| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 孟达, 孟達, Mèng Dá |
| Nickname | Turncoat Strategist |
| Other name | Mạnh Đạt (Meng Zu original name) |
| Courtesy name | 子敬, 子敬, Zǐjìng, Zi Jing, tự Tử Kính |
| INFORMATION | |
| Birth Place | Fufeng Commandery, Sili (司隶右扶风; Hữu Phù Phong, Tư Lệ) |
| Died | 228 |
| Death Reason | Executed by Sima Yi (司马懿, Tư Mã Ý) following the failure of his rebellion at Xincheng (新城; Tân Thành) (228 AD) |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Cao Wei |
| Battles | Conquest of Yi Province, Defense of Shangyong, Rebellion at Shangyong |
Biography & Historical Record
Meng Da (died 228 AD), courtesy name Zijing, originally named Meng Zu, was a military officer and regional commander who served under various warlords, including Liu Zhang, Liu Bei, and Cao Wei, during the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. Born in Fufeng Commandery, Meng Da possessed considerable intelligence, eloquence, and military versatility, but earned a historical reputation as an opportunistic and disloyal figure due to his repeated defections between rival states.
Initially serving Liu Zhang in Yi Province, Meng Da, along with Fa Zheng, conspired to facilitate Liu Bei’s peaceful takeover of the region. Following Liu Bei’s success, Meng Da held several military commands, including prefectural responsibilities alongside Liu Feng at Shangyong. In 219 AD, when Guan Yu faced defeat at Jing Province and requested reinforcements, Meng Da, together with Liu Feng, refused to dispatch aid. Fearing Liu Bei’s severe retribution after Guan Yu’s execution, Meng Da defected to Cao Wei, surrendering Shangyong and taking his troops with him. Under Cao Wei, he was treated with favor by Cao Pi and appointed to govern strategic frontier commanderies. However, following Cao Pi’s death, Meng Da felt insecure and began secret negotiations with Shu Han and Eastern Wu to betray Wei. In 228 AD, before his planned rebellion could fully materialize, Sima Yi launched a swift lightning campaign, surrounded Shangyong, captured Meng Da, and executed him.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In Luo Guanzhong’s epic novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Meng Da is portrayed as an ambitious, opportunistic, and untrustworthy strategist who repeatedly betrays his masters for personal gain. Introduced during Liu Bei’s invasion of Yi Province in Chapter 60, Meng Da acts as an internal agent alongside Fa Zheng to surrender western Sichuan to Liu Bei.
His most infamous betrayal occurs in Chapter 73–76, where he convinces Liu Feng to ignore Guan Yu’s urgent pleas for military rescue, directly sealing Guan Yu’s doom. Fearing Liu Bei’s wrath afterward, Meng Da defects to Wei in Chapter 78. Later in Chapter 94, consumed by ambition and dissatisfaction, Meng Da plots to defect back to Shu Han. However, Sima Yi discovers the conspiracy, launches a lightning-fast military assault against Shangyong, and defeats Meng Da, who is betrayed and killed by his own subordinate Shen Dan, bringing a poetic end to his treacherous career.
Notable Quotes & Famous Sayings
- “Guan Yu has always despised us for our low status; if he survives this campaign and returns, he will surely put us to death. Surrendering to Wei is our only refuge.” — Meng Da persuading Liu Feng not to rescue Guan Yu.
Meng Da (孟達) — Historical & Literary Timeline
Surrendering Yi Province to Liu Bei
Alongside Fa Zheng, Meng Da acts as an internal ally to help Liu Bei secure entry into Yi Province, defecting from Liu Zhang’s administration.
Refusing to Aid Guan Yu and Defecting to Wei
Stationed at Shangyong, Meng Da convinces Liu Feng to withhold reinforcements from Guan Yu. Fearing Liu Bei’s vengeance, Meng Da defected to Cao Wei.
Attempted Re-defection and Execution by Sima Yi
Planning to betray Wei and return to Shu Han, Meng Da hesitates while Sima Yi launches a lightning surprise attack, capturing Shangyong and executing Meng Da.
For detailed historical records, archives, and official chronicles, explore Meng Da on Wikipedia.
Key Relationships
Family
- No information
Friends
- Fa Zheng (法正, Pháp Chính): A fellow official from Yi Province who collaborated with Meng Da to facilitate Liu Bei’s takeover of the region.
- Liu Feng (刘封, Lưu Phong): A fellow commander at Shangyong with whom Meng Da served; Meng Da successfully persuaded him to withhold reinforcements for Guan Yu in 219 AD.
Enemies
- Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị): His former sovereign in Shu Han whom he betrayed by defecting to Cao Wei after failing to support Guan Yu.
- Guan Yu (关羽, Quan Vũ): A Shu general whose defeat and execution were directly caused by Meng Da and Liu Feng’s refusal to provide military aid in 219 AD.
- Sima Yi (司马懿, Tư Mã Ý): The Wei commander who launched a lightning campaign in 228 AD to suppress Meng Da’s planned rebellion, leading to his capture and execution.
- Shen Dan (申耽, Thân Đam): A subordinate officer in Shangyong who betrayed Meng Da during Sima Yi’s siege and was responsible for his death.
Other
- Liu Zhang (刘璋, Lưu Chương): The warlord of Yi Province whom Meng Da originally served before conspiring to surrender the territory to Liu Bei.
