Rebellion · Coup
Xincheng Rebellion 新城之亂
About this event
The Xincheng Rebellion was the revolt raised in the 12th month of the 1st year of Taihe (227) by Meng Da, Wei's Administrator of Xincheng, who was suppressed and killed by Sima Yi in the 1st month of the following year. Meng Da, originally a Shu general, had surrendered to Wei after Guan Yu's defeat, won Cao Pi's favor and been given charge of Xincheng Commandery; when Zhuge Liang, returning from his southern campaign, tried to win him over by letter, Meng Da exchanged messages with him and planned to turn against Wei. Wei sent Sima Yi, who broke Xincheng, beheaded Meng Da and sent his head on. Records, Wei 3 §6–7Records, Shu 10 §5Records, Shu 11 §44–46
Chapter 94 of the Romance places this episode in the middle of Zhuge Liang's first northern expedition: Meng Da's planned uprising from within collapses before Sima Yi's swift march, and the story carries on with Sima Yi advancing straight on to Jieting. Romance, Ch. 94 §28–53Romance, Ch. 95 §6–7
Course of events in the Records
Meng Da came with Fa Zheng on Liu Zhang's orders to welcome Liu Bei, stayed on under Liu Bei and became Administrator of Yidu, and attacked Shangyong by way of Fangling. When Guan Yu besieged Fancheng and called for help, he and Liu Feng did not comply; after Guan Yu's defeat he also fell out with Liu Feng, and fearing punishment he led his followers to surrender to Wei. Cao Pi, admiring his talent and bearing, made him Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary and General Who Establishes Martial Might, and gave him the post of Administrator of Xincheng Commandery, formed by merging the three commanderies of Fangling, Shangyong and Xicheng. Records, Shu 10 §3–5Records, Wei 2 §10
At this time Liu Ye said that Meng Da had a mind to gain by any means and, relying on his talent, would not be moved by kindness, and that Xincheng bordered Wu and Shu, so that any upheaval there would become a danger to the state; but Cao Pi did not change his decision. Chen Shou adds that Meng Da did in the end rebel and was defeated. Meanwhile Shen Yi, younger brother of Shen Dan, Administrator of Shangyong, turned against Liu Feng; Shen Dan surrendered to Wei and was moved to live in Nanyang, and Shen Yi became Administrator of Weixing and was stationed at Xunkou. Records, Wei 14 §97Records, Shu 10 §15
According to Fei Shi's biography, in the 3rd year of Jianxing Zhuge Liang, returning from his southern campaign, met Li Hong, who had come over in surrender at Hanyang County. Li Hong reported that when he had called on Meng Da, Meng Da did not believe Wang Chong's claim that Zhuge Liang had wanted to kill Meng Da's wife and children. Fei Shi said that Meng Da, having betrayed Liu Zhang and then Liu Bei, was not even worth writing to, but Zhuge Liang, wishing to make Meng Da an outside ally, sent him a letter saying that it was Liu Feng who had wronged him and so harmed the First Sovereign's intentions. On receiving the letter Meng Da exchanged messages with him several times and planned to turn against Wei. Records, Shu 11 §44–46
According to the Annals of Emperor Ming, when Meng Da, Administrator of Xincheng, rebelled in the 12th month of the 1st year of Taihe, Cao Rui ordered Sima Yi, General of Agile Cavalry, to suppress him, and in the 1st month of spring in the 2nd year Sima Yi broke Xincheng, beheaded Meng Da and sent his head on. Wei split off Shangyong, Wuling and Wu County from Xincheng Commandery to form Shangyong Commandery, and made Xi County into Xi Commandery. Only after this do the Annals of Emperor Ming record that Zhuge Liang raided the frontier and Tianshui, Nan'an and Anding went over to him. Later an edict of Cao Fang, listing Sima Yi's merits, also said that in the south he had captured Meng Da. Records, Wei 3 §6–8Records, Shu 11 §46Records, Wei 4 §5
In the Romance
