[Lightscreen]
[Meng Da is actually a relatively familiar figure in the Three Kingdoms era.
After Liu Bei took control of Chengdu, Meng Da surrendered and served alongside Fa Zheng, Li Yan, Deng Zhi, and others. Later, when Guan Yu was trapped at the Mian River, Meng Da persuaded Liu Feng to refuse Guan Yu's request for reinforcements, directly leading to Guan Yu's defeat at Maicheng and his execution alongside his eldest son, Guan Ping.
Guan Yu's status in Shu Han is well known, so fearing punishment from Liu Bei, Meng Da led four thousand of his troops and defected to Cao Wei. Liu Feng refused to follow him and, after returning to Chengdu, was ordered to commit suicide by Liu Bei.]
"Liu Feng?" Liu Bei blinked in confusion. "Why would my son abandon his own uncle in such a moment?"
Back when he had no heir, he had adopted Liu Feng, a youth of fierce temperament who loved martial pursuits and often declared that he would one day lead troops to share his father's burdens.
"Could it be that after A-Dou was born, my attention toward Feng'er lessened, and resentment took root?" Liu Bei speculated.
Guan Yu patted Liu Bei's shoulder in reassurance. "Events ten years in the future are hard to predict. Besides, the lightscreen says Meng Da was the one stirring things from the side. Elder Brother need not blame himself too much."
Zhang Fei snorted. "This Meng Da plays both sides like a snake. If you dare defy orders, then don't fear punishment. What kind of man runs away like that? Even if he flees to Cao Cao, he will only be laughed at. And later he even wanted to betray Cao Wei again. Bah, another servant of three masters!"
Everyone in the hall fell silent.
Huang Zhong quietly covered his face in embarrassment. Strictly speaking, he too had once been a subordinate of Liu Biao.
[Lightscreen]
[After defecting to Cao Wei, Meng Da was treated generously. This was not merely because he brought four thousand troops with him, but also because of the sensitive timing of his surrender.
Remember Wei Feng mentioned earlier? His rebellion carried the slogan of restoring the Han. In that same year, Meng Da's betrayal of the Han made him an ideal example to promote.
The following March, Cao Cao died. Whether for the sake of winning hearts or setting an example, Meng Da's life in Cao Wei was extremely comfortable. After Cao Pi ascended as Emperor Wen, he granted Meng Da the title of Marquis of Pingyang and merged Fangling, Shangyong, and Xicheng into Xincheng Commandery, appointing Meng Da as its Administrator.]
Zhao Yun laughed. "Third Brother, it seems your guess was completely off."
Zhang Fei stared blankly, unable to process it. "If that Wei Feng wanted power, then why shout about restoring the Han? The Han is right here with my elder brother. Wouldn't it be easier to just come over?"
Liu Bei recalled what he had seen while staying in Jing Province. Under the influence of local clans, Liu Biao had replaced the elder with the younger, ultimately ruining his lifelong foundation. Along with the earlier examples of scholars shifting allegiances, Liu Bei had long understood one thing.
"Wei Feng likely had no true loyalty to the Han," Liu Bei said slowly. "The people of Jing are adept at forming factions. Under his instigation, they simply took a gamble for their future."
Huang Zhong, a native of Jing, felt slightly called out.
Zhuge Liang, half a Jing man himself, also felt slightly called out.
But when he saw Cao Cao's death and the restructuring of commanderies, a vague realization began to form in his mind.
So that was why later generations lamented that after Guan Yu's fall at Maicheng, Shu Han lost its chance.
Perhaps before that defeat, victory had truly been within reach.
[Lightscreen]
[During his time in Cao Wei, Meng Da had campaigned alongside Xiahou Shang against Liu Feng, and the two gradually became close. Later he also befriended Huan Jie, gaining a clear affiliation with the Qiao-Pei military faction.
In 226, Cao Pi died in Luoyang. Meng Da lost his greatest patron, and with the Qiao-Pei faction already in decline, he understood that his situation was precarious. After careful consideration, he made a decisive choice.
Maybe… defect to the Han.]
"Only six years after surrendering, and he wants to switch sides again?" Liu Bei was stunned. "Such speed in changing allegiance… is that even reasonable?"
Was Cao Wei's so-called generosity really so hollow?
Or was their internal struggle truly that intense?
"Ha! Servant of three masters!" Zhang Fei scoffed again.
Huang Zhong, however, caught something else. "Cao Pi only reigned for six years before dying? That is rather early."
It reminded him of his own son who had passed away young.
Six years.
Zhuge Liang, who knew the general situation of all factions, calculated quickly.
"Cao Pi died at forty?"
Forty was not considered extremely young in this era, but for an emperor who had barely warmed the throne, it was undeniably early.
Zhang Fei suddenly began pointing around the room, counting on his fingers.
"Elder Brother lived to sixty-three before dying from anger after that fire by Lu Xun. Without that, he might have lived longer."
