Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign
Encyclopedia
Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign, also known as the War of Pacification in Nanzhong, refers to a military campaign led by Shu Han
chancellor Zhuge Liang
to suppress opposing forces in the south in 225 during the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
. The campaign was a response to rebellions started by local governors in the southern region of Nanzhong
and intrusions by the Nanman
(literally: "southern barbarians").
Liu Bei
was defeated in the Battle of Xiaoting
against the state of Eastern Wu
. He died in Baidicheng the following year. When Yong Kai
of southern Yi Province (covering the Sichuan Basin
) received news of Liu Bei's death in the summer of 223, he planned to revolt. Although Li Yan tried to dissuade him from it, Yong Kai only sent an arrogant reply, "I heard that the sky does not have two suns, and the land does not have two rulers. Now the lands are split into three with each claiming to be the absolute, the distant [Yong Kai] rests uneasy, not knowing who to follow."
Soon, Yong Kai killed Zheng Ang (正昂), the Administrator of Jianning (建寧), and kidnapped Zhang Yi to Eastern Wu. Yong Kai was given the post of Administrator of Yongchang (永昌) by Eastern Wu, but Yongchang belonged to Shu Han. Lü Kai
and Wang Kang
defended Yongchang from Yong Kai, who sought his position. Although Yong Kai spread many rumours outside the city walls, Lü Kai refused to open the gates to let Yong Kai in.
Gao Ding (高定), a leader of the local Sou people (叟族), also revolted in coordination with Yong Kai, killing general Jiao Huang (焦璜) and declaring himself king. He marched his army north to attack Xindao (新道), but he was repelled by reinforcements led by Li Yan from Jianwei (犍為).
Shu Han's chancellor Zhuge Liang decided not to launch an offensive so soon because Shu had just recently lost their leader, and instead only sent Qi Xing (頎行) to investigate the problems in the south while he busied himself with domestic affairs. However, as soon as Qi Xing arrived in Zangke (牂柯), he was killed by the Administrator Zhu Bao
, who had also rebelled.
Yong Kai then called upon Meng Huo
, a local aristocrat, to lure the southern tribes into revolting because the tribes did not trust Yong Kai. Meng Huo made up stories about Shu Han giving the tribes impossible demands, thus the tribes became angry at Shu and joined the rebellion as well.
to suppress the rebellion with full preparations. Wang Lian (王連) advised Zhuge Liang against personally participating in the campaign, but Zhuge was worried that his generals were not competent enough to deal with the rebels by themselves. Ma Su
suggested to Zhuge Liang that the campaign should focus on psychological warfare
rather than conventional warfare in order to ensure that the defeated rebels would not rebel again, a suggestion which Zhuge readily accepted.
Zhuge Liang's army entered Nanzhong
via Yuesui (越巂). Along the way, Yong Kai was murdered by one of Gao Ding's subordinates, and Gao Ding himself was killed in battle against Zhuge Liang's main army. Meanwhile, Ma Zhong
was sent to attack Zangke by marching southeast from Bodao (僰道), and Li Hui to attack Jianning from Pingyi (平夷) by marching southwest. Li Hui's army, however, became surrounded in Kunming
by rebel forces twice his numbers, and he did not know of Zhuge Liang's whereabouts to ask for reinforcements. Hence, Li Hui pretended to join the rebels, saying his supplies had run out and could not return north, and therefore had no choice but to rebel. The Nanman believed him and lowered their guard, whereupon Li Hui struck and defeated the encirclement. He then led his men south to Panjiang (槃江) and joined Ma Zhong to the east, who had defeated Zhu Bao in Qielan (且蘭). Finally, the two divergent forces rejoined Zhuge Liang's main army.
Meng Huo incorporated the remnants of Yong Kai's forces and continued to resist the Shu attackers. Zhuge Liang, knowing Meng Huo was respected by the populace, wanted to capture and subdue him according to Ma Su's strategy. When Meng Huo was captured, Zhuge Liang showed him around the Shu camp, asking how he felt about the army. Meng Huo replied: "Before, we did not know the conditions of your army, so we were defeated. Now you have so graciously shown me your pavilions, I know your army is only as thus, we can win easily." Zhuge Liang smiled, and released him to fight again. After seven captures and releases, Meng Huo finally said, "You must be the valour of the heavens, the south will not rebel again." Zhuge Liang then marched towards Dian Lake in triumph.
and Xinggu (興古) to better administer the region. He left the commanderies to be governed by the locals instead of Han Chinese
officials, citing three difficulties if Han Chinese officials were installed:
Zhuge Liang then returned north, not stationing any soldiers, only requiring the locals to pay tribute. Wang Kang
, Lü Kai
and Li Hui were among those appointed as the administrators of the new governing regions. However, these new administrators were considerablly different that other governors at the time in that they only act representatives of Shu Han, and the local populace were generally reigned by their chieftains who pay tribute to Shu Han. The tributes from Nanzhong included, but not limited to, gold, silver, oxen, and warhorses, which helped Shu Han prosper, preparing it for Zhuge Liang's upcoming Northern Expeditions.
