刘备：字玄德。昔刘胜之子刘贞，汉武时封涿鹿亭侯，后坐酎金失侯，因此遗这一枝在涿县（在今天的河北省）。玄德祖刘雄，父刘弘曾举孝廉，亦尝作吏，早丧。玄德幼孤，事母至孝；家贫，贩屦织席为业。他不甚好读书；性宽和，寡言语，喜怒不形于色；素有大志，专好结交天下豪杰；生得身长七尺五寸，两耳垂肩，双手过膝，目能自顾其耳，面如冠玉，唇若涂脂；中山靖王刘胜之后，汉景帝阁下玄孙。年十五岁，母使游学，尝师事郑玄、卢植，与公孙瓒等为友。及刘焉发榜招军时，玄德年已二十八岁矣。（第一回）
Liu Bei， His style， Xuande. Generations before， during the reign of Emperor Wu， Liu Sheng’s son， Zhen，was made lord of Zhuolu precinct， but the fief and title were later forfeited when Zhen was accused of makingan unsatisfactory offering at the eighth-month libation in the Emperor’s ancestral temple. Thus a branchof the Liu family came to settle in Zhuo County (in today’s Hebei Province). Xuande’s grandfather was LiuXiong； his father， Liu Hong. Local authorities had recommended Hong to the court for his filial devotion andpersonal integrity. He received appointment and actually held a minor office； but he died young. Orphaned，Xuande served his widowed mother with unstinting affection. However， they had been left so poor that he hadto sell sandals and weave mats to live. He， though no scholar， was gentle and generous by nature， taciturn andreserved. His one ambition was to cultivate the friendship of the boldest spirits of the empire. He stood sevenand a half spans tall， with arms that reached below his knees. His ear lobes were elongated， his eyes widelyset and able to see his own ears. His face was flawless as jade， and his lips like dabs of rouge. This man wasa descendant of Liu Sheng， Prince Jing of Zhongshan， a great-great-grandson of the fourth Han Emperor，Jing. At fifteen Xuande was sent away by his mother to study， and Zheng Xuan and Lu Zhi were among histeachers. He also formed a close friendship with Gongsun Zan. Xuande was twenty-eight when Governor Liuissued his call for volunteers.
刘备“家贫，贩屦织席为业”，如何能变成“蜀国的皇帝”呢？
How could Liu Bei“who had been so poor that he had to sell sandals and weave mats tolive”become“the emperor of the kingdom of Shu”？
刘备偶遇张飞，后见关羽，三人同到张飞庄上，共议大事。“次日，于桃园中，备下乌牛白马祭礼等项，三人焚香再拜而说誓曰：‘念刘备、关羽、张飞，虽然异姓，既结为兄弟，则同心协力，救困扶危；上报国家，下安黎庶；不求同年同月生，只愿同年同月同日死。皇天后土，实鉴此心。背义忘恩，天人共戮！’誓毕，拜玄德为兄，关羽次之，张飞为弟。祭罢天地，复宰牛设酒，聚乡中勇士，得三百余人，就桃园中痛饮一醉。来日收拾军器，但恨无马匹可乘。正思虑间，人报有两个客人，引一伙伴当，赶一群马，投庄上来。二客大喜，愿将良马五十匹相送；又赠金银五百两，镔铁一千斤，以资器用。共聚乡勇五百余人，来见邹靖。邹靖引见太守刘焉。三人参见毕，各通姓名。玄德说起宗派，刘焉大喜，遂认玄德为侄。不数日，人报黄巾贼将程远志统兵五万来犯涿郡。刘焉令邹靖引玄德等三人，统兵五百，前去破敌。玄德等欣然领军前进，直至大兴山下，与贼相见。贼众皆披发，以黄巾抹额。当下两军相对，玄德出马，左有云长，右有翼德，扬鞭大骂：‘反国逆贼，何不早降！’程远志大怒，遣副将邓茂出战。张飞挺丈八蛇矛直出，手起处，刺中邓茂心窝，翻身落马。程远志见折了邓茂，拍马舞刀，直取张飞。云长舞动大刀，纵马飞迎。程远志见了，早吃一惊，措手不及，被云长刀起处，挥为两段。众贼见程远志被斩，皆倒戈而走。玄德挥军追赶，投降者不计其数，大胜而回。”（第一回）
Liu Bei met with Zhang Fei and then with Guan Yu.“Three of them went to Zhang Fei’s farm todiscuss their plan. The next day the three men had a black bull， a white horse， and other offerings brought tothe peach garden. Amid the smoke of incense they performed their ritual prostration and took their oath： wethree， though of separate ancestry， join in brotherhood here， combining strengthen and purpose， to relieve thepresent crisis. We will perform our duty to the Emperor and protect the common folk of the land. We darenot hope to be together always but hereby vow to die the selfsame day. Let shining Heaven above and thefruitful land below bear witness to our resolve. May Heaven and man be killed whosever fails this