169 Facts About Liu Bei

Liu Bei, courtesy name Xuande, was a Chinese warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who later became the founding emperor of Shu Han, one of the Three Kingdoms of China.

Liu Bei overcame a number of setbacks to carve out his own realm, which at its peak spanned present-day Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Hunan, and parts of Hubei, Yunnan, and Gansu.

Culturally, due to the popularity of the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei is widely regarded as the ideal benevolent and humane ruler who cared for his people and selected good advisers for his government.

Liu Bei's fictional counterpart in the novel was a salutary example of a ruler who adhered to the Confucian set of moral values, such as loyalty and compassion.

Liu Bei was a brilliant politician and leader whose skill was a remarkable demonstration of "Confucian in appearance but Legalist in substance".

Liu Bei was a descendant of Liu Sheng, who was the ninth son of Emperor Jing and the first King of Zhongshan in Han dynasty.

However, Pei Songzhi's fifth-century commentary, based on the Dianlue, said that Liu Bei was a descendant of the Marquis of Linyi.

Since Gongsun Zan was older, Liu Bei treated him as an elder brother.

The adolescent Liu Bei was said to be unenthusiastic about studying.

Liu Bei enjoyed associating with braves, and in his youth he fought and hung out with them.

Liu Bei was charismatic and all the heroic youth bonded with him.

Around this time, two very wealthy great horse merchants from Zhongshan, Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang, met Liu Bei while passing through Zhuo commandery selling horses.

Liu Bei saw what was happening and became much more politically aware.

Liu Bei called for the assembly of a militia to help government forces suppress the rebellion, rallying a group of loyal followers, including among them Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Jian Yong.

Liu Bei led his militia to join the local government forces led by Colonel Zou Jing, participating in battles against the rebels with distinction.

Later, the Han central government decreed that any official who had gained a post as a reward for military contributions was to be dismissed, yet Liu Bei doubted that he would be dismissed.

Liu Bei undid his ribbon of office and hung it on the inspector's neck, whereupon he had the inspector lashed more than one hundred times with a bamboo stave.

Liu Bei wanted to kill the inspector, but was dissuaded by the latter's pleas for mercy.

Liu Bei then travelled south with his followers to join another militia.

Around this time, the General-in-Chief He Jin sent the Chief Commandant Guanqiu Yi to Danyang with the mission to recruit soldiers and Liu Bei joined him in fighting the Yellow Turbans remnants in Xu Province.

Liu Bei joined him as they returned to Cao Cao's ancestral home in Pei State, which is present-day Bozhou, Anhui.

Therefore, Liu Bei raised an army and joined the Campaign against Dong Zhuo.

Gongsun Zan nominated Liu Bei to be the Chancellor of Pingyuan State and sent him to join his subordinate Tian Kai in fighting Yuan Shao's eldest son Yuan Tan in Qing Province.

Liu Bei didn't realize the assassin's intention, treating him so generously that the assassin could not bring himself to kill him.

Such was the extent to which Liu Bei had won the hearts of the people.

Liu Bei guarded against such bandits while carrying out generous economic measures.

Liu Bei had elites and commoners sit on the same mat and eat from the same pot.

Liu Bei felt no cause to be disdainful, so people attached themselves to him in droves.

Liu Bei sent Taishi Ci to ask for reinforcement from Liu Bei.

Tian Kai and Liu Bei led their armies to support Tao Qian.

Liu Bei himself led over 5,000 soldiers with mixed barbarian cavalry from the Wuhuan of You province.

Liu Bei led his army to Xiaopei, then proceeded to raise troops around the area, and actively built-up connections with influential clans and people of the region.

Liu Bei is not the ruler to bring order out of the chaos.

Liu Bei is known as a man of trust and righteousness.

Liu Bei eventually had no choice but to send an official request to surrender to Lu Bu who accepted his surrender and ordered Liu Bei to return to the seat of Xu and to combine their strength to defeat Yuan Shu.

Liu Bei then prepared the regional inspector's chariot and returned his family to the bank of the Si River as an act of good faith.

Lu Bu, fearing that Yuan Shu would turn on him after eliminating Liu Bei obstructed Yuan Shu's attempts to destroy Liu Bei.

Liu Bei was alarmed and maneuvered to distance himself sending a messenger to Lu Bu with a request to be relocated to Xiaopei.

Lu Bu agreed, and Liu Bei was able to safely arrive at Xiaopei where he immediately raised 10 000 troops.

Liu Bei was defeated and fled to the imperial capital, Xuchang, where he took shelter under Cao Cao, the warlord who had been controlling the Han central government since he had brought the figurehead Emperor Xian of Han to Xuchang in 196.

Cao Cao welcomed Liu Bei warmly, used Emperor Xian's name to appoint him as the Governor of Yu Province and put him in command of some troops.

