For the faction leader, see Liu Yan.
Liu Yan is a faction tucked away in the western corner of China. The faction is renamed to Liu Zhang during the Fates Divided start as it is now ruled by the late Liu Yan's son, Liu Zhang. Gaining a title as a duke, king or emperor renames the faction to Xun.
Unique Features[]
Unique Units
Unique Buildings
- None
Unique Features
- Aspiration
Aspiration[]
Aspiration is the unique faction resource of Liu Yan. It is the resource needed for the complex inheritance system. It is earned by conquering land and winning battles, having high-level cities, and pre-inheritance trade-offs. Aspiration can be spent on rewards after Liu Yan's death, granting the chosen heir various temporary buff. These buffs are unlocked by completing challenges with your heir while Yan is still alive.
Tasks and Rewards[]
Screenshot of the aspiration menu
You can complete tasks to unlock rewards for your heir. These rewards can be bought with Aspiration when your heir takes over, providing powerful but temporary buffs to not just your heir but your entire faction. These rewards are on a cooldown, however, so choose your timing wisely. There are eight tasks to be completed in total, and they are:
1) Lethal Duellist, win 3 duels with your heir.
Have your heir participate in and win duels, to train them in 1-on-1 combat and getting into the mind of their opponent.
Reward: Recruitment Posters
Spend efforts on military publicity, enticing more young people to join your armies for coin and glory.
- +40% replenishment (local county)
Duration: 20 turns
Cooldown: 20 turns
2) Trained & Wise, have your heir level-up.
Have your heir develop more experience and ability, so they're worthy of your domain.
Reward: Investment in Education
Create mechanisms where every member of your court can learn and practice new skills
- +75% character experience (faction-wide)
Duration: 15 turns
Cooldown: 15 turns
3) Stern Defence & Cutting Attack, have 3 armies with the maximum number of units.
Nurturing a powerful military force is a necessary investment in turbulent times.
Reward: Industrial Restructuring
Restructure the way in which your shifts manufacture goods, making military materials cheaper and also cheapening recruitment costs.
- -35% recruitment cost (local county)
Duration: 10 turns
Cooldown: 10 turns
4) Experienced General, have your heir lead and complete 5 battles.
Have your heir and participate in battles to give him a taste of war's privations.
Reward: Private Tutelage
Send a private tutor to a character, who will nurture them and help them grow
- Instantly levels up character
Cooldown: 20 turns
5) The Shining Capital, have a city of level 6 or higher.
Build a city worthy of being called a capital, with imposing walls and a lustrous castle.
Reward: Construction Stimulus
Send extra workers to speed up construction in a region.
- Completes construction in one turn (next building after this effect is enabled, local county)
Cooldown: 20 turns
6) Worldwide Contacts, know of 15 living factions.
The more cultures we're exposed to, and the more capable leaders we know, the better off we are.
Reward: Artisan Commissions
Commission a local craftsman to create a special item for you and your court.
- Spawns an exceptional ancillary
Cooldown: 10 turns
7) Swelling Domain, own 10 regions.
Control a number of regions worthy of your heir's rule.
Reward: Soldier Drills
Better drilling of local soldiers, making them more deadly to the foe.
- +35 campaign movement range
- +20 morale
Duration: 15 turns
Cooldown: 15 turns
8) Flowing Gold, have an income per turn higher or equal to 1500.
Ensure a high level of income, so you can invest in your lands and raise your level of power.
Reward: Economic Stimulus
Invest in your industry and commerce, increasing your GDP in turn.
- +35% income from all sources (local county)
Duration: 15 turns
Cooldown: 15 turns.
Trade-offs[]
Trade-offs are unique modifiers that you can activate at any time. Each trade-off consists of three levels. You start on level 1 and gradually progress to level 2 and level 3, depending on how long you have the trade-off activated. Each trade-off comes with a positive and negative effect. There are eight trade-offs in total:
1) Public Checkpoints
Set up local checkpoints and thereby tighten public security. People will be less free as a result, but the land will become safer in no time.
Level 1
- -5 public order (faction-wide)
- +5 aspiration (faction-wide)
Level 2
- -10 public order (faction-wide)
- +10 aspiration (faction-wide)
Level 3
- -20 public order (faction-wide)
- +20 aspiration (faction-wide)
2) Smith Education
Raise the bar on goods produced by your army's suppliers. Paying more will ensure an increase in quality.
