Liu Shan | Shu

Name: Liu Shan

Age: 22 (Born 207 AD)

Appearance: Liu Shan is a short, slender young man with dark eyes and dark hair, often worn up. He typically has a serene, gentle smile on his face at all times, and dresses in clothing befitting a young emperor- shades of gold, white, and green, with a mianguan imperial headdress. On the very rare occasions he breaks his smiling facade, he can have a stern expression that more closely resembles his father.

Personality: A young man with a mountain of expectations hefted onto his shoulders, Liu Shan is a quiet and calm individual who keeps a soft smile on his face at all times. He allows others to think he is a fool and lacks skills in combat, but he trains in secret to respect those fighting for his father's cause. Liu Shan feigns childish ignorance to proceed with his strategies in the battlefield, secretly controlling his unsuspecting vassals to do what he requires of them with his seemingly flippant wanderings. He continues his charade on the pretense that it protects himself and his kingdom, but mainly due to fear of his implied dangerous capabilities. Pretending to be a fool is safer than causing unintended harm to others in Liu Shan's eyes. Were he relinquished of his duties he would be relieved as he is no longer forced to be a potential threat to those around him.

More of Liu Shan's hidden emotions are traced only by his wife, the stern but encouraging Zhang Xingcai. His frustrations include being ridiculed by the people, though for the sake of unity, he relents to take responsibility. Liu Shan was never particularly close with his actual father-- after Liu Bei threw Liu Shan onto the ground in a fit of rage when he was an infant, Liu Shan has looked up to and been mentored by Zhao Yun, his childhood savior. Liu Shan had an older brother-- the adopted Liu Feng, who was executed by Liu Bei as a potential threat to Liu Shan’s power, even though Liu Feng never showed any desire for the throne. Liu Shan deeply misses his older brother, but doesn’t like to talk about it.

Liu Shan’s feelings about his father are complex-- he aspires to meet up to his legacy of benevolence, but is also aware of the transgressions and betrayals his father committed for the name of virtue.

Liu Shan is doing his best-- but it’s never enough. Constantly bogged down by overbearing subordinates and weighed down by a mountain of responsibilities, degraded by his citizens for being a cowardly fool, and weighed down by the needless death and warfare, Liu Shan just wants it all to end peacefully. At his young age, he’s burdened by guilt over those who sacrificed themselves for him, such as his stepmother Lady Mi. He may occasionally engage in mild self-harm by digging his nails into his palms. Liu Shan’s weapon of choice is a rapier.

Background: Liu Shan, the eldest son of Liu Bei and Lady Gan, was left behind during the Battle of Changban in 208 but was saved by Zhao Yun. His mother died when he was a toddler, and he was raised by Sun Shangxiang until she returned home after Liu Bei’s death.

In 221, Liu Bei declared himself emperor and named Liu Shan crown prince, entrusting his care to Zhuge Liang, even granting Zhuge Liang the authority to replace him if he proved unfit. Under Zhuge Liang’s regency, Shu maintained an alliance with Wu and an efficient government, allowing it to sustain military campaigns despite its smaller size.

Liu Shan married Zhang Fei's daughter, Zhang Xingcai, in 223. That same year, Zhuge Liang reintegrated the Nanman tribes into Shu’s domain. From 227 onward, Zhuge Liang launched five Northern Expeditions against Wei, but most ended in failure due to logistical challenges.