4 9 ) ▁was ▁a ▁Chinese ▁land l ord ▁from ▁S ich uan ▁province , ▁and ▁brother ▁of ▁the ▁war l ord ▁Li u ▁W en hui . ▁During ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Revolution , ▁he ▁was ▁dep icted ▁as ▁the ▁arch et ype ▁of ▁the ▁explo iter ▁of ▁pe asant ▁far mers . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Li u ▁W en ca i ▁is ▁considered ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁color ful ▁figures ▁in ▁the ▁S ich uan ▁province ▁during ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁( 1 9 1 2 – 4 9 ) ▁period . ▁He ▁comes ▁from ▁a ▁family ▁of ▁land ▁own ers ▁and ▁liqu or ▁mer ch ants , ▁and ▁prosper ed ▁under ▁the ▁patron age ▁of ▁influ ential ▁family ▁members ▁in ▁senior ▁government ▁positions . ▁Li u ▁had ▁good ▁relations ▁with ▁local ▁polit icians ▁and ▁military ▁leaders , ▁but ▁was ▁also ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁had ▁connections ▁with ▁organized ▁crime ▁and ▁secret ▁soci eties . ▁Under ▁Li u , ▁pe as ants ▁were ▁che ated ▁in ▁their ▁le ase ▁so ▁that ▁they ▁lived ▁in ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁permanent ▁deb t . ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁le ase , ▁pe as ants ▁are ▁driven ▁from ▁their ▁homes ▁by ▁Li u , ▁with ▁some ▁being ▁forced ▁to ▁sell ▁their ▁children , ▁or ▁rec ru ited ▁into ▁the ▁military . ▁He ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁shortly ▁before ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Liber ation ▁Army ▁entered ▁S ich uan . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁Li u ▁W en ca i ▁was ▁port rayed ▁the ▁arch