Liu Biao 劉表

He was known from his youth and was called one of the "Eight Talents." He stood over eight chi tall and had a most imposing appearance. As a clerk on the staff of the General-in-Chief he became Inspector of the Northern Army (Beijun zhonghou), and when Emperor Ling passed away he replaced Wang Rui as Inspector of Jing Province. When armies rose east of the mountains at this time, Liu Biao too gathered troops and stationed them at Xiangyang. Records, Wei 6 §82

In the 3rd year of Chuping (192), when Yuan Shu in Nanyang sent Sun Jian to attack him in order to seize his province, Liu Biao sent Huang Zu to meet him between Fan and Deng. Sun Jian defeated Huang Zu, crossed the Han River and besieged Xiangyang, but while riding alone past Mount Xian he was shot dead by Huang Zu's soldiers. At this time Huan Jie of Changsha braved the danger to come and ask for Sun Jian's body, and Liu Biao, admiring his righteousness, gave it to him. Records, Wei 6 §83Records, Wu 1 §21Records, Wei 22 §2

When Li Jue and Guo Si entered Chang'an, they sought to ally with Liu Biao as a source of support, so they made him General Who Guards the South and Governor of Jing Province, enfeoffed him as Marquis of Chengwu, and granted him the tally of authority (jiajie). In the spring of the 4th year of Chuping (193) Liu Biao cut Yuan Shu's supply lines, and Yuan Shu moved into Chenliu and stationed himself at Fengqiu. After the Emperor made Xu his capital, Liu Biao sent envoys with tribute but joined hands with Yuan Shao to the north. Records, Wei 6 §83Records, Wei 1 §25

When Zhang Ji entered the borders of Jing Province, attacked Rang, and was killed by an arrow, the officials of Jing Province all offered congratulations. Liu Biao said that Zhang Ji had come in desperation and that it had come to crossed blades because the host had failed in courtesy, which was not the Governor's wish; he declared that he would accept only condolences, not congratulations, and took in Zhang Ji's followers. Zhang Xiu, leading Zhang Ji's host, stationed himself at Wan and allied with Liu Biao. In the 5th month of the 3rd year of Jian'an (198), while Cao Cao was besieging Zhang Xiu at Rang, Liu Biao sent troops to relieve him and cut off Cao Cao's rear, and he held a strong position at Anzhong together with Zhang Xiu; but Cao Cao dug a tunnel by night, concealed surprise troops, and crushed them in a pincer attack. Records, Wei 6 §84Records, Wei 8 §57Records, Wei 1 §46–47

When Cao Cao faced Yuan Shao at Guandu, Liu Biao brought Jing Province over in support of Yuan Shao. Zhang Xian, Administrator of Changsha, accepted Huan Jie's persuasion, rose against Liu Biao with Changsha and three neighboring commanderies, and sent an envoy to Cao Cao. Liu Biao besieged him for more than a year without taking the city, but when Zhang Xian died of illness and Changsha set up his son Zhang Yi, Liu Biao attacked and absorbed Zhang Yi. He took Lingling and Guiyang to the south and held Hanchuan to the north, so that his lands extended several thousand li square and his armored troops numbered more than 100,000. Liu Biao summoned Huan Jie, who had gone into hiding, made him Libationer of Attendant Officers (congshi jijiu), and wished to give him his wife's younger sister, a woman of the Cai family, in marriage, but Huan Jie declined, saying he was already married. Records, Wei 22 §2–4Records, Wei 6 §84–85

When Yuan Shao asked for help, Liu Biao agreed but never came, nor did he aid Cao Cao; instead he sought to hold the land between the Yangtze and the Han and watch for changes in the realm. His Attendant Officer of the Household (congshi zhonglang) Han Song and his Aide-de-camp (biejia) Liu Xian told him that Cao Cao would surely overthrow Yuan Shao and then turn toward the Yangtze and the Han, so bringing the whole province over to Cao Cao was the surest plan. His senior general Kuai Yue urged the same, but Liu Biao hesitated in fox-like suspicion and sent Han Song to Cao Cao to see how things truly stood. When Han Song returned, spoke of Cao Cao's might and virtue, and urged him to send a son as hostage, Liu Biao suspected that Han Song was now speaking on Cao Cao's behalf and wanted to kill him; he had those who had accompanied Han Song tortured to death, and stopped only when he learned that Han Song had no ulterior motive. Chen Shou wrote that although Liu Biao appeared refined and scholarly, at heart he was full of suspicion and jealousy, and that everything he did was of this kind. Records, Wei 6 §86–88

When Liu Bei, driven off by Cao Cao, sent Mi Zhu and Sun Qian to convey his intentions, Liu Biao came out to the outskirts in person to welcome him, treated him with the courtesy due to an honored guest, augmented his troops, and stationed him at Xinye. But as more and more of the leading men of Jing Province turned to Liu Bei, Liu Biao grew suspicious of his intentions and secretly guarded against him, and had Liu Bei resist Xiahou Dun, Yu Jin and others at Bowang. In the 12th year of Jian'an (207), when Cao Cao went north to attack the Wuhuan, Liu Bei urged him to raid Xu, but Liu Biao could not bring himself to use the plan. The biography of Liu Biao records that Liu Biao treated Liu Bei generously but could not make use of him. Records, Shu 2 §19–20Records, Wei 6 §89

When Cao Cao was about to attack the Wuhuan and his subordinates feared that Liu Biao would have Liu Bei raid Xu, Guo Jia said that Liu Biao was a mere armchair talker who knew his own ability was insufficient to control Liu Bei: if he gave Liu Bei heavy responsibility he would fear being unable to control him, and if he gave him light responsibility Liu Bei would not be willing to serve. Wang Can, who had taken refuge in Jing Province, later told Cao Cao that Liu Biao had sat in Jing-Chu watching the changing times, thinking he could emulate the Earl of the West, yet did not know whom to entrust among the outstanding men who had fled the chaos to his province. Records, Wei 14 §38–39Records, Wei 21 §4–5

Liu Biao and his wife loved their youngest son, Liu Cong, and wished to make him heir, and Cai Mao and Zhang Yun took his side. When the eldest son, Liu Qi, was sent out as Administrator of Jiangxia, the others at last acclaimed Liu Cong as heir, and the two brothers became bitter enemies. The story of how Liu Qi asked Zhuge Liang for a way to keep himself safe and, taking the opportunity of Huang Zu's death, went out to become Administrator of Jiangxia is recorded in the biography of Zhuge Liang. Records, Wei 6 §91Records, Shu 5 §9–10

In the 7th month of the 13th year of Jian'an (208) Cao Cao set out south to attack Liu Biao, but before he arrived Liu Biao died of illness in the 8th month. Liu Cong, who succeeded him, was stationed at Xiangyang; persuaded by Fu Xun and others, he surrendered the province when Cao Cao reached Xinye in the 9th month, and Liu Bei, who was at Fan, fled to Xiakou. Cao Cao made Liu Cong Inspector of Qing Province and enfeoffed him as a full marquis, and fifteen men, including Kuai Yue, were enfeoffed as marquises. Records, Wei 1 §104Records, Wei 6 §89 · 91–94

In his assessment, Chen Shou said that Yuan Shao and Liu Biao both won renown in their day for their dignified bearing and capacity, and that Liu Biao held the land south of the Han. But he wrote that both were outwardly magnanimous and inwardly jealous, fond of scheming but unable to decide, unable to use the talent they had and unable to accept good advice when they heard it, and that in setting aside the rightful heir for a younger son they abandoned propriety for favoritism, so that the downfall of their heirs and the collapse of their states was no mere misfortune. Records, Wei 6 §96