against whom he assisted |lj^ g|^ T*ao Ch'ien, succeeding on the latter's death to the goyernoiship of his district. The enmity of LH Pn then caused Liu Pei to take refuge with Ts^ao Ts'ao, who attacked lA Pu, took him prisoner, and caused him to be put to death. The two heroes now became great friends, being constantly in each other's society and riding in the same chariot. Tet when jIt y§^ Tung Ch^dng received a secret commission from the Emperor Hsien Ti to destroy his enemies and formed a plot for this purpose, Liu Pei*s name was on the list of the conspirators. It was at this juncture that Liu Pei suddenly '^dropped his chopsticks*' while at dinner, led by a chance remark from his host to belieye that the conspiracy had been discovered. Eventually his share in it became known, and thenceforward he and Ts^ao Ts*ao were open rivals (see Kuan Tn). Idu Pei fled to Ytlan Shao, and the two fought together against their common enemy (see Liu CJi^an). Shortly afterwards Chu-ko Liang entered the service of Liu Pei, and from that time his fortunes improved. An alliance with Sun Ch'^an was brought about, with great advantage to the rising kingdom of Shu. In A.D. 211 ^ ^ Liu Chang, who held possession of what is now known as Sstich'uan, fearing that Ts'ao Ts^ao would absorb his territory, begged assistance from his kinsman Liu Pei. Thus Liu Pei gained a foothold in the land of his desire, and soon became master of the whole of it under the title of ^ F|) ^. In A.D. 221, when the Han dynasty had ceased to exist, he assumed the title of Emperor of Shu. He died at ^ ^ Yung- an, in harness to the last. The dynasty which he fouuded, known as the ^ ^^ Shu Han or Minor Han , is considered to be the legitimate successor of the great Han dynasty, although during his own reign and that of his son and successor the larger portion of the empire was divided against them by the rival houses of Wei
and Wu, constituting the epoch of the Three Kingdoms. His