Lü Meng
Lü Meng | |
---|---|
Administrator of Nan Commandery ( | |
In office 219 – January or February 220 | |
Administrator of Hanchang ( | |
In office 217 –219 | |
General of Tiger's Might ( | |
In office 217 – January or February 220 | |
Left Protector of the Army ( | |
In office 217 – January or February 220 | |
Administrator of Lujiang ( | |
In office 214 –217 | |
Prefect of Xunyang ( | |
In office 209 –? | |
Lieutenant-General ( | |
In office 209 –? | |
General of the Household Who Sweeps Across the Wilderness ( | |
In office 208 –209 | |
Chief of Guangde ( | |
In office ? –? | |
Commandant Who Pacifies the North ( | |
In office ? –? | |
Personal details | |
Born | 178[a] Funan County, Anhui |
Died | January or February 220 (aged 41)[a] Gong'an County, Hubei |
Children |
|
Occupation | Military general, politician |
Courtesy name | Ziming ( |
Peerage | Marquis of Chanling (孱陵 |
Lü Meng ([a] courtesy name Ziming, was a Chinese military general and politician who served under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Early in his career, he fought in several battles under the banner of Sun Ce, Sun Quan's elder brother and predecessor. Although he had been noted for his bravery, he was still deemed as nothing more than a "mere warrior" for his lack of literacy skills. Later, with encouragement from Sun Quan, Lü Meng took up scholarly pursuits to improve himself, gradually becoming a learned and competent military leader. In 217, he succeeded Lu Su as the frontline commander of Sun Quan's forces in Jing Province. Two years later, in a carefully calculated military operation, Lü Meng led an invasion of Liu Bei's territories in southern Jing Province, swiftly and stealthily capturing all the lands from Liu Bei's general Guan Yu, who was captured and executed after his defeat. Lü Meng enjoyed his finest hour after the victory but died a few months later because he was already seriously ill before the campaign.[2]
) (178 – January or February 220),Early life
[edit]Lü Meng was from Fupo County (
At the time, an official scorned Lü Meng because of his young age and often insulted him by saying things like: "What can he do? His behaviour will only result in him feeding himself to the tigers." Lü Meng killed the official one day when he lost control of his anger. Initially, he took shelter under Zheng Chang (
A few years later, after Deng Dang died, Zhang Zhao recommended Lü Meng to replace Deng Dang, so Lü Meng was appointed as a Major of a Separate Command (
Lü Meng participated in Sun Quan's conquest of Danyang Commandery (
Battle of Jiangxia
[edit]In the spring of 208, Lü Meng was assigned to be the navy commandant when Sun Quan launched a campaign against Huang Zu, the Administrator (
Red Cliffs campaign
[edit]In the winter of 208, Lü Meng participated in the Battle of Red Cliffs, in which the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei defeated the forces of the northern warlord Cao Cao at Wulin (
Around the time, Xi Su (
During the siege of Nan Commandery, Zhou Yu ordered Gan Ning to lead a detachment to take control of Yiling (
Lü Meng also suggested to Zhou Yu to send 300 men to block the enemy's retreat route with huge logs. When the reinforcements arrived at Yiling, they killed over half of the total number of enemy troops and forced the surviving ones to retreat at night. However, the enemy encountered the huge logs and were unable to cross over on horseback, so they had to dismount and proceed on foot. Sun Quan's pursuing forces arrived at the blockade and seized about 300 horses left behind by the enemy, which they transported back to their camp on boats. The morale of Zhou Yu's army improved greatly, so they crossed the Yangtze River, set up a garrison near the enemy base, and then engaged Cao Ren's forces in battle. Cao Ren lost the battle and eventually ordered his troops to abandon their position and retreat. Sun Quan's forces captured Nan Commandery and gained control over central Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan). Upon his return, Lü Meng was promoted to Lieutenant-General (
Scholarly pursuits
[edit]
The Jiang Biao Zhuan (
"I am not saying that I want you to take up Confucian studies and become a scholar-official. What I hope you can do is to spend a bit of time reading and understanding history. Do you have as many issues to handle as I do? When I was young, I read the Classic of Poetry, Book of Documents, Book of Rites, Zuo Zhuan and Guoyu, but not the Yijing. Since I succeeded my brother, I have been reading the Three Histories – Records of the Grand Historian, Book of Han and Dong Guan Han Ji – and many military texts, and they have enriched me. The two of you are open-minded and fast-learning, so you can definitely pick up reading. Do you really not want to? You should start with Sun Tzu's The Art of War, the Six Secret Teachings, Zuo Zhuan, Guoyu and the Three Histories. Confucius once said, 'You will gain nothing even if you give up on meals and sleep and keep thinking about something, so why don't you learn?' When Emperor Guangwu was busy with military affairs, he still found time to read. Mengde agrees he is already old but he never gives up on learning. Why don't you give some encouragement to yourselves?"[Sanguozhi zhu 2]
Lü Meng was so inspired by Sun Quan's words that he began to study diligently and acquire more knowledge. He eventually surpassed some Confucian scholars in terms of the number of texts he read.[Sanguozhi zhu 3]
Meeting with Lu Su
[edit]In 210, after Lu Su succeeded Zhou Yu (who died of illness earlier that year) as the frontline commander of Sun Quan's forces, he passed by Lü Meng's garrison on his way to Lukou (
Jiang Biao Zhuan account
[edit]The Jiang Biao Zhuan recorded a slightly different account of the meeting between Lu Su and Lü Meng. Lu Su placed his hand on Lü Meng's shoulder and said: "I heard you were previously a mere warrior. But now, you have taken up scholarly pursuits and you are no longer that Meng under Wu." Lü Meng replied:[Sanguozhi zhu 4]