Liu Bei then returned to the Eastern front to keep an eye on Lu Bu.

Lu Bu ordered his soldiers to gather gold and money to buy some military hores however along the way Liu Bei led his troops and managed to capture the gold and money.

Liu Bei fled to Xuchang to take shelter under Cao Cao who brought Liu Bei along as he personally led an army to attack Lu Bu in Xu Province.

Later that year, the combined forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei defeated Lu Bu at the Battle of Xiapi; Lu Bu was captured and executed after his defeat.

Liu Bei recovered his wife and children and followed Cao Cao back to Xu.

Cao Cao sent a memorial to have Liu Bei promoted as General Of The Left.

Cao Cao's advisors Cheng Yu and Guo Jia urged Cao Cao to have Liu Bei killed however Cao Cao refused to follow their advice because he feared that in doing so he would lose the respect of the heroes and scholars in the realm.

However, at the same time, Liu Bei was anxious to leave Xuchang and be free of Cao Cao's control.

Liu Bei then moved to Xiaopei while leaving Guan Yu in charge of Xu Province's capital, Xiapi.

Liu Bei then sent his adviser Sun Qian to meet Yuan Shao and request that he launch an immediate attack on Cao Cao but Yuan Shao refused.

Liu Bei survived the purge because he was not in Xuchang.

Liu Bei fortified many key crossing points along the south banks of the Yellow River and set up a main camp at Guandu.

Liu Bei first went to Qing province which was under Yuan Tan's supervision.

Liu Bei had formerly recommended Yuan Tan as a maocai, therefore they had good relations.

Liu Bei stayed a month and a few days; soon his soldiers regrouped under him.

Liu Bei participated in the Battle of Yan Ford alongside Yuan Shao's general Wen Chou against Cao Cao's forces, but they suffered a defeat and Wen Chou was killed in battle.

When Liu Bei arrived, many among the commandery joined and supported him.

Liu Bei then returned to Yuan Shao and urged him to ally with Liu Biao, the Governor of Jing Province.

Liu Bei sent Mi Zhu and Sun Qian as ambassadors to Liu Biao.

Liu Bei gave him some troops and sent him to station at Xinye County in northern Jing Province to guard against Cao Cao's advances.

In 202, Liu Biao ordered Liu Bei to fend off Xiahou Dun, Yu Jin and the other officers at Bowang.

Liu Bei stayed in Jing Province for about seven years.

When he returned to his seat, Liu Bei Biao was surprised and asked him about it.

One day, had asked Liu Bei to join him for a banquet.

Liu Bei saw through this, pretended to go to the toilet and nimbly escaped.

Liu Bei's horse was named Dilu, and he quickly rode him.

Liu Bei was drowning and couldn't get away from the river.

In 207, Cao Cao planned a campaign to conquer the Wuhuan in the north but was apprehensive that Liu Biao might attack his base, however he was assured by Guo Jia that Liu Biao would not do so for fear of Liu Bei being more powerful than he was.

Cao Cao agreed, and Guo Jia's point was proven later, when Liu Biao refused to attack Xu when Liu Bei advised him to do so.

Liu Bei asked Sima Hui, a revered recluse, about scholars.

Liu Bei went to see Zhuge Liang and finally had an audience with him after three visits.

Liu Bei was greatly pleased and became a closer colleague of Zhuge Liang's each day saying that he felt like a fish that has found water.

Liu Bei led his troops away and abandoned Fancheng, leading civilians and his followers on an exodus to the south.

Around this time, Liu Bei took his leave at Liu Biao's grave.

Liu Bei sent Guan Yu ahead to wait for him in Jiangling, where abundant supplies and an arsenal were stored, with Jing Province's fleet.

When he remembered how Liu Bei Biao had treated him, his sentiments touched all the soldiers among the army.

Afraid that Liu Bei might reach Jiangling County which had military stores before he did, Cao Cao led his cavalry on a pursuit to Xiangyang.

When he learned that Liu Bei had already passed through there, he urged his 5000 elite troops to move as quickly as possible.

Liu Bei made it to the Han Ford where he met with Guan Yu's fleet, they crossed the Mian River to Jiangxia Commandery and the Yangtze River to Xiakou, where they took shelter with Liu Qi, Liu Biao's elder son and met up with over 10,000 followers.

Liu Bei Qi objected to his brother's surrender to Cao Cao and was able to maintain Jiangxia Commandery and Xiakou allowing more of his father's former subordinates to escape from Cao Cao.

When Liu Bei was still at Dangyang, Lu Su met him, discussed with him of the situation in the empire and hinted that he should ally with the warlord Sun Quan against Cao Cao.

Liu Bei answered that he and Wu Ju the Administrator of Cangwu Commandery were friends and that he desired to join him.

Liu Bei holds the six commanderies, his troops trained and the supplies abundant.

