Liu Changren
Liu Changren of Bohai, magistrate of Ande, doubted Guan Lu’s reading of bird calls until a magpie’s omen came true.
In the sources
Where the books name Liu Changren
History · vol. 29Records of the Three Kingdoms
輅至安德令劉長仁家，有鳴鵲來在閤屋上，其聲甚急。輅曰：「鵲言東北有婦昨殺夫，牽引西家人夫離婁，候不過日在虞淵之際，告者至矣。」…
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輅至安德令劉長仁家，有鳴鵲來在閤屋上，其聲甚急。輅曰：「鵲言東北有婦昨殺夫，牽引西家人夫離婁，候不過日在虞淵之際，告者至矣。」到時，果有東北同伍民來告，鄰婦手殺其夫，詐言西家人與夫有嫌，來殺我婿。〈輅別傳曰：勃海劉長仁有辯才，初雖聞輅能曉鳥鳴，後每見難輅曰：「夫生民之音曰言，鳥獸之聲曰鳴，故言者則有知之貴靈，鳴者則無知之賤名，何由以鳥鳴為語，亂神明之所異也？孔子曰『吾不與鳥獸同群』，明其賤也。」輅答曰：「夫天雖有大象而不能言，故運星精於上，流神明於下，驗風雲以表異，役鳥獸以通靈。表異者必有浮沈之候，通靈者必有宮商之應，是以宋襄失德，六鶂並退，伯姬將焚，鳥唱其災，四國未火，融風已發，赤鳥夾日，殃在荊楚。此乃上天之所使，自然之明符。考之律呂則音聲有本，求之人事則吉凶不失。昔在秦祖，以功受封，葛盧聽音，著在春秋，斯皆典謨之實，非聖賢之虛名也。商之將興，由一燕卵也。文王受命，丹鳥銜書，此乃聖人之靈祥，周室之休祚，何賤之有乎？夫鳥鳴之聽，精在鶉火，妙在八神，自非斯倫，猶子路之於死生也。」長仁言：「君辭雖茂，華而不實，未敢之信。」須臾有鳴鵲之驗，長仁乃服。〉
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Where this person ranks on each board.
Liu Changren was from Bohai and served as magistrate of Ande County. This is recorded in juan 29 of the Records of the Three Kingdoms; he does not appear in the Romance.
Deeds
Liu Changren once questioned whether Guan Lu could understand human affairs through birdsong, arguing that the calls of birds and beasts could not be equated with human speech. Guan Lu replied that celestial signs and birdsong corresponded to human affairs, but Liu Changren remained unconvinced. (According to historical records.)
When Guan Lu visited Liu Changren’s home, a magpie on the roof was calling urgently. Guan Lu divined that in the northeast, a woman had killed her husband and falsely accused someone from the western household. Later, a member of the same group from the northeast came forward to report the matter, and the details proved to be exactly as predicted. Liu Changren was then convinced. (According to historical records.)
Relationships
- Guan Lu once debated with Liu Changren over whether birdsong could reveal human affairs.
- Enemies
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Guan Lu
Rival
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History · vol. 29
- Guan Lu§57
Rival
辩论鸟鸣能否通言，终服管辂