RNo direct record — estimated from the record that she became the First Sovereign's wife when he was in hardshipShu 8 §21
NThrew herself into a well to save A Dou, and a poem calls her a heroine who preserved the Liu lineCh. 41 §55Ch. 41 §56
Lady Mi 糜夫人
| Occupation | RNConsort · Lady | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | N? Unverified | Native place | Donghai Commandery Qu County Unverified |
| Died | N208 Unverified | Place of death | NChangban |
| Cause of death | NSuicide Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R1 |
Profile
Lady Mi was the younger sister of Mi Zhu and a wife of Liu Bei. She has no biography of her own in the Records, nor is her personal name recorded; she appears once in the biography of Mi Zhu. In the 1st year of Jian'an (196), after Lü Bu attacked Xiapi and captured Liu Bei's wife and children, Mi Zhu presented his younger sister to Liu Bei, who had moved his army to Haixi in Guangling, to be his wife, and contributed slaves, retainers and wealth to help with the army's funds. Records, Shu 8 §21
In the Romance she first appears in Chapter 15 as one of 'the two ladies Gan and Mi', and her name appears in 8 of its 120 chapters; her name is in no chapter title. After the fall of Xiapi she stays with Cao Cao together with Lady Gan under Guan Yu's protection and then returns to Liu Bei, and at Changban in Chapter 41 she entrusts A Dou to Zhao Yun and then throws herself into a dry well and dies. In Chapter 85 she is posthumously honoured as Empress. Romance, Ch. 15 §6Romance, Ch. 25 §16Romance, Ch. 28 §33Romance, Ch. 41 §53–55Romance, Ch. 85 §29
In the Records
According to the biography of Mi Zhu, Mi Zhu was a man of Qu County in Donghai Commandery whose forebears had built up wealth for generations, so that his servants and retainers numbered ten thousand and his property amounted to hundreds of millions. He served Tao Qian, Governor of Xu Province, as Attendant Officer, and when Tao Qian died he followed his dying wishes and welcomed Liu Bei from Xiaopei. Records, Shu 8 §21
In the 1st year of Jian'an (196), taking advantage of Liu Bei's absence when he had gone out to resist Yuan Shu, Lü Bu attacked Xiapi and captured Liu Bei's wife and children. When Liu Bei moved his army to Haixi in Guangling, Mi Zhu presented his younger sister to Liu Bei to be his wife, and contributed two thousand slaves and retainers along with gold, silver and goods to help with the army's funds. Liu Bei was then in hardship and want, but with this help he rose again. Records, Shu 8 §21
This is the only passage in Chen Shou's main text in which Lady Mi appears, and her name, year of birth and time of death are not recorded. The passage on Empress Gan in the Biographies of Empresses and Consorts records that because Liu Bei lost his principal wives several times, Lady Gan always managed the affairs of the household. Records, Shu 8 §21Records, Shu 4 §3
In the Romance
In Chapter 15 of the Romance, when Lü Bu sends Liu Bei's family back first, the two ladies Gan and Mi tell Liu Bei that Lü Bu had soldiers guard the gate of their residence so that no one could enter at will, and always sent maidservants to supply them with things. In Chapter 22, Liu Bei has Guan Yu guard Xiapi and has the two ladies Gan and Mi stay at Xiapi as well, and the Romance states that Lady Mi is Mi Zhu's younger sister. Romance, Ch. 15 §6–7Romance, Ch. 22 §51–52
In Chapter 25, when Lord Guan, who had been trapped on an earthen hill, enters the city of Xiapi after making a three-point agreement with Cao Cao, the two ladies Gan and Mi hurry out to meet him, ask where the Imperial Uncle is, and tell their brother-in-law to handle every matter as he sees fit. Later, after Lady Gan dreams that the Imperial Uncle has fallen into a pit, she talks it over with Lady Mi and the two weep, holding on to each other. Romance, Ch. 25 §15–18 · 26–27
In Chapter 26, Sun Qian asks Lord Guan after the two ladies Gan and Mi and tells him to escort the two ladies to Yuan Shao and meet Liu Bei there. At Gucheng in Chapter 28, when Zhang Fei tries to kill Lord Guan as one who has betrayed righteousness, Lady Mi, following Lady Gan, says, 'Our second brother-in-law was in Xudu all this time only because he had no choice.' Romance, Ch. 26 §21–22Romance, Ch. 28 §32–33
At Changban in Chapter 41, Zhao Yun loses the two ladies Gan and Mi and A Dou, whom Liu Bei had entrusted to him. Lady Gan says that while being pursued together with Lady Mi they abandoned their carriage and walked mingled among the common people, but ran into another body of troops and were scattered. When Zhao Yun asks the people, they tell him that a lady holding a child has been wounded by a spear in her left leg and cannot walk, and Zhao Yun finds Lady Mi weeping with A Dou in her arms beside a dry well beneath the collapsed earthen wall of a burnt-out house. Romance, Ch. 41 §41 · 46 · 52–53
Saying, 'Now that I have seen you, General, A Dou will live,' Lady Mi begs him to protect the one child of the blood of the boy's father, who has wandered for half his life. When Zhao Yun repeatedly urges her to mount his horse, she asks how a general could fight without a horse and says that, as she is already badly wounded, she will not be a burden to him. She hands A Dou to Zhao Yun and to the last will not mount, and when shouts rise again on all sides she sets A Dou down on the ground and throws herself into the dry well and dies. Fearing that Cao Cao's soldiers will steal her body, Zhao Yun pushes over the earthen wall to cover the well, and in Chapter 42 he tells Liu Bei what has happened. Romance, Ch. 41 §53–56Romance, Ch. 42 §3
