Meng You

Meng You is Meng Huo’s brother and an accomplice in one of the southern campaign’s attempts to catch Kong Ming off guard. His mission into the Shu camp, bearing tribute as a diplomatic offering while concealing an attack plan, ends with his capture and release; later, he is freed again with Meng Huo and King Duosi.

Role in Meng Huo’s Plot

After Meng Huo is released, he returns to camp and consults Meng You about what to do next. The brothers devise a scheme: Meng You will enter Kong Ming’s camp with gifts, while Meng Huo’s forces prepare to attack. The plan depends on Meng You’s arrival appearing to be a submission rather than the opening move of an assault.

Meng You brings gold, pearls, ivory, and other treasures, accompanied by about a hundred men. His arrival gives Kong Ming an opportunity to appear receptive to the offering. Kong Ming recognizes the deception, quietly directs his officers to move away, and entertains Meng You and his escort with drink. Meanwhile, Meng You sends two men back to report that Kong Ming has accepted the plan as intended.

The Failed Assault and Capture

The concealed objective is for Meng You’s men to open the camp gates to Meng Huo’s approaching forces, allowing the tribes to attack, scatter the defenders, and seize Kong Ming. The scheme fails because Kong Ming has anticipated it: when Meng Huo storms the camp that night, it is deserted, and Meng You’s men are incapacitated in Kong Ming’s tent after the wine has been drugged.

Kong Ming’s forces spring an ambush, and Meng Huo cannot escape. This is his third capture. Most of his men surrender and are released on Kong Ming’s explicit orders, but Meng You’s role in the failed scheme is also brought to an end when he is caught up in the camp’s reversal.

Release and Continuing Conflict

After a later attempt to seize Kong Ming also fails, Meng Huo is captured for a fourth time. Kong Ming pardons the captured soldiers and sets them free, then remonstrates with Meng You, urging him to try to restrain his brother. Meng You is released as well. The episode places him between Kong Ming’s policy of releasing defeated opponents and Meng Huo’s repeated decision to continue the conflict.

Meng You is subsequently released again with Meng Huo and King Duosi. Meng Huo has proposed that a defeat in the valley of the Silver Pit hills would secure a submission binding on future generations. Kong Ming warns that if Meng Huo gathers forces against him after another release and is captured without submitting, the consequences will extend to Meng Huo’s whole tribe and relatives. The account leaves the outcome unresolved; it establishes Meng You’s continued proximity to his brother’s resistance, but does not state what he does after this release.