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Meng Da, son of Meng Ta, governor of Liangzhou during the Eastern Han Dynasty, was originally named Zijing, but later changed his name to Zidu to avoid the taboo of Liu Bei's uncle. He was from Pingling County, Youfufeng, and was a general during the Three Kingdoms period.

Meng Da entered Shu at a young age and initially served as a general under Liu Zhang, the governor of Yizhou. After Liu Zhang's death, he joined Liu Bei, who appointed him as the governor of Yidu.

In the 24th year of Jian'an in the Eastern Han Dynasty (219 AD), Liu Bei sent Meng Da north from Zigui to attack Fangling. Later, Meng Da, out of hatred for his colleague Liu Feng's bullying and fear of being punished for not rescuing Guan Yu, led his troops to surrender to Cao Wei the following year.

Cao Pi appreciated Meng Da's talent, so he appointed him as a Gentleman Attendant and General Jianwu, and enfeoffed him as the Marquis of Pingyang. At the same time, he merged the three commanderies of Fangling, Shangyong, and Xicheng into Xincheng Commandery and appointed Meng Da as the Prefect of Xincheng.

Zhuge Liang, the Chancellor of Shu Han, hated Meng Da for betraying Liu Bei and worried that he would become a future threat. So he wrote to Meng Da many times to persuade him to surrender. At the same time, Zhuge Liang took advantage of the discord between Meng Da and Shen Yi, the Prefect of Weixing, and sent someone to pretend to surrender to Cao Wei and persuade Meng Da to return to Shu.

After the news leaked, Meng Da decided to raise an army. Emperor Cao Rui of Wei then dispatched General Sima Yi to lead troops to suppress the rebellion. At the same time, Sima Yi sent a large force to block the Wu and Shu armies that were trying to rescue Meng Da.

Soon after, Sima Yi crossed the river, broke through the barricades, and launched an eight-pronged attack on Shangyong City. He fought fiercely with Meng Da's army for sixteen days. Later, Sima Yi lured Meng Da's nephew Deng Xian and his general Li Fu to open the city gates and surrender.

After the city fell, Meng Da retreated to Xunyang, where he was besieged by the Wei army for six days. Due to the exhaustion of food supplies, he was defeated and killed. He was beheaded by Sima Yi and sent to Luoyang. His body was buried by his subordinates on the hillside north of Xunyang County.

Meng Da was from Pingling County, Youfufeng. From a young age, he was shrewd and strong, courageous and insightful. As an adult, he was tall and strong, with extraordinary strength, and was also extremely well-versed in literature and history. He went to Shu in his youth and initially served under Liu Zhang, the governor of Yizhou.

In the sixteenth year of Jian'an in the Eastern Han Dynasty (211 AD), when Liu Bei entered Shu, Liu Zhang sent Meng Da and Fa Zheng to each lead an army of two thousand men to welcome Liu Bei. Liu Bei ordered Meng Da to command this army and leave it to garrison Jiangling.

After Liu Zhang was defeated by Liu Bei, Meng Da was appointed Prefect of Yidu. In the 24th year of Jian'an (219 AD), Meng Da attacked Fangling from Zigui in the north. The Prefect of Fangling, Kuai Qi, was killed by Meng Da's soldiers.
After Fangling was captured, Meng Da continued his attack on Shangyong. Liu Bei was secretly worried that Meng Da was not capable of leading an army independently, so he sent his adopted son Liu Feng from Hanzhong down the Mian River to take command of Meng Da's army.
Together with Meng Da, they attacked the Shangyong region. Shen Dan, the former governor of Shangyong, surrendered to Meng Da with his troops and sent his wife and clan to Chengdu.

In August of the 24th year of Jian'an in the Eastern Han Dynasty (219 AD), Liu Bei sent his general Guan Yu to attack Fancheng and Xiangyang. Guan Yu repeatedly requested Liu Feng and Meng Da to send troops to assist him.
However, Liu Feng and Meng Da refused to aid Guan Yu, citing the fact that Shangyong and other places had just been reclaimed and were not yet stable. Soon after, Guan Yu was defeated by the Wei-Wu allied forces, and Liu Bei thus harbored resentment towards Meng Da.

