Liu Bei ( Chinese : 劉備 , pronunciation ; Mandarin pronunciation: [ljǒʊ pêɪ] ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande ( 玄德 ), was a Chinese warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who later became the founding emperor of Shu Han , one of the Three Kingdoms of China.
145-570: Despite early failings and lacking both the material resources and social status his rivals commanded, he gathered support among disheartened Han loyalists who opposed Cao Cao , the warlord who controlled the Han central government and the figurehead Emperor Xian and led a popular movement to restore the Han dynasty. Liu Bei overcame a number of setbacks to carve out his own realm, which at its peak spanned present-day Sichuan , Chongqing , Guizhou , Hunan , and parts of Hubei and Gansu . Culturally, due to
290-561: A Liu Bei in this world?" Thereafter, he sent troops to rescue Kong Rong and the siege was lifted. At this time, an alliance of Yuan Shu , Tao Qian and Gongsun Zan opposed an alliance of Yuan Shao, Cao Cao and Liu Biao . In 194, Cao Cao attacked Tao Qian, the Governor of Xu Province . In face of strong pressure from Cao Cao, Tao Qian appealed to Tian Kai for help. Tian Kai and Liu Bei led their armies to support Tao Qian. Liu Bei himself led over 5,000 soldiers with mixed barbarian cavalry from
435-709: A bamboo stave. Liu Bei wanted to kill the inspector, but was dissuaded by the latter's pleas for mercy. Afterwards, he vacated his office. He then travelled south with his followers to join another militia. Around this time, the General-in-Chief He Jin sent the Chief Commandant Guanqiu Yi (毌丘毅) to Danyang with the mission to recruit soldiers and Liu Bei joined him in fighting the Yellow Turbans remnants in Xu Province . When they reached Xiapi, they met
580-540: A banquet. Kuai Yue and Cai Mao however wanted to use this as an occasion to kill him. Liu Bei saw through this, pretended to go to the toilet and nimbly escaped. His horse was named Dilu (的盧), and he quickly rode him. However, during the pursuit, he fell into the waters of the Tan Stream west of Xiangyang city. Liu Bei was drowning and couldn't get away from the river. He then cried: "Dilu! Today I'm in dire straits! Give it your all!" Dilu then jumped three zhang (7 meters) in
725-657: A brilliant political and military leader, Cao Cao is celebrated for his poems which were characteristic of the Jian'an style of Chinese poetry . Opinions of him have remained divided from as early as the Jin dynasty (265–420) that came immediately after the Three Kingdoms period. There were some who praised him for his achievements in poetry and his career, but there were also others who condemned him for his cruelty, cunning, and allegedly traitorous ways. In traditional Chinese culture, Cao Cao
870-457: A campaign to retake Xu Province from Liu Bei, defeated him, and captured his family. Liu Bei's general Guan Yu , who was guarding Xu Province's capital, Xiapi ( 下邳 ; present-day Pizhou , Jiangsu), surrendered and temporarily served Cao Cao. Liu Bei fled north to join Yuan Shao after his defeat. Some of Cao Cao's subordinates initially expressed worries that Yuan Shao might attack them while Cao Cao
1015-650: A ceremonial axe and appointed him Manager of the Affairs of the Imperial Secretariat ( 錄尚書事 ) and Colonel-Director of Retainers ( 司隷校尉 ). As Luoyang was in bad shape, Dong Zhao and others advised Cao Cao to move the imperial capital to Xu ( 許 ; present-day Xuchang , Henan). So, in October or early November 196, Cao Cao and his forces escorted Emperor Xian to Xuchang, which became the new imperial capital. Cao Cao had himself appointed General-in-Chief ( 大將軍 ) and promoted from
1160-589: A conspiracy with Dong Cheng , Colonel of the Chang River Encampment Zhong Ji (種輯), General Wu Zilan (吳子蘭) and General Wang Zifu (王子服) to assassinate Cao Cao, after Dong Cheng had received a secret edict from within the Emperor Xian's clothing and girdle to kill Cao Cao. Around this time, Cao Cao said brusquely to Liu Bei: "Currently among the heroes of the empire, there is only you and I. The ilk of Benchu are not worth counting.” At this moment, Liu Bei
1305-550: A garrison in Henei Commandery ( 河內郡 ; around present-day Wuzhi County , Henan). Yuan Shao and Han Fu thought of installing Liu Yu , the Governor of You Province , on the throne to replace Emperor Xian. When they sought Cao Cao's opinion, Cao Cao refused to support them and reaffirmed his allegiance to Emperor Xian. Yuan Shao's plan turned out to be unsuccessful because Liu Yu himself did not want to be emperor. Yuan Shao once invited Cao Cao to sit beside him and showed him
1450-406: A general long-term plan outlining the takeover of Jing Province and Yi Province to set up a two-pronged final strike at the imperial capital. Cao Cao Cao Cao ( pronunciation ; [tsʰǎʊ tsʰáʊ] ; Chinese : 曹操 ; c. 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde , was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during
1595-539: A highly risky move: He predicted that Yuan Shao would not make any advances so he secretly left his defensive position along the Yellow River and personally led an army to Xu Province to attack Liu Bei. Under the weight of Cao Cao's attacks, Liu Bei's forces quickly disintegrated and Xu Province fell to Cao Cao. Zhang Fei protected Liu Bei as he fled from Xiaopei after his defeat; Guan Yu, isolated in Xiapi Commandery,
SECTION 10
#17330845911611740-453: A jade seal, indicating his imperial ambition, and a tacit request for Cao Cao's support. Finding this despicable, Cao Cao laughed at him. Between 191 and 192, Yuan Shao appointed Cao Cao Administrator of Dong Commandery ( 東郡 in Yan Province ; near present-day Puyang , Henan. This position allowed him to exact taxes and conscript soldiers. His first territorial command in that respect marks
1885-402: A lack of food supplies. Liu Bei's army, both soldiers and military officers resorted to cannibalism. Pressed by poverty and hunger, Liu Bei's men wanted to return to Xiapi. Liu Bei eventually had no choice but to send an official request to surrender to Lü Bu who accepted his surrender and ordered Liu Bei to return to the seat of Xu and to combine their strength to defeat Yuan Shu. He then prepared
2030-584: A large group of followers. In 184, at the end of the reign of Emperor Ling, the Yellow Turbans rose up and started the Yellow Turban Rebellion . Every province and commandery called for righteous men to defend the country. Liu Bei saw what was happening and became much more politically aware. He called for the assembly of a militia to help government forces suppress the rebellion, rallying a group of loyal followers, including among them Guan Yu , Zhang Fei and Jian Yong . Liu Bei led his militia to join
2175-451: A messenger to report to his father, who sent a commander to greet Liu Bei and personally went 200 li from Ye to welcome him. Both Yuan Shao and Yuan Tan greatly esteemed Liu Bei. He stayed a month and a few days; soon his soldiers regrouped under him. He participated in the Battle of Yan Ford alongside Yuan Shao's general Wen Chou against Cao Cao's forces, but they suffered a defeat and Wen Chou
2320-415: A pleasant face in front of others. Liu Bei was charismatic and all the heroic youth bonded with him. Around this time, two very wealthy great horse merchants from Zhongshan, Zhang Shiping ( 張世平 ) and Su Shuang ( 蘇雙 ), met Liu Bei while passing through Zhuo commandery selling horses. They were so struck by his appearance and personality that they gifted him much money and wealth, allowing Liu Bei to assemble
2465-415: A plot initiated by Dong Cheng and others to get rid of Cao Cao. After leaving Xuchang, Liu Bei headed to Xu Province, killed the provincial inspector Che Zhou ( 車冑 ), and seized control of Xu Province. Cao Cao sent Liu Dai ( 劉岱 ) and Wang Zhong to attack Liu Bei but they were defeated. In February 200, Cao Cao got wind of Dong Cheng's plot and had all the conspirators arrested and executed. He then led
2610-447: A preemptive attack on Xiaopei. Liu Bei was defeated and fled to the imperial capital, Xuchang , where he took shelter under Cao Cao , the warlord who had been controlling the Han central government since he had brought the figurehead Emperor Xian of Han to Xuchang in 196. Cao Cao welcomed Liu Bei warmly, used Emperor Xian's name to appoint him as the Governor of Yu Province and put him in command of some troops. Liu Bei then returned to
2755-579: A primary antagonist in the story, but also introduced, fictionalised, and exaggerated certain events to enhance Cao Cao's "villainous" image. The authoritative historical source on Cao Cao's life is his official biography in the Records of the Three Kingdoms written by Chen Shou in the third century. His sources for his work on the Wei portion of his book ( 魏志 ; Wei Zhi ) included the Dongguan Ji ( 東觀記 ; now lost),
