Liu Zhang

Historical Record（史载）

Liu Zhang, styled Jiyu, was a son of Liu Yan, the Governor of Yi Province. In the early years of Jian'an, when famine afflicted the realm, Meng Da of the same commandery entered Shu and attached himself to Liu Zhang. Meng Da was later appointed Prefect of Xindu, and was also summoned and made an Army Adviser Colonel, but was never given any real responsibility^[1].

In the sixteenth year of Jian'an (211), Cao Cao campaigned against Jing Province and had already secured Hanzhong; when Liu Zhang heard of it, he was filled with fear and sent Yin Pu of Henei to pay his respects to Cao Cao, who promoted Liu Zhang to General Who Spreads Awe^[2]. His elder brother Liu Mao was also enfeoffed as General Who Suppresses Bandits, but later died of madness. Liu Zhang again sent the Assistant Officer with Separate Mandate, Zhang Su of Shu Commandery, to deliver three hundred Sou troops and various imperial goods to Cao Cao, who appointed Zhang Su Grand Administrator of Guanghan. Subsequently, Liu Zhang once more sent the Assistant Officer Zhang Song to Cao Cao, but by this time Cao Cao had already pacified Jing Province and defeated Liu Bei, and paid no heed to Zhang Song, who thereupon harbored resentment. It happened that Cao Cao's army suffered a setback at Red Cliffs and was also stricken by plague, so when Zhang Song returned he disparaged Cao Cao and urged Liu Zhang to break off relations with him^[2].

Zhang Song further advised Liu Zhang, "Liu, Governor of Yu Province (Liu Bei), is your own flesh and blood; you can establish ties with him." Liu Zhang adopted Zhang Song's advice and sent Fa Zheng to befriend Liu Bei. Before long, he also had Fa Zheng and Meng Da deliver several thousand troops to assist Liu Bei in his defenses, after which Fa Zheng returned. Later Zhang Song again urged Liu Zhang, "Now the generals in the province, men like Pang Xi and Li Yi, all presume upon their merits and are arrogant and overbearing, harboring disloyal intentions. Without the aid of the Governor of Yu Province, with strong enemies attacking from without and the people in revolt within, defeat is certain." Liu Zhang once more heeded him and sent Fa Zheng to invite Liu Bei into Shu^[2].

Liu Zhang's Registrar Huang Quan set forth the dangers, and the Assistant Officer of Guanghan, Wang Lei, even hung himself upside down at the province gate to remonstrate to the death, but Liu Zhang heeded none of it. On the contrary, he ordered every district to provide for Liu Bei, so that Liu Bei entered Shu as if returning home. Liu Bei reached the north of Jiangzhou and proceeded by the Dianjiang waterway to Fucheng, three hundred and sixty li from Chengdu. That year, Liu Zhang led over thirty thousand horse and foot, with carriages and canopies gleaming brilliantly in the sun, to meet with Liu Bei. The officers and men brought by Liu Bei and Liu Zhang's subordinates came and went among one another, feasting joyfully for over a hundred days. Liu Zhang supplied Liu Bei with two hundred thousand hu of rice, a thousand cavalry mounts, a thousand carriages, and silk floss and brocade, so that he might campaign against Zhang Lu, and only then did they part^[2].

The following year, Liu Bei reached Jiameng, then turned his army southward, and everywhere he went was taken. In the nineteenth year of Jian'an (214), Liu Bei advanced and besieged Chengdu for several dozen days. Within the city there were still thirty thousand elite troops and provisions to last a year, and the officials and people all wished to fight to the death. Yet Liu Zhang said, "My father and I have been in Yi Province for over twenty years, with no kindness or favor bestowed upon the people. The people have fought for three years, their bones strewn across the wilds, all because of me—how can my heart be at peace!" He thereupon opened the city and surrendered, and not one of his ministers failed to weep^[3].

Liu Bei moved Liu Zhang to Gong'an in Nan Commandery and returned to him all his goods and the General Who Spreads Awe seal-cord that he had formerly worn. Later Sun Quan killed Guan Yu and seized Jing Province, and appointed Liu Zhang Governor of Yi Province, garrisoning Zigui. After Liu Zhang died, Yong Kai, a powerful chieftain of Nanzhong, occupied Yi Commandery in rebellion and attached himself to Eastern Wu. Sun Quan further appointed Liu Zhang's son Liu Chan Inspector of Yi Province, garrisoning the border of Jiao and Yi provinces. After Chancellor Zhuge Liang pacified Nanzhong, Liu Chan returned to Eastern Wu and served as Imperial Counselor-in-Chief^[4].

