| Occupation | RGeneral · General Who Pacifies the North | Faction | Shu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R2 |
Ma Dai was a younger cousin of Ma Chao. He has no separate biography in the Records and appears once each in the biographies of Ma Chao and Wei Yan. He was the man whom Ma Chao, in a memorial submitted as he neared death, described as the only one of his clan still left; his rank reached General Who Pacifies the North (pingbei jiangjun), and he was advanced in rank to Marquis of Chencang. Records, Shu 6 §33
In the 12th year of Jianxing (234), after Zhuge Liang died and Wei Yan, quarreling with Yang Yi, fled toward Hanzhong, Ma Dai pursued him on Yang Yi's orders and beheaded him. Records, Shu 10 §59 · 61 · 64
In the Romance he first appeared in Chapter 57 as the son of Ma Teng's elder brother and featured in 22 of its 120 chapters, though no chapter carries his name in its title. He fought alongside Ma Chao at Tong Pass, in Longxi and at Jiameng Pass, later took part in Zhuge Liang's southern campaign against the Man and his northern expeditions, and in Chapter 105 beheaded Wei Yan following the plan Zhuge Liang had left behind. Romance, Ch. 57 §42Romance, Ch. 58 §14Romance, Ch. 65 §12Romance, Ch. 88 §36Romance, Ch. 105 §21
Before his death in the 2nd year of Zhangwu (222), Ma Chao submitted a memorial saying that of his clan of more than two hundred, nearly all had been killed by Mengde and only his younger cousin Ma Dai remained, and that he earnestly entrusted to His Majesty this man, who would carry on the sacrifices of his humble house. Ma Dai's rank reached General Who Pacifies the North, and he was advanced in rank to Marquis of Chencang. Records, Shu 6 §33
In the autumn of the 12th year of Jianxing (234), when Zhuge Liang died, Wei Yan, declaring that he would not cover the rear under Yang Yi's command, went back south ahead of the others, burning the plank roads wherever he passed. Blocked at the mouth of the Southern Valley by He Ping (Wang Ping), his troops scattered, and Wei Yan fled to Hanzhong with a few of his sons. Yang Yi sent Ma Dai to pursue and behead him, and when Ma Dai presented the head to Yang Yi, Yang Yi rose and stamped on it. Records, Shu 10 §59 · 61–64
In Chapter 57 of the Romance, when Ma Teng was summoned by Cao Cao, Ma Dai, the son of Ma Teng's elder brother, tried to stop him, fearing he would come to harm. Ma Teng left Ma Dai behind to act in support, and when Ma Teng and his sons were killed, Ma Dai abandoned his troops, disguised himself as a traveling merchant and fled through the night, and in Chapter 58 he brought the news to Ma Chao in Xiliang. Romance, Ch. 57 §42 · 44 · 56Romance, Ch. 58 §8–9
In Chapter 58, as the forward vanguard of the Xiliang army, he led 15,000 troops out and drove off Zhong Yao of Chang'an in a single bout, and at Tong Pass he struck at the rear of the fleeing Cao Hong and Xu Huang. In Chapter 59, separated from Ma Chao in battle, he rescued the encircled Ma Chao together with Pang De, and with the thirty-odd horsemen who remained they set off for Lintao in Longxi. Romance, Ch. 58 §14 · 23Romance, Ch. 59 §33 · 36–37
In Chapter 64 he cut his way out and fled together with Ma Chao, who had been driven from Jicheng, and at Jiameng Pass in Chapter 65 he turned and hit the pursuing Wei Yan in the left arm with an arrow, but against Zhang Fei he was beaten in fewer than ten bouts and fled. Coming over to Liu Bei together with Ma Chao, he called on Liu Zhang to surrender from beneath the walls of Chengdu. In Chapter 92, passing Ma Chao's tomb at Mianyang, Zhuge Liang had Ma Dai put on mourning dress. Romance, Ch. 64 §44Romance, Ch. 65 §12–14 · 38Romance, Ch. 92 §1
In Chapter 88 he arrived at the army of the southern campaign bringing medicine against the heat and grain. When his soldiers collapsed from the poisonous vapors while crossing the Lu River at Shakou, he waited for night to cross, seized Jiashanyu, and captured more than a hundred carts of Meng Huo's grain. He cut down Mangyachang with a single stroke, and later disguised his troops as Man soldiers and rowed a boat to capture Meng Huo. In Chapter 90 he captured Lady Zhurong with a rope stretched to trip horses. Romance, Ch. 88 §7–11 · 15 · 36–37Romance, Ch. 90 §18
In Chapter 94, because he knew the nature of the Qiang well, he went to Xiping Pass as guide for Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, and after the Qiang army was crushed he brought in the Qiang chancellor Yadan. In Chapter 95 he covered the rear together with Jiang Wei and drove off Cao Zhen, and in Chapters 102–103 he guarded the artisans at Shangfang Valley and took charge of the plan to trap Sima Yi with fire, preparing wooden palisades and pits, land mines and dry brushwood. Romance, Ch. 94 §4 · 19Romance, Ch. 95 §39 · 52Romance, Ch. 102 §41Romance, Ch. 103 §15–16
