建興十二年(234),諸葛亮卒。之前被諸葛亮廢徙為民的廖立、李嚴聽聞消息,一人垂泣感嘆此生終為化外之民,一人甚且激憤致死。自東晉習鑿齒由諸葛亮執法公允、令人心悅誠服的角度評論此事後,後人大都接受他的見解,幾成定論。然而,當我們從人事權位的安排,尤其是接班人的選定切入,很多以往隱晦不明的史事,似乎變得清晰可解。例如,諸葛亮何以大加提拔馬謖、蔣琬、費禕、董允等年少輩?先主遺命的輔政大臣李嚴何以不得不廢?勢如水火的魏延與楊儀何以沒能代起執政?蜀漢政權何以由諸葛亮獨攬大權,轉為以蔣琬為首的集體領導?政治是現實的,世代交替,大勢底定。前朝重臣,已是明日黃花。廖立垂泣、李嚴致死,更多的是時不我予的自傷自憐。
Zhuge Liang died in AD 234. Earlier, he removed Liao Li and Li Yan from office and demoted them to commoners. When Liao heard of Zhuge's death, he cried over his fate of being condemned to the place of a commoner without any hope of ever returning to the court. Li took the news so hard that he died of resentment. Both knew that no one but Zhuge would be able to grant them the reprieve. Ever since Xi Zaochi of Eastern Jin spoke of the impartiality of Zhuge, many critics have followed suit, resulting in a consensus over Zhuge's character. That he represents a fair-minded enforcer of the law is a foregone conclusion. However, when we examine Zhuge Liang's life from the perspectives of personnel arrangement and power transfer, especially the selection of his own successors, some obscure historical events come to light. For example, why did Zhuge Liang go to great extent to promote the young officials such as Ma Su, Jiang Wan, Fei Yi and Dung Yun, and demote Li Yan to a commoner, even though Liu Bei had appointed Li Yan as second-ranking ruling minister in his ante-mortem instructions? Why couldn't his arch-enemies such as Wei Yan and Yang Yi take the place of Zhuge Liang and become the minister of Shu Han? Why did the power structure ofShu Han regime change from Zhuge Liang's style of centralized authority to the collective leadership headed by Jian Wan? Politics is pragmatic. When the younger generation started to hold power, the older generation could only retreat from the centre of the stage."Liao Li shed tears and cried, while the indignant Li Yan died," all because they realized that their days of power and glory were no more.