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.
Other Languages[]
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Liu Hong, Emperor Ling of Han |
| French | Liu Hong, l'empereur Ling de Han |
| German | Liu Hong, Kaiser Ling von Han |
| Italian | Liu Hong, l'imperatore Ling di Han |
| Spanish | Liu Hong, Emperador Ling de Han |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Liu Hong, Imperador Ling de Han |
| Polish | Liu Hong, Cesarz Ling z Han |
| Czech | Liou Chung, Císař Ling z Hanu |
| Turkish | Liu Hong, Han İmparatoru Ling |
| Simplified Chinese | 刘宏, 汉灵帝 Liú Hóng, Hàn Língdì
|
| Traditional Chinese | 劉宏, 漢靈帝 Liú Hóng, Hàn Língdì
|
| Korean | 유굉, 한령제 Yu-goeng, Han Ryeong-je
|
| Russian | Лю Хун, Лин-ди Lyu Khun, Lin-di
|
| Total War THREE KINGDOMS playable characters | |
|---|---|
| Sentinel | Bao Xin・Bian Zhang・Bu Ci・Cai He・Cai Yang・Cai Yuan・Chang Huijie・Chang Wenning・Chang Xia・Chen Dan・Chen Heng・Cheng PuS・Chu Gong・Congqian・Cui Jun・Deng Ningqin・Dong Chong・Fan Qi・Feng Peiyan・Gao Gan・Gongsun Du・Gongsun Xu・Gu Yanyan・Gui Duo・Guo ShengS・Han Anyue・Han SuiS・He JinS・Hu Mao・Hua Lanli・Huang Li・Huang She・Huang Xin・Huang ZhongS・Huangfu Shang・Huangfu SongS・Jia Long・Jia Mo・Jia Xiao・Jian Yong・Ju Lu・Lady Lu・Lao Zhumeng・Li Xian・Liang Sui・Liang Xing・Ling Zheng・Ling Zhenyan・Liu Pingmin・Liu Qi・Liu Shang・Liu YaoS・Lu Yu・Luo Luban・Lü Meng・Mao Ren・Mi Fang・Miao Anzhu・Miao Wanwan・Mu Shen・Nie Tingping・Pei Minshu・Princess Pei・Qi Sheng・Qian Yanjuan・Qu Pan・Qu Zhenlan・Qu Zhushu・Ren Lixiu・Rong Lanrui・Shi Chao・Shi Wei・Shi Yi (Shie Xie's Brother・Shisun Cen・Sima Cui・Sima Fu・Sima Gan・Sima Hong・Sima Mao・Sima Xu・Sima Yan・Sima You・Sima YueS・Sima Yujie・Song Jian・Su Ting・Sui Gu・Sun JianS・Sun Shao・Taishi CiS・Tao Shang・Tian Fen・Wang Guo・Wang Kuang・Wang Yu・Wu Gong・Xia Diao・Xia Zhao・Xie Yingxiu・Xing Junya・Xu HuangS・Xue Li・Yan BaihuS・Yan Junya・Yan Xing・Yan Yuanshao・Yang Bo・Yang Hong・Yang Zhong・Yi Yuean・Yijian Liting・Yin Li・Yu JinS・Yu Wanhui・Yue JinS・Yue Jiong・Zang Hong・Ze Yue・Zhang Chao・Zhang HeS・Zhang Hu・Zhang Jinglan・Zhang LiaoS・Zhang Ya・Zhao YunS・Zheng Ningzhen・Zhou Shen・Zhousheng Min・Zhu Zhi・Zou Jing・Zuo Yu・Zuozi Zhulan |
