Zhuge Liang

Zhuge Liang is a politician who served Liu Bei. He was a wise advisor who was both loved and feared as the "Sleeping Dragon" (臥龍). When he became Shu's Prime Minister, he led an exhausting expedition to conquer Wei. The reasons for Shu's failure are argued –lack of man power, bad weather, or his misjudgment– but he is praised today for his unmistakable loyalty to his masters. Romance of the Three Kingdoms famously depicts him as a peerless genius whose intellect rivaled the greatest minds of China, Lu Wang and Zhang Liang. His wife is Yueying and Zhuge Zhan is his son. Zhuge Jin and Zhuge Jun are his brothers.

In the Dynasty Warriors series, he is 22 years old and his height is 174 cm (almost 5'9"). Jiang Wei is depicted as his successor, Pang Tong is his close confidant, and Zhuge Dan is his cousin. Gamecity's Dynasty Warriors 7 character popularity poll places him at twenty-fourth place.

His voice actor in Kessen II is a seventh generation kabuki actor and a traditional Japanese dancer. His role as Zhuge Liang is his first and only known appearance for a video game. His character's height is 190 cm (almost 6'3").

Role in Games

 * "I will break before no man, least of all you."
 * ―Zhuge Liang to Sima Yi, Warriors Orochi 2

Dynasty Warriors
Zhuge Liang is known as Liu Bei's master strategist and is considered a prodigy in all three kingdoms. Upon Liu Bei's third visit, Zhuge Liang joins him and assists his lord's escape at Chang Ban. At Chi Bi, he commences a prayer to summon the southern winds needed for the Allied Forces' fire attack. In most titles, he tries to dissuade his lord from avenging Guan Yu's death at Jing Province, but his advice falls on deaf ears.

Even so, Zhuge Liang reinforces his lord at Yi Ling and directs the wounded army in the Stone Sentinel Maze after Lu Xun's fire attack. To continue his lord's dreams, Zhuge Liang commands the Shu army after Liu Bei's death, directing the Southern Campaign against Meng Huo and the Northern Campaigns against Wei. A few games has him take Tian Shui during this time to recruit his future predecessor, Jiang Wei. Though weakened by illness, his final battle against Sima Yi is at Wu Zhang Plains. He usually dies before he can complete his goal, and his death during the battle is often signaled by a shooting star. His mantle of leadership is passed on to Jiang Wei.

His Legend Mode in Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends depicts his first meeting with his wife. Her father, Huang Chenyan, meets Zhuge Liang with the belief that he is a perfect match for his daughter. Zhuge Liang, learning of her genius, agrees to be tested by Yue Ying in battle. During the battle, Zhuge Liang defeats other would-be-suitors -noting the chauvinistic attitude they have towards her- and his would-be mate. Upon her defeat, Yue Ying submits to servitude but Zhuge Liang prefers her as his equal than a servant.

Dynasty Warriors 5 describes Zhuge Liang as a hermit who lived his days in Jing before meeting Liu Bei. On Liu Bei's third visit, the scholar devises the Three Kingdoms strategy to achieve Liu Bei's dreams of a land for the people. His genius becomes known throughout the other kingdoms, and his plan to split the land in three is known by all. After he assists the escape at Chang Ban, Liu Bei passes away before he could see Zhuge Liang's plan succeed. Liu Bei, realizing that his son is unable to carry out his virtuous dream, asks the strategist to lead Shu after his death.

Zhuge Liang acts on his departed lord's wishes but, desiring to see Shu's vision as a servant, he swears loyalty to his new master, Liu Chan. Zhuge Liang starts by subduing the rebelling Nanman tribe and conquers Tian Shui to start their kingdom's campaign against Wei. In the latter battle, he captures and releases Xiahou Mao to spread the false report of Jiang Wei's surrender to Ma Zun. Expressing his desires to pass his knowledge on to the young man, Shu gains Jiang Wei's genuine loyalty after the battle. They work together to take Chen Cang and they destroy Wei at Wu Zhang Plains. As Wu is destroyed by Wei before their decisive battle began, the land is ruled under Shu and the people rejoice Zhuge Liang's legacy for generations to come. In his ending, he laments the lives given for the land's unification since it has always been one; it was people who claimed to have separated it. He presumably dies soon after.