In the Novel（演中）

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Zhang is shaped into a generous and benevolent but irresolute and shortsighted ruler, whose ultimate defeat is attributed more to his own character weaknesses and his credulous trust in Liu Bei^[5]. The novel opens by accounting for Liu Zhang's origins—he was a son of Liu Yan and a descendant of Prince Gong of Lu of Han—and mentions that he had once killed Zhang Lu's mother and younger brother, thereby becoming enemies with Zhang Lu^[5].

In the novel, Liu Zhang heeded Zhang Song's advice and sent Zhang Song to Xu, attempting to persuade Cao Cao to attack Zhang Lu. However, Zhang Song was treated coldly at Cao Cao's court and turned instead to Liu Bei^[6]. Upon his return, Zhang Song strongly recommended Liu Bei to Liu Zhang, calling him "benevolent, generous, and possessed of the bearing of an elder," and advised Liu Zhang to ally with Liu Bei against Cao Cao and Zhang Lu^[7].

Liu Zhang's advisers Huang Quan and Wang Lei repeatedly remonstrated earnestly, pointing out that Liu Bei "treats others generously, and his softness can overcome hardness; no hero is his match," and that to bring him into Shu would be to invite the danger of "welcoming a tiger at the gate"^[8]. Wang Lei even remonstrated to the death, hanging himself upside down at the province gate, and later dashed himself to the ground, in order to stop Liu Zhang from welcoming Liu Bei into Shu^[9]. Yet Liu Zhang stubbornly went his own way, believing that Liu Bei, as a kinsman of the same clan, would not harm him, and turned a deaf ear to loyal counsel^[10].

After Liu Bei entered Shu, the novel further depicts Liu Zhang's generosity and dullness. When they met at Fucheng, Liu Zhang firmly believed in Liu Bei's display of benevolence and righteousness, and even bestowed his own green robe and gold upon Zhang Song to commend his "deep planning and far-reaching foresight"^[11]. When his subordinates Liu Gui, Leng Bao, and other generals pointed out that Liu Bei was "soft on the outside but hard within, his heart not to be fathomed," Liu Zhang still insisted, "How could my elder brother harbor a divided heart!"^[11].

When Liu Bei attacked Luocheng, Liu Zhang's Adviser Zheng Du offered a plan, proposing to fortify the defenses and clear the countryside, moving the people west of the Fu River and burning the provisions to trap and starve out Liu Bei. But Liu Zhang refused this stratagem on the grounds that "I have heard of resisting the enemy to bring peace to the people, but never of moving the people to prepare against the enemy"—consistent with the historical record, though the novel places greater emphasis on his "benevolent and righteous" side^[12].

Finally, when Ma Chao's troops reached the city walls and urged Liu Zhang to surrender, Liu Zhang—facing a situation in which the city still had over thirty thousand troops and provisions to last a year—nonetheless decided to open the city and surrender, on the grounds that "My father and I have been in Shu for over twenty years, with no kindness or favor bestowed upon the people; we have fought for three years, flesh and blood discarded in the wilds—all my fault. How can my heart be at peace? Better to surrender to bring peace to the people"^[13]. This episode further reinforces Liu Zhang's character traits of "warm benevolence" and "generous gentleness," and explains why he chose to give up even while possessing a certain capacity to resist.