Fearing punishment from Liu Bei, and also because of his long-standing feud with Liu Feng and the fact that Liu Feng had revoked Meng Da's privileges such as music and drums, Meng Da submitted a memorial to Liu Bei to bid farewell. In the 25th year of Jian'an, he led more than 4,000 households of his followers to surrender to Cao Wei.

After Meng Da surrendered to Cao Wei, Cao Pi, the ruler of Wei, appreciated Meng Da's appearance and talent. He appointed him as a Gentleman Attendant and General Jianwu, and enfeoffed him as the Marquis of Pingyang. At the same time, Cao Pi combined the three commanderies of Fangling, Shangyong, and Xicheng into Xincheng, and appointed Meng Da as the Prefect of Xincheng, entrusting him with important responsibilities in the southwest.

Soon after, Meng Da was ordered to attack Liu Feng along with General Xiahou Shang and General Xu Huang. Meng Da wrote to Liu Feng, urging him to surrender, but Liu Feng refused.
Later, Shen Yi betrayed Liu Feng, leading to his defeat. After Liu Feng fled back to Chengdu, he was reprimanded by Liu Bei for bullying Meng Da and failing to rescue Guan Yu.

At the same time, Zhuge Liang believed that Liu Feng was too fierce and might be difficult to control after the new emperor ascended the throne. Therefore, he advised Liu Bei to order Liu Feng to commit suicide. Before his death, Liu Feng regretted not listening to Meng Da's advice.

In the seventh year of the Huangchu era of Wei (226 AD), Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi, died, and important ministers such as Xiahou Shang and Xu Huang, who were close to Meng Da, also died one after another. At this time, Meng Da thought that he had been on the front line for a long time and held a large army, but no one in the court helped him. He felt very uneasy, so he wanted to unite with Wu and Shu to plot against the Central Plains.

Zhuge Liang, the Chancellor of Shu Han, disliked Meng Da's fickle nature, but also worried that he would become a hidden danger to the Shu Han regime. He learned that Meng Da had a conflict with Shen Yi, the Prefect of Weixing.

So Zhuge Liang secretly sent someone to lure him away, and then used the "borrowed knife to kill" strategy. He had his subordinate Guo Mo pretend to surrender to Wei and deliberately report Meng Da's collusion with Shu to Shen Yi. When Meng Da learned that his plot had been exposed, he decided to raise an army.

Cao Rui wrote a letter to reassure Meng Da while simultaneously ordering General Sima Yi to launch a swift attack.

In the early part of the second year of the Taihe era of the Wei Dynasty (228 AD), just as Meng Da was hesitating because of a letter from Emperor Ming, Sima Yi led his troops from Wan County to Shangyong after eight days and nights of travel.

Both Wu and Shu dispatched troops to Xicheng Anqiao and Mulansai to rescue Meng Da, while Sima Yi sent his generals to resist.

Shangyong County was surrounded by water on three sides, and Meng Da had set up wooden palisades outside the city to defend against the enemy. After crossing the water, Sima Yi broke through the palisades and advanced directly to the city, launching an eight-pronged attack. After sixteen days of fierce fighting, Sima Yi lured Meng Da's nephew Deng Xian and his general Li Fu to open the gates and surrender.

Meng Da was killed after the city fell, and his head was sent to the capital Luoyang and burned at the crossroads. His body was buried by his subordinates on the hillside north of Xunyang County.

Meng Da had a son named Meng Xing, who once served as a military advisor. In the first year of the Xianxi era of the Northern Wei Dynasty, he was relocated back to Youfufeng.

In the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an, Meng Da led his troops to capture Shangyong and achieved successive victories, but at a critical moment he chose to surrender to Cao Wei.

Years later, he secretly communicated with Zhuge Liang and betrayed him again, ultimately being killed by Sima Yi.

Why was this exceptionally capable and insightful general so fickle? Behind his repeated betrayals, was it strategy or helplessness?
Meng Da, a native of Pingling, Fufeng, joined Liu Zhang, the governor of Yizhou, with Fa Zheng in his youth, thus beginning his official career.

Under Liu Zhang's rule, Meng Da, despite his abilities, was not given important responsibilities.

It wasn't until the sixteenth year of Jian'an (208 AD), when Liu Zhang invited Liu Bei to enter Shu to resist Zhang Lu, that Meng Da finally got his chance.

Liu Zhang ordered Fa Zheng and Meng Da to lead troops to welcome Liu Bei. Meng Da performed exceptionally well and successfully attracted Liu Bei's attention.

