Zhuge+Liang

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“One can't show high ideals without simple living, one can't have lofty aspirations without a peaceful state of mind.” – Zhuge Liang (Jin). Zhuge Liang, known as the most famous strategist in China during Three Kingdom Dynasty (Wu). He is also projecting as a character in a game series called Dynasty Warriors (Yuan). Although there’s many way to learn about him, but there’s many of his true story is exaggerated or changed by books and games for further entertainment, for example // Dynasty Warrior // and // Three Kingdom Romance //. Yet the truth does surprise us, Zhuge Liang had conducted many military strategies against Cao cao’s large army and won important battle (Hom). From there we can learn that Zhuge Liang prove that strategy was the primary in battle with many of his truth historical fact. =Personal Background=

 media type="youtube" key="zdbRjfS-CyQ" height="336" width="596" align="left"Zhuge Liang was born in 181 AD (the last reign of East Han Dynasty), in the Yang-Tu, Shantung province, China. Historically he was known as a great states man, an engineer, and a military strategist in the Three Kingdoms period (220-280) (Hom). Zhuge Liang was born in such trouble times where he meet large-scale rebellion of the yellow Turbans and the Five pecks of Rice army ravaged the country. Then, when he was 14, Cao Cao invaded Shantung (Wu). His family was forced to flee their home during the slaughter of 400,000 civilians by Cao Cao, the powerful warlord of the Wei state (Hom). This was a time of natural disasters, regional conflicts, and political crisis. There were frequent assassinations and open conflicts between rival ruling groups of the dynastic court (Wu).

 Later he settles in Hubei, he farmed during the day and studied at night (Wu). For a while, he dwelled in a thatched cottage in Longzhong (a district in the Wo Long Gung ridge near a town call ed Xiang Yang), quietly choosing to farm his land in obscurity and making friends extensively with celebrities, while preparing for the time for displaying his strategic knowledge. Later Liu Bei, then a distant descendent of a royal Han house of minor military distinction, heard of Zhuge Liang's great wisdom and came three times to his home, requesting that he become his military advisor (Hom). This trip of Lui Bei's has became a famous moral story known as "Three Visit to LongZhong" to show one can be trust through their act of respect and sincerity (Ancient LongZhong).

 Although Lui Bei's military force was claim to be royal and just to the East Han, he face many challenges and defeats at the battled against Cao Cao's large scale army (Luo). Then that's the time Lui Bei realize he need to develop strategy and plan to survive as one of the three kingdoms as a small nation, which explain why he was so eager to visit Zhuge Liang for help. After a long discussion, Zhuge Liang was touched by Liu Bei’s sincerity as well as Liu Bei’s adoption of his plan for setting up a kingdom in the west and allying with the state of East Wu at the same time. He immediately pledged his service point for Liu Bei. This became a major turning point for Liu Bei. At that time, Zhuge Liang was 26 and Liu Bei was 47 years old. Together they later established the Shu Han kingdom in the province of Sichuan (Hom).

 Though out his life, Zhuge Liang vowed to resist the Wei (the kingdom founded by his antagonist Cao Cao) and maintain the independence of the Shu. Zhuge Liang later served as prime minister of Shu Han for Emperor Liu Bei (161-230 AD) and his son Liu Chan (Hom). In the southwest, the Shu Han had a small population of only a million people. But they had a natural defensive stronghold because travel by boat going upriver pass the Three Gorges area was difficult. The river's passage could be defended against invading armies. Their territory was also very fertile. However, the other sates were bigger and more populous. Dong Wu had about twice the population, and Cao Wei had four times their population (Wu). =Personality Trait=

 During the Three Kingdom era, battles and wars spread through China. Yet, Zhuge Liang was able to stay clam and patient, he dwelled in LongZhong and study for many years (Hom). Later, the arriving of emperor Lui Bei didn’t surprise him, and he’d absent twice when Lui Bei visited him just to test Lui Bei’s sincerity (Ancient LongZhong). Because Zhuge Liang has great ambition, he needs to know how much Lui Bei’s value on him, therefore to see Zhuge Liang’s idea and advise can be fully trust and use by Lui Bei. This is also one of the reasons why he did not join Cao Cao’s nation, the one who is much stronger then Lui Bei, since Zhuge Liang found that he would not seem be as important if he did join Cao Cao’s side. During his study, he has the plans to conquer all three kingdoms, which he told Lui Bei during his third visit (Ancient LongZhong).