Liu Bei has no talents and command a distant commandery.

Liu Bei followed Lu Su's plan and led his army to Fankou.

Liu Bei asked him if it wasn't Cao Cao's armies from Xu and Qing provinces.

Liu Bei told to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei that after they make contact and established the alliance, It wouldn't be fair to them to refuse their invitation then joined Zhou Yu via a single boat.

Liu Bei told Zhou Yu that they needed a plan to defeat Cao Cao and asked about the number of troops he had.

Zhou Yu answered 30 000 which Liu Bei felt was not enough.

Liu Bei felt disconcerted and although he knew of Zhou Yu's talent didn't believe he would defeat Cao Cao.

Liu Bei put himself in a position of certain defeat and reported his predicament to Wu.

Liu Bei set up his base at Gong'an County and continued to strengthen his forces.

Liu Bei established his camp at Youjiangkou latter called Gong'an County.

Rather than conquer the southern commanderies, Liu Bei believed that the territory given to him was too small to secure his people and therefore received them from Sun Quan.

When Liu Qi died in 209 shortly after Liu Bei secured his position in southern Jing Province.

All of Liu Qi's followers wanted for Liu Bei to succeed him as the new Inspector of Jing Province with his administrative seat at Gongan which he accepted.

Sun Quan sent an envoy to Liu Bei and expressed his desire for both of them to conquer Yi province.

Liu Bei served as Cao Cao's eyes and ears and wants to conquer Yi province.

Liu Bei's officers thought Liu Bei should conquer this land alone since Sun Quan couldn't extend his land beyond Jing province.

However, Liu Bei blocked this army and would not allow them to pass.

When Liu Bei met them, he welcomed them warmly and treated them with kindness.

Liu Bei used this opportunity to learn more about Yi province, mostly the weaponry, stores, and number of horses, as well as other strategic locations and their distances to each other.

Liu Zhang invited Liu Bei to join him in Yi Province to capture Hanzhong Commandery before Cao Cao did.

Liu Bei led an expedition force of several ten thousand soldiers into Yi Province after leaving behind Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun to guard Jing Province.

However, Liu Bei thought that the plan was too hasty for such an important act.

Liu Zhang then sent a proposition to have Liu Bei be made Commander in Chief and colonel director of the retainers.

Liu Bei proposed Liu Zhang to be General Who Subdues The West and Gouvernor of Yi province.

Liu Bei Zhang provided him with more troops under his command and have him supervised the White River Army.

Liu Bei was kind and virtuous and so he soon gained the hearts of the masses.

Liu Bei Zhang gave him only 4,000 troops and half the supplies he requested.

My men are tired and cannot enjoy a peaceful life, while Liu Bei Zhang amasses wealth in his palaces but reward merits feebly.

Liu Bei sent a letter to him and Fa Zheng where he reminded them not to give up and leave now that success is near.

Liu Bei took command of Yang Huai's and Gao Pei's troops afterwards.

Liu Bei's army was getting stronger, and he sent commanders to pacify the other prefectures.

Previously, when Liu Bei launched his campaign against Liu Zhang; Zhao Jian a Wei official who served as a clerk in the chancellor's office believed Liu Bei would fall mentioning his past failures and Yi's natural defences.

Liu Bei is honorable, talented in planning and worked as his chancellor.

However, Liu Zhang surrendered to Liu Bei after stating that he did not wish to see further bloodshed.

Liu Bei then succeeded Liu Zhang as the Governor of Yi Province and relocated him to Gong'an County in Jing Province.

The Yi province was rich and prosper, Liu Bei had a banquet prepared for the officers and soldiers.

Liu Bei used the gold and silver to repay them and distributed fabrics and grain to the common people.

Liu Bei married Wu Yi's sister and went on numerous public tours to consolidate his control on the newly conquered Yi Province.

Liu Bei promoted Zhuge Liang to an office that granted him control over all affairs of state and appointed Dong Liu Bei as Zhuge Liang's deputy.

Liu Bei personally went to Gong'an County with 50 000 soldiers while Guan Yu led 30,000 men to Yiyang County.

When war was about to break out, Liu Bei received news that Cao Cao was planning to attack Hanzhong Commandery after Zhang Lu fled to Baxi.

Liu Bei became worried about Cao Cao seizing Hanzhong Commandery.

Liu Bei led his army back to Ba commandery and had Huang Quan sent to lead troops to meet Zhang Lu, however he already had surrendered to Cao Cao.

Meanwhile, Liu Bei appointed Zhang Fei as the Administrator of Baxi Commandery and ordered him to take over the region.

In 217, Fa Zheng pointed out the strategic necessities of seizing Hanzhong Commandery and advised Liu Bei to drive Cao Cao's force out of the area.

