For the faction, see Liu Hong (faction)
For the minor warlord with the same name, see Liu Hong (warlord)
- Liu Hong is a Chinese name; the family name is Liu.
Liu Hong, more commonly known as Emperor Ling, is a unique legendary Commander hero in Total War: Three Kingdoms. He leads his own faction, Liu Hong, in 182. He is a court noble and cannot be deployed on the campaign map.
General Information[]
Attributes[]
Main Article: Attributes (Total War: Three Kingdoms)
 Expertise |
 Resolve |
 Cunning |
 Instinct |
 Authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 84 | 42 | 59 | 190 |
| -6% construction cost (administered commandery) +5k population growth (administered commandery) +13 satisfaction (faction-wide, if leader, heir or prime minister) | ||||
Background[]
Main Article: Background (Total War: Three Kingdoms)
The Inconstant Emperor
- +30 resolve
- +10 instinct
- +20 authority
- +1 resilience
- +3 morale (faction-wide, if leader, heir or prime minister)
- +200% income from family estates (faction-wide, if leader, heir or prime minister)
Commends Honour, Values Diplomacy
Traits[]
Main Article: Traits (Total War: Three Kingdoms)
- Indecisive
- +4 expertise
- -4 authority
- -10% character experience
- +10 cover cost for enemy spies (if leader, heir or prime minister)
- Decreases ambition to gain independence as administrator
- Resents Decisiveness
- Cordial
- Distinguished
- +6 instinct
- +2 authority
- Increases ambition to gain independence as administrator
- Admires Attractiveness, Admires Refinement
Skills[]
Main Article: Skill (Total War: Three Kingdoms)
- Stone Bulwark
- Clarity
- Dignity
- +8 instinct
- +5 faction support (faction-wide, if leader, heir or prime minister)
- Nobility
- +8 authority
- +1 available assignments (faction-wide, if leader, heir or prime minister)
Ancillaries[]
Main Article: Ancillary (Total War: Three Kingdoms)
- Heavenly Sword
- +12 authority
- +8 satisfaction
- The Emperor's Robes
- +20 resolve
- +80 authority
- +8 public order (faction-wide, if leader, heir or prime minister)
- -10 cover cost for enemy spies (faction-wide, if leader, heir or prime minister)
- -10 undercover network cost for enemy spies (faction-wide, if leader, heir or prime minister)
- White Thoroughbred
- +4 authority
Guanxi[]
- Family
- Empress He (wife)
- Liu Bian (son)
- Liu Xie (son)
- Acquaintances
- Negative Acquaintances
Biography[]
Liu Hong, better known as Emperor Ling, was not destined to be emperor. While born in the year 156 AD as a member of the imperial Liu clan, he was not in direct line to the throne. However, when the sitting Han Emperor, Emperor Huan, died in 168 AD, he did so without an heir. By law, this gave his widow, Dowager Dou Miao, the power to select the next Emperor. After some consultation, she chose the 12-year-old Liu Hong to be the next Emperor, thrusting the unprepared and underage prince into the rulership of all of China. In truth, he was chosen specifically to be controllable at a young age by his regent, in this case, Dowager Dou and her father, Dou Wu.
In time, the Dou clan would be sidelined by the local eunuchs. Eunuchs often held key government positions thanks to their "condition" which prevented them from producing offspring which would, supposedly, remove a reason for betraying the Empire for they could not create a dynasty of their own. In practice, however, eunuchs often began living for themselves in absolute luxury, with corruption being common among them. The eunuchs that got rid of the Dou clan did so to increase their own power. In the wake of this so-called Eunuch Coup, the eunuchs now held complete control over Emperor Ling.
Over the coming years, the eunuchs got rid of any threat to their power, including the late Emperor Huan's brother, a myriad of bureaucratic and military officials, and even Emperor Ling's own wife, Empress Song, who they accused of trying to curse the Emperor with dark magic. They also increased their influence over the Emperor in other ways. Most notable of these is the sale of titles, which, obviously, led to extreme corruption as people could buy a high government position and then embezzle all the money from their office for themselves. Besides just the eunuchs, their friends and allies, too, began profiting off China's administration.
The increase in corruption led to a general worsening of the lives of millions across China, as corrupt officials appointed under Emperor Ling's reign began overtaxing the population in their jurisdictions. Combine this with natural disasters paired with little to no government relief, drought, and famine, while Emperor Ling and the eunuchs lived in absolute luxury in Luoyang, and one has an excellent recipe for disaster. This disaster came in the form of three brothers, Zhang Jue, Bao, and Liang, the leaders of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. The Yellow Turbans claimed that Emperor Ling, little more than a prisoner in a golden cage at this point, had lost the Mandate of Heaven (the justification behind the Chinese dynastic system, with the Emperor, the "Son of Heaven", ruling in Heaven's stead) and that the age of the Han had ended. With hundreds of thousands of rebels rising up in the first wave alone, the Han government had to rely on local rulers to quell the rebellion. Notably, besides local governors, warlords became vital in crushing the Yellow Turbans. While this was an effective solution in the short term, this act of relying on warlords had shattered the illusion of central government from Luoyang, as many local rulers began acting as the de-facto government in their own territory.