Level 1
- +10% upkeep for all units (faction-wide)
- +5 aspiration (faction-wide)
Level 2
- +20% upkeep for all units (faction-wide)
- +10 aspiration (faction-wide)
Level 3
- +20% upkeep for all units (faction-wide)
- +20 aspiration (faction-wide)
3) Raised Court Standards
Better remunerate your courtspeople. Offering them a higher salary will motivate them to work harder and better.
Level 1
- +25% character salary (faction-wide)
- +5 aspiration (faction-wide)
Level 2
- +50% character salary (faction-wide)
- +10 aspiration (faction-wide)
Level 3
- +50% character salary (faction-wide)
- +20 aspiration (faction-wide)
4) Market Protectionism
Limit the amount of trade with external sources, thereby incentivising the local industry.
Level 1
- -25% trade influence
- +5 aspiration (faction-wide)
Level 2
- -50% trade influence
- +10 aspiration (faction-wide)
Level 3
- -50% trade influence
- +20 aspiration (faction-wide)
5) Military Surplus to Markets
Divert high-quality military goods to be sold in civilian markets, thus improving commerce.
Level 1
- -10 military supplies (faction-wide)
- +5 aspiration (faction-wide)
Level 2
- -20 military supplies (faction-wide)
- +10 aspiration (faction-wide)
Level 3
- -20 military supplies (faction-wide)
- +20 aspiration (faction-wide)
6) Divert to Coffers
Take a percentage of your domain's GDP and send it directly to the coffers, building a stronger financial base.
Level 1
- -10% income from all sources (faction-wide)
- +5 aspiration (faction-wide)
Level 2
- -20% income from all sources (faction-wide)
- +10 aspiration (faction-wide)
Level 3
- -20% income from all sources (faction-wide)
- +20 aspiration (faction-wide)
7) Construction Inspectors
Increase [sic] the rigour of building inspections will ensure buildings are constructed more carefully.
Level 1
- +1 construction time (faction-wide)
- +5 aspiration (faction wide)
Level 2
- +2 construction time (faction-wide)
- +10 aspiration (faction-wide)
Level 3
- +2 construction time (faction-wide)
- +20 aspiration (faction-wide)
8) Loyalty Inspections
Inspect the belongings of your courtspeople to ensure they are all working with this domain's best interests in mind.
Level 1
- -10 satisfaction (faction-wide)
- +5 aspiration (faction-wide)
Level 2
- -20 satisfaction (faction-wide)
- +10 aspiration (faction-wide)
Level 3
- -20 satisfaction (faction-wide)
- +20 aspiration (faction-wide)
Screenshot of inheritance rewards
Inheritance[]
You can inherit once you have completed one task listed above. When you choose to inherit is entirely up to you. Waiting too long while you gather aspiration and bonuses may result in harsh penalties. There are four time slots:
- 190 to 194
- 195 to 198
- 199 to 200
- 201+
Inheriting early in 190-194 grants you great bonuses, but you won't have much time to gather inheritance bonuses and complete tasks. Each consecutive time slot reduces your rewards, eventually turning negative. If you inherit after 200, you will receive extreme penalties. It is best to inherit in late 194 or late 198 at the very most. Between 199 and 200 is a terrible option, and delaying it even longer could potentially cripple your entire faction.
Once you have inherited, you will no longer have the ability to complete tasks or initiate trade-offs as Liu Yan's death will reduce the entire system to just buying the rewards you unlocked while he was alive. The list of modifiers is as follows:
Timely Inheritence (190-194)
Knowing when to say goodbye is a skill unto itself. Passing the torch early ensures that one's heir is both motivated and ambitious, capable of carrying our legacy to even greater heights.
- +10 resolve (current heir)
- +15 authority (current heir)
- +10 satisfaction (faction-wide)
- +10% melee evasion (current heir)
- +15% campaign movement range (heir's army)
- +6 Dongzhoubing Marksmen and Defenders availabe for recruitment (faction-wide)
- +10000 experience points to character (current heir)
- +1 avalaible trade agreement (faction-wide)
Delayed Inheritence (195-198)
If you want something done properly, do it yourself. One must pass the torch, but not before seeing a few crucial affairs through to their conclusion.
- +5 satisfaction (faction-wide)
- +10 character salary (faction-wide)
- +5% melee evasion (current heir)
- +10% campaign movement range (heir's army)
- +4 Dongzhoubing Marksmen and Defenders availabe for recruitment (faction-wide)
- +5000 experience points (current heir)
Late Inheritance (199-200)
Regrettably one can't live forever. Were that the case, one could rule eternally, with cunning wit and decisive action ever intact. Hopefully our heir will be able to fill our shoes admirably.
