Novel scene
Seeing Through a False Surrender, Meng Huo Captured the Third Time 識詐降三擒孟獲
About this event
"Seeing Through a False Surrender, Meng Huo Captured the Third Time" is the latter scene of Chapter 88 of the Romance, whose chapter title is "The Lu River Is Crossed and the Barbarian King Bound Again; A Feigned Surrender Is Seen Through and Meng Huo Captured a Third Time." Meng Huo, released for the second time, sent his younger brother Meng You to offer gifts in a false surrender, planning to strike from inside and outside at night, but Zhuge Liang saw through it, got Meng You's party drunk, lured Meng Huo into an empty camp and captured him for the third time. This scene is one episode of Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign. Romance, Ch. 88 §26–37
Chen Shou's text has no such scene. The Biography of Zhuge Liang states only that in the spring of the 3rd year of Jianxing (225) Zhuge Liang led his forces to campaign in the south and that by the autumn of that year all was pacified, and the Biography of the Later Ruler states that in the 3rd month of that year he campaigned against the four southern commanderies and pacified them all. Records, Shu 5 §24Records, Shu 3 §6
In the Romance
In Chapter 88 of the Romance, Meng Huo, released for the second time, as soon as he returned lured Dongtuna and Ahuinan, who had bound him and handed him over, and killed them, and he set out to attack Ma Dai at Jiashan Gorge, but the Shu troops had already crossed the Lu River and withdrawn. Meng Huo gave his younger brother Meng You a plan and sent him with over a hundred Man soldiers to Zhuge Liang's main camp, carrying gold, pearls, ivory and rhinoceros horn. Romance, Ch. 88 §25–27
Zhuge Liang laughed, saying that the idea Ma Su had written on paper matched his own, secretly gave plans to Zhao Yun, Wei Yan, Wang Ping, Ma Zhong and Guan Suo, and then received Meng You. Seating Meng You, who said that his brother, moved by Zhuge Liang's kindness, had gone to Mount Yinkeng to collect treasures, together with his tall and powerful attendants, Zhuge Liang had Ma Su and Lü Kai entertain them and put drugs in their wine, knocking them all out. Meng Huo, receiving word to strike together from inside and outside at the second watch, divided 30,000 Man soldiers into three groups, had them carry fire-setting equipment, and crossed the Lu River. Romance, Ch. 88 §28–33
The main camp Meng Huo burst into was empty, with only Meng You and the attendants lying drunk. When the troops of Wang Ping, Wei Yan and Zhao Yun attacked from three directions with torches, Meng Huo fled alone on horseback to the Lu River and boarded a small boat rowed by Man soldiers, but he was bound by Ma Dai's troops disguised as Man soldiers. Zhuge Liang pressed him to submit, saying this was already the third time, but Meng Huo said it was because his brother had been greedy for food and drink and that he would fight one more battle, and Zhuge Liang released everyone, including Meng You and the chieftains. Zhuge Liang explained to his commanders that he had captured him three times without killing him because he wanted to make him submit in his heart. Romance, Ch. 88 §33–39 · 43–44
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.