Liu Fan

Historical Record

Liu Fan's father was Liu Yan, Governor of Yi Province. Liu Fan once served as General of the Gentlemen of the Left and was with Emperor Xian at Chang'an. According to the Records of Heroes, Liu Fan's father Liu Yan was summoned by Dong Zhuo but did not answer the summons; Dong Zhuo therefore arrested Liu Fan and his two brothers, three in all, and imprisoned them in chains in the dark dungeon of Meiwu ^c:640. At the time, the General Who Conquers the West, Ma Teng, was stationed at Mei and raised troops in revolt against Dong Zhuo. Liu Fan, together with his father Liu Yan, secretly contacted Ma Teng, planning to send troops jointly to attack Chang'an. However, Liu Fan's scheme was unfortunately leaked, and he was forced to flee to Huaili. Ma Teng's uprising consequently failed, and he withdrew to Liang Province. Liu Fan was killed at this time, and his brother Liu Dan was executed soon after ^c:640. After Liu Fan's death, the Court Gentleman for Consultation, Pang Xi of Henan, who had long been on friendly terms with the Liu Yan family, recruited men to escort Liu Yan's grandsons into Shu.

In the Novel

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Fan is given a greater coloring of political participation and scheming. Together with the Palace Attendant Ma Yu and the Grand Master of Remonstrance Zhong Shao, he acted as an inside agent when the Western Liang Administrator Ma Teng and the Bingzhou Inspector Han Sui led an army of over a hundred thousand to march on Chang'an, proclaiming a campaign to punish the remnants of Dong Zhuo ^c:4753. The novel describes how Ma Teng and Han Sui sent men into Chang'an in advance to ally with Liu Fan and the others, jointly plotting to root out the rebel cliques of Li Jue and Guo Si. The three—Liu Fan and his colleagues—secretly memorialized Emperor Xian, prompting him to enfeoff Ma Teng as General Who Conquers the West and Han Sui as General Who Guards the West, and to issue a secret edict calling on them to join forces in punishing the rebels. When Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji, and Fan Chou learned that the armies of Ma Teng and Han Sui were approaching, they gathered to discuss countermeasures. The strategist Jia Xu proposed a strategy of holding fast without giving battle, waiting for the enemy's provisions to run out so they would withdraw of their own accord. Li Meng and Wang Fang, however, advocated taking the offensive. In the end, Li Jue and Guo Si adopted Jia Xu's advice, sending Zhang Ji and Fan Chou to garrison Mount Zhouzhi, while Li Meng and Wang Fang led troops to meet the enemy. The novel's Liu Fan, as an important member within the court, actively took part in the secret plot to resist Li Jue and Guo Si, forming an inside-outside coordination with Ma Teng and Han Sui; his role played a key part in advancing the plot, though his final fate is not recounted in detail in the novel, departing somewhat from the historical record.

Key Relationships

* Ma Teng: In history, there was a clear alliance between Liu Fan and Ma Teng. Liu Fan, together with his father Liu Yan, conspired with Ma Teng, planning to attack Chang'an jointly and overthrow the remnants of Dong Zhuo ^c:640. However, their plot was ultimately leaked, leading to Liu Fan's failure and death. In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Ma Teng (along with Han Sui) is Liu Fan's external ally; Liu Fan, as an inside agent, plotted with Ma Teng and the others to launch the campaign against Li Jue and Guo Si ^c:4753.
* The Xiliang Army: Liu Fan's relationship with the Xiliang Army is reflected mainly in his alliance with Ma Teng. Ma Teng, as a commander of the Xiliang Army, raised troops against Dong Zhuo, and Liu Fan actively took part, seeking to realize his political ambitions through the strength of the Xiliang Army ^c:640. In the novel, the army of over a hundred thousand led by the Western Liang Administrator Ma Teng and the Bingzhou Inspector Han Sui is the external military force on which Liu Fan and the others, as inside agents, relied (unique to the novel) ^c:4753.
* Liu Yan: Liu Fan's father, Governor of Yi Province. In history, Liu Fan together with his father Liu Yan conspired with Ma Teng ^c:640. Because Liu Yan did not answer Dong Zhuo's summons, Liu Fan and his brothers were imprisoned. Father and son were of one mind in resisting the remnants of Dong Zhuo.

Iconic Scenes

* Conspiring with Ma Teng to attack Chang'an: This was Liu Fan's most crucial action in history. He and his father Liu Yan secretly contacted the General Who Conquers the West, Ma Teng, jointly plotting to send troops to attack Chang'an and seeking to alter the political situation of the time. However, this plot finally failed when it was leaked, and Liu Fan lost his life as a result ^c:640. This event led directly to Liu Fan's tragic end and reflects his determination to resist the remnants of Dong Zhuo.
* Acting as inside agent, secretly memorializing Emperor Xian: In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Fan, together with Ma Yu and Zhong Shao, acted as inside agents for Ma Teng and Han Sui, secretly memorializing Emperor Xian to prompt him to enfeoff Ma Teng and Han Sui as generals and to issue a secret edict to jointly punish the rebel cliques of Li Jue and Guo Si ^c:4753. This scene displays Liu Fan in the novel as a representative of the resisting force within the court, actively taking part in the political struggle and advancing the legitimacy of Ma Teng and Han Sui's mobilization—a key episode shaped in the novel (unique to the novel).
* Imprisoned at Meiwu and killed at Huaili: The histories record that, because his father Liu Yan did not answer Dong Zhuo's summons, Liu Fan and his brothers were shackled in chains in the dark dungeon of Meiwu. Subsequently, after the plot with Ma Teng was leaked, Liu Fan fled to Huaili and was finally killed there ^c:640. This series of events forms a microcosm of Liu Fan's tragic fate, reflecting the caprice and cruelty of an individual's destiny in an age of chaos.

Liu Fan

Historical Record

In the Novel

Key Relationships

Iconic Scenes

2 relationships

Family1

Friends1

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