- Cao Pi (曹丕, Tào Phi): The Emperor of Wei who granted Meng Da favor and high-ranking positions following his defection from Shu Han.
In Novel
Chapter 60
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt (Meng Zu original name)): Meng Da appears among Liu Bei's officers during the advance into Yi Province and is incorporated into the Shu command structure during the campaign against Liu Zhang.
Chapter 65
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt (Meng Zu original name)): After Liu Bei secures Yi Province, Meng Da is retained among the commanders and officials serving the new Shu administration. He is later entrusted with the frontier command at Shangyong together with Liu Feng.
Chapter 70
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt (Meng Zu original name)): Meng Da serves with Liu Feng during the Hanzhong campaign. He participates in the operations designed to pressure the Wei frontier and supports Liu Bei's effort to secure the strategic approaches around Hanzhong.
Chapter 71
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt (Meng Zu original name)): Zhuge Liang gives Meng Da and Liu Feng 3,000 troops and orders them into the mountain passes to create the appearance of a much larger Shu deployment. They erect numerous banners and move through the difficult terrain, making Wei commanders uncertain about the size and position of Liu Bei's forces.
Chapter 72
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt (Meng Zu original name)): Meng Da remains with Liu Feng during the final phase of the Hanzhong campaign as Liu Bei confronts Cao Cao. Their forces help maintain pressure on the Wei positions while Cao Cao's army is forced to withdraw from Hanzhong.
Chapter 73
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt (Meng Zu original name)): Meng Da and Liu Feng attack Shangyong. Shen Dan surrenders the commandery, and Liu Bei establishes the two as the principal commanders of the newly acquired frontier. Their control of Shangyong later becomes crucial because the territory lies on the route by which help could have been sent to Guan Yu.
Chapter 76
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt (Meng Zu original name)): When Liao Hua arrives at Shangyong begging for troops to rescue Guan Yu at Maicheng, Meng Da argues that the situation is hopeless. He points out that Wu controls Jingzhou and that Cao Cao is also concentrating a huge army nearby, while Shangyong is only a newly acquired mountain territory with limited forces. He persuades Liu Feng to refuse the request for relief, a decision that becomes one of the central causes of Liu Bei's later anger toward him.
Chapter 77
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt (Meng Zu original name)): After Guan Yu's capture and death, Meng Da remains at Shangyong. Liu Bei's court begins discussing punishment for the failure to send aid. Meng Da realizes that his earlier service is no longer enough to protect him and becomes increasingly afraid that Liu Bei will kill him.
Chapter 79
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt (Meng Zu original name)): After Liu Bei orders Liu Feng transferred away from Shangyong and prepares to deal with Meng Da, Meng Da consults Shen Dan and Shen Yi. Shen Dan proposes that the brothers secretly intend to defect to Wei and advises Meng Da to submit a letter resigning from Liu Bei's service and surrender to Cao Pi. Meng Da accepts the plan and leaves Shu with more than fifty cavalry. Cao Pi rewards him with high office and makes him Administrator of Xincheng. Later in the same chapter, Meng Da writes to Liu Feng and attempts to persuade him to surrender, but Liu Feng tears up the letter and kills the messenger. Meng Da then defeats Liu Feng in the opening exchange of their battle before Xiahou Shang and Xu Huang intervene.
Chapter 85
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt (Meng Zu original name)): After the fall of Liu Bei's northern strategy and the beginning of Liu Shan's reign, Meng Da is now firmly established as a Wei frontier commander. Wei uses him as one of the external forces that could threaten Shu during a future multi-front invasion.
Chapter 86
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt (Meng Zu original name)): Wei continues to regard Meng Da as a strategically useful frontier commander because of his control of Xincheng and his former knowledge of Shu. His position becomes the basis for later communication between him and Zhuge Liang.
Chapter 94
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt (Meng Zu original name)): Zhuge Liang secretly writes to Meng Da and encourages him to rebel against Wei. Meng Da agrees to the plan and recruits Shen Dan and Shen Yi as apparent supporters. However, the two brothers secretly intend to help Sima Yi. Meng Da prepares to seize control and restore his position in Shu, unaware that Sima Yi has already learned of the conspiracy.
Chapter 95
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt (Meng Zu original name)): Sima Yi marches rapidly to Xincheng and surrounds the city before Meng Da can begin the rebellion. Meng Da initially hopes Shen Dan and Shen Yi are arriving as reinforcements and opens the gates to attack, only to discover that they have betrayed him. Li Fu and Deng Xian also open the city against him. Meng Da attempts to escape, but he is exhausted and isolated; Shen Dan catches him and kills him with a spear, then cuts off his head. The remaining troops surrender, and Cao Rui orders Meng Da's head displayed publicly in Luoyang.
In History
Summary
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt), courtesy name Zidu, was a military commander who served Liu Zhang, Liu Bei, Wei, and briefly attempted to return to Shu.
Year: 219 AD
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt) abandoned Liu Bei's service and surrendered to Wei together with the loss of Shangyong.
Year: 228 AD
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt) planned to rebel against Wei and restore his alliance with Shu, but Sima Yi (司马懿, Tư Mã Ý) moved rapidly against him.
Year: 228 AD
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt) was captured and executed after the failure of his rebellion.
Historical Record
- Meng Da (孟达, Mạnh Đạt) was a real historical commander whose repeated changes of allegiance are well documented.
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