Liu Bei sent Zhang Fei, Ma Chao and others to capture Wudu Commandery, while he assembled an army and advanced to Yangping Pass.

Liu Bei, engaged Xiahou Yuan at Yangping Pass, tried to cut the enemy's supply route by sending his general Chen Shi to Mamingge, but was routed by Xiahou Yuan's subordinate, Xu Huang.

Liu Bei then pressed on Zhang He at Guangshi but failed to achieve any success; at the same time, Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He were not able to hinder Liu Bei from mobilising forces around the area.

Liu Bei led the main army to the south of the Mian River and ordered Huang Zhong to set up camps on Mount Dingjun, where Xiahou Yuan's encampment in the valley below could be easily monitored.

One night, Liu Bei sent 10,000 troops to attack Zhang He in Guangshi and set fire to Xiahou Yuan's barricades.

Liu Bei sent Huang Zhong to attack the weakened enemy from above.

Liu Bei knew Cao Cao would come yet he knew he would hold Hanzhong.

Liu Bei secured all strategic points at the exit of the passes linking Chang'an and Hanzhong Commandery while Cao Cao was approaching via Xie Valley.

Liu Bei faced Cao Cao for several months but never engaged the latter in battle, effectively forcing Cao to retreat as many of his soldiers started to desert.

Liu Bei led his main army to Nanzheng County and sent Meng Da and Liu Feng to capture Fangling and Shangyong commanderies from Shen Dan.

In 219, after Liu Bei conquered Hanzhong Commandery, his subjects urged him to declare himself a vassal king too to challenge Cao Cao, who was enfeoffed as a vassal king by Emperor Xian in 219.

Liu Bei thus declared himself "King of Hanzhong" and set up his headquarters in Chengdu, the capital of Yi Province.

Liu Bei designated his son Liu Shan as his heir apparent.

Liu Bei gave the emperor the posthumous title of The Filial Commiserating Emperor.

In 221, Liu Bei declared himself emperor too and established the state of Shu Han; he claimed that his intention was to keep the Han dynasty's lineage alive.

Liu Bei changed the reign year and made Zhuge Liang his chancellor and Xu Jing his minister over the masses.

Liu Bei established a bureaucracy and an ancestral temple where he offered sacrifices to Emperor Gao.

Liu Bei designated Lady Wu as his empress and made his son Liu Shan crown prince.

Liu Bei managed to escape overnight to Baidicheng by ordering his men to discard their armour and set them aflame to form a fire blockade.

Liu Bei retreated to Yufu County, which he renamed "Yong'an".

Sun Quan heard that Liu Bei was in Baidi and sent an envoy for peace, Liu Bei accepted and had Zhong Wei sent in response.

When Huang Yuan, the administrator of Hanjia, heard that Liu Bei was ill, he rebelled because he feared that after his death, his bad relationship with Zhuge Liang would bring him problems.

Liu Bei's body was brought back to Chengdu and entombed at Huiling four months later.

Liu Bei was not only competing for advantage but simply sought thereby to avoid harm.

Liu Bei inherited the legacy of the Han dynasty and split the land into three with Wu and Wei.

Liu Bei should have supported his faith in the fallen dynasty in order to demonstrate his intentions to all.

Liu Bei "entrusted the state and his son to Zhuge Liang without ambivalence".

Liu Bei must be one of the most over-rated heroes in history.

Liu Bei was a typical condottiere, primarily concerned with the loyalty of his followers and showing limited interest in a long-term stable future.

Liu Bei was remarkably successful, for he was an effective fighting general and had several good advisers and officers, but the basics of his survival and that of his state was his isolation in the west and the fortunate series of chances which had led him there.

From his earliest days, Liu Bei had changed his coat and his allegiance at any time it seemed to suit, and his take-over of Yi Province was a betrayal of the kinsman who had sought his aid.

From humble background with an erratic record, Liu Bei was a man of remarkable character: certainly courageous, surely un-trustworthy to superiors and rivals, but clearly loyal to his subordinates; in many respects an ideal hero for an age of individuals.

Furthermore, the novel emphasises that Liu Bei was related, however distantly, to the imperial family of the Han dynasty, thus favouring another argument for the legitimacy of Liu Bei's reign.

Liu Bei wields a pair of double edged swords called shuang gu jian.

Liu Bei is worshipped as the patron of shoemakers in Chengdu.

Liu Bei is featured as a playable character in all instalments of Koei's video game series Dynasty Warriors, as well as Warriors Orochi, a crossover between Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors.

Liu Bei appears in other Koei video game series such as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series and Kessen II.

Liu Bei is the protagonist in Destiny of an Emperor, a RPG on the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Liu Bei's armour is available in the MMORPG MapleStory.

Liu Bei is featured in the sequel to Level-5's game and anime Inazuma Eleven GO, Chrono Stone, as well as Cao Cao, Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.