, was from Fangcheng County, Zhuo Commandery (present-day Gu'an County, Langfang City, Hebei Province). He was a descendant of Liu Rong, the Marquis of Xixiang and son of Liu Jian, the Prince of Guangyang in the Western Han dynasty. During the Three Kingdoms period, he served as a minister in
.
Biography
Liu Fang early in his career held the position of county registrar and was recommended as an exemplary official. During the turmoil, Wang Song from Yuyang occupied Zhuo Commandery, and Liu Fang went to join him. After Cao Cao's victory at the Battle of Guandu, he conquered Ji Province. Liu Fang persuaded Wang Song to submit to Cao Cao, and thus Wang Song, upon receiving a letter from Cao Cao inviting his surrender, led the counties of Yongnu, Quanzhou, and Anci to join Cao Cao.
Liu Fang's reply to Cao Cao was eloquent, which pleased Cao Cao. Learning that Liu Fang had convinced Wang Song to surrender, Cao Cao summoned him and appointed him as a secretary in the office of the Chief Clerk. Later, he served as county magistrate in Heyang and other counties.
After the establishment of Wei, Liu Fang became Director of the Secretariat and shared control of confidential matters with Sun Zi. He was highly favored by both Cao Pi and Cao Rui, his rank slightly higher than Sun Zi's. Liu Fang was skilled in drafting proclamations, and many of the texts for summoning and informing issued by Cao Cao, Cao Pi, and Cao Rui were written by him.
In the first year of Qinglong (233 AD), Emperor Sun Quan of Wu and Chancellor Zhuge Liang of Shu Han planned a joint campaign against Wei. Cao Wei's border scouts captured one of Sun Quan's letters. Liu Fang then rewrote the letter, often replacing the text while maintaining coherence with the context. He changed the recipient to General Man Chong of Wei and made it appear as if Sun Quan was expressing a desire to submit to Cao Wei. The sealed letter was then sent to Zhuge Liang, who copied it and showed it to Wu generals like Bu Zhi. This led Sun Quan to worry that Zhuge Liang suspected him, so he sought to explain himself. That year, both Liu Fang and Sun Zi were promoted to Attendants-in-Ordinary and Grand Masters of Ceremonies.
In the second year of Jingchu, for his role in planning the campaign against Liaodong, Liu Fang was ennobled as the Marquis of Fangcheng. That same year, Cao Rui fell ill and wanted to appoint Prince Yan Cao Yu as Grand General, with Xiahou Xian, Cao Shuang, Cao Zhao, and Qin Lang to assist him. Cao Yu was known for his humility and kindness and firmly declined the position. Cao Rui summoned Liu Fang and Sun Zi and asked, "Why is Prince Yan so reluctant?" Liu Fang and Sun Zi replied, "Prince Yan knows he cannot handle such a great responsibility." Cao Rui then asked, "Can Cao Shuang take over?" Both Liu Fang and Sun Zi agreed and strongly recommended recalling Sima Yi to support the imperial family. Cao Rui initially agreed but was later dissuaded by Cao Zhao. He summoned Liu Fang and Sun Zi again, saying, "I wanted to recall Sima Yi myself, but I was stopped by Cao Zhao and others, almost ruining my plans." Consequently, he dismissed Cao Yu, Xiahou Xian, Cao Zhao, and Qin Lang from their positions. When Sima Yi arrived, he accepted the edict, and soon after, Cao Rui died. According to Wei Jin Shi Yu, both Xiahou Xian and Cao Zhao had long been hostile toward Liu Fang and Sun Zi, so their actions likely aimed at removing political rivals. Pei Songzhi pointed out that by praising Cao Shuang and recommending the recall of Sima Yi, Liu Fang and Sun Zi laid the foundation for the decline of Wei.
Cao Fang, the Prince of Qi, succeeded to the throne. Liu Fang's fief was increased to 1,100 households. In the first year of Zhengshi, he and Sun Zi were respectively promoted to Left and Right Grand Masters of Ceremonies, receiving golden seals with purple ribbons, their status equaling that of the Three Excellencies. He died in the second year of Jiaping and was posthumously honored as Marquis Jing.
Evaluation
• Chen Shou in the Records of the Three Kingdoms: "Liu Fang was eloquent, and Sun Zi was diligent and cautious. Both managed confidential matters and were influential at the time. Their noble conduct did not match their actual deeds, hence they often received more praise than they deserved." "Liu Fang's talent and strategy surpassed those of Sun Zi, but his self-cultivation was inferior. Both Liu Fang and Sun Zi excelled in following the emperor's wishes and never openly criticized or praised anyone. They suppressed Xin Pi while supporting Wang Si, which earned them criticism from contemporaries. However, they often supported the righteous opinions of other officials and privately advised on improvements without solely engaging in flattery."
• Zhang Hua: "In ancient times, during the Yin and Zhou dynasties, there were Yi and Lü. Noble and dignified, they continued this legacy. How could heaven destroy such a pillar of support! Firm as steel, smooth as jade, pure as water, clear as ice. His literary talent was rich, bright like morning flowers. He achieved success and retired, resigning from his position. His aspirations were lofty like Marquis Liu, and his heart was high like the two Shus. The wind fiercely supported balance, clouds carried the canopy. Flags fluttered in the breeze, banners gathered closely." (Complete Works of Jin)
• Pei Songzhi: "By praising Cao Shuang and encouraging the recall of the Grand Proclamation, the downfall of Wei was rooted here."
• Wang Mingsheng: "All these people were strategists for Wei, planning and achieving remarkable success." (Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms)
Family
Sons
• Liu Zheng, successor as Marquis
• Liu Xu, courtesy name Wensheng, younger brother of Liu Zheng, known for his literary talent. He served as the Commander of the Cavalry and Minister of Clan Affairs during Emperor Huizong's reign.
• Liu Xi, known alongside Sun Mi and Wei Lie as one of the "Three Yu."
• Two of Liu Fang's sons were enfeoffed as marquises, one as a cavalry general, and the rest as secretaries. Liu Zheng, Liu Xu, and Liu Xi may have been among them.
Daughters
• Lady Liu, married to Zhang Hua.
Artistic Representation
Film and Television
• TV Series "The Great Military Advisor Sima Yi: The Alliance of Advisors" (2017): Liu Guoji
Further Reading
References
• 劉放 (Chinese)
The text above incorporates content created automatically using artifical intelligence.
Liu Fang (2nd century - 250 AD), courtesy name Zi Qi, was from Fangcheng County, Zhuo Commandery (present-day Gu'an County, Langfang City, Hebei Province). He was a descendant of Liu Rong, the Marquis of Xixiang and son of Liu Jian, the Prince of Guangyang in the Western Han dynasty. During the Three Kingdoms period, he served as a minister in Wei.