Mi Fang
Encyclopedia
Mi Fang was an official serving under the warlord Liu Bei
during the late Han Dynasty
and Three Kingdoms
era of Chinese history
. He was also the younger brother of Mi Zhu
, who also served Liu Bei. In 219, Mi Fang surrendered to Sun Quan
, directly resulting in the loss of Jing Province (present day Hubei
and Hunan
) and the death of Guan Yu
. Historian Rafe de Crespigny
notes that Mi Fang had the remarkable record of serving each of the leaders of the Three Kingdoms during his lifetime.
, Jiangsu
), Mi Fang was born in an extremely rich merchant family, which had over 10,000 slaves and guests. Mi Fang and his elder brother Mi Zhu were said to be proficient in horsemanship and archery. Along with the Chen clan (led by Chen Gui
and Chen Deng
), the Mi family served under Tao Qian
, governor of Xuzhou (徐州, present day northern Jiangsu
).
(淮陰, in Guangling, south of Xu Province) to counter-attack the warlord Yuan Shu
in 196 CE. Zhang Fei, who was left behind by Liu to guard Xiapi
(capital of Xu Province at the time), killed Cao Bao (chancellor of Xiapi when Tao Qian was still in charge of Xu Province) after an intense quarrel over some trivial things. Cao's death caused unrest in the city, and the locals opened the city gate for Lü Bu
, who then seized control of the city, capturing the families of Liu and Mi during the process. Upon hearing the news, Liu's soldiers started to desert, and Liu was defeated by the enemy commander Ji Ling
. Liu then retreated to Haixi (海西), Donghai Commandery (東海). Faced with enemies on both sides and a lack of supplies, the Mi brothers encouraged Liu and used their personal wealth to support the army. Seeing no other viable option, Liu requested for a truce with Lü Bu, who accepted and returned Liu's family as an act of good faith, because he was becoming apprehensive of Yuan Shu. Lü, fearing isolation, obstructed further attempt by Yuan to eliminate Liu. Liu moved his camp to Xiaopei where he was financed by the Mi brothers to rebuild his army, gathering over ten thousand men. Lü Bu became concerned and attacked Xiaopei. Liu fled to Xuchang
, where warlord Cao Cao
set his base. When Liu Bei served under Cao, the latter enticed Mi Zhu and Mi Fang by offering them governorships of Ying Commandery (嬴郡, northwest of present day Laiwu
, Shandong
) and Pengcheng respectively, but both chose to follow Liu Bei when he left Cao Cao and did not stay to enjoy the high positions Cao Cao had rewarded them. After the allied forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei defeated Lu Bu, Liu betrayed Cao and seized the control of Xu Province once again. However, Liu was defeated and fled to Jing Province.
After the battle of Jiangling
, Liu successfully negotiated the southern warlord Sun Quan
to lend him Nan Commandery (南郡, present day Jiangling, Hubei) of Jing Province, and Mi Fang was assigned the post of the Administrator of Nan Commandery. When Liu Bei went for Yi Province, Mi Fang was ordered to stay behind with Guan Yu
in Jing Province.
), they begrudged Guan Yu for belittling them. When asked by Guan to provide military supplies, Mi Fang and Shi Ren acted reluctantly, and Guan threatened to retaliate them on his return.
The fearful Mi Fang and Shi Ren then surrendered to the forces of Sun Quan, when the latter launched a surprise attack on Jing province. Sandwiched on both sides by enemies, Guan Yu was eventually captured by Sun and executed. Mi Fang's brother Mi Zhu was deeply ashamed of his brother's betrayal and soon died of sickness. Mi Fang was not only hated by people of Shu Han
for his betrayal, but had also been discriminated against by Yu Fan
of Eastern Wu
for the very same reason, as shown in the following two incidents.
Once, Mi Fang's boat met with that of Yu Fan in a narrow waterway, the servants on Mi Fang's boat demanded Yu Fan to move out of the way by shouting: "Get out of the way for our general's boat." Yu Fan shouted back angrily in response: "How can one serve the lord when he had lost his loyalty? And how can one be called a general when he caused his [former] master to lose two cities?" Mi Fang was very ashamed and let Yu Fan's boat to pass instead. Another incident also involved Yu Fan when he had to pass through Mi Fang's camp. The officers at Mi Fang's camp did not open the gates, and Yu Fan angrily shouted: "How can one do this when what is supposed to be open is closed, but what is supposed to be closed is open instead?" Mi Fang was even more ashamed than the incident in the waterway. Despite the ridicule, Sun Quan
still treated Mi Fang with trust and dignity.
In June, 223, a Wu commander named Jin Zong (晋宗) in charge of Qichun (蕲春) defected to Cao Wei
by launching a rebellion and Sun Quan
ordered He Qi
to put down the rebellion. Mi Fang then served under He Qi as a commander, along with another two generals named Liu Shao
(劉邵) and Xianyu Dan (鮮于丹) and succeeded in their mission and captured Jin Zong alive and retook Qichun. That was the last historical record of Mi Fang, after which he was not mentioned again.
