新巴又教育-用英语说历史-风云人物-诸葛亮

Zhuge Liang  (181-234), courtesy name Zhuge Kongming, style Wolong, was a high minister and advisor to Liu Bei, founder of the Shu-Han dynasty  (221-263) during the Three Kingdoms period  (220-280). He came from Langya  (modern Yinan, Shandong) from an eminent family. At the end of the Later Han period, his uncle Zhuge Xuan  became a follower of the warlord Liu Biao  in the province of Jingzhou  (approx. modern Hubei), where Zhuge Liang settled down in the town of Longzhong  (modern Xiangfan, Hubei) as a "hidden scholar" engaging in agriculture instead of dedicating himself to a state office. 

Liu Bei once hearing of Zhuge Liang's competence in political matters, tried to hire him, but Zhuge Liang only accepted during Liu Bei's third visit. His first political suggestion was that Liu Bei might ally with Sun Quan, the warlord controlling the lower Yangtze region, in order to ward off the invasion of the northern warlord Cao Cao. Towards the south, Liu Bei was to make peace with the native tribes of the Yi  and Yue, and the Sichuan basin, the province of Yizhou, was basically to serve as his stronghold, from which he might be able to conquer the north of China. 

In 208, Zhuge Liang traveled to the court of Sun Quan to convince his advisors Zhou Yu  and Lu Su  of the advantages of a southern alliance. Sun Quan agreed, and Cao Cao could be defeated in the decisive battle of the Red Cliff (Chibi, modern Puqi, Hubei). Zhuge Liang was made leader of the court gentlemen commanding the army (junshi zhonglangjiang ), a position he used to secure the commanderies in the province of Jingzhou. He then took over the command of Liu Bei's army that was to invade Sichuan. Zhuge Liang conquered the capital Chengdu and crushed the warlord Liu Zhang. For this success he was awarded with the title of General commanding the army (junshi jiangjun ) and virtually became Liu Bei's chief minister, taking over the civilian government when Liu Bei was campaigning. When Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor (known as Emperor Zhaolie, r. 221-222) in 221, Zhuge Liang was appointed Counsellor-in-chief (chengxiang ). Liu Bei soon fell sick and entrusted his under-age son Liu Shan (sic!)  to the loyal Counsellor. Zhuge Liang was also appointed regional governor (mu ) of the province of Yizhou and was given the title of Marquis of Wuxiang. Liu Shan (known as the Last Ruler, Houzhu, r. 223-263) proved to be a very weak persons, so that Zhuge Liang was in fact the regent of the empire of Shu-Han.

As the most powerful person in the empire, Zhuge Liang did nonetheless rely on both his own retinue he had brought with him from Jingzhou, as well as on officials that formerly were subjects of the warlord Liu Zhang. He also tried to win over the gentry of Yizhou. Zhuge Liang hired a lot of competent persons, regardless of their social and economical background, and was thus able to create a very stable and effective administration. The theoretical background of his politics can be called legalist because he tried to make use of laws, rewards and punishment in an objective and just way. It was especially the local elites against which he used harder measures to make them subservient to the new regime of the Shu-Han dynasty. Yet he saw even himself as subject to the objective laws when one military leader, Ma Su, was defeated by the armies of Cao Cao. Zhuge Liang saw the fault with himself as having chosen not the right person, and asked for being demoted in rank and being appointed to a lower office. The emperor, of course, declined this wish.

In 225 Zhuge Liang undertook a campaign against the unruly native tribes of the region of Nanzhong  (modern provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou) and forced them under the rule of the Shu-Han empire by appointing chieftains as local officials.

The alliance with Sun Quan (r. 222-252), ruler of the empire of Wu  (222-280), continued, so that all military campaigns could concentrate on the north. Yet the economical sources of Shu were too weak against the empire of Wei  (220-265) in the north, ruled by Cao Cao's son Cao Pi  (known as emperor Wen, r. 220-226). Shu was defeated in several battles and had soon to give up plans to conquer the north and to revive the Han dynasty. Zhuge Liang died during a campaign. He was posthumously bestowed the title of Marquis Zhongwu.

Zhuge Liang was a military strategist and is credited with the authorship of several military treatises, like Jiangyuan, Bianyi shiliu ce  and Xinshu. His collected writings are the 24 juan "scrolls" long Zhuge Liang ji.

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