Early life

Liu Guoxuan was born in the mountain town of Sidu on the borders of Changting, Fujian and Ruijin, Jiangxi. When he was 18, he went to Zhangzhou, Fujian to join the army under Lin Shiyong, first as a soldier and then the commander of the city gate. He admired Zheng Chenggong's deeds very much. Liu conspired with Lin Shiyong against their commanding general to help Zheng Chenggong take the city of Zhangzhou.

Career in Tungning

In 1659, Liu Guoxuan accompanied Zheng Chenggong to fight south of the Yangtze River. He also participated in the siege of Fort Zeelandia. After Zheng Chenggong's death, Liu was deployed around the island by Zheng Jing, the new ruler. In 1674, Liu took advantage of the Revolt of the Three Feudatories and attacked the mainland, taking a lot of land. Finally, in 1680, the Three Feudatories were soon-to-be defeated and Zheng Jing's army was defeated in Fujian. Liu Guoxuan had to rescue and retreat with Zheng Jing back to the Penghu islands.

Liu Guoxuan became allies with Feng Xifan and together they successfully ousted rival official Chen Yonghua from the political arena in 1680. After Zheng Jing's death in 1681, they slandered Zheng Kezang in front of Queen Dowager Dong. They claimed that Zheng Kezang was not a biological son of Zheng Jing and subsequently they launched a coup to kill Zheng Kezang and seize power. The result of the coup was 12-year-old Zheng Keshuang taking the throne. He was made the Wuping Marquis (武平侯) in 1681 and was put in charge of the military of Tungning.

The Battle of Penghu

In 1683, the Kangxi Emperor sent Admiral Shi Lang to attack Tungning with about 21,000 men and 238 warships. Liu Guoxuan led the Penghu defense fleet to drive back Shi Lang before a major hurricane struck, which was successful.

After the hurricane ended, the forces engaged in battle once again. Liu predicted that the Qing navy would send a small detachment around the battle to land directly on his land base so he had archers and cannons on the beaches along with a detachment of soldiers. Shi Lang's navy took the Hujing Island and the Tongpan Island on July 12. During the battle, the Qing navy smashed and broke Liu's formation.

Due to the better equipped Qing navy, most of the Tungning fleet was under the ocean within an hour. Liu's fleet surrendered when they had run out of ammunition to continue fighting. Their land base was also taken by many skilled Qing generals. It was said that Mazu, a Chinese sea goddess personally aided Shi Lang in defeating Liu.

Surrender of Tungning

Liu Guoxuan was about to commit suicide when he was stopped by Shi Lang. After a brief talk about the battle, Liu was freed. After the battle, the Tungning royal court split into two factions: the "war" faction and the "surrender" faction. Ruler Zheng Keshuang heeded Liu's advice to surrender.

Later years and death

After surrendering, Liu Guoxuan was summoned to Beijing by the Kangxi emperor. He was given a title of a count (伯) and worked as the commander of a city gate in Beijing. In 1693, he succumbed to his illness and died in Tianjin. He was posthomusly given the titles of "Guanglu Dafu" (光禄大夫) and "Taizi Shaobao" (太子少保) – literally the "Bright Prosperity Grand Master" and the "Assistant Protector of the Crown Prince."

In popular culture

• The Deer and the Cauldron, a wuxia novel by Jin Yong. Liu Guoxuan is a minor character and one of the "Five Tiger Generals" under Koxinga.

• Kangxi Dynasty, a 2001 Chinese television series based on the novel Kangxi Da Di (康熙大帝; The Great Kangxi Emperor) by Eryue He. Liu Guoxuan is a minor character played by actor Zhang Suguo.

生平

早年

劉國軒生於明崇禎二年（1629年），7歲父親過世，11歲時發生饑荒，走百里負米供母，劉國軒號召家鄉青年人結寨自保防流寇，15歲時匪幫路過家鄉並奪牛畜，劉國軒埋伏於隘口截擊，奪還被擄之牛畜。福建於1646年成為清國領土，16歲的劉國軒加入清軍行列。

劉國軒後來做到清朝漳州的把總，永曆八年（1654年）底，劉國軒打算改投鄭成功，接應明鄭軍收復漳州，事後鄭成功任命劉國軒管護衛後鎮。後來劉國軒也參與1659年圍攻南京、1661年進攻台灣等戰役。

永曆十八年（1664年）鄭經退守台灣，為了獲得充足的糧食，派劉國軒前往半線屯田。但是鄭氏王朝擴張領土的行動，威脅到統治台中一帶的大肚王國，雙方的衝突已無法避免。永曆二十四年（1670年）大肚社、沙轆社、斗尾龍岸番舉兵反抗，這次事件規模不小，就連鄭經自己也親征。鄭經與劉國軒先於八月擊敗斗尾龍岸番、同年十月再擊敗沙轆社、大肚社，將沙轆社的平埔族從數百人屠殺只剩6人，逼迫大肚社遷往埔里，水裡社（原位今龍井區）逃往水里。

粵東戰役

永曆二十八年（1674年）鄭經響應三藩之亂，卻因為領土糾紛和耿精忠決裂，耿精忠派20,000人進攻泉州，鄭經派劉國軒迎戰。兩軍在塗嶺相遇，劉國軒派兵繞到耿軍後方將其擊敗。