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
, both Mi Fang and Shi Ren (wrongly written as "Fu Shiren" in the novel) served in the Eastern Wu
military after they surrendered to Sun Quan
. In chapter 83, Liu Bei personally led a force against Eastern Wu to avenge Guan Yu. When they discovered that their men were plotting to kill them and surrender to Liu Bei, Mi and Fu assassinated their superior Ma Zhong
and surrendered to Liu Bei. However, the unimpressed Liu ordered Guan Xing
, son of Guan Yu, to execute the traitors as a sacrifice to Guan Yu.
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
during the late Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
and Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
era of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. He was also the younger brother of Mi Zhu
Mi Zhu
Mi Zhu was an advisor to the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also Liu's brother-in-law, as his sister, Lady Mi, married Liu. He was the older brother of Mi Fang, who served Liu Bei as well until his defection to Sun Quan's side in 219...
, who also served Liu Bei. In 219, Mi Fang surrendered to Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
, directly resulting in the loss of Jing Province (present day Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
and Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
) and the death of Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
. Historian Rafe de Crespigny
Rafe de Crespigny
Dr Rafe de Crespigny is a retired Adjunct Professor with the China and Korea Centre, Australian National University in Canberra, Australia...
notes that Mi Fang had the remarkable record of serving each of the leaders of the Three Kingdoms during his lifetime.
Early life
A local of the county of Qu (胊, present day LianyungangLianyungang
Lianyungang is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. It borders Yancheng to its southeast, Huai'an and Suqian to its south, Xuzhou to its southwest, and the province of Shandong to its north...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), Mi Fang was born in an extremely rich merchant family, which had over 10,000 slaves and guests. Mi Fang and his elder brother Mi Zhu were said to be proficient in horsemanship and archery. Along with the Chen clan (led by Chen Gui
Chen Gui
Chen Gui, style name Hanyu , was a minister serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. The loyalty of Chen Gui then caused him to plot with Cao Cao and betray Lü Bu. He and his son Chen Deng then manipulated Lü Bu, contributing to Liu Bei and Cao Cao's...
and Chen Deng
Chen Deng
Chen Deng, style name Yuanlong , was a strategist during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He was the son of Chen Gui.-Biography:...
), the Mi family served under Tao Qian
Tao Qian (Three Kingdoms)
Tao Qian was a warlord and the governor of Xu Province during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-Early life and career:...
, governor of Xuzhou (徐州, present day northern Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
).
Service under Liu Bei
Upon Tao Qian's death, the influential Mi clan strongly advocated the governorship be passed on to Liu Bei, to whom Mi Fang had his sister married. Thereafter, the Mi brothers joined Liu Bei's army to Xuyi and HuaiyinHuaiyin
Huaiyin may refer to the following settlements in the People's Republic of China:*Huai'an , named Huaiyin before 2001, prefecture-level city of Jiangsu*Huaiyin District, Huai'an , Jiangsu*Huaiyin District, Jinan , Shandong...
(淮陰, in Guangling, south of Xu Province) to counter-attack the warlord Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the imperial court in 189. He was said to be a younger cousin of the warlord Yuan Shao, but was actually Yuan Shao's younger half-brother...
in 196 CE. Zhang Fei, who was left behind by Liu to guard Xiapi
Pizhou
Pizhou City is a county-level city in northern Jiangsu province, China. As of 2006 it had a population of 163,000. Administratively, Pizhou is under the jurisdiction of the larger city of Xuzhou.-History:...
(capital of Xu Province at the time), killed Cao Bao (chancellor of Xiapi when Tao Qian was still in charge of Xu Province) after an intense quarrel over some trivial things. Cao's death caused unrest in the city, and the locals opened the city gate for Lü Bu
Lü Bu
Lü Bu was a military general and later a minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu was highly-skilled in horse-riding and archery, and was thus nicknamed "Flying General"...
, who then seized control of the city, capturing the families of Liu and Mi during the process. Upon hearing the news, Liu's soldiers started to desert, and Liu was defeated by the enemy commander Ji Ling
Ji Ling
Ji Ling was a military general serving under the warlord Yuan Shu during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. Under the orders of his lord, he led a force of 30,000 men against Liu Bei in 196, but the battle was halted when Lü Bu called both sides to a banquet and performed an act of...
. Liu then retreated to Haixi (海西), Donghai Commandery (東海). Faced with enemies on both sides and a lack of supplies, the Mi brothers encouraged Liu and used their personal wealth to support the army. Seeing no other viable option, Liu requested for a truce with Lü Bu, who accepted and returned Liu's family as an act of good faith, because he was becoming apprehensive of Yuan Shu. Lü, fearing isolation, obstructed further attempt by Yuan to eliminate Liu. Liu moved his camp to Xiaopei where he was financed by the Mi brothers to rebuild his army, gathering over ten thousand men. Lü Bu became concerned and attacked Xiaopei. Liu fled to Xuchang
Xuchang
Xuchang is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest....