Although rebellions in the south still broke out after the Southern Campaign, they were comparatively minor, and Ma Zhong and Li Hui were quick to suppress them again and again. The Nanzhong region enjoyed relative stability under the reign of Shu Han afterwards, in contrast to during the Eastern Han Dynasty
.
, the author of the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
, fleshed out the stories for each capture, inventing many fictional people such as Meng You
, Lady Zhurong
, and King Mulu
. Besides, Zhao Yun
, Wei Yan
, and Ma Dai
were described to have made great contributions to this campaign in the novel, but historically they were not involved with the campaign at all.
In the first encounter between Zhuge Liang and Meng Huo, Zhao Yun led a charge and tore through his forces like a gale, after which Meng Huo himself was captured by Wei Yan. Meng Huo refused to yield to Zhuge Liang, whereupon the strategist released him, giving him another chance to attack.
Meng Huo warily created fortifications along a river for the second battle, daring the Shu forces to cross. Ma Dai cut off the supply routes and killed Jinhuan Sanjie
, a Nanman general protecting the river fortifications. Seeing that Shu Han was much stronger than the Meng Huo's forces, Nanman generals Ahuinan and Dongtuna betrayed Meng Huo and handed him over to the Shu army. But still, he did not yield. As part of a ploy, Zhuge Liang gave Meng Huo a tour of his encampment before releasing him a second time.
Meng Huo, now overconfident in his newfound knowledge of the enemy camp, sent his brother, Meng You
, on a false defection ploy, but it was easily discovered and both brothers were captured.
Released yet again and eager for revenge, Meng Huo gathered a force of 100,000 and attacked the Shu camp, whereupon Zhuge Liang evacuated his entire force. Of course, this was all part of Zhuge Liang's plan, and Meng Huo's army fell into numerous pit traps that had been dug within the camp. Meng Huo was captured once again.
With caution, and learning from his previous failures, Meng Huo now opted to wait for an attack by the enemy. The plan was to lure the Shu forces into poisonous marshes around the caves of King Duosi
, but Zhuge Liang was forewarned of the dangers by Meng Huo's older brother, Meng Jie
, and managed to avoid the marshes all together. Once again, Meng Huo was defeated and captured, and King Duosi was killed. In folklore, Zhuge Liang became ill from the marshes but then recovered.
After Meng Huo's fifth defeat, his wife, Lady Zhurong
, now took to the battlefield, complaining that her husband was incompetent. She captured Ma Zhong and Zhang Yi
, and Zhuge Liang sent Zhao Yun, Wei Yan, and Ma Dai after her. Eventually Ma Dai dismounted her and captured her. Zhuge Liang returned her to Meng Huo in exchange for the captured Shu generals. Meng Huo now attempted to gather wild animals such as elephants and tigers from King Mulu
to combat the enemy, but they were chased away by Zhuge Liang's fire-breathing contraptions, also known as juggernaut
s. King Mulu was killed, and Meng Huo was captured again. In all contemporary sources, no woman was said to have fought during the Three Kingdoms period.
Finally, Meng Huo enlisted the aid of Wutugu, whose troops wore armor made of rattan that was said to deflect swords and arrows alike. However, Zhuge Liang conjured a trap in which Wei Yan lured Wutugu into a valley with mines set beneath the ground. Wutugu's troops took the bait and chased Wei Yan into the valley. When inside the valley, Zhao Yun blocked the escape routes off and the mines were detonated, lightning the inflammable armour and destroying Wutugu and his troops. Although a great victory, Zhuge Liang is said to have wept at the destruction when he viewed the valley. Meng Huo was now captured for the seventh and final time.
Meng Huo had to admit defeat at this point and he vowed to surrender and serve Shu Han from the bottom of his heart. The southern threat was neutralized and the Shu army returned home victorious.
, a kind of steamed bun, by Zhuge Liang during this campaign. It probably rose from the fact that the name mantou is homonymous to mantou .
