Kuai Liang
Encyclopedia
Kuai Liang, style name
Zirou (子柔), was an advisor to the warlord Liu Biao
during the late Han Dynasty
period of Chinese history
. He was a native of Zhonglu, Nan Commandery (present-day Nanzhang County
, Hubei
). He had a younger brother, Kuai Yue
.
succeeded Wang Rui (王睿) as Inspector (刺史) of Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei
and Hunan
), and he sought good policies on governing the province. He paid a visit to Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue, asking, "At present, bandits are rampant and the people are not loyal to the government, while Yuan Shu
of Nanyang is planning his moves, it's hard to restore order to the current chaotic situation. I intend to recruit soldiers from among the civilian population, but I'm worried that they might not wish to join the army. Do you have any ideas to solve this problem?" Kuai Liang replied, "The reason why the people are not loyal to the government is that officials do not show enough care and concern towards them. If the people are loyal to the government, and yet the government is still weak, that's because officials do not perform sufficient righteous deeds. If officials can govern by benevolence and justice, the people's loyalty to them will be like the flow of water from higher to lower ground. Why do you need to worry and ask for a plan to conscript civilians?"
Kuai Liang was then appointed by Liu Biao as his Registrar (主簿). His death year was not recorded in Records of Three Kingdoms
, but historians believe that he died before the Battle of Red Cliffs
because his name was not found in a list of officials from Jing Province who were rewarded by Cao Cao
.
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
, Kuai Liang was the one who came up with a plan to defeat Sun Jian
at the Battle of Xiangyang
in 191. He suggested to Huang Zu
to retreat and lure Sun Jian to Mount Xian (峴山), where Sun Jian was killed by Huang Zu's archers lying in ambush.
Chinese style name
A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...
Zirou (子柔), was an advisor to the warlord Liu Biao
Liu Biao
Liu Biao , style name Jingsheng , was a warlord and the governor of Jing Province during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a member of the extended family of the Han Dynasty emperors...
during the late Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. He was a native of Zhonglu, Nan Commandery (present-day Nanzhang County
Nanzhang County
Nanzhang County is a county of Hubei, China. It is under the administration of Xiangfan city....
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
). He had a younger brother, Kuai Yue
Kuai Yue
Kuai Yue , style name Yidu , was an advisor to the warlord Liu Biao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the younger brother of Kuai Liang. When Liu Biao died and Liu Cong succeeded him, Kuai Yue recommended that he surrender to Cao Cao...
.
Biography
In 190, Liu BiaoLiu Biao
Liu Biao , style name Jingsheng , was a warlord and the governor of Jing Province during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a member of the extended family of the Han Dynasty emperors...
succeeded Wang Rui (王睿) as Inspector (刺史) of Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
and Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
), and he sought good policies on governing the province. He paid a visit to Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue, asking, "At present, bandits are rampant and the people are not loyal to the government, while Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the imperial court in 189. He was said to be a younger cousin of the warlord Yuan Shao, but was actually Yuan Shao's younger half-brother...
of Nanyang is planning his moves, it's hard to restore order to the current chaotic situation. I intend to recruit soldiers from among the civilian population, but I'm worried that they might not wish to join the army. Do you have any ideas to solve this problem?" Kuai Liang replied, "The reason why the people are not loyal to the government is that officials do not show enough care and concern towards them. If the people are loyal to the government, and yet the government is still weak, that's because officials do not perform sufficient righteous deeds. If officials can govern by benevolence and justice, the people's loyalty to them will be like the flow of water from higher to lower ground. Why do you need to worry and ask for a plan to conscript civilians?"
Kuai Liang was then appointed by Liu Biao as his Registrar (主簿). His death year was not recorded in Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms , is regarded as the official and authoritative historical text on the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history covering the years 184-280 CE. Written by Chen Shou in the 3rd century, the work combines the smaller histories of the rival states of Cao Wei , Shu Han and...
, but historians believe that he died before the Battle of Red Cliffs
Battle of Red Cliffs
The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive battle at the end of the Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was fought in the winter of 208/9 AD between the allied forces of the southern warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan...
because his name was not found in a list of officials from Jing Province who were rewarded by Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
.
In fiction
In Luo GuanzhongLuo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, Kuai Liang was the one who came up with a plan to defeat Sun Jian
Sun Jian
Sun Jian was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian in his power...
at the Battle of Xiangyang
Battle of Xiangyang (191)
The Battle of Xiangyang in 191 was a battle fought between Sun Jian and Liu Biao during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Liu Biao emerged victorious against Sun Jian's forces...
in 191. He suggested to Huang Zu
Huang Zu
Huang Zu was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Biao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was an experienced naval commander, and was most famous for having skillful warriors like Sun Jian and Ling Cao killed in battle.-Background:Huang was born in an influential...
to retreat and lure Sun Jian to Mount Xian (峴山), where Sun Jian was killed by Huang Zu's archers lying in ambush.
See also
- List of people of the Three Kingdoms