vow. Soswearing， Xuande became the eldest brother； Lord Guan， the second； and Zhang Fei， the youngest. After theceremonies they butchered the bull and spread forth a feast in the peach garden for the three hundred localyouths they had recruited； and all drank to their heart’s content. The next day they collected weapons， butthey wanted for horses. Two visitors whose servants were driving a herd of horses toward Zhang Fei’s farmprovided the solution. The visitors were delighted to support the cause by supplying the brothers with fifty finemounts， five hundred ounces of gold and silver， and one thousand jin of wrought iron manufacture weapons.
At the head of five hundred local youths， the brothers presented themselves to Commandant Zou Jing. Jingbrought them to Liu Yan， governor of Youzhou， before whom the brothers gave account of themselves. WhenXuande mentioned his royal surname， the governor was delighted and acknowledged him as a nephew. Somedays later it was reported that the Yellow Scarves chieftain Cheng Yuanzhi was advancing on Zhuo districtwith fifty thousand men. The governor had Commandant Zou Jing lead the brothers and their five hundredagainst the enemy. Eagerly， Xuande took his company to the base of Daxing Mountain where he encounteredthe rebels， who as always appeared with hair unbound and yellow scarves across their foreheads. The twoforces stood opposed. Xuande rode out， Lord Guan to his left， Zhang Fei to his right. Raising his whip，Xuande cried out，‘Traitors to the Emperor， surrender now！’Enraged， Cheng Yuanzhi sent his subordinatecommander Deng Mao into the field. Zhang Fei sped out， leveled his eighteen-span serpentheaded spearand jabbed his adversary through the chest. Seeing Deng Mao tumble dead from his horse， Yuanzhi cuttoward Zhang Fei， slapping his mount and flourishing his blade. Lord Guan swung out his mighty sword and，giving his horse free rein， rushed the foe. Cheng Yuanzhi gulped with fright and， before he could defendhimself， was sliced in two with a stroke of Lord Guan’s weapon. Their leaders slain， the rebels dropped theirspears and fled. Xuande pursued， taking more prisoners than could be counted， and the brothers returnedtriumphant.”(Chapter 1)
在第一回，刘备和曹操都在战场上镇压黄巾军领导的农民起义，为汉灵帝效劳。“皇甫嵩大获胜捷，朝廷以董卓屡败，命嵩代之……皇甫嵩又表奏卢植有功无罪，朝廷复卢植原官。曹操亦以有功，除济南相……惟玄德听候日久，不得除授。刘、关、张三人郁郁不乐，上街闲行，正值郎中张钧车到。玄德见之，自陈功绩……因此玄德除授定州中山府安喜县尉，克日赴任。玄德将兵散回乡里，止带亲随二十余人，与关、张来安喜县中到任。署县事一月，与民秋毫无犯，民皆感化。到任之后，与关、张食则同桌，寝则同床。如玄德在稠人广坐，关、张侍立，终日不倦。到县未及四月，朝廷降诏，凡有军功为长吏者当沙汰。玄德疑在遣中。适督邮行部至县……问曰：‘刘县尉是何出身？’玄德曰：‘备乃中山靖王之后；自涿郡剿戮黄巾，大小三十余战，颇有微功，因得除今职。’督邮大喝曰：‘汝诈称皇亲，虚报功绩！目今朝廷降诏，正要沙汰这等滥官汗吏！’……在张飞怒鞭督邮后，玄德乃取印绶，挂于督邮之颈，责之曰：‘据汝害民，本当杀却；今姑饶汝命。吾缴还印绶，从此去矣。’玄德、关、张三人往代州投刘恢。恢见玄德乃汉室宗亲，留匿在家不题。”（第二回）
In Chapter 1， Liu Bei and Cao Cao were serving the Han emperor Ling on the battlefield as they wereconducting operations to suppress peasant uprisings led by the Yellow Scarves.“Huangfu Song won a greatvictory， and the court used him to replace the oft-defeated Dong Zhuo... Song then fetitioned the Emperor，stating that Lu Zhi’s conduct was meritorious， not blame-worthy， and the court restored his former office. CaoCao’s service， too， was recognized， and he was awarded a fief at Jinan.”(Chapter 2) Only Xuande was leftwaiting many days receiving no word of an appointment. Disheartened， the three brothers， Liu， Guan， Zhang，were walking in the capital when they came upon the carriage of the counter Zhang Jun. Xuande presentedhimself and gave a brief account of his victories... And so Xuande was appointed judicial officer of Anxicounty in the Zhongshan jurisdiction of Dingzhou imperial district， with orders to depart on a specified date.
