Liu Shan (劉禪) | 24 Histories

Overview

Liu Shan was an emperor of Shu Han.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Emperor Shan	帝禪

Life and dates

Age

young / rich in years
AD 227 丞相亮將北征，住漢中
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 175

Attested activity

AD 227 丞相亮將北征，住漢中
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 175
AD 264 咸熙元年
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passage 87
AD 224 建興二年
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 174, passage 31
AD 223 建興元年
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passage 78
AD 223 後主襲位
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 174
AD 221 to AD 246 終允之世
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passages 188, 190

Show 2 more source-backed claims

AD 263 鄧艾至蜀
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 218
AD 223 章武三年／建興元年
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 174, passages 29, 31

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Empress Zhang (張皇后)
empress 皇后 · Primary marriage
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passage 85
Spouse of Empress Jing'ai (敬哀皇后)
empress 皇后 · Primary marriage
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passages 27-28
Child of Liu Bei (劉備)
heir apparent 太子
father 父 · paternal line
Sources vary in certainty · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passages 173-174; Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passages 5, 90
Child of Zhaolie (昭烈)
father 父
Directly stated · History of Yuan 174, passage 35
Parent of Liu Xuan (劉璿)
heir 太子
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passages 46, 49
Spouse of Lady Wang (王貴人)
honored lady 貴人 · Secondary marriage
Strongly inferred · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passage 47
Child of Lady Gan (甘皇后)
mother 母 · maternal line
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passage 5
Parent of Liu Xun (劉恂)
son 子
Strongly inferred · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passage 54
Parent of Liu Yao (劉瑤)
son 子
Strongly inferred · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passage 54
Parent of Liu Cong (劉琮)
son 子
Strongly inferred · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passage 54
Parent of Liu Chen (劉諶)
son 子
Strongly inferred · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passage 54
Parent of Liu Zan (劉瓚)
son 子
Strongly inferred · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passage 54
Parent of Liu Qu (劉璩)
son 子
Strongly inferred · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passage 54
Sibling of Liu Li (劉理)
younger half-brother 庶弟 · Paternal half siblings
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passage 33
Sibling of Liu Yong (劉永)
younger half-brother 庶弟 · Paternal half siblings
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passage 90

Key source chapters

Career and standing

AD 223 建興元年五月
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passage 78
AD 223 後主襲位
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 174
AD 223 建興元年
Directly stated · History of Yuan 174, passages 29, 31

Places and affiliations

Polity Shu Han 蜀漢 · Relation Affiliated with
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passage 78
Polity Shu Han 蜀漢 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 174
Polity Shu Han 蜀漢 · Relation Ruled
Strongly inferred · History of Yuan 174, passage 29

Works and attributed material

Edict · Author
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passages 41-43, 48-50, 84-86

Events and relationships

Favored eunuch
Personal · Sovereign · With Huang Hao (黃皓)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 188
Sought to enlarge harem
Political · Sovereign
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 184

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 174

References in the histories

Search passages

History

23 passages

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 34Volume 34: Book of Shu 4: Biographies of Concubines and Sons of the Two Lords · 13 passages

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隨先主於荊州，產後主。 In Jingzhou she gave birth to the future emperor Liu Shan.

值曹公軍至，追及先主於當陽長阪，於時困偪，棄後及後主，賴趙雲保護，得免於難。 When Cao Cao’s host caught Liu Bei at Changban in Dangyang, the retreat was so desperate that he abandoned Lady Gan and the boy; only Zhao Yun’s shielding brought them through alive.

夫人欲將太子歸吳，諸葛亮使趙雲勒兵斷江留太子，乃得止。 She meant to take the crown prince with her, but Zhuge Liang had Zhao Yun seal the river and keep the boy—only then was she stopped.

建興元年223年五月，後主即位，尊后為皇太后，稱長樂宮。 In the fifth month of Jianxing 1 (223 CE) Liu Shan succeeded and raised her to empress dowager of Changle Palace.

後主敬哀皇后，車騎將軍張飛長女也。 Liu Shan’s Empress Jing’ai was the eldest daughter of Zhang Fei, general of chariots and cavalry.

