Lü Meng then left Sun Jiao
Sun Jiao
Sun Jiao , style name Shulang , was the third son of Sun Jing, younger brother of the warlord Sun Jian during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Along with the rest of his family, Sun Jiao served Eastern Wu as a military general. He was also the younger brother of Sun Yu. He served...
to guard the three newly taken commanderies and moved his own men to reinforce Lu Su. In the end, Sun Quan and Liu Bei made peace with each other, and Lingling was returned to the command of Liu Bei.
After that, Sun Quan campaigned against Cao Cao in the Battle of Xiaoyao Ford
Battle of Xiaoyao Ford
The Battle of Xiaoyao Ford, also known as the Battle of Leisure Ford, Battle of Hefei, and Hefei Campaign, was fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Sun Quan between 215 and 217 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history over the control of Hefei...
, but were unsuccessful. During the retreat, Lü Meng and Ling Tong closely defended Sun Quan from Zhang Liao
Zhang Liao
Zhang Liao was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He participated in many campaigns, including those against Yuan Shao's clan and the Wuhuan tribes...
's attack, thus Sun Quan was able to escape from that battle. Later, Cao Cao invaded Ruxu again, but Lü Meng defended their positions as he did the last time in Ruxu and again Cao Cao was unable to take Ruxu. Thus, Lü Meng was named as the Left Protector of the Army (左護軍) and the General of Tiger Might (虎威將軍).
Takeover of Jing Province
When Lu Su died, Lü Meng took over his command and became the chief strategist of Sun Quan's military. Unlike his predecessor, Lü Meng believed that the Sun-Liu alliance need not be maintained and proposed the invasion of Jing Province. Sun Quan had plans to invade Cao Cao's Xu Province instead, but Lü Meng dissuaded him, saying that although it would be easy to take Xu Province, it would be hard to defend Xu Province from being retaken by Cao Cao again. When Lü Meng arrived to his post at Lukou (陸口), he maintained superficially good relationships with the neighbouring Guan Yu.In 219, Guan Yu attacked Cao Cao's fortress at Fancheng
Fancheng
Fancheng District is a district of Xiangfan, Hubei, China.-History:Fancheng was an ancient Chinese city in Hubei, situated on the northern side of the Han River, opposite Xiangyang on the southern side of the river...
while leaving troops behind to defend against a possible attack from Lü Meng. Lü Meng then feigned illness and placed Lu Xun
Lu Xun (Three Kingdoms)
Lu Xun was a military general and politician of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is best known for defeating Liu Bei's forces at the Battle of Xiaoting in 222.-Early life:...
in command. Hearing this, Guan Yu then reduced his defenses, thinking that an attack from Lü Meng was unlikely. In the Battle of Fancheng
Battle of Fancheng
The Battle of Fancheng was fought between the forces of warlords Liu Bei and Cao Cao in 219 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
, Guan Yu defeated the reinforcement force led by Yu Jin
Yu Jin
Yu Jin was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He joined Cao in the early years of the civil wars that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty...
and accepted the surrender of several thousand men. To support his large army, Guan Yu took the nearby supply depot belonging to Sun Quan, which enraged the latter, who decided to launch a campaign on Jing Province. Originally, he was going to have Lü Meng share command with Sun Jiao, but Lü convinced him not to, saying, "If my lord feels that (Sun Jiao) is the right man, choose him. If my lord feels I am the right man, choose me." In the end, Sun Jiao was put under his command.
Lü Meng and his men invaded Jing Province under the disguise of merchant boats and captured the province by forcing its defenders Shi Ren and Mi Fang
Mi Fang
Mi Fang was an official serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was also the younger brother of Mi Zhu, who also served Liu Bei. In 219, Mi Fang surrendered to Sun Quan, directly resulting in the loss of Jing Province and the...
to surrender. Once settled in the province, he treated the populace with respect and care, to the point of giving medicine to the ailing and clothes to the cold. When Guan Yu's men heard of their families' safety, they became dispirited and many surrendered to Lü Meng. Guan Yu, having nowhere to return to, attempted to flee to Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
but was captured by Zhu Ran
Zhu Ran
Zhu Ran was a military general of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Despite being a childhood friend of the first emperor of Eastern Wu, Sun Quan, he was never tasked with important position nor assignment before Lü Meng's invasion of southern Jing Province in 219,...
and Pan Zhang
Pan Zhang
Pan Zhang was a military general of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Although an active general with high rank, he was known to desire wealth and treasure, and to dress himself in a gaudy fashion...
on the way. Guan Yu and his son Guan Ping
Guan Ping
Guan Ping was the oldest son of the military general Guan Yu and older brother of Guan Xing. He served under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
were then executed by Sun Quan.
