Zhuge Liang catches Meng Huo twice more with hardly any effort.

* Transcript

* Map of Key Locations (still the same map as episode 110)

* Graph of Key Characters and Relationships

Transcript

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Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms Podcast. This is episode 112.

Last time, Zhuge Liang’s forces had sneaked across the River Lu (2) to cut off the supply line of the barbarian king Meng Huo. At the same time, some of Meng Huo’s own men, led by the general Dong (2) Tuna (2,4), had decided that they would much rather surrender to Zhuge Liang than to keep following their brutish king, who seemed destined for defeat anyway. So about a hundred of them headed to Meng Huo’s tent to capture him.

When they got there, they found an unexpected present: Meng Huo had drunken himself into a stupor and was passed out in his tent. As Dong Tuna and company approached, they saw two guards standing outside the tent.

“You both have benefitted from Prime Minister Zhuge’s kindness in sparing your lives,” Dong Tuna said to the guards as he pointed with his knife. “This is your chance to repay him.”

“General, you don’t need to lift a finger; we will capture Meng Huo and offer him to the prime minister,” the guards told him.

So they all stormed into Meng Huo’s tent, and the inebriated king was easily subdued and bound. They then took their prisoner to the riverbank, where they hopped on some boats and headed to the north shore, sending word on ahead to let Zhuge Liang know that they were coming with a little present for him. And just like that, Meng Huo had fallen into Zhuge Liang’s hands again.

 

Zhuge Liang was well aware of what had been transpiring, thanks to his spy network. He ordered his troops to stand ready and then instructed the tribal leaders to bring Meng Huo in, while the rest of the defectors were told to go back to their own camps to wait for word. Dong Tuna went in first and explained what happened, and Zhuge Liang rewarded him with gifts and kind words and sent him and the rest of the tribal leaders on their way.

Once they were gone, a couple executioners dragged Meng Huo into the tent, and Zhuge Liang couldn’t help but smile.

“You gave me your word: If you get captured again, you would willingly submit. So what now?” Zhuge Liang asked his prisoner.

“You had nothing to do with this!” Meng Huo scoffed. “This was treason by my own people. How can I be willing to submit because of this?”

“What if I let you go again?” Zhuge Liang said, probably much to the chagrin and incredulity of his own men.

“I may be a barbarian, but I also understand the art of war,” Meng Huo said, and I just love that the novel is so prejudiced against the Nan Man people that it would have their king refer to himself as a barbarian. “If you would let me go, then I will lead my forces to settle things with you again. If you capture me this time, then I will wholeheartedly surrender and will never dare to waver.”

“Fine,” Zhuge Liang said. “But if you still refuse to surrender the next time I catch you, you will get it good.”

So Zhuge Liang ordered the guards to untie Meng Huo and then offered him food, wine, and a seat in the tent, like he was some visiting head of state dropping by for a friendly get-together. During the course of their exchange, Zhuge Liang said,