Meng Jie

Meng Jie
Traditional Chinese	孟節
Simplified Chinese	孟节
Transcriptions

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Meng.

Meng Jie is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Biography

Meng Jie was the older brother of the Nanman chieftain Meng Huo and Meng You. Unlike his two younger brothers, Meng Jie refused to stick to primitive ways and has slowly tried to blend himself into the Han Chinese culture and behave like a more civilised person.

Meng lived as a hermit in the southern part of Shu Han, near the land where Meng Huo ruled. Once, Shu Han's chancellor Zhuge Liang led a southern campaign to suppress a rebellion by the Nanman people.

On the way, Zhuge managed to defeat Meng Huo and had captured and released the latter four times. This time, Meng Huo sought refuge under King Duosi and they made plans to attack the enemy. They obstructed the main road leading to their hideout, forcing the Shu Han troops to take the other path instead. The other path was full of danger and suspense, with four poisonous springs and a forest shrouded in poisonous mist.

The unsuspecting Shu Han troops drank the water from the poison springs and some of them became temporarily blind, mute or deaf. Zhuge Liang was extremely worried about the situation and feared that his campaign might have to end up in failure. At that critical moment, Meng Jie appeared to Zhuge and aided him in healing the troops. Meng Jie also warned Zhuge about the four poisonous springs and the mist. He also provided the Shu Han troops with a certain kind of herb. Each soldier only needs to put a piece of leaf from the herb in his mouth, and will not be affected by the poisonous mist.

Zhuge was grateful to Meng Jie for his help and succeeded in winning Meng Huo's genuine loyalty, when Meng willingly pledged allegiance to Shu Han forever.

See also

• List of people of the Three Kingdoms
• List of fictional people of the Three Kingdoms

References

• Luo Guanzhong. Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 89.