2900-625: A relative of Empress Song . In 178, when Emperor Ling deposed Empress Song in the aftermath of a political scandal, the empress's family and relatives got into trouble as well. Because of his relationship with Song Qi, Cao Cao was implicated in the scandal and dismissed from office. However, he was pardoned later and recalled to Luoyang to serve as a Consultant ( 議郎 ) under the Minister of the Household because of his expertise in history. The general Dou Wu and senior minister Chen Fan plotted to get rid of
3045-550: A single leap and thus both of them got across. Quickly they found a ferry and crossed the river. While they were at half of the river, the pursuers caught up to them and could only apologize on Liu Biao's behalf. In 207, Cao Cao planned a campaign to conquer the Wuhuan in the north but was apprehensive that Liu Biao might attack his base, however he was assured by Guo Jia that Liu Biao would not do so for fear of Liu Bei being more powerful than he was. Cao Cao agreed, and Guo Jia's point
SECTION 20
#17330845911613190-629: A stalemate for months and Cao Cao's supplies were gradually running out and his men were growing weary. During this time, Yuan Shao sent Liu Bei to contact a rebel chief, Liu Pi ( 劉辟 ), in Runan Commandery ( 汝南郡 ; near present-day Xinyang , Henan) and join Liu Pi in making a sneak attack on Cao Cao's base in Xuchang while Cao Cao was away at Guandu. However, Liu Bei and Liu Pi were defeated and driven back by Cao Cao's general Cao Ren . During this time, Sun Ce ,
3335-468: A village marquis to a county marquis under the title "Marquis of Wuping" ( 武平侯 ), later characterised as ten thousand households. Since Dong Zhuo moved the capital from Luoyang to Chang'an in 190, the imperial court had been in a state of disorder. However, after Cao Cao received Emperor Xian and established the new imperial capital in Xuchang, order was restored, although Cao Cao did have the emperor's confidante Zhao Yan ( 趙彥 ) killed for secretively keeping
3480-555: A warlord based in the Jiangdong region, also contemplated attacking Xuchang and taking Emperor Xian hostage. However, he was assassinated before he could execute his plan. Lu Zhi (Han dynasty) Lu Zhi (before late 140s? –192), courtesy name Zigan , was a Chinese historian, military general, philosopher, and politician during the Eastern Han dynasty . According to the Records of
3625-585: A work which Pei Songzhi denigrated in very strident terms. The official standard history of the Eastern Han dynasty , the Book of the Later Han by Fan Ye , was not available to Pei Songzhi. He and Fan Ye were contemporaries, but Fan Ye did not begin work on his history until a few years after Pei Songzhi completed his. The Book of the Later Han does not contain a full biography of Cao Cao, but records of him and his actions can be found scattered in disparate locations in
3770-470: Is concerned, the people will adhere to men of talent and ability. If one does not accept what heaven offers to him then it will be too late if you regret, it later.” Both of them advised him to form an alliance with Yuan Shao . At that time, Chen Deng with Mi Zhu along with the others sent a messenger to call on to Yuan Shao saying: "Heaven has sent down disastrous stench and misfortune has fallen upon our humble and small region. Recently, Tao Qian has died and
3915-556: Is difficult to know what he is going to do and develop relations with him. Soon, you will have to think of a way to take care of him." However, Lü Bu didn't listen to them and even related the matter to Liu Bei. Liu Bei was alarmed and maneuvered to distance himself sending a messenger to Lü Bu with a request to be relocated to Xiaopei. Lü Bu agreed, and Liu Bei was able to safely arrive at Xiaopei where he immediately raised 10 000 troops. Upon seeing Liu Bei's growing power, Lü Bu became worried that Liu Bei would turn against him so he launched
4060-572: Is happening." Chang Ba (昌霸) of Donghai used this occasion to rebel. Also, many commanderies and prefectures joined Liu Bei in rebellion against Cao Cao. Soon, their numbers totaled more than ten thousand. In the meantime, Yuan Shao had defeated Gongsun Zan and was preparing to attack Cao Cao in the Henan region. Liu Bei then sent his adviser Sun Qian to meet Yuan Shao and request that he launch an immediate attack on Cao Cao but Yuan Shao refused. In 200, Cao Cao discovered Dong Cheng's conspiracy and had all
4205-429: Is historically known as Emperor Shao. As Emperor Shao was still young, his mother Empress Dowager He and maternal uncle He Jin ruled as regents on his behalf. He Jin plotted with Yuan Shao and others to eliminate the eunuch faction , and shared their plan with his sister. When the empress dowager was reluctant to kill the eunuchs, He Jin thought of summoning generals stationed outside Luoyang to lead their troops into
4350-404: Is negative. Cao Man zhuan has been characterised as "hostile propaganda", and certain contents as "slanderous". Such a work cannot be considered a reliable source, but informs an exaggerated perspective contraposed to the glowing portrait painted by his own dynasty's official history. For much of his career, Cao Cao hosted and controlled the final Han emperor, whose doings and correspondence it
4495-471: Is stereotypically portrayed as a sly, power-hungry, and treacherous tyrant who serves as a nemesis to Liu Bei, often depicted in contraposition as a hero trying to revive the declining Han dynasty. During the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), when Luo Guanzhong wrote the epic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms which dramatises the historical events before and during the Three Kingdoms period. He not only cast Cao Cao as
Liu Bei - Misplaced Pages Continue
4640-474: Is turning to him. You can give the province to him.” Chen Deng then said: "Gonglu (Yuan Shu's courtesy name) is arrogant. He is not the ruler to bring order out of the chaos. Now, I wish to assemble 100 000 infantry and cavalry for my lord. Above, you can assist our sovereign and bring aid to the common people then you could fulfill the calling of the Five Hegemons . Below you could allocate territory and preserve
4785-528: The Chronicles of Huayang , Liu Bei has been called "Big Ears" (大耳) by both Lü Bu and Cao Cao . Furthermore, an anecdote shared with Zhang Yu mentions that Liu Bei in his fifties was noted to be beardless. According to the third-century historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms , Liu Bei was born in Zhuo County, Zhuo Commandery (present-day Zhuozhou , Hebei ). He was a descendant of Liu Sheng , who
4930-640: The Han Records of the Eastern Lodge ( t 東 觀 漢 記 , s 东 观 汉 记 , Dōngguān Hànjì ). His students included Gao You , later a scholarly commentator on the Chinese classics ; Liu Bei , later the emperor of Shu during the Three Kingdoms ; his relative Liu Deran ; and Gongsun Zan , later a regional warlord. While in the service of the Han government, Lu Zhi led imperial forces to attack
5075-584: The Bieja (別駕; important assistant to the governor of the province) Mi Zhu: "Other than Liu Bei, there is no one who can bring peace to this province." Upon Tao Qian's death in 194, the Mi family backed Liu Bei instead of one of Tao Qian's sons to be the new Governor of Xu Province. Mi Zhu then led the residents of the province to meet Liu Bei however he was still hesitant and apprehensive about taking this post. He then consulted Kong Rong and Chen Deng. Chen Deng told him: "Today
5220-640: The Book of Wei , and possibly other records. Chen Shou worked in the history bureau and had access to a variety of sources, but followed the traditional method of incorporating information into a single synthesis without citing his sources, so it is not clear how broad a pool of documentation he drew upon. In the fifth century, Pei Songzhi annotated the Sanguozhi by incorporating information from other sources to Chen Shou's original work and adding his personal commentary, as well as commentary from other historians. One of
5365-608: The Ten Attendants , a eunuch faction— their plan failed and they lost their lives. Cao Cao wrote a memorial to Emperor Ling to defend Dou Wu and Chen Fan, and point out that the imperial court was full of corrupt officials and that advice from loyal officials had been ignored. Emperor Ling did not listen to him. Emperor Ling later issued a decree, ordering the Three Ducal Ministers to report and dismiss commandery and county officials who performed badly in office. However,