, where warlord Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
set his base. When Liu Bei served under Cao, the latter enticed Mi Zhu and Mi Fang by offering them governorships of Ying Commandery (嬴郡, northwest of present day Laiwu
Laiwu
Laiwu is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. The smallest prefecture-level city in the province, it borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Zibo to the east and Tai'an to the southwest....
, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
) and Pengcheng respectively, but both chose to follow Liu Bei when he left Cao Cao and did not stay to enjoy the high positions Cao Cao had rewarded them. After the allied forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei defeated Lu Bu, Liu betrayed Cao and seized the control of Xu Province once again. However, Liu was defeated and fled to Jing Province.
After the battle of Jiangling
Battle of Jiangling
The Battle of Jiangling was fought by the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei against Cao Cao during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
, Liu successfully negotiated the southern warlord Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
to lend him Nan Commandery (南郡, present day Jiangling, Hubei) of Jing Province, and Mi Fang was assigned the post of the Administrator of Nan Commandery. When Liu Bei went for Yi Province, Mi Fang was ordered to stay behind with Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
in Jing Province.
Service under Sun Quan
In 219, Guan launched an invasion against the kingdom of Wei, and Mi Fang was left with the defense of the base city of Guan Yu in Jiangling. Together with Shi Ren, governor of Gong'an (公安, northwest of presentday Gongan, HubeiHubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
), they begrudged Guan Yu for belittling them. When asked by Guan to provide military supplies, Mi Fang and Shi Ren acted reluctantly, and Guan threatened to retaliate them on his return.
The fearful Mi Fang and Shi Ren then surrendered to the forces of Sun Quan, when the latter launched a surprise attack on Jing province. Sandwiched on both sides by enemies, Guan Yu was eventually captured by Sun and executed. Mi Fang's brother Mi Zhu was deeply ashamed of his brother's betrayal and soon died of sickness. Mi Fang was not only hated by people of Shu Han
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...
for his betrayal, but had also been discriminated against by Yu Fan
Yu Fan
Yu Fan , style name Zhongxiang , was an official of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Yu was formerly a district supervisor under the warlord Wang Lang. After Sun Ce defeated Wang, Yu surrendered and pledged allegiance to the Sun clan...
of Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
for the very same reason, as shown in the following two incidents.
Once, Mi Fang's boat met with that of Yu Fan in a narrow waterway, the servants on Mi Fang's boat demanded Yu Fan to move out of the way by shouting: "Get out of the way for our general's boat." Yu Fan shouted back angrily in response: "How can one serve the lord when he had lost his loyalty? And how can one be called a general when he caused his [former] master to lose two cities?" Mi Fang was very ashamed and let Yu Fan's boat to pass instead. Another incident also involved Yu Fan when he had to pass through Mi Fang's camp. The officers at Mi Fang's camp did not open the gates, and Yu Fan angrily shouted: "How can one do this when what is supposed to be open is closed, but what is supposed to be closed is open instead?" Mi Fang was even more ashamed than the incident in the waterway. Despite the ridicule, Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
still treated Mi Fang with trust and dignity.
In June, 223, a Wu commander named Jin Zong (晋宗) in charge of Qichun (蕲春) defected to Cao Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
by launching a rebellion and Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
ordered He Qi
He Qi
He Qi , style name Gongmiao , was an official serving under the warlord Sun family of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history....
to put down the rebellion. Mi Fang then served under He Qi as a commander, along with another two generals named Liu Shao
Liu Shao (Three Kingdoms)
Liu Shao, style name Kongcai , was an official of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He often provided advice to the emperor Cao Rui, and was praised by Cao Rui for his good advice, even though Cao Rui did not frequently actually act on the advice. He also...
(劉邵) and Xianyu Dan (鮮于丹) and succeeded in their mission and captured Jin Zong alive and retook Qichun. That was the last historical record of Mi Fang, after which he was not mentioned again.
In fiction
In Luo GuanzhongLuo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, both Mi Fang and Shi Ren (wrongly written as "Fu Shiren" in the novel) served in the Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
military after they surrendered to Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
. In chapter 83, Liu Bei personally led a force against Eastern Wu to avenge Guan Yu. When they discovered that their men were plotting to kill them and surrender to Liu Bei, Mi and Fu assassinated their superior Ma Zhong
Ma Zhong (Han Dynasty)
Ma Zhong was a general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Under Pan Zhang's command, he captured Guan Yu and Guan Ping during Lü Meng's invasion of Jing Province.-In fiction:...
and surrendered to Liu Bei. However, the unimpressed Liu ordered Guan Xing
Guan Xing
Guan Xing was an official of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was the second son of the military general Guan Yu and the younger brother of Guan Ping. He succeeded his father when both Guan Yu and Guan Ping were captured and executed by forces of Eastern Wu at the...
, son of Guan Yu, to execute the traitors as a sacrifice to Guan Yu.