Key Relationships

* Liu Bei (betrayed_by): Because Liu Zhang trusted Zhang Song's words, he brought Liu Bei into Shu to oppose Zhang Lu, but in the end was dispossessed by Liu Bei. The historical record says Liu Zhang supplied Liu Bei with abundant goods and troops so that he might campaign against Zhang Lu, not knowing that Liu Bei was in fact "lavishing kindness and favor to win men's hearts"^[14]. In the Romance, Liu Zhang's trust in Liu Bei and his deeds of benevolence and righteousness ultimately became the fundamental cause of his being dispossessed of his estate^[15].
* Cao Wei (serves): In history, Liu Zhang once showed goodwill to Cao Cao, sending envoys to pay respects and present tribute, and Cao Cao also promoted his office^[2]. After Liu Bei seized Shu, Liu Zhang was moved to Gong'an. Later, when Sun Quan killed Guan Yu and took Jing Province, he made Liu Zhang Governor of Yi Province, garrisoning Zigui; thereafter Liu Zhang was within the sphere of Eastern Wu's power and had no further direct subordinate relationship with Cao Wei. In the Romance, Zhang Song once went to Xu, but Cao Cao treated him with no courtesy, and upon his return Zhang Song urged Liu Zhang to break off relations with Cao Cao^[6].
* Eastern Wu (serves): In history, after Liu Bei seized Shu, Liu Zhang was moved to Gong'an in Nan Commandery. After Sun Quan killed Guan Yu and took Jing Province, he appointed Liu Zhang Governor of Yi Province, garrisoning Zigui. After Liu Zhang died, Sun Quan further appointed his son Liu Chan Inspector of Yi Province^[4].
* Liu Xun (parent_of): Liu Zhang's eldest son, who together with Zhang Ren defended Luocheng and was breached by Liu Bei^[16]. After Liu Bei secured Shu, Liu Xun was appointed Gentleman of the Household in Charge of Imperial Carriages^[4].
* Zhang Song: Liu Zhang's Assistant Officer with Separate Mandate; the historical record says that because he was treated coldly at Cao Cao's court, upon his return he urged Liu Zhang to break off relations with Cao Cao and strongly recommended bringing Liu Bei into Shu^[2]. In the Romance, Zhang Song is portrayed as a strategist who, unrecognized despite his talent because of his ugly appearance, finally betrayed Liu Zhang and went over to Liu Bei^[6].
* Fa Zheng: Liu Zhang's strategist; the historical record says he was on good terms with Zhang Song. Because he was not given real responsibility under Liu Zhang, he was later recommended by Zhang Song to serve as the envoy welcoming Liu Bei into Shu, and secretly presented Liu Bei with a plan to seize Shu^[1]. In the Romance, Fa Zheng, together with Zhang Song, urged Liu Zhang to welcome Liu Bei, and after Liu Bei entered Shu became his important strategist.
* Huang Quan: Liu Zhang's Registrar; the historical record says he set forth the dangers to Liu Zhang and opposed bringing Liu Bei into Shu^[2]. In the Romance, Huang Quan repeatedly remonstrated earnestly with Liu Zhang, even gripping Liu Zhang's robe in his mouth and pleading to the death, but Liu Zhang would not listen^[17].
* Wang Lei: Liu Zhang's Assistant Officer; the historical record says he once hung himself upside down at the province gate to remonstrate to the death, opposing Liu Zhang's bringing Liu Bei into Shu^[2]. In the Romance, Wang Lei even dashed himself to the ground to demonstrate his loyalty and remonstrance^[9] (unique to the Romance).

Signature Scenes

* Inviting the Wolf into the House: Sending Fa Zheng to Welcome Liu Bei into Shu: This was the most crucial decision of Liu Zhang's life. The historical record says Liu Zhang trusted Zhang Song's words, believing that Liu Bei, as a member of the royal clan, could be allied with, and so sent Fa Zheng to welcome Liu Bei into Shu in hopes of jointly opposing Zhang Lu^[2]. In the Romance, the earnest remonstrances of loyal ministers like Huang Quan and Wang Lei further set off Liu Zhang's foolishness and his credulous trust in Liu Bei, ultimately leading to the change of masters over Yi Province^[10].
* The Meeting at Fucheng, Feasting for a Hundred Days: Liu Zhang and Liu Bei met at Fucheng, their meeting most cordial, and they feasted joyfully for over a hundred days. Liu Zhang supplied Liu Bei with abundant goods and troops so that he might campaign against Zhang Lu^[2]. In the Romance, at this meeting Liu Zhang firmly believed in Liu Bei's benevolence and righteousness, and even bestowed his own green robe and gold upon Zhang Song, paying no heed at all to his subordinates' misgivings^[11].
* Refusing Zheng Du's Plan to Fortify and Clear the Countryside: When Liu Bei attacked Luocheng, Zheng Du offered the plan of fortifying the defenses and clearing the countryside to trap and starve out Liu Bei. However, Liu Zhang refused this stratagem on the grounds that "I have heard of resisting the enemy to bring peace to the people, but never of moving the people to avoid the enemy"^[12]. This scene appears in both the historical sources and the Romance, highlighting Liu Zhang's benevolent, gentle, but indecisive character.
* Opening the City to Surrender, Unwilling to See the People Suffer: With Chengdu besieged for several dozen days, and the city still possessing elite troops and provisions to spare, Liu Zhang nonetheless opened the city and surrendered, on the grounds that "My father and I have been in the province for over twenty years, with no kindness or favor bestowed upon the people. The people have fought for three years, their flesh strewn across the wilds, because of me—how can my heart be at peace!"^[3]. In the Romance, Liu Zhang even declares outright, "Better to surrender to bring peace to the people," attributing his defeat to his failure to bestow kindness upon the people, displaying his side of generous gentleness^[13].
* Wang Lei Hangs Himself Upside Down at the Province Gate to Remonstrate: In the Romance, to stop Liu Zhang from welcoming Liu Bei into Shu, Wang Lei once hung himself upside down at the province gate, and later dashed himself to the ground, remonstrating to the death^[9] (unique to the Romance). This scene greatly reinforces Liu Zhang's stubbornness and his disregard for loyal counsel, and serves as a foreshadowing of his tragic fate.