Liao Li ( 209–234), courtesy name Gongyuan, was an official of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China.
Service under Liu Bei Liao Li was from Linyuan County (), Wuling Commandery (), which is located within present-day Changde, Hunan.(廖立字公淵，武陵臨沅人。) Sanguozhi vol. 40. He started his career under the warlord Liu Bei around 209 after Liu Bei succeeded Liu Qi as the Governor of Jing Province. Liu Bei employed Liao Li, who was then below the age of 30, as an assistant officer () and later appointed him as the Administrator of Changsha Commandery.(先主領荊州牧，辟為從事，年未三十，擢為長沙太守。) Sanguozhi vol. 40.
In 211, when Liu Bei led his troops to Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing), he left his chief adviser Zhuge Liang behind to take charge of his territories in Jing Province during his absence. During this time, Liu Bei's ally Sun Quan sent a representative to meet Zhuge Liang and ask him to recommend scholar-officials who were well-versed in managing a state. Zhuge Liang replied: "Pang Tong and Liao Li are talents from Jing Province. They are capable of assisting me in governing a state."(先主入蜀，諸葛亮鎮荊土，孫權遣使通好於亮，因問士人皆誰相經緯者，亮荅曰：「龐統、廖立，楚之良才，當贊興世業者也。」) Sanguozhi vol. 40.
In 215, when tensions ran high between Liu Bei and Sun Quan over a territorial dispute in Jing Province, Sun Quan ordered his general Lü Meng to lead troops to seize three commanderies in southern Jing Province. During this time, Liao Li abandoned his post at Changsha Commandery and fled west to Chengdu, the capital of Yi Province, to join Liu Bei. As Liu Bei highly regarded Liao Li, he did not blame him for losing Changsha and instead reassigned him to serve as the Administrator of Ba Commandery (巴郡; covering parts of present-day Chongqing).(建安二十年，權遣呂蒙奄襲南三郡，立脫身走，自歸先主。先主素識待之，不深責也，以為巴郡太守。) Sanguozhi vol. 40.
In 219, after Liu Bei seized control of Hanzhong Commandery and declared himself King of Hanzhong, he appointed Liao Li as a Palace Attendant ().([建安]二十四年，先主為漢中王，徵立為侍中。) Sanguozhi vol. 40.
Service under Liu Shan Following Liu Bei's death in 223, his son Liu Shan succeeded him as the next emperor of the state of Shu. After his coronation, Liu Shan appointed Liao Li as a Changshui Colonel ().(後主襲位，徙長水校尉。) Sanguozhi vol. 40.
Liao Li had all along thought highly of himself and believed that he was on par with Zhuge Liang, the Imperial Chancellor of Shu, in terms of talent and fame. However, after he realised that his status in the Shu government was actually lower than that of the general Li Yan and others, he became very unhappy.(立本意，自謂才名宜為諸葛亮之貳，而更游散在李嚴等下，常懷怏怏。) Sanguozhi vol. 40.
Defamation incident On one occasion, when Zhuge Liang's assistants Li Shao and Jiang Wan came to discuss something with him, he told them:
Li Shao and Jiang Wan reported Liao Li to Zhuge Liang, who then wrote a memorial to the emperor Liu Shan as follows:
Zhuge Liang also wrote:
Downfall and exile The Shu emperor Liu Shan issued an edict as follows:
Liao Li was removed from office and reduced to the status of a commoner. He and his family were exiled to Wenshan Commandery (汶山郡; around present-day Mao County, Sichuan), where they lived as peasants and sustained themselves by farming. In 234, when he received news of Zhuge Liang's death, he shed tears and cried: "I now have to live the rest of my life like a zuoren!"(於是廢立為民，徙汶山郡。立躬率妻子耕殖自守，聞諸葛亮卒，垂泣歎曰：「吾終為左袵矣！」) Sanguozhi vol. 40.
Some years later, when the Shu general Jiang Wei passed by Wenshan Commandery, he visited Liao Li and saw that the latter was still the proud and ambitious man he was, and that he remained calm and composed when he spoke. Liao Li died in an unknown year in Wenshan. After his death, his wife and children were pardoned and allowed to return to the Shu capital Chengdu.(後監軍姜維率偏軍經汶山，往詣立，稱立意氣不衰，言論自若。立遂終於徙所。妻子還蜀。) Sanguozhi vol. 40.
See also Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms
Notes
References
Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).