Considering the mere rhetorical aspects of “Chushibiao” (出師表) of Zhuge Liang, it seems that the Prime Minister Zhuge Liang is truthfully faithful and loyal to Houzhu Liu Chan, the last emperor of Shu Han, for Xing Fu of Han Dynasty (興復漢室).It is as if an experienced and faithful politician were counseling the young emperor from heartfelt concern. However, Zhuge Liang had already gained total control of the major power of Shu Han before submitting “Chushibiao”.Taking control of the interior of the state as Lushangshushi (錄尙書事) and the exterior as the prime minister, Zhuge Liang possessed absolute authority over personnel affairs, foreign affairs and military affairs, including the state administration.Zhuge Liang also owned the sovereignty of the entire local administration of Yizhou in Shu Han as Mu (牧). In addition, he possessed power as Silixiaowei (司隷校尉) to supervise the entire body of state and local government officials. Compared with Zhuge Liang, Houzhu was merely in charge of national affairs.Zhuge Liang placed around the emperor the officials from Jingzhou (荊州), which was his political base, and adjacent Dongzhou (東州), and appointed them to government posts under his direct control, command and supervision. He compelled the emperor to follow the opinions of the officials, and tried to control the emperor’s sovereignty meticulously.Zhuge Liang, on the pretext of mobilizing troops, consolidated the power of the state by controlling and incapacitating the puppet emperor Liu Chan, and tried to establish autocracy centered around him. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to contemplate the autocratic system presented in “Chushibiao” that Zhuge Liang tried to establish under his initiative.

Considering the mere rhetorical aspects of “Chushibiao” (出師表) of Zhuge Liang, it seems that the Prime Minister Zhuge Liang is truthfully faithful and loyal to Houzhu Liu Chan, the last emperor of Shu Han, for Xing Fu of Han Dynasty (興復漢室).It is as if an experienced and faithful politician were counseling the young emperor from heartfelt concern. However, Zhuge Liang had already gained total control of the major power of Shu Han before submitting “Chushibiao”.Taking control of the interior of the state as Lushangshushi (錄尙書事) and the exterior as the prime minister, Zhuge Liang possessed absolute authority over personnel affairs, foreign affairs and military affairs, including the state administration.Zhuge Liang also owned the sovereignty of the entire local administration of Yizhou in Shu Han as Mu (牧). In addition, he possessed power as Silixiaowei (司隷校尉) to supervise the entire body of state and local government officials. Compared with Zhuge Liang, Houzhu was merely in charge of national affairs.Zhuge Liang placed around the emperor the officials from Jingzhou (荊州), which was his political base, and adjacent Dongzhou (東州), and appointed them to government posts under his direct control, command and supervision. He compelled the emperor to follow the opinions of the officials, and tried to control the emperor’s sovereignty meticulously.Zhuge Liang, on the pretext of mobilizing troops, consolidated the power of the state by controlling and incapacitating the puppet emperor Liu Chan, and tried to establish autocracy centered around him. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to contemplate the autocratic system presented in “Chushibiao” that Zhuge Liang tried to establish under his initiative.