Liu Shan

Liu Shan, born in the year two hundred and seven, was the second and final emperor of the Shu Han state during the tumultuous Three Kingdoms period. Ascending to the throne at the tender age of sixteen, he was placed under the guardianship of the esteemed Chancellor Zhuge Liang and the Imperial Secretariat Li Yan. His reign, which lasted for an impressive forty years, stands as the longest among all emperors of the Three Kingdoms era.

Throughout Liu Shan's rule, numerous military campaigns were launched against the rival state of Cao Wei, primarily orchestrated by Zhuge Liang and his successor Jiang Wei. However, these efforts were largely futile due to the significant disparities in population and territorial size between the two states. In the year two hundred and sixty-three, Liu Shan ultimately surrendered to Wei following a surprise assault led by Deng Ai on the Shu capital, Chengdu.

After his surrender, Liu Shan was relocated to the Wei capital of Luoyang, where he was granted the title of Duke Anle. In this new chapter of his life, he spent his remaining years in relative peace until his death in the year two hundred and seventy-one, likely due to natural causes. Despite his long reign, Liu Shan is often remembered by his childhood name, 'Adou', and is frequently viewed as an ineffective ruler.

Critics have accused Liu Shan of prioritizing personal pleasures over state affairs, which allowed corrupt officials to gain power. However, some modern historians argue that his lengthy rule was notable for its lack of violent court coups, a stark contrast to the experiences of rival states. The primary historical accounts of Liu Shan's life and reign come from the 'Records of the Three Kingdoms', authored by Chen Shou, who noted the absence of scribes at Liu Shan's court, leading to a scarcity of detailed records compared to the wealth of information available for Wei and Wu.