後主張皇后，前后敬哀之妹也。 Liu Shan's Empress Zhang was the younger sister of Empress Jing'ai.

咸熙元年，隨後主遷於洛陽。 In Xianxi 1 she followed Liu Shan to Luoyang.

劉永字公壽，先主子，後主庶弟也。 Liu Yong, styled Gongshou, was Liu Bei's son and Liu Shan's younger half-brother.

初，永憎宦人黃皓，皓既信任用事，譖構永於後主，後主稍疏外永，至不得朝見者十餘年。 Liu Yong hated the eunuch Huang Hao. Once Huang Hao gained power he slandered Liu Yong to Liu Shan, who gradually kept him at arm's length until for more than ten years he could not attend court.

劉理字奉孝，亦後主庶弟也，與永異母。 Liu Li, styled Fengxiao, was another younger half-brother of Liu Shan, not born to the same mother as Liu Yong.

後主太子璿 Liu Xuan, crown prince of Liu Shan

後主太子璿，字文衡。 Liu Xuan, styled Wenheng, was Liu Shan’s heir apparent.

唯永孫玄奔蜀，李雄偽署安樂公以嗣禪後。 Only Liu Yong’s grandson Liu Xuan escaped back into Shu, where Li Xiong named him duke of Anle in mock succession to Liu Shan.

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 39Volume 39: Book of Shu 9: Biographies of Dong, Liu, Ma, Chen, Dong, and Lü · 7 passages

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後主襲位，遷黃門侍郎。 When Liu Shan took the throne Dong Yun rose to gentleman attendant at the yellow gates.

丞相亮將北征，住漢中，慮後主富於春秋，硃紫難別，以允秉心公亮，欲任以宮省之事。 When Zhuge Liang was about to campaign north and was stationed in Hanzhong, he worried that the young emperor could not tell sound counsel from flattery; Dong Yun’s integrity made him the right man for palace oversight.

上疏曰：「侍中郭攸之、費禕、侍郎董允等，先帝簡拔以遺陛下，至於斟酌規益，進盡忠言，則其任也。 Zhuge Liang submitted a memorial: 'Palace Attendants Guo Youzhi and Fei Yi, Gentleman Dong Yun, and the others were selected and promoted by the Former Sovereign and left to Your Majesty. Weighing policy, correcting faults, and offering loyal counsel to the utmost are their charge.

後主常欲採擇以充后宮，允以為古者天子后妃之數不過十二，今嬪嬙已具，不宜增益，終執不聽。 Liu Shan wanted to enlarge his harem; Dong Yun cited the classical limit of twelve consorts and refused—again and again—to enlarge it further.

後主益嚴憚之。 The emperor grew ever more wary of crossing him.

後主漸長大，愛宦人黃皓。 As Liu Shan matured he grew fond of the eunuch Huang Hao.

允常上則正色匡主，下則數責於皓。 Dong Yun rebuked the ruler to his face and scolded Huang Hao behind the scenes.

History of Yuan, Chapter 174Volume 174 Biographies 61: Yao Sui, Guo Guan, Jia Guzhiqi, Liu Geng, Ye Luyoushang, Hao Tianting, Zhang Kongsun · 3 passages

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其二，章武三年，徽本大書『三年，後主禪建興元年』，建本無『三年』，則昭烈為無終。 Second: for the third year of Zhangwu the Huizhou edition heads the year 'third year; Later Lord Shan, first year of Jianxing,' but the Jian edition omits 'third year,' as though Zhaolie had no proper conclusion.

徽、建皆曰『後主』，於君臣父子之教，所害甚大，是起十四卷、盡十六卷，凡曰後主者，皆失於刊正也。 Both editions call him 'Later Lord,' a grave injury to the moral order of ruler and subject, father and son. From fascicle fourteen through sixteen, every instance of 'Later Lord' is a failure of editorial judgment.

當於三年下注『帝禪建興元年』，明年大書『帝禪建興二年』，庶前後無齟齬也。 Under the third year one should note 'Emperor Shan, first year of Jianxing,' and the following year head the entry 'Emperor Shan, second year of Jianxing,' so that the sequence is internally consistent.