In the vast history of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei's image is often depicted as the prince of benevolence and righteousness, however, his life is accompanied by countless "ifs" and "maybes". Liu Bei missed two top strategists and five outstanding generals in his life, did the absence of these figures really become a key factor in his failure to dominate the world? In that era of heroes, every decision could change the entire situation of the war. Was Liu Bei's choice a missed opportunity or an arrangement of fate? His story is full of the smoke of war and personal joys and sorrows, but behind all this, what kind of historical truth is hidden? Does he really have the opportunity to rewrite his own destiny?
Liu Bei's origins and early challenges
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the world was in turmoil and heroes were born. During this period, Liu Bei, whose name is Xuande, was born in Zhuo County, Youzhou (now Zhuozhou City, Hebei Province), and is said to have been of illustrious descent after Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty. However, after his family fell into the middle, Liu Bei's life was not as glamorous as his background, but full of ups and downs and challenges.
When Liu Bei was a teenager, he faced the poverty of his family and had to bear the burden of livelihood early. He once sold straw sandals and weaved mats in his hometown, and the hardships of life can be seen. Despite living in poverty, Liu Bei did not lose his ambition. He had a keen interest in books, especially the Spring and Autumn Period and Zuo Chuan, which not only broadened his horizons but also stimulated his political aspirations.
As he grew older, Liu Bei began to show great leadership and political wisdom. He knew that it was not enough to survive in troubled times, so he began to make friends everywhere. In the process, he met Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, both of whom were heroes with straightforward personalities and strong martial arts. The three of them formed a righteous alliance in Taoyuan, vowing to jointly support the Han family and pacify the world. This Taoyuan rebellion not only deeply affected later generations, but also became an important turning point in Liu Bei's political career.
Liu Bei's early political career was full of twists and turns. He first tried to cry out in the Yellow Turban Rebellion, leading the rebel army to fight against Zhang Jiao, although the battle was not obvious, but this move laid the foundation for his later political career. Subsequently, he moved from prince to prince, sometimes under temporary refuge, sometimes with suspicion and ostracism. During this period, Liu Bei's political and military talents gradually emerged, but also exposed his lack of resources and connections.
During these years, Liu Bei's character and political ideas also gradually matured. He is known for his benevolence and righteousness, focusing on talents, and not sticking to one pattern to reduce talents, which makes him supported by many like-minded people. However, due to his lack of sufficient strength and resources, he was often at a disadvantage in battles with Cao Cao, Sun Quan, and others.
Despite this, Liu Bei did not give up his ideals. His continuous learning and accumulation of experience in the face of adversity laid a solid foundation for his later rise to prominence after the Battle of Red Cliffs. The Battle of Chibi was another turning point in Liu Bei's political career, as he joined forces with Sun Quan and successfully defeated Cao Cao's army, which not only saved his political career, but also provided an opportunity for his later expansion.
In this series of challenges and opportunities, Liu Bei has shown extraordinary resilience and political wisdom. Although his life was full of ups and downs and misfortunes, he never gave up his ideals and pursuits. From a poor boy to a hegemon of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei's story is full of legends, and it also reflects the magnificent scenes of heroes in that era.
The Missing and Influence of Key Figures
In Liu Bei's life, there are many key moments, many of which have the opportunity to make friends, but fate makes people, and he misses some important people who can change his fate. The absence of these figures became the regret of his life, and also invisibly affected his political and military ambitions.
Zhao Yun, whose name is Zilong, is brave and good at fighting, loyal and loyal, and is an outstanding general during the Three Kingdoms period. However, when Zhao Yun defected to Liu Bei in the early days, Liu Bei did not make full use of Zhao Yun's talents. It wasn't until the Battle of Changbanpo that Zhao Yun rode the savior alone and killed the enemy generals, which really showed his heroic nature. If Liu Bei had recognized the value of Zhao Yun earlier, perhaps his military strength would have been strengthened earlier.
In Liu Bei's political map, Hanzhong is undoubtedly a key geographical location. It is not only a dangerous terrain, but also an important passage connecting Bashu and the Central Plains. Liu Bei's failure to occupy and hold Hanzhong in time led to Cao Cao's later ability to take control of this strategic location, which largely limited Liu Bei's development space.
Liu Bei's alliance with Sun Quan once made Cao Cao feel threatened. However, this alliance did not last. After the Battle of Chibi, the relationship between the two began to crack, which eventually led to Sun Quan's betrayal of Liu, a rupture that had a profound impact on Liu Bei's political fortunes.
Among the two top strategists missed, Xu Shu is undoubtedly an important figure. Xu Shu, straightforward, intelligent, won Liu Bei's appreciation. However, because Xu Shu's mother was controlled by Cao Cao, Xu Shu was forced to leave Liu Bei and defect to Cao Cao. Xu Shu's departure caused Liu Bei to lose a strategist with great strategic vision, which had a great impact on Liu Bei's later military operations.
After Xu Shu, Liu Bei missed Pang Tong again. Pang Tong, the character Shiyuan, is also a talented strategist. He met Liu Bei in the Meridian Valley, and the two hit it off at first sight. Pang Tong was full of enthusiasm for Liu Bei's career, but as ill as fate would have it, Pang Tong was tragically killed in a battle, leaving Liu Bei once again without a valuable advisor.
In addition to the strategists, Liu Bei also missed five generals in his life. Zhang Ren, originally a subordinate of Liu Zhang, later returned to Liu Bei, but in the battle between Liu Bei and Cao Cao, Zhang Ren was captured by Cao Cao and finally surrendered to Cao Cao. Zhang Ren's surrender deprived Liu Bei of a brave general.