The story tells that, after subduing Meng Huo, Zhuge Liang led the army back to Shu, but met a swift-flowing river which defied all attempts to cross it. Locals informed him that the barbarians would sacrifice 50 men and throw their heads into the river to appease the river spirit and allow them to cross; Zhuge Liang, however, did not want to cause any more bloodshed, and instead ordered buns shaped roughly like human heads — round with a flat base — to be made and then thrown into the river. After a successful crossing he named the bun "barbarian's head", which evolved into the present day mantou.
series and Sangokushi Koumeiden
. Both follow the events described in Luo Guanzhong
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
, and the player can defeat Meng Huo up to seven times. A whole chapter (out of 5) is dedicated to this campaign in Sangokushi Koumeiden.
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...
chancellor Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....
to suppress opposing forces in the south in 225 during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. The campaign was a response to rebellions started by local governors in the southern region of Nanzhong
Nanzhong
Nanzhong was an ancient region consisting of modern-day Yunnan, Guizhou, and southern Sichuan in southern China.The region was the homeland of the rebellious Nanman tribes, led by Meng Huo. In 225 AD, the famed statesman Zhuge Liang led three columns into Yunnan to pacify the tribes. His seven...
and intrusions by the Nanman
Nanman
Nanman were aboriginal tribes who lived in southwestern China. They may have been related to the Sanmiao, dated to around the 3rd century BC. The Nanman were multiple ethnic groups including the Miao, the Kinh, the Thai, and some Tibeto-Burman groups such as the Bai. There was never a single...
(literally: "southern barbarians").
Background
In 222, the Shu Han emperorEmperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
was defeated in the Battle of Xiaoting
Battle of Xiaoting
The Battle of Xiaoting, also known as the Battle of Yiling and the Battle of Yiling and Xiaoting, was fought between the states of Eastern Wu and Shu Han in 222 during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
against the state of Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
. He died in Baidicheng the following year. When Yong Kai
Yong Kai
Yong Kai was the prefect of Jianning Commandery in the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He joined the Nanman chieftain Meng Huo in revolting against Shu Han. During the Shu Han chancellor Zhuge Liang led a southern campaign to suppress the rebellion, he used a...
of southern Yi Province (covering the Sichuan Basin
Sichuan basin
The Sichuan Basin is a lowland region in southwestern China. Despite its historical name, it is not only synonymous to Sichuan province, comprising its central and eastern portions as well as part of Chongqing Municipality...
) received news of Liu Bei's death in the summer of 223, he planned to revolt. Although Li Yan tried to dissuade him from it, Yong Kai only sent an arrogant reply, "I heard that the sky does not have two suns, and the land does not have two rulers. Now the lands are split into three with each claiming to be the absolute, the distant [Yong Kai] rests uneasy, not knowing who to follow."
Soon, Yong Kai killed Zheng Ang (正昂), the Administrator of Jianning (建寧), and kidnapped Zhang Yi to Eastern Wu. Yong Kai was given the post of Administrator of Yongchang (永昌) by Eastern Wu, but Yongchang belonged to Shu Han. Lü Kai
Lu Kai
Lü Kai, style name Jiping , was a minister of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Lü was the Administrator of Yongchang Commandery. He defended it from Yong Kai's rebel forces at one time...
and Wang Kang
Wang Kang
Wang Kang was an official of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served as the Prefect of Yongchang Commandery. During Yong Kai's rebellion, he defended the city together with Lü Kai from the rebel forces until Zhuge Liang's army arrived to suppress the uprising....
defended Yongchang from Yong Kai, who sought his position. Although Yong Kai spread many rumours outside the city walls, Lü Kai refused to open the gates to let Yong Kai in.
Gao Ding (高定), a leader of the local Sou people (叟族), also revolted in coordination with Yong Kai, killing general Jiao Huang (焦璜) and declaring himself king. He marched his army north to attack Xindao (新道), but he was repelled by reinforcements led by Li Yan from Jianwei (犍為).
Shu Han's chancellor Zhuge Liang decided not to launch an offensive so soon because Shu had just recently lost their leader, and instead only sent Qi Xing (頎行) to investigate the problems in the south while he busied himself with domestic affairs. However, as soon as Qi Xing arrived in Zangke (牂柯), he was killed by the Administrator Zhu Bao
Zhu Bao
Zhu Bao was a general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He participated in the rebellion led by Yong Kai together with Gao Ding. He was killed by Gao in a scheme planned by Zhuge Liang to alienate the two of them through malicious rumours....
