Lu Su

Early life

Lu Su was from Dongcheng County (東城縣), Linhuai Commandery (臨淮郡), which is located southeast of present-day Dingyuan County, Anhui. He lost his father not long after he was born, so he lived with his grandmother. Lu Su was very generous with his family's wealth as he used it to help the needy. The Wu Shu (吳書; Book of Wu), by Wei Zhao, described Lu Su as having a stalwart and extraordinary appearance. He had great ambitions since he was young and was very fond of strategy.

Towards the end of the Han dynasty, when chaos broke out throughout China due to the Yellow Turban Rebellion and Dong Zhuo's tyranny, Lu Su sold his family's lands and properties and used the money to help the poor. He also spent his time associating with other reputable and talented persons. He was well-loved by his fellow townsfolk.

The Wu Shu gave another account of Lu Su's life during that chaotic period. Apart from learning sword-fighting, horse-riding and archery, he also rallied a group of young men as his followers, and provided them with clothing and food. They often went to the hills to hunt and practise military arts. The elders of the clan remarked, "The Lu family is in decline, that's how we got this wild boy!"

Moving to Jiangdong

Around 196, when Zhou Yu was nominally serving as the Chief (長) of Juchao County under the warlord Yuan Shu, he planned to leave Yuan and travel east to the Jiangdong (or Wu) region to join Sun Ce, who had recently conquered some territories in Jiangdong over the past few years. Along his journey, Zhou Yu brought his militia, numbering a few hundred men, to visit Lu Su and request for supplies. At the time, Lu Su owned two large granaries, each capable of storing 3,000 hu (斛) of grain. He pointed at one granary and gave it to Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu realised that Lu Su was an extraordinary person, so he befriended him. Their friendship was likened to that of Gongsun Qiao and Ji Zha (季札) in the Spring and Autumn period. The Chinese idiom "pointing at a granary and presenting it" (指囷相贈; 指囷相赠; zhǐ qūn xiāng zèng), which means to provide generous aid to a person, originated from this incident.

When Yuan Shu heard of Lu Su's fame, he wanted to recruit him to serve as the Chief of Dongcheng County (東城縣) under him. However, Lu Su saw that Yuan Shu's administration was ill-disciplined and believed that Yuan would not be successful. He told his followers, "The central government has failed. Robbers and bandits are rampant. The areas around the Huai and Si rivers are no longer safe. I heard the lands in Jiangdong are fertile, its population is prosperous, and its army is powerful. We can take shelter there. Are you willing to accompany me to that paradise and wait until the situation here stabilises?" They unanimously agreed to follow him.

Lu Su led his followers and some civilians southward to Juchao County to join Zhou Yu. He ordered able-bodied young men to guard the rear while the others moved ahead first. The local authorities sent some armed horsemen to stop Lu Su and his party from leaving. When the riders caught up with them, Lu Su turned back and said, "You're all men of courage, so you should understand the situation well. The country is now in a state of chaos. You won't be rewarded for your efforts (even if you succeed in stopping us), but neither will you be punished if you don't pursue us. Do you really want to force us (to fight)?" He then placed a shield upright on the ground and fired an arrow at it, piercing through the shield. The horsemen agreed with what Lu Su said and knew they could not stop him, so they gave up and left. Lu Su then crossed the Yangtze River with Zhou Yu and arrived in Jiangdong, where they met Sun Ce, who felt that Lu Su was a special person. Lu Su settled in Qu'e County (曲阿縣; in present-day Danyang, Jiangsu). When his grandmother died, he returned to Dongcheng County to attend her funeral.

Nearly leaving Jiangdong

Liu Ye, a friend of Lu Su, once wrote a letter to him: "Now, warlords and heroes have emerged all over the Empire. I believe the time has come for me to put my talents to good use. I am in a rush to fetch my mother but I will be dropping by Dongcheng County for a while. I heard that recently, someone called Zheng Bao (鄭寶) has rallied thousands of followers in Chaohu and the lands under their control are very fertile. Many people in Lujiang Commandery are planning to join him after hearing about him – not to mention myself. I observe his situation and see that he is still gathering followers. You should act fast and not miss this opportunity." Lu Su agreed with what Liu Ye said. After his grandmother's funeral, Lu Su returned to Qu'e County and made plans to leave Jiangdong and head north to join Zheng Bao. However, he found out that Zhou Yu had fetched his mother to Wu Commandery (吳郡; around present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu) so he went to Wu Commandery to speak to Zhou Yu.

