Zhuge Liang wrote to the emperor: "The late emperor did not consider me lowly. He honored me by visiting my thatched cottage three times, asking me about the affairs of the world. Moved by his sincerity, I agreed to serve him."
This passage from the Chu Shi Biao (Memorial on Dispatching the Troops) is one of the most emotionally powerful in Chinese literature. Zhuge Liang's loyalty was not abstract — it was personal. He served because one man had believed in him when no one else did.
先帝不以臣卑鄙，猥自枉屈，三顾臣于草庐之中，咨臣以当世之事。由是感激，遂许先帝以驱驰。
先帝不以臣卑鄙，猥自枉屈，三顾臣于草庐之中，咨臣以当世之事。由是感激，遂许先帝以驱驰。
Reflection & Analysis · 寓意解读
Core Wisdom
The deepest loyalty is born not of duty, but of gratitude. The one who was believed in when no one else believed will serve until death.
The Chu Shi Biao is one of the most frequently recited texts in Chinese — memorized by schoolchildren, quoted by statesmen, displayed in calligraphy. Its power lies in its sincerity: Zhuge Liang is not performing loyalty; he is expressing it.
The three visits to the thatched cottage (三顾茅庐) become, in this telling, the origin of everything: one act of humility by a king, repaid by a lifetime of devotion by a minister. The exchange is perfectly balanced — and perfectly Chinese.