Liu Yong

Historical Record

Liu Yong, courtesy name Gongshou, was a son of Liu Bei, the Zhaolie Emperor of Shu Han, and a younger half-brother of Liu Shan, the Later Ruler. In the sixth month of the first year of Zhangwu (221 CE), Liu Bei formally enfeoffed Liu Yong as Prince of Lu. At that time, Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor at Chengdu, granted a general amnesty, established an ancestral temple, and held a collective sacrifice to his forebears from Emperor Gao onward. Within this series of political acts, Liu Yong's investiture was an important element. The Minister over the Masses Xu Jing was charged with reading aloud the ceremonial document, which expressly stated that Liu Yong received his fief at Qingtu, was entrusted with the expectation of "serving for generations as a protective bulwark," and was enjoined to "hold his heart to ritual and bring peace to your officers and people," in hopes that the state of Lu might "be transformed at a stroke to follow the Way, with moral influence preserved." ^c:571

In the eighth year of Jianxing (230 CE), Liu Yong's title was changed, and he was re-enfeoffed as Prince of Ganling. ^c:571 Liu Yong's political career, however, was not smooth. He was on bad terms with the eunuch Huang Hao, who was growing increasingly powerful at the Shu Han court, and detested much of Huang Hao's arrogation of power and conduct. Once Huang Hao gained power, he slandered Liu Yong before the Later Ruler Liu Shan, causing Liu Shan gradually to grow distant from Liu Yong. This estrangement reached such a severe degree that Liu Yong was unable to attend court audiences for more than ten years. ^c:571 This shows that in the later Shu Han period Liu Yong, through political struggle, lost the opportunity to take part in court affairs, and that his status as a member of the royal house did not fully guarantee his political position. After the fall of Shu Han, in the first year of Xianxi (264 CE), Liu Yong was relocated to Luoyang along with the other Shu Han clansmen. At Luoyang he was granted the office of Commandant of the Equipage and enfeoffed as a Village Marquis, marking the end of his political career and a transformation of his status. ^c:571

In the Novel

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Yong's portrayal centers chiefly on his identity and his relationships with Liu Bei, Liu Shan, and Zhuge Liang. In the novel, Liu Yong is set up as the elder son borne by Liu Bei and Empress Wu, with the courtesy name Gongshou. ^c:573 This differs slightly from the historical record, in which Liu Yong is Liu Shan's younger half-brother, but his title as Prince of Lu accords with history. The novel relates that after Liu Bei became King of Hanzhong, Fa Zheng advised him to take the younger sister of Wu Yi as his royal consort, on the grounds that she was "beautiful and virtuous," and a physiognomist had said "she would later become greatly noble." Liu Bei at first hesitated because Lady Wu had once been betrothed to his kinsman Liu Mao, but after Fa Zheng persuaded him with the example of "Duke Wen of Jin and Huai Ying," he finally accepted Lady Wu as his royal consort. Lady Wu later bore two sons, the elder Liu Yong and the younger Liu Li. ^c:573

Liu Yong's first formal appearance in the novel comes after Liu Bei became emperor. In the first year of Zhangwu, after offering sacrifice to Heaven and Earth, Liu Bei formally ascended the throne as emperor and changed the era name to Zhangwu. After installing Lady Wu as empress and his eldest son Liu Shan as crown prince, Liu Yong was enfeoffed as Prince of Lu and Liu Li as Prince of Liang. ^c:575 This episode matches the historical timing of Liu Yong's enfeoffment as Prince of Lu. Liu Yong's more dramatic appearance in the novel comes when Liu Bei entrusts his orphan at Baidicheng. Gravely ill, Liu Bei summoned senior ministers such as Zhuge Liang and Li Yan, and deliberately called for the Prince of Lu Liu Yong and the Prince of Liang Liu Li. On his deathbed, Liu Bei spoke his famous words to Zhuge Liang: "If my heir can be assisted, then assist him; if he proves incapable, you may take the rule of Chengdu yourself." Liu Bei then charged Liu Yong and Liu Li that the three brothers (including Liu Shan) should "all serve the chancellor as they would their father, and not be remiss." ^c:576 Liu Yong and Liu Li bowed in thanks to Zhuge Liang on the spot, a scene that highlights Liu Yong's role as a member of the royal house in Liu Bei's deathbed charge and indirectly reflects Zhuge Liang's central position in the Shu Han regime. The novel does not describe Liu Yong's conflict with Huang Hao in detail; that material is more prominent in the histories.

