诸葛亮 submitted it in 227, before leading the Shu army north against Wei. He urges the young emperor
刘禅 to keep worthy ministers close and petty men away, and recalls how
刘备 visited him three times in his cottage (
三顾茅庐). A second memorial of 228, of disputed authorship, ends
鞠躬尽瘁,
死而后已 'to bend to the task and give my all until I die'; the two are called the former and the latter memorial.