He shares two Legend Modes in the Xtreme Legends expansion. One he shares with Zhang Fei and Wei Yan at the Battle of Jia Meng Gate. In order to carry out the Three Kingdoms plan, Liu Bei must conquer the lands of his relative, Liu Zhang. To counter the Shu offensive, Liu Zhang sends Zhang Lu. Liu Bei's army uses this opportunity to recruit Ma Chao and gain a strong foothold in their conquest for Shu. His other Legend Mode has him, Jiang Wei and Wei Yan at the Battle of Mt. Qi. In the midst of Shu's Northern Campaign, the Prime Minister surprisingly orders a retreat from the mountain. Once his troops are safely hidden and in position, Zhuge Liang springs an ambush on Sima Yi and causes Zhang He's demise.

In Dynasty Warriors 6, he agrees to be Liu Bei's strategist only if his master prepares himself to do anything for his heart's true desire. He argues that his plans will not ultimately win the people's trust; it will be Liu Bei's noble character. Therefore, Zhuge Liang is willing to bear any negative criticism regarding his sometimes underhanded plans to protect Liu Bei's gentle and heroic image. This comes into full effect when Zhang Fei accuses of him of sacrificing Guan Yu so they could capture Han Zhong. With a string of relentless plots, Wei eventually falls against Shu at Wu Zhang Plains. Zhuge Liang, who is exhausted by illness, endures the battle before collapsing. Although he is content to die as repentance for Guan Yu and Pang Tong's deaths, Liu Bei pleas for him to live. Getting the proper rest his body needs, Zhuge Liang survives and witnesses the peach blossoms that Liu Bei wanted him to see.

Zhuge Liang first appears in the seventh installment when Liu Bei visits him three times. He first instructs Liu Bei what his true goal is: a land of benevolence. Zhuge Liang proves his worth to his allies at Changban and later leaves to convince Sun Quan to fight Cao Cao's southern invasion. After praying for the winds to blow at Chibi, he leads the pursuit for Cao Cao when he escaped at Huarong Trail. By preventing Huang Gai's assistance for the chase, Zhuge Liang simultaneously escapes Wu and returns to his master's side. He is also the commander at Mt. Dingjun and planned Liu Bei's escape to Baidi Castle. After Liu Bei's death, he is mentioned stopping the Nanman Tribe and defeating Meng Huo before attacking Wei at Tianshui. After capturing the city, he found his heir to follow on his legacy. After a few years, Zhuge Liang strained his body and made his last stand at Wuzhang. After defeating Sima Yi, he finally passed away, with Jiang Wei promising to make a land of benevolence.

He is regarded by other characters to be a major obstacle to uniting the land in the other kingdoms' narratives. He appears a ghost in Jin's story mode which causes the invading soldiers to lose morale at Jiange. Their march to Chengdu continues after his defeat.

In his first stage of the Legendary Mode, Zhuge Liang fights Meng Huo and Zhu Rong in order to gain support from the tribes in Nanzhong. His second stage has him rescue Ma Su from his defeat at Jieting. He fights Sima Yi to prove that he is the better strategist for his third Legendary Mode.

Warriors Orochi
In Orochi's story, Zhuge Liang is the one who advises his lord to flee from Serpent King's army. To assist his lord's escape, he traps Orochi's men within a garrison and attempts to stop them by force. However, he's defeated and Liu Bei is captured by Orochi's men. As a member in the serpent king's army, he leads the battle to subdue Wu and imprisons Sun Jian and many of their men.

Like many of Shu's generals, he continues to be a member of Orochi's army in Warriors Orochi. Not wanting to put Liu Bei's life into jeopardy, he acts as one of Orochi's strategists. He appears to be loyal to the snake but he's actually biding his time to capture Da Ji and set his lord free. As such, many of his plans are actually careful steps for Orochi's downfall.

Zhuge Liang appears with his wife at Odani Castle in Warriors Orochi 2. He and his forces block Himiko's escape from the field. Having understood Taigong Wang's plans, he remarks the noticeable risk the mystic allows by letting Himiko and Da Ji free.