In 200 CE, after Sun Ce was assassinated, his younger brother, Sun Quan, succeeded him as the warlord ruling the Jiangdong territories. When Lu Su arrived in Wu Commandery, Zhou Yu told him, "In the past, Ma Yuan once told Emperor Guangwu, 'In this era, not only do lords choose their subjects; subjects also choose which lords to serve.' The new lord [Sun Quan] welcomes and respects persons of virtue and talent. He has recruited many extraordinary people. Besides, I also heard a saying that in the past, philosophers predicted that the successor to the Liu family's empire [the Han dynasty] will rise in the southeast. From what we see in the current situation, this event is already in motion. This is the time for heroes to rise up and showcase their talents and abilities, and assist in constructing a new empire to receive the Mandate of Heaven. Having said this, you won't need to take Liu Ye's words to heart." Lu Su heeded Zhou Yu's advice and remained in Jiangdong.

The historian Chen Shou, who wrote Lu Su's biography, believed that Zhou Yu recommended Lu Su to Sun Quan because he knew that his lord needed to widely recruit more of such talents to accomplish his goal of building up his power bloc. Therefore, he could not afford to let Lu Su leave with Liu Ye.

Drafting a plan for Sun Quan

Sun Quan immediately summoned Lu Su to meet him and was happy to see him. Later, when the other guests left the meeting, Lu Su also took his leave but Sun Quan called him back. They shared a table and had a private conversation over drinks. Sun Quan asked, "The Han dynasty is in decline and there's turmoil everywhere. I've inherited the work of my father and elder brother, and I intend to make achievements like those of Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin. I'm honoured to have your noble patronage. What advice do you have for me?" Lu Su replied,

"In the past, Emperor Gao wanted to serve under Emperor Yi of Chu but Xiang Yu harmed Emperor Yi. The Cao Cao of today is like Xiang Yu in the past. Why do you still wish to emulate Duke Huan and Duke Wen? I foresee that the Han dynasty can't be revived and Cao Cao can't be eliminated. What you can do is to establish a foothold in Jiangdong and observe how the overall situation changes. You shouldn't be disappointed with what you currently have. Why? Because the north isn't stable. Therefore, you should use this opportunity to eliminate Huang Zu and attack Liu Biao, then you will have the Yangtze River to your advantage. After that, you can declare yourself emperor and fight for control over the Empire, just like how Emperor Gao did it in the past."

Sun Quan said, "Now I'm doing my best to support the Han dynasty. What you said can't be achieved."

Zhang Zhao, a senior adviser to Sun Quan, saw that Lu Su was not humble enough so he often spoke ill of Lu Su in front of their lord. He claimed that Lu Su was too young and neglectful so he advised Sun Quan to not entrust Lu Su with important responsibilities. However, Sun Quan ignored Zhang Zhao and continued to treat Lu Su respectfully and regard him highly. He gave new clothes and curtains to Lu Su's mother and restored Lu Su's family to their original wealthy status.

Formation of the Sun–Liu alliance

Liu Biao, the Governor (牧) of Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan), died in 208 and was succeeded by his younger son, Liu Cong. Upon receiving news of Liu Biao's death, Lu Su went to see Sun Quan and said,

"Jing Province is our neighbour. Its water routes lead to the north, it is connected to the major rivers, and it has mountainous terrain. It is firm and stable, its lands are fertile, and its population is wealthy and prosperous. Whoever controls that region has the resources for building an empire. Now, Liu Biao has recently died, his two sons are in disharmony, and his military officers are more concerned about themselves. Besides, Liu Bei has the reputation of an ambitious hero and he's Cao Cao's rival. When he sought shelter under Liu Biao, Liu Biao was jealous of his talent and didn't entrust him with important responsibilities. If Liu Bei can unite with us in spirit and work together with us, we should try to appease him and form an alliance with him; if he's unwilling to join us, we should seek alternative ways to accomplish our great task. I hereby request you to appoint me as your ambassador to attend Liu Biao's funeral and offer condolences to his subordinates. At the same time, I'll ask Liu Bei to persuade Liu Biao's followers to unite with us to resist Cao Cao. Liu Bei will certainly be most happy to do so. If he agrees to ally with us, we'll be able to pacify the Empire. We must act fast because I fear we may lose the opportunity to Cao Cao."

