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Liu Shan后主

Shu HanHistory × Fiction

The last emperor of Shu Han, who was fatuous and trusted Huang Hao, surrendered to Wei and was enfeoffed as the Duke of Anle.

DIRECT FIGURES
15
RELATION RECORDS
22
SOURCE WORKS
2

RELATIONSHIP COMPASS

Liu Shan, and the people around them.

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01
ALLEGIANCE

Allegiance

Rulers, appointments and allegiance

14 figures · 21 records
3 more in the complete record
02
CONFLICT

Conflict

Battles, captures and defeat

1 figure · 1 record

12 key relationships are shown here. The complete record remains below.

In history · Records of the Three Kingdoms

Liu Shan, the last emperor of Shu Han, was suspected by Liu Yan of having an affair with Lady Hu. He followed Qiao Zhou's advice and surrendered to Wei. He mourned the death of Dong Zhi and issued an edict to grant him a posthumous title.

In fiction · Romance of the Three Kingdoms

During the reign of Liu Shan, the last emperor of Shu Han, he ordered Zhuge Liang to campaign in the south and permitted his northern expeditions multiple times. After Zhuge Liang's death, following his last wishes, he promoted Jiang Wan, Fei Yi, and Jiang Wei, dealt with Wei Yan's rebellion, and posthumously honored Zhao Yun. In his later years, he trusted the eunuch Huang Hao, repeatedly recalled Jiang Wei, and finally surrendered to Wei, being enfeoffed as the Duke of Anle.

Across source works

How this figure changes across texts

Works are shown side by side, not as a chronology. No influence between texts is inferred.

  1. 16 profile notes
    16 relations30 verified quotations
    • Liu Shanruler-subjectZhuge Liang
    • Zhuge LiangpetitionLiu Shan
    • Liu Shanruler-subjectJiang Wei
    • Liu Shanconfer titleJiang Wei
    Verified original text · 30
    1. 后主览表曰……相父南征,远涉艰难;方始回都,坐未安席;今又欲北征,恐劳神思

      慰留 · Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ch. 91

    2. 诏贬孔明为右将军

      贬职 · Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ch. 96

    28 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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  2. 5 profile notes
    7 relations6 verified quotations
    • Liu Shanrequest surrenderDeng Ai
    • Liu Shanconfer titleZhang Yi
    • Zhang Yipledge loyaltyLiu Shan
    • Liu Shanfollow planQiao Zhou
    Verified original text · 6
    1. 遣使请降于邓艾

      request surrender · Records of the Three Kingdoms, 蜀书·杜周许孟来尹李谯郤传

    2. 后主于是加疑抚戎将军

      confer title · Records of the Three Kingdoms, 蜀书·黄李吕马王张传

    4 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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History vs. fiction

The famous 'indulging in pleasure and forgetting home' episode is not recorded in the main text of the Records of the Three Kingdoms.

  • In Chapter 119 of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, when Sima Zhao hosted a banquet for Liu Shan and asked him 'Do you miss Shu?', Liu Shan replied: 'I am so happy here that I do not miss Shu.' Subsequently, he made a fool of himself by reciting Xi Zheng's words and being seen through. However, comparing with the Records of the Three Kingdoms, Book of Shu, Biography of the Later Lord, Chen Shou's main text only records that after Liu Shan surrendered to Jin, he was 'granted a fief of ten thousand households, ten thousand bolts of silk, a hundred slaves... and died in Luoyang in the seventh year of Taishi.' There is no dialogue about 'indulging in pleasure and forgetting home' at all. This episode actually comes from the annotation of Pei Songzhi, citing the Han Jin Chunqiu. It can be seen that the novel absorbed the hearsay from Pei's annotation to shape the character.

Relationship network

16 figures · 81 links
Liu ShanLiu ShanZhuge LiangZhuge LiangJiang WeiJiang WeiSima ZhaoSima ZhaoZhao YunZhao YunDeng AiDeng AiFei YiFei YiMa DaiMa DaiZhang YiZhang YiQiao ZhouQiao ZhouJiang WanJiang WanYang YiHuang HaoWu YiXi ZhengDong Yun
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Sources: Records of the Three Kingdoms, 蜀书·刘彭廖李刘魏杨传; Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ch. 87; Records of the Three Kingdoms, 蜀书·杜周许孟来尹李谯郤传; Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ch. 91; Records of the Three Kingdoms, 蜀书·董刘马陈董吕传; Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ch. 96; Records of the Three Kingdoms, 蜀书·邓张宗杨传; Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ch. 97

This page was extracted from classical texts with AI assistance and revised; errors remain possible. Spotted a mistake? Tell us →

Compiled with AI assistance from public-domain texts; for cultural reference. Mythological accounts vary — corrections welcome.