After Liu Bei pacified Yizhou, he left Meng Da to guard Jiangling, and later appointed him as the Prefect of Yidu, responsible for guarding the important Jingzhou region. It was then that Meng Da began to show his talent and his abilities were recognized.

In the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an, Guan Yu attacked Fancheng, and the situation was very favorable. Liu Bei ordered Liu Feng, who was stationed in Shangyong, and Meng Da to lead troops to support him.

Guan Yu's request for help was rejected. Liu Feng and Meng Da declined to send troops, citing the reason that "the counties have just been annexed and the troops are insufficient."

This decision directly led to Guan Yu's defeat, the loss of Jingzhou, and his eventual capture and execution by Eastern Wu.

When the news reached Chengdu, Liu Bei was furious. Not only had he lost Jingzhou, but the death of Guan Yu was even more unbearable for him.

Liu Bei blamed Liu Feng and Meng Da and decided to punish them severely. Meng Da felt that he was in a difficult situation and realized that Liu Bei would not let him off easily.

Liu Feng was Liu Bei's adopted son, whose status was far higher than his own. In comparison, his own safety was much more precarious.

Prior to this, Meng Da and Liu Feng had an extremely tense relationship.

Meng Da came from a poor family and was proud of his talent. He longed to make contributions to Shu Han, but Liu Feng, as his adopted son, often placed himself above Meng Da and even bossed him around.

During the Battle of Shangyong, Liu Feng seized Meng Da's musical instruments, escalating the conflict between the two and leaving Meng Da filled with resentment.

He once submitted a memorial to Liu Bei to complain, but received no response, which made him resentful of Liu Bei's favoritism.

Faced with Liu Feng's aggression and Liu Bei's fury, Meng Da realized that Shu Han was no longer a safe haven for him and began to plot to find a new ally, turning his attention to Cao Wei.

Meng Da secretly contacted Cao Wei and wrote a letter to Cao Pi expressing his willingness to surrender to Wei.

In the letter, he said, "Having suffered the humiliation of Liu Feng and fearing the wrath of Your Majesty, I wish to surrender with all my troops in order to save myself." The letter mentioned both Liu Feng's oppression and his own anxiety about the future of Shu Han.

Cao Pi was overjoyed upon receiving the news and was looking for an opportunity to counter Shu Han. Meng Da's surrender was undoubtedly a good opportunity.

They then sent an envoy to meet Meng Da and promised him generous treatment.

Meng Da then led more than 4,000 families of his followers to defect to Cao Wei, taking with him the three commanderies of Fangling, Shangyong, and Xicheng. This move directly weakened Shu Han's defenses on the border.

After surrendering, Cao Pi personally received him and praised him as "possessing both wisdom and courage".

He was appointed as a Gentleman Attendant at the Palace Gate and General Jianwu, and was granted the title of Marquis of Pingyang. He also served as the Prefect of Xincheng, overseeing the affairs of the three commanderies. Cao Pi designated Xincheng Commandery as a strategically important location, granting Meng Da a high degree of autonomy and regarding it as a crucial pillar of the southwestern defense line.

Meng Da quickly established his own power in Cao Wei.

By befriending high-ranking officials Huan Jie and Xiahou Shang, Meng Da gained their trust and was given important positions. At this time, Meng Da found a new stage and successfully consolidated his position.

Meng Da's position in Cao Wei seemed secure, but Cao Pi's death caused him to lose an important patron.

After Cao Rui ascended the throne, he showed a certain degree of estrangement and indifference towards Meng Da.

Meng Da's power was gradually waning, and under these circumstances, he began to reassess his situation and regain interest in Zhuge Liang's Shu Han.

Zhuge Liang corresponded with Meng Da on several occasions, urging him to return to Shu.

The letter provided a detailed analysis of Shu Han's strategic advantages and promised that if Meng Da returned, he would be given a high-ranking official position and generous rewards.

Zhuge Liang's words moved Meng Da, who replied, "Although I surrendered to Wei, I have never forgotten my roots." At this point, Meng Da's resolve wavered, and he began to plan his return to Shu after defeating Wei.

Meng Da's plan to betray Wei was quietly unfolding.

They secretly trained soldiers, strengthened city defenses, and made an agreement with Zhuge Liang to coordinate internal and external efforts when Shu Han launched its Northern Expedition.

