Liu Feng

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Liu Feng (劉封) (d. 220 AD) was the adopted son of Liu Bei, and served as a general in Liu Bei's army during the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Born with the surname of Kou (寇), Liu Feng was adopted by Liu Bei while the latter was in Jingzhou. This move proved controversial, as Liu Bei already had a legitimate son at the time who was far younger than Liu Feng. It was feared that Liu Feng may strive to be a contender for the throne in future on the basis that he was the eldest son, even though he was not related to Liu Bei by blood.

Liu Feng was sent as reinforcements alongside Zhuge Liang and Zhang Fei when Liu Bei was fighting against Liu Zhang in Shu. He was in his twenties at this stage, and was described as being strong and possessing good martial skill. On pacification of Shu, he was appointed Magistrate of central Liangjiang.

In 219 AD, Liu Feng was sent from Mianshui to assist Meng Da, who Liu Bei did not fully trust, to capture Shangyong. Shen Dan, Governor of Shangyong, quickly surrendered. Liu Feng and Meng Da continued to be stationed within this region after the campaign. Later in the same year, Guan Yu, while fighting Eastern Wu in Jingzhou, requested troops from Liu Feng and Meng Da to help rescue his own forces. They refused the request on the basis that their area of Yishan county was beginning to be surrounded, and hence troops could not be sent.

Guan Yu's death at the hands of Wu resulted in Liu Bei feeling great hatred towards Liu Feng and Meng Da for their failure to send troops. At the same time, the two men also had a falling out, which played a part in Meng Da's decision to defect to Wei, taking with him Shen Dan, Shen Yi and several cities. Liu Feng returned to Chengdu, where Liu Bei, angered at his part in Guan Yu's death and failure to prevent Meng Da's defection, forced him to commit suicide. (Most historians also believe that this move was done at Zhuge Liang's suggestion -- as Zhuge had been concerned that Liu Feng might have designs on inheriting Liu Bei's position after Liu Bei's death, as he was older than Liu Bei's biological son Liu Shan.)

However, some consider that Liu Feng would have proved a much more competent ruler than Liu Shan, who eventually surrendered the kingdom of Shu to the Wei dynasty^{[citation needed]}.