Liu Yanzhi Yizhou

Liu Yanzhi Yizhou Liu Yan (?-194), Courtesy name Junlang, was a native of Jingling, Jiangxia (now Tianmen, Hubei). He was a clan member and warlord of the Eastern Han Dynasty and a descendant of King Gong of Han and Lu. His governance of Yizhou had a profound influence on the pattern of the Three Kingdoms. In the fifth year of Zhongping (188), when he witnessed the chaos in the court, he proposed to "abolish history and establish animal husbandry". He originally asked Jiaozhou to be a pastor to avoid trouble, but because Dong Fu said that Yizhou had the spirit of the emperor, he asked Yizhou to be a pastor instead. It happened that the governor Qie Jian was corrupt and violent, so Liu Yan was ordered to take up the post and was granted the title of Marquis of Yangcheng. During the period of governance, he moved his seat to Mianzhu to get rid of the control of the powerful, and appointed local Jia Long to govern; he recruited the refugees from Nanyang and Sanfu as "Dongzhou soldiers", sent Zhang Lu to capture Hanzhong and isolate the central government; he killed the powerful to establish his power, and suppressed the rebellion of Ren Qi and Jia Long. On the surface, his governance was lenient and benevolent, and he accommodated rebels, but in fact, he had different plans, making Yizhou gradually become semi-independent. Effectively, immigration promoted the economic and cultural development of Yizhou and stabilized the situation. However, the "Abolition of History and Li Mu" intensified the warlord separatism and cracked down on the powerful, which laid the foundation for conflicts between the local faction and the Dongzhou faction. He also made carriages and was accused of ulterior motives. In the first year of Xingping (194), Liu Yan was killed because his eldest son Liu Fan and his second son Liu Dan were defeated in their attempt to attack Chang'an. Also, a fire in Mianzhu burned down his city's carriages. He became ill from grief and anger and died of back sores. His son Liu Zhang succeeded him. His management laid the foundation for Liu Bei's entry into Shu.