Death
After Guan Yu's death, Lü Meng soon fell ill. The worried Sun Quan tried to summon able doctors and taoists to heal him, even promising a heavy sum in gold for the person who could cure Lü Meng. It was said that Sun Quan was so worried he drilled a hole to peek into Lü Meng's room. If he saw that Lü Meng was able to eat he would hold a banquet to celebrate; but if he saw Lü's health degenerating, Sun Quan could not sleep at night. Despite the efforts from Sun Quan, Lü Meng died at the age of 41. Before his death, he recommended Zhu Ran and Lu Xun to succeed him.Family
- Sons:
- Lü Ba (呂霸) - inherited Lü Meng's marquis title
- Lü Cong (呂琮) - inherited Lü Meng's marquis title after Lü Ba's death
- Lü Mu (呂睦) - inherited Lü Meng's marquis title after Lü Cong's death
Appointments and titles held
- Senior Major (別部司馬)
- Commandant Who Pacifies the North (平北都尉)
- Chief of Guangde (廣德長)
- General of the Household Who Sweeps Across the Wilderness (橫野中郎將)
- Lieutenant General (偏將軍)
- Prefect of Xunyang (尋陽令)
- Administrator of Lujiang (廬江太守)
- Left Protector of the Army (左護軍)
- General of Tiger Might (虎威將軍)
- Administrator of Nan Commandery (南郡太守)
- Marquis of Chanling (孱陵候)
Appraisal
- "Lü Meng was courageous and witty, decisive and versed in military strategy. Deceiving Hao Pu and capturing Guan Yu - these were his best moments. Initially he was rash and killed recklessly, but eventually he managed to exercise self-restraint. He had the magnanimity of a great statesman and was not merely a military general! Sun Quan's comments (on Lü Meng), both positive and negative, were befitting, hence I included them in my records." – Chen ShouChen ShouChen Shou was a historian during the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history. He is best known as the author of Records of Three Kingdoms, a historical account of the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period.-Biography:...
- "Lü Ziming, I was unaware of your talents and sagacity until I came here." – Lu SuLu SuLu Su , style name Zijing , was a politician, militarist and diplomat serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
- "When Ziming was young, I said (he was someone who) did not give in to adversity, (he was) indeed courageous but only so. When he grew older, he became more knowledgeable and resourceful, (and was) second to Gongjin, but he lacked vehemence in speech (as compared to Gongjin). In defeating and capturing Guan Yu, he was better than Lu Zijing." – Sun QuanSun QuanSun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
In fiction
In Luo GuanzhongLuo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, after defeating Guan Yu and taking Jing Province, Sun Quan threw a feast to celebrate the victory and congratulate Lü Meng, chief commander and planner of the attack. During the feast, however, Lü Meng was possessed by Guan Yu's spirit and he seized Sun Quan. As others rushed forward to save their lord, the possessed Lü Meng swore revenge. In moments, Lü Meng collapsed onto the floor and died. The frightened Sun Quan then sent Guan Yu's severed head in a box to Cao Cao, meaning to sow a discord between Cao Cao and Liu Bei.
Modern references
- The fictional character Ryomou Shimei of the anime and manga series Ikki TousenIkki Tousen, also known as Battle Vixens, is a manga series written and illustrated by Yuji Shiozaki, based on the classic Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms...
is based on Lü Meng.
- Lü Meng is featured as a playable character in Koei's Dynasty WarriorsDynasty Warriorsis a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
and Warriors OrochiWarriors Orochi, is a PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 hack and slash video game developed by Koei and Omega Force. It is a crossover of two of Koei's popular video game series, Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors...
video game series. In the games his name is spelled as "Lu Meng" without the diaeresis in the "U" in "Lu".
- Lu Meng also appears in all 11 installments of Koei's video game series Romance of the Three KingdomsRomance of the Three Kingdoms (video game series), or Sangokushi in Japanese, is a series of turn-based tactical role-playing simulation grand strategy wargames produced by Koei. Originating from Japan in 1985, eleven installments of the game have been published in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China and North America to date.-Overview:The games are...
.