Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign - Stories from the Stones

While cleaning the tomb and carvings of the tomb of Teo Chin Chay, i was reminded by Raymond of the significance of one the carvings - Seven Captures of Meng Huo” (七擒孟获)

The clue from this panel is the gentleman sitting in the wheelchair holding a feather fan. That person is no other than Zhuge Liang (諸葛亮). The next clue is the battle taking place between 2 warriors and if you look carefully one of them is riding an elephant ! 

The story is likely about an event that took place during Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign against an uprising by rebellious forces in the south (Nanzhong -which covers present-day Yunnan, Guizhou and southern Sichuan). The elephant is representation of the "Southern Barbarians" challenging the Shu kingdom. This event, now often label as fictional is about the “Seven Captures of Meng Huo” (七擒孟获) depicts Zhuge Liang using a psychological strategy by capturing leader Meng Huo seven times and setting him free seven times, convincing him that he would always lose the battle, avoiding further bloodshed and gaining loyalty of the people in the South. 

Zhuge Liang Southern Campaign - “Seven Captures of Meng Huo” (七擒孟获)

Could the rest of the carvings around the tomb be related to various events of Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign ? I can only speculate for now. See below of some of the pictures i took. If you have further insights, do let me know by leaving a comment !