生平

祖父劉懿用，曾任石州刺史。父親劉韶，隋朝時戰死，贈上儀同三司。劉文靜因其父身死公事，襲父儀同三司。隋朝末年，為晉陽縣令。與晉陽宮監裴寂為友。

大業十三年（617年），隋煬帝任李淵為太原留守。劉文靜看出李淵胸有大志，便與其交好。見到李世民後，他對裴寂說：「唐國公的二公子可不是平常人。」後來李密謀反，劉文靜因為與李密屬姻親關係，被收監。李世民有意反隋，便到獄中探望劉文靜，與他商議。劉文靜說：「今天下太亂，李密圍攻洛陽，皇上在淮南，大小賊盜跨州連郡，阻礙山澤，數以萬計。如果能夠順應天命人心，舉起義旗，天下不難平定。現今太原郡逃避盜賊的百姓都在晉陽城中，我也當了幾年縣令，知道哪些是豪傑之士，一旦把他們聚集起來，可得十萬之眾，令尊所領之兵還有幾萬人，君言出口，誰敢不從？乘虛入關，號令天下，不到半年，帝業可成。」李世民笑道：「君言正合我意。」于是兩人暗中籌划起義，準備待機而起。又擔心李淵不同意，劉文靜知道李淵與裴寂關係很好，于是就介紹裴寂與李世民認識，一起謀劃。

不久，李淵手下高君雅被突厥打敗，李淵因此被抓。李世民讓劉文靜與裴寂去勸說李淵，並暗中備戰，正趕上李淵獲釋而止。李世民又讓劉文靜偽造煬帝敕命，說要徵兵去討伐遼東，于是民心大亂，想反的人越來越多。劉文靜趁機對裴寂說：「公豈不聞『先發制人，後發制于人』乎？何乃推延，自貽禍釁？宜早勸唐公，以時舉義。」又威脅裴寂說：「且公為宮監，而以宮人侍客，公死可爾，何誤唐公也？」裴寂大為恐懼，于是便勸李淵早日發兵。

李淵于是在晉陽起兵反隋，建大將軍府，以劉文靜為軍司馬。劉文靜勸改旗幟以彰義舉，又請交結突厥，李淵都採納了。並派遣劉文靜出使突厥，始畢可汗曰：「唐公起事，今欲何為？」文靜曰：「皇帝廢塚嫡，傳位後主，致斯禍亂。唐公國之懿戚，不忍坐觀成敗，故起義軍，欲黜不當立者。願與可汗兵馬同入京師，人眾土地入唐公，財帛金寶入突厥。」始畢可汗大喜，馬上派遣將軍康鞘利率領500人，跟隨文靜而至，又獻馬2000匹。李淵高興，對劉文靜說：「非公善辭，何以致此？」其後又率軍在潼關擊敗隋將屈突通部將桑顯和，又乘勝追擊，生擒屈突通。攻下長安後，轉大丞相府司馬，進授光祿大夫，封魯國公。後李淵稱帝，拜納言。

薛舉進攻涇州，劉文靜以元帥府長史和司馬殷開山出戰，大敗而還，被除名。後又從秦王征討薛舉，因功恢復了官爵和封邑，拜民部尚書、領陝東道行台左僕射。武德二年(619)，隨秦王鎮守長春宮。

劉文靜自以為才能遠超過裴寂，又屢立軍功，而裴寂只是因為和李淵是舊交，地位反而在他之上，心中不平。每次廷議，就故意和裴寂作對，兩人于是產生了隔閡。劉文靜有一次和其弟通直散騎常侍劉文起宴飲時，酒後怨言，拔刀擊柱，說：「一定要殺了裴寂！」後來劉文靜有個愛妾失寵，就把此事告訴了其兄，妾兄遂上告劉文靜謀反。李淵讓裴寂和蕭瑀審訊他。劉文靜說：「起義之初，我為司馬，估計與長史裴寂地位相當。如今裴寂已官至僕射，居于甲第，賞賜無數。而我的官爵賞賜和眾人無異。東征西討，家口無依無託，確實有不滿之心。」高祖李淵聽後，對群臣說：「劉文靜此言，反心甚明。」李綱、蕭瑀都認為劉文靜不是謀反，秦王李世民也認為劉文靜在起義之初，先定非常之策，事後才告知裴寂，等到平定了京師，二人地位和待遇懸殊，所以認為劉文靜只是有不滿情緒，並無謀反之心，極力想保全他。但是李淵一直以來都疏遠猜忌他，裴寂于是乘機說：「劉文靜的才能謀略確實在眾人之上，但生性猜忌陰險，忿不顧難，現已顯露。當今天下未定，外有勁敵，今若赦之，必留後患。」李淵竟聽信其言，殺了劉文靜及其弟劉文起，並抄沒了他的家產。劉文靜臨刑之前，拍著胸口長嘆道：「『高鳥盡，良弓藏。』果非虛言啊！」時年52歲。