Sun Quan then sent Lu Su as his representative to Jing Province.

When Lu Su reached Xiakou (夏口; present-day Hankou, Hubei), he heard that Cao Cao and his army was advancing towards Jing Province, so he travelled day and night in the hope of reaching Xiangyang Commandery (Jing Province's capital) first. When he arrived in Nan Commandery (南郡; around present-day Jiangling County, Hubei), he received news that Liu Cong had already surrendered to Cao Cao, so Jing Province was now under Cao's control. At the same time, Liu Bei had lost to Cao Cao's cavalry forces at the Battle of Changban and was fleeing southward in an attempt to cross the Yangtze River. Lu Su met Liu Bei at Changban (長阪), Dangyang, where he conveyed his lord's intentions to Liu Bei and mentioned that the situation in Jiangdong was very stable. Liu Bei was delighted. Lu Su also met and befriended Liu Bei's strategist, Zhuge Liang, after he told Zhuge Liang that he was a friend of Zhuge Jin, Zhuge Liang's elder brother. Liu Bei moved to Xiakou, where he instructed Zhuge Liang to follow Lu Su to meet Sun Quan and discuss the formation of a Sun-Liu alliance against Cao Cao.

Contradiction

Pei Songzhi, who annotated Lu Su's biography, mentioned that Lu Su was actually the first person to propose the formation of the Sun-Liu alliance. When Lu Su told Zhuge Liang that he was a friend of his elder brother, Zhuge Liang would probably have already heard of him before but had yet to meet him in person. Pei pointed out that Zhuge Liang's biography in the Shu Shu (蜀書; Book of Shu) stated: "Zhuge Liang persuaded Sun Quan with his argument on forming an alliance. Sun Quan was very pleased." Going by the Shu Shu account, the first person who suggested the Sun-Liu alliance should be Zhuge Liang instead of Lu Su. Pei commented that the historians in Eastern Wu and Shu Han gave conflicting accounts on who was the first person who conceived the idea of the Sun-Liu alliance, because they wanted their respective states to claim that credit. Pei further remarked that this is a poor example of historical documentation, because both Lu Su and Zhuge Liang's biographies were written by the same person (Chen Shou) yet they contradict each other.

Urging Sun Quan to resist Cao Cao

In late 208, when Sun Quan received news that Cao Cao was planning to lead his forces across the Yangtze River to invade Jiangdong, he held a discussion with his subjects on how to deal with Cao Cao. Everyone present at the meeting advised Sun Quan to surrender and welcome Cao Cao; only Lu Su remained silent. When Sun Quan left the meeting for a change of clothes, Lu Su hurriedly left his seat and followed his lord. Sun Quan understood Lu Su's intention, so he held Lu Su's hand and asked, "What do you wish to tell me?" Lu Su replied,

"The others gave you misleading advice. They can't help you accomplish your great task. I can surrender and welcome Cao Cao but you can't. Why? Because if I surrender to Cao Cao, he'll give me an official appointment and treat me just like how he treats his other followers. I can still have a carriage, personal bodyguards and servants; I can continue to mingle with other scholar-officials. Officials won't lose their provinces and commanderies. However, if you submit to Cao Cao, what will happen to you? I hope you can make up your mind on this important decision soon, and don't be affected by what the others said."

Sun Quan sighed and said, "I'm very disappointed with what those gentlemen said. Your thoughts are exactly the same as mine. This is a sign that Heaven has granted you to me."

Alternative accounts

The Wei Shu (魏書; Book of Wei) and the Jiuzhou Chunqiu (九州春秋) gave different accounts on how Lu Su urged Sun Quan to go to war with Cao Cao. Lu Su attempted to use reverse psychology to persuade his lord by saying, "Cao Cao is truly a formidable foe. He has engulfed Yuan Shao's territories and his military forces are very powerful. If he uses the might of a victorious army to invade a state that is weak and chaotic, he'll definitely win. Why don't we despatch our troops to assist him, while you send your family to Ye (Cao Cao's base in northern China)? If not, we'll be in danger." Sun Quan turned furious and wanted to execute Lu Su, but Lu said again, "The current situation is very urgent. Since you've other plans, why don't you provide aid to Liu Bei instead of executing me?" Sun Quan agreed with Lu Su's idea, so he ordered Zhou Yu to lead his forces to help Liu Bei.