| Champion | Bian Bing・Cai Zhong・Cao Ang・Chen Jiu・Cheng Wu・Cheng Yi・Dian WeiS・Ding Yuan・Dong Hong・Dong Shuo・Fan Yuanshao・Fu Xie・Gao Jue・Ge Ju・Geng Bi・Gu Zhen・Guan YuS・Guo Si・Han Chong・Han Fu・Han Hao・Han Tong・Hou Cheng・Huang Zu・Huangfu Yu・Jin Hu・Jin Mao・Li Damu・Liao Yan・Liu Dan・Liu Shen・Liu Yong・Lu Bao・Lu Kang・Lu Qian・Lu Xie・Luo Jun・Lü Boshe・Pang De・Pang Xu・Pu Shi・Pu Xu・Qu Gong・Quan Rou・Que Chang・Shen Pei・Shi Xin・Sima AiS・Sima Chang・Sima LiangS・Sima Pi・Sima Yao・Sun ZhangS・Tang Wen・Tao Ying・Tian Ben・Wang Bao・Wei Huang・Wei Jie・Wei Teng・Wei YanS・Wen ChouS・Xiahou DunS・Xianyu Xin・Xin Ping・Xing Zhang・Xu ChuS・Xu Rong・Xuan Fan・Xun Shuang・Xun Wenggui・Yan YuS・Yan Yun・Yang Feng・Yin Can・Yu Bin・Yu Pi・Yu Yan・Zang Ba・Zao Zhan・Zao Zhi・Ze Bu・Zhang GongS・Zhang Lu・Zhang YanS・Zheng Dan・Zheng JiangS・Zheng Yan・Zuo Cen |
| Strategist | Bao Dan・Bi LanS・Bian Rang・Cai Yong・Chen Deng・Chen GongS・Chen Gui・Chen Yu・Cheng Baojuan・Cheng Qiu・Cheng Yu・Cui Yan・DiaochanS・Du Cha・Fa Pingjin・Fa ZhengS・Fan Zhou・Fu Gan・Gai Ji・Gan Changren・Gao Dai・Gao Ruo・Gao WangS・Gao You・Gongsun Hong・Guan Chun・Guan Jing・Guo JiaS・Guo Tu・Han Rong・Hua Jinting・Hua Xin・Huan Dian・Huang Wan・Huang Yan・Humu Juanjie・Jia Cong・Jia XuS・Jiu Dan・Ju Ruo・Ju Shou・Kong RongS・Kong Zhou・Kuai Liang・Kuai Yue・Lady Feng・Lady Gan・Lady Liu・Lady Liu Yanglan・Lady Shi・Lady ZhenS・Li RuS・Li Xiu・Li Ying・Liang Mao・Liu Dai・Liu He・Liu Hong・Liu Mao・Liu Min・Liu YanS・Lou Juanshu・Lu Ji・Lu Su・Lu Zheng・Lu ZhiS・Lu Zhi・Luo Fangbao・Lü Fan・Ma Midi・Mao Jie・Mi Zhu・Nai Jingjuan・Pan Lin・Pang Ji・Qiang Lianshi・Qiao Xuan・Que Xuan・Ruan Shen・Sang Mengan・Shang Ju・Sheng Xian・Shi Lingyun・Shi XieS・Shi Yi・Shi Zhi・Sima Chi・Sima Di・Sima Jian・Sima Qian・Sima Shi・Sima Yang・Sima YingS・Sima Zan・Song Jinting・Su Neng・Sun Qian・Sun Xiu・Tao QianS・Ti Ying・Tian Chou・Tian Feng・Tong Yurui・Wang Baolan・Wang Dang・Wang Fangyue・Wang Lei・Wang Song・Wang Wenping・Wei Guan・Wei Jinshu・Wei You・Wen Yuejin・Xia YunS・Xiang Xun・Xiao QiaoS・Xin Fangyue・Xu Jing・Xu Shao・Xu ShuS・Xu Yan・Xu You・Xun YouS・Xun YuS・Yan Pu・Yan Xiang・Yan Yuanshao・Yang Chou・Yin Zhuwen・Yong Huili・Yu Fan・Yuan Yi・Zhai Miao・Zhang Cheng・Zhang HongS・Zhang Hua・Zhang Ji・Zhang Miao・Zhang Min・Zhang Shanmin・Zhang Song・Zhang Wen・Zhang Yun・Zhang ZhaoS・Zhao Wei・Zhao ZhongS・Zheng Tai・Zheng Xuan・Zhou Bi・Zhou Huan・Zhou YuS・Zhu Fu・Zhu Gui・Zhuge Jin・Zhuge Liang・Zuozi Li |
