| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 糜夫人, 糜夫人, Mí Fūrén |
| Nickname | Mishi (糜氏) |
| Other name | Mi Phu nhân |
| INFORMATION | |
| Birth Place | Ju County, Donghai Commandery, Xu Province (徐州东海郡朐县; huyện Câu, quận Đông Hải, Từ Châu) |
| Died | 208 |
| Death Reason | Novel: threw herself into a well at Changban after an arrow wound while shielding Liu Shan (刘禅, Lưu Thiện) (208 AD). History: death circumstances not securely recorded like the novel scene. |
| FAMILY | |
| Spouse | |
| Relatives | |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Shu Han |
| Battles | Fall of Xu Province (200); Crossing Five Passes escort; Battle of Changban (novel) |
Biography & Historical Record
Lady Mi (糜夫人, Mi Phu nhân) (died 208 AD in the novel) was a noble consort of Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị), founding emperor of Shu Han. She came from Ju County, Donghai Commandery, of the wealthy Mi clan of Xu Province—sister of the statesman Mi Zhu (糜竺, Mi Trúc) and of the officer Mi Fang (糜芳, Mi Phương). Later tradition sometimes uses the personal name Mishi (糜氏); the contemporary histories do not securely record a personal given name.
In 196 AD, after Lu Bu (吕布, Lã Bố) seized Xiapi and left Liu Bei short of men and grain, Mi Zhu pledged retainers and treasure and arranged Lady Mi’s marriage to Liu Bei, stabilizing the household alongside Lady Gan (甘夫人, Cam Phu nhân). Lady Mi shared the later captivities of 198 AD (Xiaopei) and 200 AD (Xu Province / Xuchang), when Guan Yu (关羽, Quan Vũ) protected both ladies and later escorted them on the literary journey Crossing Five Passes and Slaying Six Generals.
In the novel’s climax at Changban (208 AD), she is wounded while shielding the infant Liu Shan (刘禅, Lưu Thiện) (A’Dou). Finding her beside a ruined wall, Zhao Yun (赵云, Triệu Vân) urges her to mount; she refuses so as not to slow his breakout, entrusts the child to him, and throws herself into a well. Zhao Yun covers the well before fighting clear—preserving Shu’s heir. Historically, Lady Mi’s martyrdom at the well is a literary episode; the Mi family alliance and her status as Liu Bei’s consort are the secure historical core.
Related arcs: Crossing Five Passes and Slaying Six Generals (ROTK Ch.26–28); Zhao Yun Rescues A Dou at Dangyang (ROTK Ch.41).
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In Luo Guanzhong’s novel, Lady Mi appears as a virtuous, self-sacrificing consort. Chapter 14 frames her marriage as Mi Zhu’s political gift that rebuilds Liu Bei after Lu Bu’s blow at Xiapi. Chapters 25–27 place her with Lady Gan under Guan Yu’s protection in Xuchang—Cao Cao’s test of lodging them in one chamber, Guan Yu’s all-night torch vigil—and on the five-pass road home. Chapter 41 at Dangyang/Changban is her defining scene: arrow-wounded, she yields A’Dou to Zhao Yun and dies in the well so the general can fight free.
Lady Mi (糜夫人) — Historical & Literary Timeline
Marriage to Liu Bei
Mi Zhu marries his sister to Liu Bei after Lu Bu takes Xiapi; gold, grain, and retainers rebuild Liu Bei’s force.
Captivity at Xiaopei
Captured with Lady Gan when Lu Bu breaks the peace; freed after Cao Cao destroys Lu Bu at Xiapi.
Xuchang and the Five Passes
Taken to Xuchang after Cao Cao overruns Xu Province; protected by Guan Yu and escorted toward Yuan Shao’s camp on the five-pass journey.
Martyrdom at Changban (novel)
Wounded at Dangyang; entrusts infant Liu Shan to Zhao Yun and leaps into a well so Zhao Yun can escape Cao Cao’s cavalry.