The historian Sun Sheng commented that both Wei Zhao's Wu Shu (吳書; Book of Wu) and the Jiang Biao Zhuan (江表傳) recorded that Lu Su advised Sun Quan to resist Cao Cao and build his own empire, and when Liu Biao died, he asked Sun Quan to observe the change in the situation. There was no mention of Lu Su using reverse psychology to persuade Sun Quan. Besides, there were many others among Sun Quan's subjects who urged their lord to surrender, yet the two accounts mentioned that Sun Quan wanted to execute only Lu Su because Lu advocated surrender – even though that was not his true intention – but none of the others who also advised him to surrender. Sun Sheng believed that the accounts on Lu Su's "reverse psychology speech" did not make sense and are therefore unreliable.

Battle of Red Cliffs

At the time, Zhou Yu was in Poyang Commandery (鄱陽郡; around present-day Poyang County, Jiangxi), so Lu Su advised Sun Quan to quickly recall Zhou back to discuss their plans on how to counter Cao Cao's impending invasion. When Zhou Yu returned, he also urged Sun Quan to resist Cao Cao. This resulted in Sun Quan arriving at his final decision to go to war with Cao Cao. Sun Quan put Zhou Yu in command of his military forces and appointed Lu Su as Colonel Who Praises the Army (贊軍校尉) to assist Zhou Yu in formulating the battle plan.

In the winter of 208–209, the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei defeated Cao Cao's forces at the decisive Battle of Red Cliffs. When Lu Su returned after the battle, Sun Quan hosted a grand reception for him and said, "Zijing, I dismounted my horse and received you on foot. Is this enough to illuminate your glory?" Lu Su replied, "No." All the others present at the scene were startled by Lu Su's response. After taking his seat, Lu Su raised his horsewhip and said, "I hope that our lord will spread his might and virtues throughout the Four Seas, expand his territories to cover the Nine Provinces, and successfully build an empire. When he has achieved that and he comes to receive me on a carriage, I'll be the first to feel honoured." Sun Quan clapped his hands and laughed.

Handing over Jing Province to Liu Bei

Around 209, after the Battle of Jiangling, Liu Bei travelled to Jing (京; present-day Zhenjiang, Jiangsu) to meet Sun Quan and request for the governorship of Jing Province. Only Lu Su advised Sun Quan to "lend" Jing Province to Liu Bei so as to strengthen the Sun-Liu alliance against Cao Cao.

At the time, Lü Fan urged Sun Quan to hold Liu Bei hostage in Jiangdong and prevent him from returning to Jing Province. However, Lu Su objected, "No. My lord, you may have received the blessings of Heaven, but Cao Cao is still a foe to be reckoned with. As we've recently taken control of Jing Province, we haven't earned the trust and support of its people yet. It's better to lease it to Liu Bei and let him help us pacify the area. The best strategy to adopt now is to create more enemies for Cao Cao and less enemies for ourselves." Sun Quan agreed with Lu Su.

Cao Cao was writing when he received news that Sun Quan had "leased" Jing Province to Liu Bei. He dropped his ink brush upon hearing that.

Succeeding Zhou Yu

In 210, when Zhou Yu became critically ill, he wrote to Sun Quan:

"As of now, the empire has yet to be pacified, and this has always been a worry for me. I hope that you, my lord, can make plans for the future now and have a smooth journey later. Now, we have Cao Cao as our enemy, and Liu Bei is also nearby in Gong'an County. We have yet to gain the full allegiance of the people at the border, so it is best to have a competent general to guard the area. Lu Su, with his intelligence and wisdom, is capable of taking up that responsibility, as well as replacing me. The day I die will be the day all my lingerings cease."

The Jiang Biao Zhuan (江表傳) provided a longer, but generally similar, account of Zhou Yu's message to Sun Quan before his death. Zhou Yu wrote,

"I am of ordinary calibre, but I received very special and generous treatment from you, and earned your trust. I was entrusted with an honourable duty – placed in command of the armed forces and having full control over them. We should take control of Ba and Shu (present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) first and then conquer Xiangyang, after which we can depend on our might to secure victory. It is unfortunate that I contracted such a serious illness, but my condition is stabilising after receiving medical treatment. Everyone will die eventually, so I will not regret if my lifespan is destined to be short. I only feel anguish over not having realised my ambition and not being able to follow your orders anymore. Now, Cao Cao still remains a threat in the north and the battlefields are not clear yet. Liu Bei may be seeking shelter under us, but the way we are treating him is equivalent to raising a tiger. There is no beginning or end to the events in the world. This is a time for the ministers and you, my lord, to be worried. Lu Su is loyal and upright and he does not falter in the face of adversity. He can replace me. A dying person's last words are said in good faith. If you can heed this piece of advice, I will not have died in vain."

