Meng Da

Historical Record

Meng Da, styled Zijing, was a man of Fufeng. His father Meng Tuo had once bribed the Regular Palace Attendant Zhang Rang with a clever scheme and thereby obtained the post of Inspector of Liang Province. In his youth Meng Da entered Shu and at first served under Liu Zhang. In the nineteenth year of the Jian'an era (214), Liu Zhang sent Meng Da and Fa Zheng, each leading two thousand troops, to welcome Liu Bei into Shu, whereupon Liu Bei ordered Meng Da to command his force and remain to garrison Jiangling^[1]. After Shu was pacified, Meng Da was appointed Administrator of Yidu.

In the twenty-fourth year of the Jian'an era (219), Liu Bei ordered Meng Da to attack Fangling to the north, and Kuai Qi, Administrator of Fangling, was killed by Meng Da's subordinates. Meng Da prepared to advance further to attack Shangyong, but Liu Bei, fearing that Meng Da could not hold his own alone, sent Liu Feng down the Mian River from Hanzhong to command Meng Da's army, and they joined together at Shangyong. Shen Dan, Administrator of Shangyong, led his men to surrender and sent his wife, children, and clan to Chengdu. Liu Bei conferred upon Shen Dan the rank of General Who Conquers the North, still administering Shangyong, and made Shen Dan's younger brother Shen Yi General Who Establishes Trust and Administrator of Xicheng, while Liu Feng was appointed Deputy Army General^[1].

That same year, Guan Yu besieged Fancheng and Xiangyang and repeatedly sought reinforcements from Liu Feng and Meng Da, but the two refused to send troops on the grounds that the mountain commanderies had only recently submitted and the people's hearts were not yet settled, so it was not convenient to mobilize. After Guan Yu's defeat, Liu Bei was deeply displeased by this. Moreover, there had long been ill feeling between Liu Feng and Meng Da, and Liu Feng had once seized Meng Da's band of drummers and pipers. Meng Da, both fearing punishment and resenting Liu Feng, thereupon submitted a memorial taking leave of Liu Bei and led his followers to surrender to Cao Wei^[1].

Emperor Wen of Cao Wei, Cao Pi, greatly admired Meng Da's bearing and talent, appointing him Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary and General Who Establishes Valor, and enfeoffing him as Marquis of Pingyang Village. Cao Pi also merged the three commanderies of Fangling, Shangyong, and Xicheng into Xincheng Commandery, with Meng Da as Administrator of Xincheng, entrusting him with the important charge of the southwestern frontier^[1]. Emperor Wen once personally rode in the same carriage with Meng Da and jokingly asked whether he was an assassin sent by Liu Bei, which shows his trust in and high regard for Meng Da^[2]. However, after Emperor Wen died, Meng Da, having long been posted on the frontier, and with his old friends Huan Jie, Xiahou Shang, and others passing away one after another, felt uneasy at heart. Learning of this, Zhuge Liang secretly enticed Meng Da to defect, and the two exchanged letters many times^[2]. Shen Yi, Administrator of Weixing, who had a long-standing feud with Meng Da, secretly reported to the Wei emperor that Meng Da was in covert communication with Shu Han, but the Wei emperor at first did not believe it. Sima Yi sent the army adviser Liang Ji to investigate and to urge Meng Da to come to court. Meng Da was thus alarmed and finally raised troops in revolt^[2]. In the twelfth month of the first year of the Taihe era (227), Meng Da rebelled, and the Wei emperor issued an edict ordering the General of Agile Cavalry Sima Yi to go and suppress him; in the end Meng Da was beheaded^[2]. Because Meng Da's heart held no sincerity, Zhuge Liang did not come to his aid^[3].

In the Novel

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Meng Da's image is given more drama and inconstancy. He first appears when Liu Zhang sent him together with Fa Zheng to welcome Liu Bei into Shu^[4]. In the novel, Meng Da, Fa Zheng, and Zhang Song secretly conspired together, considering Liu Zhang incompetent and resolving to offer Yi Province to Liu Bei, with Meng Da leading five thousand elite troops to welcome Xuande from afar^[5]. This is largely consistent with the historical account of Meng Da, as a subordinate of Liu Zhang, welcoming Liu Bei into Shu, but the novel emphasizes his active proposing of the scheme and his leanings toward Liu Bei.

Subsequently, Meng Da together with Huo Jun garrisoned Jiameng Pass. Facing the assault of Zhang He, Meng Da advocated meeting the enemy head-on and as a result was badly defeated and returned, while Huo Jun insisted on holding firm^[6]. This episode has no clear basis in the historical record and serves mainly to shape character and advance the plot.

