Princess of Shu (蜀汉公主 / 刘氏, Thục Hán Công chúa / Lưu thị), was an imperial princess of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era, daughter of the Second Emperor Liu Shan (Liu Shan) and granddaughter of First Sovereign Liu Bei.
Raised in the imperial palace of Chengdu, she was bestowed in marriage to Zhuge Zhan (Zhuge Zhan), the brilliant son of Chancellor Zhuge Liang. This union consecrated the eternal bond of brotherhood between the imperial Liu house and the loyal Zhuge clan. In 263, when Deng Ai’s Wei vanguard bypassed Sword Gate and descended upon Mianzhu, her husband Zhuge Zhan and son Zhuge Shang died heroically in battle, and Princess Liu endured the surrender of Chengdu with stoic imperial dignity.
Contents
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo Yanyi)
Chapter 117 (Deng Ai Crosses the Yinping Mountain; Zhuge Zhan Dies for Shu): Emperor Liu Shan weeps as he remembers Chancellor Zhuge Liang: ‘I gave my beloved daughter to Zhuge Zhan, hoping he would shield our state as his father did!’
Princess of Shu — Historical & Literary Timeline
Three Kingdoms (Shu)
Imperial Birth in Chengdu
Born to Emperor Liu Shan in the Shu capital of Chengdu.
243
Marriage to Zhuge Zhan
Wed to Zhuge Liang’s son Zhuge Zhan, reaffirming the state alliance of the Liu and Zhuge families.
263
The Heroic Sacrifice at Mianzhu
Her husband Zhuge Zhan and son Zhuge Shang fall fighting Deng Ai’s invasion force.
264
Relocation to Luoyang
Accompanies the surrendered royal family to Luoyang under Anle Duke Liu Shan.
Key Relationships
Family
- Father Liu Shan (刘禅, Lưu Thiện – Second Emperor of Shu): Sovereign of Shu Han.
- Grandfather Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị – First Sovereign): Founding emperor of Shu Han.
- Husband Zhuge Zhan (诸葛瞻, Gia Cát Chiêm): Son of Zhuge Liang, Chief Military Controller who died a martyr at Mianzhu Pass.
- Son Zhuge Shang (诸葛尚, Gia Cát Thượng): Heroic youth who charged into the Wei army and died alongside his father.
Friends
- Imperial Mother-in-law Lady Huang (Huang Yueying / Huang Yueying): Famed intellectual wife of Zhuge Liang.
- Imperial Consorts Empresses of Shu: Shared the palace hardships during the northern expeditions.
Enemies
- Wei Conqueror Deng Ai (邓艾, Đặng Ngải): Wei general whose surprise crossing of Yinping caused the fall of Shu.
Other
- Grandfather-in-law Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮): The ‘Martial Marquis’ whose legacy defined Shu Han’s existence.
In Sanguozhi
The Eternal Alliance
“Liu Shan wed his daughter to Zhuge Zhan, fulfilling the First Sovereign’s dying vow that the houses of Liu and Zhuge should share one destiny in life and death.”
Historical Record in Sanguozhi
Her marriage solidified the symbolic legitimacy of Shu Han’s leadership, linking the Liu imperial lineage directly to Zhuge Liang’s sacred memory.