Liu Xian 劉賢

In Chapter 52 of the Romance, Ma Liang advises Liu Bei to march south against the four commanderies of Wuling, Changsha, Guiyang and Lingling and make them his base, and urges him to take Lingling first, since west of the Xiang River it is the closest. Liu Bei makes Zhang Fei the vanguard and Zhao Yun the rearguard, forms the central army together with Zhuge Liang, and sets out to attack Lingling with 15,000 men and horses. When Liu Du, Grand Administrator of Lingling, consults his son Liu Xian, Liu Xian tells his father not to worry: though the enemy is said to have brave generals like Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun, their own commandery too has the senior general Xing Daorong, whose strength is a match for ten thousand men, so they can hold their own amply. Romance, Ch. 52 §13–15

On Liu Du's orders, Liu Xian and Xing Daorong lead more than 10,000 troops and pitch camp 30 li from the city, backed by the hills and flanked by water. Xing Daorong, going out with a great axe, charges at Zhuge Liang but is blocked by Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun, dismounts and surrenders; and when Zhuge Liang says he will accept his surrender if he captures Liu Xian and brings him in, Xing Daorong is released after promising that if Zhuge Liang raids their camp that night, he will act as an inside accomplice, capture Liu Xian and hand him over. Back at the camp, however, Xing Daorong tells Liu Xian truthfully what has happened and proposes a plan to hide troops outside the camp, leave only banners standing inside, and capture Zhuge Liang when he comes to raid it, and Liu Xian follows the plan. Romance, Ch. 52 §15–20

That night, in the second watch, a body of troops reaches the entrance of the camp and sets fires all at once, and Liu Xian and Xing Daorong strike out from both sides and give chase for more than 10 li, but the troops have all vanished. Greatly alarmed, they return to their camp, and Zhang Fei bursts out of the camp, where the flames have not yet died down. Liu Xian shouts to Xing Daorong not to enter the camp but to go and raid Zhuge Liang's camp instead, and they turn their troops about, but before they have gone even 10 li, Zhao Yun charges out from the flank and spears Xing Daorong from his horse. Liu Xian hastily turns his horse and flees, but Zhang Fei, pursuing him, takes him alive; he is bound and brought before Zhuge Liang, and pleads that Xing Daorong put him up to it and that it was not his own intention. Romance, Ch. 52 §21–22

Zhuge Liang has his bonds removed, gives him clothes, and gives him wine to calm his fright, then has him escorted back to the city to urge his father to surrender, warning that if he does not, the city will be stormed and his whole family put to death. When Liu Xian returns to Lingling, describes Zhuge Liang's virtue in full and urges surrender, Liu Du raises the flag of surrender on the walls, comes out bearing his seal and ribbon, and surrenders at Liu Bei's main camp. Zhuge Liang keeps Liu Du on as Grand Administrator and has Liu Xian go to Jing Province to serve in the army, and the people of the whole commandery of Lingling all rejoice. Romance, Ch. 52 §23–24