Meng Da's reasons for defecting to Wei are depicted in detail in the novel as arising from his conflict with Liu Feng and his suspicion of Liu Bei. When Guan Yu was trapped at Maicheng, Liao Hua sought aid from Liu Feng and Meng Da; Meng Da not only refused to send troops but also persuaded Liu Feng not to rescue him, on the grounds that Guan Yu might not acknowledge Liu Feng's status as an "adopted son," and that the mountain town had only newly submitted and should not be moved rashly^[7]. This act directly led to Guan Yu's destruction and laid the groundwork for Liu Feng's execution by Liu Bei. When Liu Feng was recalled to Mianzhu, Meng Da, learning that Liu Bei intended to do him harm, conferred with the brothers Shen Dan and Shen Yi and finally decided to defect to Cao Wei^[8]. After Cao Pi received Meng Da, Liu Feng led troops to attack him; Meng Da laid a scheme to lure Liu Feng into an ambush and, joining forces with Xiahou Shang and Xu Huang, defeated Liu Feng, which ultimately led to Liu Feng being executed by Liu Bei^[9]. In the historical record these matters appear only as the brief notice that "Feng and Da quarreled and were not in harmony"^[1], but the novel renders it as the direct cause of Meng Da's defection and Liu Feng's death.

During Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions, the novel shows several exchanges of letters between Meng Da and Zhuge Liang. Meng Da intended to raise a rising at Xincheng in support of Shu Han, but Zhuge Liang, well aware of Sima Yi's formidableness, warned Meng Da to be careful^[10]. Meng Da, however, relying on the strength of Xincheng and believing that Sima Yi was far away at Wancheng and could not arrive in time to relieve, paid no heed to Zhuge Liang's warning^[11]. In the end, Sima Yi arrived at Xincheng with the speed of a thunderclap, and Meng Da, caught off guard, lamented, "It is just as Kongming foresaw!"^[12], and was finally defeated and killed. In the historical record this episode only mentions that Zhuge Liang enticed Meng Da to defect, without detailing the process and dialogue^[3]; through these details the novel further highlights Zhuge Liang's cunning and Meng Da's arrogance.

Key Relationships

* Liu Zhang's faction (serves): Meng Da was at first a subordinate of Liu Zhang and was once ordered to welcome Liu Bei into Shu^[4].
* Liu Bei's faction (serves, defected_from): Meng Da submitted after Liu Bei entered Shu and campaigned with him, serving as Administrator of Yidu. Later he defected out of discord with Liu Feng and fear of punishment^[1].
* Liu Feng (quarreled and out of harmony): There was serious conflict between Meng Da and Liu Feng; Liu Feng had once seized Meng Da's band of drummers and pipers, which directly led Meng Da to harbor resentment and surrender to Cao Wei^[1]. In the novel, Meng Da moreover refused to rescue Guan Yu and schemed to defeat Liu Feng, hastening Liu Feng's death^[7],^[9].
* Cao Wei (defected_to): After Meng Da surrendered to Cao Wei, he was highly regarded by Cao Pi, appointed Administrator of Xincheng and entrusted with the important charge of the southwestern frontier^[1].
* Cao Pi (high regard): Cao Pi greatly admired Meng Da's talent and bearing, once rode in the same carriage with him, and enfeoffed him as Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary, General Who Establishes Valor, and Marquis of Pingyang Village^[1].
* Zhuge Liang (enticement to defect): Zhuge Liang once tried to entice Meng Da to defect, exploiting his conflict with Cao Wei, but in the end, because Meng Da's heart held no sincerity, did not come to his aid^[3]. In the novel, Zhuge Liang precisely foresaw Meng Da's revolt^[10].
* Sima Yi (suppression): Sima Yi was the Wei general ordered to suppress Meng Da; he finally beheaded Meng Da and put down his revolt^[2].
* Shen Dan, Shen Yi (cooperation, then betrayal): When Meng Da attacked Shangyong, Shen Dan once led his men to surrender to Liu Bei. In the novel, the brothers Shen Dan and Shen Yi feigned cooperation with Meng Da in revolting against Wei, but were in fact informers within, which ultimately led to Meng Da's defeat^[12] (novel only).

Signature Scenes

* Surrender to Cao Wei: Out of his conflict with Liu Feng and his fear of Liu Bei, Meng Da submitted a memorial taking leave of Liu Bei and led his men to surrender to Cao Wei, where he was favored and given important employment by Cao Pi^[1]. This event was a major turning point in Meng Da's political career, and embodies his fickle character.
* Refusing to rescue Guan Yu: In the novel, when Guan Yu was besieged at Maicheng, Meng Da and Liu Feng refused to send troops to his rescue, leading to Guan Yu's final defeat and death^[7]. This episode profoundly affected the fate of Shu Han and shows the selfish and shortsighted side of Meng Da (novel only).
* The revolt at Xincheng: After Emperor Wen of Cao Wei died, Meng Da, uneasy at heart, secretly communicated with Zhuge Liang and finally raised troops in revolt at Xincheng^[2]. However, because of Sima Yi's swift response, Meng Da's revolt was quickly put down, and he himself was beheaded^[2]. This event was the last major choice of Meng Da's life, and confirmed his fickle end.
* Conflict with Liu Feng: The quarrel and discord between Meng Da and Liu Feng—Liu Feng having once seized Meng Da's band of drummers and pipers—was an important reason for Meng Da's defection to Wei^[1]. In the novel, Meng Da moreover schemed to defeat Liu Feng, indirectly causing his execution by Liu Bei, displaying his vindictive character (novel only)^[9].
* Sima Yi's foresight: In the novel, Zhuge Liang once foretold that Meng Da was no match for Sima Yi and urged him to be cautious, but Meng Da paid no heed and was finally defeated swiftly by Sima Yi, confirming Zhuge Liang's far-sighted insight^[10],^[12] (novel only).