Liu Bei, Lord of Shu

"Only wisdom and virtue can truly win men's devotion." -Liu Bei

Liu Bei (161–June 21, 223) , styled Xuándé (玄德) , was a warlord, general, and later the founding emperor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of China. Despite having a later start than his rivals and lacking both the material resources and social status they commanded, Liu Bei overcame his many defeats to carve out his own realm, which at its peak spanned modern day Sichuan , Guizhou , Hunan, part of Hubei , and part of Gansu.

Culturally, due to the tremendously popular novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, Liu Bei is a well-known for philanthropic , humanitarian ruler who cared for his people and picked good advisors. His character was to advocate the Confucian set of moral values, such as loyalty and compassion.

Early life

Born in Zhuo Commandery (涿 , present day Zhuozhou , Baoding , Hebei), Liu Bei was a descendant of Liu Zhen , the son of Liu Sheng , a son of Emperor Jing. His grandfather Liu Xiong (劉雄) and father Liu Hong (劉弘) were both employed as local clerks.

Liu Bei grew up poor, having lost his father when he was still a child. To support themselves, he and his mother sold shoes and straw-woven mats. At age fourteen , Liu Bei , sponsored by a more well-off relative who saw his potential , went to study under Lu Zhi (a prominent scholar and, at the time , former Administrator of Jiujiang). There he met and befriended Gongsun Zan.

The adolescent Liu Bei was said to be unenthusiastic in studying but rather fond of hunting, music, and nice clothing. Few of words, calm in demeanor, and kind to his friends , Liu Bei was well-liked by his contemporaries. He was said to have long arms and large earlobes.

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