Liu Biao (劉表) | 24 Histories

Overview

Liu Biao was a warlord and Governor.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Jingsheng	景升	Jingsheng

Life and dates

Death

AD 208 十三年表又當死
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 114, passages 251, 309
AD 208 建安十三年秋
died 卒
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 113, passage 153
AD 208 明年戊子
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 63, passages 8, 13
AD 208 會表卒
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 76, passage 88
AD 208 表卒
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 40

Attested activity

AD 208 十三年表又當死
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 114, passages 251, 308-309
AD 188 出為監軍使者，領益州牧
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 31, passage 132
AD 190 to AD 208 劉景升
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 230
AD 190 to AD 208 劉表亦素不善祥
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 30
AD 190 to AD 208 年未三十，荊州牧劉表辟為部江夏從事
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 61, passage 5
AD 196 to AD 208 建安中
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 76, passages 87-88

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AD 196 to AD 204 建安初...劉表爲牧...逮八九年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 114, passages 248-249
AD 207 建安十二年十月
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 113, passages 151-152
AD 208 明年戊子
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 63, passages 8, 13
AD 208 明年秋
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 113, passage 153
AD 194 興平元年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 31, passage 49
AD 208 表卒
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 40
AD 200 說劉表
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 31, passage 128
AD 189 靈帝崩
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 31, passage 135

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Wife of Liu Biao (劉表妻)
wife 妻
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 114, passage 250
Parent of Liu Cong (刘琮)
young son 小子
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 113, passage 153

Liu Jingsheng's sons 劉景升之子
Kinship Role sons · Quantity plural
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 230

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Governor of Jing Province 荊州牧
AD 190 to AD 208 年未三十，荊州牧劉表辟為部江夏從事 · Held
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 61, passage 5
governor of Jingzhou 荊州牧
AD 196 to AD 208 建安中 · Held
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 76, passage 87
Governor of Jing Province 荊州牧
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 39
shepherd of Jingzhou 牧
Held · At Jingzhou 荊州
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 114, passage 249
shepherd of Jingzhou 荆州牧
Held
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 113, passage 152

Places and affiliations

Later Han 後漢
Relation Active in
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 113, passage 152
Polity Eastern Han 東漢 · Relation Lived under
Strongly inferred · Book of Later Han 76, passage 87
Polity Eastern Han 漢 · Relation Served
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 114, passage 249
Polity Jing Province 荊州 · Relation Governed
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 39
Polity Jingzhou 荊州 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 63, passage 8
At Jingzhou 荊州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 114, passage 249

Works and attributed material

Listed affair upward
Memorial · Author · About Person Id Dou Fu (竇輔)
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 76, passage 87
Prediction · Subject · Speaker Zhou Qun (周群) · Paraphrased
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 113, passage 152

Events and relationships

Death foretold and people to move to Ji
Omen · Subject
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 114, passage 251
Detained Liu Ba intending to kill
Legal · Detainer · With Liu Ba (劉巴)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 30
Great bereavement foretold
Omen · Subject
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 114, passages 307-308
Repeatedly summoned and nominated Liu Ba
Personnel · Governor · With Liu Ba (劉巴)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 39
Spared Liu Ba after report
Political · Authority · With Liu Ba (劉巴)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 32
Summoned and appointed
Appointment · Patron · With Dou Fu (竇輔)
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 76, passage 87

Show 1 more source-backed claim

Relation Patron of · Person Pan Jun (潘濬)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 61, passage 5

Assessments and attributes

Assessment his sons invoked as a type for lords who could not sustain their inheritance · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 230

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 76, passage 87; Book of Later Han 114, passage 249; Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 30

References in the histories

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History

24 passages

Book of Later Han, Chapter 76Volume 69: Biographies of Dou, He · 2 passages

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至建安中，荊州牧劉表聞而辟焉，以為從事，使還竇姓，以事列上。 During the Jian'an era, Liu Biao, governor of Jingzhou, heard the story, appointed him to his staff, had him take back the name Dou, and memorialized the whole affair to the throne.