In Chapter 104, before his death, Zhuge Liang summoned Ma Dai into his tent and whispered a secret plan into his ear. In Chapter 105, when Wei Yan proposed going over to Wei, Ma Dai followed him, urging that they first take Hanzhong, and then, before the walls of Nanzheng, when Wei Yan shouted, "Who dares to kill me?", Ma Dai answered from behind, "I dare to kill you!" and cut him down. The Later Sovereign, Liu Shan, gave Wei Yan's rank to Ma Dai for his merit in striking down a rebel. Romance, Ch. 104 §5Romance, Ch. 105 §16–17 · 20–21 · 25
How he survived: In Chapter 57 of the Romance, when Ma Teng and his sons were killed, Ma Dai fled disguised as a merchant. The Records have only Ma Chao's memorial saying that Ma Dai alone of the clan remained, and do not record how he survived. Romance, Ch. 57 §56Records, Shu 6 §33
Tong Pass and Longxi: In Chapters 58–59 and 64 of the Romance, Ma Dai fought at Ma Chao's side as vanguard and on the flanks. Ma Dai does not appear in the Records' accounts of the battle of Tong Pass or the fighting in Longshang, either in the biography of Ma Chao or in the Annals of Emperor Wu. Romance, Ch. 58 §14Romance, Ch. 59 §36Romance, Ch. 64 §44Records, Shu 6 §24–33Records, Wei 1 §110–113
Jiameng Pass: In Chapter 65 of the Romance, Ma Dai hit Wei Yan in the left arm with an arrow at Jiameng Pass. The biographies of Ma Chao and Wei Yan in the Records contain no battle at Jiameng Pass. Romance, Ch. 65 §12Records, Shu 6 §24–33Records, Shu 10 §56–65
The southern campaign: In Chapters 88–90 of the Romance, Ma Dai captured Meng Huo and Lady Zhurong. The Records' biography of Zhuge Liang records the southern campaign of the 3rd year of Jianxing (225) in a single line, saying he set out in spring and had pacified everything by autumn, and neither Meng Huo nor Ma Dai appears in Chen Shou's main text. Romance, Ch. 88 §36–37Romance, Ch. 90 §18Records, Shu 5 §24
Shangfang Valley: In Chapter 103 of the Romance, Ma Dai took charge of burying land mines and dry brushwood in Shangfang Valley to trap Sima Yi with fire. The last campaign in the Records' biography of Zhuge Liang ends with a standoff of more than a hundred days against Sima Yi at the Wuzhang Plains and Zhuge Liang's death from illness, and contains no such plan. Romance, Ch. 103 §15–16Records, Shu 5 §38
How he killed Wei Yan: In Chapters 104–105 of the Romance, Zhuge Liang gave Ma Dai a secret plan before his death, and Ma Dai pretended to follow Wei Yan and then cut him down in front of the battle lines. In the Records, when Wei Yan's troops scattered and he fled to Hanzhong with a few of his sons, Yang Yi sent Ma Dai to pursue and behead him. Nothing is said of Zhuge Liang giving Ma Dai a plan. Romance, Ch. 104 §5Romance, Ch. 105 §21Records, Shu 10 §61–64
His treatment afterward: In Chapter 105 of the Romance, the Later Sovereign, Liu Shan, gave Ma Dai Wei Yan's rank. The Records say only that Ma Dai's rank reached General Who Pacifies the North and that he was advanced in rank to Marquis of Chencang, without stating when or why. Romance, Ch. 105 §25Records, Shu 6 §33
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
RMa Chao entrusted him with continuing the family line; on orders, beheaded the rebel Wei YanShu 6 §33Shu 10 §64
NSaid all were the court's troops and he would not refuse even at the cost of his life; beheaded the rebel Wei Yan as the plan left to him directedCh. 88 §8Ch. 105 §21
RIn the conflict between Wei Yan and Yang Yi, sided with the court and beheaded Wei YanShu 10 §64
NEscaped Xuchang disguised as a merchant; pretended to follow Wei Yan and cut him down unawaresCh. 57 §56Ch. 105 §16Ch. 105 §21
RNo direct record — estimated from his military careerShu 6 §33
NRebuked the treacherous Dongtuna into retreating, and put Wei Yan at ease with wordsCh. 88 §17Ch. 105 §16
ROn Yang Yi's orders, pursued the fleeing Wei Yan and beheaded himShu 10 §64
NDrove off Zhong Yao in a single bout and cut down Mangyachang with one stroke, but could not last ten bouts against Zhang Fei and fledCh. 58 §14Ch. 88 §15Ch. 65 §14
RRose to General Who Pacifies the North and became Marquis of Chencang — judged from his offices, with no record of commandShu 6 §33
NBeat Zhong Yao with a vanguard of 15,000 and cut Meng Huo's supply line, but said he had no plan against the Qiang armyCh. 58 §14Ch. 88 §11Ch. 94 §12
RNo direct record — estimated from the absence of any deeds beyond his generalshipShu 6 §33
NWary of Cao Cao's designs, tried to dissuade Ma Teng, but said he had no plan against the iron-chariot troopsCh. 57 §42Ch. 94 §12
RNo direct record — estimated from the record of Ma Chao entrusting him with the family sacrificesShu 6 §33
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds alongside Ma ChaoCh. 65 §37
RNo direct record — estimated from his military careerShu 6 §33
NNo direct record — estimated from deeds mostly in the role of a subordinate generalCh. 94 §12
NSkilled +10 While fleeing, turned and shot Wei Yan in the left armCh. 65 §12
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).