"When scholars part ways for three days, they will see each other in a different light when they meet again later. Now, as you have succeeded Gongjin, your task will be difficult and you are also going to be neighbours with Guan Yu. Guan Yu is an avid learner and he is familiar with the Zuo Zhuan. He has a loud and confident voice, and a heroic aura around him. However, he is conceited and thinks highly of himself. Now that you are going to be his opponent, you should have some measures to counter him."[Sanguozhi zhu 5]
He then presented three strategies to Lu Su on how to counter Guan Yu. Lu Su respected Lü Meng so he kept the strategies to himself and did not reveal them.[Sanguozhi zhu 6]
The Chinese idioms "Ah Meng from Wu" (
Battles of Wan County and Ruxu
[edit]Cao Cao appointed Xie Qi (
In 213, Lü Meng followed Sun Quan to Ruxu (濡須; north of present-day Wuwei County, Anhui) to guard against Cao Cao's advances. Sun Quan wanted to construct a dock at Ruxu, but his subordinates said, "We should land on the other side of the river and attack the enemy, then return to our ships. Why build a dock?" However, Lü Meng supported the idea of building a dock and he said: "Battles are unpredictable and we might not always win. If we lose and the enemy closes in, and we don't have time to retreat to the riverbank, how can we even board our ships?" Sun Quan agreed with Lü Meng and had the dock constructed to make boardings and landings more convenient. With this, Sun Quan's army defended their positions against Cao Cao's approaching forces, who retreated after several failed attempts to overcome the enemy.[Sanguozhi 12][Sanguozhi zhu 7]
Battle of Lujiang
[edit]Around 214, Cao Cao retreated from Ruxu, he appointed Zhu Guang (
The officers suggested to pile up earth to form small hills and replenish their equipment. However, Lü Meng disagreed: "It will take several days to build the hills and replenish our equipment. By then, the enemy would have reinforced their defences and their relief forces would have arrived, and we can't defeat them. The rainwater has flowed in, and the water level will subside if we linger on for days. By then, it will be very difficult for our ships to retreat and we may be in danger. As of now, I observe that the fortress's defences are weak, so we can achieve victory if we attack it from all directions when our army's morale is still high. We can retreat via the water route after that. That's the way to secure total victory." Sun Quan heeded Lü Meng's suggestion.[Sanguozhi zhu 8]
Lü Meng recommended Gan Ning to lead the assault on Wan County while he followed behind with the elite troops. When they attacked at dawn, Lü Meng himself beat a war drum to boost the soldiers' morale. They captured the fortress by noon. Around the same time, Cao Cao's general Zhang Liao was leading reinforcements from Hefei to help Zhu Guang. When he reached Jiashi (夾石), he heard that Wan County had fallen to the enemy so he withdrew his troops. Sun Quan praised Lü Meng for his bravery and appointed him as the Administrator of Lujiang Commandery. Lü Meng gained 600 households from Xunyang County (
When Lü Meng returned to Xunyang County, he heard that some bandits were causing trouble in Luling Commandery (
Sun–Liu territorial dispute
[edit]Around 212, Sun Quan's ally Liu Bei embarked on a campaign to seize control of Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) from its governor, Liu Zhang. He left Guan Yu behind to defend his territories in southern Jing Province during his absence. After Liu Bei completely took over Yi Province in 214, Sun Quan perceived that he was "lending" territories in Jing Province to Liu Bei per an earlier agreement in 210 so he wanted the territories back because Liu Bei already had a new base in Yi Province. When Liu Bei refused, Sun Quan ordered Lü Meng to lead troops to seize three commanderies – Changsha (
Lü Meng wrote to the administrators of the three commanderies to ask them to submit to Sun Quan. They all agreed except Lingling's administrator, Hao Pu (郝普). Liu Bei returned to Jing Province when he heard of Lü Meng's advances and garrisoned troops at Gong'an County while ordering Guan Yu to lead an army to take back the three commanderies. At the time, Sun Quan was at Lukou (
When Lü Meng pacified Changsha, he passed by Ling County (酃縣; east of present-day Hengyang, Hunan) and met Deng Xuanzhi (鄧玄
The territorial dispute between Sun Quan and Liu Bei was eventually resolved when both sides agreed to divide Jing Province between their respective domains along the Xiang River. Sun Quan released Hao Pu and returned Lingling Commandery to Liu Bei. Lü Meng received Xunyang (
Battles of Xiaoyao Ford and Ruxu
[edit]In 214, after returning from Jing Province, Lü Meng joined Sun Quan in a campaign to conquer Hefei, which was defended by Cao Cao's general Zhang Liao. By 215, Sun Quan's forces had failed to breach Hefei's walls and had also sustained heavy casualties in the earlier engagements with the enemy. When a plague broke out in his army, Sun Quan decided to withdraw. While retreating, Sun Quan was caught up in a fierce counterattack by Zhang Liao, but managed to break out of the encirclement and reach safety when his officers, including Lü Meng, fought with their lives to protect their lord at all costs.[Sanguozhi 20]
Later, in 217, Cao Cao personally led a large army to invade Sun Quan's garrison at Ruxu (濡須; north of present-day Wuwei County, Anhui). Sun Quan led his forces to resist the enemy and placed Lü Meng in charge of the army. Lü Meng arrived at the dock, which was constructed earlier in 213, and stationed thousands of archers there to rain arrows on the enemy when they approached. He also attacked the camp of Cao Cao's vanguard force before the enemy established a foothold and succeeding in destroying the camp. Cao Cao saw that he could not overcome Sun Quan and eventually retreated. Lü Meng was promoted to General of Tiger's Might (
Succeeding Lu Su
[edit]In 217, when Lu Su died, Lü Meng took over command of the former's troops, numbering over 10,000, and moved west to the garrison at Lukou (
