36 replies to this topic

[Yun]

If you look at the Sanguo Zhi closely, you will find that Liu Bei actually had at least four wives and three concubines in his life. He also lost his wife or wives as captives of the enemy three times, and would have had a fourth time if not for Zhao Yun.

1) In 196, Liu Bei was fighting Yuan Shu and Lu Bu seized this chance to attack and capture Xiapi. Liu Bei's first wife (who is unnamed) was taken captive, and he had to take refuge in Haixi temporarily. Later he made a truce with Lu Bu, and got this wife back. She is never mentioned again.

2) While Liu Bei was in Haixi, Mi Zhu gave his younger sister to Liu Bei as a new wife, along with 2,000 servants. This was Lady Mi (in the novel, Liu Bei already had both Lady Mi and Lady Gan as wives when Lu Bu attacked Xiapi, and it was these two who were captured by Lu Bu). This means that after he got his first wife back, he had two wives at the same time.

3) In about 197-198, while Liu Bei was Governor of Yuzhou under Lu Bu and living in Xiaopei, he took Lady Gan as his concubine. The Shiyi Ji, a collection of stories by Wang Jia of the Former Qin (350-394), states that she was of humble birth, but a fortune-teller in her village predicted that she would become an emperor's concubine.

In 198, Cao Cao ordered Liu Bei to attack Lu Bu, but he was defeated by Lu Bu's general Gao Shun and his wives were captured (this probably included Lady Mi and Lady Gan, and perhaps the first wife too). The wives remained captives of Lu Bu until Cao Cao defeated and captured Lu Bu, upon which Cao returned them to Liu Bei (in the novel, it is Mi Zhu and Chen Gui who take Xuzhou and rescue the two Ladies).

In 200, Cao Cao attacked Liu Bei (who had rebelled against him in 199) and captured his wife/wives (Lady Mi and also the first wife?) and children and most of his troops, including Guan Yu. Guan first served Cao Cao and later defected back to Liu Bei, but Lady Mi seems to never have returned (neither did the first wife, if she was still alive). Lady Gan probably remained with Liu Bei and was not captured, contrary to the novel (in the novel, both Ladies are captured, and Guan Yu finally escorts them back to Liu Bei). It was probably at this time that she became the de facto wife - it is stated in her biography that Liu Bei lost his wives on a number of occasions (this probably included the first wife and Lady Mi), and Lady Gan took charge of his household as his concubine.

Liu Bei first took refuge with Yuan Shao, and then went to Jingzhou and pledged allegiance to Liu Biao. It was here that Lady Gan bore Liu Shan, as well as two daughters. In 208, Cao Cao took over Jingzhou, and pursued Liu Bei with 5,000 cavalry for a day and a night over a distance of more than 300 li. He caught up with Liu Bei at Changban, and Liu Bei abandoned Lady Gan and his three children, escaping with Zhuge Liang, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun and several tens of other riders. But Zhao Yun returned and escorted Lady Gan to safety, carrying Liu Shan in his own arms (in the novel, Lady Gan escapes but Lady Mi is wounded and left behind with Liu Shan; when Zhao Yun comes to rescue them, she drowns herself in a well to avoid being a burden). Cao Chun, Cao Ren's younger brother, captured Liu Bei's two daughters.

4) After the Battle of Chibi, Liu Qi died and Liu Bei became Governor of Jingzhou. At around this time, Lady Gan died and was buried in Nanjun prefecture. Sun Quan, wanting to keep Liu Bei on his side, gave his younger sister to Liu Bei as a wife. However, the two never got along, and while Liu Bei was campaigning in Yizhou, Lady Sun left and returned to Wu. She intended to take Liu Shan with her, but Zhao Yun intervened and prevented this (in the novel, Lady Sun loved Liu Bei alot but was tricked by Sun Quan's story about their mother being on her deathbed and wanting to see Liu Shan).

5) In Yizhou, Liu Bei's ministers urged him to take a new wife to replace Lady Sun. Their recommendation was Lady Wu, the sister of Liu Zhang's minister Wu Yi. Liu Yan, Liu Zhang's father, had heard that a fortune-teller predicted great fortune for Lady Wu, and thus had her married to his son Liu Mao (Liu Zhang's brother). But Liu Mao later died, and Lady Wu was left a widow. Liu Bei was afraid that Liu Mao was of the same Han imperial line as him, and he would thus be committing incest. But Fa Zheng argued that she was nowhere as close a kinswoman as the girl whom Jin Wengong (Duke Wen of Jin in the Spring and Autumn period) had taken as his wife. Liu Bei thus took her as his new wife around 214-215. She became first Queen of Hanzhong in 219 (when Liu Bei took the title of King of Hanzhong), and then Empress of Han in 221. Liu Bei died in 222, and she became Empress Dowager. She died in 245.

Lady Gan was later honoured by Liu Shan as an empress because she was his mother, even though she had officialy not been more than a concubine while alive. This was done on the urging of Zhuge Liang. Liu Bei loved Lady Gan more than any of his other wives, and in 222 he had arranged for her coffin to be exhumed and brought from Nanjun Prefecture to Yizhou to be re-buried there. But he died before the coffin arrived. On Zhuge Liang's suggestion, she was buried together with Liu Bei in his mausoleum. After Empress Dowager Wu's death in 245, she was buried in that mausoleum too - Liu Bei is thus unusual among Chinese emperors in having two empresses buried with him.