Xuande disbanded his troops and set out with his brothers and some two dozen followers. In Anxi he avoidedall injury to the interests of the local people， and civic morality improved withink a month. While in officeXuande shared bed and board with his brothers， and they stood beside him throughout long public sessions.
In a few months’ time， however， the court decreed a purge of leading officials whose posts had been awardedin recognition of military service， a measure Xuande suspected would lead to his removal. Just then a districtinspector came to Anxi， one of the counties under his jurisdiction. The official spoke：“Tell me about yourbackground， Officer Liu.”“I am a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan，”replied Xuande.“I begancampaigning against the Yellow Scarves in Zhuo county and have destroyed many of them， achieving someslight merit in over thirty engagements， some small， some large. As a result， I was appointed to this post. AfterZhang Fei whipped the government inspector， Xuande took his seal and cord of office and hung them on theinspector’s neck， saying，‘For the harm you’ve caused the people we should have your life. However， weshall spare you. You may take these back， and I shall take my leave.’Liu， Guan and Zhang found refuge inDaizhou with Liu Hui， who hid them in his home in consideration of Xuande’s imperial lineage. (Chapter 2)
通过参加镇压黄巾军领导的农民起义和军阀争权争地盘的混战，被追逐抛弃漂流二十多年，刘备终于明白，他和他的结拜兄弟们都不能及时掌握帝国的变化，并且要想成为争权的强者，他需要外交和军事上的指导。他不仅尊重人才而且求贤若渴。在“玄德南漳逢隐沦”（第三十五回）后，刘备找到了杰出人才徐庶，字元直。徐庶离去时，“元直走马荐诸葛”（第三十六回）。“刘玄德三顾草庐”（第三十七回），诸葛亮深受感动。“定三分隆中决策”。“刘备待孔明如师，食则同桌，寝则同榻，终日共论天下之事。”（第三十八回）真是圣君发现贤相就实现了兴旺获权，正如刘备所说“吾得孔明，犹鱼之得水也”。（第三十九回）
By conducting operations to suppress peasant uprisings led by the Yellow Scarves and taking part intangled warfare among the warlords for power and territory， and being driven and cast adrift for more thantwenty years， Liu Bei has come to understand that neither he nor his brothers are able to master the rapidchanges in the empire， and that to become a major contender for power he needs diplomatic and militaryguidance. He not only respects talented people but also seeks talent with eagerness. After“XuandeEncounters a Recluse in Nanzhang”(Chapter 35)， Liu Bei finds a worthy man named Xu Shu， whose styleis Yuanzhi. When Xu Shu leaves，“Yuanzhi Recommends Zhuge Liang”(Chapter 36).“Liu XuandePays Three Visits to Zhuge Liang”(Chapter 37). Zhuge Liang is deeply moved.“Kongming Determinesthe Realm’s Division and Charts a Course.”“Liu Bei treats Kongming as his mentor. They eat togetherand sleep together and spend the days analyzing events in the empire”(Chapter 38). It is true that idealliege finding ideal minister brings about their rise to power， just as Liu Bei says“He is to me as water to thefish”(Chapter 39).
