Qin and Han · Warlord and Official

Liu Zhang 劉璋

Attested AD 194 - AD 219

Passages: 39
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

The translated histories identify Liu Zhang as an administrator, official, royal family member, and warlord. This record brings together 39 passages from 1 chapter across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Liu Zhang	劉璋	Liu Zhang
Courtesy name	Jiyu	季玉	Jiyu
Personal name	Liu Zhang	劉璋
Given	Zhang	璋

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · sanguozhi:031:s0031

Roles

Administrator
Official
Royal Family Member
Warlord

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 十九年 · Western Year: AD 214
Explicit · sanguozhi:031:s0104, sanguozhi:031:s0107
Source Date: Text: 孫權…以璋為益州牧 · Western Year: AD 219
Explicit event contextual date · sanguozhi:031:s0109
Source Date: Text: 建安十六年 · Western Year: AD 211
Explicit event contextual date · sanguozhi:031:s0098, sanguozhi:031:s0099
Source Date: Text: 從獻帝在長安 · Western Year: AD 194
Explicit event contextual date · sanguozhi:031:s0031

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Sibling of Liu Mao (劉瑁)
Kinship Term: elder brother / 兄 · Subject Relative Age: elder · Shared Parentage: full
Child of Liu Yan (刘焉)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son

Kinship Role: sons · Label: various sons / 諸子 · Quantity: various
Explicit · sanguozhi:031:s0058

Career and standing

Label: governor of Yizhou / 益州牧 · Action: appointed
Explicit · sanguozhi:031:s0049
Title: general who shakes might / 振威將軍 · Action: granted
Explicit · sanguozhi:031:s0072
Status: surrendered · Action: entered · Place: Chengdu / 成都 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 十九年 · Western Year: AD 214
Explicit · sanguozhi:031:s0107

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker
Explicit · sanguozhi:031:s0105, sanguozhi:031:s0106

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 31Volume 31: Book of Shu 1: Biographies of the Two Governor Lius · 39 passages

時焉子範為左中郎將，誕治書御史，璋為奉車都尉，皆從獻帝在長安， His sons held court rank in Chang’an with Emperor Xian: Fan as left general of the gentlemen of the palace, Dan as imperial clerk censor, Zhang as commandant for the imperial chariot,

獻帝使璋曉諭焉，焉留璋不遣。 The emperor sent Liu Zhang west to reason with his father; Liu Yan kept him and never let him return.

〈《典略》曰：時璋為奉車都尉，在京師。〈The Compendium notes: Liu Zhang was then commandant for the chariot in Luoyang.

焉託疾召璋，璋自表省焉，焉遂留璋不還。〉 Liu Yan feigned illness to summon him; Zhang asked leave to visit his father—and never came back to court.

州大吏趙韙等貪璋溫仁，共上璋為益州刺史，詔書因以為監軍使者，領益州牧，以韙為征東中郎將，率眾擊劉表。 Senior officers led by Zhao Wei, liking Liu Zhang’s mild temper, jointly nominated him inspector of Yizhou. The court named him military overseer and governor of the province, appointed Zhao Wei general of the east who expands might, and ordered him to campaign against Liu Biao.

〈《英雄記》曰：焉死，子璋代為刺史。〈The Record of Heroes adds: When Liu Yan died, his son Liu Zhang succeeded as inspector.

荊州別駕劉闔，璋將沈彌、婁發、甘寧反，擊璋不勝，走入荊州。 Liu He, chief clerk on Liu Biao’s staff, with Liu Zhang’s officers Shen Mi, Lou Fa, and Gan Ning rose against their master, failed, and bolted into Jingzhou.

璋使趙韙進攻荊州，屯朐䏰。 Liu Zhang dispatched Zhao Wei against Jingzhou; he encamped at Quyi.

璋字季玉，既襲焉位，而張魯稍驕恣，不承順璋，璋殺魯母及弟，遂為讎敵。 Liu Zhang, courtesy Jiyu, inherited his father’s post. Zhang Lu grew insolent and defied him, so Liu Zhang executed Lu’s mother and brother, and the two became bitter enemies.

璋累遣龐羲等攻魯，數為所破。 Liu Zhang sent Pang Xi and others against Zhang Lu time and again, only to be routed repeatedly.

魯部曲多在巴西，故以羲為巴西太守，領兵禦魯。 Most of Zhang Lu’s followers were in Ba Commandery, so Liu Zhang named Pang Xi grand administrator there and put him on the northern front against Lu.

〈《英雄記》曰：龐羲與璋有舊，又免璋諸子於難，故璋厚德羲，以羲為巴西太守，遂專權勢。〉〈The Record of Heroes notes: “Pang Xi was an old friend who had rescued Liu Zhang’s sons from peril, so Liu Zhang heaped favor on him, named him grand administrator of Ba, and let him dominate local power.”〉

後羲與璋情好攜隙，趙韙稱兵內向，眾散見殺，皆由璋明斷少而外言入故也。 Later Pang Xi and Liu Zhang fell out; Zhao Wei turned his army on Chengdu, his troops melted away, and he was killed—all because Liu Zhang seldom judged matters for himself and let rumor rule his court.

〈《英雄記》曰：先是，南陽、三輔人流入益州數万家，收以為兵，名曰東州兵。〈The Record of Heroes explains: Refugees from Nanyang and the Three Adjuncts had poured into Yizhou by the tens of thousands; Liu Zhang drafted them as the so-called Eastern Province host.

