The Fall of a Brotherhood

The messenger from western Ba arrived in haste.

“An urgent report from the deputy commander of the Chariot and Cavalry General’s camp,” the officer announced.

At these words, Liu Bei’s face darkened with dread.

“Could it be that Zhang Fei has been killed?”

The deputy commander would never report in place of the general unless something catastrophic had occurred. Zhang Fei, the Chariot and Cavalry General, was known for his hands-on leadership. Liu Bei’s immediate suspicion was not unfounded—Zhang Fei’s brutal temper and penchant for harsh punishments had long been a point of contention between them.

Liu Bei had often warned Zhang Fei: “You execute too many, and you whip your soldiers daily. If you do not restrain yourself, disaster will find you.”

Zhang Fei had dismissed these warnings with a laugh.

Now, the worst had come to pass.

Zhang Fei’s death in July 221, just three months after Liu Bei declared himself emperor, marked the loss of another sworn brother. Guan Yu had already fallen to Sun Quan’s forces, and now Zhang Fei was gone. At sixty years old, Liu Bei felt the weight of time and loss pressing upon him.

The Reckoning at Yiling

Driven by grief and vengeance, Liu Bei ignored his advisors and launched a campaign against the Eastern Wu in late 221. His forces advanced along the Yangtze, reaching Yiling (modern-day Yichang, Hubei).

Wu’s newly appointed commander, Lu Xun, employed a strategy of calculated retreats, luring Liu Bei deeper into hostile territory. Sensing danger, Liu Bei ordered the construction of a vast wooden palisade stretching over a hundred kilometers—a defensive measure that would prove disastrous.

Lu Xun, seeing the vulnerability of such an extended fortification, ordered his troops to set it ablaze. The flames engulfed the Shu defenses, demoralizing Liu Bei’s army. The Battle of Yiling ended in a catastrophic defeat, with tens of thousands of Shu soldiers dead and Liu Bei fleeing to the city of Baidi, which he renamed Yong’an (“Eternal Peace”).

The Last Days of an Emperor

Wracked by illness and grief, Liu Bei’s health deteriorated rapidly. Feverish and delirious, he murmured the names of his fallen brothers—Guan Yu and Zhang Fei—as if haunted by their spirits.

In early 223, sensing his end was near, Liu Bei summoned his chancellor, Zhuge Liang, to his bedside. His final words were both a plea and a testament to his trust:

“Your talent surpasses Cao Pi’s tenfold. You must restore the Han. If my son proves worthy, guide him. If not, take the throne yourself.”

No ruler in Chinese history had ever entrusted his kingdom so completely to a minister. Zhuge Liang, moved to tears, vowed to serve with unwavering loyalty.

Liu Bei died on April 24, 223, leaving his 17-year-old son, Liu Shan, as his successor—a young man whose incompetence would later become legendary.

The Southern Campaign and the Seven Captures of Meng Huo

With Liu Bei’s death, Zhuge Liang shifted Shu’s foreign policy toward reconciliation with Wu, recognizing the need for a united front against the dominant Wei. However, Wu had been secretly inciting rebellions among the non-Han tribes in Shu’s southern territories—modern-day Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi.

The most formidable of these tribal leaders was Meng Huo, a man of both martial prowess and sharp intellect. Recognizing the futility of prolonged resistance, Meng Huo secretly met with Zhuge Liang, proposing a staged conflict—one where Shu would demonstrate overwhelming force to compel the tribes’ submission without unnecessary bloodshed.

In 225, Zhuge Liang launched his southern campaign. The conflict unfolded as planned: Meng Huo was “captured” seven times, each time released to rally his forces, until the tribes acknowledged Shu’s supremacy.

“Your might is divine,” Meng Huo finally declared. “We shall rebel no more.”

Legacy of a Fractured Dynasty

Liu Bei’s reign was marked by personal tragedy and strategic missteps, yet his legacy endured through Zhuge Liang’s stewardship. The Shu-Wu alliance was restored, and the southern tribes were pacified—but the dream of restoring the Han dynasty remained unfulfilled.

The story of Liu Bei’s final years is one of loyalty, vengeance, and the harsh realities of power. His trust in Zhuge Liang became legendary, while the tale of Meng Huo’s seven captures became a parable of psychological warfare and cultural integration.

Even today, Liu Bei’s rise and fall serve as a reminder: in war and politics, emotion must never override strategy.