In Chapter 85, when the First Sovereign dies and the Crown Prince Liu Shan takes the imperial throne, Lady Gan is given the posthumous title Empress Zhaolie and Lady Mi is also posthumously honoured as Empress. Romance, Ch. 85 §29
Where the Romance differs
When she married: In the Romance, Lady Mi appears as one of 'the two ladies Gan and Mi', who were left behind in the government residence when Lü Bu took Xu Province and were sent back in Chapter 15, and only in Chapter 22 is she introduced as Mi Zhu's younger sister. In the biography of Mi Zhu in the Records, it was after Lü Bu attacked Xiapi and captured Liu Bei's wife and children in the 1st year of Jian'an (196) that Mi Zhu presented his younger sister to Liu Bei, who had moved to Haixi, to be his wife. Romance, Ch. 14 §60Romance, Ch. 15 §6Romance, Ch. 22 §52Records, Shu 8 §21
How the marriage came about: The Romance says only that Lady Mi is Mi Zhu's younger sister, and does not record that Mi Zhu, along with his sister, contributed two thousand slaves and retainers and gold, silver and goods to restore the fortunes of the destitute Liu Bei. The Records records this in the biography of Mi Zhu. Romance, Ch. 22 §52Records, Shu 8 §21
The two ladies at Xiapi: In Chapter 25 of the Romance, the two ladies Gan and Mi place themselves in Cao Cao's hands at Xiapi together with Guan Yu, and Guan Yu makes a three-point agreement to protect his two sisters-in-law. The Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records says only that Lord Cao captured Liu Bei's wife and children and took Guan Yu prisoner as well before returning, without saying which wife, and the Biography of Guan Yu also says nothing of his protecting two ladies. Romance, Ch. 25 §15–18Records, Shu 2 §16Records, Shu 6 §4–6
Changban: In Chapter 41 of the Romance, Lady Mi is holding A Dou and entrusts him to Zhao Yun. In the Biography of Zhao Yun in the Records, when Liu Bei abandoned his wife and children and fled, Zhao Yun himself carried the infant son (the Later Sovereign) in his arms and protected Lady Gan, the Later Sovereign's mother, so that all escaped harm, and the passage on Empress Gan records the same event. Lady Mi does not appear in this passage. Romance, Ch. 41 §53–55Records, Shu 6 §39Records, Shu 4 §3
Her death: In Chapter 41 of the Romance, Lady Mi throws herself into a dry well at Changban and dies. Chen Shou's main text in the Records does not record Lady Mi's death. Romance, Ch. 41 §55Records, Shu 8 §21
Posthumous honours: In Chapter 85 of the Romance, Lady Mi is posthumously honoured as Empress together with Lady Gan. In the Biographies of Empresses and Consorts in the Records, Lady Gan was given the posthumous title Lady Huangsi in the 2nd year of Zhangwu (222), and after Liu Bei's death Zhuge Liang memorialized that she be honoured as Empress Zhaolie and buried together with Liu Bei. There is no record of Lady Mi being posthumously honoured. Romance, Ch. 85 §29Records, Shu 4 §3–6
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Abilities
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
Records total329 / 1000Rank 957 of 996 · Top 97%Romance total456 / 1000Rank 219 of 1,113 · Top 20%
Romance adaptation index+127Romance total − Records total
- LEA3131±0
- STR3131±0
- INT3342+9
- POL3131±0
- CHA3545+10
- VIR4090+50
- ADP3370+37
- SCH3333±0
- DIP3145+14
- DIS3138+7
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — only a single line saying she became the First Sovereign's wifeShu 8 §21
NWith pursuers closing in, resolved to entrust A Dou to another and stay behind herselfCh. 41 §54Ch. 41 §55
RNo direct record — only a single line saying she became the First Sovereign's wifeShu 8 §21
NDefended to the suspicious Zhang Fei the circumstances of Guan Yu's stay in XuduCh. 28 §33
RNo direct record — only a single line saying she became the First Sovereign's wifeShu 8 §21
NNo direct record — estimated from the record of her posthumous elevation to EmpressCh. 85 §29
6 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — only a single line saying she became the First Sovereign's wifeShu 8 §21
NNo direct record — estimated from her flight from the battlefieldCh. 41 §53
RNo direct record — only a single line saying she became the First Sovereign's wifeShu 8 §21
NNo direct record — the record that a spear wound to her leg left her unable to walkCh. 41 §53
RNo direct record — only a single line saying she became the First Sovereign's wifeShu 8 §21
NNo direct record — the record of her reading the situation, saying that neither should be lostCh. 41 §55
RNo direct record — only a single line saying she became the First Sovereign's wifeShu 8 §21
NNo direct record — estimated from her role as a wifeCh. 22 §52
RNo direct record — only a single line saying she became the First Sovereign's wifeShu 8 §21
NNo direct record — estimated from her role as a wifeCh. 22 §52
RNo direct record — only a single line saying she became the First Sovereign's wifeShu 8 §21
NNo direct record — estimated from the record of her understanding Guan Yu's positionCh. 28 §33
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
Romance chapters (8)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Family
| Spouse | Liu Bei Novel & History |
|---|---|
| Siblings | Mi Zhu Novel & History, Mi Fang Novel & History |
Based on Wikidata items for the historical and Romance figures. Relations without the Unverified badge were also confirmed in the Records.
Related events (2)
- Zhao Yun Rescues His Lord Single-Handed 208 · Appears (Romance scene)
- Cai Yang Slain, the Brothers Reconciled Romance ch. 28 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).