 Even though Lui Bei was fully trust on Zhuge Liang for every decision he made, Lui Bei’s generals was not giving all their trust on Zhuge Liang’s advice. Soon, He was able to succe ssfully prove and build his trustworthy by expertly leading the army into the first victory on the battle against Cao Cao’s attack (Luo). Zhuge Liang’s success does surprise everyone, because he usually gets underestimate on his capacity, which explains why people nicknamed him “The Hidden Dragon”(Hom). Zhuge Liang was very influence during his time in Shu Han, after he has became Lui Bei official military advisor; Lui Bei’s empire is expand tremendously through the next 16 years (Luo). Zhuge Liang’s hardworking and studying earn him a whole kingdom that he helps to built on, for that we can say he is very intelligence for every option that he had made.

Years later, Lui Bei was on his the sickbed. While waiting for his death hour, he calls Zhuge Liang to the front and offered him, “I clearly know that my only son wasn’t capable lead this nation. So please, you’ll be the emperor of Shu Han after my death ” (Luo). Zhuge Liang was touch and rejected Lui Bei’s offer and vowed to forever resist Wei, Cao Cao’s nation, with Lui Bei’s son Lui Chan (Wu). Evidently, his intelligence had brought him many accomplishments, yet his royalty had overcome his ambition. Although, in the end, his royalty cost him to stay in a weak nation that eventually collapse, but that is how his life become a legend. =**Obstacles**=

Path of legend set with many obstacles, every obstacle that overcomes was accomplishment. Zhuge Liang was able to walk over that path and cross every obstacle he face. Before he was part of the government, he was struggling to survive in the between the spread of wars (Wu). After many years of studying in economy, engineer, science, and military, he was fully prepared to show his talent on the field (Hom). He then carefully picks the right emperor to serve. When former lord, Lui Bei, finally encounters Zhuge Liang on his third visit to him, Zhuge Liang was truly touched by Lui Bei sincerity (Ancient LongZhong).media type="youtube" key="tSIQvswk4sU" height="336" width="596" align="right"

The biggest enemy Shu Han, lord Lui Bei’s nation, was Cao Cao’s military force and his strategy (Yuan). During that time, Cao Cao was able to conquer Yuan Shao, later establish his empire with followers in millions and coerced the last Emperor of DongHan Dynasty for government control. “We cannot be openly contested with Cao Cao.” As Zhuge Liang response to Lui Bei during conference, they understand that they must gather more land and resources to compete with Cao Cao. Dong Wu is the one the Three Kingdom who was part of the great power, Shu Han and Dong Wu later form alliance to resist Cao Cao’s attack. In the famous battle, Battle of the Red Cliff, Zhuge Liang’s strategy was able to defeat Cao Cao and defend both nations, which had been became Shu Han’s first official victory against Cao Cao (Luo).

 Although the alliance between Dong Wu and Shu Han will eventually break due to the effort of Cao Cao, Shu Han already had gain large territory by conquering Lui Bei’s cousin Lui Biao’s empire. Lui Bei had evaluated Zhuge Liang with the following quote, “with Zhuge Liang, I am like a fish in the water.” Lui Bei’s approval shown how important Zhuge Liang was for all the improvement of Shu Han Empire (Yuan). After the death of Lui Bei, Zhuge Liang take on and lead the country with Lui Bei’s son Lui Chan. As Cao Cao’s empire was mainly led by another military strategist, Si Ma Yi. Zhuge Liang and he both fought in battles, resist one’s nation, by strategy rather than military force, result many interesting battles for many years before all Three Kingdoms collapsed (Luo).

