Ma Liang

Ma Liang (187–222), courtesy name Jichang, was an official serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Since he was young, Ma Liang was famous for his exceptional talent, with Chen Shou describing him as one of Shu's best officials. However, he was killed in battle at the age of 35 years during the Battle of Xiaoting. He served in the state of Shu Han as one of the founding emperor Liu Bei's Palace Attendants during the early Three Kingdoms period and was the elder brother of Ma Su. Life Ma Liang was born in Yicheng County, Xiangyang, which is present-day Yicheng, Hubei. He had four brothers, all of them well known as gifted individual. Ma Su was one of them. However, Ma Liang was esteemed as the most talented. He had white strands of hair in his eyebrows. There was a saying in Ma Liang's hometown to describe him and his brothers: "Of the Five Changs (五常) in the Ma family, White Eyebrows (白眉) is the most liang." Around 209, when the warlord Liu Bei took charge of Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan) after the death of its Inspector, Liu Qi, he recruited Ma Liang to serve as an Assistant Officer under him. Later in 211, when Liu Bei left Jing Province for an expedition in Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing), Ma Liang remained behind in Jing Province. Ma Liang was a close friend of Liu Bei's strategist Zhuge Liang and they were sworn brothers. He once wrote a letter to Zhuge Liang, who was in Yi Province at the time, to praise and encourage him. The letter was written as such: