Mi Zhu ( 165–221), courtesy name
Zizhong, was a Chinese military general and politician who served under the warlord
Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty, during the Three Kingdoms period, after Liu Bei founded the state of
Shu Han. He was also Liu Bei's brother-in-law, as his sister, Lady Mi, married Liu Bei. Mi Zhu was essential to Liu Bei during the defeats of the latter, financing Liu Bei's army in critical times where there was no tax base. Mi Zhu was extremely well educated and helped Liu Bei develop relationships with wealthy rivals such as
Yuan Shao,
Yuan Shu and
Liu Biao. He was also the elder brother of Mi Fang, who served Liu Bei as well until his defection to Liu Bei's ally-turned-rival
Sun Quan in 220. Mi Zhu served Liu Bei loyally for more than 25 years, as a high civil official of Liu during all the later's tenures as governor of Xu, Jing and Yi provinces, the former's ideas were regularly and widely circulated to the common people which greatly helped Liu Bei's political movement as Han loyalist and Confucian but, historians would argue it mere rhetoric as Liu ruled more in the tradition of legalism. Nonetheless, Mi along with
Jian Yong,
Sun Qian, and later
Yi Ji, greatly contributed to the Liu's populist movement to restore the
Han dynasty through literature and essays. Mi Zhu was thought to be Liu's best friend and most favored subject, he died of illness a little over a year after Liu Bei declared himself emperor.
Read more...: Life Family Appraisal
Life
Mi Zhu was from Qu County, Donghai Commandery, which is present-day Lianyungang, Jiangsu. He was born in an extremely rich merchant family. According to In Search of the Supernatural by Gan Bao (干竇), a work largely consisting of legends and hearsays, Mi Zhu was once returning home from the capital Luoyang when he met a lady by the road. He gave her a lift out of kindness. When she alighted, she revealed that she was an emissary from Heaven on a mission to burn down Mi Zhu's house. However, to repay his kindness, she agreed to walk slowly so as to allow Mi Zhu the time to evacuate the house. A huge fire indeed broke out at noon as the lady promised.
Legends aside, Mi Zhu initially served under Tao Qian, the governor of Xu Province (present-day northern Jiangsu). Upon his death, Tao Qian passed on the governorship to Liu Bei, to whom Mi Zhu thereafter rendered his service. In 196, Lü Bu seized control of Xiapi, the capital of Xu Province, and proclaimed himself the governor. Henceforth, Liu Bei was forced into exile, forming a series of temporary alliances with different warlords, including Cao Cao, Yuan Shao and Liu Biao. Throughout this trough in Liu Bei's career, however, Mi Zhu stayed loyal. When Liu Bei was defeated by Lü Bu, Mi Zhu sponsored Liu Bei with his all of his family wealth and also married his younger sister to the latter. Cao Cao had once attempted to entice Mi Zhu and Mi Fang to serve him by offering them governorships of Ying Commandery (northwest of present-day Laiwu, Shandong) and Pengcheng Commandery respectively but was turned down, and the brothers fled with Liu Bei.
The Cáo Gōng Jí records one of Cao Cao's memorial concerning Mi Zhu :
When Liu Bei sought refuge with Liu Biao, he sent Mi Zhu first to meet and discuss with him. And for his effort in soothing the relation between them was appointed as General of the Left's Attending Official Internal Cadet. After Liu Bei conquered Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) in 214, Mi Zhu was promoted to General Who Pacifies Han. Although he was not given any troops to command, as military manoeuver were not his expertise, he was nonetheless the most highly esteemed among Liu Bei's subjects. He was viewed as a role model official for the state of Shu and many young civil officials looked up to him as they did to Zhuge Liang, Fa Zheng, Dong He and Xu Jing.
In 219, Mi Fang defected to Sun Quan when Sun's general Lü Meng launched a surprise attack on Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan), which resulted in the death of Guan Yu. When he heard of this, Mi Zhu bound himself and came to Liu Bei, pleading guilty for his brother's crime. Liu Bei consoled him and told him that the fault of a brother shouldn't reach another and treated him the same as before however Mi Zhu was so ashamed that he soon fell sick and died slightly more than a year later.
Family
Aside from his younger brother and sister, Mi Zhu had a son Mi Wei (麋威) who reached the rank of Tiger Elite Internal Cadet General while Wei's son Mi Zhào (麋照) was Tiger Cavalry Supervisor. The Mi family were known to be talented with the arts of archery and riding hence they were all excellent riders and archers.
