Historical Record
Concerning Dailai Dongzhu, there is no explicit record in the official Records of the Three Kingdoms or related sources. No figure named "Dailai Dongzhu" is mentioned in the verifiable historical documents, nor is there any record of his involvement in the affairs of Meng Huo or the campaigns in Nanzhong. Therefore, from a historiographical standpoint, Dailai Dongzhu is not a real historical figure.
In the Novel
In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Dailai Dongzhu is the brother-in-law of Meng Huo, king of the southern barbarians—that is, Meng Huo's wife's brother, his royal kinsman. He appears in the capacity of a chieftain of the Eight Tribes and serves as an important counselor and trusted aide to Meng Huo. After Meng Huo had been repeatedly defeated by Zhuge Liang, Dailai Dongzhu actively devised schemes for him, seeking to turn the tide of the war. He first recommended to Meng Huo King Mulu, chieftain of the Bana Cave in the southwest, saying that he was "deeply versed in magic arts: he rides forth on an elephant, can summon wind and call rain, and is always attended by tigers, leopards, jackals and wolves, venomous serpents and noxious scorpions. Under his command are thirty thousand divine soldiers, exceedingly brave and fierce." Meng Huo, hearing this, was greatly pleased and sent Dailai Dongzhu in person to invite King Mulu to come forth and aid him. This shows Dailai Dongzhu's standing within Meng Huo's faction and Meng Huo's trust in him. After King Mulu was defeated by Zhuge Liang, Meng Huo once again fell into difficulty, and Dailai Dongzhu put forward a new scheme. He advised Meng Huo to turn to the country of Wuge, seven hundred li to the southeast, and seek the help of its king Wutugu. Dailai Dongzhu described Wutugu and his rattan-armor troops in detail, saying that he was "one zhang and two in height, ate not the five grains but lived on live snakes and savage beasts; his body was covered with scales, which blades and arrows could not pierce. His soldiers all wore rattan armor; the rattan grows in mountain ravines, coiling over the cliffs; the people gather it and soak it in oil for half a year before taking it out to dry in the sun; once dried it is soaked again, more than ten times in all, and only then is it made into armor; worn on the body, it does not sink when crossing rivers, stays dry in water, and blades and arrows cannot enter it—hence it is called the rattan-armor army." This description greatly heightened the mystery and combat power of Wutugu and his army, and prompted Meng Huo to resolve to go to Wuge to seek aid. In the novel, Dailai Dongzhu plays the role of Meng Huo's brain trust; his advice directly influenced Meng Huo's subsequent military actions and indirectly drove the development of the Nanzhong campaign plotline. It must be noted, however, that the figure of Dailai Dongzhu, along with the King Mulu and Wutugu whom he recommended, are all literary inventions of Romance of the Three Kingdoms with no basis in history.
Key Relationships
* Meng Huo (kin_of): Dailai Dongzhu is the brother-in-law of Meng Huo, king of the southern barbarians—his royal kinsman. This kinship gave him a relatively high standing and voice within Meng Huo's faction, allowing him to take direct part in Meng Huo's military decisions and strategic dispositions. Meng Huo trusted him greatly, repeatedly adopting his advice and assigning him important tasks, such as going to the Bana Cave to invite King Mulu forth. (novel only)
Iconic Scenes
* Recommending King Mulu: When Meng Huo, repeatedly defeated, had grown disheartened, Dailai Dongzhu stepped forward and recommended to him King Mulu, the chieftain of the Bana Cave, who was skilled in magic arts. He described in detail King Mulu's extraordinary powers, including riding an elephant into battle, summoning wind and calling rain, and commanding "divine soldiers" attended by tigers, leopards, jackals and wolves, venomous serpents and noxious scorpions, greatly raising Meng Huo's morale. This scene displays Dailai Dongzhu's role as Meng Huo's brain trust and lays the groundwork for the magical showdown to come. (novel only)
* Proposing the plan to seek Wuge: When King Mulu too had been defeated by Zhuge Liang, Dailai Dongzhu again exercised his role as counselor, introducing to Meng Huo Wutugu, king of the country of Wuge, and his blade- and spear-proof rattan-armor troops. He vividly described the unique craftsmanship and extraordinary defensive power of the rattan armor, so that Meng Huo rekindled his hope of defeating the Shu army and resolved to go to Wuge for aid. This scene not only advanced the plot but also set the stage for the famous burning of the rattan-armor troops in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. (novel only)
Relationships
2 relationships
Family1
Other1
Quotes
4 recorded lines · 2 featured
「吾舉一人，可破諸葛亮。」
This line shows the arrogant, self-important character of Dailai Dongzhu, foreshadowing later developments.
「此去東南七百里，有一國，名烏戈國。國主兀突骨，身長丈二，不食五谷，以生蛇惡獸為飯；身有鱗甲，刀箭不能侵。其手下軍士，俱穿籐甲；其籐生於山澗之中，盤於石壁之上；國人採取，浸於油中，半年方取出曬之；曬乾復浸，凡十餘遍，卻纔造成鎧甲；穿在身上，渡江不沉，經水不濕，刀箭皆不能入：因此號為籐甲軍。今大王可往求之。若得彼相助，擒諸葛亮如利刀破竹也。」
It describes in detail the peculiarities of the rattan-armored troops, a classic fantastical element in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
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- 演ch.90
Relationship timeline1 条 ▸
演 ch.90
- Meng Huo§2
kin_of
孟获妻弟，献策求救木鹿大王
Inner monologues · AI-generated1 段 ▸
- I am Meng Huo’s wife’s younger brother, and a chief of the eight tribes. I remember that, at the time, more than a thous