The Yellow Turban Rebellion lay defeated in 184 AD, though occasional pockets of resistance would continue for decades after the fact. While the Yellow Turbans should have been a dramatic wake-up call for Emperor Ling, he continued like nothing happened, living in absolute luxury, remaining as corrupt and influenced by his eunuchs as ever, and continuing to sell titles, making not even the slightest effort to change his ways. He spent his remaining five years overtaxing, overspending, and remaining completely isolated from the reality of life in China at the time. The Han Empire, at this point, was on the brink of collapsing from internal strain, and Emperor Ling's death in 189 AD was the straw that broke the camel's back.
With his son, Liu Bian, yet another child emperor, coming to the throne, the fragile peace holding China together shattered practically overnight. With He Jin, the brother of Emperor Ling's wife, Empress He, becoming regent of the young Emperor, the eunuchs intervened, assassinating He Jin. This resulted in a response from Yuan Shao, who stormed Luoyang and slaughtered the Ten Attendants. In the chaos, Luoyang caught fire as Dong Zhuo arrived, seizing Ling's two sons, killing Liu Bian and replacing him with the younger Liu Xie, better known as Emperor Xian. The rise of Dong Zhuo would lead to a coalition under Yuan Shao which failed to defeat him and eventually fell apart. Dong Zhuo remained the de jure regent of Emperor Xian and de facto ruler of China as a myriad of warlords and governors began fighting each other for control over personal fiefdoms. The central government of the Han Dynasty became an obsolete relic holding only symbolic power. With no government to hold the warlords in check, the battle for control over China became fair game to anyone with the ambition to compete in it, which led to the Rise of the Warlords and the main events in Total War: Three Kingdoms.
| Total War THREE KINGDOMS playable characters | |
|---|---|
| Sentinel | Bao Xin・Cai He・Cai Yang・Cao Ren・Chang Diao・Chang Xia・Chen Heng・Chen Qian・Chen Wu・Chen Xiu・Cheng Pu・Congqian・Cui Jun・Deng Ai・Ding Feng・Gan Li・Gao Gan・Gongsun Du・Gongsun Xu・Guo Xian・Hou Yin・Han SuiS・Huang She・Huang YueyingF・Huang ZhongS・Huangfu Song・Jia Long・Jian Yong・Li Dian・Liang Xing・Liu Shang・Liu Yao・Lu Meng・Lu Zhi・Ma Mao・Qu Ying・Song Jian・Sui Gu・Sun JianS・Sun Shao・Taishi CiS・Tao Shang・Tian Fen・Wang Kuang・Wang Su・Wang Yu・Xia Zhao・Xiaoqiao・Xu HuangS・Xue Li・Yan Xing・Yang Bo・Yang Hong・Yang Zhong・Yin Li・Yu Jin・Yuan Shang・Yue JinS・Zang Hong・Zhang Hu・Zhang LiaoS・Zhang Ya・Zhao YunS・Zheng Bao・Zhu Zhi |
| Champion | Cai Zhong・Cao Ang・Cao Hong・Cao Shuang・Cao Xi・Cao Zhang・Chang Xi・Chen Jiu・Chen Lan・Cheng Yi・Dong Feng・Dian WeiS・Gao Ding・Gao Sheng・Guan Xing・Guan YuS・Han Fu・Han Hao・Hong Ming・Huan Lin・Huan Zhi・Huang Gai・Huang Zu・Huo Nu・Ji Ben・Jiang Gong・Li Damu・Li Huan・Li Yu・Ling Tong・Liu Shao・Lu Kang・Pang De・Qu Gong・Quan Rou・Sen Pei・Song Yang・Tao Ying・Tuoba Liwei・Wang Xi・Wei Huang・Wei Jie・Wen Chou・Xiahou DunS・Xianyu Yin・Xin Ping・Xu ChuS・Xu Rong・Xuan Fan・Yang Feng・You Tu・Yu Qin・Zang Ba・Zao Zhi・Zhang Fang・Zhang Fu・Zhang Guang・Zhang Lu・Zhang YanS・Zhao Du・Zheng Yan・Zheng JiangSF・Zou Lin・Zuozi Hangba |