- -10 to all attributes (current heir)
- -10 satisfaction (faction-wide)
- +25% character salary (faction-wide)
- -10 public order (faction-wide)
- +2 Dongzhoubing Marksmen and Defenders availabe for recruitment (faction-wide)
Forgotten Inheritance (201+)
Inheritance? Stepping down? Over my cold, dead body!
- -20 to all attributes (current heir)
- -20 satisfaction (faction-wide)
- +35% character salary (faction-wide)
- -15 public order (faction-wide)
- -15% income from all sources (faction-wide)
Tips[]
Your default heir is Liu Zhang, but that does not mean he has to be your successor. The system works for everyone, and you can choose to adopt any character into your family tree and make them your heir. Doing this will likely cause Liu Zhang to leave your faction, so make sure not to give him an important court position that triggers a civil war upon character defection.
Smith Education and Construction Inspectors are great trade-offs for gaining large amounts of aspiration early game. After defeating Jia Long, you won't have to maintain a large army as you are fairly isolated from the other warlords. Early game, your buildings will primarily be low-level due to a lack of reforms, and as such, do not need a lot of build time to be upgraded.
If you aim to inherit as soon as possible, you should consider which tasks are easy to fulfil. Trained & Wise, Lethal Duellist and Flowing Gold are relatively easy to complete.
One loophole you can utilize to farm aspiration is to simply cause public order to drop until rebellions break out. Every time you put down a rebellion, you'll gain a nice amount of aspiration.
Starting Situation[]
Rise of the Warlords (190)[]
190, Liu Yan - Orange, Jia Long - Red
Liu Yan's journey to power and independence has been hard fought. With his legitimacy almost solidified, the final and crucial steps lay before him! He believes that the current rulers of China are unfit for the role, and that none other than he must take the reins of China. He makes bold moves toward achieving his goals by taking enormous risks and claiming gargantuan rewards. The one thing Liu Yan cannot scheme away is time, and as it marches unstoppably forward, Liu Yan must consider the future of his legacy, and who will carry his torch after he is gone.
Starting Situation: Hard
Liu Yan starts the game in Shu commandery. To the south-east, Jia Long has risen in rebellion against Liu Yan. You have been issued a mission to destroy his faction. You must also begin gaining aspiration to groom your heir.
Characters
A World Betrayed (194)[]
194, Liu Yan - Orange, Zhang Lu - Green, Hu Mao - Red
Liu Yan's journey to power and independence has been hard fought. With his legitimacy almost solidified, the final and crucial steps lay before him! He believes that the current rulers of China are unfit for the role, and that none other than he must take the reins of China. He makes bold moves toward achieving his goals by taking enormous risks and claiming gargantuan rewards. The one thing Liu Yan cannot scheme away is time, and as it marches unstoppably forward, Liu Yan must consider the future of his legacy, and who will carry his torch after he is gone.
Starting Situation: Easy
Liu Yan starts the game at war with Hu Mao to the east. His territory has grown somewhat since 190, and he has vassalized the warlord Zhang Lu. Your heir, Liu Zhang, has only completed one task, but many tasks are very close to completion. If you wait too long, however, you will incur penalties for not inheriting.
Characters
Fates Divided (200)[]
200, Liu Zhang - Orange, Zhang Lu - Red
Liu Zhang has a penchant for fostering talent, which is a valuable skill in itself! Although a man very much content to govern his small slice of China, destiny and the ambition of others have nevertheless dragged him into the conflict engulfing the land. Liu Zhang is less concerned with warfare and more with the peaceful lives of his people. Yet war has come, and he must either face the challenges before him or face destruction instead.
Starting Situation: Easy
Liu Yan has died of old age, leaving Liu Zhang as the ruler of his faction. While the territory controlled has grown somewhat, Liu Zhang isn't interested in war, instead choosing to defend and improve his land. However, to the northeast, the former vassal of the late Liu Yan, Zhang Lu, has revolted against Liu Zhang's supposed weakness and pacifism. You have a mission to defeat Zhang Lu. Go spread your peaceful ways by force.
Characters
- Liu Zhang
- Yu Pi
- Fa Zheng
- Zhu Gui
- Wang Lei
- Dong He
- Lady Liu
- Sang Mengan
- Guanqiu Kan
- Fan Min
- Zhang Song
Children
- Liu Xun