Zhang Liang張良(?-189 BCE) and Zhuge Liang諸葛亮 (181-234), two famous statesmen in the Han dynasty, were usually praised for their political achievements. In the Song dynasty, however, they were named as Confucians (ruzhe 儒者) for the first time. Later, Song literati started to discuss weather Zhang Liang and Zhuge Liang really followed the Confucian principles . On the one side, some scholars believed that Zhang’s and Zhuge’s deeds practiced Confucian virtue. On the other side, criticizers argued that their learning were not based on Confucianism. As the debate developing, Zhuge Liang became more accepted as a Confucian in Southern Song dynasty, while Zhang Liang’s Confucian image was intensely criticized or even denied. The debates reflected things which Song literati valued, and it also symbolized their attempts at defining the Confucian and establishing a Confucian paradigm. The connection between a statesman and the term ‘Confucian’, as Zhang Liang and Zhuge Liang, meant that the definition of the Confucian in Song dynasty was not only focused on their abilities in teaching Confucian Classics, but also emphasized political achievements. In summary, the case study about the Confucian images of Zhang Liang and Zhuge Liang provides a way to analyze the political and intellectual thoughts in Song dynasty.