Zhuge Liang of the Three Kingdoms Period
5 min readThis period is remarkable because it is always told through interesting stories and famous characters at the time.
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang or Kongming，the first figure who is highly admired by people，was from Langya in present Shandong province.He was a descendant of aristocratic family but he was orphaned early.He was brought up by his uncle.He worked as a farmer and lived a life of a hermit in a beautiful country cottage in Longzhong，a place not far from Jingzhou，Hubei province.
Zhuge Liang tilled the fields，delighting in reciting the Ode to Liangfu，a poem describing the easy life and calm mood of the ancient Chinese literati.He compared himself to Guan Zhong and Le Yi who were famous advisors in the Warring States period.At the time no one would acknowledge that he had such ability.Only fourmen，who were friendly with Zhuge Liang，regarded that it was indeed as he said.Xu Shu was one of his friend who served as Liu Bei’s advisor.Liu was one of the lords of the later Three Kingdoms.
At the time Liu Bei had just been defeated by Cao Cao and he took shelter under Liu Biao，a general stationed in Jingzhou.Liu Bei was sent to garrison Xin Ye，a small county near Jingzhou.Xu Shu visited him and was greatly admired by him.He said to Liu Bei：“Zhuge Kongming is a slumbering dragon whose ambition and abilities are hidden inside.Don’t you，my general，wish to see him？”The Former Lord said:“Please bring him here.”Xu Shu said:”You can only approach this man yourself，and not impose him to come.You should respectfully visit him.”It is the right way to invite a learned Chinese intellectual to work for you.
Subsequently the Liu Bei went to call on Zhuge Liang and only encountered him on the third visit.Liu Bei asked him quietly:”The Han monarchy is ineffectual，wicked ministers have seized power and the emperor suffers in the elements.I have not made an appraisal of my own moral and material strength，but I wish to propagate the great righteousnessthroughout the Empire.However，I am short of wisdom，which is why I have suffered defeat and fallen to where I am today.
Yet my ambition has not diminished.What strategy do you think I should employ？”
Zhuge Liang replied and analyzed the situation first，and then he planned a strategy.
The conversation in Longzhong is very famous.Zhuge Liang knew the future as well as the present and provided a workable strategy for Liu Bei before going out of his thatched cottage.
Liu Bei sincerely invited Zhuge Liang to go out to helphim in his career and Zhuge agreed.Subsequently he grew closer to Zhuge Liang by the day.His sworn-brothers-Guan Yu，Zhang Fei and others were displeased and Liu Bei explained to them:”With Zhuge Liang，I am like a fish in water.”He regarded Zhuge Liang as his teacher.
Zhuge Liang did help Liu Bei realize his ideal.Theyunited Sun Quan and defeated Cao Cao at Red Cliffs，Chibi on the Changjiang River，burning up his fleet and driving off his huge army north.Cao Cao was nearly caught.
While Sun and Cao Cao were fighting fiercely Zhuge Liang，Liu Bei took Jingzhou easily.Then they went to Yizhou and made Liu Zhang abdicate.Later on Liu Bei claimed the throne there when Cao Pi，the eldest son of Cao Cao deposed the Emperor Xian of Han.Liu Bei’s Kingdom is named as Shu which is the short name of Sichuan Province.Now，the three kingdoms are finally established:Wei is in the north，Wu，in the southeast and Shu，in the southwest，like a tripod standing.
Sun Quan took Jingzhou in sudden attack and caught Guan Yu off guard and killed him afterwards.Since Guan was a sworn-brother of Liu Bei and Jingzhou was a very important military base，the newly claimed Han Emperor took revenge on Wu Kingdom with a huge army，but he was defeated by Lu Xun，a young general of the Wu Kingdom.His army camps were burnt up and he got sick and died in Baidi city，a place near Chongqing，Sichuan Province.In his bedside he begged Zhuge Liang to support his son to continue his reign.
With loyalty，Zhuge Liang，carried out a series of military activities.He caught and then released Meng Huo，the minority king of the south seven times and finally，MengHuo recognized Zhuge Liang’s ability and promised obedience to him.After conquering and appeasing the south，Zhuge Liang turned to attack the Wei in the north six times.However，he was unable to reach his goal，because the north was already very strong.He became sick and died in the last military expedition.
There are many stories in Romance of Three Kingdoms praising Zhuge Liang’s wisdoms and people admire him so much that they even use his name to mean a wise person.Yet，as a human being he has weakness，too.
In the first place，he was too cautious sometimes.Wei Yen，one of the great generals of the Shu Kingdom，had a different opinion about the route to fight Wei.He suggested that they take a short way and make a sudden attack.Zhuge Liang refused to take the suggestion because he thought it dangerous.However，he failed in winning the war，so whether Wei Yan’s tactic was workable or not really needed consideration，“Taking chance”should be considered in wars so long as it was possible and it is worth the value.
Zhuge Liang admitted that his ability to recognize people and，most important，to make use of other people’s advantages，was poorer than Liu Bei，which is true.He sent Ma Su to garrison Jieting Pass and Ma Su lost this crucial military position by self-conceit.This led to a total failure and Zhuge Liang nearly fell in his enemy’s hands.A wellknown Peking Opera tells about the interesting stories in a trilogy:the losing of Jieting，the empty-city trick and the capital punishment of Ma Su.
Zhuge Liang distrusts other’s ability and every one should follow his arrangements exactly.He works out every detail himself.As a result there are so few capable men under him that he can even hardly to choose a vanguard to lead the fighting.
After Zhuge Liang’s death，the Shu Kindom became the weakest of the three，so it was conquered first.In the year 263 AD，it was taken by the Wei Dynasty.