Previously, Lu Su had advocated the maintenance of friendly relations between Sun Quan and Liu Bei to sustain their alliance against Cao Cao. Lü Meng wrote a secret letter to Sun Quan:[Sanguozhi 23]
"You can order Sun Jiao to guard Nan Commandery, Pan Zhang to station at Baidicheng, and Jiang Qin to lead 10,000 marines to sail along the river and attack any enemy position. I will personally head to the frontline at Xiangyang. In this way, we will not need to worry about Cao Cao, nor rely on Guan Yu. Besides, Guan Yu and his lord are untrustworthy so you should not be too faithful towards them. Currently, the reason why Guan Yu does not advance east, based on your keen sense of judgment, is because of my existence. Now, we should attack him when our forces are still very powerful, because it will be more difficult to do so later."[Sanguozhi 24]
Sun Quan agreed with Lü Meng and wanted to accept his suggestion. Later, he sought Lü Meng's advice on attacking Cao Cao in Xu Province, to which Lü Meng replied:[Sanguozhi 25]
"Cao Cao is currently far away in Hebei. He has defeated the Yuans not too long ago and is still busy pacifying You and Ji provinces in northern China, so he will not focus on the east. The troops defending Xu Province are not a cause for concern because they can be easily overcome. However, the terrain there is very accessible by land and is suitable for the deployment of cavalry forces. Even if you manage to conquer Xu Province now, Cao Cao will definitely come to claim it back later. By then, even if we have 70,000 to 80,000 men to defend the province, we will still need to be worried. Why do we not attack Guan Yu instead? If we succeed, we will have the Yangtze River to our advantage and our prowess will increase significantly."[Sanguozhi 26]
Sun Quan thought that Lü Meng's advice was appropriate so he heeded it.[Sanguozhi 27]
When Lü Meng was at Lukou, he treated his neighbours generously and maintained friendly ties with Guan Yu.[Sanguozhi 28]
Invasion of Jing Province
[edit]
In 219, Guan Yu led an army to attack Cao Cao's fortress at Fancheng (樊城; present-day Fancheng District, Xiangyang, Hubei), which was defended by Cao Ren. He left behind his subordinates Shi Ren and Mi Fang to defend Gong'an County and Nan Commandery (
"When Guan Yu went to attack Fancheng, he left behind many backup forces because he was afraid that I would seize the territories in his absence. I am often ill. Now, I request to return to Jianye under the guise of seeking medical treatment. When Guan Yu learns that I have left Jing Province, he will definitely withdraw the backup forces and move all out towards Xiangyang. When that happens, our troops will sail along the river, travelling day and night, and swiftly attack the weakly defended territories. We can thus conquer Nan Commandery and capture Guan Yu."[Sanguozhi 30]
Sun Quan agreed to Lü Meng's plan and played along by openly approving his request to return to Jianye for medical treatment.[Sanguozhi 31]
Guan Yu fell for the ruse and withdrew the backup forces and advanced towards Fancheng. When Cao Cao heard of the attack at Fancheng, he sent Yu Jin to lead an army to relief Cao Ren, but Yu Jin lost the battle and surrendered to Guan Yu. Guan Yu's troops increased in numbers after his victory so he lacked food supplies. He sent his men to seize grain from one of Sun Quan's depots along the Xiang River. When Sun Quan heard about it, he sent Lü Meng ahead to invade Jing Province while he followed up behind. Lü Meng arrived at Xunyang County (
After entering Nan Commandery, Lü Meng treated the civilian population well, among whom included family members of Guan Yu's troops. He also gave strict orders to his men, forbidding them from disturbing the people. In one incident, Lü Meng executed one of his soldiers for stealing from a civilian household, even though that soldier was an old acquaintance of his. He shed tears after that. This incident shocked the other soldiers in Lü Meng's unit and they did not dare to defy his orders. Lü Meng won the hearts of the people by showing kindness towards them – he provided necessities such as food and clothing to the elderly and the poor, and distributed medicine to the sick. He also ordered the treasury in the commandery office to be sealed up while they awaited Sun Quan's arrival.[Sanguozhi 33]
Guan Yu was returning to Nan Commandery when he heard that his territories in Jing Province had fallen to Lü Meng. He sent messengers to meet Lü Meng, who brought them on a tour of the city. When the messengers returned to Guan Yu, they spread the word that their families were well. Guan Yu's troops lost their fighting spirit after hearing that Lü Meng treated their families better than how Guan Yu treated them in the past. Guan Yu knew that he had lost and was isolated, so he withdrew to Maicheng (
Death
[edit]For his achievements in the conquest of Jing Province, Lü Meng was appointed as the Administrator (
Lü Meng rejected the coins and gold, but Sun Quan insisted that he accept. He became ill again before he was enfeoffed as a marquis. Sun Quan was at Gong'an County then, so he had Lü Meng brought to his personal residence to stay with him. He also offered 1,000 jin of gold as a reward to any person who could cure Lü Meng.
Sun Quan became more worried as Lü Meng's condition deteriorated over time. He wanted to see Lü Meng but felt that it was too troublesome to keep moving around, so he had a hole drilled in the wall to observe Lü Meng's room. He was happy when he saw Lü Meng having his meals, but could not sleep at night when he saw that Lü Meng did not eat anything. When Lü Meng's condition improved slightly, he was so happy that he ordered his subjects to visit Lü Meng and wish him well. He even invited Taoist priests to perform rituals to increase Lü Meng's lifespan. Despite Sun Quan's efforts, Lü Meng eventually died in Gong'an County at the age of 42 (by East Asian age reckoning). Sun Quan was extremely grieved by Lü Meng's death.
