Zhuge Liang
Also called: Kongming
Chancellor of Shu Han, who proposed the plan to divide the realm in three to Liu Bei in 207 and died of illness on the Wuzhang Plains in 234 during his northern campaigns
Also called: Kongming
Chancellor of Shu Han, who proposed the plan to divide the realm in three to Liu Bei in 207 and died of illness on the Wuzhang Plains in 234 during his northern campaigns
Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang three times at his thatched cottage in Longzhong to recruit him. Zhuge Liang proposed taking Jing and Yi provinces and allying with Sun Quan against Cao Cao — the plan to divide the realm in three.
The allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei burned the great fleet of Cao Cao, who had come south down the Yangtze, at Red Cliffs. Cao Cao’s bid to unify the realm was stopped, and the three-way division hardened.
A scene from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms in which Zhuge Liang gathers a hundred thousand of Cao Cao’s arrows with straw-laden boats. It is not in the official history.
Liu Bei became emperor at Chengdu, claiming to continue the Han dynasty; historians call his state Shu Han or Shu.
An anecdote from the Han-Jin Chunqiu: Zhuge Liang captured the Nanzhong chief Meng Huo seven times and released him seven times, until he submitted willingly.
After Liu Bei’s death, Zhuge Liang personally led an army south and put down the revolts in Nanzhong. The region’s goods and soldiers later supported the northern expeditions.
On Zhuge Liang’s first northern expedition his vanguard commander Ma Su disobeyed orders and camped on a hilltop; Wei’s Zhang He cut off his water and routed him. Zhuge Liang withdrew and had Ma Su executed.
Shu Han’s chancellor Zhuge Liang submitted his Memorial on Dispatching the Troops and attacked Wei five times. He achieved little and died in camp on the Wuzhang Plains in 234.
An anecdote from the Han-Jin Chunqiu: pursuing the Shu army after Zhuge Liang’s death, Sima Yi pulled back in alarm when it turned to face him.
On his last northern expedition Zhuge Liang camped on the Wuzhang Plains and faced Sima Yi for over a hundred days. Sima Yi refused battle; when Zhuge Liang died of illness, the Shu army withdrew.
Dramatized works (films, dramas, novels) may differ from the historical record.
Founding emperor of Shu Han (Emperor Zhaolie), who claimed descent from the Han house and became emperor at Chengdu in 221
Wei general and minister, who held off Zhuge Liang’s northern campaigns and in 249 overthrew Cao Shuang, putting the Sima clan in control of Wei
Chancellor and King of Wei in the late Han, who controlled Emperor Xian, defeated Yuan Shao at Guandu and unified the north, laying the foundation of Wei
Sun Quan’s commander, who led the Wu forces that defeated Cao Cao at Red Cliffs in 208
Founding emperor of Wu (Emperor Da), who allied with Liu Bei to stop Cao Cao at Red Cliffs and became emperor in 229
Shu Han officer who lost Jieting to Zhang He on Zhuge Liang’s first northern expedition in 228 and was executed for it
Second and last emperor of Shu Han, who surrendered when Wei’s Deng Ai reached Chengdu in 263
From the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the Jin reunification — a century of Wei, Shu and Wu, the age of Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Sun Quan