, who had also rebelled.
Yong Kai then called upon Meng Huo
Meng Huo
Meng Huo was popularly regarded as a local leader representing the gentries of the Nanzhong region during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
, a local aristocrat, to lure the southern tribes into revolting because the tribes did not trust Yong Kai. Meng Huo made up stories about Shu Han giving the tribes impossible demands, thus the tribes became angry at Shu and joined the rebellion as well.
Suppressing the rebellion
In the spring of 225, after reaffirming Shu Han's alliance with Eastern Wu, Zhuge Liang personally led the Shu generals south from ChengduChengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
to suppress the rebellion with full preparations. Wang Lian (王連) advised Zhuge Liang against personally participating in the campaign, but Zhuge was worried that his generals were not competent enough to deal with the rebels by themselves. Ma Su
Ma Su
Ma Su was a military general and strategist of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was the younger brother of Ma Liang. Ma Su had conspicuous talent in military theories and was admired by the Shu chancellor Zhuge Liang...
suggested to Zhuge Liang that the campaign should focus on psychological warfare
Psychological warfare
Psychological warfare , or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations , have been known by many other names or terms, including Psy Ops, Political Warfare, “Hearts and Minds,” and Propaganda...
rather than conventional warfare in order to ensure that the defeated rebels would not rebel again, a suggestion which Zhuge readily accepted.
Zhuge Liang's army entered Nanzhong
Nanzhong
Nanzhong was an ancient region consisting of modern-day Yunnan, Guizhou, and southern Sichuan in southern China.The region was the homeland of the rebellious Nanman tribes, led by Meng Huo. In 225 AD, the famed statesman Zhuge Liang led three columns into Yunnan to pacify the tribes. His seven...
via Yuesui (越巂). Along the way, Yong Kai was murdered by one of Gao Ding's subordinates, and Gao Ding himself was killed in battle against Zhuge Liang's main army. Meanwhile, Ma Zhong
Ma Zhong (Shu Han)
Ma Zhong , style name Dexin , also known as Hu Du after adoption, was a general of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-In fiction:...
was sent to attack Zangke by marching southeast from Bodao (僰道), and Li Hui to attack Jianning from Pingyi (平夷) by marching southwest. Li Hui's army, however, became surrounded in Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
by rebel forces twice his numbers, and he did not know of Zhuge Liang's whereabouts to ask for reinforcements. Hence, Li Hui pretended to join the rebels, saying his supplies had run out and could not return north, and therefore had no choice but to rebel. The Nanman believed him and lowered their guard, whereupon Li Hui struck and defeated the encirclement. He then led his men south to Panjiang (槃江) and joined Ma Zhong to the east, who had defeated Zhu Bao in Qielan (且蘭). Finally, the two divergent forces rejoined Zhuge Liang's main army.
Meng Huo incorporated the remnants of Yong Kai's forces and continued to resist the Shu attackers. Zhuge Liang, knowing Meng Huo was respected by the populace, wanted to capture and subdue him according to Ma Su's strategy. When Meng Huo was captured, Zhuge Liang showed him around the Shu camp, asking how he felt about the army. Meng Huo replied: "Before, we did not know the conditions of your army, so we were defeated. Now you have so graciously shown me your pavilions, I know your army is only as thus, we can win easily." Zhuge Liang smiled, and released him to fight again. After seven captures and releases, Meng Huo finally said, "You must be the valour of the heavens, the south will not rebel again." Zhuge Liang then marched towards Dian Lake in triumph.
Aftermath
Once Nanzhong had settled, Zhuge Liang split the four existing commanderies (Yi Province, Yongchang, Zangke, Yuesui) into six commanderies, adding YunnanYunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
and Xinggu (興古) to better administer the region. He left the commanderies to be governed by the locals instead of Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
officials, citing three difficulties if Han Chinese officials were installed:
- If Han officials were installed, then soldiers must be stationed and food must be provided to them. (The Nanzhong terrain is difficult for transporting goods.)
- The locals were recently defeated with their fathers and brothers killed, if foreigners were installed and no soldiers are stationed with them, chaos would follow. (The locals would seek revenge.)
- The locals were guilty of their recent crimes and would not trust the Han Chinese to forgive them so easily. (There would be misunderstandings.)
Zhuge Liang then returned north, not stationing any soldiers, only requiring the locals to pay tribute. Wang Kang
Wang Kang
Wang Kang was an official of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served as the Prefect of Yongchang Commandery. During Yong Kai's rebellion, he defended the city together with Lü Kai from the rebel forces until Zhuge Liang's army arrived to suppress the uprising....