Before Lü Meng died, he had instructed his family to store all their prized possessions – including gifts from Sun Quan – in a vault and return them to his lord after his death. He had also asked for a simple funeral. Sun Quan felt even more sad when found out that Lü Meng had made such arrangements before his death.[Sanguozhi 36]
Family
[edit]Lü Meng's marquis title was inherited by his son, Lü Ba (
Anecdotes
[edit]Incident with Cai Yi
[edit]In his younger days, Lü Meng was not competent in reading and writing. Whenever he issued orders, he had to verbally instruct his subordinates or ask someone to help him write. Cai Yi (蔡遺), the Administrator of Jiangxia Commandery, scorned him because of that. However, Lü Meng never hated Cai Yi for treating him with contempt. When Gu Shao (顧邵), the Administrator of Yuzhang Commandery, died, Lü Meng recommended Cai Yi to Sun Quan to replace Gu Shao. Sun Quan laughed and asked Lü Meng, "Are you trying to be like Qi Xi?"[c] He heeded Lü Meng's suggestion.[Sanguozhi 38]
Tolerating Gan Ning
[edit]Lü Meng was unhappy with Gan Ning, a general under Sun Quan, because of his violent and murderous ways. There was one incident where Lü Meng was so furious with Gan Ning that he wanted to kill him. Gan Ning also infuriated Sun Quan on a number of occasions when he defied his lord's orders. When Lü Meng heard about it, he told Sun Quan: "The Empire has yet to be pacified. Fierce generals like Gan Ning are hard to come by. You should tolerate him." Sun Quan heeded Lü Meng's advice and treated Gan Ning generously. In return, Gan Ning served Sun Quan faithfully until his death.[Sanguozhi 39]
Appraisal
[edit]Sun Quan once said: "A person improves as he grows older. Lü Meng and Jiang Qin are two excellent examples. They have obtained wealth and glory, yet they are willing to pick up reading and scholarly pursuits. They view material wealth lightly and value righteousness."[Sanguozhi zhu 12] On another occasion, he said: "When Ziming was young, I said he was someone who didn't 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 less capable in debate and literary arts as compared to Gongjin. When he defeated and captured Guan Yu, he did better than Lu Zijing."[Sanguozhi 40]
Chen Shou, who wrote Lü Meng's biography in the Sanguozhi, commented on him as follows: "Lü Meng was courageous and witty, decisive and well-versed in military strategy. Deceiving Hao Pu and capturing Guan Yu – those were his finest moments. Initially, he was rash and reckless, but eventually he managed to exercise self-restraint. He possessed the magnanimity of a great statesman and was not a mere warrior! Sun Quan's comments on Lü Meng, both positive and negative, were befitting, hence I included them in this record."[Sanguozhi 41]
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms
[edit]Lü Meng appears as a character in the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which romanticises the historical events before and during the Three Kingdoms period. His death is dramatised in chapter 77 of the novel.
Sun Quan and his subjects are celebrating their conquest of Jing Province, with Lü Meng receiving the highest honour. During the banquet, Guan Yu's spirit suddenly possesses Lü Meng, grabs Sun Quan and shouts, "Green-eyed brat! Purple-bearded coward, do you still recognise me?" Sun Quan's subordinates immediately rush forth to save their lord. The possessed Lü Meng shoves Sun Quan away and sits on his seat. With a furious expression on his face, he booms, "Since defeating the Yellow Turban rebels, I have fought in wars for over 30 years. But I lost my life because you used an evil scheme against me. I can't feast on your flesh when I was still alive, but I can still seize Lü Meng's soul after death! I am Guan Yunchang, the Marquis of Hanshou Village." Sun Quan and the others are so terrified that they sink to their knees. Lü Meng collapses and dies, bleeding from seven body orifices. Everyone is traumatised by the scene they witnessed.[5]
In popular culture
[edit]Lü Meng is featured as a playable character in Koei's Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi video game series. In the games, his name is spelled as "Lu Meng" without the diaeresis in the "U" in "Lu". He also appears in all instalments of Koei's strategy game series Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
The fictional character Ryomou Shimei of the anime and manga series Ikki Tousen is based on Lü Meng.
Lü Meng appears in Total War: Three Kingdoms as a playable character within Sun Ce's faction.
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c Lü Meng's biography in the Sanguozhi recorded that he died of illness at the age of 42 (by East Asian age reckoning).[Sanguozhi 1] The Zizhi Tongjian provided more details by stating that he died in the 12th month of the 24th year of the Jian'an era of the reign of Emperor Xian of Han. This month corresponds to 23 January to 21 February 220 in the Gregorian calendar.[1] Since Lü Meng was 41 when he died, his year of birth should be 178.
- ^ One qing was approximately equivalent to 6.67 hectares.
- ^ Qi Xi (祁奚) was an official in the Jin state during the Spring and Autumn period. He once recommended Xie Hu (
解 狐 ), whom he had a personal feud with, to serve under his lord, Duke Dao.
