Shou Liang
Shou Liang, courtesy name Wenshu, was an official and scholar of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period of China. After the fall of Shu in 263, he continued serving under the Cao Wei state, then the succeeding Jin dynasty in 266.
Life
Shou Liang was born in Chengdu, Shu Commandery, which is present-day Chengdu, Sichuan. His father and grandfather served as Administrator of Qianwei. In his youth, Shou Liang was well known alongside Zhang Wei and Fei Ji with both of them born in Wuyang, Qianwei Commandery, which is present-day Pengshan County, Sichuan. Shou Liang specialized in the study of the Spring and Autumn Annals and had a complete understanding of Five Classics. Furthermore, he was a man of righteousness and integrity. He served as a junior official, a Cavalier Attendant then Gentleman at the Yellow Gates in the State of Shu Han.After the Conquest of Shu by Wei, he was appointed as a county's Registrar then as Official in Charge of Historical Records. Although, he was nominated as xiaolian, he refused the appointment. Thereafter, he was reallocated as Registrar of the Yi province, as Attendant Clerk then as Bieja where he was recognized for his talent and good behavior.
Huang Fuyan, the Inspector of Yi Province recommended him to serve at the Three Departments as a Dazai. Following this, he was appointed as Prefect of Bacheng and Administrator of Xingping where his governance was highly praised. He was reallocated as Inner Clerk of Fufeng and Qin state.
In 279, after the death of Wen Li, the Prefect of Wen County, Li Mi sent a memorial to the emperor, which stated "The officials and scholars of Liang and Yi provinces are few, those with talent not yet blooming and others living to look after their personal comfort. Shou Liang should be given this opportunity to join the imperial court; he is the hope of the two provinces, and fitting to meet the expectation of this promotion while carrying on Wen Li's legacy."
Therefore, Emperor Wu employed Shou as Gentleman at the Yellow Gates, simultaneously appointed as jishìzhong and Inspector of Liang Province. Later, he was relocated to the imperial court to serve as Cavalier Gentleman-in-Attendance. He died while serving as Grand Prolonger of Autumn. He was buried in the Mangshan Mountains in Luobei.
Appraisal and anecdote
, who wrote Shou Liang's biography in the Chronicles of Huayang, appraised Shou Liang as follows: "Loyal and sincere, clearly wise and devoted to honesty." Shou Liang was among the descendants of former Shu officials recommended by Luo Xian to Sima Yan to be employed. At the time, each of them were renowned.According to the Jin Shu, Chen Shou collected and compiled the writings of Zhuge Liang during his early career under the Jin dynasty. The compiled text was called Shu Xiang Zhuge Liang Ji. The Huayang Guozhi mentioned that later on, Zhang Hua proposed to Emperor Wu to have the text reorganized and composed as a 24-volumes. At the time, Shou Liang was also doing his own research on Zhuge Liang's works, with his outcome quite different from Chen Shou's original version. In the end, the text was rewritten, and became the Zhuge Liang Gushi.