Li Fu was an official of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period. Both Wikidata and the Chinese Wikipedia article use Li Fu as the name, and the article gives his courtesy name as Sunde, so the title stays the personal name. Wikidata records his birth in 195 and his birth place as Mianyang.[1][2]
Family
The Chinese Wikipedia article says his father Li Quan, courtesy name Boyu, was a powerful local figure of Yi province at the end of the Eastern Han and served as magistrate of Linqiong. When Liu Yan was governor of Yi province, he executed Li Quan, Wang Xian and eight other strong local men in order to raise his reputation by severity. Li Fu's son was Li Xiang.[2]
Service in Shu
After Liu Bei settled Yi province, Li Fu served as clerk, as magistrate of Xichongguo and as magistrate of Chengdu. In the Jianxing years he held the posts of grand administrator of Baxi, inspector of Jiangzhou, general who displays awe, and director of the masters of writing.[2]
Visiting Zhuge Liang
During the campaign at Wuzhang Plains, Li Fu was sent by the emperor Liu Shan to visit the sick Zhuge Liang. Before his death Zhuge Liang told him that Jiang Wan should succeed him, with Fei Yi next. When Li Fu asked who came after that, Zhuge Liang did not answer. Li Fu carried the last words back to the emperor and saw them carried out.[2]
Later years and assessment
In the first year of Yanxi (238) he was army inspector of the front and held the post of marshal under the general-in-chief, and he died of illness soon afterwards, during Jiang Wan's northern campaigns. Yang Xi's Jihan fuchen zan says that Sunde was resolute and keen, and the Yibu qijiu zaji says Li Fu was acute in judgment, decisive, and quick in government work.[2]