=Historical Significance =

= = When Zhuge Liang was invite by Lui Bei to be his advisor, Zhuge Liang outlines the plans to stay undefeated in chaotic time. The plan was known as “LongZhong three plans”, it mainly includes form alliance with Wu state, establish capital in the south, and then conquer the north (Ancient LongZhong). When Cao Cao was pursuing Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang devise a plan withstands Cao Cao. He personally traveled to Wu and persuaded them to formed alliance with San Quan, the emperor of Wu, through mediation of Lu Su, and fought together with them against Cao Cao (Yuan). In the Battle of Red Cliff, they had successfully won against Cao Cao, which then the empire divided into mainly three part, powerful state of Cao Cao, strategic state of Lui Bei, and defensive state of San Quan (Luo).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> In the year of AD 219, with twenty-fourth year of Rebuilt Tranquility, Zhuge Liang persuaded his lord Liu Bei to assume the position of King of Hanzhong, after recently de <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">feating Cao Cao in the battle for this strategic city. And two years later, in AD 221, Zhuge Liang feigned illness and recommended the position of Emperor of Shu to Liu Bei. With Liu Bei's significant rise in rank, Zhuge Liang was also promoted to Prime Minister as well as Commander-in-Chief. After the assassination of Zhang Fei, onef of Lui Bei's important military general, Zhuge Liang also took up the post of commander of the Capital Districts (Yuan).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> In the year of AD 223, spring, the Former Lord of Shu was on his deathbed at Yongan and summoned Zhuge Liang from Chengdu to entrust the future to him. He said to <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">Zhuge Liang, “Your ability is ten times that of Cao Pi,”Cao Cao's son who took throne after his father's death, “and you will surely be able to maintain the sate and complete the great undertaking. If the heir, Lui Chan, can be assisted, then assist him. If he lack ability, then you may supplant him." Zhuge Liang wept and said, "Your subject will do his utmost and dedicate his unwavering loyalty until death." After Lui Bei passed away, his son Lui Chan took the throne as Zhuge Liang's later lord to serve (Yuan).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Later in the year of AD 223, the Latter Lord issued an edict to enforce Zhuge Liang as Marquis of Wuxiang and to establish the Lieutenant Chancellor’s department to administer the affairs of state. Soon afterwards, Zhuge Liang was also assigned as Governor of Yizhou. He, whether large or small, decided all affairs of state. At the time the commanderies of Nanzhong revolted together, in which cause suffers to economy in many ways. Zhuge Liang considered that since the state had recently experienced a loss, it was not beneficial to mobilize the troops. Hence he sent an emissary to visit Wu to establish closer relations (Luo).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Zhuge Liang was respond for assist Lui Chan for his position, before he is heading north, he presented a memorial to <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;"> the Latter Lord. Zhuge Liang told, “Even in critical time, the subjects who defend your majesty continue to make unremitting effort in court. I wish you to continue to pass on the unwaveringly loyalty spirited with the nation as the former lord did.” In the year AD 234, Zhuge Liang passed away at Wu Zhang. From the beginning to the end of his career, he proved to be a master of politics, strategy and astronomy (Yuan). During his life time, he had develop a crossbow that can shoot seven shot in a row, he created the eight trigrams battle array, and wrote a book called “Children's Book” that contain his philosophy (Jin). He was famous for his strategy on war which often been out number by (Hom).

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Ancient LongZhong."Ancient LongZhong."Three Kingdoms. 05 Jan. 2012. //chinadaily//.Web. 31 Mar. 2015. Hom,M.E. "Zhuge Liang (Kong Ming) The original 'Hidden Dragon'. "//Jade Dragon//. September 1999/2014. //Jadedragon//. Web. 06 Oct. 2014. Jin,Dr.Yan. "Stories From History:Zhuge Liang's Two Family Letters." //Traditional Culture//. 14 April 2012. //minghui//. Web. 6 Nov. 2014. Luo,GuanZhong.//Three Kingdoms: A Historical Novel.// <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Univ of California Press,2014. Print. Yuan, Jack. "Zhuge Zhan(Si Yuan)." //San Guo Officer Biography//. 10 Nov. 2007. //kongming//. Web. 9 Dec. 2014. Wu, Annie. "Zhuge Liang(181-234), Famous Strategist in Ancient China." //Three Kingdoms.// 01 Sep. 2014. //Chinahights//. Web: 4. 04 Oct.2014.