刘玄德没有家庭支持，尽管他声称他的姓与皇家有遥远的家族关系，他最接近的家庭境况很简陋，与母相依为命。他德大于才。他作为普通老百姓反对封建军阀的首领长期寻求恢复中原，但他既没有袁绍那样强大的家族关系，也没有曹操那样的政治权力网络系统，他只有桃园结义的兄弟的帮助和仁义的大旗依靠。他的政治纲领就是恢复汉朝，并且一直是以汉朝的忠实支持者出现，因此他建构了一整套与用皇帝作傀儡来窝藏其阴险野心的曹操作对比的思想和做法。小说充分地描写了刘备是如何试图在他可怕的政治斗争过程中把他那崇高的仁义思想付之实现的。例如，在襄阳之战中，刘备率军撤离曹操的追兵，随军跟着大量的百姓，撤退速度很慢。“众将皆曰：‘今拥民众数万，日行十余里，似此几时得至江陵？倘曹兵到，如何迎敌？不如暂弃百姓，先行为上。’玄德泣曰：‘举大事者必以人为本。今人归我，奈何弃之？’百姓闻玄德此言，莫不伤感。”（第四十一回）刘备宁愿冒着他的军队被消灭的危险也不愿放弃民众。得人者昌，失人者亡。刘备虽损失惨重，但深得民心，很受人民支持。历史证明，得民心者得天下。
Liu Xuande has no family backing， though he claims a remote kinship to the imperial house， whosesurname he bears. His immediate circumstances are humble， and he is devoted to his mother. His virtues aregreater than his talents. In his quest to recover the Central Plains as the leader of the common people againstthe feudal lords， he has neither the powerful clan connections of Yuan Shao nor the network of politicalpower that Cao Cao has； he only has the assistance of the men he swore brotherhood with in the PeachGarden and the flag of benevolence and righteousness to rely on. His political program is the restorationof the Han Dynasty， and at all times he appears as a loyal supporter of the house of Han. In this he formsa complete contrast to Cao Cao， who harbors a sinister ambition to use the emperor as a puppet. The novelamply describes how Liu Bei attempts to put into practice his lofty ideals of benevolence and righteousnessin the course of his dire political struggles. For instance， following his reverse in the battle of Xiangyang， LiuBei leads his army in retreat from the pursuing cavalry of Cao Cao. His flight is slowed by large numbers ofdependants scurrying along with the army.“The commanders say：‘but with such a multitude on our handswe’re barely covering ten li a day. Who knows when we will make Jiangling？ And how could we engageCao’s army if it found us now？ Wouldn’t it be expedient to leave the people behind for now and go on aheadourselves？’Xuande replied with deep feeling，‘The human factor is the key to any undertaking. How canwe abandon those who have committed themselves to us？’These words became known， and all were deeplymoved.”(Chapter 41) Liu Bei would rather risk the annihilation of his forces than abandon the masses.“Hewho wins men， prospers； he who loses them， fails.”Liu Bei is deeply beloved and greatly supported by thepeople though he suffered most from the battle. History proves that anyone who wins men’s hearts， deserves torule.