5510-749: The Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, the Han central government commissioned Cao Cao as a Cavalry Commandant ( 騎都尉 ) and ordered him to lead imperial forces to attack the rebels in Yingchuan Commandery ( 潁川郡 ; around present-day Xuchang , Henan). He was later appointed as the Chancellor of Jinan State [ zh ] ( 濟南郡 ; around present-day Jinan , Shandong), a principality in Qing Province which had over 10 counties under its jurisdiction. Many senior officials in Jinan State had connections with
5655-699: The Yellow Turban rebels in 184, but was removed from command after the eunuch Zuo Feng ( 左豐 ) made false accusations against him; Lu Zhi had refused to bribe Zuo Feng. Huangfu Song , who took over command of the imperial troops from Lu Zhi, continued to use Lu as a strategist and reported his contributions to the imperial court. Thus, in the same year, Lu Zhi regained his post as Master of Writing (尚书). Later, he warned against Dong Zhuo 's sudden displacement of Emperor Shao . After Dong Zhuo's rise to power, Lu eventually resigned from court, citing his old age and ill health. As he feared that he may be harmed, he left
5800-572: The end of the Han dynasty ( c. 184–220 ), ultimately taking effective control of the Han central government. He laid the foundation for the state of Cao Wei (220–265), established by his son and successor Cao Pi , who ended the Eastern Han dynasty and inaugurated the Three Kingdoms period (220–280). Beginning in his own lifetime, a corpus of legends developed around Cao Cao which built upon his talent, his cruelty, and his perceived eccentricities. Cao Cao began his career as an official under
5945-576: The Eastern front to keep an eye on Lü Bu. During the year 197, Yang Feng and Han Xian were brigands who raided the area between Yang and Xu provinces and were ordered by Lü Bu to lead their troops to raid Liu Bei's supplies. However, Liu Bei successfully lured them into a trap. Yang Feng was killed while Han Xian managed to escape. In 198, Lü Bu renewed his alliance with Yuan Shu to counter Cao Cao's growing influence. Lü Bu ordered his soldiers to gather gold and money to buy some military hores however along
Liu Bei - Misplaced Pages Continue
6090-786: The Governor of Yan Province. Cao Cao defeated the rebels in battle and received the surrender of over 300,000 rebels and hundreds of thousands of civilians (the rebels' family members). From among them, he recruited the more battle-hardened ones to form a new military unit known as the Qingzhou Corps ( 青州兵 ). Yuan Shu had disagreements with Yuan Shao so he contacted Gongsun Zan , Yuan Shao's rival in northern China, for help in dealing with Yuan Shao. Gongsun Zan instructed Liu Bei , Shan Jing ( 單經 ) and Tao Qian to garrison at Gaotang , Pingyuan and Fagan ( 發干 ; east of present-day Guan County, Shandong ) counties respectively to put pressure on Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao allied with Cao Cao and defeated all
6235-543: The Grand Commandant during the reign of Emperor Ling ( r. 168–189 ), buying his way into high government office for an exorbitant sum, and serving less than half a year. Cao Song was a foster son of Cao Teng , a eunuch who served as a Central Regular Attendant and the Empress's Chamberlain under Emperor Huan ( r. 146–168 ), and held the peerage of Marquis of Fei Village ( 費亭侯 ). In his youth, Cao Cao
6380-506: The Grand Instructor Dong Zhuo ?" At this remark, Cao Cao nodded while Lü Bu was glaring at Liu Bei and told him: "Big Ears (大耳), you are the most untrustworthy of all." Liu Bei recovered his wife and children and followed Cao Cao back to Xu. Cao Cao sent a memorial to have Liu Bei promoted as General Of The Left. Cao Cao treated him with great sympathy. When they went out, they would ride in the same chariot and when they sat, it
6525-509: The Han central government appointed Liu Bei as the Commandant ( 都尉 ) of Gaotang County before promoting him to Prefect ( 令 ). When Emperor Ling died in 189, the land fell into chaos. Therefore, Liu Bei raised an army and joined the Campaign against Dong Zhuo . Later, when he returned to Gaotang County , the commandery was overwhelmed by rebels, so he opted to move north to join an old friend,
6670-408: The Han government and held various appointments including that of a district security chief in the capital and the chancellor of a principality . He rose to prominence in the 190s during which he recruited his own followers, formed his own army, and set up a base in Yan Province (covering parts of present-day Henan and Shandong ). In 196, he received Emperor Xian , the figurehead Han sovereign who
6815-459: The House of Han is in decline and the empire is in chaos. It is the moment to establish merit and to accomplish affairs. This province is rich with a population of one million. We wish to impose on you the post of the inspector and have you assume charge of the affairs of the province." Liu Bei answered: "Yuan Shu is nearby at Shouchun . That man is from a line of four dukes in five generations. The empire
6960-581: The Imperial Guards. His request was rejected and he was appointed as a Consultant ( 議郎 ) instead. He then claimed that he was ill and resigned and went home. He built a house outside the city and lived there, spending his time reading in spring and summer, and going on hunting excursions in autumn and winter. Wang Fen ( 王芬 ), the Inspector of Ji Province , along with Xu You , Zhou Jing ( 周旌 ) and others, plotted to overthrow Emperor Ling and replace him with
7105-597: The Inspector of Yang Province, and Zhou Xin , the Administrator of Danyang Commandery ( 丹楊郡 ), gave him over 4,000 troops. On the way back, when they passed by Longkang County ( 龍亢縣 ; in present-day Huaiyuan County , Anhui), many soldiers started a mutiny and set fire to Cao Cao's tent at night, but he was able to escape. When Cao Cao reached Zhi ( 銍 ; west of present-day Suzhou, Anhui ) and Jianping ( 建平 ; southwest of present-day Xiayi County , Henan) counties later, he managed to regroup over 1,000 soldiers and lead them to
7250-691: The Marquis of Hefei ( 合肥侯 ). They contacted Cao Cao and asked him to join them but he refused. Wang Fen's plan ultimately failed. Cao Cao was appointed as Colonel Who Arranges the Army ( 典軍校尉 ) and summoned back to Luoyang to serve in the Army of the Western Garden when Bian Zhang , Han Sui and others started a rebellion in Liang Province . Emperor Ling died in 189 and was succeeded by his son, Liu Bian , who
7395-461: The Ministers protected the under-performing officials and accepted bribes, resulting in a situation where evildoers were not punished while the poor and weak were oppressed. Cao Cao felt frustrated when he saw this. When natural disasters occurred, Cao Cao was summoned to the imperial court to discuss the problems in the administration. During this time, he wrote another memorial to Emperor Ling, accusing
SECTION 50
#17330845911617540-508: The Nine Provinces ( 九州春秋 ), also from the 3rd century. Later sources included works by the moralistic historian Sun Sheng , most saliently his Chronicles of the Clans of Wei ( 魏氏春秋 ), but also his more critical Yitong Ping ( 異同評 ; Commentary on Similarities and Differences ) and Yitong Zayu ( 異同雜語 ; Miscellaneous Words on Similarities and Differences ), which may have been parts of
7685-658: The Prince of Chengyang State ( 城陽國 ; around present-day Ju County , Shandong), felt that he had made great contributions to the Han Empire so he built temples in his principality for the people to worship him. Many other commanderies in Qing Province also followed this practice. In Jinan State alone, there were over 600 such temples. Wealthy merchants could even borrow the servants and personal carriages of officials for their own leisure activities. This resulted in greater inequality between
7830-571: The Three Ducal Ministers of siding with the nobles and elites, and helping them to cover up their misdeeds. Emperor Ling was stunned after reading the memorial. He admonished the Ministers for their conduct, reinstated the officials who had been wrongly dismissed, and appointed them as Consultants. However, corruption worsened over time and became rampant throughout all levels of the government. Cao Cao stopped speaking up when he realised that his efforts to restore order were futile. In 184, when
7975-600: The Three Kingdoms , he was the mentor of Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan . He was described as a tall man (approximately 1.89 metres or 6'2") with a sonorous voice. Lu Zhi was born in Zhuo Commandery ( 涿 郡 , Zhuōjùn ; present-day Zhuozhou , Hebei ). He studied under Ma Rong and Zheng Xuan was one of his classmates. As Ma Rong was a consort kin , his family was wealthy and his household had many songstresses and dancers. During his time studying with Ma Rong, Lu Zhi concentrated on his studies and never once looked at
