People familiar with the history of the Three Kingdoms know that Liu Bei, Cao Cao and Sun Quan divided the world and became the hegemon of one side. However, before the age of 48, Liu Bei did not have a place to stand, drifted outside for more than 20 years, and had been a guest general many times. What is strange is that whether it is to defect to Tao Qian and Cao Cao, or Yuan Shao and Liu Biao, Liu Bei can maintain independence and maintain friendship with the "lord" who has surrendered. This phenomenon was rare in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, how did Liu Bei do it?
Liu Bei's starting point was not high, but in Xuzhou, he ascended to the heavens one step at a time, becoming the Assassin of Yuzhou, and then the general of Zhendong and the general of Zuo. It is worth noting that these appointments did not come from the forces to which they depended, but from the imperial court. Therefore, no force from either side established a monarch-vassal relationship with Liu Bei, which was the political guarantee that Liu Bei had always maintained independence. From another point of view, whether it is Tao Qian, or Cao Cao, or Yuan Shao, or Liu Biao, Liu Bei and them are colleagues.
Although Liu Bei was not a monarch and a vassal with his dependents, he established a monarch-vassal relationship with his subordinates. When Liu Bei was a plain minister, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were the other Sima and in charge of the department; after Zhao Yun left Gongsun Zhan, he became Liu Bei's main horseman and was responsible for controlling the cavalry; Lu Zhu, Sun Qian, and others were Liu Bei's engaged zhonglang. Also because Liu liu has a high political status, he has a certain right to legally recruit private soldiers. During the period of attachment to Yuan Shao, Liu Bei asked Zhao Yun to secretly recruit hundreds of soldiers, which Yuan Shao did not know.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, various princes were in a scuffle, and Liu Bei was attached to the princes, although it was to seek protection, but the thoughts of the princes were not simple, and they also had some requests for Liu Bei. For example, Tao Qian, when Cao Cao personally led a large army to conquer Xuzhou, fortunately Lü Bu secretly attacked Gunzhou, so that Cao Cao had to return to save himself, but Tao Qian knew that after Cao Cao settled Gunzhou, he would definitely lead the army to come again, so he hoped to get Liu Bei's help, at that time, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei under Liu Bei's account were already famous;
Cao Cao was to gain Liu Bei's reputation, because compared to Yuan Shao's fourth and third dukes, Cao Cao's background was too poor, and Liu Bei happened to have the identity of "emperor uncle" and was a good object for buying bones for thousands of gold; Yuan Shao was to get Liu Bei's reputation and strength; Liu Biao purely regarded Liu Bei as "Zhang Xiu's second" and used it to sit in the Nanyang area as a buffer between Cao Cao and Liu Biao. It is precisely because of the need for people that they dare not wantonly annex Liu Bei's people and horses. If Cao Cao really had no desires or desires, Liu Bei would probably die in Xudu.
In addition to the above two points, Liu Bei has a stable core team, whether it is Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, or Jian Yong, Mi Zhu, Sun Qian, these people unswervingly follow Liu Bei, even if they are defeated several times, they still do not abandon. For example, Guan Yu, in the face of Cao Cao's appreciation, he came to a "thousand miles to ride alone". If these people were Lü Bu and the like, it is estimated that Liu Bei would have followed in Ding Yuan's footsteps. The fundamental reason lies in Liu Bei's ability to recognize people and employ people.
From 184 AD to 208 AD, during the 25-year entrepreneurial journey, Liu Bei relied on others five times but remained independent, rare in the Three Kingdoms period, but not the only one. For example, the little bully King Sun Ce, he turned to Yuan Shu in the early days, and then found an opportunity to take his own people to the world and lay the foundation of Jiangdong, but unfortunately he died too early, only 26 years old.
Reference: "Three Kingdoms"