| Strategist | Bao Xun・Bian Rang・Bu LianshiF・Cai YanF・Cai Yong・Cao Chong・Cao Zhi・Chang Lin・Che Zhou・Chen Biao・Chen Di・Chen Gong・Chen Lin・Chen Qun・Chen Zhen・Cheng Xu・Cheng Yu・Cui Lin・Cui Yan・DiaochanF・Ding Yi・Dong Yun・Dong Zhao・Du Qiong・Fa Zheng・Fan Qin・Lady FengF・Feng Shuo・Fu Gan・Fu Jia・Fu Wan・Gao Rou・Gaotang・Gongsun Xiu・Gu Yong・Guan Chun・Guan Jing・Guan Lu・Guan Ning・Guanqiu Dian・Guo Jia・Guo Tu・Han Ji・Han Ran・Han Rong・Han Yin・Handan Chun・Handan Shang・He Yan・He Zeng・Hu Zhao・Hu Zhi・Hu Zong・Hua Biao・Hua Tuo・Hua Xin・Huan Dian・Huan Fan・Huan Jia・Huang Wan・Hungfu Mi・Ji Miao・Ji Mu・Jia Chong・Jia Cong・Jia Xu・Jiang Ji・Jin Yi・Ju Shou・Kan Ze・Kong RongS・Kong Zhou・Kuai Liang・Kuai Yue・Liu Ba・Li Chao・Li Fu・Li Kang・Li Ru・Li Shao・Li Xiu・Liang Mao・Liu Dai・Liu Fu・Liu He・Liu Ji・Liu Yan・Liu Ye・Liu Yi・Liu Zhen・Lu An・Liu Fan・Lu Ji・Lu Kai・Lu Mao・Lu Su・Lu Xing・Lu Xun・Lu Yi・Lu Yu・Lu ZhengF・Ma Liang・Ma Midi・Ma Qiu・Ma Su・Ma Yu・Mao Jie・Mi Heng・Mi Zhu・Miao Xi・Min Chun・Pan Xu・Pang Ji・Pang Tong・Pei Jun・Pei Qian・Peng Yang・Qi Zhou・Qiao Zhou・Qin Mi・Quan Ji・Que Xuan・Ren An・Ren Jun・Ruan Yu・Shan Gu・Shan Tao・Shen You・Sheng Xian・Shi Wei・Shi Xie・Shi Yi・Shi Zhi・Sima Feng・Sima Fu・Sima Lang・Sima YiS・Su Shuo・Su Ze・Sun Qian・Sun Xu・Tao QianS・Teng Yin・Tian Chou・Tian Feng・Tian Jing・Wang Biao・Wang Can・Wang Dang・Wang Fu・Wang Jian・Wang Lan・Wang Lei・Wang Lie・Wang Su・Wang Xiang・Wei Dan・Wei Feng・Wei Shu・Wei You・Wei Zhao・Wei Hui・Wu Fan・Wu Shuo・Wu Zhi・Xiahou Rong・Xiahou Xuan・Xiahou Zuo・Xiahou Lang・Xiao QiaoSF・Xin Xianying・Xing Yong・Xu Gan・Xu Jing・Xu Miao・Xu Shao・Xu Shu・Xu Ta・Xu Xuan・Xu You・Xue Zong・Xun Wei・Xun Yu・Xun Yue・Yan Pu・Yan Xiang・Yan Yu・Yang Chou・Yang Dao・Yang Xi・Yang Xiu・Yao Tai・Yao Zhou・Ying Qu・Ying Yang・Ying Yu・Yu Fan・Yuan Long・Yuan Yi・Yue Dun・Zhang Chao・Zhang Cheng・Zhang Chunhua・Zhang Hong・Zhang Ji・Zhang Miao・Zhang Min・Zhang Quan・Zhang Song・Zhang Wen・Zhang Yun・Zhang Zan・Zhang Zhao・Zhang Zhen・Zhang Zhi・Zhao Ang・Zhao Qi・Zhao Wei・Zhao Yan・Zhao Yi・Zheng Mao・Zheng Mo・Zheng Sui・Zheng Tai・Zheng Xuan・Zhong Yao・Zhongchang Tong・Zhou Huan・Zhou YuS・Zhou Zhi・Zhu En・Zhu Gui・Zhu Han・Zhuge Jin・Zhuge LiangS |
| Vanguard | Bu Ji・Bu Zhi・Cai Mao・Dong Zhuo・Gan Ning・Gongsun ZanS・Liu Qi・Lü BuS・Ma ChaoS・Ma TengS・Shisun Rui・Sun CeS・Sun RenSF・Xiahou Jie・Xiahou YuanS・Yan Liang・Ze Rong・Zhang FeiS・Zhang He・Zhang Yang |
| Commander | Lady BianF・Lady CaiF・Cai Xun・Cao CaoS・Cao JieF・Cao Ren・DaqiaoF・Da QiaoSF・Dong PeishanF・Guan YinpingF・Liu BeiS・Liu BiaoS・Lady LiuF・Liu Yu・Liu ZhangS・Wang Lang・Lady WuF・Sun QuanS・Yuan AnyangF・Yuan ShaoS・Yuan ShuS・Yuan Tan・Yuan Xi |
| Healer (YTR) | Han Xian・He YiS・Liu Pi・Wang Du |
| Veteran (YTR) | Gong DuS・Guan Hai・Liao Hua・Pei YuanshaoS・Zhang KaiS・Zhao Bo |
| Scholar (YTR) | Guo Da・He ManS・Huang ShaoSWang Rao・Xu He |