Liu Qi

Historical Record

Liu Qi was the eldest son of the Governor of Jing Province Liu Biao, and once held an important position within Liu Biao's faction. He was held in high regard by Zhuge Liang; however, owing to the slander of Liu Biao's later wife, Liu Biao favored his younger son Liu Cong and gradually grew distant from Liu Qi. ^c:590 Liu Qi therefore often felt uneasy and sought from Zhuge Liang a plan to protect himself. Zhuge Liang at first refused to involve himself in Liu Biao's family affairs and was unwilling to devise plans for Liu Qi. Then once, Liu Qi invited Zhuge Liang to roam the rear garden together; ascending a high tower, as they feasted, Liu Qi ordered the ladder removed and said to Zhuge Liang: "Today, above we do not reach Heaven, below we do not reach Earth; words leave your mouth and enter my ears—may I now speak?" Only then did Zhuge Liang counsel Liu Qi, using the example of Shensheng and Chong'er to hint at the principle that "Shensheng within met danger, while Chong'er without found safety." ^c:590 Liu Qi understood at once and secretly laid his plans. It happened that the Administrator of Jiangxia Huang Zu died in battle, and Liu Qi was thus able to become Administrator of Jiangxia, avoiding the political whirlpool of Xiangyang. ^c:590

After Liu Biao died, Cao Cao's great army marched south, and Liu Cong chose to surrender. Learning of this at Fancheng, Liu Bei led his forces south. Cao Cao pursued Liu Bei to Changban in Dangyang, where, at the critical moment, Liu Bei escaped with Zhuge Liang, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and a few dozen riders, while Cao Cao captured large numbers of people and baggage. ^c:4718 Liu Bei then cut across to Hanjin, joined Guan Yu's fleet, and crossed the Mian River. At this point Liu Qi led more than ten thousand men of Jiangxia Commandery to join Liu Bei, and together they went to Xiakou. ^c:4718 Afterward Liu Bei sent Zhuge Liang to Eastern Wu to ally with Sun Quan. Sun Quan dispatched Zhou Yu, Cheng Pu, and others to lead tens of thousands of naval troops, who joined forces with Liu Bei and routed Cao Cao at Chibi, burning his ships. ^c:4718 After the Battle of Red Cliffs, Liu Bei and the Wu army advanced by land and water, pursuing Cao Cao to Nan Commandery. Owing to an epidemic, Cao Cao's army suffered heavy casualties and was forced to withdraw north. Zhou Yu was appointed Administrator of Nan Commandery and ceded part of the territory on the southern bank to Liu Bei. Liu Bei set up a separate camp at the mouth of the You River, renaming it Gong'an. Many of Liu Biao's former subordinates defected from Cao Cao to join Liu Bei. Since the land given by Zhou Yu was not enough to settle the people, Liu Bei later borrowed several commanderies of Jing Province from Sun Quan. ^c:4718

In the Novel

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Qi is even more prominent, his character traits more sharply drawn, especially in his "tearful timidity" and his "reliance on his uncle." ^c:593 At his first appearance, he came out together with Liu Cong to welcome Liu Bei, showing a humble manner. ^c:592 While Liu Bei was sojourning at Xinye, Liu Qi once came to visit and tearfully told Liu Bei that his stepmother Lady Cai intended to do him harm, hoping Liu Bei could guide him out of his confusion. ^c:593 Liu Bei advised him to be careful and fully filial, but Liu Qi remained anxious and left in tears. ^c:8282

Liu Qi's predicament is repeatedly stressed in the Romance. When he again sought help from Liu Bei, Liu Bei introduced him to Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang at first was unwilling to involve himself in the Liu family's affairs, but Liu Qi's persistence and desperation finally moved Zhuge Liang to offer him a plan. ^c:8283 In the famous scene of "removing the ladder atop the high tower," Liu Qi led Zhuge Liang up the tower, removed the ladder, and pressed him on pain of suicide to devise a plan for him. ^c:8286 Zhuge Liang finally, with the allusion to Shensheng and Chong'er, advised Liu Qi to request on his own to garrison Jiangxia, so as to avoid Lady Cai's persecution. ^c:8290 This stratagem is also recorded in the histories, but in the Romance it is given greater drama.