“至四更时分，只听得西北喊声震地而来。玄德大惊，急上马引本部精兵二千余人迎敌。曹兵掩至，势不可当。玄德死战。正在危迫之际，幸得张飞引军至，杀开一条血路，救玄德望东而走。……玄德大哭曰：‘十数万生灵，皆因恋我，遭此大难；诸将及老小，皆不知存亡：虽土木之人，宁不悲乎！’（第四十一回）赵子龙单骑救主。“云喘息而言曰：
‘赵云之罪，万死犹轻！糜夫人身带重伤，不肯上马，投井而死，云只得推土墙掩之。怀抱公子，身突重围；赖主公洪福，幸而得脱。’遂解视之，原来阿斗正睡着未醒。云喜曰：
‘幸得公子无恙！’双手递与玄德。玄德接过，掷之于地曰：‘为汝这孺子，几损我一员大将！’赵云忙向地下抱起阿斗，泣拜曰：‘云虽肝脑涂地，不能报也！’”后人有诗曰：
‘……无由抚慰忠臣意，故把亲儿掷马前。’（第四十二回）由此可见，刘备不仅临危不惧，而且敢冲敢打，百折不回；他热爱百姓和将士，回过来，百姓和将士也深深地爱戴他并支持他。
“By the fourth watch， the dead of night， the encamped multitude began to hear them—out of thenorthwest—the shouts of men that shook the ground as they came. Xuande leaped to his horse and ledtwo thousands of his own crack troops to meet them. But Cao Cao’s force had the advantage of numbers.
Opposition was impossible. Xuande was fighting for his life. At just this juncture of mortal extremity ZhangFei arrived with a body of men and cut a route for Xuande enabling him to escape eastward...‘One hundredthousand living souls，’he lamented，‘have borne these woes for remaining with us. Of the fate of ourcommanders and of my family we know nothing. Even a man of clay or wood would have to grieve.’(Chapter41)”“Zhao Ziling Rescues Master Liu Single-handedly.”“Still breathing hard， Zilong said，‘Tenthousand deaths could not redeem my offense. Lady Mi was wounded so badly that she refused my horseand threw herself down a well. I could do nothing but knock over an earthen wall to cover her body. Then，holding the young master on my chest， I broke through the enemy’s lines， and by the favor Heaven bestowson you， my lord， I survived.’Zilong untied his armor and looked inside. The infant was asleep.‘Safe andsound，’he announced happily. He handed Ah Dou carefully to Xuande， who flung him to the ground theinstant he received him.‘For the sake of a suckling like you，’Xuande cried，‘I risked losing a greatcommander！’Zilong swept the child off the ground and prostrated himself， saying through his tears.‘If I cutmy heart out here， I could not repay your kindness to me.’A poet of later times described the scene：‘Howdid the liege requite his liege man’s love？ / Down before the horse， Xuande his own son hurled！’(Chapter42) From here we can see Liu Bei not only is brave in a dangerous situation but also has courage and the willto fight and keeps on fighting in spite of all setbacks. He loves the people and his generals and soldiers， inreturn， he’s deeply beloved and greatly supported by them.
关羽在麦城战斗中遇害时，刘备庄严发誓要为关羽之死报仇，即使他知道他兴兵伐吴会违犯联吴抗曹的战略。这表明刘备把他与结义兄弟间的友谊关系置于政治关系之上考虑：
“朕不为二弟报仇，虽有万里江山，何足为贵。”甚至在标志远征伐吴结束的灾难中，刘备忠诚的崇高精神还被升华到一个崭新的宏伟高度。
When Guan Yu is killed at the battle of Maicheng， Liu Bei swears a solemn oath that he will avengehis death， even though he knows that by taking up arms against the Kingdom of Wu he will be contraveningthe strategy of allying with Wu against Cao Cao. This shows that he puts his ties of friendship with his swornbrother above considerations of political expediency：“If I do not avenge my brother， even if I gain the wholeempire I can not be considered noble.”Even in the disaster that marked the end of the expedition againstWu， Liu Bei’s noble spirit of loyalty is sublimated to a new plane of magnificence.
