Editing Lu Su (section)

==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]] to invade [[Jiangnan|Jiangdong]], he discussed 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 sensed that Lu Su had something to say so he held Lu Su's hand and asked him,<ref group="Sanguozhi">(會權得曹公欲東之問，與諸將議，皆勸權迎之，而肅獨不言。權起更衣，肅追於宇下，權知其意，執肅手曰：「卿欲何言？」) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 54.</ref> "What do you want to tell me?" Lu Su replied, {{blockquote|"The others gave you misleading advice. They can't help you accomplish your grand objective. I can surrender and welcome Cao Cao but you can't. Why? Because if I surrender to Cao Cao, he will give me an 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-official]]s. Officials won't lose their provinces and [[Commandery (China)|commanderies]]. However, if you surrender to Cao Cao, what will happen to you? I hope you can make up your mind on this important decision soon, and that you won't be affected by what others say."<ref group="Sanguozhi">(肅對曰：「向察衆人之議，專欲誤將軍，不足與圖大事。今肅可迎操耳，如將軍，不可也。何以言之？今肅迎操，操當以肅還付鄉黨，品其名位，猶不失下曹從事，乘犢車，從吏卒，交游士林，累官故不失州郡也。將軍迎操，將安所歸？願早定大計，莫用衆人之議也。」) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 54.</ref>}} Sun Quan sighed, "I am very disappointed with those gentlemen. Your thoughts are exactly the same as mine. That's why I say you are Heaven's gift to me."<ref group="Sanguozhi">(權歎息曰：「此諸人持議，甚失孤望；今卿廓開大計，正與孤同，此天以卿賜我也。」) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 54.</ref>

===Alternative accounts===
The ''Wei Shu'' (魏書; ''Book of Wei'') and the ''Jiuzhou Chunqiu'' ({{lang|zh|九州春秋}}) gave different accounts on how Lu Su urged Sun Quan to go to war with Cao Cao. They recorded that Lu Su attempted to use [[reverse psychology]] to persuade Sun Quan by saying, "Cao Cao is truly a formidable foe. He has engulfed [[Yuan Shao]]'s territories and his forces are very powerful. If he uses the might of a victorious army to invade a weak and chaotic state, he'll definitely win. Why don't we dispatch our troops to assist him, while you send your family to [[Ye (ancient China)|Ye]] (Cao Cao's base in northern China)? If not, we'll be in danger." When a furious Sun Quan wanted to execute Lu Su, the latter said, "We are in dire straits. Since you have other plans, why don't you assist 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.<ref group="Sanguozhi zhu">(魏書及九州春秋曰：曹公征荊州，孫權大懼，魯肅實欲勸權拒曹公，乃激說權曰：「彼曹公者，實嚴敵也，新并袁紹，兵馬甚精，乘戰勝之威，伐喪亂之國，克可必也。不如遣兵助之，且送將軍家詣鄴；不然，將危。」權大怒，欲斬肅，肅因曰：「今事已急，即有他圖，何不遣兵助劉備，而欲斬我乎？」權然之，乃遣周瑜助備。) ''Wei Shu'' and ''Jiuzhou Chunqiu'' annotations in ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 54.</ref>

The fourth-century historian [[Sun Sheng (Jin dynasty)|Sun Sheng]] commented that both [[Wei Zhao (Three Kingdoms)|Wei Zhao]]'s ''Book of Wu'' and the ''Jiang Biao Zhuan'' ({{lang|zh|江表傳}}) recorded that Lu Su urged Sun Quan to resist Cao Cao and build his own empire. When Liu Biao died, Lu Su advised Sun Quan to observe the developments. There was no mention of Lu Su using reverse psychology to persuade Sun Quan to go to war with Cao Cao. Sun Sheng pointed out that there were many others among Sun Quan's subjects who urged their lord to surrender, so it made no sense for Sun Quan to single out Lu Su. He concluded that the accounts on Lu Su's use of reverse psychology are absurd and unreliable.<ref group="Sanguozhi zhu">(孫盛曰：吳書及江表傳，魯肅一見孫權便說拒曹公而論帝王之略，劉表之死也，又請使觀變，無緣方復激說勸迎曹公也。又是時勸迎者衆，而云獨欲斬肅，非其論也。) Sun Sheng's annotation in ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 54.</ref>