| Occupation | ROfficial · Prefect of the Masters of Writing NOfficial · Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | Native place | Lingling Commandery | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R4 |
Liu Xian (劉先) served under Liu Biao as Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage. He has no biography of his own in the Records, and in Chen Shou's main text he appears twice, in the passage on Liu Biao in the Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao (Records of Wei 6). When Taizu faced Yuan Shao at Guandu, he joined the Attendant Officer of the Household Han Song in urging Liu Biao to bring the whole province over to Lord Cao. Records, Wei 6 §86–87
After Liu Biao died and Liu Cong surrendered to Taizu, he became Prefect of the Masters of Writing when Kuai Yue and others rose to high office. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, his origins or his death. Records, Wei 6 §94
Chen Shou does not deal with Liu Xian in his assessment in Records of Wei 6. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 40 as Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage of Jing Province and appears in 2 of the 120 chapters, with no chapter title bearing his name. In Chapter 40, after Liu Cong is set up as lord of Jing Province, he is charged together with the Headquarters Officer Deng Yi with holding Jing Province, and in Chapter 42 he and Deng Yi lead out the soldiers and people of Jing Province and surrender to Cao Cao. Records, Wei 6 §96–97Romance, Ch. 40 §18Romance, Ch. 42 §26
Just as Taizu was facing Yuan Shao at Guandu, Yuan Shao sent men to ask for help; Liu Biao agreed but did not come, nor did he help Taizu, meaning to hold the land between the Yangtze and the Han and watch for changes in the realm. At this time the Attendant Officer of the Household Han Song and the Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage Liu Xian (劉先) told Liu Biao that now, with heroes contending together and two great rivals locked in a standoff, the weight of the realm rested on the general; if he wished to act, he should rise and take advantage of their exhaustion, and if not, he should choose whom to follow. Records, Wei 6 §86
The two said that if he held a host of 100,000 and merely sat at ease watching, two grievances, that he had seen a worthy man yet could not help him and that he had not responded when asked for peace, would gather upon him, and he would be unable to stay neutral. Since the able men of the realm were all flocking to Lord Cao for his enlightened wisdom, his momentum would surely bring down Yuan Shao and turn his troops toward the Yangtze and the Han; so if Liu Biao brought the whole province over to Lord Cao, Lord Cao would surely value him and treat him with kindness, and he would enjoy fortune and rank for a long time and hand them down to his descendants. This, they said, was the surest plan. Records, Wei 6 §87
Liu Biao's senior general Kuai Yue also urged him, but Liu Biao, doubtful as a fox, hesitated and then sent Han Song to Taizu to see how things truly stood. When Han Song returned and urged him to send a son in as a hostage, Liu Biao suspected that Han Song was instead persuading on Taizu's behalf and flew into a rage. Chen Shou wrote that Liu Biao appeared refined and scholarly but at heart was full of suspicion and jealousy. Records, Wei 6 §88
In the 13th year of Jian'an (208) Taizu set out to attack Liu Biao, but before he arrived Liu Biao died of illness. As those who urged his successor Liu Cong to submit to Taizu, Chen Shou named Kuai Yue, Han Song, the Officer of the Eastern Bureau Fu Xun and others, and when Taizu's army reached Xiangyang, Liu Cong surrendered with the whole province. Liu Xian's name does not appear in this passage. Records, Wei 6 §89 · 91 · 93
Taizu made Liu Cong Inspector of Qing Province and enfeoffed him as a full marquis, and fifteen men, Kuai Yue among them, were enfeoffed as marquises. Kuai Yue became Superintendent of the Imperial Household, Han Song Grand Herald, Deng Yi Palace Attendant and Liu Xian Prefect of the Masters of Writing, and most of the rest also reached high office. Chen Shou's main text does not record Liu Xian's later career or his death. Records, Wei 6 §94
In his assessment in Records of Wei 6, Chen Shou said that Yuan Shao and Liu Biao were both outwardly tolerant but 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. Liu Xian's name does not appear in the assessment. Records, Wei 6 §96
In Chapter 40 of the Romance, when Liu Biao dies, Lady Cai consults Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, forges a testament and makes his second son Liu Cong lord of Jing Province. After the staff officer Li Gui, who had urged that the eldest son Liu Qi be made lord, is beheaded by Cai Mao, the Cai clan divide command of the troops of Jing Province among themselves and have the Headquarters Officer Deng Yi and the Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage Liu Xian (劉先) hold Jing Province. Lady Cai herself goes with Liu Cong to Xiangyang and stations herself there to guard against Liu Qi and Liu Bei. Romance, Ch. 40 §16–18