8120-556: The Western Jin dynasty. Lu Ting's son Lu Zhi (盧志) was a general for Sima Ying , one of the princes associated with the War of the Eight Princes . A daughter of Lu Yu married Hua Yi (華廙), son of Hua Biao (華表), son of Hua Xin . Lu Zhi's eldest son (Lu Ting's grandson) was Lu Chen (盧諶; 285 - c. April 351). One of Lu Chen's great-grandsons was Lu Xun (盧循; died c. 1 June 411 ), who was
8265-634: The Wuhuan of You province. He also conscripted several thousand commoners. Despite initial success in the invasion, Cao Cao's subordinate Zhang Miao rebelled and allowed Lü Bu to take over Cao Cao's base in Yan Province , forcing Cao Cao to retreat from Xu Province. Tao Qian asked Liu Bei to station his army in nearby Xiaopei and gave him 4,000 more troops from Danyang in addition to the troops and Wuhuan cavalry already under his command. Thus, Liu Bei broke with his superior Tian Kai for Tao Qian. Tao Qian became Liu Bei's mentor and Liu Bei benefited greatly under
8410-542: The abdication of Emperor Xian in November 220 and established the state of Cao Wei to replace the Eastern Han dynasty— an event commonly seen as a usurpation. This marked the transition from the Eastern Han dynasty to the Six Dynasties period. After taking the throne, Cao Pi granted his father the posthumous title " Emperor Wu " ("Martial Emperor") and the temple name " Taizu " ("Grand Ancestor"). Apart from being lauded as
8555-545: The age of 19. He was later appointed as the Commandant of the North District ( 北部尉 ) of the imperial capital Luoyang and put in charge of maintaining security in that area. Later that year, he was transferred to the position of Prefect of Dunqiu County ( 頓丘縣 ; near present-day Qingfeng County , Henan). This represented a horizontal career move to a position of greater authority in a smaller jurisdiction with less political importance. Cao Cao's cousin married Song Qi ( 宋奇 ),
8700-581: The amount of defensive assets tasked to defend farms and granaries, and increase the area and productivity of lands held directly by the state. In early 197, Cao Cao led his forces to Wancheng ( 宛城 ; present-day Wancheng District in Nanyang, Henan) to attack a rival warlord, Zhang Xiu . Zhang Xiu initially surrendered without a fight, but due to ill treatment changed his mind and attacked Cao Cao and caught him off guard. Cao Cao lost his eldest son Cao Ang , nephew Cao Anmin ( 曹安民 ) and close bodyguard Dian Wei in
8845-425: The appointment on the grounds of poor health, and resigned and went home. The Book of Wei recorded that around the time, corruption had deteriorated to the point where influential officials dominated the imperial court and blatantly abused their powers. Cao Cao was unable to stop them and feared that he might bring trouble to his family because he had been interfering with their activities, so he requested to serve in
SECTION 60
#17330845911618990-451: The assassin's intention, treating him so generously that the assassin could not bring himself to kill him. The assassin informed Liu Bei about Liu Ping's plot before he left. Such was the extent to which Liu Bei had won the hearts of the people. Pingyuan was poor and its people starving, so some banded together to commit robbery. Liu Bei guarded against such bandits while carrying out generous economic measures. He had elites and commoners sit on
9135-417: The attendant official. Liu Bei accepted and joined him. When they met the rebels in the field, Liu Bei was gravely wounded and had to feign being dead. After the rebels left, Bei's friend loaded him onto a cart, carrying him away to safety. In recognition of his contributions, the Han central government appointed Liu Bei as the Commandant (尉) of Anxi County (安喜縣; northwest of present-day Anguo , Hebei ), one of
9280-545: The autumn of 197, Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shu in battle, captured several of his officers, and had them executed. By 199, some months after Lü Bu's defeat at the Battle of Xiapi , Yuan Shu, who was already in dire straits, wanted to abandon his lands in the Huainan region and head north to join Yuan Shao. Cao Cao sent Liu Bei and Zhu Ling to lead forces to intercept and block Yuan Shu in Xu Province . Yuan Shu died of illness while under siege by Liu Bei and Zhu Ling. While Cao Cao
9425-996: The battle. He returned to Xuchang after his defeat, but attacked Zhang Xiu again later that year and pacified Huyang ( 湖陽 ; southwest of present-day Tanghe County , Henan) and Wuyin ( 舞陰 ; southeast of present-day Sheqi County , Henan) counties. In early 198, he led another campaign against Zhang Xiu and besieged him in Rangcheng ( 穰城 ; present-day Dengzhou , Henan) but withdrew his forces about two months later. Before retreating back to Xuchang, he set up an ambush and defeated Zhang Xiu's pursuing forces. In late 199, acting on Jia Xu 's advice, Zhang Xiu voluntarily surrendered to Cao Cao, who accepted his surrender. In early 197, Yuan Shu declared himself emperor in Shouchun ( 壽春 ; present-day Shou County , Anhui) – an act regarded as treason against Emperor Xian . He soon came under attack by Cao Cao and various forces, including his former ally Lü Bu . In
9570-577: The battlefields in the east and under Liu Biao's efficient rule, Jing Province was prosperous and a popular destination for literati fleeing from the destruction of war. Liu Bei asked Sima Hui , a revered recluse, about scholars. Sima Hui's friend Pan Degong named Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong as exceptional talents who could comprehend important events of their time well. Xu Shu also urged Liu Bei to call on Zhuge Liang. Liu Bei went to see Zhuge Liang and finally had an audience with him after three visits . Zhuge Liang presented Liu Bei with his Longzhong Plan ,
9715-645: The beginning of his career as a warlord. During this time, he defeated the Heishan bandits , who were causing trouble in the region, and some Southern Xiongnu forces led by Yufuluo in Neihuang County . Around the time, remnants from the Yellow Turban Rebellion swarmed into Yan Province from Qing Province. Liu Dai , the Governor of Yan Province, was killed in a battle against the rebels. Bao Xin , Chen Gong and others invited Cao Cao to replace Liu Dai as
9860-561: The book. Some of Cao Cao's own writing – both literary and in the form of government edicts – has been preserved in later collectanea. His commentary on The Art of War is extant, but offers little insight into his life. Cao Cao's ancestral home was in Qiao County ( 譙縣 ), Pei State , which is present-day Bozhou, Anhui . He was purportedly a descendant of Cao Shen , a statesman of the early Western Han dynasty (206 BCE – 9 CE). His father, Cao Song , served as
10005-418: The boundaries. Finally, you could write your achievements on bamboo and silk to be recorded for the posterity. If the inspector does not assent then I also dare not to obey the inspector." The chancellor of Beihai, Kong Rong also told him: "Is Yuan Gonglu someone who will be concerned about the state and forget his family? In what way are dried bones in the grave worthy of our attention? As far as today's matter
10150-631: The capital to Chang'an. In Luoyang, Emperor Xian came under the protection of Dong Cheng , former bandit Yang Feng , and other petty strongmen who have been characterised as "ragtag gangsters". The emperor sought refuge under Yuan Shao, but was rebuffed. In February or March 196, acting on the advice of Xun Yu and Cheng Yu , Cao Cao sent Cao Hong west to fetch Emperor Xian but was blocked by Dong Cheng and Yuan Shu's subordinate Chang Nu ( 萇奴 ). Between March and April 196, Cao Cao defeated Yellow Turban remnants in Runan ( 汝南 ) and Yingchuan ( 潁川 ) commanderies and
10295-551: The capital via a secluded route. Indeed, Dong Zhuo did send troops after him, but did not manage to capture him. Lu Zhi then became a hermit in Shanggu Commandery , refusing all contact with outsiders, even as Yuan Shao invited him to become an advisor. Lu Zhi then passed away in 192. Lu Zhi's youngest son, Lu Yu (183 - April 257), later served in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. Lu Yu had 2 sons: Lu Qin (died 24 April 278 ) and Lu Ting, who both served
10440-551: The central government. Later that year, Dong Zhuo deposed Emperor Shao and replaced him with Liu Xie, who is historically known as Emperor Xian. The deposed Emperor Shao became the Prince of Hongnong. Dong Zhuo wanted to appoint Cao Cao as a Colonel of Valiant Cavalry ( 驍騎校尉 ) and recruit him as an adviser. However, Cao Cao adopted a fake identity, escaped from Luoyang, and returned to his home in Chenliu Commandery ( 陳留郡 ; near present-day Kaifeng ). He had two encounters along
