Lü Wenhuan

Timeline

1. c. 1240–1260Huaidong · JiangsuLü Wenhuan came from a military family; his elder brother Lü Wende was a leading Southern Song minister. In his early years he served in the Huaidong army and was renowned for his defensive skill. He later succeeded his brother's influence in Jing-Hu defenses, gradually becoming a veteran Southern Song frontier general.
2. 1267–1270Xiangyang · HubeiIn the third year of Xianchun, Lü Wenhuan defended Xiangyang, working with generals including Chen Yi to resist the Mongol siege. The Yuan army cut the pontoon bridges over the Han River and tightened the encirclement; Song relief forces were repeatedly defeated and the city's food ran out, making the defense ever more desperate.
3. 1273Xiangyang · HubeiAfter a five-year siege, in March of the tenth year of Zhiyuan, Lü Wenhuan left the city and surrendered to Azu; both Xiangyang and Fancheng fell. This cost the Southern Song its strategic hub on the middle Yangtze and is regarded by later ages as one of the key turning points in the dynasty's downfall.
4. 1273–1279Jiangzhe · JiangzheAfter surrendering to the Yuan, Lü Wenhuan was granted official posts, took part in pacifying former Southern Song soldiers and civilians, and rose to be Regional Commissioner Along the River, serving until his death around 1279.