In Chapter 42, when Guan Yu blocks the land route, Cao Cao suspects an ambush and does not pursue, and fearing that Liu Bei will seize Jiangling first, he hurries to Jiangling through the night. Jing Province's Headquarters Officer Deng Yi and Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage Liu Xian already know all that has happened at Xiangyang, and judging that they cannot withstand Cao Cao, they lead the soldiers and people of Jing Province out beyond the city walls and surrender. Cao Cao enters the city and settles the people, then releases the imprisoned Han Song and makes him Grand Herald, and the other officials each receive titles and rewards. Romance, Ch. 42 §26–27
Advice at the time of Guandu: In the Records, when Taizu and Yuan Shao faced each other at Guandu, the Attendant Officer of the Household Han Song and the Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage Liu Xian (劉先) together urged Liu Biao to bring the whole province over to Lord Cao. In Chapter 23 of the Romance, when Yuan Shao's envoy and Mi Heng, sent by Cao Cao, are in Jing Province, Han Song alone steps forward to give this advice, and Liu Xian does not appear. Romance, Ch. 23 §22–23Records, Wei 6 §86–87
After Liu Cong's succession: In Chapter 40 of the Romance, the Cai clan have the Headquarters Officer Deng Yi and the Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage Liu Xian hold Jing Province. Chen Shou's main text in the Records does not record what duties Liu Xian held after Liu Cong succeeded, and names Kuai Yue, Han Song, Fu Xun and others as those who urged Liu Cong to submit. Romance, Ch. 40 §18Records, Wei 6 §91
The surrender: In Chapter 42 of the Romance, Deng Yi and Liu Xian lead the soldiers and people of Jing Province out beyond the city walls and surrender to Cao Cao, who has come to Jiangling. In the Records, Liu Cong surrendered with the whole province when Taizu's army reached Xiangyang, and the Annals of Emperor Wu record that Liu Cong surrendered when the Duke reached Xinye, after which the Duke advanced to Jiangling. There is no record of Liu Xian surrendering separately. Romance, Ch. 42 §26Records, Wei 6 §93Records, Wei 1 §104
Office after the surrender: Chapter 42 of the Romance says only that Han Song became Grand Herald and that the other officials each received titles and rewards, and does not record Liu Xian's office. In the Records, Liu Xian became Prefect of the Masters of Writing. Romance, Ch. 42 §26–27Records, Wei 6 §94
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
RDuring the standoff at Guandu, foresaw that Lord Cao would defeat Yuan Shao and then turn toward Jing ProvinceWei 6 §86Wei 6 §87
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant Officer with Separate CarriageCh. 42 §26
RJoined Han Song in trying to persuade Liu Biao, but Liu Biao was suspicious and hesitatedWei 6 §86Wei 6 §88
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant Officer with Separate CarriageCh. 42 §26
RRose to Prefect of the Masters of Writing after Jing Province surrenderedWei 6 §94
NWas charged with holding Jing Province together with the Headquarters Officer Deng YiCh. 40 §18
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant Officer with Separate CarriageWei 6 §86
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant Officer with Separate CarriageCh. 40 §18
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant Officer with Separate CarriageWei 6 §86
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant Officer with Separate CarriageCh. 40 §18
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant Officer with Separate CarriageWei 6 §94
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant Officer with Separate CarriageCh. 40 §18
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant Officer with Separate CarriageWei 6 §86
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant Officer with Separate CarriageCh. 42 §26
RSaid that bringing the whole province over to Lord Cao was the surest planWei 6 §87
NJudging that Cao Cao could not be withstood, led out the soldiers and people and surrenderedCh. 42 §26
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant Officer with Separate CarriageWei 6 §86
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant Officer with Separate CarriageCh. 40 §18
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant Officer with Separate CarriageWei 6 §94
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant Officer with Separate CarriageCh. 40 §18
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
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