author
Liang Zhuge
181–234
Remembered as one of China’s great strategists, he helped shape the Shu Han state during the Three Kingdoms era and later became a lasting symbol of wisdom, foresight, and calm intelligence. His life inspired centuries of history writing, storytelling, and legend.
1 Audiobook
出師表
by Liang Zhuge
About the author
Born in 181 in Yangdu, in present-day Shandong, he lived through the final years of the Han dynasty and rose to prominence as the chief adviser to Liu Bei. After Liu Bei founded the Shu Han state, he served as chancellor and became one of its most important political and military leaders.
Historical sources credit him with careful statecraft, administrative skill, and repeated northern campaigns against the rival state of Wei. He died in 234 at Wuzhang Plains while still on campaign, and his reputation for loyalty and discipline helped make him one of the most admired figures of the Three Kingdoms period.
Over time, his image grew far beyond the historical record. In later literature, especially Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he appears as a brilliant and almost legendary master strategist, which is why his name still carries such a strong sense of intelligence and resourcefulness today.