貞觀三年（629年），唐太宗李世民為其平反，追複其官爵，以其子劉樹義襲封魯國公，許尚公主。後來與其兄劉樹藝怨其父被戮，又謀反，被殺。

注釋

參考書目

• 《舊唐書》，薛居正等，中華書局，ISBN 7-101-00319-2

• 《新唐書》，歐陽修等，中華書局，ISBN 7-101-00320-6

Background

According to Liu Wenjing himself, his ancestors were from Pengcheng (彭城, in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu), but later moved to the Chang'an region. His grandfather Liu Yi (劉懿) was a provincial governor during Northern Zhou. His father Liu Shao (劉韶) served in the army of the succeeding Sui Dynasty and died in battle. As a result of this and the posthumous honors that Liu Shao received, Liu Wenjing received a governmental rank, and late in the reign of Emperor Yang, he was the county magistrate at the important city of Jinyang (晉陽, in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), where he became friendly with another official, Pei Ji, who was the head of the household at Emperor Yang's secondary palace at Jinyang.

Participation in Li Yuans rebellion

When the general Li Yuan the Duke of Tang was put in charge of Taiyuan (i.e., Jinyang) in 616, Liu saw that Li Yuan had great ambitions and therefore befriended him, but was even more impressed with Li Yuan's son Li Shimin, privately comparing Li Shimin to Emperor Gao of Han and Cao Cao when talking with Pei. In 617, when Li Mi rose in open rebellion near the eastern capital Luoyang, claiming the title of Duke of Wei, Liu, who was related to Li Mi by marriage, was briefly arrested and jailed on Emperor Yang's orders. When Li Shimin visited him in jail, he pointed out to Li Shimin the disturbed state that Sui was in and encouraged him to consider rebellion. Li Shimin agreed and began to plan for rebellion, but was initially hesitant to inform Li Yuan. As Li Yuan trusted Pei greatly, Liu devised the plot of having his associate Gao Binlian (高斌廉) gamble with Pei and intentionally lose to him, gradually endearing himself to Pei, and then inform him of the plot. Liu also personally persuaded Pei, pointing out to him that Pei, who had earlier permitted Li Yuan to have sexual relations with ladies in waiting at the Jinyang Palace, was violating serious regulations, and that in any case, Emperor Yang was already suspicious of Li Yuan because there had been prophecies that the next emperor would be named Li. Pei agreed, and he persuaded Li Yuan of the wisdom of rebelling. Li Yuan then had Liu forge an edict from Emperor Yang stating that all men in the surrounding commanderies from age 20 to 50 were all to be conscripted for a campaign against Goguryeo—against which Emperor Yang had earlier launched three largely disastrous campaigns—to arouse the despair of the people in the commanderies.

As Li Yuan prepared rebellion in spring 617, his deputies Wang Wei (王威) and Gao Junya (高君雅) began to be suspicious of him. Liu devised a plot where he entered the hall where Li Yuan, Wang, and Gao were sitting with his associate Liu Zhenghui (劉政會) and had Liu Zhenghui falsely accuse Wang and Gao of collaborating with Eastern Tujue. Li Yuan, feigning surprise, had Wang and Gao arrested. When Eastern Tujue soon attacked, the people believed the accusation that Wang and Gao were collaborating with Eastern Tujue, and Li Yuan used this excuse to execute them.

Li Yuan declared rebellion in fall 617, and Liu Wenjing suggested that he, who was still ostensibly claiming to be loyal to Sui but wanting to support Emperor Yang's grandson Yang You the Prince of Dai, then at Chang'an, as emperor, should change his banners from the regular Sui banners to distance himself from Emperor Yang, while seeking an alliance with Eastern Tujue for support. Li Yuan agreed, and sent Liu to Eastern Tujue to meet with the Shibi Khan Ashina Duojishi. When Ashina Duojishi asked him what Li Yuan's intention was, Liu responded:

:The emperor Emperor Yang's father Emperor Wen deposed his proper heir Emperor Yang's older brother Yang Yong and gave the throne to this current emperor, and this led to the current troubles. The Duke of Tang is an honored relative of the imperial clan, and he did not dare to sit by watching for the state to fail, and therefore he rose in righteousness, wanting to depose the improper emperor. He is willing to enter the capital with the soldiers of you, Great Khan. If you do so, the people and the land will belong to the Duke of Tang, but the money, silk, gold, and treasures will be yours, Great Khan.