References
[edit]- Citations from the Sanguozhi
- ^ (
年 四 十 二 ,遂 卒 於內殿 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
呂 蒙 字 子 明 ,汝 南 富 陂人也。 ...少 南 渡 ,依 姊夫鄧當。當為 孫 策 將 ,數 討山越 。蒙 年 十 五 六 ,竊隨當 擊 賊 ,當 顧見大 驚 ,呵 叱 不能 禁止 。歸 以告蒙 母 ,母 恚欲罰 之 ,蒙 曰:「貧 賤難可 居 ,脫 誤 有功 ,富貴 可 致。且不探 虎穴 ,安 得 虎 子 ?」母 哀 而舍之 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
時 當 職 吏以蒙年 小 輕 之 ,曰:「彼 豎子 何 能 為 ?此欲以肉餧虎耳 。」他日 與 蒙 會 ,又 蚩辱之 。蒙 大 怒 ,引刀殺 吏,出走 ,逃邑子 鄭 長 家 。出 因 校 尉 袁雄自首 ,承 間 為 言 ,策 召見奇 之 ,引置左右 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
數 歲 ,鄧當死 ,張 昭 薦 蒙 代 當 ,拜 別 部 司馬 。權 統 事 ,料 諸 小 將兵 少 而用薄 者 ,欲 并合之 。蒙 陰 賒貰,為 兵 作 絳衣行縢 ,及簡日 ,陳列 赫然,兵 人 練習 ,權 見 之 大 恱,增 其兵。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
從 討丹楊,所 向 有功 ,拜 平 北都 尉 ,領 廣德 長 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
從 征 黃 祖 ,祖 令 都 督 陳 就逆以水軍 出 戰 。蒙 勒前鋒 ,親 梟 就首,將士 乘 勝 ,進攻 其城。祖 聞就死 ,委 城 走 ,兵 追 禽之。權 曰:「事 之 克 ,由 陳 就先獲 也。」以蒙為 橫 野中 郎 將 ,賜 錢 千 萬 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
是 歲 ,又 與 周 瑜、程 普 等 西 破 曹公於烏林 ,圍 曹仁於南郡 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
益 州 將 襲 肅舉軍 來 附 ,瑜表以肅兵 益 蒙 ,蒙 盛 稱 肅有膽 用 ,且慕化 遠來 ,於義宜 益 不 宜 奪 也。權 善 其言,還 肅兵。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (瑜使
甘 寧 前 據 夷 陵 ,曹仁分 衆 攻 寧 ,寧 困 急 ,使 使 請救。諸 將 以兵少 不足 分 ,蒙 謂 瑜、普 曰:「留 淩公績,蒙 與 君 行 ,解 圍 釋 急 ,勢 亦 不 乆,蒙 保 公 績能十 日 守也 。」又 說 瑜分遣 三 百 人 柴 斷 險 道 ,賊 走 可 得 其馬。瑜從之 。軍 到 夷 陵 ,即日 交戰 ,所 殺 過半 。敵 夜 遁去,行 遇 柴 道 ,騎 皆 舍 馬 步 走 。兵 追 蹙擊,獲 馬 三 百 匹 ,方 船 載 還 。於是將士 形勢 自 倍 ,乃渡江 立 屯 ,與 相 攻擊 ,曹仁退 走 ,遂 據 南 郡 ,撫 定 荊州。還 ,拜 偏 將軍 ,領 尋 陽 令 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (魯肅
代 周 瑜,當 之 陸 口 ,過 蒙 屯 下 。肅意尚 輕 蒙 ,或 說 肅曰:「呂 將軍 功名 日 顯 ,不可 以故意 待 也,君 宜 顧之。」遂 往詣蒙 。酒 酣 ,蒙 問 肅曰:「君 受重任 ,與 關 羽 為 鄰,將 何 計略 ,以備不 虞 ?」肅造次 應 曰:「臨時 施 宜 。」蒙 曰:「今 東西 雖為一家 ,而關羽 實 熊 虎 也,計 安 可 不 豫定 ?」因 為 肅畫五 策 。肅於是 越 席 就之,拊其背 曰:「呂 子 明 ,吾 不知 卿 才略 所 及乃至 於此也。」遂 拜 蒙 母 ,結友 而別。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
魏 使 廬 江 謝 奇 為 蘄春典 農 ,屯 皖田鄉 ,數 為 邊 寇。蒙 使 人 誘 之 ,不 從 ,則 伺隙襲擊 ,奇 遂 縮退 ,其部伍 孫子 才 、宋 豪 等 ,皆 攜負老弱 ,詣 蒙 降 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
後 從 權 拒 曹公於濡須,數 進 奇計 ,又 勸 權 夾水口 立 塢,所以 備御甚精,曹公不能 下 而退。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (曹公
遣 朱 光 為 廬 江 太守 ,屯 皖,大開 稻田 ,又 令 間 人 招誘鄱陽賊 帥 ,使 作 內應。蒙 曰:「皖田肥 美 ,若 一 收 孰,彼 衆 必增,如是 數 歲 ,操 態 見 矣,宜 早 除 之 。」乃具陳 其狀。於是權 親 征 皖,引見 諸 將 ,問 以計策 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
蒙 乃薦甘 寧 為 升 城 督 ,督 攻 在 前 ,蒙 以精銳 繼 之 。侵 晨進攻 ,蒙 手 執 枹 鼓 ,士卒 皆 騰 踊 自 升 ,食 時 破 之 。旣 而張 遼 至 夾石,聞城已 拔,乃退。權 嘉 其功,即 拜 廬 江 太守 ,所得 人馬 皆 分與 之 ,別 賜 尋 陽 屯田 六 百 戶 ,官 屬 三 十 人 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