, Lü Kai
Lu Kai
Lü Kai, style name Jiping , was a minister of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Lü was the Administrator of Yongchang Commandery. He defended it from Yong Kai's rebel forces at one time...
and Li Hui were among those appointed as the administrators of the new governing regions. However, these new administrators were considerablly different that other governors at the time in that they only act representatives of Shu Han, and the local populace were generally reigned by their chieftains who pay tribute to Shu Han. The tributes from Nanzhong included, but not limited to, gold, silver, oxen, and warhorses, which helped Shu Han prosper, preparing it for Zhuge Liang's upcoming Northern Expeditions.
Although rebellions in the south still broke out after the Southern Campaign, they were comparatively minor, and Ma Zhong and Li Hui were quick to suppress them again and again. The Nanzhong region enjoyed relative stability under the reign of Shu Han afterwards, in contrast to during the Eastern Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
.
In fiction
Although historical records seem to show that Zhuge Liang actually did capture and release Meng Huo a total of seven times, the details of each capture were not recorded. Luo GuanzhongLuo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
, the author of the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, fleshed out the stories for each capture, inventing many fictional people such as Meng You
Meng You
Meng You is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He was the younger brother of the Nanman chieftain Meng Huo. When Meng Huo rebelled against the state of Shu Han, the chancellor Zhuge Liang personally led a southern campaign to suppress the...
, Lady Zhurong
Lady Zhurong
Lady Zhurong, sometimes known as Madam Zhurong, is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. She was the wife of the Nanman chieftain Meng Huo, who controlled the lands in southern Shu Han. She claimed to be descended from the fire deity Zhu Rong, from...
, and King Mulu
King Mulu
King Mulu is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He was a vassal under the Nanman chieftain Meng Huo, and was the lord of the Bana Cave . Mulu appeared in the chapter about Zhuge Liang's southern campaign to suppress the Nanman rebellion...
. Besides, Zhao Yun
Zhao Yun
Zhao Yun was a military general who lived during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. For most of his career, Zhao served the warlord Liu Bei, playing a part in the establishment of state of Shu Han...
, Wei Yan
Wei Yan
Wei Yan was a military general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He became a soldier of Liu Bei when the latter fled Jing Province and seek protection from the eastern warlord, Sun Quan, in 208. In 211, Wei had climbed up the ranks and become a general in Liu Bei's...
, and Ma Dai
Ma Dai
Ma Dai was a military general of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He previously served under his uncle, the warlord Ma Teng...
were described to have made great contributions to this campaign in the novel, but historically they were not involved with the campaign at all.
In the first encounter between Zhuge Liang and Meng Huo, Zhao Yun led a charge and tore through his forces like a gale, after which Meng Huo himself was captured by Wei Yan. Meng Huo refused to yield to Zhuge Liang, whereupon the strategist released him, giving him another chance to attack.
Meng Huo warily created fortifications along a river for the second battle, daring the Shu forces to cross. Ma Dai cut off the supply routes and killed Jinhuan Sanjie
Jinhuan Sanjie
Jinhuan Sanjie is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He was a military general serving under the Nanman chieftain Meng Huo. He joined Ahuinan and Dongtuna in defending Nanman territory from invading forces from Shu Han led by Zhuge Liang. His...
, a Nanman general protecting the river fortifications. Seeing that Shu Han was much stronger than the Meng Huo's forces, Nanman generals Ahuinan and Dongtuna betrayed Meng Huo and handed him over to the Shu army. But still, he did not yield. As part of a ploy, Zhuge Liang gave Meng Huo a tour of his encampment before releasing him a second time.
Meng Huo, now overconfident in his newfound knowledge of the enemy camp, sent his brother, Meng You
Meng You
Meng You is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He was the younger brother of the Nanman chieftain Meng Huo. When Meng Huo rebelled against the state of Shu Han, the chancellor Zhuge Liang personally led a southern campaign to suppress the...
, on a false defection ploy, but it was easily discovered and both brothers were captured.
Released yet again and eager for revenge, Meng Huo gathered a force of 100,000 and attacked the Shu camp, whereupon Zhuge Liang evacuated his entire force. Of course, this was all part of Zhuge Liang's plan, and Meng Huo's army fell into numerous pit traps that had been dug within the camp. Meng Huo was captured once again.