10585-482: The combined forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei defeated Lü Bu at the Battle of Xiapi ; Lü Bu was captured and executed after his defeat. Before his execution, Lü Bu tried to convince Cao Cao to let him live. He told him: "Let me serve under you and you would be unopposed in the realm." Cao Cao still had some doubts. Then, Liu Bei said: "Will you have Lü Bu treat you the same way as he treated the General Ding Yuan and
10730-511: The counties in Zhongshan Commandery ( 中山郡 ). Later, the Han central government decreed that any official who had gained a post as a reward for military contributions was to be dismissed, yet Liu Bei doubted that he would be dismissed. When he saw an inspector sent to his prefecture, he wanted to meet him. The inspector, however, refused to see him, claiming illness. Liu Bei was furious; he returned to his office, led clerks and soldiers to
10875-451: The county when his supplies ran out due to natural disasters such as locust plagues and droughts. Grain supplies were so limited that Cao Cao strongly considered an offer to serve under Yuan Shao, but was persuaded against it and ceased recruitment instead. He sent his army to collect food, but his numerically inferior forces were able to turn back an attack by Lü Bu that summer using deceptive tactics. From 194 to late 195, Cao Cao attacked
11020-516: The difficulties Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu had faced in supplying their armies, as well as his own struggles with food supply in recent years, Cao Cao followed Zao Zhi and Han Hao 's suggestion to implement the tuntian system of agriculture to produce a sustainable supply of grain for his growing army. The tuntian agricultural colonies gave Cao Cao an advantage over his adversaries, allowing him to resettle internally displaced refugees, redevelop abandoned arable lands, shorten his supply lines, reduce
11165-525: The emperor updated on the great affairs of state. Cao Cao sent an imperial decree to Yuan Shao in Emperor Xian's name to appoint him as Grand Commandant ( 太尉 ). Yuan Shao was unhappy because Grand Commandant ranked below Cao Cao's position, General-in-Chief, so he rejected the appointment. When Cao Cao heard about it, he gave up his position as General-in-Chief and offered it to Yuan Shao. Emperor Xian reappointed Cao Cao as Minister of Works ( 司空 ) and acting General of Chariots and Cavalry ( 車騎將軍 ). Struck by
11310-434: The eunuchs got wind of He Jin's plot and assassinated him before the generals and their troops arrived. Yuan Shao and He Jin's followers led their forces to storm the imperial palace and slaughter the eunuchs in revenge. Emperor Shao and his younger half-brother, Liu Xie , escaped during the chaos. They were eventually found and brought back to the palace by Dong Zhuo , who took advantage of the power vacuum to seize control of
11455-406: The famous commentator and character evaluator Xu Shao , Cao Cao was assessed as being "a treacherous villain in times of peace, and a hero in times of chaos". Another source recorded that Xu Shao told Cao Cao, "You will be a capable minister in times of peace, and a jianxiong in times of chaos." Cao Cao started his career as a civil service cadet after he was nominated as a xiaolian around
11600-504: The founding figure of the dynasty under which the initial compilation was performed. As a counterpoint, another significant source for Cao Cao's life as cited by Pei Songzhi was the Cao Man zhuan ( 曹瞞傳 ), an anonymous collection of anecdotes said to have been compiled by a person from Eastern Wu , a rival kingdom to Cao Cao's own. This work is overall very hostile to Cao Cao, depicting him as cruel and untrustworthy, although not every anecdote
11745-463: The governor of Ji province, Yuan Shao he fought many battles with distinction. Therefore, he was appointed probationary Prefect (令) of Pingyuan and later was made the concurrent Chancellor (相). While he was in Pingyuan, a resident named Liu Ping (劉平), who had long held Liu Bei in low esteem and who was ashamed of having to serve under him, hired an assassin to kill Liu Bei. Liu Bei, however, didn't realize
11890-424: The imperial capital to put pressure on the empress dowager. Cao Cao strongly objected to He Jin's idea as he believed that the best way to deal with the eunuchs was to eliminate their leaders. He also argued that summoning external forces into Luoyang would only increase the risk of their plan being leaked out. He Jin – the highest-ranking officer in the government – understandably ignored him. As Cao Cao predicted,
12035-477: The latter declared himself emperor in early 197. Throughout 197, Lü Bu joined Cao Cao and others in a campaign against Yuan Shu , who had become a public enemy because of his treasonous actions. However, in 198, Lü Bu sided with Yuan Shu again and attacked Liu Bei, who lost and fled to join Cao Cao. In the winter of 198, Cao Cao and Liu Bei combined forces to attack Lü Bu and defeated him at the Battle of Xiapi . Lü Bu
12180-416: The local government forces led by Colonel Zou Jing , participating in battles against the rebels with distinction. Around this time, Liu Ziping of Pingyuan heard of Liu Bei's reputation as a brave man. When Zhang Chun (張純) rebelled, the Qing Province was ordered by imperial decree to send an attendant official to lead an army to defeat Zhang Chun. As they passed through Pingyuan, Ziping recommended Liu Bei to
12325-418: The major sources for information on Cao Cao's life employed by Pei Songzhi was the official history of the Wei dynasty, the Book of Wei , largely composed during the Wei dynasty itself by Wang Chen , Xun Yi , and Ruan Ji . It was completed by Wang Chen and presented to the court during the opening years of the succeeding Western Jin dynasty. This work is understandably typically very favourable to Cao Cao as
12470-541: The meantime, he also received many honours from Emperor Xian. In 213, he was created Duke of Wei and granted a fief covering parts of present-day Hebei and Henan. In 216, he was elevated to the status of a vassal king under the title "King of Wei" and awarded numerous ceremonial privileges, of which some used to be reserved exclusively for emperors. Cao Cao died in Luoyang in March 220 and was succeeded by his son Cao Pi who accepted
12615-505: The murder of Cao Cao's father, Cao Song , in Xu Province, which occurred when Cao Song was en route to Qiao County ( 譙縣 ; present-day Bozhou , Anhui) after his retirement. Although Tao Qian's culpability in the murder was questionable, Cao Cao nonetheless held him responsible for his father's death. During the invasions, Cao Cao conquered several territories in Xu Province and massacred thousands of civilians. Cao Cao's assault on Xu Province
12760-524: The nobles and engaged in corrupt practices, so Cao Cao proposed to the imperial court to dismiss about 80 percent of them. As Cao Cao had a reputation for being a strict law enforcer, when news of his arrival reached these corrupt officials, they were so fearful that they fled to nearby commanderies. Cao Cao governed Jinan State well and maintained peace in the area. In the early days of the Western Han, nearly four hundred years previously, Liu Zhang ( 劉章 ),
12905-756: The officials in charge." Yuan Shao answered: "Liu Xuande is liberal and refined. He is also known as a man of trust and righteousness. Now, (the people of) Xu region happily accepts him; this matches my own desires." Liu Bei finally took over Xu Province after Yuan Shao recognised the legitimacy of his governorship. In 195, Lü Bu was defeated by Cao Cao and sought shelter under Liu Bei. In the next year, Yuan Shu led an army to invade Xu Province . In response, Liu Bei led his troops to counter Yuan Shu's advances near present-day Xuyi County and stopped him at Xuyi and Huaiyin (淮陰). Around this time, Cao Cao memorialized to appoint Liu Bei as General Who Subdues The East (鎮東將軍) and enfeoffed him as marquis of Yicheng Village (宜城亭侯). This
13050-507: The opposing forces. In the spring of 193, Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shu at the Battle of Fengqiu and returned to Dingtao County by summer. Between 193 and 194, Cao Cao came into conflict with Tao Qian , the Governor of Xu Province , and attacked Xu Province three times. The first attack took place in the autumn of 193, when Cao Cao attacked Tao Qian after the latter supported Que Xuan ( 闕宣 ), who had committed treason by declaring himself emperor. The second and third invasions were triggered by
13195-453: The other coalition members were making merry instead of thinking how to make progress. He presented his plan on how to continue the war against Dong Zhuo and chided them for their lacklustre attitudes towards their initial goals. They ignored him. As Cao Cao had few troops left with him after the Battle of Xingyang, he travelled to Yang Province with Xiahou Dun to recruit soldiers. Chen Wen ,
