18 Facts About Lu Wan

Lu Wan was a Chinese vassal king of the early Han dynasty.

In 195 BC, sensing that Liu Bang had doubts about his loyalty, Lu Wan fled and defected to the Xiongnu, who made him King of Donghu, and lived among them for about a year until his death.

Lu Wan was from Feng Town, which is in present-day Feng County, Jiangsu.

Lu Wan shared the same birthday as Liu Bang and studied in the same school as him.

Around 209 BC, when Liu Bang rebelled against the Qin dynasty, Lu Wan supported him in the rebellion.

Lu Wan gave Lu Wan two concurrent appointments as General and Palace Attendant.

Lu Wan later followed Liu Bang to attack Zang Tu, the King of Yan, whom they defeated.

Chen Xi sent Wang Huang as a messenger to seek help from the Xiongnu; Lu Wan sent his subordinate, Zhang Sheng, to meet the Xiongnu and spread news that Chen Xi was going to be defeated, and urge the Xiongnu to refrain from helping him.

When Lu Wan heard that Zhang Sheng was plotting with the Xiongnu to attack his vassal kingdom, he wrote to Liu Bang to seek permission from the emperor to execute Zhang Sheng's family for treason.

Lu Wan then ordered Zhang Sheng to continue serving as his messenger to the Xiongnu, while sending Fan Qi to secretly contact Chen Xi and arrange to help Chen Xi prolong the survival of his rebellion.

One of Chen Xi's lieutenants who had surrendered to Fan Kuai revealed that Fan Qi, Lu Wan's subordinate, had been secretly keeping in contact with Chen Xi.

When Lu Wan refused, claiming that he was ill, Liu Bang sent Shen Fiji and Zhao Yao to fetch Lu Wan to the capital and conduct an investigation in Yan.

Lu Wan became very fearful when heard about it so he pretended to be ill and confined himself at home and refused to meet Shen Yiji and Zhao Yao.

Lu Wan's Majesty is ill and has entrusted all state affairs to the Empress.

Later, after learning from Xiongnu prisoners-of-war that Lu Wan had sent Zhang Sheng to meet the Xiongnu, the emperor became angrier and more convinced that Lu Wan, his childhood friend, had turned against him.

Lu Wan planned to turn himself in to Liu Bang and plead for forgiveness after the emperor had recovered from his illness.

However, the emperor died two months later before Lu Wan could do so.

When Lu Wan received news of Liu Bang's death, he gathered his family and subordinates and defected to the Xiongnu, who gave him the title "King of Donghu".