With caution, and learning from his previous failures, Meng Huo now opted to wait for an attack by the enemy. The plan was to lure the Shu forces into poisonous marshes around the caves of King Duosi
King Duosi
King Duosi is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He was the governor of Tulong Cave and was well known among the Nanman people as a sage. He was a close friend of Meng You, younger brother of the Nanman chieftain Meng Huo. He assisted Meng Huo...
, but Zhuge Liang was forewarned of the dangers by Meng Huo's older brother, Meng Jie
Meng Jie
Meng Jie is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.-Biography:Meng Jie was the older brother of the Nanman chieftain Meng Huo and Meng You...
, and managed to avoid the marshes all together. Once again, Meng Huo was defeated and captured, and King Duosi was killed. In folklore, Zhuge Liang became ill from the marshes but then recovered.
After Meng Huo's fifth defeat, his wife, Lady Zhurong
Lady Zhurong
Lady Zhurong, sometimes known as Madam Zhurong, is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. She was the wife of the Nanman chieftain Meng Huo, who controlled the lands in southern Shu Han. She claimed to be descended from the fire deity Zhu Rong, from...
, now took to the battlefield, complaining that her husband was incompetent. She captured Ma Zhong and Zhang Yi
Zhang Yi (Boqi)
Zhang Yi , style name Boqi, was a military general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of China. He was instrumental in pacifying the barbarian peoples who rebelled against Shu. He was slain by Xu Zhi during one of Jiang Wei's Northern Expeditions while distracting the enemy from pursuing...
, and Zhuge Liang sent Zhao Yun, Wei Yan, and Ma Dai after her. Eventually Ma Dai dismounted her and captured her. Zhuge Liang returned her to Meng Huo in exchange for the captured Shu generals. Meng Huo now attempted to gather wild animals such as elephants and tigers from King Mulu
King Mulu
King Mulu is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He was a vassal under the Nanman chieftain Meng Huo, and was the lord of the Bana Cave . Mulu appeared in the chapter about Zhuge Liang's southern campaign to suppress the Nanman rebellion...
to combat the enemy, but they were chased away by Zhuge Liang's fire-breathing contraptions, also known as juggernaut
Juggernaut
A juggernaut in colloquial English usage is a literal or metaphorical force regarded as mercilessly destructive and unstoppable.Originating in ca...
s. King Mulu was killed, and Meng Huo was captured again. In all contemporary sources, no woman was said to have fought during the Three Kingdoms period.
Finally, Meng Huo enlisted the aid of Wutugu, whose troops wore armor made of rattan that was said to deflect swords and arrows alike. However, Zhuge Liang conjured a trap in which Wei Yan lured Wutugu into a valley with mines set beneath the ground. Wutugu's troops took the bait and chased Wei Yan into the valley. When inside the valley, Zhao Yun blocked the escape routes off and the mines were detonated, lightning the inflammable armour and destroying Wutugu and his troops. Although a great victory, Zhuge Liang is said to have wept at the destruction when he viewed the valley. Meng Huo was now captured for the seventh and final time.
Meng Huo had to admit defeat at this point and he vowed to surrender and serve Shu Han from the bottom of his heart. The southern threat was neutralized and the Shu army returned home victorious.
In popular culture
A popular story in China tells of the invention of the mantouMantou
Mantou, often referred to as Chinese steamed bun/bread, is a kind of steamed bun originating in China. They are typically eaten as a staple in northern parts of China where wheat, rather than rice, is grown. They are made with milled wheat flour, water and leavening agents...
, a kind of steamed bun, by Zhuge Liang during this campaign. It probably rose from the fact that the name mantou is homonymous to mantou .
The story tells that, after subduing Meng Huo, Zhuge Liang led the army back to Shu, but met a swift-flowing river which defied all attempts to cross it. Locals informed him that the barbarians would sacrifice 50 men and throw their heads into the river to appease the river spirit and allow them to cross; Zhuge Liang, however, did not want to cause any more bloodshed, and instead ordered buns shaped roughly like human heads — round with a flat base — to be made and then thrown into the river. After a successful crossing he named the bun "barbarian's head", which evolved into the present day mantou.
Modern references
The southern campaign has been reenacted in a number of video games, including Koei's Dynasty WarriorsDynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
series and Sangokushi Koumeiden
Sangokushi Koumeiden
Sangokushi Koumeiden is the second installment in the Sangokushi Eiketsuden tactical role-playing series developed by Koei.-Story:...
. Both follow the events described in Luo Guanzhong
Luo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, and the player can defeat Meng Huo up to seven times. A whole chapter (out of 5) is dedicated to this campaign in Sangokushi Koumeiden.