13340-559: The other officers at Bowang. Liu Bei led his army and set up an ambush. Eventually, he set fire to his own camp and faked a retreat. When Xiahou Dun led his soldiers to the pursuit, they were crushed by the troops lying in ambush at Battle of Bowang . Liu Bei stayed in Jing Province for about seven years. When he was talking with Liu Biao, he rose up to go to the toilet. Then, he noticed that the flesh in his thighs had increased, he sighed heavily and wept. When he returned to his seat, Liu Biao
13485-563: The participants rounded up and executed along with their families. Liu Bei survived the purge because he was not in Xuchang. Having achieved stability in Xuchang, Cao Cao turned his attention towards preparing for a battle with Yuan Shao. He fortified many key crossing points along the south banks of the Yellow River and set up a main camp at Guandu. At the same time, he sent his subordinates Liu Dai ( 劉岱 ) and Wang Zhong to attack Liu Bei in Xu Province but they were defeated. Cao Cao then made
13630-474: The people are without a ruler. They fear that greedy rapace will one day take advantage of the opening to extend themselves therefore are very anxious. However, they will embrace the former Administrator of Pingyuan Liu Bei as their rightful leader. Hence allowing the people to know that they have someone to rely on. Just now rebel are around all the regions; there's not a moment of peace to remove his armor. Hence we respectfully send lower officials to report this to
13775-479: The popularity of the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms , Liu Bei is widely regarded as the ideal benevolent and humane ruler who cared for his people and selected good advisers for his government. His fictional counterpart in the novel was a salutary example of a ruler who adhered to the Confucian set of moral values, such as loyalty and compassion. Historically, Liu Bei, like many Han rulers,
13920-410: The postal relay station, and forced his way through the door, proclaiming: "I have been secretly instructed by the commandery administrator to arrest the inspector!" Thereupon he bound the inspector, took him to the outskirts of the district, and tied him to a tree. Liu Bei undid his ribbon of office and hung it on the inspector's neck, whereupon he had the inspector lashed more than one hundred times with
14065-490: The provincial governor appointed by Cao Cao. Liu Bei then moved to Xiaopei while leaving Guan Yu in charge of Xu Province's capital, Xiapi. According to the Wu Li (吳歷) written by Hu Chong , Cao Cao sent loyal men acting as spy to his commanders during entertainments then on some pretext have them killed. Liu Bei often close his gates and concentrate his time to gardening. While Cao Cao would send someone to keep an eye on him. After
14210-539: The rebel army and Liu Bei fought hard with talent. As a reward for his contributions, he was appointed as Assistant (下密丞) in the commandery office. Again, he resigned from his post. According to the Records of Heroes written by Wang Can , Liu Bei then visited the imperial capital where he met Cao Cao . He joined him as they returned to Cao Cao's ancestral home in Pei State , which is present-day Bozhou, Anhui . where they recruited and gathered many people. Thereafter,
14355-459: The regional inspector's chariot and returned his family to the bank of the Si River as an act of good faith. Before Liu Bei left, there was a farewell banquet and everyone seemed happy. Lü Bu, fearing that Yuan Shu would turn on him after eliminating Liu Bei obstructed Yuan Shu's attempts to destroy Liu Bei. At this time, Lü Bu's commanders said to him: "Liu Bei has changed his allegiance too often. It
14500-446: The rich and poor. The senior officials did not dare to interfere. When Cao Cao assumed office in Jinan State, he destroyed all the temples and banned such idolatrous practices. He upheld the laws sternly and eliminated unorthodox customs and cult-like activities. After serving as chancellor for a brief time, Cao Cao was reassigned to be the Administrator of Dong Commandery ( 東郡 ; around present-day Puyang County , Henan), but he declined
14645-486: The rival warlord Lü Bu . Many commanderies and counties in Yan Province responded to Lü Bu's call and defected to his side except for a few. Cao Cao aborted his campaign in Xu Province and returned to attack Lü Bu. In one battle at Puyang County , he fell into an ambush and suffered some burns but managed to survive and escape. Cao Cao and Lü Bu were locked in a stalemate at Puyang County for over 100 days until Lü Bu left
14790-568: The same as his son, Liu Deran. Yuanqi's wife wasn't happy about this and told him: “Each has his own family. How can you regularly do this?” Yuanqi answered: “This boy is in our clan, and he is an extraordinary person.” The adolescent Liu Bei was said to be unenthusiastic about studying. However he was fond of dogs and horses; he also displayed interest in hunting, music and dressing in fine clothing. He enjoyed associating with braves ( haoxia ), and in his youth he fought and hung out with them. He would not manifest his anger or happiness and always showed
14935-399: The same mat and eat from the same pot. He felt no cause to be disdainful, so people attached themselves to him in droves. During his tenure at Pingyuan, Kong Rong worked as the Chancellor of Beihai State (北海國) and was besieged by an army led by Yellow Turbans. He sent Taishi Ci to ask for reinforcement from Liu Bei. When he learned of this, Liu Bei said: "So, Kong Wenju knows that there is
15080-576: The same work. Although Pei Songzhi sometimes pointed out flaws in Sun Sheng's methods, he often cites him as an authority. Other Jin dynasty historians he gave less credence to, while still including parallel passages from their work, such as Jiangbiao zhuan ( 江表傳 ), by Yu Pu [ zh ] ( 虞溥 ), and Wei Jin Shiyu ( 魏晉世語 ; Tales of the Worlds of Wei and Jin ) by Guo Ban [ zh ] ( 郭頒 ),
15225-647: The siege was lifted after about two months when Cao Cao personally led an army to relief Liu Yan. Guan Yu slew Yan Liang in the midst of battle. While Cao Cao and his troops were evacuating Boma's residents, Yuan Shao's forces led by Wen Chou and Liu Bei caught up with them at Yan Ford, but were defeated and Wen Chou was killed in battle. Cao Cao returned to his main camp at Guandu while Yuan Shao moved to Yangwu County ( 陽武縣 ; southwest of present-day Yuanyang County, Henan ). Around this time, Guan Yu left Cao Cao and returned to Liu Bei. In late 200, Yuan Shao led his forces to attack Cao Cao at Guandu. Both sides were locked in
15370-491: The songstresses and dancers, earning his teacher's respect. In 175, a rebellion led by "barbarians" in Jiujiang broke out. On account of his literary and martial abilities, Lu Zhi was made Administrator of Jiujiang. The rebels surrendered to Lu peacefully; Lu later resigned, citing an illness. He was among the most pre-eminent scholars of the era, known for his study of texts on Chinese rituals and his assistance in compiling
15515-430: The southern bank of the Yellow River . In winter, he mobilised his forces and deployed them at Guandu ( 官渡 ; present-day Guandu Town, Zhongmu County , Henan). Around this time, Cheng Yu and Guo Jia had warned Cao Cao against allowing Liu Bei to leave Xuchang but it was too late because Cao Cao had already sent Liu Bei to intercept and block Yuan Shu. Earlier, when he was still in Xuchang, Liu Bei had secretly joined
15660-580: The spy left, Liu Bei told Guan Yu and Zhang Fei: "How could I become a gardener? Cao Cao is really suspicious. We cannot stay with him." At night, he opened the rear gate and along with his followers left on light horseback. All the clothing he previously received was sealed and left behind. Then he headed for Xiaopei to raise his army. Pei Songzhi about this commented: "Cao Cao had Liu Bei lead an army to attack Yuan Shu, Guo Jia along with others were against his decision however he refused to listen to them. The matter should be clear. Liu Bei didn't escape because he
15805-731: The support of the two most powerful families in Xu Province: the Mi family led by Mi Zhu and Mi Fang and the Chen family led by Chen Gui and Chen Deng . The previously mentioned Chen Deng was a man of great talent and enjoyed giving appraisal of well known people. He once said to the scholar Chen Jiao (陳矯) about Liu Bei: "When It comes to those of bold character that are destined to be heroes, those who lay great plan to become hegemon-kings, I respect Liu Bei." Then he grouped him along with Chen Ji , Hua Xin and Kong Rong as outstanding individuals. Soon Tao Qian's illness became serious and he told to