蒙 還 尋 陽 ,未 期 而廬陵 賊 起 ,諸 將 討擊不能 禽,權 曰:「鷙鳥累 百 ,不 如一鶚 。」復 令 蒙 討之。蒙 至 ,誅其首 惡 ,餘 皆 釋放 ,復 為 平民 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
是 時 劉 備令關 羽 鎮守 ,專有 荊土,權 命 蒙 西 取 長 沙 、零 、桂 三 郡 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
蒙 移 書 二 郡 ,望 風 歸服 ,惟 零 陵 太守 郝普城 守 不 降 。而備自 蜀 親 至 公安 ,遣 羽 爭 三 郡 。權 時 住 陸 口 ,使 魯肅將 萬人屯益陽拒羽,而飛書 召蒙,使 捨零陵 ,急 還 助 肅。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
初 ,蒙 旣定 長 沙 ,當 之 零 陵 ,過 酃,載 南陽 鄧玄之 ,玄 之 者 郝普之 舊 也,欲 令 誘 普 。及被書 當 還 ,蒙 祕 之 ,夜 召諸將 ,授以方略 ,晨當攻 城 ,顧謂玄 之 曰:「郝子太 聞世間 有 忠義 事 ,亦 欲 為之 ,而不知 時 也。左 將軍 在 漢 中 ,為 夏 侯 淵 所 圍 。關 羽 在 南 郡 ,今 至尊 身 自 臨之。近 者 破 樊本屯 ,救 酃,逆 為 孫 規 所 破 。此皆目 前之 事 ,君 所 親 見 也。彼方 首尾 倒 縣 ,救 死 不 給 ,豈 有餘 力 復 營此哉?今 吾 士卒 精銳 ,人 思 致命 ,至尊 遣 兵 ,相 繼 於道。今 予 以旦夕 之 命 ,待 不可 望 之 救 ,猶 牛 蹄中魚 ,兾賴江漢 ,其不可 恃亦明 矣。若子 太 必能一 士卒 之 心 ,保 孤城 之 守 ,尚 能 稽延旦夕 ,以待所 歸 者 ,可也 。今 吾 計 力 度 慮 ,而以攻 此,曾不移 日 ,而城必破,城 破 之 後 ,身 死 何 益 於事,而令百歲老母戴白受誅,豈 不 痛 哉?度 此家不 得 外 問 ,謂 援可恃,故 至 於此耳 。君 可 見 之 ,為 陳 禍福 。」玄 之 見 普 ,具 宣 蒙 意 ,普 懼而聽之。玄 之 先 出 報 蒙 ,普 尋 後 當 至 。蒙 豫 勑四將 ,各 選 百 人 ,普 出 ,便 入 守 城門 。須臾 普 出 ,蒙 迎 執 其手,與 俱下船 。語 畢,出 書 示 之 ,因 拊手大 笑 ,普 見 書 ,知 備在公安 ,而羽在 益 陽 ,慙恨入地 。蒙 留 孫 河 委 以後 事 。即 日引 軍 赴益陽 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
劉 備請盟 ,權 乃歸普 等 ,割 湘水,以零陵 還 之 。以尋陽 、陽 新 為 蒙 奉 邑。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
師 還 ,遂 征 合 肥 ,旣 徹 兵 ,為 張 遼 等 所 襲 ,蒙 與 淩統以死扞衞。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
後 曹公又 大出 濡須,權 以蒙為 督 ,據 前 所 立 塢,置 彊 弩 萬 張 於其上 ,以拒曹公。曹公前 鋒 屯 未 就,蒙 攻 破 之 ,曹公引退 。拜 蒙 左 護 軍 、虎 威 將軍 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (魯肅
卒 ,蒙 西 屯 陸 口 ,肅軍 人馬 萬餘盡以屬蒙。又 拜 漢 昌 太守 ,食 下 雋、劉 陽 、漢 昌 、州 陵 。與 關 羽 分 土 接 境 ,知 羽 驍雄,有 并兼心 ,且居國 上流 ,其勢難 乆。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
初 ,魯肅等 以為曹公尚 存 ,禍 難 始 搆,宜 相 輔協,與 之 同 仇 ,不可 失 也,蒙 乃密陳 計 策 曰: ...) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (... 「
令 征 虜 守 南 郡 ,潘 璋 住 白 帝 ,蔣欽將 游 兵 萬 人 ,循江上下 ,應 敵 所在 ,蒙 為 國家 前 據 襄 陽 ,如此,何 憂 於操,何 賴 於羽?且羽君臣 ,矜其詐 力 ,所在 反覆 ,不可 以腹心待 也。今羽 所以 未 便 東向 者 ,以至尊 聖 明 ,蒙 等 尚 存 也。今 不 於彊壯 時 圖 之 ,一旦 僵仆,欲 復 陳 力 ,其可得 邪 ?」) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
權 深 納 其策,又 聊復與論 取 徐 州 意 ,蒙 對 曰: ...) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (... 「
今 操 遠 在 河北 ,新 破 諸 袁,撫 集 幽 、兾,未 暇 東 顧。徐 土 守兵 ,聞不足 言 ,往自可 克 。然 地勢 陸 通 ,驍騎所 騁,至尊 今日 得 徐 州 ,操 後 旬 必來爭 ,雖以七 八 萬 人 守之 ,猶 當 懷 憂 。不 如取羽 ,全 據 長江 ,形勢 益 張 。」) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
