Story of Liu Bei and Tsuge Liang
In the first century, three kingdoms struggled to unify China. The first kingdom, the Wei, was the largest and strongest; the second was the Wu; and the third was the Shu Han. Liu Bei was the first king of Shu Han, fighting Cao Cao, the king of Wei. Liu Bei mainly allied himself with Sun Quan, the King of the Wu (who was against the great and strong Wei). Wei controlled a large area in the northern region of China. The Wu were located in the southwest. Liu Bei was the last to form his own kingdom.
Liu Bei had a problem. Although he had brave and loyal generals, who were his sworn brothers, he did not have a strategist or statesman to help him command his army and lead his country. Liu Bei heard of a young but capable man named Tsuge Liang who was not only a military strategist, but also a visionary political theorist. Tsuge Liang had been asked to work for Wei and Wu as one of their main strategists. He had not accepted his invitation because he did not agree with their policies.
Bei desperately waited for Tsuge Liang to join his team. He knew it would be difficult to persuade Liang to accept his offer because Liang would not be moved by political rhetoric; he was not interested in making money. Bei decided to visit Liang only in person. Liang lived a thousand miles away in the mountains. The winter season saw snow fall that year. Bei traveled to Liang’s, only to find that she was not home.
He said he would go back and go back to his hotel. The second day he returned to Liang’s house, knowing that he would be away. His intention was to tacitly tell the family how much Bei desired Liang. On the third day, Bei met Liang for the first time. Liang agreed to work for Bei.
Tsuge Liang gave Liu Bei victory in several critical battles against Wei. Liang allowed Liu to build his own kingdom and become the first king. He made the country rich and peaceful. When Liu was on his deathbed, he told Liang that he wanted Liang to support his son, but only if Liang believed that his son was capable of becoming the second king. Bei told him that if Liang found out that his son was not good enough to become the second king, Liang should get rid of his son and become the second king himself. Liang vowed that he would dedicate his life to supporting Bei’s son. Shu Han continued to be rich and prosperous, effectively fighting two rival countries until the time of Liang’s death. The story of Liu Bei and Tsuge Liang gives us insightful advice on the importance of selecting, recruiting, and working with a partner.