Lei Tong

Here is the exhaustive biography of Lei Tong (雷銅 / 雷铜) (? – 218), a general who served first under Liu Zhang and later under Liu Bei, incorporating historical records and the narrative of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Historical Career

Lei Tong originally served the Governor of Yi Province, Liu Zhang. After Liu Bei entered Yi Province and the conflict with Liu Zhang escalated, Lei Tong was among the officers who resisted. In 218, during Liu Bei’s campaign for Hanzhong, Lei Tong and Wu Lan were sent into Wudu / Xiabian. Cao Hong and Zhang He (under Cao Cao’s orders) defeated them; Lei Tong was killed in the fighting at Xiabian (下辯), together with other officers such as Ren Kui. Wu Lan was later slain by the Di chieftain Qiang Duan. The historical record is brief: Lei Tong appears only as one of the generals who entered Wudu and perished there.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms Portrayal

In the novel Lei Tong is a general of Liu Zhang who defends against Liu Bei’s invasion of Yi Province. Together with Wu Lan he skirmishes with Huang Zhong and Wei Yan near Luo Castle; when Zhang Fei arrives and surrounds them, both men surrender and are accepted into Liu Bei’s service. Lei Tong is then posted to help Zhang Fei defend Baxi.

In 218 Cao Cao sends Zhang He against Baxi. Zhang Fei orders Lei Tong to ambush Zhang He with five thousand elite troops while he himself engages the enemy head-on. The ambush succeeds and Zhang He is forced to retreat. Over the following weeks Zhang Fei pretends to drink heavily; Lei Tong and Wei Yan seize Zhang He’s camp after a successful ruse involving a straw dummy. The next day Lei Tong duels Zhang He, pursues the retreating enemy, and falls into an ambush. Zhang He turns and kills him.

Family, Friends and Enemies

Family:

• No recorded parents, spouse or children.

Colleagues / companions: Wu Lan (吳蘭), with whom he fought and later surrendered; Zhang Fei (his superior at Baxi); Wei Yan and Huang Zhong (fellow Shu officers).

Principal adversaries: Zhang Ren (while still under Liu Zhang); Zhang He (who ultimately killed him); Cao Hong and the Wei forces in the Hanzhong / Xiabian campaign.

Lei Tong (雷銅) — Historical & Literary Timeline

Historical Note

Lei Tong is a minor historical figure whose only recorded action is his death in 218 while campaigning in Wudu under Liu Bei. The novel expands his role considerably: it gives him a full arc from loyal defender of Liu Zhang, through surrender and service under Zhang Fei, to a dramatic battlefield death at the hands of Zhang He. The fictional account therefore supplies the personality and combat detail that the sparse historical notices lack, while preserving the essential fact that he died fighting for Liu Bei against Cao Cao’s generals in the Hanzhong campaign.