權 尤 以此言 為當 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (及蒙
代 肅,初 至 陸 口 ,外 倍 脩 恩 厚 ,與 羽 結 好 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
後 羽 討樊,留 兵 將 備公安 、南 郡 。蒙 上 疏曰: ...) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (... 「
羽 討樊而多留 備兵,必恐蒙 圖 其後故 也。蒙 常 有 病 ,乞分士 衆 還 建 業 ,以治疾 為 名 。羽 聞之,必撤備兵,盡 赴襄陽 。大軍 浮江,晝夜 馳 上 ,襲 其空虛 ,則 南 郡 可 下 ,而羽可 禽也。」) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
遂 稱 病 篤 ,權 乃露檄 召蒙還 ,陰 與 圖 計 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
羽 果 信之 ,稍 撤兵 以赴樊。魏 使 于禁救 樊,羽 盡 禽禁等 ,人馬 數 萬 ,託 以糧乏 ,擅取湘關米 。權 聞之,遂行 ,先遣 蒙 在 前 。蒙 至 尋 陽 ,盡 伏 其精兵 [][]中 ,使 白衣 搖 櫓 ,作 商賈 人 服 ,晝夜 兼行 ,至 羽 所 置 江邊 屯 候 ,盡 收 縛 之 ,是 故 羽 不 聞知 。遂 到 南 郡 ,士 仁 、麋 芳 皆 降 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
蒙 入 據 城 ,盡 得 羽 及將士 家 屬 ,皆 撫 慰,約 令 軍 中 不 得 干 歷 人家 ,有 所 求 取 。蒙 麾下 士 ,是 汝 南 人 ,取 民家 一 笠 ,以覆官 鎧 ,官 鎧 雖公,蒙 猶 以為犯 軍令 ,不可 以鄉里 故 而廢法 ,遂 垂 涕斬之 。於是軍 中震 慄,道 不 拾遺 。蒙 旦暮 使 親近 存 恤耆老 ,問 所 不足 ,疾病 者 給 醫藥 ,饑寒 者 賜 衣糧 。羽 府 藏 財寶 ,皆 封 閉以待 權 至 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
羽 還 ,在 道路 ,數 使 人 與 蒙 相聞 ,蒙 輒厚遇 其使,周 游 城中 ,家家 致問,或 手書 示 信 。羽 人 還 ,私 相 參 訊,咸知家門 無 恙,見 待 過 於平時 ,故 羽 吏士無 鬬心。會 權 尋 至 ,羽 自 知 孤 窮 ,乃走麥 城 ,西 至 漳鄉,衆 皆 委 羽 而降。權 使 朱 然 、潘 璋 斷 其徑路 ,即 父子 俱獲,荊州遂 定 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (以蒙
為 南 郡 太守 ,封 孱陵侯 ,賜 錢 一 億 ,黃金 五 百 斤 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
蒙 固辭 金 錢 ,權 不 許 。封 爵未下 ,會 蒙 疾 發 ,權 時 在 公安 ,迎 置 內殿,所以 治 護 者 萬 方 ,募 封 內有能 愈 蒙 疾 者 ,賜 千金 。時 有 鍼加,權 為 之 慘 慼,欲 數 見 其顏色 ,又 恐 勞 動 ,常 穿 壁 瞻之,見 小 能 下 食 則 喜 ,顧左右 言笑 ,不 然 則 咄唶,夜 不能 寐。病 中 瘳,為 下 赦令,羣臣畢賀。後 更 增 篤 ,權 自 臨視,命 道士 於星辰 下 為之 請命。年 四 十 二 ,遂 卒 於內殿 。時 權 哀 痛 甚,為之 降 損 。蒙 未 死時 ,所得 金寶 諸 賜 盡 付 府 藏 ,勑主者 命 絕 之 日 皆 上 還 ,喪 事務 約 。權 聞之,益 以悲感 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
蒙 子 霸襲爵 ,與 守 冢三 百 家 ,復田 五 十 頃 。霸卒,兄 琮襲侯 。琮卒,弟 睦 嗣。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
蒙 少 不 脩 書 傳 ,每 陳 大事 ,常 口 占 為 牋疏。常 以部曲事 為 江夏 太守 蔡遺所 白 ,蒙 無 恨意。及豫章 太守 顧邵卒 ,權 問 所用 ,蒙 因 薦 遺 奉職 佳 吏,權 笑 曰:「君 欲 為 祁奚耶?」於是用 之 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
甘 寧 麤暴好 殺 ,旣 常 失 蒙 意 ,又 時 違 權 令 ,權 怒 之 ,蒙 輒陳請:「天下 未定 ,鬬將如寧難 得 ,宜 容 忍 之 。」權 遂 厚 寧 ,卒 得 其用。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
子 明 少時 ,孤 謂 不 辭 劇 易 ,果敢 有 膽 而已。及身長大 ,學問 開 益 ,籌略奇 至 ,可 以次於公瑾,但 言 議 英 發 不 及之耳 。圖 取 關 羽 ,勝 於魯子 敬 。) Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
呂 蒙 勇 而有謀 ,斷 識軍計 ,譎郝普 ,禽關羽 ,最 其妙者 。初 雖輕果 妄殺,終 於克己 ,有 國士 之 量 ,豈 徒 武將 而已乎!孫 權 之 論 ,優劣 允 當 ,故 載錄 焉。) Sanguozhi vol. 54.