會表卒，曹操定荊州，輔與宗人徙居於鄴，辟丞相府。 Liu Biao died before the matter was closed; after Cao Cao took Jingzhou, Dou Fu and his kinsmen moved to Ye, where he received an appointment in the chancellor's bureau.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 113Volume 102: Astronomy Part Three · 2 passages

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荆州分也，时荆州牧刘表据荆州，益州从事周群以为荆州牧将死而失土。 That sector maps Jingzhou, then held by Liu Biao; Zhou Qun of Yizhou read the sign as Biao’s death and the loss of his province.

明年秋，表卒，以小子琮自代。 The following autumn Liu Biao died, leaving his young son Cong as heir.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 114Volume 103: Five Elements Part One · 6 passages

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言自中興以來，荆州无破亂，及劉表爲牧，民又豐樂，至此逮八九年。 Since the Guangwu restoration Jingzhou had known peace; under Liu Biao the people prospered—for about eight or nine years.

當始衰者，謂劉表妻當死，諸將並零落也。 "When it first declines" means Liu Biao's wife was about to die, and the various generals would fall away and scatter.

十三年无孑遺者，言十三年表又當死，民當移詣冀州也。 "By the thirteenth year not a sprig is left" means in the thirteenth year Biao too was about to die, and the people were about to move to Ji Province.

干竇搜神記曰：「是時華容有女子忽啼呼云：『〔荊州將〕有大喪！』 Gan Bao's Record of Searching for Spirits tells how in Huarong a woman suddenly shrieked: 'The governor of Jingzhou faces a great death!'

言語過差，縣以為妖言，繫獄百餘日，忽於獄中哭曰：『劉荊州今日死。』 Officials jailed her for seditious talk. Months later she wailed in prison: 'Liu of Jingzhou dies today.'

華容去州數〔百里〕，即遣馬吏驗視，〔而劉〕表果死。 Riders sent hundreds of li found Liu Biao dead as she had said.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 17Volume 17 Book of Later Liang 17: Biographies 7: Cheng Rui, Du Hong, Tian Yun, Zhao Kuangning, Zhang Ji, Lei Man · 1 passage

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匡凝一門昆仲，千里江山，失守藩垣，不克負荷，斯乃劉景升之子之徒歟！ The Kuangning brothers held a thousand li yet lost their domain and could not sustain it—were they not Liu Biao's sons reborn?

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 31Volume 31: Book of Shu 1: Biographies of the Two Governor Lius · 6 passages

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《續漢書》曰：是時用劉虞為幽州，劉焉為益州，劉表為荊州，賈琮為冀州。 The Continuation of the Book of Han records that Liu Yu was made governor of You, Liu Yan of Yizhou, Liu Biao of Jing, and Jia Cong of Ji.

臣松之按：靈帝崩後，義軍起，孫堅殺荊州刺史王叡，然後劉表為荊州，不與焉同時也。 Pei Songzhi remarks: After Emperor Ling died and the loyalist armies rose, Sun Jian killed Jing inspector Wang Rui; Liu Biao’s appointment to Jing came only afterward and was not contemporaneous with Liu Yan’s.

荊州牧劉表表上焉有似子夏在西河疑聖人之論。 Governor Liu Biao of Jing memorialized the throne, likening Liu Yan to Zixia west of the River—whose teaching had led men to doubt Confucius himself.

州大吏趙韙等貪璋溫仁，共上璋為益州刺史，詔書因以為監軍使者，領益州牧，以韙為征東中郎將，率眾擊劉表。 Senior officers led by Zhao Wei, liking Liu Zhang’s mild temper, jointly nominated him inspector of Yizhou. The court named him military overseer and governor of the province, appointed Zhao Wei general of the east who expands might, and ordered him to campaign against Liu Biao.

荊州別駕劉闔，璋將沈彌、婁發、甘寧反，擊璋不勝，走入荊州。 Liu He, chief clerk on Liu Biao’s staff, with Liu Zhang’s officers Shen Mi, Lou Fa, and Gan Ning rose against their master, failed, and bolted into Jingzhou.

劉先之說劉表，退不告絕奔亡，若陳平、韓信之去項羽，而兩端攜貳，為謀不忠，罪之次也。〉〔Liu Xian〕 in counseling Liu Biao, or on retreating failed to announce a clean break before fleeing, as Chen Ping and Han Xin had done when they left Xiang Yu—yet they played both sides; such disloyal scheming is the lesser crime.

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 39Volume 39: Book of Shu 9: Biographies of Dong, Liu, Ma, Chen, Dong, and Lü · 4 passages

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