In Chapter 94 of the Romance, Li Feng, son of Li Yan, brought a letter from Meng Da to Zhuge Liang, who had advanced to Mount Qi. In it Meng Da, uneasy at the jealousy he faced after Cao Rui's accession, proposed to attack Luoyang with the troops of Jincheng, Xincheng and Shangyong. On hearing that Sima Yi had been restored to office, Zhuge Liang sent a letter telling him to be on guard, but Meng Da laughed it off, saying that Wan was 1,200 li from Xincheng and that reporting to the court would take a month, and Zhuge Liang lamented that Meng Da would die at Sima Yi's hands. Romance, Ch. 94 §28–37
Sima Yi, having received the edict at Wancheng, learned of the rebellion from a member of the household of Shen Yi, Administrator of Jincheng, and from Meng Da's confidant and nephew; without waiting to report to the throne he had his troops cover two days' march in one, and sent the Army Adviser Liang Ji to put Meng Da at ease. On the way Xu Huang, General of the Right, volunteered to lead the vanguard, and Sima Yi also seized Zhuge Liang's reply carried by Meng Da's confidant. Romance, Ch. 94 §38–44
Meng Da, who had set a date with Shen Dan and Shen Yi to rise up, shot Xu Huang, who had suddenly arrived, in the forehead with an arrow and killed him, but was soon surrounded by Sima Yi's main army. Taking the troops outside for a relief force, Meng Da opened the gate and went out, only to be blocked by Shen Dan and Shen Yi; his confidants on the wall had already surrendered the city, and he was run through by Shen Dan's spear and died. Cao Rui had his head displayed in the marketplace of Luoyang, and Zhuge Liang, hearing that Sima Yi had reached Xincheng in eight days, grew anxious about Jieting ("Sima Yi Swiftly Captures Meng Da"). Romance, Ch. 94 §45–51Romance, Ch. 95 §6–7
Where the Romance differs
Timing and occasion: In Chapter 94 of the Romance, after Zhuge Liang had advanced to Mount Qi, Meng Da first sent word through Li Yan that he would rise from within, and right after the suppression Sima Yi headed for Jieting. In the Records it was Zhuge Liang, returning from his southern campaign, who first sent a letter to Meng Da, and the rebellion and its suppression fall between the 12th month of the 1st year of Taihe and the 1st month of the 2nd year, recorded in the Annals of Emperor Ming before Zhuge Liang's campaign. The story that Sima Yi arrived in eight days without reporting to the throne is not in Chen Shou's main text. Romance, Ch. 94 §28–30Romance, Ch. 95 §6–7Records, Shu 11 §44–46Records, Wei 3 §6–8
Xu Huang's death: In Chapter 94 of the Romance, Xu Huang was struck in the forehead by Meng Da's arrow below Xincheng and died at the age of fifty-nine. Xu Huang's biography in the Records says that when his illness grew grave he left instructions to be laid out in ordinary clothes and that he died in the 1st year of Taihe; it has nothing to do with the fighting at Xincheng. Romance, Ch. 94 §47–48Records, Wei 17 §69–70
Shen Dan and Shen Yi: In Chapter 94 of the Romance, Shen Dan, Administrator of Shangyong, and Shen Yi, Administrator of Jincheng, pretended to go along with Meng Da and then attacked him, and Shen Dan ran Meng Da through. In Liu Feng's biography in the Records, Shen Dan surrendered to Wei around 220 and was moved to live in Nanyang, while Shen Yi was Administrator of Weixing; as for Meng Da's end, the Annals of Emperor Ming record only that Sima Yi beheaded him. Romance, Ch. 94 §45–50Records, Shu 10 §15Records, Wei 3 §7
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.
Belligerents
| Item | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| Factions | Wei | |
| Commanders | Sima Yi | Meng Da |
Factions, commanders, strength and casualties are checked against the source texts (3KDEX). Strength and casualties show only figures stated in the sources. Source: Wei 3 §7
Sub-events and Romance scenes (1)
- Sima Yi Swiftly Captures Meng Da 227~228