King Duosi 朵思大王

In Chapter 89 of the Romance, Meng Huo, released for the fourth time, gathers several thousand able-bodied men from the various caves and heads south, where he meets his younger brother Meng You. Meng You says that the Shu army is hard to withstand, but that if they withdraw into the caves on the shaded side of the mountains, the Shu troops will not bear the heat and will withdraw of their own accord, and tells him that King Duosi, cave chief of Tulong Cave to the southwest, is on very close terms with him. Meng Huo first sends Meng You ahead, and Duosi hastily leads out the cave's troops to welcome them. Romance, Ch. 89 §17–18

Duosi says that if the Shu army comes he will see to it that not one man or horse returns home and that they all die there together with Zhuge Liang, and he sets out his plan. There are only two roads leading to the cave: the northeastern road is level and its water sweet, and if its mouth is blocked with timber and stones even an army of a million cannot get in; the northwestern road has steep mountains and narrow paths, with poisonous snakes and scorpions lurking, and because of the miasma it can be travelled only in the hours of wei, shen and you. Along it there are four poisonous springs: the Mute Spring, which leaves those who drink it unable to speak; the Annihilation Spring, which rots the skin of those who bathe in it; the Black Spring, which turns the hands and feet black if it splashes on the body; and the Soft Spring, which makes those who drink it go limp as cotton. If the broad northeastern road is blocked, the Shu troops who come in by the western road will drink the water and not one will return, so there is no need for swords and spears. Meng Huo is overjoyed, and from then on Meng Huo and Meng You feast with King Duosi every day. Romance, Ch. 89 §19–22

Wang Ping, commander of the Shu vanguard, and his men drink from the Mute Spring and lose their speech, but Zhuge Liang obtains water from a medicinal spring from the recluse of Wan'an Stream to cure them, and after digging the ground and obtaining sweet spring water, he takes a small path and pitches camp in front of Tulong Cave. Not believing the report that the springs have had no effect, King Duosi climbs a high mountain with Meng Huo, and on seeing the Shu troops carrying water, watering their horses and cooking their meals, his hair stands on end and he says that these are divine soldiers. When Meng Huo says he will fight one battle to the death, Duosi says that if the Great King's army is defeated his own wife and children are finished too, so they must slaughter oxen and horses to reward the cave's men lavishly and, heedless of fire and water, charge straight into the Shu camp. Romance, Ch. 89 §26 · 36 · 42–43 · 45–46

Just as they are about to set out, Yang Feng (楊鋒), cave chief of the twenty-one caves of Yinye Cave, comes with 30,000 troops to help them fight, and Meng Huo goes out of the cave with King Duosi to welcome him. At the banquet Yang Feng's two sons seize Meng Huo and Meng You; King Duosi tries to flee but is already captured by Yang Feng. Saying that he will repay Chancellor Zhuge for the kindness of sparing their lives, Yang Feng escorts Meng Huo, Meng You, Duosi and the others to Zhuge Liang's camp. Zhuge Liang sets Meng Huo free once again, and also unbinds Meng You and King Duosi and gives them wine and food; the two tremble with fear and dare not look him in the face, and Zhuge Liang gives them saddled horses and sends them back. Romance, Ch. 89 §47 · 49–51 · 53

In Chapter 90 Meng Huo, back at Yinkeng Cave, sends the Dailai Cave Chief to King Mulu of Bana Cave to ask for help, and has King Duosi guard Sanjiang City as a shield in front. Wei Yan and Zhao Yun attack Sanjiang City, which faces rivers on three sides and is reached by land on only one, by the land route, but they cannot prevail against the crossbows on the walls that loose ten arrows at once and the poisoned arrows that rain down. When Zhuge Liang pulls his troops back several li and issues no orders for five days, the Man soldiers believe that the Shu army has taken fright and withdrawn; they sleep soundly at night and do not even send out scouts. Romance, Ch. 90 §1 · 5–8

When a light breeze rises at dusk, Zhuge Liang has every soldier wrap a bundle of earth in a strip of his garment and drop it at the foot of Sanjiang City; in an instant the piled earth forms a hill reaching to the top of the walls, and the Shu troops all climb onto the city. More than half the Man soldiers are seized and dragged down and the rest abandon the city and flee, and King Duosi dies in the confused fighting. The defeated remnants of the Man soldiers go back and report to Meng Huo that King Duosi is dead and Sanjiang City has been lost. Romance, Ch. 90 §8–11