永曆二十九年（1675年）鄭經與耿精忠和解，改派劉國軒增援潮州總兵劉進忠，對抗尚之信。五月經過長久殭持，鄭軍糧食不足，劉國軒退往鱟母山，並把剩餘的糧食擺在車上，設法穩定軍心。尚之信繞小路來進攻，鄭軍因無法撤退而冒死突進，劉國軒再追擊敗退的尚軍，總共斬殺約20,000人、俘虜7,000人。這場戰鬥鄭軍以數千人擊敗清軍數萬人，劉國軒的勇名因此威震粵東。

永曆三十年（1676年）尚可喜病情惡化，加上吳三桂攻陷肇慶、韶州等地，廣東清軍人心開始動搖，尚之信只得加入反清陣營，並割讓惠州給劉國軒。可是鄭軍於十月在烏龍江被清軍擊敗，其餘領地相繼被攻陷，局勢開始對鄭氏王朝不利。永曆三十一年（1677年）劉進忠、尚之信都已投靠清朝，劉國軒以惠州難以防守，退回廈門和鄭經會合。

閩南戰役

永曆三十二年（1678年）鄭經企圖恢復之前的聲勢，以劉國軒為統帥進攻海澄。劉國軒先於二月十日（3月10日）燒毀江東橋，切斷漳州、泉州之間的聯繫。不過清軍陸續趕來增援，劉國軒便在漳州、海澄一帶進行游擊，使得清軍無法判斷他的意圖，只能在各地來回奔波。劉國軒先後擊敗水頭、祖山兩地的清軍，並於閏三月十八日（5月8日）開始包圍海澄。

劉國軒為了孤立海澄，在城外挖水道，引河水來包圍城池，水道外再挖壕溝，並在壕邊安置大炮。五月清軍奇襲在祖山的劉國軒，並試圖填平城外的壕溝，卻遭到劉國軒炮擊，清軍死傷慘重，再也沒有能力解救海澄。經過長久的包圍，海澄嚴重缺糧，清軍甚至吃馬骨頭充飢，劉國軒終於在六月初十（7月28日）攻陷海澄，並以此項功績受封征北將軍、武平伯。

接著劉國軒佔領泉州全部的屬縣，只剩泉州府繼續堅守，經過二個月的包圍仍無法攻陷。這時防守定海的蕭琛被清軍擊潰，謊報清軍大舉出動，鄭經因此召回劉國軒，清軍趁勢奪回失去的領地。後來鄭經發現真相，將蕭琛處死，再派劉國軒進攻漳州。九月十九日（11月3日）劉國軒率領20000人，和清軍在龍虎山（或叫蜈蚣山）交戰，劉國軒連續擊退胡圖、姚啟聖兩隊，卻遭耿精忠擊敗。

永曆三十三年（1679年）劉國軒佔領果堂寨，和固守江東橋的姚啟聖對峙。劉國軒打算強化果堂寨的防禦，率領2000人在果堂寨後方的阪尾築寨，工程還沒完成，就遭數萬清軍的攻擊。劉國軒靠大炮壓制清軍攻勢，再以火銃追擊敗退的清軍，阪尾寨得以順利完成。

東寧政變

永曆三十四年（1680年）鄭軍因長久缺糧，軍心開始動搖，海澄向清軍投降。劉國軒只得返回廈門，卻發生軍隊暴動，劉國軒認為廈門已無法固守，便和鄭經一起退守臺灣。鄭經約八個月後去世，劉國軒加入了馮錫範領導的東寧之變，殺監國世子鄭克𡒉，改立馮錫範的女婿鄭克塽繼位延平王，劉國軒受封武平侯，前往澎湖修築砲台防範清軍。

反對進攻呂宋

永曆三十七年六月十六日（1683年7月10日）施琅進攻澎湖（詳見澎湖海戰），劉國軒靠著炮船擊退清軍。到了二十二日（16日），風向突然從西北風轉成南風，施琅順著風勢擊敗劉國軒。戰後，宰輔馮錫範召開文武會議，與黃良驥、洪邦柱以及中書舍人鄭得瀟共同奏請幼王鄭克塽攻佔呂宋島（菲律賓），以延續東寧國的國祚。施琅此時派遣曾蜚前來招撫，並以總兵之職欲誘降劉國軒，劉國軒因而拉攏馮錫範以及眾多將領，主張舉國投降滿清。七月十五日（9月5日）由鄭克塽率領劉國軒、馮錫範等人一起向施琅投降。

晚年

劉國軒降清後，清廷封其為伯爵，授職直隸天津鎮總兵，並將劉國軒一家遷往京師，隸鑲黃旗漢軍。劉國軒於康熙三十二年（1693年）逝世，享壽六十五歲，清廷同年追贈太子少保。

雍正九年（1731年）劉國軒與鄭克塽後裔合併改隸正紅旗漢軍第五參領第一佐領。

民間信仰

相傳劉國軒率軍屯墾於右衝鎮（今高雄右昌地區）時，曾應將士之請而卜地建造元帥爺廟、三山國王廟、一甲福德寺及三甲福德祠等廟宇，作為當地軍民之精神寄託及信仰中心，後人為感念劉國軒之恩德，便尊其為「劉府大元帥」，奉為元帥爺府之主神。