Zhuge Liang (181–234), courtesy name Kongming, was the legendary Prime Minister of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, renowned as China's greatest strategist and a paragon of loyalty. Living as a hermit at Longzhong, he was visited three times by Liu Bei and emerged to present the Longzhong Plan, a grand strategy to divide China into three kingdoms.
After Liu Bei's death, Zhuge Liang faithfully served his successor, launching six Northern Expeditions against the far more powerful state of Wei. He invented military innovations including improved repeating crossbows and wooden ox transport devices. His unwavering dedication, captured in his famous phrase 'bowing in dedication until death,' has inspired generations of Chinese leaders and remains a cornerstone of Chinese cultural ideals about loyalty and service.