After Zhou Yu's death, Lu Su was appointed as Colonel of Vehement Martial Might (奮武校尉) and succeeded Zhou Yu. He took charge of the 4,000 troops and the four counties which used to be under Zhou Yu's control. Cheng Pu succeeded Zhou Yu as the Grand Administrator (太守) of Nan Commandery (南郡; around present-day Jiangling County, Hubei). Lu Su was at Jiangling County initially, so he moved to Lukou (陸口; in present-day Jiayu County, Hubei) and garrisoned there. Lu Su governed with justice and benevolence, and the number of troops under his command increased to over 10,000. He was subsequently promoted to Lieutenant-General (偏將軍) and appointed as the Administrator of Hanchang Commandery (漢昌郡).

In 214, Lu Su accompanied Sun Quan on a campaign at Wan County (皖縣; present-day Qianshan County, Anhui), a garrison under Cao Cao's control. After Sun Quan's forces emerged victorious, Lu Su was reassigned as General Across the River (橫江將軍).

Background

Before Zhou Yu died, he, along with Gan Ning and others, had constantly urged Sun Quan to attack Yi Province (益州; covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) from its governor, Liu Zhang. However, Zhou Yu died of illness while making preparations for an invasion of Yi Province. When Sun Quan asked Liu Bei for his opinion, Liu Bei, who secretly had the intention of seizing Yi Province for himself, lied to Sun Quan, "Liu Zhang and I are members of the imperial clan, so we should strive to uphold the Han dynasty with the aid of our ancestors' blessings. Now, when I heard that Liu Zhang has offended his neighbours, I feel afraid and don't dare to probe further. I hope you can show leniency towards him. If you don't, I'll retire and return to the countryside." Liu Bei revealed his true intentions later when he attacked Liu Zhang himself and eventually seized control of Yi Province. During the campaign against Liu Zhang, Liu Bei left his general Guan Yu behind to guard Jing Province in his absence. When Sun Quan heard about Liu Bei's takeover of Yi Province, he angrily remarked, "This cunning barbarian dares to trick me!"

At the same time, tensions were rising at the Sun-Liu border in Jing Province as both sides became more suspicious of each other. Lu Su tried to reduce the tensions by being friendly towards Liu Bei's side. After Liu Bei took over Yi Province, Sun Quan asked him to return three commanderies in southern Jing Province – Changsha (長沙), Lingling (零陵) and Guiyang (桂陽) – but Liu Bei refused. Sun Quan then ordered his general Lü Meng to lead his forces to seize the three commanderies by force. When Liu Bei found out, he returned to Gong'an County and sent Guan Yu to lead an army to stop Lü Meng.

Negotiations

Lu Su travelled to Yiyang and invited Guan Yu to discuss the issue with him. During the negotiations, both sides stationed their soldiers more than 100 paces away from the meeting area and the officers present at the talks were each armed with only a blade weapon. Lu Su told Guan Yu,

"Initially, my lord leased these lands to your lord because your side suffered defeats and didn't have a base of operations back then. However, now, after obtaining Yi Province, you don't want to return the lands. When we ask for only three commanderies, you refuse..."

Before Lu Su could finish what he was saying, an unnamed person interrupted him and said, "Whoever has the ability to govern the land shall have control over it. Isn't it so?" Lu Su angrily rebuked that person in a firm and stern tone. Guan Yu drew his sword, stood up and said, "This is a state-level problem. We can't hope to understand it." He left after that.

Wu Shu account

Wei Zhao's Wu Shu (吳書; Book of Wu) provided more details on the meeting. Prior to the talks, Lu Su's subordinates feared that Guan Yu might try to harm Lu Su, so they advised Lu Su against meeting Guan Yu. However, Lu Su replied, "It's better for us to settle this issue in a peaceful manner. Liu Bei may have acted against our lord's interests, but we've yet to agree on who's right and who's wrong. Do you think Guan Yu will dare to do something rash, such as killing someone, at this point in time?"

