Lady Zhurong 祝融夫人

In Chapter 90 of the Romance, Zhuge Liang has the soldiers pile up the earth they have brought in bundles into a ramp and takes Sanjiang City, and King Duosi dies amid the confused fighting. At the news that the Shu army has already crossed the river and pitched camp in front of the cave, Meng Huo is thrown into great alarm, whereupon someone comes out from behind a screen laughing loudly and says, 'You, a grown man, how can you be so lacking in wit? Though I am only a woman, I will go out and fight for you.' It is Meng Huo's wife, Lady Zhurong. The Romance records that she was a descendant of the Zhurong clan, who had lived among the Southern Man for generations, and that she was skilled with throwing knives and hit her mark a hundred times out of a hundred. Romance, Ch. 90 §9–12

The lady gladly mounts her horse and, leading several hundred valiant commanders of her clan and 50,000 cave troops, sets out from the palace of Yinkeng, and at the mouth of the cave she meets the Shu commander Zhang Ni. With five throwing knives slung on her back, a long javelin of one zhang eight chi in her hand, and riding a curly-maned Red Hare horse, the lady fights only a few bouts before turning her horse and fleeing; as Zhang Ni gives chase she strikes his left arm with a throwing knife and knocks him from his horse, and the Man troops seize and bind him. Ma Zhong, who comes out to rescue him, is also captured when the horse he is riding trips and falls. Romance, Ch. 90 §12–14

At the banquet Meng Huo holds to celebrate, the lady orders the axe-and-sword men to drag out Zhang Ni and Ma Zhong and behead them, but Meng Huo stops her, saying that Zhuge Liang has released him five times and that killing his commanders would be unrighteous. The lady goes along with this, laughs and drinks. Romance, Ch. 90 §14–15

Zhuge Liang gives plans to Ma Dai, Zhao Yun and Wei Yan. Zhao Yun and Wei Yan take turns challenging her to battle and fleeing in feigned defeat, but the lady does not give chase. But as she is about to return to the cave, Wei Yan and his troops hurl abuse at her, and the lady, enraged, pursues him with her javelin, until on a remote mountain path she is caught by a horse-tripping rope laid by Ma Dai, who is lying in ambush, falls from her horse and is captured. Zhuge Liang has her bonds removed and wine served to her in another tent, and sends an envoy to Meng Huo to exchange the lady for Zhang Ni and Ma Zhong, sending her back to the cave. Meng Huo receives the lady both glad and vexed. Romance, Ch. 90 §16–19

Later, Meng Huo's wife's brother, the Dailai Cave Chief, comes bringing Meng Huo, Lady Zhurong and several hundred members of their clan as captives to present to Zhuge Liang, but Zhuge Liang sees through the false surrender, seizes them all and then releases them again. When Meng Huo is captured by Ma Dai after the battle at Panshe Valley, Lady Zhurong and the whole household are also captured and brought in by Wang Ping and Zhang Yi. Drinking in another tent with Lady Zhurong, Meng You, the Dailai Cave Chief and his clan, Meng Huo hears that he is to be released yet again, and kneels below the tent together with his brothers, wife and children and clan, baring his shoulders to beg forgiveness and saying that he will never rebel again. Romance, Ch. 90 §27–30 · 54–56 · 60–61