| Vanguard | Bai Jin・Bao Luan・Bao Xiangru・Bu Jun・Cai Mao・Cao DingS・Chen Chao・Cheng Fu・Chenggong Fang・Chenggong Ying・Chunyu Qiong・Cui Lie・Da Jing・Deng Sheng・Deng Sheng・Dong Cheng・Dong ZhuoS・Du Ji・Duan GuiS・Empress HeS・Fan Chou・Fan Yan・Feng Zixiu・Fu Chun・Gan NingS・Gao ShunS・Gongsha Zhi・Gongsun ZanS・Guanqiu Kan・Han Dang・Han Xin・Hao Meng・Hua Rang・Huang GaiS・Huanglong・Huanglong Luo・Ji LingS・Jia Mi・Jiang Qin・Jin Yu・Ju Jun・Lai Qian・Li JueS・Li Kan・Li Li・Li SongS・Li Yan・Liang Qing・Lin Jun・Liu Bian・Liu Feng・Liu Qi・Liu Xun・Lou Gui・Lu Jing・Lu Yun・Lü BuS・Lü Gong・Ma ChaoS・Ma Han・Ma TengS・Ma Tie・Ma Wan・Ma Xiu・Niu Fu・Ren Qi・Shao Damu・Shi Wei・Shi Wu・Shisun Rui・Sima Ji・Sima Mo・Sima Rui・Sima Tai・Sima WeiS・Sima Wei・Sima YongS・Su Fei・Sun CeS・Sun RenS・Tang Si・Ti Yu・Tian Yu・Wan Buyi・Wang Jing・Wang Rui・Wu Jing・Xia Zhi・Xiahou YuanS・Xianyu Fu・Xie Cun・Xu Gong・Yan Gang・Yan Jian・Yan LiangS・Yang Biao・Yang Ren・Yang Yi・Ying Shao・Ying Xun・Yu Du・Ze Rong・Zhang Fang・Zhang FeiS・Zhang Xiu・Zhang Yang・Zhang Yu・Zhao Qian・Zhou TaiS・Zhou Xin・Zhou Yu・Zhu Jun・Zong Yi・Zong Yuan |
| Commander | Bi Jieyan・Bu Yin・Cai Xun・Cang Qinting・Cao CaoS・Cao De・Cao Huan・Cao PiS・Cao RenS・Cao Song・Chai Chang・Chen Ji・Da QiaoS・Deng Yuan・Diao Yi・Dong He・Dong Min・Dong Peishan・Dou Juanyue・Fan Liyan・Fan Min・Feng Fang・Geng Wu・Gongsun Gong・Gongsun Kang・Gongsun Shu・Gu Ruilan・Guan Xu・Han KuiS・Han Lian・He Lun・Huan Shuwan・Jiao Fan・Jin Xuan・Jing Hong・Ju Xin・Jue Jiejie・Kang Qinmeng・Kuang Yingzhu・Lady BianS・Lady Cai・Lady Cheng・Lady Ding・Lady Liu・Lady MiS・Lady Wu・Lady Yan・Lang Jingxiu・Li Chang・Li Han・Lian Zhi・Liang Shi・Ling Pingjing・Ling Yu・Liu BeiS・Liu BiaoS・Liu ChongS・Liu Cong・Liu Fan・Liu HongS・Liu Huimin・Liu XieS・Liu Yu・Liu ZhangS・Lu Jun・Lu Jun・Lu Lianshi・Pei Wei・Qian Ji・Qiao Mao・Que Jian・Rao He・Rui Juanwan・Shan Yu・Sheng Qinqijn・Shi Chen・Shi Hui・Shi Mengzhu・Sima Dan・Sima Fu・Sima Hun・Sima JiongS・Sima Ju・Sima LunS・Sima Rui・Sima Song・Sima Yu・Sima Zhi・Song DianS・Song Wei・Song Zhou・Su Ming・Sun Hua・Sun QuanS・Tian Kai・Wang Hong・Wang LongS・Wang Xiu・Wang Yun・Wei Di・Wei Ding・Wu Qiong・Xi Jiao・Xi Kan・Xi Yangting・Xianyu Ji・Xu Zhao・Yan Ruian・Yan Yueshang・Yang Ang・Yang Song・Yang Xiang・Yang Zhuo・Yin Yi・Yin Yinglan・Ying Feng・You Jue・Yu Minxiang・Yuan Anyang・Yuan Huan・Yuan ShangS・Yuan ShaoS・Yuan ShuS・Yuan TanSYuan Xi・Yuan Xiangshan・Yuan Yao・Zhang Fang・Zhang RangS・Zhang Yanyan・Zhao Wen・Zhou Ang・Zhou Bo・Zhousheng Han |