Lu Su then met Guan Yu, who told him,

"My lord was actively involved in the Battle of Red Cliffs and he didn't rest well during that time. He relied on his own strength to overcome the enemy. How can he not gain even a single piece of land despite his efforts? And now you come to claim the lands from him?"

Lu Su replied,

"No. When I first met your lord at Changban, his men were too few to form even a division and his situation then was very bad as compared to now. My lord considered that your lord didn't have a place to settle down, so he offered your lord protection and shelter. However, your lord wasn't honest with us, and he acted on his own, which led to the souring of relations between us. Now, after taking over Yi Province, he still wants to keep Jing Province for himself as well? This isn't what a reasonable man would do, much less a leader of men! I heard that those who forsake moral principles for the purpose of satisfying their personal greed will meet their doom. My son holds important appointments. He previously lacked a good sense of judgment when he handled issues, but after receiving some moral education, he became more responsible and started striving harder. If what one does is morally right, why should he worry that he won't become successful?"

Guan Yu did not respond to what Lu Su said.

Liu Bei eventually agreed to divide Jing Province between his and Sun Quan's domains along the Xiang River. Both sides withdrew their forces.

Death

Lu Su died at the age of 46 (by East Asian age reckoning) in 217. Sun Quan mourned his death and attended his funeral. Zhuge Liang also held a memorial service for Lu Su.

Descendants

Lu Su's son, Lu Shu (魯淑), was born physically strong. Zhang Cheng once remarked that Lu Shu would become very outstanding in the future. Between 258 and 264, during the reign of Sun Xiu, Lu Shu served as General of Illustrious Martial Might (昭武將軍) and Area Commander (督) of Wuchang, and was named as a Marquis of a Chief Village (都亭侯). Between 269 and 271, during the reign of Sun Xiu's successor, Sun Hao, Lu Shu was reassigned as the Area Commander of Xiakou (夏口). Lu Shu was known for being very disciplined and competent in his duties. He died in 274.

Lu Shu's son, Lu Mu (魯睦), inherited his father's marquis title and military post.

Appraisal

Wei Zhao's Book of Wu (吳書) described Lu Su as follows: Lu Su was a strict person who rarely indulged in material pleasures, led a frugal life, and had no interest in common hobbies. He maintained good military discipline and executed orders without fail. Even when he was in the army, he was often seen reading books. He was proficient in arguing and writing. He could think far and possessed an exemplary sense of judgment. He was the best after Zhou Yu.

Sun Quan once told Lü Meng,

"I had a discussion (with Lu Su) and obtained a plan on establishing a dynasty. That was one pleasant moment. Later, when Mengde took control of Liu Cong's territories, he claimed he would lead thousands of land and marine troops south (to attack me). I gathered all my subordinates and asked for their opinions, but none of their responses matched my thoughts. Zibu and Wenbiao suggested I surrender, but Zijing argued that I shouldn't, and he urged me to recall Gongjin and put him in command (of the army) to engage the enemy. That was another pleasant moment. However, in terms of decisiveness, he was inferior to Zhang and Su. Although this weakness of his was evident when he advised me to lease land to Xuande, this shortcoming wasn't sufficient to overshadow his two strengths."

In 229, when Sun Quan was attending a ceremony to declare himself emperor and establish the state of Eastern Wu, he told his subjects, "In the past, Lu Zijing often spoke about what is happening now. Indeed, he had good foresight."

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Lu Su appeared as a character in the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, which romanticises the historical events before and during the Three Kingdoms period. In the novel, Lu Su's role was significantly downplayed as compared to his historical counterpart, such that he was mainly used as a foil between Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu to highlight their intelligence, especially for the former. He was also used to add minor comic relief to the rivalry between Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu, particularly in the events leading to the Battle of Red Cliffs. Besides, he was also portrayed as an honest and sententious man who was often easily cheated and taken advantage of, resulting in his maladroit handling of the territorial dispute over Jing Province between Liu Bei and Sun Quan.

In popular culture

Lu Su was first introduced as a playable character in the eighth instalment of Koei's Dynasty Warriors video game series. Chinese actor Hou Yong portrayed Lu Su in the two-part epic war film Red Cliff (2008-2009) directed by John Woo.