璋性寬柔，無威略，東州人侵暴舊民，璋不能禁，政令多闕，益州頗怨。 Liu Zhang was easygoing and lacked firm authority, so the easterners bullied the old families unchecked. Edicts went unenforced, and resentment spread through Yizhou.

趙韙素得人心，璋委任之。 Zhao Wei enjoyed wide popularity, and Liu Zhang leaned on him heavily.

韙因民怨謀叛，乃厚賂荊州請和，陰結州中大姓，與俱起兵，還擊璋。 Playing on popular anger, Zhao Wei plotted revolt: he bought a truce with Jingzhou in secret, won the great clans of the province, and marched on Chengdu against Liu Zhang.

璋馳入成都城守，東州人畏 Liu Zhang raced within Chengdu’s walls. The Eastern Province troops, fearing

咸同心並力助璋，皆殊死戰，遂破反者，進攻韙於江州。 closed ranks behind Liu Zhang and fought to the last man. They shattered the rebels and drove the siege against Zhao Wei at Jiangzhou.

徵璋為卿，不至。〉 it also summoned Liu Zhang to a ministerial post—which he ignored.

璋聞曹公徵荊州，已定漢中，遣河內陰溥致敬於曹公。 When Liu Zhang learned that Cao Cao was moving on Jingzhou and had already taken Hanzhong, he sent Yin Pu of Henei with gifts to court Cao’s favor.

加璋振威將軍，兄瑁平寇將軍。 The court added the title general who shakes might to Liu Zhang and named his elder brother Liu Mao general who pacifies bandits.

璋復遣別駕從事蜀郡張肅送叟兵三百人並雜御物於曹公，曹公拜肅為廣漢太守。 Liu Zhang next dispatched chief clerk Zhang Su of Shu with three hundred veteran troops and assorted tribute. Cao Cao rewarded him with the grand administrator’s seal of Guanghan.

璋復遣別駕張松詣曹公，曹公時已定荊州，走先主，不復存錄松，松以此怨。 He then sent chief clerk Zhang Song. By then Cao Cao had overrun Jingzhou and routed Liu Bei; he treated Zhang Song with cold neglect, and Song nursed a grudge.

松還，疵毀曹公，勸璋自絕， Zhang Song returned to paint Cao Cao in the worst colors and urge Liu Zhang to break with the north,

松歸，乃勸璋自絕。 On his return he pressed Liu Zhang to cut ties with Cao Cao.

因說璋曰：「劉豫州，使君之肺腑，可與交通。」 He went on to tell Liu Zhang: “Liu Bei of Yu Province is your own flesh and blood politically—you should open relations with him.”

璋皆然之，遣法正連好先主，尋又令正及孟達送兵數千助先主守禦，正遂還。 Liu Zhang agreed, sent Fa Zheng to treat with Liu Bei, and shortly had Fa Zheng and Meng Da deliver several thousand soldiers to stiffen Liu Bei’s line. Fa Zheng then came home.

後松復說璋曰：「今州中諸將龐羲、李異等皆恃功驕豪，欲有外意，不得豫州，則敵攻其外，民攻其內，必敗之道也。」 Later Zhang Song warned him again: “Pang Xi, Li Yi, and the other generals swagger on old laurels and eye independence. Without Liu Bei to stiffen your front, enemies will strike from without and your own people from within—that is the road to ruin.”

璋又從之，遣法正請先主。 Liu Zhang consented again and sent Fa Zheng to invite Liu Bei in.

璋主簿黃權陳其利害，從事廣漢王累自倒縣於州門以諫，璋一無所納，敕在所供奉先主，先主入境如歸。 Registrar Huang Quan laid out the risks; Wang Lei of Guanghan hanged himself upside down at the gate of the yamen in protest. Liu Zhang brushed every warning aside, ordered the route provisioned, and Liu Bei crossed the border as though coming home.

璋率步騎三萬馀人，車乘帳幔，精光曜日，往就與會； Liu Zhang rode out with thirty thousand foot and horse, chariots draped in silk that flashed like sunlight, to meet him in person;

先主所將將士，更相之適，歡飲百馀日。 and for more than a hundred days Liu Bei’s officers and Liu Zhang’s hosts feasted together in easy camaraderie.

璋資給先主，使討張魯，然後分別。 Liu Zhang provisioned Liu Bei and sent him to campaign against Zhang Lu, expecting afterward to go their separate ways.

〈《吳書》曰：璋以米二十萬斛，騎千匹，車千乘，繒絮錦帛，以資送劉備。〉〈The Book of Wu records that Liu Zhang sent Liu Bei two hundred thousand hu of grain, a thousand mounts, a thousand wagons, and bales of silk and brocade.〉

璋言：「父子在州二十馀年，無恩德以加百姓。 Liu Zhang said, “My father and I have held this province for more than twenty years, yet we have done little real good for the people.

百姓攻戰三年，肌膏草野者，以璋故也，何心能安！」 For three years they have borne our wars; their bones lie on the fields—for my sake. How could I live with myself in comfort?”

先主遷璋於南郡公安，盡歸其財物及故佩振威將軍印綬。 Liu Bei resettled Liu Zhang at Gong’an in Nan commandery and returned all his goods, together with the old seal and ribbon of the general who shakes might.

孫權殺關羽，取荊州，以璋為益州牧，駐秭歸。 After Sun Quan killed Guan Yu and seized Jingzhou, he named Liu Zhang governor of Yizhou and stationed him at Zigui.