Staying beside Liu Bei after Orochi's second defeat, he was his lord's strategist at Chengdu. The castle is heavily overrun by the serpent army in the original timeline. Although Zhuge Liang's whereabouts remain unknown in the future, Ma Chao and company travel back in time to prevent its fall. With the threat gone, the strategist joins the coalition. Zhuge Liang is later intent on recruiting Pang Tong and leads a small regiment to save his friend at Komaki-Nagakute.

Dynasty Tactics
Dynasty Tactics has Zhuge Liang as an optional officer who can be recruited by any nearby lord in the years 205~207. He is good with engineer units and knows a number of INT tactics. He has the highest intelligence in the game.

He plays a pivotal role in Liu Bei's conquests in Dynasty Tactics 2.

Kessen
Zhuge Liang appears as one of Shu's strategists in Kessen II. He is an adept sorcerer who uses astrology to foretell the future. Like the novel, he agreed to join Liu Bei during his third visit. However, Zhuge Liang declines Liu Bei's offers in his previous visits, stating that he has no interest in restoring the Han empire. Once he hears that Liu Bei's real desire is to save Diao Chan, he admires the lord and agrees to serve him. From then on, he acts as a political adviser and battle strategist, occasionally bringing in new generals to join Shu.

Not long after he joined, Zhang Fei confesses to his older brother that he doesn't trust the magician. In response, Zhuge Liang attempts to assassinate Cao Cao but only succeeded in knocking off his helmet. He brings it to Liu Bei to prove his loyalty. He distinguishes himself as a powerful magician when he cast a fire spell on Cao Cao's fleet at Chi Bi. When Shu heard rumors of Diao Chan's death, a jealous Himiko tries to convince Zhuge Liang to join her. In the process, she leaks out that the dancer is still alive. After he refuses her offer, he reports his findings to Liu Bei. In Wei's epilogue, he leads the final resistance against Cao Cao with Shu's remaining generals. In Shu's story, he stops Himiko's dangerous tornado spell by defeating her in a magic duel.

While style names don't exist for the characters in the Japanese dub, Zhuge Liang's name in this title is Kongming.

Development
The idea of adding laser beams to Zhuge Liang's attacks was decided ever since the series's first title. The development team wanted to give the strategist another weapon to his arsenal to rather than waving around his fan. They thought giving him the ability to shoot laser beams would give him a stylish image. While it sounds whimsical, the concept took considerable time and thought to include for Zhuge Liang. He is Tomohiko Sho's favorite character.

Personality
Zhuge Liang is a placid and calculating man who is always thinking one step ahead. He often states that every turn in battle is a part of his effortless planning. Like the novel, he speaks with a polite and proper manner at all times, albeit terrifyingly so when he completely stumps his enemies. Though his intentions are sometimes questioned, he is indeed loyal to Liu Bei as he admires his lord's humble and noble qualities.

Perhaps a bit too confident of his abilities, he only half acknowledges his rivals from Wei and Wu, Sima Yi, Zhou Yu, and even his own colleague Pang Tong. While they are intent on befuddling him and proving their mental superiority, Zhuge Liang will haughtily denounce their efforts. When they succeed, he congratulates them with quaint words of praise. Warriors Orochi 2 notes the first time his abilities are said to be inferior to someone, who is Taigong Wang.

Character Symbolism
Within several Three Kingdoms media, Zhuge Liang's trademark appearance are his long robes, his hat, and his crane feather hand fan. He is best known for wielding a feather fan with white feathers to match his description found within Romance of the Three Kingdoms. His fan is meant to calmly wave the air around him and is not an instrument of war in the slightest. His hat found in various Three Kingdoms media is most likely a Fa Guan, which is a type of head ware dedicated to his status as a law enforcer. Kongming Latterns are fabled to resemble the particular headwear he wore and thus are nicknamed after him.

In the Japanese version of Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires, Zhuge Liang is given the nickname of "The Wizard of Fortune" while the English version changes it to "The Divinely Inspired Strategist". As a ruling general in Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires, he calls his five greatest warriors the "Five Dragons".