“东吴陆逊大破蜀兵于罥亭彝陵之地，先主奔回白帝城，赵云引兵据守。”刘备染病不起，渐渐沉重。“先主传旨，请孔明坐于龙榻之侧，抚其背曰：‘朕自得丞相，幸成帝业；何期智识浅陋，不纳丞相之言，自取其败。悔恨成疾，死在旦夕。嗣子孱弱，不得不以大事相托，’……先主谓众官曰：‘朕已托孤于丞相，令嗣子以父事之。卿等俱不可怠慢，以负朕望。’……言毕，驾崩，寿六十三岁。时章武三年（公元223年）夏四月二十四日也。”（第八十五回）
“Lu Xun of the Southland had decisively beaten the Riverlands troops at Xiaoting and Yiling， andthe Emperor was in sanctuary in Baidi， guarded by Zhao Zilong.”Liu Bei was confined to his bed by aworsening illness.“The Emperor expressed his wish that the prime minister sit at the edge of the couch.
Placing his hand gently on Kongming’s back， he said，‘Through you alone the imperial quest was achieved.
How could I have foolishly rejected your advice and thus brought on this defeat？ Wracked by remorse， I standat death’s door. My heir is an inconsequential weakling， and so I must entrust you with my cause.’... To thelarger assembly the Emperor said，‘I am entrusting my heir to the prime minister. I have instructed my heirto serve him as his father. Let none of you neglect this charge and betray my hopes.’...The Emperor finishedspeaking； then he was no more. He had reached the age of sixty-three. It was the twenty-fourth day of thefourth month of Zhang Wu 3 (A.D. 223).”(Chapter 85)
刘备的成功是建立在仁和义的德之基础上的。“成也萧何，败也萧何。”正是他的仁和义迫使他去做他不该做的事。例如，他的誓言经常在他脑中出现，直到关羽之死才实施了誓约，为彼此而死。刘玄德对誓言的忠诚度变成了他是否值得做兄长和帝王的考验。“当下孔明引百官来奏先主曰：‘陛下初登宝位，若欲北讨汉贼，以伸大义于天下，方可亲统六师；若只欲伐吴，命一上将统军伐之可也，何必亲劳圣驾？’先主见孔明苦谏，心中稍回。忽报张飞到来，先主急召入。飞至演武厅拜伏于地，抱先主足而哭。先主亦哭。飞曰：‘陛下今日为君，早忘了桃园之誓！二兄之仇，如何不报？’先主曰：‘多官谏阻，未敢轻举。’飞曰：‘他人岂知昔日之盟？若陛下不去，臣舍此躯与二兄报仇！若不能报时，臣宁死不见陛下也！’先主曰：‘朕与卿同往：卿提本部兵自阆州而出，朕统精兵会于江州，共伐东吴，以雪此恨！’（第八十一回）”由此可见，为什么刘备“不纳丞相之言，自取其败”。并且，他因此不仅丢了性命，还因违犯联吴抗曹之战略，后来蜀汉王朝也被灭了。
Liu Bei’s success is based on his virtue of benevolence and righteousness.“The success or failureof the affair is all due to the very same person.”It is his benevolence and righteousness that constrain himto do what he ought not to. For instance， his oath haunts him until the pledge“to die for one another”isinvoked by Lord Guan’s death. Liu Xuande’s fidelity to the oath becomes a trial of his worth as a brother andas a king.“Kongming， at the head of the assembly， addressed the Emperor：‘Your Majesty has assumedthe throne so recently； if it is your purpose to bring the northern traitors to justice so that the principle ofallegiance to legitimate authority may prevail in the empire， then it is altogether right for you to take commandof the entire army yourself. But if you simply mean to attack the Southland， ordering one of your superiorcommanders to lead the campaign should suffice. Why should your own sagely self bear the burden？’Inview of Kongming’s strenuous objections， the Emperor was experiencing some uncertainty about the invasionwhen Zhang Fei’s arrival was announced. The Emperor summoned him at once. Zhang Fei bent to theground before the reviewing stand， weeping as he hugged his lord’s feet. The emperor wept too.