- Citations from the Sanguozhi zhu
- ^ (
江 表 傳 曰:初 ,權 謂 蒙 及蔣欽曰:「卿 今 並 當 塗 掌 事 ,宜 學問 以自開 益 。」蒙 曰:「在 軍 中 常 苦 多 務 ,恐 不 容 復 讀書 。」權 曰: ...) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (... 「
孤 豈 欲 卿 治 經 為 博士 邪 ?但 當 令 涉獵 見 往事 耳 。卿 言 多 務 孰若孤 ,孤 少時 歷 詩 、書 、禮 記 、左 傳 、國語 ,惟 不 讀易。至 統 事 以來 ,省三 史 、諸家 兵書 ,自 以為大 有 所 益 。如卿二 人 ,意 性 朗 悟 ,學 必得之 ,寧 當 不為 乎?宜 急 讀孫子 、六 韜、左 傳 、國語 及三史 。孔子 言 『終日 不 食 ,終夜 不 寢 以思,無益 ,不 如學也』。光武 當 兵馬 之 務 ,手 不 釋 卷 。孟 德 亦 自 謂 老 而好學 。卿 何 獨 不 自 勉 勗 邪 ?」) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
蒙 始 就學 ,篤志 不 倦,其所覽 見 ,舊 儒不勝 。) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
後 魯肅上代 周 瑜,過 蒙 言 議 ,常 欲 受屈。肅拊蒙背 曰:「吾 謂 大 弟 但 有 武略 耳 ,至 於今者 ,學識 英博 ,非 復 吳下 阿 蒙 。」) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
蒙 曰:「士別 三 日 ,即 更 刮目 相 待 。大兄 今 論 ,何 一稱穰侯乎。兄 今代 公 瑾,旣 難 為 繼 ,且與關 羽 為 鄰。斯人長 而好學 ,讀左傳 略 皆 上口 ,梗亮有 雄 氣 ,然 性 頗自負 ,好 陵 人 。今 與 為 對 ,當 有 單複 以鄉待 之 。」) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
密 為 肅陳三 策 ,肅敬受之,祕 而不宣 。) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
吳 錄 曰:權 欲 作 塢,諸 將 皆 曰:「上岸 擊 賊 ,洗足 入船 ,何 用 塢為?」呂 蒙 曰:「兵 有利 鈍 ,戰 無 百 勝 ,如有邂逅 ,敵 步 騎 蹙人,不 暇 及水,其得入船 乎?」權 曰:「善 。」遂 作 之 。) Wu Lu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
吳 書 曰:諸 將 皆 勸 作土 山 ,添攻具 ,蒙 趨進曰:「治 攻 具 及土山 ,必歷日 乃成,城 備旣脩 ,外 救 必至 ,不可 圖 也。且乘雨水 以入,若 留 經 日 ,水 必向盡 ,還 道 艱難 ,蒙 竊危之 。今 觀 此城,不能 甚固,以三軍 銳氣 ,四面 並 攻 ,不 移 時 可 拔,及水以歸,全勝 之 道也 。」權 從 之 。) Wu Shu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
吳 書 曰:將軍 士 仁 在 公安 拒 守 ,蒙 令 虞 翻 說 之 。翻 至 城門 ,謂 守 者 曰:「吾 欲 與 汝 將軍 語 。」仁 不 肯相見 。乃為書 曰:「明 者 防 禍 於未萌 ,智者 圖 患於將來 ,知得 知 失 ,可 與 為 人 ,知 存知 亡 ,足 別 吉凶 。大軍 之 行 ,斥候 不 及施,烽火 不 及舉,此非天命 ,必有內應。將軍 不 先見 時 ,時 至 又 不 應 之 ,獨 守 縈帶之 城 而不降 ,死 戰 則 毀宗滅 祀 ,為 天下 譏 笑 。呂 虎 威 欲 徑 到 南 郡 ,斷絕 陸 道 ,生路 一 塞 ,案 其地形 ,將軍 為 在 箕 舌 上 耳 ,奔走 不 得 免 ,降 則 失 義 ,竊為將軍 不安 ,幸 孰思焉。」仁 得 書 ,流涕 而降。翻 謂 蒙 曰:「此譎兵 也,當 將仁 行 ,留 兵備 城 。」遂 將仁 至 南 郡 。南 郡 太守 麋 芳 城 守 ,蒙 以仁示 之 ,遂 降 。) Wu Shu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
吳 錄 曰:初 ,南 郡 城中 失火 ,頗焚燒 軍 器 。羽 以責芳 ,芳 內畏懼,權 聞而誘 之 ,芳 潛 相 和 。及蒙攻 之 ,乃以牛 酒 出 降 。) Wu Lu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
江 表 傳 曰:權 於公安 大會 ,呂 蒙 以疾辭 ,權 笑 曰:「禽羽之 功 ,子 明 謀 也,今 大功 已 捷 ,慶 賞 未 行 ,豈 邑邑邪 ?」乃增給 步 騎 鼓吹 ,勑選虎 威 將軍 官 屬 ,并南郡 、廬 江 二 郡 威儀 。拜 畢還營,兵馬 導 從 ,前後 鼓吹 ,光耀 于路。) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 54. - ^ (
權 常 歎曰:「人 長 而進益 ,如呂蒙 、蔣欽,蓋 不可 及也。富貴 榮 顯 ,更 能 折節 好學 ,耽 恱書傳 ,輕 財 尚義 ,所行 可 迹,並 作 國士 ,不 亦 休 乎!」) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 54.
- Other citations
- ^ (
孝 獻 皇帝 癸 建 安 二 十 四 年 (己 亥 ,公 元 二 一 九 年 ) ...十二月 ...呂 蒙 未 及受封 而疾發 , ...病 中 瘳,為 下 赦令,群臣 畢賀,已 而竟卒 ,年 四 十 二 。) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 68. - ^ de Crespigny (2007), p. 627.
- ^ "Dictionary definition of 吴下
阿 蒙 " (in Chinese). - ^ "Dictionary definition of
刮目 相 看 " (in Chinese). - ^ Sanguo Yanyi ch. 77.
- Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
- de Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms 23-220 AD. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 9789004156050.
- Luo, Guanzhong (14th century). Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo Yanyi).
- Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).
- Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.