6) Liu Bei also took at least two concubines (who are unnamed in the SGZ) when he was emperor. They bore him two sons, Liu Yong and Liu Li.

[Yun]

But Fa Zheng argued that she was nowhere as close a kinswoman as the girl whom Jin Wengong (Duke Wen of Jin in the Spring and Autumn period) had taken as his wife.

Just some explanation of this statement. Basically, Ji Chonger (who later became Duke Wen of Jin) wandered in exile from Jin for 19 years because of political persecution by his stepmother. When he reached the state of Qin, he was already 60 years old and had left behind previous wives in the states of Di and Qi. But Duke Mu of Qin was pissed off with the state of Jin because their crown prince (who was a hostage in Qin for diplomatic reasons) had just fled back to his own country, leaving behind a Qin princess who had been married to him. So Duke Mu gave Chonger five girls from the ruling family as wives, including the former wife of the Jin crown prince. Chonger wanted to decline, because marrying his kinsman's wife was incest. But his adviser told him, "We're going to attack Jin anyway, so what's the big deal with taking the prince's wife first? Besides, if you accept the Duke of Qin's offer, you'll get to stay in Qin and use its power against Jin." So Chonger accepted, and eventually the Qin army escorted him to seize power back in the state of Jin.

[Yun]

BTW, there's one major discrepancy between the Sanguo Zhi and the novel. In history, the wife who gives birth to Liu Shan is Lady Gan. In the novel, it's Lady Mi.

[snowybeagle]

That's quite informative ... with other wives providing him other sons, he should have reconsidered Liu Shan as successor. If Liu Shan was indeed known to be a half-wit, bypassing primogeniture would not have been as contentious an issue as it normally would have been.

[Yun]

I've just added some new info to the first post. According to Cao Chun's biography in SGZ, he captured two daughters of Liu Bei in the battle at the Changban Slope. These daughters, like Liu Shan, were probably borne by Lady Gan in Jingzhou in 201-208. Zhao Yun saved Liu Shan and Lady Gan, but the two daughters were lost permanently and we have no record of what happened to them.

It should also be noted that after Liu Bei became emperor of Shu-Han, he took at least two concubines besides Empress Wu. These bore him his other sons Liu Yong and Liu Li.

I feel sorry for Liu Bei's first wife - we don't even know her surname, and when he lost her for the last time.

[James]

Good job on finding the info. I learned a lot about Liu Bei's wives.

[Guan Suo]

had wifes that much but only had 1 son?
is there any daughter for Liu Bei?

[Yun]

He could have lost a number of sons and daughters in 200 when defeated by Cao Cao. He rebuilt his family with Lady Gan in Jingzhou, having one son (Liu Shan) and two daughters. Zhao Yun saved Liu Shan at Changban, but the two daughters were captured by Cao Chun.

[bayonet]

this thread sparks me another thought that when did China exert monogamy?

[willxdiana]

I alway thought Lady Mi was the first wife, I didnt know Lady mi never returned to him =p.

[草履虫]

his 3rd wife was Sun Shangxiang ,according to Sanguoyanyi

[Yun]

The name Sun Shangxiang doesn't even come from Sanguo Yanyi. It comes from the operas. But yes, Lady Sun was the third wife because Lady Gan was never an official wife, only a concubine.

[3 Kingdoms Addict]

That's quite informative ... with other wives providing him other sons, he should have reconsidered Liu Shan as successor. If Liu Shan was indeed known to be a half-wit, bypassing primogeniture would not have been as contentious an issue as it normally would have been.

Hi all,

First time posting here, Liu Shan was portrayed as a half-wit more by the novel and the games that we played. There are actual facts that support the theory that Liu Shan was actually a very clever person, and also a good politician as the second Emporer of Shu. However for reasons unknown, he relished power over to Zhuge Liang during the later's reign as Shu's Prime Minister (Most probably because Liu Bei asked Zhuge Liang to be guardian of Liu Shan and compared to Zhuge Liang's capability, Liu Shan involvement in politics and state affairs would have been un-necessary). SGYY probably portrayed him as an incompetent because he gave up Shu in the end and that image stuck. (Everyone needs someone to blame for their misfortunes right? LOL)

[Ma Su]

That's quite informative ... with other wives providing him other sons, he should have reconsidered Liu Shan as successor. If Liu Shan was indeed known to be a half-wit, bypassing primogeniture would not have been as contentious an issue as it normally would have been.

The problem with that, other then the normal "pick anyone other then the eldest and trouble comes" is the other sons are children and there doesn't seem to be that much wrong Shan did in 17 years to justify a huge change like that

Liu Shan seems to have been liked by his officers and was fine if those in charge were competent and loyal but he enjoyed pleasure, going sightseeing and didn't sack corrupt men when the crunch came. Judging by the simplitistic tones of memorials to Shan from Zhuge Liang and Qiao Zhou, Shan was not the smartest ruler ever

[amidabuda]

i want to know what happens to the wifes and daughters while they were captured? it is not that they have been taken back home the same day, or week, or even month... so what were they doing in that time? being in prison? being the capturer's concubines? slaves? guests? women were not treated very well in these ages, were they? that is why i cant imagine someone asking them about what they want..
a.