Two of his weapons in the Dynasty Warriors series take their namesakes from the Four Gods. His level 11 weapon is named after the Azure Dragon and his fourth weapon is named after the Vermillion Bird. The second beast is placed in a direction matching the placement of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period. Affiliating a dragon with Zhuge Liang may be tied to his historical nickname or the dragon motif commonly found amongst Shu's generals in the series.

Zhuge Liang's weapons in the sixth title all imply effulgence. His Standard weapon represents the birth of a pure thought. A clear sense of pity is depicted in his Skill weapon while his Strength weapon describes a blackened intelligence. One interpretation of these names may be personifications of the time of day, since the characters used for the fans may also be used to describe morning, noon, and night. The other trait for these fans are their aspects for radiance, which is tied to his given name and well known style name. As a side note, Zhuge Liang is sometimes known only by his style name in certain editions of the novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The other characters who may share the same trait are Liu Bei or Guan Yu.

His skill chart in the same title is roughly shaped in the form of a fish, which alludes to his close relationship with Liu Bei in the novel. When his oath brothers grumbled their displeasure with Zhuge Liang spending time with him, Liu Bei compared their friendship "just as fish has water". This interpretation is the commonly known origin for the Chinese idiom, Ru Yu De Shui. Historically, Liu Bei uttered he felt as though he were "an isolated fish placed back into the water" once he gained Zhuge Liang into his service. Either meaning is meant to imply a sudden fortunate occurrence. Zhuge Liang would actually be the "water" in this case, but the fish was probably chosen in the game for easier imagery.

For his original Dynasty Warriors 7 outfit, Zhuge Liang wears a chest band that somewhat resembles the straps for president of the student council. He has written three inspirational words on the front: "Aspiration", "Energy", and "Courage".

Voice Actors

 * Jason Frankovitz - Dynasty Warriors 3 (English)
 * Lex Lang - Dynasty Warriors 4~7, Dynasty Tactics 2, Kessen II, Warrior Orochi series (English)
 * Hong Siho - Dynasty Warriors 2 (Korean)
 * Kim Sehan - Dynasty Warriors 3~5 (Korean)
 * Masaya Onosaka - Dynasty Warriors series, Warriors Orochi series, Sangokushi Koumeiden (Japanese)
 * Munehiro Tokida - Dynasty Tactics (Japanese)
 * Masashi Hironaka - Dynasty Tactics 2 (Japanese)
 * Somegoro Ichikawa - Kessen II (Japanese); also model for character
 * Kaneto Shiozawa - Romance of the Three Kingdoms drama CD series
 * Masaya Takatsuka - Romance of the Three Kingdoms 12 (Japanese)

Quotes

 * See also: Zhuge Liang/Quotes


 * "Master Liu Bei is no longer with us, and my destiny also draws near. Before everything is swept away by the times, I must bring an end to the chaos."
 * "Is that all you've got? I had you pegged as better than that..."
 * "My grand design cannot be determined from the goings-on of a single skirmish."
 * Sakon and Zhuge Liang; Warriors Orochi


 * "Men's will is more powerful than you could ever fathom."
 * Zhuge Liang speaking to Orochi X; Warriors Orochi 2


 * "Master Zhuge Liang, so have you been praying lately? Can you really cause the winds to blow?"
 * "If a cloud is covering a faintly glowing star, I can ask the wind to clear it off."
 * "Maybe the star will understand how you feel too. And it will try to shine a little harder then."
 * Hanbei and Zhuge Liang; Warriors Orochi 3


 * "The stars are in great disorder, making it extremely difficult to predict the future... However, that bright, shining star up there is a light of hope. Before it was a faint light, but now it has gained strength from the surrounding stars and is shining brightly. This is my lord's star."
 * Zhuge Liang; Kessen II

Gameplay

 * See also: Zhuge Liang/Movesets

Dynasty Warriors 7
Zhuge Liang is affiliated with the war fan in this appearance. When he is equipped with it, he can perform a unique attack exclusive to him. When he performs his musous, he will automatically use the weapon in his attacks.


 * EX Attack: ,,undefined,undefined: Does a large area attack which electrocutes any enemies caught in its wake.
 * Thunderbolt: : Uses his fan to summon a storm of lightning to strike enemies around him.
 * Lightning Strike:, : Fires lightning bolts from his hand towards those below him as more lightning radiates outward around him.