15950-664: The territories in Yan Province and managed to retake them from Lü Bu. Lü Bu fled east to Xu Province and took refuge under Liu Bei , who had succeeded Tao Qian as the Governor of Xu Province earlier in 194. In the winter of 195, the central government officially designated Cao Cao as the Governor of Yan Province. In 196, Lü Bu turned against his host and seized control of Xu Province from Liu Bei, but still allowed Liu Bei to remain in Xiaopei ( 小沛 ; present-day Pei County , Jiangsu). Although he agreed to an alliance with Yuan Shu earlier, he broke his promise and severed ties with Yuan Shu when
16095-418: The tutelage of Tao Qian who governed like a Confucian populist which influenced Liu Bei's future governance. Then, Tao Qian memorialized the court to have Liu Bei appointed as the inspector of Yu province. Liu Bei led his army to Xiaopei, then proceeded to raise troops around the area, and actively built-up connections with influential clans and people of the region. In a rather short period of time, he had gained
16240-433: The warlord Gongsun Zan . In 191, they scored a major victory against another warlord Yuan Shao (the leader of the former alliance against Dong Zhuo ) in their struggle for control of Ji Province and Qing Province . Gongsun Zan nominated Liu Bei to be the Chancellor ( 相 ) of Pingyuan State and sent him to join his subordinate Tian Kai in fighting Yuan Shao's eldest son Yuan Tan in Qing Province. In defending against
16385-556: The warlord Lü Bu an opportunity to link up with defectors from Liu Bei's side to seize control of Xiapi Commandery and capture Liu Bei's family. Upon receiving news of Lü Bu's intrusion, Liu Bei immediately headed back to Xiapi Commandery but most of his troops scattered along the way. With his remaining men, Liu Bei moved eastward to take Guangling Commandery where Yuan Shu's forces defeated him. Liu Bei then retreated to Haixi County (海西縣; southeast of present-day Guannan County , Jiangsu). However, surrounded by hostile forces and facing
16530-416: The warlord Yuan Shao at the Battle of Guandu in 200, Cao Cao launched a series of campaigns against Yuan Shao's sons and allies over the following seven years, defeated them, and unified much of northern China under his control. In 208, shortly after Emperor Xian appointed him as Imperial Chancellor , he embarked on an expedition to gain a foothold in southern China, but was defeated by the allied forces of
16675-489: The warlords Sun Quan , Liu Bei , and Liu Qi at the decisive Battle of Red Cliffs . His subsequent attempts over the following years to annex the lands south of the Yangtze River never proved successful. In 211, he defeated a coalition of northwestern warlords led by Ma Chao and Han Sui at the Battle of Tong Pass . Five years later, he seized Hanzhong from the warlord Zhang Lu , but lost it to Liu Bei by 219. In
16820-499: The way Liu Bei led his troops and managed to capture the gold and money. In response, Lü Bu sent Gao Shun and Zhang Liao to attack Liu Bei at Peicheng. Cao Cao sent Xiahou Dun to support Liu Bei but he was unable to rescue Liu Bei and they were defeated by Gao Shun again he had his family captured by Gao Shun who sent them to Lü Bu. Liu Bei fled to Xuchang to take shelter under Cao Cao who brought Liu Bei along as he personally led an army to attack Lü Bu in Xu Province. Later that year,
16965-526: The way. The first was with the family of Lü Boshe , an old acquaintance. The second incident occurred when he passed by Zhongmu County , where a village chief suspected that he was a fugitive and arrested him. However, another official recognised Cao Cao and believed he could act as a positive influence, so he released Cao Cao. Dong Zhuo murdered the Prince of Hongnong and Empress Dowager He later. When Cao Cao returned to Chenliu Commandery, he spent his family fortune on raising an army to eliminate Dong Zhuo. In
17110-495: The winter of 189, Cao Cao assembled his forces in Jiwu County ( 己吾縣 ; southwest of present-day Ningling County , Henan) and declared war on Dong Zhuo. In early 190, several regional officials and warlords formed a coalition army numbering some tens of thousands, and launched a punitive campaign against Dong Zhuo. They declared that their mission was to free Emperor Xian and the central government from Dong Zhuo's control. Yuan Shao
17255-512: Was 14, his mother sent him to study with Lu Zhi , a distinguished man and former grand administrator of Jiujiang Commandery . Lu Zhi was from Zhuo Commandery, the same as Liu Bei. One of his fellow-students was Gongsun Zan of Liaodong , with whom he became friends. Since Gongsun Zan was older, Liu Bei treated him as an elder brother. Another fellow-student was his kinsman Liu Deran ( 劉德然 ). Liu Deran's father, Yuanqi (元起), often gave Liu Bei material support to help him and his mother and treated him
17400-461: Was appointed General Who Establishes Virtue ( 建德將軍 ). In July or August 196, Cao Cao was promoted to General Who Garrisons the East ( 鎮東將軍 ) and enfeoffed as the Marquis of Fei Village ( 費亭侯 ) – the peerage previously held by his adoptive grandfather Cao Teng . Sometime between August and September 196, Cao Cao led his forces to the ruins of Luoyang and received Emperor Xian. The emperor granted Cao Cao
17545-823: Was away at Guandu; however Cao Ren foresaw that most of them were new recruits or Yuan Shao's soldiers not yet ready to follow Liu Bei's orders, therefore he quickly assembled his cavalry and defeated them. Liu Bei then returned to Yuan Shao and urged him to ally with Liu Biao , the Governor of Jing Province . Yuan Shao sent Liu Bei with some troops to Runan Commandery to assist another rebel leader, Gong Du ( 共都/龔都 ). Liu Bei and Gong Du defeated and killed Cai Yang ( 蔡陽 ), one of Cao Cao's officers who led troops to attack them. Before killing Cai Yong, Liu Bei proclaimed: "I may be lacking in power but even if you were ten thousand still you couldn't defeat me. Only Cao Mengde would force me to flee." Indeed, Liu Bei defeated and killed Cai Yong along with others and fled when he learned that Cao Cao
17690-598: Was away in Xu Province, but, as Cao Cao accurately predicted, Yuan Shao did not make any advances throughout this period of time, possibly due to Cao Cao's general Yu Jin 's raiding in the south of Yuan Shao's territory. From early to mid 200, the forces of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao clashed in two separate engagements at Boma ( 白馬 ; present-day Hua County , Henan) and Yan Ford ( 延津 ; near present-day Yanjin County , Henan). At Boma, Yuan Shao sent Guo Tu , Chunyu Qiong and Yan Liang to besiege Cao Cao's general Liu Yan ( 劉延 ), but
17835-533: Was captured and executed after his defeat. Cao Cao also pacified the eastern parts of Xu and Qing provinces along the coast. Emperor Xian had been held hostage in Chang'an by Li Jue , Guo Si and other former followers of Dong Zhuo. Around 195, when internal conflict broke out between Li Jue and Guo Si, Emperor Xian escaped from Chang'an and after a harrowing journey returned to the ruins of Luoyang, which Dong Zhuo had ordered to be destroyed by fire in 190 when moving
17980-416: Was captured by Cao Cao's forces and decided to surrender and temporarily serve under Cao Cao. Liu Bei headed north to join Yuan Shao. Liu Bei first went to Qing province which was under Yuan Tan's supervision. Liu Bei had formerly recommended Yuan Tan as a maocai (茂才), therefore they had good relations. Yuan Tan himself led infantry and cavalry to welcome him. Both of them then left for Pingyuan. Yuan Tan sent
18125-424: Was elected as the coalition chief while Cao Cao served as acting General of Uplifting Martial Might ( 奮武將軍 ). The coalition scored some initial victories against Dong Zhuo's forces and reached Luoyang within months. Dong Zhuo, alarmed by his losses, ordered his troops to forcefully relocate Luoyang's residents to Chang'an and burn down the imperial capital, leaving behind nothing for the coalition. While Dong Zhuo
18270-431: Was greatly influenced by Laozi . He was a brilliant politician and leader whose skill was a remarkable demonstration of " Confucian in appearance but Legalist in substance". The historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms described Liu Bei as a man seven chi and five cun tall (approximately 1.74 metres), with long arms that "extended beyond his knees" and ears so large that "he could see them". According to
18415-402: Was growing vegetables. All of this is absurd!" However the Chronicles of Huayang also gave a similar account with other information such as Guo Jia and Cheng Yu warning Cao Cao that Liu Bei had left, and Cao Cao sending riders to stop him but they failed to do so. It also stated that when he learned about Liu Bei doing trivial things, Cao Cao said: "Old Big Ears (大耳) is really oblivious to what