Ashina Duojishi was pleased, and while he was not wholeheartedly willing to support Li Yuan, he nevertheless sent his general Kangqiaoli (康鞘利) with 2,000 men to accompany Liu back south, as Li Yuan had already marched south toward Chang'an, and he also gave Li Yuan 1,000 horses. Li Yuan, who wanted Tujue horses more than Tujue soldiers, was pleased and praised Liu for his skills at diplomacy. Subsequently, after Li Yuan decided to bypass Hedong (河東, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi) and directly cross the Yellow River and attack Chang'an, he sent Liu with his son Li Jiancheng to Tong Pass to defend against an attack from Qutu Tong (屈突通), the Sui general defending Hedong. Qutu did indeed attack to try to prevent Li Yuan's advance, and while Liu initially suffered losses against Qutu's subordinate Sang Xianhe (桑顯和), he was ultimately able to defeat Sang and further capture Qutu. Once Li Yuan captured Chang'an in winter 617 and declared Yang You emperor (as Emperor Gong) but retained power as regent, Liu was created the Duke of Lu.

During Emperor Gaozus reign

In spring 618, Emperor Yang was killed in a coup at Jiangdu (江都, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) led by the general Yuwen Huaji. When the news arrived at Chang'an, Li Yuan had Yang You yield the throne to him, establishing Tang Dynasty as its Emperor Gaozu. He made Liu Wenjing Nayan (納言), the head of the examination bureau of the government, considered one of the posts for a chancellor. He also had Liu and Pei Ji revised the Sui laws, although he rejected Liu's suggestion to distance himself a bit more from his officials in order to show authority, opting often to dine with his officials at the same table.

Meanwhile, the newly established Tang was under threat from another rebel ruler, Xue Ju the Emperor of Qin. Emperor Gaozu sent Li Shimin against Xue, with Liu and Yin Kaishan (殷開山) as his deputies. On the way, however, Li Shimin became ill, and he transferred the command to Liu, while instructing Liu not to directly engage Xue but to wear him out. Instead, Liu, confident that he had a larger army than Xue, listened to Yin, who believed that Xue should be engaged. Xue, however, defeated him at Qianshui Plain (淺水原, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi), killing some 50% to 60% of Tang soldiers. Li Shimin was forced to withdraw back to Chang'an, and Liu and Yin were removed from their posts. Later that year, however, after Xue Ju's death, Liu participated in Li Shimin's campaign that defeated Xue Ju's son and successor Xue Rengao, and his title was restored, but he was not again made a chancellor, but only as Li Shimin's assistant.

Death

Meanwhile, while Liu Wenjing and Pei Ji were initially friends, by this point they had developed an enmity, as Liu believed that he had greater contributions to Tang's establishment, and yet was not as trusted or honored as Pei. They had many disagreements, and each time they disagreed, Liu would insult Pei, and their friendship was broken. At one point, Liu Wenjing was so angry at Pei that, after he drank with his younger brother Liu Wenqi (劉文起), he drew his sword and hit a pillar with it, proclaiming, "One day, I will cut off Pei Ji's head!"

Meanwhile, there were unusual bad omens happening in the Liu household, and Liu Wenqi (劉文起) engaged witches to try to dispel the evil spirits. One of Liu Wenjing's concubines, who had lost favor, had her brother report this to Emperor Gaozu. Emperor Gaozu arrested Liu Wenjing and had Pei and Xiao Yu interrogate him. Liu Wenjing stated:

:When we rose at Taiyuan, I was the military attache, roughly carrying the same rank as the secretary Pei. Now Pei is Pushe i.e., the deputy head of the executive bureau and a chancellor) and has a luxurious home, but my rank and bestowments were no greater than anyone else's. I have to march east and west, leaving my mother at the capital without even a place to hide herself from the weather. Of course I am disappointed, and I spoke only in frustration after I drank.

Emperor Gaozu was displeased and believed that Liu Wenjing was planning treason. Li Gang (李綱) and Xiao both spoke on Liu's behalf, as did Li Shimin, but Pei warned Emperor Gaozu that Liu was talented but reckless and might cause trouble in the future. Emperor Gaozu, who trusted Pei, hesitated but eventually agreed, and he executed both Liu Wenjing and Liu Wenqi and confiscated their wealth. After Li Shimin became emperor in 626 (as Emperor Taizong), he restored Liu Wenjing's titles posthumously in 628 and allowed his son Liu Shuyi (劉樹義) to inherit the title of Duke of Lu, promising to eventually give him a princess as his wife. However, Liu Shuyi was still resentful over his father's execution, and he plotted a rebellion with his brother Liu Shuyi (劉樹藝, note different character). The plot was discovered, and they were executed.