His moveset has been changed in Warriors Orochi 3.
 * Warriors Orochi


 * ,undefined:


 * R1:

Dynasty Warriors
In Dynasty Warriors 3-5, Zhuge Liang has very short range for his attacks, but to make up for it are his C2 and his Musou attack, both of which are the strongest attacks of their kind in the game. His running speed is also not so impressive, so one might want to equip Speed Scroll or have Speed on a third weapon (perhaps both). His C1 and C6 cannot be blocked (in Dynasty Warriors 5), so it is useful against officers in case they are blocking too much. He is also the only character along with Sima Yi to not have a 'Charge Rush' for his C3. In Dynasty Warriors 4, Zhuge Liang is one of the very few characters that benefit from equipping a Blast Orb, making him a monster against those who dare to block against his attacks. His jump charge in Dynasty Warriors 4 along with Sima Yi's is said to be one of the cheapest attacks in the game, but is fairly weak.

In Dynasty Warriors 6, Zhuge Liang's attacks focus more on magic as a good majority of his attacks are controlled gusts of wind created by his fan. One of his most formidable attacks is his Special, which has the power to emulate the effects and damage of a fire attack. When properly used, he can severely weaken a group of nearby enemy officers and easily take them out with a few hits. Some of his attacks available for purchase in his Skill Tree, namely Flame and Hellfire, increase the damage of his attack. Hellfire, which greatly increases the attack of the Tome Attack, is exclusive to Zhuge Liang, making him have one of the deadliest fire attacks in the game. Other Special Skills include Battlecry, which stuns nearby enemies, and Stamina, which increases the duration of the attack. His moveset usually leaves his back opened so players must take some caution whilst charging into a crowd of enemies.

Weapons

 * See also: Zhuge Liang/Weapons

Big Star Weapons
Zhuge Liang uses the following big star weapons in the game.
 * Peacock Wing
 * Distinction
 * Enlightenment
 * Cool Breeze

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Zhuge Liang was born in Yangdu, Langya Commandery (present-day Yinan County, Shandong). He was orphaned at a premature age, and was raised by his uncle, Zhuge Xuan. He followed his uncle to live in Jing Province under Liu Biao later. After his uncle died, Zhuge Liang and his brothers settled in Wolonggang (in present-day Henan) for the next ten years or so, leading simple lives – farming by day and studying at night. Zhuge Liang's two older sisters married members of influential clans with strong connections in the region.

The Temple of the Marquis of Wu in Chengdu, a temple worshipping Zhuge Liang.Zhuge Liang enjoyed reciting Liangfu Yin (Wade-Giles spelling: Liang-fu Yin; 梁父吟), a folk song popular in Shandong, his birthplace. He also liked to compare himself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi, two famous historical figures. He developed close friendships with members of the local literati, such as Xu Shu, Cui Zhouping, Meng Jian and Shi Tao. Zhuge Liang also maintained close relations with other well known intellectuals, such as Sima Hui, Pang Degong and Huang Chengyan. Huang Chengyan once told Zhuge Liang, "I heard that you're seeking a spouse. I've an ugly daughter with a yellow face and dark complexion, but her talent matches yours." Zhuge Liang agreed and married Huang Chengyan's daughter.

At that time, Liu Bei resided at Xinye while he was taking shelter under Jing Province's governor, Liu Biao. Liu Bei visited Sima Hui, who told him, "Confucian academics and common scholars, how much do they know about current affairs? Those who analyse current affairs well are elites. Crouching Dragon and Young Phoenix are the only ones in this region." Xu Shu later recommended Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei again, and Liu wanted to ask Xu to invite Zhuge to meet him. However, Xu Shu replied, "You must visit this man in person. He cannot be invited to meet you." Liu Bei succeeded in recruiting Zhuge Liang in 207 after paying three personal visits. Zhuge Liang presented the Longzhong Plan to Liu Bei and left his residence to follow Liu. Afterwards, Liu Bei became very close to Zhuge Liang and often had discussions with him. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were not pleased and complained. Liu Bei explained, "Now that I have Kongming (Zhuge Liang's style name), it's just like a fish getting into water. I hope you'll stop making unpleasant remarks." Guan Yu and Zhang Fei then stopped complaining.

