| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 吕翔, 呂翔, Lǚ Xiáng |
| Other name | Lữ Tường |
| INFORMATION | |
| Birth Place | Dongping Commandery, Yan Province (兖州东平国; quận Đông Bình, Diễn Châu) |
| Died | 207 (novel: killed by Zhang Fei at Xinye) |
| Death Reason | Novel: slain by Zhang Fei (张飞, Trương Phi) at Xinye after Xu Shu (徐庶, Từ Thứ) traps Cao Ren’s (曹仁, Tào Nhân) van. History: fate after Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo) marquisate unrecorded. |
| FAMILY | |
| Relatives | |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Yuan Shao → Yuan Shang → Yuan Tan → Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo) |
| Battles | Yuan succession war; defection to Cao Cao; novel Xinye under Cao Ren |
Here is the exhaustive biography of Lu Xiang (吕翔, Lữ Tường) (? – novel 207/208), younger brother of Lu Kuang (吕旷, Lữ Quảng), a Yuan-clan cavalry officer who defected through Yuan Shang (袁尚, Viên Thượng) and Yuan Tan (袁谭, Viên Đàm) to Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo), incorporating historical notices and Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Biography & Historical Record
Lu Xiang and his elder brother Lu Kuang served the Yuan house of Jizhou after Yuan Shao (袁绍, Viên Thiệu)’s death. In the succession war they first backed Yuan Shang, then—when Cao Cao pressed Hebei—submitted to Yuan Tan and, soon after, permanently to Cao Cao. Cao Cao enfeoffed both brothers as marquises. After that double defection the official histories fall silent: no office list, no later campaign, and no death date survive for Lu Xiang. Some Later Han / Zizhi Tongjian strands write the name as Gao Xiang (高翔). The novel alone invents his Xinye charge and death under Zhang Fei (张飞, Trương Phi)’s spear.
Historically the brothers illustrate opportunistic mid-tier officers who abandoned a collapsing Yuan polity for Cao Cao’s rising northern order. Their marquisates mark reward for timely surrender; their blank later record is itself the historical verdict—useful once, then absorbed without further notice.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Ch. 32–33 (Yuan succession): With Lu Kuang, Lu Xiang serves Yuan Shang, then switches to Yuan Tan and finally to Cao Cao. Guo Tu (郭图, Quách Đồ) tries to bind them with seals under Yuan Tan; they promptly present the seals to Cao Cao, who promotes them and thwarts Guo Tu’s plan.
Ch. 35–36 (Xinye): Seeking further glory, the brothers ask Cao Ren (曹仁, Tào Nhân) for the van against Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị) at Xinye. Each leads five thousand; they enter a trap devised by Xu Shu (徐庶, Từ Thứ). Lu Xiang flees and is slain by Zhang Fei; Lu Kuang falls to Zhao Yun (赵云, Triệu Vân). History: no Xinye death—fate after the marquisate is unrecorded.
Lu Xiang (吕翔, Lữ Tường) — Historical & Literary Timeline
c. 202 AD — Yuan succession war
Service under Yuan Shang
With Lu Kuang serves Yuan Shang’s horse before the fraternal war forces a change of masters.
c. 203–205 AD — Double defection
Yuan Tan then Cao Cao
Submits first to Yuan Tan, then permanently to Cao Cao; receives marquisate. Guo Tu’s seal-binding scheme fails in the novel.
After defection — Historical silence
Marquisate, then blank record
Official histories record enfeoffment but no later office or death. History ends here; novel continues to Xinye.
Novel Ch. 35–36 — Death at Xinye
Xu Shu’s trap; slain by Zhang Fei
Leads 5,000 under Cao Ren against Liu Bei; trapped by Xu Shu; killed by Zhang Fei. Brother Lu Kuang dies to Zhao Yun. Novel-only death.
Historical Note
Lu Xiang was a real Yuan officer rewarded by Cao Cao for timely surrender. The Guo Tu seal episode and the Xinye death under Zhang Fei are novel colour. Readers should keep the historical marquisate and the literary spear-death as two separate endings.
For detailed historical records, archives, and official chronicles, explore Lu Xiang on Wikipedia.
Key Relationships
Family
- Lu Kuang (吕旷, Lữ Quảng): Elder brother. Fellow cavalry officer under Yuan Shao → Yuan Shang → Yuan Tan → Cao Cao. Novel: dies with him at Xinye (Zhao Yun). History: co-defector and co-marquis; later fate likewise unrecorded.
Friends
- Yuan Shao (袁绍, Viên Thiệu): Original sovereign of the Hebei army the brothers first served.
- Yuan Shang (袁尚, Viên Thượng): Early post-succession lord before the brothers defect.
- Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo): Final master who welcomes the brothers and grants marquisates.
- Cao Ren (曹仁, Tào Nhân): Novel: commander who authorises their Xinye van attack.
Enemies
- Yuan Tan (袁谭, Viên Đàm): Temporary lord after they leave Shang; then abandoned for Cao Cao.
- Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị): Novel: target of the Xinye assault that kills Lu Xiang.
- Zhang Fei (张飞, Trương Phi): Novel: slays Lu Xiang while he flees Xu Shu’s trap.
- Zhao Yun (赵云, Triệu Vân): Novel: slays brother Lu Kuang in the same battle.
Other
- Xu Shu (徐庶, Từ Thứ): Novel: designs the Xinye ambush that dooms the brothers’ glory-seeking van.
- Guo Tu (郭图, Quách Đồ): Novel: tries to bind Lu Kuang and Lu Xiang with seals under Yuan Tan; Cao Cao’s promotion undercuts the scheme.
In Novel
Chapter 32–33
- Lu Xiang (吕翔, Lữ Tường): Younger brother of Lu Kuang (吕旷, Lữ Quảng). Serves Yuan Shang (袁尚, Viên Thượng) with him; after Shang’s retreat the brothers switch to Yuan Tan (袁谭, Viên Đàm), then present themselves to Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo). When Guo Tu (郭图, Quách Đồ) tries to reclaim them with seals under Yuan Tan, they hand the seals to Cao Cao.
Chapter 35–36
- Lu Xiang (吕翔, Lữ Tường): Seeks glory under Cao Ren (曹仁, Tào Nhân) against Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị) at Xinye; leads 5,000 into Xu Shu (徐庶, Từ Thứ)’s trap; flees and is cut down by Zhang Fei (张飞, Trương Phi). Brother dies to Zhao Yun (赵云, Triệu Vân). History: no Xinye death—unrecorded after marquisate.
In History
Summary
- Lu Xiang (吕翔, Lữ Tường) (also recorded as Gao Xiang 高翔 in some Later Han / Tongjian notices) and elder brother Lu Kuang were Yuan officers who defected through the Shang–Tan war to Cao Cao and received marquisates; later careers and deaths are not preserved.
Year: c. 202–205 AD
- Serve Yuan Shang, then submit to Yuan Tan and Cao Cao during Cao Cao’s Hebei campaigns after Yuan Shao (袁绍, Viên Thiệu)’s death.
Year: after defection
- Enfeoffed as marquises under Cao Cao. No further SGZ campaign entries; novel Xinye death by Zhang Fei is literary only.
Historical Record
- Notices in Sanguozhi / Pei materials on Yuan remnant officers who joined Cao Cao; Guo Tu seals and Zhang Fei kill are novel dramatizations without matching historical death notices.
Gallery
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