| Healer | Chenggong Min・Han Xian・Han Zhong・He YiS・Hua Zixiu・Liang Boning・Liu Pi・Ma Xiang・Tang Zhou・Wang Du・Wu Ba・Zhang JueS・Zhao Hong |
| Veteran | Bo Cai・Gong DuS・Guan Hai・Liang Zhongning・Liao Hua・Pei Yuanshao・Wei Desheng・Yao Feng・Zhang BaoS・Zhang Kai・Zhang LiangS・Zhang Mancheng・Zhao Bo |
| Scholar | Bu Si・Gongxu Yan・Gui Yuan・Guo Da・He ManS・Huang ShaoS・Ma Yuanyi・Peng Shen・Sima Ju・Taishi Yin・Wang Rao・Wu Huan・Xu He・Zhao Zhi |
| Nanman | A Jia Ju・A Lu She Su・A Lu Su Nu・A Lu Su Nu・A Nuo Qu Ju・A Nuo Qu Ju・A Nuo Wu Liang・A Nuo Zhi Bang・A Su Er Xia・A Su Zi Ri・A Xi Mu Xia・A Xi Zhi Yu・A Yu Bo Jia・Ahuinan・Ba Ba・Cai・Chou Changwu・Chou Leigong・Chou Zhao・Cuan Shangshang・Cuan Yuan・Dailai Dongzhu・Di Pei・Dong Ao・Dong Fu・Dong Zhufang・Dongtuna・DuosiS・Gao Wangzhi・Huo Qiong・Huo Wan・Jia Bang Rou・Jia Huan She Beng・Jia Huan Su Nu・Jia Ju Hao・Jia Su Ce Li・Jia Su Ce Li・Jia Su Shi Bin・Jiao Shushu・Jin Huan Nan・Jinhuansanjie・Lady ZhurongS・Lei Yu・Li Bao・Li Jing・Long Pingxiu・Lu Shi・Lu Yun・Luo Beng・Luo Beng・Luo Bo・Luo Cai・Luo Go Bin Xia・Luo Gu Bin Xia・Luo Gu Bin Xia・Luo Gu Er Xia・Luo Gu Pi Yong・Luo Gu Pi Yong・Luo Gu Su Nu・Luo Gu Xian She・Luo Jilong・Luo Ju・Luo Ju・Luo Shang・Lü Chen・Lü Juanping・Lü Quan・Lü Xu・Mangyachang・Mao Jingmeng・Mao Ling・Meng HuoS・Meng Jie・Meng Tu・Meng You・Mengli・MuluS・Nuo Ba Er Le・Nuo Ba Su Bo・Nuo Beng・Nuo Ge Nu・Nuo Go Shi Jia・Nuo Gu Er She・Nuo Gu Luo Cai・Nuo Gu Shi Jia・Nuo Gu Shi Jia・Nuo Guo Bo Luo・Nuo Guo Ce Li・Nuo Guo Hao Beng・Nuo Guo Jia Li・Nuo Guo Ri Ju・Nuo Jia Bang・Pang Anfang・Pang Dao・ShamokeS・She Bo・She Ju・She Luo・She Ri Nuo・Su Beng・Su Beng Ce Li・Su Le・Su Li・Tu An・Wang Li・Wang Peili・Wei Jinshang・Wu Beng Ju・Wu Bin She・Wu Bo Xian・Wu Bo Xian・Wu Ce Li Beng・Wu Ce Li Beng・Wu Dan Beng・Wu Hao・Wu Ju・Wu Nu・Wu Qu Ju Beng・Wu She Nu・Wu Xian Beng・Wu Xian Nu・Wu Zhu Hao・Wu Zhu Nu・WutuguS・Xi Ni・Xian Bo・Xian Le・Xian Nan・Xian Shi・Xian Su・Xie He・Xie Lei・Yang Feng・Yao Chen・Yin Shuying・Yin Zhenyu・Yin Zhubao・Yong Yan・Yong Yumin・Yu Bo Luo・Yu Bo Xian・Yu Luo・Yu Pi Yong Jia・Yu She・Yu She Jia・Yu Wu Bo Luo・Yu Wu Bo Xian・Yu Wu Su Bo・Yu Xian Nuo・Zhao Fu・Zhou Dian・Zhou Yuan・Zhu Mei・Zhu Nu |