In the ancient history of China, the Three Kingdoms period was an era full of wars and conflicts. During this period, Liu Bei, Zhu Geliang and Li Yan were all very famous figures. Among them, Liu Bei's decision to entrust Zhu Geliang and Li Yan with the care of his orphan has been controversial. So, was Liu Bei's entrustment of the orphan aimed at using Li Yan to contain Zhu Geliang?

First, we need to understand what "entrusting the orphan" means. In ancient times, after a monarch died, the young heir was entrusted to loyal ministers for assistance, which was called "entrusting the orphan". This was a common political phenomenon aimed at ensuring the stability of the country and the smooth growth of the heir.

For Liu Bei, before his death, he entrusted his son Liu Shan to two important ministers: Zhu Geliang and Li Yan. Zhu Geliang was the chancellor of Shu Han and was known for his wisdom and loyalty; while Li Yan was Liu Bei's trusted general and had held positions such as the Director of the Secretariat. From this perspective, Liu Bei did not seem to have a clear bias towards either side, but hoped to maintain the stability of the country through their joint assistance to Liu Shan.

However, some believe that Liu Bei entrusted the orphan to Li Yan in order to contain Zhu Geliang. This view holds that Liu Bei was concerned about Zhu Geliang's excessive power, which might pose a threat to Liu Shan. Therefore, he chose a relatively neutral figure - Li Yan - to balance Zhu Geliang. This view is somewhat consistent with historical facts, as Li Yan did later have conflicts with Zhu Geliang and attempted to weaken his power.

However, we should also note that Liu Bei's entrustment of the orphan to Li Yan does not necessarily mean that he wanted to use Li Yan to contain Zhu Geliang. Under the circumstances at that time, Shu Han was facing internal and external difficulties, and needed strong assistants to maintain the stability and development of the country. Therefore, Liu Bei may have preferred to choose someone with ability and experience to play this role. From this perspective, Liu Bei's choice seems reasonable.

Overall, Liu Bei's decision to entrust the orphan to Zhu Geliang and Li Yan is a complex issue. We cannot simply attribute it to whether he wanted to use Li Yan to contain Zhu Geliang. This decision may have been the result of comprehensive consideration based on various factors.

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