In 208, Liu Biao died and was succeeded by his younger son, Liu Cong, who surrendered Jing Province to Cao Cao. When Liu Bei heard of Liu Cong's surrender, he led his followers (both troops and civilians) on an exodus southward to Xiakou, engaging Cao Cao's forces in a brief skirmish at the Battle of Changban along the way. While in Xiakou, Liu Bei sent Zhuge Liang to follow Lu Su to Jiangdong to discuss the formation of an alliance between him and Sun Quan.

Zhuge Liang met Sun Quan in Chaisang and proposed two solutions to Sun, "If you can use the forces of Wuyue to resist the Middle Kingdom, why not break ties (with Cao Cao) in advance? If you cannot oppose, why not demobilise the troops, discard your armour and surrender to the north?" After Sun Quan's viceroy, Zhou Yu, analysed the situation and pointed out weaknesses in Cao Cao's army, Sun finally agreed to ally with Liu Bei in resisting Cao. Zhuge Liang returned to Liu Bei's camp with Sun Quan's envoy, Lu Su, to make preparation for the upcoming war.

As a logistics officerSee also: Liu Bei's takeover of Yi Province In late 208, the allied armies of Liu Bei and Sun Quan scored a decisive victory over Cao Cao's forces at the Battle of Red Cliffs. Cao Cao retreated to Ye, while Liu Bei proceeded to conquer territories in Jiangnan, covering most of southern Jing Province. Zhuge Liang was appointed "Military Advisor General of the Household" (軍師中郎將). He was put in charge of governing Lingling (present day Yongzhou, Hunan), Guiyang and Changsha commanderies and collecting taxes to fund the military.

In 211, Liu Zhang, governor of Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan basin), requested aid from Liu Bei in attacking Zhang Lu of Hanzhong. Liu Bei left Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and others in charge of Jing Province while he led an army into Sichuan. Liu Bei promptly agreed to Liu Zhang's proposal, but secretly planned to take over Liu Zhang's land. The following year, Liu Zhang discovered Liu Bei's intention, and the two turned hostile and waged war on each other. Zhuge Liang, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun led separate forces to reinforce Liu Bei in the attack on Liu Zhang's capital city, Chengdu, while Guan Yu stayed behind to guard Jing Province. In 214, Liu Zhang surrendered and Liu Bei took control of Yi Province.

Liu Bei appointed Zhuge Liang "Military Advisor General" (軍師將軍) and let him administer affairs of his personal office (office of the General of the Left (左將軍)). Whenever Liu Bei embarked on military campaigns, Zhuge Liang remained to defend Chengdu and ensure a steady flow of supply of troops and provisions. In 221, in response to Cao Pi's usurping of Emperor Xian's throne, Liu Bei's subordinates advised him to declare himself emperor. After initially refusing, Liu Bei was eventually persuaded by Zhuge Liang to do so and became ruler of Shu Han. Liu Bei named Zhuge Liang his chancellor and put him in charge of the imperial agency where Zhuge assumed the functions of Imperial Secretariat. Zhuge Liang was appointed "Director of Retainers" (司隸校尉) after Zhang Fei's death.

Service under Liu Shan A depiction of Zhuge LiangIn the spring of 222, Liu Bei retreated to Yong'an (present-day Fengjie County, Chongqing) after his defeat at the Battle of Xiaoting and became seriously ill. He summoned Zhuge Liang from Chengdu and said to him, "You're ten times more talented than Cao Pi, capable of both securing the country and accomplishing our great mission. If my son can be assisted, then assist him. If he proves incompetent, then you may take over the throne."[14] Zhuge Liang replied tearfully, "I'll do my utmost and serve with unwavering loyalty until death."[15] Liu Bei then ordered his son, Liu Shan, to administer state affairs together with Zhuge Liang and regard Zhuge as his father.

