King Midang

Here is the exhaustive biography of King Midang (迷當大王 / 迷当大王) (? – c. 253 in the novel), a Qiang chieftain who briefly allied with Shu before defecting to Wei, incorporating historical notices and the narrative of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Historical Career

Midang (迷當) was a leader of the Qiang tribes on the northwestern frontier. In 240 (Zhengshi 1), when Jiang Wei of Shu advanced into Longxi, Midang rose in support of the Shu campaign and attacked Wei territory. Guo Huai suppressed the rising; Midang was defeated and the Qiang groups were pacified and in some cases relocated. The historical record is extremely brief and does not describe any later defection, capture, or death in battle against Jiang Wei. The elaborate story of false surrender, guidance of Wei troops into the Shu camp, and summary execution belongs entirely to the novel.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms Portrayal

In Chapter 109, during one of Jiang Wei’s northern expeditions, the Shu officer Xi Zheng persuades King Midang to bring his Qiang forces into the alliance. Midang joins the campaign against Wei. Chen Tai of Wei then feigns surrender and lures Midang’s subordinate E He Shao Ge (Ehe Shaoge) into a disastrous night attack; the Qiang contingent is routed and E He Shao Ge dies. Midang himself is captured. Guo Huai persuades him to change sides. Midang agrees to guide Wei troops to Jiang Wei’s main camp. Unaware of the betrayal, Jiang Wei rides out to welcome him; the Wei forces spring their ambush. In the ensuing chaos Midang is killed by the Wei officers he has just led to the camp. The novel places the episode around 253.

Family, Friends and Enemies

Family: None recorded.

Colleagues / subordinates: E He Shao Ge (Ehe Shaoge), the Qiang officer who led the failed night attack and was killed.

Allies (temporary): Jiang Wei and the Shu army (via the mediation of Xi Zheng).

Principal adversaries / eventual masters: Chen Tai (author of the false-surrender ploy), Guo Huai (who secured Midang’s defection), and the Wei officers who ultimately killed him at the Shu camp.

King Midang (迷當大王) — Historical & Literary Timeline

Historical Note

A historical Qiang leader named Midang did exist and did support Jiang Wei’s 240 campaign before being defeated by Guo Huai. Everything beyond that single notice—the formal title “King,” the persuasion by Xi Zheng, Chen Tai’s elaborate ruse, the defection, the guided ambush, and the death at the Shu camp—is a creation of the novel. The historical Midang simply disappears from the record after 240; the novel supplies him with a dramatic and treacherous end that underscores the peril of relying on tribal allies of uncertain loyalty.