Liu Qi followed Zhuge Liang's plan and asked Liu Biao to let him garrison Jiangxia; on Liu Bei's advice Liu Biao agreed, and Liu Qi then led three thousand troops to Jiangxia. ^c:594 After the Battle of Changban, when Liu Bei was defeated and retreating, Liu Qi led the troops of Jiangxia to come to his aid in time, so that Liu Bei was able to escape danger. ^c:595 This episode is also recorded in the histories, but the Romance places greater emphasis on the help Liu Qi's timely arrival gave Liu Bei. Before the Battle of Red Cliffs, Liu Qi joined Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang in planning to break Cao Cao. Zhuge Liang advised Liu Bei to garrison Xiakou, while Liu Qi returned to Jiangxia to muster his troops, forming a horn-pincer position. ^c:8296 When Lu Su came to offer condolences for Liu Biao, Zhuge Liang cleverly used Liu Qi's presence to make clear to Lu Su that Jing Province was still held by a descendant of the Liu house, laying the groundwork for Liu Bei's later borrowing of Jing Province. ^c:8297 When Lu Su came again to demand Jing Province, Zhuge Liang had the gravely ill Liu Qi appear, and with the words "as long as the young master lives, we hold it for a day; if he is no more, that may be discussed separately," temporarily held Lu Su off. ^c:8298 These episodes all highlight Liu Qi's role in the Romance as an important ally of Liu Bei's faction.

Key Relationships

* Liu Biao's faction (serves): As Liu Biao's eldest son, Liu Qi at first served under Liu Biao, but owing to the slander of his stepmother Lady Cai, he was gradually estranged by Liu Biao and ultimately became Administrator of Jiangxia. ^c:590
* Liu Bei's faction (defected_to): After Liu Biao died and Liu Cong surrendered to Cao Cao, Liu Qi led the troops of Jiangxia to join Liu Bei, becoming an important ally of Liu Bei's faction in jointly resisting Cao Cao. ^c:4718
* Liu Cong (sibling_of): Liu Qi's half-brother. Because Liu Biao favored Liu Cong, Liu Qi's position within Liu Biao's faction was threatened. ^c:590
* Zhuge Liang (advises_in): Zhuge Liang once devised a plan for Liu Qi, advising him to go out and garrison Jiangxia to avoid disaster. ^c:590 In the Romance, Zhuge Liang repeatedly used Liu Qi's identity to gain advantages for Liu Bei's faction. ^c:8297
* Lady Cai (stepmother, novel only): In the Romance, Lady Cai is Liu Qi's stepmother, who, favoring Liu Cong, harbored designs to harm Liu Qi—the main reason Liu Qi sought to protect himself. ^c:593
* Lu Su (negotiating counterpart, novel only): In the Romance, Lu Su repeatedly negotiated with Liu Qi and Zhuge Liang over the ownership of Jing Province. ^c:8297

Iconic Scenes

* Removing the ladder atop the high tower to seek a plan: To obtain Zhuge Liang's guidance, Liu Qi removed the ladder atop a high tower, forcing Zhuge Liang to devise for him a plan of self-preservation. Zhuge Liang, with the allusion that "Shensheng within met danger, while Chong'er without found safety," advised Liu Qi to go out and garrison Jiangxia. ^c:590 This scene is depicted especially vividly in the Romance, highlighting Liu Qi's desperation and Zhuge Liang's wisdom. ^c:8290
* Receiving Liu Bei at Jiangxia: After the Battle of Changban, when Liu Bei was defeated and retreating, Liu Qi led the troops of Jiangxia to receive him in time, so that Liu Bei escaped danger and they went together to Xiakou. ^c:4718 In the Romance, Liu Qi's appearance is depicted as "in white robe and silver armor, standing at the prow and crying out loudly," greatly heightening the dramatic effect. ^c:595
* Joint counsel with Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang before the Battle of Red Cliffs: Before the Battle of Red Cliffs, Liu Qi joined Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang in planning to break Cao Cao, and on Zhuge Liang's advice returned to Jiangxia to muster his troops, forming a horn-pincer position. ^c:8296
* Appearing gravely ill to hold off Lu Su (novel only): In the Romance, Zhuge Liang used Liu Qi's grave illness to make clear before Lu Su that Jing Province was still held by a descendant of the Liu house, thereby temporarily holding off Lu Su's demand for Jing Province. ^c:8298 This scene displays Zhuge Liang's cunning and highlights Liu Qi's role as a political bargaining chip for Liu Bei's faction.