Appraisal
Chen Shou, who wrote Mi Zhu's biography, commented as follows: "Mi Zhu, Sun Qian, Jian Yong and Yi Ji were refined and cultured persons whose ideas were widely circulated. They were well known for their good observation of the proprieties."
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麋竺（2世紀 - 221年），字
子仲，徐州東海朐（今江蘇省連雲港市）人，三國時期
蜀漢官吏，官至安漢將軍，在世時是
蜀漢地位及待遇最高的臣子。
Read more...: 生平 特徵 逸聞 家庭 兄弟姊妹 後代 評價 影視形象 動漫遊戲
生平
徐州豪門，先祖世代經營墾殖，養有僮僕、食客近萬人，家產非常富裕。後來徐州州牧陶謙聘他為別駕從事。
194年，陶謙病死，麋竺奉陶謙遺命，迎接在小沛的劉備入主徐州，並輔佐劉備，為偏將軍。不久，呂布東來投靠劉備，但在196年，呂布乘劉備與袁術發生戰爭，偷襲下邳，並虜獲劉備的妻子，兵敗的劉備逃到廣陵郡海西縣。麋竺特意將妹妹麋氏嫁給劉備，並贈送大量金銀與奴僕給劉備。後來曹操想表麋竺為嬴郡太守，其弟麋芳為彭城相，但兄弟二人都不接受，決意跟隨劉備。
劉備兵敗給曹操，向南投靠劉表，劉備先遣麋竺與劉表見面，與簡雍、孫乾同為從事中郎。214年，劉備入主益州，被拜為安漢將軍，地位在軍師將軍諸葛亮之上，待遇為蜀漢眾臣中最高，因當年資助家產給時局艱困的劉備，此一雪中送炭的壯舉讓所有蜀臣對麋竺的最高待遇都無異議；之後與群臣一起上表力勸劉備稱帝。
219年，麋竺弟麋芳在關羽北伐時（樊城之戰），叛蜀歸吳，害關羽兵敗被擒殺。得知弟弟叛變的麋竺羞愧難當，自縛向劉備請罪，劉備反過來安慰他，認為弟之罪兄不該相連，對他禮敬如初。雖然獲得劉備諒解也沒被為難，但麋竺仍非常自責，長期抑鬱使健康狀況急轉直下，一年多後便去世。
特徵
麋竺雍容大方，敦厚文雅，擅長騎馬射箭，但並不擅長內政或軍事等公務，所以一直擔任無實權的閒職。由於曾重金資助劉備且個性好，故劉備一直對他十分禮敬，賞賜優寵，無與為比。
逸聞
• 根據《搜神記》的記載，說曾遇過火神，並受其指點而免於大火。
家庭
兄弟姊妹
• 麋芳，麋竺之弟，本與麋竺跟隨劉備。後為南郡太守，但他叛蜀歸吳，令關羽被擒殺。
• 麋夫人，麋竺之妹，於劉備落難時，麋竺將她嫁給劉備。
後代
• 麋威，麋竺子，官至虎賁中郎將，善於騎馬、射箭。
• 麋照，麋威子，官至虎騎監，善於騎馬、射箭。
• 麋晃，麋照子
評價
《三國志》評曰：「許靖夙有名譽，既以篤厚為稱，又以人物為意，雖行事舉動，未悉允當，蔣濟以為「大較廊廟器」也。麋竺、孫乾、簡雍、伊籍，皆雍容風議，見禮於世。秦宓始慕肥遯之高，而無若愚之實。然專對有餘，文藻壯美，可謂一時之才士矣。」
曹操表麋竺：「泰山郡界廣遠，舊多輕悍，權時之宜，可分五縣為嬴郡，揀選清廉以為守將。偏將軍麋竺，素履忠貞，文武昭烈，請以竺領嬴郡太守，撫慰吏民。」
楊戲的《季漢輔臣贊》中贊麋子仲：「安漢雍容，或婚或賓，見禮當時，是謂循臣。」
影視形象
• 中國中央電視台電視劇《三國演義》（1994年）：朱秉謙、任東升、楊乃煌
• 台灣華視電視劇《三國英雄傳之關公》（1996年）：王晨旭
• 中國中央電視台電視劇《武聖關公》（2004年）：胡平
• 中國電視劇《三國》（2010年）：金鑫
動漫遊戲
• 《火鳳燎原》（陳某）:設定於曹操「奉孝殺戮」時登場。
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