As a regentAfter Liu Bei's death, Liu Shan ascended to the throne of Shu Han. He granted Zhuge Liang the title of "Marquis of Wu" (武鄉侯) and created an office for him. Not long later, Zhuge Liang was appointed governor of Yi Province and put in charge of all state affairs. At the same time, the commanderies in Nanzhong rebelled against Shu, but Zhuge Liang did not send troops to suppress the revolt as Liu Bei's death was still recent. He sent Deng Zhi and Chen Zhen to make peace with Eastern Wu and re-entered an alliance with Wu. Zhuge Liang would consistently send envoys to Wu to improve diplomatic relations between the two states.

Southern CampaignMain article: Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign During his reign as regent, Zhuge Liang set Shu's objective as the restoration of the Han Dynasty, which from Shu's point of view, had been usurped by Cao Wei. He felt that in order to attack Wei, a complete unification of Shu was first needed.[16] Zhuge Liang was worried that the local clans would work with the Nanman tribes in Nanzhong to stage a revolution. Fearing the possibility that the peasants might rebel and press into areas surrounding the capital city of Chengdu while he was attacking Wei in the north, Zhuge Liang decided to pacify the southern tribes first.

In the spring of 225, regional clans including Yong, Gao, Zhu, and Meng had taken control of some cities in the south, so Zhuge Liang led an expedition force to Nanzhong. Ma Su proposed that they should attempt to win the hearts of the Nanman and rally their support instead of using military force to subdue them. Zhuge Liang heeded Ma Su's advice and defeated the rebel leader, Meng Huo, on seven different occasions, as it was claimed in later histories like the Chronicles of Huayang. He released Meng Huo each time in order to achieve Meng's genuine surrender.[17] The story about Meng Huo's seven captures is recently questioned by many modern academics, including historians like Miao Yue, Tan Liangxiao, and Zhang Hualan.

Realizing he had no chance to win, Meng Huo pledged allegiance to Shu, and was appointed by Zhuge Liang as governor of the region to keep the populace content and secure the southern Shu border. This would ensure that the future Northern Expeditions would proceed without internal disruptions.[16] Rich and abundant resources acquired from Nanzhong were used to fund Shu's military and the state became more prosperous.

Northern Expeditions and death A Qing Dynasty illustration of Sima Yi fleeing from Zhuge Liang.Main article: Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions After pacifying the Nanman, Zhuge Liang ordered the Shu military to make preparations for a large scale offensive on the rival state of Wei. In 227, while in Hanzhong, he wrote a memorial, titled Chu Shi Biao, to Liu Shan, stating his rationale for the campaign and giving advice to the emperor on good governance. From 228 until his death in 234, Zhuge Liang launched a total of five Northern Expeditions against Wei, all except one of which failed. The only permanent gains by Shu were the conquests of Wudu and Yinping prefectures, as well as the relocation of Wei citizens to Shu on occasion.[18] However, Zhuge Liang's army never suffered casualties over 5% of the total forces, and the resources put into military were affordable (assuming Shu's zenith at 200,000 military strength.)

During the first Northern Expedition, Zhuge Liang persuaded Jiang Wei, a young Wei military officer, to surrender and defect to his side.[18] Jiang Wei became a prominent general of Shu later and inherited Zhuge Liang's ideals. In late 234, Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi (the Wei commander) reached a stalemate at the Battle of Wuzhang Plains. Zhuge Liang fell seriously ill and eventually died in camp at the age of 54. Before his death, Zhuge Liang recommended Jiang Wan and Fei Yi to succeed him as regent of Shu.[19] He was buried on Mount Dingjun according to his dying wish and posthumously granted the title of "Loyal and Martial Marquis" (忠武侯) by Liu Shan.

Trivia

 * During the Koei-Tecmo company visit in the Weekly Toro Station's broadcast, Toro and Kuro meet the Dynasty Warriors 7 version of Zhuge Liang while they are lost in the company's halls. Kuro even quotes a popular Japanese Internet meme associated with the historical figure due to the games by saying, "Now is the time." (今です.) When someone repeatedly falls into a simple looking but harsh trap, it might be called "Kongming's Trap" (孔明の罠, Koumei no Wana). The meme allegedly ties into a quote found in Mitsuteru Yokoyama's Sangokushi comic. Gamecity's mascot personally quotes the meme in Hyakuman-nin no Sangokushi Special's official description.

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