# Lv Fan
**Lv Fan** (吕范, courtesy name Ziheng 子衡) was a general and administrator of the late Eastern Han and early [Three Kingdoms](https://www.edgepedia.org/three-kingdoms) period who served the Sun family of [Eastern Wu](https://www.edgepedia.org/eastern-wu), rising from county clerk to Grand Marshal (大司马).[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56) His biography is in volume 56 of the *Records of the Three Kingdoms* (《三国志》).[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name and origin | 吕范, courtesy name 子衡, a native of 细阳 in 汝南 commandery[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56) |
| First master | Joined Sun Ce (孙策) with a hundred private retainers after fleeing the disorders to Shouchun (寿春)[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56) |
| Chibi | Stood with Zhou Yu (周瑜) and others in repelling Cao Cao (曹操) at Chibi (赤壁); appointed 裨将军 and Governor of Pengze (彭泽)[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56) |
| Dongkou campaign | Commanded Xu Sheng (徐盛), Quan Cong (全琮), and Sun Shao (孙韶) with a naval force against Cao Xiu (曹休), Zhang Liao (张辽), and Zang Ba (臧霸) at Dongkou (洞口); a storm drowned several thousand men[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56) |
| Final offices | 前将军, 扬州牧, 假节, Marquis of Nanchang (南昌); posthumously granted the seals of 大司马[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56) |
| Death | Promoted to 大司马, but fell ill and died before the seal arrived[2](https://www.shidianguji.com/book/LS0004/chapter/1j7fnuxswqv5n_362) • [1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56) |
| Heir | His second son Lv Ju (吕据) succeeded him; his eldest son had died earlier[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56) |
## Origins and family
The history records that 吕范 was a native of 细阳 in 汝南 commandery and served in his youth as a county clerk, noted for his handsome bearing. He sought marriage with a daughter of the wealthy local Liu (刘) family; the girl's mother at first objected, but the family reasoned that a man of 吕子衡's appearance would not remain poor, and the marriage proceeded. He later fled the disorders of the age to Shouchun, where [Sun Ce](https://www.edgepedia.org/sun-ce) marked him out as unusual; 吕范 attached himself to 策 and brought a hundred private retainers over to him.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56)
## Career
**Under Sun Ce.** 策 sent 吕范 to Jiangdu (江都) to escort the Lady Dowager (太妃) to safety; the Governor of Xuzhou (徐州), [Tao Qian](https://www.edgepedia.org/tao-qian) (陶谦), suspected 吕范 of spying for the Yuan (袁) cause and had the county seize and interrogate him, but his own retainers fought him free and brought him back. He was one of only two men, with Sun He (孙河), who constantly accompanied 策 through hardship and danger, and 策 treated him as a kinsman, drinking with him in the Dowager's presence.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56)
In the conquest of the south he followed 策 in the storming of Lujiang (庐江), crossed east to Hengjiang (横江) and Dangli (当利), defeated [Zhang Ying](https://www.edgepedia.org/zhang-ying) (张英) and Yu Mi (于麋), and took Xiaodanyang (小丹杨) and Hushu (湖孰), being appointed Chancellor of Hushu. After 策 secured Moling (秣陵) and Qu'a (曲阿) and absorbed the remnants of Liu Yao (刘繇) and of Ze Rong (笮融), 吕范's force was increased by two thousand men and fifty horses. He next served as magistrate of Wanling (宛陵), destroyed bandits in Danyang (丹杨), and was promoted to [Commander](https://www.edgepedia.org/commander) (都督).[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56)
He and Xu Yi (徐逸) then attacked Chen Yu (陈瑀), who had styled himself 吴都太守, at Haixi (海西), and beheaded his chief general Chen Mu (陈牧). He took part in the attacks on Zu Lang (祖郎) at Lingyang (陵阳) and [Taishi Ci](https://www.edgepedia.org/taishi-ci) (太史慈) at Yongli (勇里); when seven counties were pacified he was appointed 征虏中郎将, campaigned against Jiangxia (江夏), and on return pacified Poyang (鄱阳).[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56)
**Under Sun Quan.** According to the *Sanguozhi* (vol. 56), after 策's death he hurried to Wu (吴) for the mourning. When 权 again campaigned against Jiangxia, 吕范 and [Zhang Zhao](https://www.edgepedia.org/zhang-zhao-eastern-wu-official) (张昭) were left in charge of the rear. At Chibi he stood with 周瑜 and the others in repelling 曹操, and was appointed 裨将军 and Grand Administrator of Pengze, with Pengze, Chaisang (柴桑), and Liyang (历阳) as his fief-estates. When [Liu Bei](https://www.edgepedia.org/liu-bei) (刘备) came to Jing (京) to see 权, 吕范 secretly urged that 刘备 be detained. He was later promoted 平南将军 and stationed at Chaisang.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56)
When 权 set out against [Guan Yu](https://www.edgepedia.org/guan-yu) (关羽) he passed 吕范's quarters and told him, "Had I earlier followed your words, I would not have this trouble," and ordered him to hold Jianye (建业). After 关羽's defeat, when the court moved to Wuchang (武昌), 吕范 was made 建威将军, enfeoffed Marquis of Wanling, and given the Grand Administratorship of Danyang, governing from Jianye and supervising the coast from Fuzhou (扶州) down to the sea, with Liyang (溧阳), Huai'an (怀安), and Ningguo (宁国) as his fief-estates.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56)