Wenpin, who was originally a subordinate of Liu Biao, later died of Liu Biao's illness, and Wenpin took refuge in Cao Cao. Wenpin's betrayal put Liu Bei in an even more disadvantageous position in the struggle against Cao Cao.
Zhang Liao and Xu Chu, two fierce generals under Cao Cao, if Liu Bei can be subdued, will definitely be able to add wings to his military power. However, Liu Bei's failure to convince these two generals led to several setbacks in his battles with Cao Cao.
Zhaozhao, a general with strong martial arts, had contact with Liu Bei. However, due to various reasons, Zhao Zhao finally chose Cao Cao, which also caused Liu Bei to lose a strong support in the military.
Each of these missed figures is likely to have played an important role in Liu Bei's political and military career. Their absence undoubtedly added many difficulties and challenges to Liu Bei's journey. In the era of the Three Kingdoms, where heroes are numerous, the gains and losses of talents are often directly related to the rise and fall of political power. Although Liu Bei has an outstanding vision in the identification and use of talents, the tricks of fate made him lose these important people who could help him at a critical moment.
Liu Bei's political and military decisions
In the grandeur of the Three Kingdoms dispute, Liu Bei's political and military decisions were particularly crucial. His choices, cautious or bold, sometimes won him a turnaround, and at other times landed him in a difficult situation.
Around the time of the Battle of Chibi, Liu Bei allied with Sun Quan to fight against Cao Cao's powerful forces. This decision is the embodiment of Liu Bei's political wisdom. The victory in the Battle of Chibi not only thwarted Cao Cao's ambitions for the Northern Expedition, but also won Liu Bei a space for respite and development. However, this victory was not the work of Liu Bei alone, but a combination of forces, especially Zhou Yu's fire attack tactics, which played a decisive role.
After the Battle of Chibi, Liu Bei rapidly expanded his power, first occupying Jingzhou and then advancing into Yizhou. This series of military operations shows Liu Bei's ambition. Jingzhou's gains and losses are of great significance to Liu Bei. It is not only a north-south transportation artery, but also a food-rich region. Liu Bei's stability in this place laid a solid foundation for the establishment of his future Shu Han.
However, Liu Bei's expansion in Yizhou caused Sun Quan's dissatisfaction. Sun Quan's suspicion and vigilance of Liu Bei eventually led to the breakdown of the alliance between the two. Liu Bei's decision-making in this process appeared to rely too much on military means and neglected the maintenance of relations with allies, which to a certain extent laid hidden dangers for his future political development.
Throughout Liu Bei's political career, his emphasis on talent was evident. He not only reused strategists like Zhuge Liang, but also recruited talents, such as Fa Zheng, Huang Quan and others. The participation of these talents provided strong support for Liu Bei's political and military decision-making. However, Liu Bei sometimes relied too much on individual ministers in the use of talents, such as excessive trust in Zhuge Liang, and sometimes limited the play of other talents.
In Liu Bei's later years, he launched the famous Battle of Yiling in an attempt to eliminate Sun Quan and unify Jiangnan. This decision was a major mistake in Liu Bei's political career. The defeat in the Battle of Yiling not only caused Liu Bei heavy losses, but also dealt a heavy blow to his political ideals. Liu Bei's decision-making in this battle was criticized by later generations as too aggressive and lacking caution.
Liu Bei's political and military decisions are the embodiment of his personal character and philosophy. His benevolence won him politically, but in military terms, his decisions were sometimes too emotional. In the era of heroes in the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei's political and military decisions have both their uniqueness and limitations. His life is a historical microcosm of the constant game between ideals and reality.
It is difficult to achieve a great cause, and the will of heaven makes people
Liu Bei, the imperial uncle of the Han family, has a lifelong ambition to rebuild the Han family and restore the old glory. However, the giant wheel of history is rolling forward, and if it is not transferred by human will, Liu Bei's great cause will be difficult to fulfill after all.
The Jingzhou controversy was an important part of Liu Bei's political career. Jingzhou is fertile and a battleground for soldiers. Liu Bei's stability in this place laid the foundation for his later establishment of Shu Han. However, the good times did not last long, and Sun Quan eyed Jingzhou, which eventually led to the defeat of Guan Yu and the loss of Jingzhou. Guan Yu's death was not only a huge personal loss for Liu Bei, but also a major blow to his political power.
After the fall of Jingzhou, Liu Bei was filled with grief and anger and vowed to avenge Guan Yu. He launched the Battle of Yiling, intending to defeat Sun Quan in one fell swoop and unify Jiangnan. However, the heavens did not fulfill people's wishes, and the battle of Yiling ended in Liu Bei's fiasco. The defeat of this battle directly led to the shattering of Liu Bei's political ideals, and also made his health deteriorate.
After the Battle of Yiling, Liu Bei retreated to the White Emperor City and spent the rest of his life reflecting and rectifying. He instructed the future here, pinning his hopes and ideals on Zhuge Liang and later Shu Han. Liu Bei's death marked the end of an era and also foreshadowed the fate of Shu Han.
Liu Bei's life is full of legends. He has grown from a cloth cloth to a tyrant, and his name of benevolence and righteousness has spread all over the world. However, the cruelty of history is also fully reflected in him. His political ideals, although lofty, are extremely fragile in the quagmire of reality.
In Liu Bei's later years, although he recaptured Hanzhong, his fortune was gone, and his body was weakening day by day. On the sickbed, Liu Bei asked for the future while reviewing his life. His political career was full of ups and downs, and his military decisions were sometimes wise and sometimes misguided. His life is a historical microcosm of the constant game between ideals and reality.
Liu Bei's story is not only a microcosm of the Three Kingdoms period, but also a classic case in human history. His life was full of passion and dreams, but also full of mistakes and regrets. His experience still inspires future generations to pursue their own ideals and move forward bravely despite difficulties.