‘Today YourMajesty reigns，’Zhang Fei said，‘and already the peach garden oath is forgotten！ Can you leave our brotherunavenged？’‘Many officials oppose taking revenge. I cannot act rashly.’was the reply.‘What do othersknow of our convenant？ If you will not go， I will avenge him whatever the cost to myself. Should I fail， I shallbe content to die and see you no more.’‘Then I shall go with you.’The Emperor said.‘You start outfrom Langzhou with your own troops. I shall meet you with an elite force at Jiangzhou. Our joint campaignagainst the Southland will redeem our shame.’(Chapter 81)”From what is quoted here we can see why LiuBei“has foolishly rejected Kongming’s advice and thus brought on this defeat”. And consequently， it hasbrought on not only his loss of life but also the disappearance of Shu-Han Dynasty later on because of hiscontravening the strategy of allying with Wu against Cao Cao.
也正是刘备的仁和义使他“欲显长厚而似伪”。例如，益州别驾张松（永年）对刘备说：“‘明公先取西川为基，然后北图汉中，收取中原，匡正天朝，名垂青史，功莫大焉。
明公果有取西川之意，松愿施犬马之劳，以为内应。未知钧意若何？’玄德曰：‘深感君之厚意。奈刘季玉与备同宗，若攻之，恐天下人唾骂。’松曰：‘大丈夫处世，当努力建功立业，着鞭在先。今若不取，为他人所取，悔之晚矣。’玄德曰：‘备闻蜀道崎岖，千山万水，车不能方轨，马不能联辔；虽欲取之，用何良策？’松于袖中取出一图，递与玄德曰：
‘松感明公盛德，敢献此图。但看此图，便知蜀中道路矣。’玄德略展视之，上面尽写着地理行程，远近阔狭，山川险要，府库钱粮，一一俱载明白。松曰：‘明公可速图之。松有心腹契友二人：法正、孟达。此二人必能相助。如二人到荆州时，可以心事共议。’玄德拱手谢曰：‘青山不老，绿水长存。他日事成，必当厚报。’”法正参拜毕，呈上书信，然后问：“‘张别驾昔日之言，将军复有意乎？’玄德曰：‘备一身寄客，未尝不伤感而叹息。
尝思鹪鹩尚存一枝，狡兔犹藏三窟，何况人乎？蜀中丰余之地，非不欲取；奈刘季玉系备同宗，不忍相图。’法正曰：‘益州天府之国，非治乱之主，不可居也。今刘季玉不能用贤，此业不久必属他人。’玄德乃恍然曰：‘今日之言，当铭肺腑。’于是遂请孔明，同议起兵西行。”“法正入见，曰：‘某等非为自己，乃顺天命也。’玄德曰：‘刘季玉与吾同宗，不忍取之。’正曰：‘明公差矣。若不如此，张鲁与蜀有杀母之仇，必来攻取。明公远涉山川，驱驰士马，既到此地，进则有功，退则无益。’”（第六十回）“玄德复命霍峻、孟达守关，便撤兵来取成都。”兵临城下，在如此特殊情况下，刘璋决计投降。“玄德出寨迎接，握手流涕曰：‘非吾不行仁义，奈势不得已也！’……玄德自领益州牧。”（第六十五回）
It is also Liu Bei’s benevolence and righteousness that make him as“paternalistic and benevolent，though somewhat dissembling”. For instance， Zhang Song (Yongnian)， the Lieutenant Inspector of Yizhou，said to Liu Bei：“‘My lord， take the Riverlands and make it your base， plan an attack on the Hanzhongbuffer， then go on to incorporate the northern heartland and set the dynasty to rights. Your fame wil pass intohistory and you will outshine all rivals. Should you be inclined to adopt this suggestion， I would be willing todo whatever is necessary to coordinate matters from within. Let me know your esteemed decision.’‘Yourconcern touches me deeply，’Xuande responded.‘Alas， Liu Zhang and I share the same ancestor. IfI attacked him， I would be reviled and repudiated by all.’‘A man of noble ambition，’Zhang Songsaid，‘spares no effort to establish his worth and his estate. Apply the whip and assume the lead！ For if youdo not take Yizhou， others will—and then it will be too late for regrets.’‘They say the roads are so hillyand rough，’Xuande remarked，‘that neither carriage nor horse can ride abreast. Even if I wanted to take it，what strategy would work？’Producing a map from his sleeve， Zhang Song said，‘I am moved by my lord’sample virtue to present this. A single glance will apprise you of the road system of the Riverlands.’Casually，Xuande unrolled the map and examined it. The geographic details of the region were fully spelled out：
