Liu Biao faction 劉表

Liu Biao was a native of Gaoping in Shanyang; known from his youth, he was called one of the "Eight Talents." As a clerk on the staff of the General-in-Chief he became Inspector of the Northern Army (Beijun zhonghou). After Emperor Ling died, Wang Rui, Inspector of Jing Province, was killed in passing by Sun Jian, who had raised troops to attack Dong Zhuo, and Liu Biao 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 §82Records, Wu 1 §13

Yuan Shu in Nanyang joined with Sun Jian in an alliance to seize Liu Biao's province, and in the 3rd year of Chuping (192) he sent Sun Jian to attack Liu Biao. Liu Biao sent Huang Zu to meet him between Fan County and Deng County; Sun Jian defeated him, crossed the Han River and besieged Xiangyang, but while riding alone past Mount Xian he was shot dead by Huang Zu's soldiers. The biography of Liu Biao records that Yuan Shu was thus never able to overcome Liu Biao. When Huan Jie of Changsha braved the danger to come and ask for Sun Jian's body, Liu Biao, admiring his righteousness, gave it to him. Records, Wei 6 §83Records, Wu 1 §21Records, Wei 22 §2

After entering Chang'an, Li Jue and Guo Si 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, Governor of Jing Province, 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; his Headquarters Officer (zhizhong) Deng Yi, who remonstrated against this, withdrew on the pretext of illness and did not come forward again for as long as Liu Biao lived. Records, Wei 6 §83–84Records, Wei 1 §25

When Zhang Ji led troops into the borders of Jing Province, attacked Rang County and was killed by an arrow, Liu Biao declared that the Governor would accept only condolences, not congratulations, and had Zhang Ji's followers taken in. Zhang Xiu, Zhang Ji's nephew who led his host, stationed himself at Wan and allied with Liu Biao, and after his surprise attack on Cao Cao in the 2nd year of Jian'an (197) he fled to Rang County and joined forces with Liu Biao. When Cao Cao besieged Zhang Xiu at Rang County in the 3rd month of the 3rd year of Jian'an (198), Liu Biao sent troops in the 5th month to cut off the rear of Cao Cao's army and held a strong position at Anzhong together with Zhang Xiu. But Cao Cao dug a tunnel by night and concealed surprise troops, and when the enemy pursued at daybreak he attacked them from both sides with infantry and cavalry and crushed them. Records, Wei 6 §84Records, Wei 8 §57Records, Wei 1 §42–43 · 46–47

When Cao Cao and Yuan Shao confronted each other at Guandu, Liu Biao brought Jing Province over in support of Yuan Shao. At this, Zhang Xian, Administrator of Changsha, accepted Huan Jie's persuasion, rose against Liu Biao with Changsha and the 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 then 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. Records, Wei 22 §2–4Records, Wei 6 §84–85

Yet when Yuan Shao asked for help at Guandu, 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 said that bringing the whole province over to Cao Cao was the surest plan, and his senior general Kuai Yue urged the same. Liu Biao hesitated and sent Han Song to Cao Cao to see how things truly stood, but when Han Song returned and urged him to send a son as hostage, he 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. Records, Wei 6 §86–88

In the east, Huang Zu of Jiangxia came under attack from the Sun family. Sun Quan, who had followed Sun Ce in defeating Liu Xun, Administrator of Lujiang, in the 4th year of Jian'an (199), advanced to Shaxian and attacked Huang Zu, and in the 8th year of Jian'an (203) he attacked Huang Zu in the west and destroyed his fleet, but could not take his city. In the 8th month of the same year Cao Cao also set out to attack Liu Biao and stationed himself at Xiping, but turned back when Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang fell to fighting over Ji Province. In the 12th year of Jian'an (207) Sun Quan attacked Huang Zu again and carried off his people. Records, Wu 2 §3 · 7 · 10Records, Wei 1 §80

When Cao Cao, having defeated Yuan Shao, came south, Liu Bei sent Mi Zhu and Sun Qian to convey his intentions to Liu Biao. 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, he secretly guarded against him. In the 12th year of Jian'an (207), when Cao Cao went north to attack the Wuhuan, Liu Bei urged Liu Biao 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

Within, the succession was divided. 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. The eldest son Liu Qi, after asking Zhuge Liang for a way to keep himself safe, became Administrator of Jiangxia when Huang Zu's death gave him the chance to go out, and the others at last acclaimed Liu Cong as heir, so that the two brothers became bitter enemies. In the spring of the 13th year of Jian'an (208), when Sun Quan's attack ended in the massacre of his city, Huang Zu escaped alone but was beheaded as he fled by the horseman Feng Ze. Records, Wei 6 §91Records, Shu 5 §9–10Records, Wu 2 §11

In the 7th month of the 13th year of Jian'an (208) Cao Cao set out south to attack Liu Biao, and when Liu Biao died in the 8th month, Liu Cong succeeded him and was stationed at Xiangyang. When Kuai Yue, Han Song, the Officer of the Eastern Bureau Fu Xun and others urged him to submit, Liu Cong said he would hold the land of Chu and watch the realm, but Fu Xun replied that for a subject to resist his sovereign was rebellion, and that resisting Cao Cao with Liu Bei was likewise beyond his strength. When Cao Cao reached Xinye in the 9th month, Liu Cong at last surrendered, and Liu Bei, who was at Fan, fled to Xiakou. Cao Cao advanced to Jiangling and, for Jing Province's submission, enfeoffed fifteen men as marquises; he made Liu Biao's senior general Wen Pin Administrator of Jiangxia in command of his original troops, and made Liu Cong Inspector of Qing Province and enfeoffed him as a full marquis. Records, Wei 1 §104Records, Wei 6 §91–94

Liu Qi of Jiangxia led a host of more than 10,000 and went with Liu Bei to Xiakou. After the battle of Red Cliffs Liu Bei memorialized the throne to make Liu Qi Inspector of Jing Province, and when Liu Qi died of illness, the officials acclaimed Liu Bei Governor of Jing Province. Records, Shu 2 §23–24

In his assessment in Records of Wei 6, Chen Shou said that Liu Biao, together with Yuan Shao, won renown in his day for his dignified bearing and capacity and held the land south of the Han, but 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. He wrote that the downfall of their heirs and the collapse of their states after they set aside the rightful heir for a younger son was no mere misfortune. Records, Wei 6 §96