Key Relationships

* Shu Han (serves): As a son of Liu Bei, Liu Yong was a member of the Shu Han royal house, his political identity closely bound to the Shu Han regime. Enfeoffed as Prince of Lu and Prince of Ganling, he was an important part of the Shu Han polity. ^c:571
* Liu Bei (parent_of): Liu Yong was Liu Bei's son, enfeoffed as Prince of Lu after Liu Bei became emperor. In the novel, Liu Bei summoned Liu Yong on his deathbed and charged him, with his brothers, to serve Zhuge Liang as their father. ^c:576
* Liu Shan (sibling_of): Liu Yong was Liu Shan's younger half-brother. Though both were sons of Liu Bei, Huang Hao's slander led Liu Shan to grow distant from Liu Yong, so that Liu Yong was barred from court audiences for over ten years. ^c:571
* Huang Hao (enemy_of): Liu Yong detested the eunuch Huang Hao, who in turn slandered Liu Yong before Liu Shan, causing Liu Shan to estrange himself from Liu Yong. ^c:571
* Zhuge Liang (respected by): In the novel, Liu Bei on his deathbed charged Liu Yong and Liu Li to "serve the chancellor as their father," Zhuge Liang, showing Zhuge Liang's exalted standing in Liu Bei's heart and Liu Yong's respect for Zhuge Liang (novel only). ^c:576
* Empress Wu (parent_of): In the novel, Liu Yong is set up as the elder son borne by Liu Bei and Empress Wu (novel only). ^c:573
* Liu Li (sibling_of): Liu Yong's younger brother, likewise a son of Liu Bei, who in the novel received Liu Bei's deathbed charge together with Liu Yong (novel only). ^c:576

Iconic Scenes

* Enfeoffed as Prince of Lu in the first year of Zhangwu: After Liu Bei became emperor and granted a general amnesty, he installed his son Liu Yong as Prince of Lu. The Minister over the Masses Xu Jing read the ceremonial document, vesting in Liu Yong the high hope of "serving for generations as a protective bulwark"—the beginning of Liu Yong's political career. ^c:571
* Re-enfeoffed as Prince of Ganling in the eighth year of Jianxing: Liu Yong's title was changed from Prince of Lu to Prince of Ganling, an important shift in his status. ^c:571
* Estranged through Huang Hao's slander: Because Liu Yong detested the eunuch Huang Hao, Huang Hao slandered him before the Later Ruler Liu Shan, causing Liu Shan to grow distant from Liu Yong, so that he was barred from court audiences for more than ten years. This affair deeply shaped Liu Yong's political standing and life in the later Shu Han period. ^c:571
* Entrusting of the orphan at Baidicheng (novel only): On his deathbed Liu Bei summoned Liu Yong and Liu Li and charged the three brothers to "serve the chancellor as their father," Zhuge Liang. This scene is one of Liu Yong's most important appearances in the novel, highlighting his role as a member of the royal house at a critical moment. ^c:576
* Eastward relocation to Luoyang in the first year of Xianxi: After the fall of Shu Han, Liu Yong was relocated to Luoyang with the clan, granted the office of Commandant of the Equipage and enfeoffed as a Village Marquis, marking the end of his career as a prince of Shu Han and the start of a new status. ^c:571
* Liu Bei takes Lady Wu as consort and begets Liu Yong (novel only): In the novel, Liu Bei followed Fa Zheng's advice, took the younger sister of Wu Yi as his consort, and later begot Liu Yong—an episode that supplies Liu Yong's background of birth. ^c:573