"Second Brother was unlucky, died around sixty. Could have gone further too."
"The strategist lived to fifty-four. Didn't even reach sixty. You really need to take better care of your health."
"Heh, I'm seventeen years older than the strategist…"
He paused, calculating seriously.
"That means I lived at least to seventy, same as General Huang!"
Not… this is what you choose to compete over?
Zhuge Liang looked at Zhang Fei with quiet pity. Off the battlefield, the Third General's nature was pure at best, completely unrestrained at worst.
And as expected
Liu Bei had already given up. He tilted his head slightly.
Guan Yu stood up without a word, grabbed Zhang Fei by the back of his collar, and dragged him away.
"Third Brother, the kitchen may not be ready yet, but you can go take a look first."
"I don't want to drink!"
"No, you want to drink. And after drinking, you want to go to the training ground and practice. Be good. Second Brother will come beat you after listening to the lightscreen."
For a moment, the hall was filled with harmony and laughter.
[Lightscreen]
[However, Meng Da's decision fell right into the Chancellor's hands.
Perhaps Shu Han's intelligence network was too strong, or perhaps the Chancellor simply understood human nature too well. In any case, he perceived Meng Da's unstable position and gave it a push.
He began corresponding with Meng Da, exchanging gifts, then secretly sent a man named Guo Mo to feign defection, leaking Meng Da's intentions to defect back to Shu to Shen Yi.
Shen Yi is not well documented, but together with his brother Shen Dan, he had once served under Cao Cao. After surrendering and switching sides multiple times, he ended up as Administrator of Weixing.
In his spare time, Shen Yi had only one hobby.
Reporting Meng Da.
So the Chancellor's move was not subtle at all. One could say it was as obvious as daylight.]
"Shen Yi, Shen Dan…" Zhuge Liang searched his memory and finally recalled them from an old memorial.
"They were local strongmen, once close to Zhang Lu. Later submitted to Cao Cao and were appointed accordingly."
"First win him over, then stage a fake defection, then leak it to his personal enemy…" Liu Bei narrowed his eyes.
"Borrowing a knife to kill?"
Alright, this is a perfect setup for one of the most famous—and honestly most savage—strategies in Chinese political culture:
Fun Fact: "Borrowing a Knife to Kill" Was Basically Ancient China's Favorite Indirect Kill Move
If you think Meng Da's situation feels like he walked straight into a perfectly arranged disaster, that is because he did. What you are seeing here is a classic application of a strategy later summarized as "borrowing a knife to kill." It sounds poetic, but in practice, it is dangerously simple:
Why dirty your own hands when someone else is already holding a knife?
In everyday terms, this was not just a battlefield trick. It was a way of thinking. If there was a rival you wanted gone, the smartest move was often not to attack them directly, but to find someone who already had a reason to hate them, then quietly… encourage that situation.
Think of it as ancient political outsourcing.
In Meng Da's case, the setup is almost comedic in how clean it is.
He is already in a fragile position. His patron is dead, his faction is weakening, and he is thinking about switching sides again, which, let's be honest, is not a great look on a résumé even in the Three Kingdoms era. Now enter the perfect ingredient: Shen Yi, a man whose favorite pastime, apparently, is reporting Meng Da.
At this point, you do not need to scheme too hard. You just need to connect the dots.
So instead of launching a direct attack, Zhuge Liang does something far more elegant. He sends signals to Meng Da, builds trust, then arranges for information about Meng Da's intentions to "accidentally" reach exactly the person most likely to react badly.
No threats. No armies. No dramatic confrontation.
Just a well-placed nudge.
The beauty of this strategy lies in its deniability. If things go wrong, you can shrug and say, "I did nothing." If things go right, your enemy is gone, and someone else takes the blame, the risk, and the consequences.
From a cost-efficiency perspective, it is honestly brilliant. Zero troops lost, zero direct involvement, maximum outcome.
This method was so common that it eventually became one of the famous Thirty-Six Stratagems, a collection of military and political tricks that reads less like a rulebook and more like a guide to winning arguments you never openly participated in.
And here is the part that makes it even more interesting: it was not limited to warfare.
At court, officials used it to eliminate rivals without open conflict
Among factions, it was used to trigger internal purges
Even in local politics, it could mean turning neighbors or colleagues against each other
Basically, if someone suddenly fell from power "on their own," there was always a chance someone else had quietly handed out the knife.
What makes this strategy especially fitting for the Three Kingdoms era is the environment itself. Trust was limited, alliances were fragile, and everyone had at least one enemy. You did not need to create conflict, you just needed to guide it.
And if you look back at the chapter with this in mind, the whole thing becomes a lot funnier in a dark way.
Meng Da is sitting there, thinking he is making a careful, calculated move to switch sides again.
Meanwhile, somewhere else, someone is essentially saying:
"Don't worry, no one is going to kill you."
"…but I do know a guy who absolutely will."