Liu Chen

Historical Record

The historical record of Liu Chen is extremely scant; the official Records of the Three Kingdoms contains no independent biography or detailed account of his deeds. His existence is confirmed mainly through the genealogical record of his father Liu Shan—that is, he was the fifth son of the last Shu Han ruler, Liu Shan. Apart from this identity, the histories make no mention of Liu Chen's life, character, words and deeds, or final end. Therefore, from the standpoint of the biographical materials, Liu Chen is a figure with almost no concrete deeds to verify, and his image appears blurry and lacking in detail in the long course of history.

In the Novel

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Chen is given a vivid image and a tragic, heroic end, becoming a symbol of unbending loyalty and valor in the final years of Shu Han. The novel depicts Liu Chen as clever and exceptionally sharp-witted from childhood, in contrast to the cowardice of his brothers^[1]. When the Wei army was at the city walls and the latter ruler Liu Shan was heeding the surrender counsel of Qiao Zhou and others, Liu Chen stepped forth and sternly rebuked Qiao Zhou as a "life-hugging rotten scholar," resolutely opposing surrender. He argued that Shu Han still had tens of thousands of troops and that Jiang Wei's main army was still at Jianmen Pass, so that with a pincer attack from within and without there was still a chance of victory, and that the foundation laid by the late emperor should not be lightly cast aside^[1].

Liu Chen's loyal and ardent feeling overflowed in his words; he kowtowed and wept bitterly, urging that father and son, ruler and subject, fight a last stand with their backs to the city and die together for the altars of state, so as to meet the late emperor below the earth—choosing death over disgrace. Liu Shan, however, would not listen to him, but had him pushed out of the palace gate and decided to sue for surrender to Wei^[1]. Learning that his imperial father had accepted the terms of surrender, Liu Chen, in towering rage, entered the palace bearing his sword. He told his wife, Lady Cui, that he wished to die first so as to meet the late emperor and would not bend his knee to another. Lady Cui, deeply understanding of righteousness, declared her wish to die together with her husband, and was first to dash her head against a pillar and die. Liu Chen then with his own hands killed his three sons, cut off his wife's head, and bore them to the Shrine of Zhaolie. Before the spirit-tablet of the late emperor he wept bitterly, declaring that he had slain his wife and sons to sever all attachment, and then offered up his own death to requite the ancestral foundation, finally cutting his own throat and dying^[2]. Through this series of episodes, the novel shapes the image of a hot-blooded, loyal, and unyielding Prince of Beidi, whose tragic, heroic martyrdom moved the people of Shu to grief when they heard of it, and there are verses praising his loyalty and valor^[2].

Key Relationships

* Liu Shan (parent_of): Liu Chen was the fifth son of the last Shu Han ruler, Liu Shan. In the novel, the relationship between Liu Chen and Liu Shan is filled with dramatic conflict. Liu Chen was loyal and unyielding, firmly advocating resistance, while Liu Shan heeded the words of surrendering ministers and finally chose to capitulate. At the moment of the state's life or death, father and son showed utterly opposite attitudes, and Liu Chen's loyalty and valor set off Liu Shan's cowardice all the more^[1].
* Qiao Zhou (enemy_of): Qiao Zhou was one of the chief ministers who urged Liu Shan to surrender. In the novel, Liu Chen regarded Qiao Zhou as a "life-hugging rotten scholar" and deeply detested his surrender counsel, holding that his reckless meddling in affairs of state made him the chief culprit in the downfall of Shu Han^[1]. The two stood in diametrically opposed positions, a sharp contrast of loyalty against surrender.
* Shu Han (lord_of): As a member of the Shu Han imperial clan, Liu Chen's loyalty to Shu Han was his most central trait. He vowed to defend the foundation of Shu Han to the death, unwilling to see it lightly destroyed, and finally died for his country, displaying his boundless loyalty to the state^[2] (unique to the novel).

Iconic Scenes

* Forcefully remonstrating before the hall, angrily rebuking the surrendering ministers: In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, when Liu Shan and his ministers were discussing the matter of surrender, Liu Chen suddenly emerged from behind the screen, sternly denounced Qiao Zhou for advocating surrender, and forcefully set forth a plan of resistance. With impassioned vehemence he pointed out that Shu Han still had troops, that Jiang Wei's main army could mount a pincer attack from within and without, and that the foundation of the late emperor should not be lightly abandoned. This scene fully displays Liu Chen's hot-blooded spirit and unbending loyalty and valor^[1] (unique to the novel).
* In the Shrine of Zhaolie, slaying wife and sons and cutting his own throat in martyrdom: This is Liu Chen's most striking and tragic scene in the novel. Learning that Liu Shan had surrendered, Liu Chen, in grief and indignation, first took leave of his wife, Lady Cui; moved by his loyalty and righteousness, she was first to dash her head against a pillar and die. Liu Chen then with his own hands killed his three sons, cut off his wife's head, and bore them to the Shrine of Zhaolie. Before the spirit-tablet of the late emperor Liu Bei he wept bitterly, declaring that he had slain his wife and sons to sever all attachment, and then cut his own throat and died, martyring himself for his country. This moment pushes Liu Chen's loyalty and valor to the utmost and becomes the iconic instant of his image^[2] (unique to the novel).