topography and marching stages， dimension and distance of roads， strategic intersections， repositories ofcoin and grain.‘Strike now， my lord，’Zhang Song urged.‘My two close and trusted friends there， FaZheng and Meng Da， can be counted on. Should they come to Jingzhou， you may consult them in completeconfidence.’Xuande raised his clasped hands in an expression of gratitude.‘You will be well rewardedwhen the plan is realized，’he said，‘as sure as the hills stay green and the rivers ever run.’”Afterpresenting himself， Fa Zheng handed Liu Xuande a written proposal. Then he asked：“General， haveyou thought further on Lieutenant Inspector Zhang Song’s proposal？”“My life as an exile，”Xuandereplied，“has never been free of woe and discontent. I often think of the little wren that keeps a cozy spotfor itself and the cunning hare that maintains three holes in case of escape. Men should do the same.
Don’t think I would not have your overabundand land—but I cannot bring myself to conspire against myclansman.”“The Riverlands is a natural storehouse，”Fa Zheng responded.“A sovereign who cannotkeep control cannot last. Liu Zheng has proved unable to assign good men to office， and his patrimony isdoomed to pass to someone else”...Inspired by these words， Xuande answered，“Your memorable adviceshall be inscribed on my heart.”Soon after he consulted with Kongming about raising a force to movewest...“Fa Zheng himself entered.‘We are not acting for ourselves，’he said，‘but in conformity withthe Mandate of Heaven.’‘Liu Zhang is my kinsman. I cannot do it，’was Xuande’s answer.‘You aremistaken， my enlightened lord，’Fa Zheng continued.‘If you do not do it， Zhang Lu， who holds our stateresponsible for his mother’s death， will attack and seize it. Your Lordship has come all this way across hillsand streams； your men and horses have suffered hardship. To go forward is to your advantage； to withdrawis profitless.’”(Chapter 60)“Xuande had Huo Jun and Meng Da guard the pass， and sent his army tocapture Chengdu.”The attacking army has reached the city gates. Under such special circumstances， LiuZhang made up his mind to submit.“Xuande came out of his campsite to receive Liu Zhang， taking hishands and weeping freely as he said，‘Do not think we have forsaken the principles of humanity and honor.
The situation was beyond our control.’... Xuande assumed the protectorship of Yizhou.”(Chapter 65)
人无完人。刘备也一样。他为实现自己的理想而终生奋斗。虽说他为义弟关羽而死，却因此提高了他的人品。
Every man has his faults. So does Liu Bei. He strives for the realization of his ideal all his life. Althoughhe died for his sworn brother Guan Yu， he has enhanced his moral quality.