Cui Liang

Historical Record

Regarding Cui Liang, there is no clear record in the official history the Records of the Three Kingdoms or its related sources. His life, deeds, official appointments, and specific activities in the camps of Cao Wei or Shu Han are nowhere to be found in any verifiable historical material. Therefore, from the standpoint of the historical record, Cui Liang is a figure lacking documentary support.

In the Novel

In Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cui Liang is portrayed as the Cao Wei Grand Administrator of Anding, an important character during Zhuge Liang's First Northern Expedition in the novel. When he first appears, the Shu Han army was besieging Nan'an and Xiahou Mao was trapped; on hearing of it, Cui Liang was "exceedingly alarmed and at once mustered an army of about four thousand to hold the city" ^c:5229. He received a plea for rescue from one Pei Xu, who claimed to be a trusted general of Xiahou Mao, asking the two commanderies of Anding and Tianshui to send troops to the rescue. After examining Xiahou Mao's dispatch, Cui Liang sent Pei Xu on to Tianshui to seek aid ^c:5229.

However, Cui Liang's fortunes soon took a turn. When he led his army toward Nan'an to the rescue, he ran into an ambush by Zhuge Liang. Pursued by Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, Cui Liang saw that "on all four sides were Shu troops, and having no choice, he surrendered" ^c:1529. Zhuge Liang treated Cui Liang "as an honored guest," and made use of his friendship with the Grand Administrator of Nan'an, Yang Ling, to devise a scheme of "tricking the city." Zhuge Liang asked about Cui Liang's relationship with Yang Ling, and Cui Liang stated frankly, "This man is Yang Ling, a clansman younger brother of Yang Fu; he is from a neighboring commandery to mine, and our friendship is very deep" ^c:1529. Kongming then required Cui Liang to enter the city to persuade Yang Ling to seize Xiahou Mao; Cui Liang agreed, and asked Kongming to withdraw his troops twenty li for the time being so that he might enter the city to persuade him ^c:1529.

After Cui Liang entered the city, he conferred with Yang Ling. Yang Ling outwardly agreed to surrender the city, but in fact conspired with Xiahou Mao, planning to turn the scheme around and lure Zhuge Liang to his death. Cui Liang went out of the city to report to Kongming, saying that Yang Ling was willing to surrender the city gate but, having few brave men under him, had been unable to seize Xiahou Mao. Kongming then devised a further scheme, having Cui Liang lead some hundred-odd Shu generals disguised as Anding soldiers into the city, to lie in ambush first beneath Xiahou Mao's residence and act in concert from within and without at midnight ^c:10257. Cui Liang hit upon a plan of his own: he intended, once the Shu generals had been brought into the city, to behead them first, then raise a fire as a signal, luring Zhuge Liang into the city to kill him too ^c:10257.

At dusk, Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, following Kongming's secret plan, came with Cui Liang to the foot of the Nan'an city wall. Cui Liang shot a signal arrow carrying a secret letter into the city, informing Yang Ling that Zhuge Liang had sent two generals into the city and that they must not be alarmed. Yang Ling passed this letter on to Xiahou Mao, and Xiahou Mao thereupon set an ambush, planning to behead Guan Xing and Zhang Bao after they entered the residence, then raise a fire to lure Zhuge Liang to his death ^c:10259. Cui Liang's image in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is that of a fickle character who tries to curry favor with both sides but is ultimately seen through and made use of by Zhuge Liang.

Key Relationships

* Cao Wei: In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cui Liang initially served Cao Wei as Grand Administrator of Anding, an important local official of Cao Wei in the Longxi region. He once tried to relieve the besieged Xiahou Mao ^c:5229. (novel only)
* Yang Ling: Cui Liang and the Grand Administrator of Nan'an, Yang Ling, were grand administrators of neighboring commanderies and "friends of very deep ties" ^c:1529. It was precisely this relationship that Zhuge Liang exploited, sending Cui Liang into the city to persuade Yang Ling and thereby setting his subsequent schemes in motion. In the novel the two men at one point conspired together, attempting in turn to lure Zhuge Liang to his death ^c:10257. (novel only)
* Shu Han: After being besieged by Zhuge Liang's army, Cui Liang chose to surrender to Shu Han ^c:1529. Although his surrender was not sincere but for self-preservation, and he tried to seize the chance to turn against Shu Han, for a time he did become a pawn in Zhuge Liang's schemes. (novel only)
* Xiahou Mao: As a Cao Wei general, Cui Liang once tried to relieve the trapped Xiahou Mao ^c:5229. Later, Cui Liang conspired with Yang Ling, attempting to use Xiahou Mao to lure Zhuge Liang to his death, and Xiahou Mao also took part in this counter-stratagem ^c:10259. (novel only)

Iconic Scenes

Cui Liang's iconic scenes are concentrated in Chapter 92 of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in the battle of wits over the city of Nan'an among him, Zhuge Liang, and Yang Ling. The most central scene is his being seen through and made use of by Zhuge Liang, becoming the key link in the "tricking the city" scheme.

1. The Grand Administrator of Anding's alarm and rescue: When Cui Liang in the city of Anding learned that Nan'an was besieged and Xiahou Mao trapped, he was "exceedingly alarmed," and mustered four thousand troops to hold the city. When he received Pei Xu's plea for rescue, although he examined the dispatch, his inner alarm and misjudgment of the situation laid the groundwork for his subsequent fate ^c:5229. (novel only)

2. Forced surrender and Zhuge Liang's exploitation: On the way to relieve Nan'an, Cui Liang ran into Zhuge Liang's ambush and finally "had no choice but to surrender" ^c:1529. Zhuge Liang did not kill him, but treated him as an honored guest, and cleverly exploited his friendship with Yang Ling, requiring him to enter the city to persuade Yang Ling to seize Xiahou Mao. This scene displays Zhuge Liang's cunning and his insight into the human heart, and foreshadows Cui Liang's fate as a pawn ^c:1529. (novel only)

3. The double-dealing counter-stratagem: After entering the city, Cui Liang conspired with Yang Ling, outwardly agreeing to surrender the city to Zhuge Liang while in fact planning to turn the scheme around and lure Zhuge Liang to his death. When he went out of the city to report to Kongming, he falsely claimed that Yang Ling wished to surrender the city but had too few men; Kongming, going along with it, had him lead the Shu generals into the city. Cui Liang secretly calculated to himself, planning to behead the Shu generals once they were inside, then raise a fire as a signal to lure Kongming to his death ^c:10257. This scene fully displays Cui Liang's craftiness and opportunism, and lays the groundwork for Zhuge Liang's subsequent counter-counter-stratagem ^c:10257. (novel only)

4. Final failure and being seen through: At dusk, Cui Liang brought the Shu generals Guan Xing and Zhang Bao into the city, and through a signal arrow conveyed a secret letter to Yang Ling, informing him that Zhuge Liang had sent two generals into the city. However, Zhuge Liang had long since seen through their scheme and had given Guan Xing and Zhang Bao secret instructions ^c:10259. This scene is the climax of Cui Liang's scheme and also the beginning of his ultimate failure, highlighting Zhuge Liang's superb strategy and Cui Liang's overcleverness. (novel only)