18560-473: Was in the first year of the Jian'an period (196). Liu Bei and Yuan Shu had a standoff for about a month without any decisive result. In the meantime, Zhang Fei whom Liu Bei left in charge of Xiapi Commandery (下邳郡; around present-day Pizhou , Jiangsu ), the capital of Xu Province, murdered Cao Bao , the Chancellor of Xiapi after an intense quarrel. Cao Bao's death stirred up unrest in Xiapi Commandery which provided
18705-465: Was killed in battle. As Liu Pi , a former Yellow Turban rebel, started a revolt in Runan Commandery (southeastern Henan), Liu Bei convinced Yuan Shao to provide him troops to assist Liu Pi. At the same time, Guan Yu rejoined Liu Bei. When Liu Bei arrived, many among the commandery joined and supported him. Along with Liu Pi then led their forces from Runan Commandery to attack Xuchang while Cao Cao
18850-505: Was known to be perceptive and manipulative. He liked to hunt, idle, roam about freely, and play vigilante so he was not as highly regarded compared to his more studious peers. From the time Cao Cao was fifteen until he turned thirty, widespread epidemic diseases ravaged China on average one out of every three years. Despite Cao Cao's loafing ways and unimpressive behaviour, there were two persons – Qiao Xuan and He Yong – who recognised his potential and extraordinary talents. Upon visiting
18995-693: Was leading an army. In 201, Cao Cao led his army to attack Liu Bei in Runan Commandery after his victory over Yuan Shao at the Battle of Guandu . Liu Bei sent Mi Zhu and Sun Qian as ambassadors to Liu Biao. Liu Biao himself came to the outskirts to greet Liu Bei and his followers and treated them with utmost courtesy due an honoured guest. He gave him some troops and sent him to station at Xinye County in northern Jing Province to guard against Cao Cao's advances. Soon many men of talents joined Liu Bei and his rank greatly increased. Liu Biao didn't trust him completely and secretly guarded against Liu Bei. In 202, Liu Biao ordered Liu Bei to fend off Xiahou Dun , Yu Jin and
19140-415: Was not considered different from commoners. To support themselves, Liu Bei and his mother sold shoes and woven straw mats. Despite this, Liu Bei was full of ambition from childhood. In the southeast of his house, there was a mulberry tree that was very tall (11,5 meters high). When looked from far away, the tree's shade was similar to a small cart therefore people from all around the village felt that this tree
19285-596: Was on his way to join Yuan Shao after his defeat , Liu Bei requested permission from Cao Cao to lead an army to stop Yuan Shu. Cao Cao agreed and sent Liu Bei and Zhu Ling to lead an army to block Yuan Shu, who couldn't pass through them and was forced to retreat back to his base in Shouchun and died there later that year. While Zhu Ling returned to Xu, Liu Bei remained in command of the army and led them to attack and seize control of Xu Province after murdering Che Zhou ( 車冑 ),
19430-450: Was on the same mat. Cao Cao's advisors Cheng Yu and Guo Jia urged Cao Cao to have Liu Bei killed however Cao Cao refused to follow their advice because he feared that in doing so he would lose the respect of the heroes and scholars in the realm. By 199, Cao Cao enjoyed a strong political advantage over his rivals because he had Emperor Xian and the Han central government firmly under his control. During this time, Liu Bei participated in
19575-510: Was previously held hostage by other warlords such as Dong Zhuo , Li Jue , and Guo Si . After he established the new imperial capital in Xuchang , Emperor Xian and the central government came under his direct control, but he still paid nominal allegiance to the emperor. Throughout the 190s, Cao Cao actively waged wars in central China against rival warlords such as Lü Bu , Yuan Shu , and Zhang Xiu , eliminating all of them. Following his triumph over
19720-451: Was proven later, when Liu Biao refused to attack Xu when Liu Bei advised him to do so. When Cao Cao returned from Liucheng. Liu Biao told to Liu Bei: "I didn't adopt your proposal and now I lost this great opportunity." Liu Bei answered: “Now the empire is in chaos and every day there are battles. What seem to be a good opportunity may present himself later. If you are able to respond to them accordingly then this isn't worth regret." Away from
19865-615: Was recommended as a candidate for civil office in the xiaolian process. Then, he rose to become prefect of Fan (范) in Dong Commandery . Liu Bei's father, Liu Hong, didn't live long, so Liu Bei grew up poor, as, even if Liu Bei's claim to royal lineage was genuine, he did not inherit much wealth from his royal ancestors since Han law decreed that each generation of royals must divide their inheritance among all male children, with Liu Bei's generation too far removed from his illustrious ancestors' to provide substantial wealth. As such, Liu Bei
20010-528: Was retreating to Chang'an, Cao Cao led his own army to pursue the enemy, but was defeated by Xu Rong , a general under Dong Zhuo, at the Battle of Xingyang . This was the first military action Cao Cao commanded, and he barely escaped alive, with help from his cousin Cao Hong . He returned to the coalition base in Suanzao County ( 酸棗縣 ; southwest of present-day Yanjin County, Henan ) and was disgusted to see that
20155-442: Was so brutal that after one massacre the corpses of his victims stoppered up the nearby Si river ( 泗水 ). His army tore down villages in its wake, ensuring refugees could not return, and ate all the chickens and dogs. Cao Cao only turned back when he received news that his base in Yan Province had fallen to Lü Bu . In 194, Cao Cao's subordinates Zhang Miao , Chen Gong and others rebelled against him in Yan Province and defected to
20300-716: Was standard to record. Especially useful for noting things like official appointments, three titles of this type were used by Pei Songzhi to add detail to Chen Shou's account: Xiandi Ji ( 獻帝記 ; Records of Emperor Xian ) compiled by Liu Ai ( 劉艾 ), Xiandi Qiju zhu ( 獻帝起居注 ; Notes on Emperor Xian's Daily Life ), and Shanyang Gong zaiji ( 山陽公載記 ; Records of the Duke of Shanyang [Emperor Xian's post-usurpation title]) by Yue Zi ( 樂資 ). Other early sources for Pei Songzhi included Yu Huan 's privately composed histories Dianlüe ( 典略 ; Authoritative Account ) and Weilüe , written prior to Chen Shou's own work; and Sima Biao 's Annals of
20445-499: Was surprised and asked him about it. Liu Bei replied: "When I was younger, I've never left the saddle. My thighs were thin. Now I do not ride anymore, they have grown. The days and months pass like a stream, and old age will come, but I have achieved nothing. That's why I am sad." Once, Liu Bei camped at Fancheng with his soldiers. Liu Biao was friendly to him however he was also anxious about Liu Bei's conduct and did not place much trust in him. One day, had asked Liu Bei to join him for
20590-461: Was taking a bite and from the shock dropped his chopstick and spoon. He excused himself on account of a clap of thunder and told Cao Cao: "When the wise said, “If there is a sudden clap of thunder and a fierce wind, I must change my countenance” it was truly with reason. The awesomeness of a single clap can cause this!" However, at the same time, Liu Bei was anxious to leave Xuchang and be free of Cao Cao's control. Thus, upon hearing news that Yuan Shu
20735-602: Was the ninth son of Emperor Jing and the first King of Zhongshan in Han dynasty. However, Pei Songzhi 's fifth-century commentary , based on the Dianlue ( 典略 ), said that Liu Bei was a descendant of the Marquis of Linyi ( 臨邑侯 ). As the title "Marquis of Linyi" was held by: It was possible that Liu Bei descended from either of those two patrilineal lines rather than Liu Sheng's line. Liu Bei's grandfather Liu Xiong ( 劉雄 ) and father Liu Hong ( 劉弘 ) both served in provincial and commandery offices. Liu Bei's grandfather, Liu Xiong
20880-497: Was unique with some saying that the house would produce a person of nobility. A fortune teller named Li Ding (李定) of Zhuo stated: "This family will certainly produce an estimable man." When he was a kid, Liu Bei would play beneath the tree with other children from the village. He would often say: "I must ride in this feather covered chariot (emperor chariot)." Liu Bei's uncle Zijing (子敬) thought of Liu Bei's dream as foolish and that he would bring destruction to his house. In 175, when he
21025-558: Was waging wars throughout central China in the 190s, Yuan Shao defeated his rival Gongsun Zan at the Battle of Yijing in 199, after which he controlled four provinces in northern China ( Ji , Bing , Qing and You ) and gained command of thousands of troops. A power struggle between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao became inevitable by early 199. In the autumn of 199, Cao Cao dispatched troops to Liyang County ( 黎陽縣 ; present-day Xun County , Henan) and sent Zang Ba and others to capture some territories in Qing Province while leaving Yu Jin to guard
#160839