Qin and Han · Official and Strategist

Fa Zheng 法正

Attested AD 196 - AD 214

Passages: 13
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Fa Zheng was an official and Strategist.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 196 建安初
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passage 122
AD 211 to AD 214 迎先主、軍圍雒城
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passages 129, 145

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Descendant of Fa Zhen (法真)
grandfather 祖父 · 2 generations · Through Fa Yan (法衍)
Strongly inferred · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passage 121
Child of Fa Yan (法衍)
father 父
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passage 121

Career and standing

Colonel for Military Deliberation 軍議校尉
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passage 122
Magistrate of Xindu 新都令
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passage 122
maligned as dissolute 謗無行
Slandered · Suffered
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passage 123

Places and affiliations

Polity Yizhou under Liu Zhang 劉璋 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passage 122
AD 196 建安初
At Shu 蜀 · Relation Migrated to
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passage 122
At Xindu 新都 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passage 122

Works and attributed material

Letter · Author · With Liu Zhang (劉璋) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passages 145-165
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passages 130-132, 142

Events and relationships

Entered Shu
AD 196 建安初 · Migration · Migrant · With Meng Da (孟達)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passage 122
Mission to Liu Bei
Diplomacy · Envoy · With Liu Bei (劉備)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passages 127-128
Second mission invite Liu Bei
Diplomacy · Envoy · With Liu Bei (劉備)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passages 129-130
Wrote letter during Luocheng siege
Correspondence · Author · With Liu Zhang (劉璋) · At Luocheng 雒城
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passages 145-165
Relation Client of · Person Liu Zhang (劉璋)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passage 122
Relation Advisor of · Person Liu Bei (劉備)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passages 130, 142

Show 1 more source-backed claim

Relation Fellow townsman of · Person Meng Da (孟達)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 37, passage 122

References in the histories

Search passages

History

13 passages

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 37Volume 37: Book of Shu 7: Biographies of Pang Tong and Fa Zheng · 13 passages

正父衍，字季謀，司徒掾、廷尉左監。〉 Fa Zheng’s father Yan, courtesy Jimou, served as an aide to the Minister over the Masses and as Left Overseer under the Minister of Justice.〉

建安初，天下饑荒，正與同郡孟達俱入蜀依劉璋，久之為新都令，後召署軍議校尉。 Early in Jian’an, famine drove Fa Zheng and fellow townsman Meng Da into Shu under Liu Zhang; years later he became magistrate of Xindu, then acting Colonel for Military Deliberation.

益州別駕張松與正相善，忖璋不足與有為，常竊嘆息。 Provincial Lieutenant Governor Zhang Song befriended Fa Zheng; both concluded Liu Zhang could achieve nothing grand, and Song often groaned in private.

松乃舉正，正辭讓，不得已而往。 Song recommended Fa Zheng, who protested yet finally obeyed.

正既還，為松稱說先主有雄略，密謀協規，原共戴奉，而未有緣。 Back in Shu, Fa Zheng praised Liu Bei’s strategic vision to Song; the two conspired quietly to enthrone him but could find no occasion.

後因璋聞曹公欲遣將征張魯之有懼心也，松遂說璋宜迎先主，使之討魯，復令正銜命。 When Liu Zhang heard Cao Cao might march on Zhang Lu and began to panic, Song argued for inviting Liu Bei to attack Zhang Lu and sent Fa Zheng once more with the summons.

正既宣旨，陰獻策於先主曰：「以明將軍之英才，乘劉牧之懦弱； Once Fa Zheng delivered the edict, he whispered to Liu Bei: “Given your gifts as commander and Liu Zhang’s weakness,

先主聞而惡之，以問正。 Liu Bei heard the scheme with dread and questioned Fa Zheng.

正曰：「終不能用，無可憂也。」 Fa Zheng replied: “Liu Zhang will never use it—you need not worry.”

璋果如正言，謂其群下曰：「吾聞拒敵以安民，未聞動民以避敵也。」 Liu Zhang behaved exactly as Fa Zheng foretold, declaring to his staff: “We resist foes to protect the people—not to harrow the people for fear of foes.”

及軍圍雒城，正箋與璋曰： During the siege of Luocheng, Fa Zheng sent Liu Zhang a letter:

正受性無術，盟好違損，懼左右不明本末，必並歸咎，蒙恥沒身，辱及執事，是以損身於外，不敢反命。 I am no schemer; the covenant between us broke—I worry your attendants misunderstand the tale and will blame us together; I would die shamed and stain your name, so I remain outside and cannot answer your summons.

明將軍本心，正之所知也，實為區區不欲失左將軍之意，而卒至於是者，左右不達英雄從事之道，謂可違信黷誓，而以意氣相致，日月相遷，趨求順耳悅目，隨阿遂指，不圖遠慮為國深計故也。 I understand your heart—you meant no slight to Liu Bei, yet courtiers mistook hero-to-hero dealings: they imagined oaths disposable, traded smooth praise season by season, chased flattery, and never planned for the realm.