In order to cover up his plans, he continued to perform his duties diligently on the surface, reporting his achievements in governing the new city to the court. Some of his actions gradually aroused the suspicion of Shen Yi, the governor of Weixing.

Shen Yi and Meng Da had a long-standing feud. Upon learning that Meng Da was exchanging letters with Shu Han, Shen Yi immediately submitted a memorial to denounce him.

Upon learning of this, Sima Yi concluded that Meng Da indeed harbored treacherous intentions and decided to immediately send troops to eliminate him.

Sima Yi dispatched a large army, which marched at a speed of eight days to reach Xincheng, attempting to eliminate Meng Da with lightning speed.

When Meng Da received the news, it was less than three days before Sima Yi's army arrived.

He hastily reinforced the city's defenses and mustered troops to fight, but internal divisions made it difficult for him to rally morale.

Generals Deng Xian and Li Fu, among others, who were dissatisfied with Meng Da's usual conduct, chose to surrender.

Sima Yi successfully captured Xincheng and took Meng Da to his camp.

When Meng Da tried to defend himself to his former colleague, Sima Yi showed no mercy and ordered him to be beheaded and his head to be sent to Luoyang for public display.

Meng Da's plan to betray Wei was completely thwarted at this moment.

On the surface, Meng Da's betrayals throughout his life appeared to be fickle, but upon closer examination of his motives, each choice had a profound background and reason.

His first defection from Shu to Wei was the result of internal pressure within Shu Han.

It was not a proactive rebellion against Shu, but rather a forced choice that led them to select what they perceived as a safer path.

Meng Da's second betrayal of Wei and alliance with Shu was a reassessment of his own situation. However, he did not expect that Shen Yi's betrayal and Sima Yi's ruthless methods would lead to the destruction of this plan.

Meng Da's betrayal was, in essence, a self-preservation strategy of a small figure in a chaotic world.

They wanted to pursue a bigger stage, but they couldn't escape the complex political environment and their own short-sighted mentality.

This repetition and contradiction became the hallmark of his life.

Judging from Meng Da's resume, he was indeed an outstanding general.

Under Liu Bei, he led his troops to capture Fangling and Shangyong, expanding the territory of Shu Han.

During the Cao Wei period, he served as the governor of Xincheng, where he stabilized the situation in the three commanderies and maintained good relations with local gentry, demonstrating outstanding administrative abilities.

Sima Yi's evaluation of Meng Da also acknowledged his military value, stating that he "possessed considerable strategic acumen as a general."

It was precisely because of his strength that Sima Yi, upon learning of Meng Da's signs of rebellion, quickly led his army to suppress him, giving him no chance to catch his breath.

This high-level manhunt reflects Meng Da's importance to both Shu Han and Cao Wei.

Meng Da's abilities also had limitations; he was too focused on personal interests and lacked a grasp of the overall situation.

Having not long established himself in Cao Wei, he was already plotting a rebellion, completely underestimating Shen Yi's hostility towards him and Sima Yi's reaction speed.

This shortsightedness and eagerness for quick success prevented him from establishing a firm foothold in the chaotic world.

Meng Da was not a fool, but he had a fatal flaw in his character.

He was described as "cunning and untrustworthy," which was the root of his life's tragedy. He was good at speculation but not at cultivating long-term loyalty.

Meng Da's cunning allowed him to be successful in a short period of time, but his inconsistency and lack of firm stance prevented him from gaining genuine trust.

Neither Liu Bei nor Cao Pi, nor Zhuge Liang nor Sima Yi regarded him as a core general who could be relied upon in the long term.

This lack of trust keeps him constantly on the verge of instability, making it difficult for him to establish a stable foothold.

Meng Da's tragedy was also closely related to the chaotic political environment of the time.

In the context of frequent power struggles during the Three Kingdoms period, anyone with ability but lacking a clear allegiance would become a target for suppression or exploitation.

Meng Da was exceptionally talented, but he lacked both a powerful family background and sufficient military strength to protect himself.

Every act of defection is, in effect, a search for refuge when one is isolated and helpless.

His predicament is reminiscent of other traitorous generals, such as Lü Bu and Zhang Yan under Yuan Shao. Their abilities were often valued by various factions, but their political instability prevented them from truly playing a significant role. (End of Chapter)