For background on the Mi clan and Shu consorts, see related biographies on this site and standard Shu sections of the Records of the Three Kingdoms.
Key Relationships
Family
- Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị) — Husband; married her c. 196 AD as part of the Mi alliance.
- Mi Zhu (糜竺, Mi Trúc) — Elder brother; financed Liu Bei and arranged the marriage.
- Mi Fang (糜芳, Mi Phương) — Brother; later Shu officer who defected to Wu.
- Lady Gan (甘夫人, Cam Phu nhân) — Co-consort; shared captivity and the five-pass escort.
- Liu Shan (刘禅, Lưu Thiện) — Stepson (A’Dou); she dies protecting him in the novel’s Changban episode.
Friends
- Zhao Yun (赵云, Triệu Vân) — Rescuer at Changban; receives A’Dou from her before her suicide.
- Guan Yu (关羽, Quan Vũ) — Protector in Xuchang and escort across the five passes.
- Zhang Fei (张飞, Trương Phi) — Sworn brother of Liu Bei; receives refugees at Changban Bridge in the same arc.
Enemies
- Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo) — Captor in 200 AD; his 208 AD pursuit forces the Changban crisis.
- Lu Bu (吕布, Lã Bố) — Captured her household at Xiapi (196) and Xiaopei (198).
Other
- No information
Zhao Yun Rescues A'Dou at Dangyang[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_9159" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Crossing Five Passes and Slaying Six Generals[/caption]
In Novel
Chapter 14
- Lady Mi (糜夫人, Mi Phu nhân): After Lu Bu (吕布, Lã Bố) seizes Xiapi, her brother Mi Zhu (糜竺, Mi Trúc) marries her to Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị) and funds his recovery with retainers and treasure, placing her beside Lady Gan (甘夫人, Cam Phu nhân) in the household.
Chapter 25
- Lady Mi (糜夫人, Mi Phu nhân): Captured when Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo) takes Xu Province; lodged with Lady Gan under Guan Yu (关羽, Quan Vũ)’s protection in Xuchang. Cao Cao assigns one chamber to test Guan Yu; he stands outside all night with a torch, refusing to compromise the ladies’ honor.
Chapter 26–28
- Lady Mi (糜夫人, Mi Phu nhân): Escorted with Lady Gan by Guan Yu on the journey Crossing Five Passes and Slaying Six Generals, reuniting toward Liu Bei in Yuan Shao’s camp after the passes are forced.
Chapter 41
- Lady Mi (糜夫人, Mi Phu nhân): At Dangyang/Changban she is wounded by an arrow while holding infant Liu Shan (刘禅, Lưu Thiện). Zhao Yun (赵云, Triệu Vân) finds her by a ruined wall; she refuses to mount, gives him A’Dou, and leaps into a well. Zhao Yun buries the well-mouth before fighting clear.
In History
Summary
- Lady Mi (糜夫人, Mi Phu nhân) was a consort of Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị) from the prominent Mi family of Xu Province, sister of Mi Zhu (糜竺, Mi Trúc).
- Her personal name is not securely preserved in early official biographies; novel scenes (five passes escort details; well suicide at Changban) are literary and must be separated from the historical Mi–Liu marriage alliance.
Year: c. 196 AD
- After setbacks against Lu Bu (吕布, Lã Bố), Mi Zhu’s support—including marrying his sister to Liu Bei—helped stabilize Liu Bei’s following in Xu Province.
Year: 200–208 AD
- Liu Bei’s household suffered repeated displacements during Cao Cao’s rise and the Jing Province retreat. Dramatic captivity-and-escort episodes in the novel elaborate a historically unsettled period for Liu Bei’s family.
Historical Record
- Records of the Three Kingdoms (Shu biographies of Liu Bei / Mi Zhu): confirms the Mi family’s wealth and service to Liu Bei and Lady Mi’s status as a consort; does not corroborate the novel’s well martyrdom as documented fact.
- Treat Changban well-suicide and the full five-pass itinerary as Romance narrative unless separately sourced.
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