When [Cao Xiu](https://www.edgepedia.org/cao-xiu), Zhang Liao, and [Zang Ba](https://www.edgepedia.org/zang-ba) invaded, 吕范 directed 徐盛, 全琮, and 孙韶 and met them with a naval force at Dongkou. He was promoted 前将军, granted 假节 (imperial authority), and re-enfeoffed Marquis of Nanchang. In the eleventh month a great storm struck, boats capsized and several thousand men were drowned; after the army returned he was appointed 扬州牧.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56) He was later promoted 大司马, but the seals of office had not yet been delivered when he died of illness.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56)
## Political influence
吕范's standing with [Sun Quan](https://www.edgepedia.org/sun-quan) (孙权) rested on an early test of loyalty. 策 had put him in charge of finances; when the young 权 made private requests for money, 吕范 always reported them to 策 and never approved them on his own authority, which made him resented at the time. By contrast, the clerk Zhou Gu (周谷) falsified the ledgers to conceal 权's private spending while 权 was magistrate of Yangxian (阳羡), and 权 was pleased then; but once 权 took over the family enterprise he trusted 吕范 deeply for his loyalty and refused to employ 周谷 because he had deceived the accounts.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56)
His counsel also touched state policy: his secret advice to detain 刘备 when 刘备 visited 权 was later acknowledged by 权 himself on the eve of the Guan Yu campaign, in the words quoted above.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56) As senior commander he supervised the defense of Jianye and the lower Yangtze coast, supervising from Fuzhou to the sea.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56)
## Military style
The record shows 吕范 as a commander of naval forces and of multi-general operations rather than a lone field tactician. At Dongkou he directed 徐盛, 全琮, and 孙韶 and met the Wei commanders with a fleet (舟师).[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56) His earlier career was one of rapid combined operations with Sun Ce: river crossings at Hengjiang and Dangli, successive reductions of towns, and joint actions against Zu Lang and Taishi Ci.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56) The great storm at Dongkou drowned several thousand of his men, and he was promoted 扬州牧 on return.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56)
## Death, titles, and heirs
吕范 died of illness immediately after his promotion to 大司马, before the seals arrived; 权 mourned in plain robes and sent envoys to confer the seals posthumously. When 权 later returned to Jianye he stopped at 吕范's tomb, called out "子衡!" and wept, and offered the sacrifice of a 太牢 (ox, sheep, and pig).[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56) His eldest son had died before him; the second son Lv Ju (字世议) inherited. 吕据 had a substantial career of his own, fighting bandits and Wei forces and rising to 骠骑将军.
## Assessment
The biography itself records that his household and dress were extravagant for the time, yet because he worked diligently and upheld the law, 权 was pleased by his loyalty and did not reproach the luxury; even men of standing such as [Lu Xun](https://www.edgepedia.org/lu-xun) (陆逊) and 全琮 treated him with formal respect.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56)
## Disputed points
The outcome of the Dongkou campaign is the main point of disagreement. The biography records only the storm and the drowning of several thousand men, and no defeat by the enemy.[1](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56) A Wei edict quoted in the commentary claims the Wei forces "beheaded forty thousand and captured ten thousand boats," but editors of the modern encyclopedia entry judge this figure grossly exaggerated, since the Wu force at Dongkou numbered only some twenty to thirty thousand, and they assess 吕范's stand against Cao Xiu there as a damaging defeat.[4](https://w.lzycloud.uk/zh-my/%E5%91%82%E7%AF%84)
## Legacy
In later literature 吕范 appears in the *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* (《三国演义》): before Chibi he is an advocate of surrender and serves as a patrol commissioner, and in chapter 54 he acts as matchmaker for the marriage alliance between 权's sister and 刘备.[3](https://cne3online.com/biography/view/%E5%90%95%E8%8C%83.shtml)
## References
1. 《三国志》卷五十六 吕范传（吴书十一），Wikisource transcription. https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/三國志/卷56
2. 吕范传，《三国志》全文原文及译文，识典古籍. https://www.shidianguji.com/book/LS0004/chapter/1j7fnuxswqv5n_362
3. 吕范，三国演义电子辞典（人物资料库）. https://cne3online.com/biography/view/%E5%90%95%E8%8C%83.shtml
4. 吕范，维基百科（含裴注引文与史料辨析）. https://w.lzycloud.uk/zh-my/%E5%91%82%E7%AF%84
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › History and archaeology › Asian history › China › Late Han and the Three Kingdoms (184 to 280) › Eastern Wu*
*Initially written Sep 23, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license