Zhuge Liang, styled Kongming and known as the Sleeping Dragon, was a native of Langya and a descendant of the Han Dynasty’s Zhuge Feng. This is a brief introduction to Zhuge Liang from Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
A Revelation About Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang had an elder brother named Zhuge Jin and a younger brother named Zhuge Jun, all belonging to the Zhuge clan. However, in 223 AD, after Liu Bei’s death, Liu Shan made a statement that unveiled a mystery surrounding Zhuge Liang’s family name. It turns out that Zhuge Liang was not originally surnamed Zhuge, but rather his true surname was Kè, with Zhuge Liang being his given name.
Zhuge Liang was not originally surnamed Zhuge.
The issue began when Liu Bei fell ill and passed away at the White Emperor City. According to the customs of that time, the year of the emperor’s death could not be altered. In other words, 223 AD was the third year of the Zhangwu era, and the new era initiated by the new emperor would begin from 224 AD. However, Liu Bei died in April, and by May, Liu Shan had already changed the era name to Jianxing Yuan Nian.
Theoretically, this was a significant disrespect to the late emperor, but Liu Shan felt compelled to do so. The court officials could not oppose him and had to comply with Liu Shan’s wishes. While it was easy for the officials to acquiesce, Zhuge Liang was not so easily swayed. Liu Shan told Zhuge Liang: “It is indeed due to the Kè surname, and therefore, I am.”
Having served as Liu Shan’s chief advisor for many years, it seems impossible that Liu Shan did not know Zhuge Liang’s true surname. This is unlikely.
Could it be that Liu Shan misspoke? However, this event is documented in the official history, Wei Lue. Historical records are meant to be preserved through the ages; even if the emperor were to err, the historians would correct it. Yet this time, the historians did not alter the records but instead noted it as it was. Therefore, according to Liu Shan, Zhuge Liang originally had the surname Kè, and Liu Shan expressed respect for Zhuge Liang by intentionally using his ancestral surname.
The Zhuge brothers all carried the Zhuge surname, so this surname change did not originate in Zhuge Liang’s generation but rather occurred long before, indicating that the Zhuge family had changed their surname for some reason.
Going back to the ancestors of Zhuge Liang, they hailed from Langya Yangdu (present-day Linyi, Shandong, China). During the pre-Qin period, Langya had a valiant general named Kè Ying. In Records of the Grand Historian – The Family of Chen by Sima Qian, there is a famous line: “Kè Ying reached Dongcheng, establishing the Xiang king as the king of Chu… Later, the King of Chen executed Kè Ying.” Kè Ying was killed by the King of Chen due to his significant contributions. However, his accomplishments were not forgotten; after the Han Dynasty was established, Liu Bang granted titles to the righteous warriors against the Qin, and Kè Ying was made the Marquis of Jia County.
Zhuge Liang is indeed a descendant of Kè Ying.
The descendants of Kè Ying often introduced themselves as “Kè from Jia County” (the Kè surname from Jia County) to distinguish themselves from other Kè families. Over time, the descendants of Kè Ying simply referred to themselves as “Zhuge.” And Zhuge Liang is indeed a descendant of Kè Ying.
Liu Shan was not the fool portrayed in Romance of the Three Kingdoms or Records of the Grand Historian. On the contrary, Liu Shan was fond of reading historical texts and was well aware of Zhuge Liang’s ancestry. Therefore, in an effort to highlight his respect for Zhuge Liang, he deliberately stated: “It is indeed due to the Kè surname, and therefore, I am.” This was meant to convey to Zhuge Liang: “You handle the affairs of the state, and I will handle the ancestral rites.”
At this time, Liu Shan had just begun to taste power and naturally wanted to assert himself after being suppressed by Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang for so long. However, changing the era name so casually was indeed unreasonable; even if Liu Bei died on the first day of the new year, the entirety of 223 AD should still be the third year of Zhangwu. Liu Shan’s decision to change the era name to Jianxing Yuan Nian in May was, in fact, a subtle message to Zhuge Liang: “Your new master is me, not Liu Bei.”
Zhuge Liang could only smile bitterly and accept it; the year 223 was perhaps the most difficult year for him, having served Liu Bei for 16 years, now facing a new emperor who was hostile towards him. Among the Five Tiger Generals, only Zhao Yun remained, and this feeling of defeat was not something everyone could understand.
Why Change Surnames?
Many may wonder why people in ancient times changed their surnames, as this seems disrespectful to their ancestors. In reality, there are three main reasons behind this.
First, to avoid disaster. After Jing Ke (a retainer of Prince Dan of Yan) failed to assassinate the Qin king, Qin Shi Huang began a brutal purge of the Yan state capital, and the descendants of Tian Guang were placed on the top of the wanted list. To evade capture, these individuals changed their surname to “Guang.”
Second, based on geographical features. For example, Lu Gong Wang, whose real name was Jiang Ziya, was conferred a title based on his contributions in the battle against the tyrant Zhou, thus taking Lu as his surname.
Third, surname amalgamation, as mentioned above with Zhuge Liang’s surname. Since Yangdu already had individuals with the surname Kè, the descendants of Kè Ying intentionally called themselves “Kè from Jia County,” indicating that the Kè clan from Jia County had relocated to Yangdu.
