RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhang Lu's generalWei 1 §147
NOpposed the pursuit, warning that Cao Cao's withdrawal might be feignedCh. 67 §7Ch. 67 §8
Yang Ren 楊任
| Occupation | RNGeneral | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | R? Unverified | Native place | |
| Died | R215 Unverified | Place of death | RYangping Pass |
| Cause of death | RKilled in battle NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R1 |
Profile
Yang Ren was a general of Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. He has no biography of his own in the Records and appears once, in Records of Wei 1, the Annals of Emperor Wu. In the 20th year of Jian'an (215), when Cao Cao reached Yangping to attack Zhang Lu, Zhang Lu had his younger brother Zhang Wei, his general Yang Ang and others hold Yangping Pass; Cao Cao secretly sent Xie Biao, Gao Zuo and others to launch a night attack, crushed them and beheaded their general Yang Ren. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name or his origins. Records, Wei 1 §145–147
In the Romance he appears only in Chapter 67, one of its 120 chapters, and he is not named in any chapter title. He was a senior general whom Zhang Lu sent to Yangping Pass together with Yang Ang; he tried to stop Yang Ang from pursuing Cao Cao's withdrawing army, but Yang Ang would not listen and they were defeated, and after signing a written military pledge to Zhang Lu he went out again and was cut down by Xiahou Yuan. Romance, Ch. 67 §2 · 7–8 · 12–13
In the Records
In the third month of the 20th year of Jian'an (215), Cao Cao set out west to campaign against Zhang Lu and reached Chencang; breaking the Di people who blocked the road, he advanced and in the autumn, in the seventh month, reached Yangping. Records, Wei 1 §145–146
Zhang Lu had his younger brother Zhang Wei, his general Yang Ang and others hold Yangping Pass, building walls across the mountains for more than ten li. Cao Cao attacked but could not take it and withdrew his army. Seeing the great army withdraw, the enemy relaxed their defenses and dispersed. Records, Wei 1 §147
Cao Cao then secretly sent Xie Biao, Gao Zuo and others to make use of the rugged terrain and launch a night attack, crushed them and beheaded their general Yang Ren. When he advanced to attack Zhang Wei, Zhang Wei and the others fled by night, and Zhang Lu's forces collapsed and he fled to Bazhong. Cao Cao's army entered Nanzheng and took all the rare treasures in Zhang Lu's storehouses. Records, Wei 1 §147
The account of Zhang Lu in Records of Wei 8 records that Zhang Lu wished to surrender Hanzhong, but his younger brother Zhang Wei refused and, leading a host of tens of thousands, blocked the pass and held it firmly, and that Cao Cao crushed them. Yang Ren's name does not appear in this passage. Records, Wei 8 §66
In Chen Shou's main text, Yang Ren's name appears only in this one passage of the Annals of Emperor Wu. His courtesy name, his origins and his position under Zhang Lu are not recorded. Records, Wei 1 §147
In the Romance
In Chapter 67 of the Romance, when Cao Cao divided his army into three and set out on a western campaign, Zhang Lu, following his younger brother Zhang Wei's advice to build camps to the left and right of Yangping Pass and meet the enemy there, sent his senior generals Yang Ang and Yang Ren to set off that same day together with Zhang Wei. When the vanguard of Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He made camp fifteen li from the pass, that night Yang Ang and Yang Ren led troops along two routes to raid the camp, and Cao Cao's troops were badly defeated and fell back. Romance, Ch. 67 §1–3
When Cao Cao came to inspect Zhang Wei's camp with only Xu Chu and Xu Huang, Yang Ang and Yang Ren split into two routes and attacked. Unable to withstand Xu Chu's valor, the two turned their horses and withdrew, and were driven off by Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He, who had come running at the sound of the shouting. Romance, Ch. 67 §4–5
After more than fifty days of standoff, when Cao Cao pulled up his camps under the pretext of withdrawing in order to put the enemy off guard, Yang Ang invited Yang Ren to discuss seizing the moment to attack. Yang Ren said that Cao Cao was full of crafty schemes and it could not be known whether this was real or feigned, so they must not pursue; when Yang Ang said he would go even alone, Yang Ren earnestly tried to stop him, but Yang Ang would not listen. While Yang Ang advanced with all the troops and horses of the five camps, Xiahou Yuan's troops, having lost their way in a thick fog, entered the camp and set it on fire. As the fog lifted, Yang Ren came with troops to the rescue and fought Xiahou Yuan, but after only a few bouts, when Zhang He's troops arrived behind him, he cut his way out along the main road and fled to Nanzheng. Romance, Ch. 67 §6–10
When he returned with Zhang Wei to see Zhang Lu, Zhang Wei said that the two generals had lost the strategic points and so the pass could not be held, and Zhang Lu, in a great rage, was about to behead Yang Ren. Yang Ren said that he had advised Yang Ang not to pursue Cao Cao's troops but Yang Ang had not listened, which was why they had been defeated; he asked for another body of troops to go out again, promising that he would surely behead Cao Cao and would willingly accept military law if he did not win. Zhang Lu took his written military pledge, and Yang Ren led 20,000 troops out of Nanzheng and made camp. Romance, Ch. 67 §12
Encountering Xiahou Yuan, who by Cao Cao's order was scouting the road to Nanzheng with 5,000 troops, Yang Ren sent out his subordinate general Chang Qi, but Chang Qi was cut down by a single stroke of Xiahou Yuan's blade in fewer than three bouts. Yang Ren rode out himself with his spear levelled and fought Xiahou Yuan for more than thirty bouts without either gaining the upper hand; pursuing Xiahou Yuan, who feigned defeat and fled, he fell for the trick of the trailing blade and was cut down from his horse. Learning that Xiahou Yuan had slain Yang Ren, Cao Cao advanced straight to Nanzheng and made camp. Romance, Ch. 67 §13–14
Where the Romance differs
The generals Zhang Lu sent: In Chapter 67 of the Romance, Zhang Lu sent his senior generals Yang Ang and Yang Ren together to hold Yangping Pass with Zhang Wei. The Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records state that Zhang Lu had his younger brother Zhang Wei, his general Yang Ang and others hold Yangping Pass, and Yang Ren's name appears only afterward, as a general who was beheaded. Romance, Ch. 67 §2Records, Wei 1 §147
The camp raid and Xu Chu: In Chapter 67 of the Romance, Yang Ang and Yang Ren raided and broke the camp of Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He by night, and when they attacked Cao Cao, who had come to inspect the camps, they were stopped by Xu Chu. The Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records say only that Cao Cao attacked Yangping Pass but could not take it. Romance, Ch. 67 §2–5Records, Wei 1 §147
Opposing the pursuit: In Chapter 67 of the Romance, Yang Ren tried to stop Yang Ang from pursuing Cao Cao's withdrawing troops, but Yang Ang would not listen. The Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records state only that when Cao Cao, unable to take the pass, withdrew, the enemy, seeing the great army withdraw, relaxed their defenses and dispersed; there is no mention of Yang Ren opposing a pursuit. Romance, Ch. 67 §7–8Records, Wei 1 §147
How Yangping Pass fell: In Chapter 67 of the Romance, Xiahou Yuan's troops, having lost their way in a thick fog, took Yang Ang's camp, and Yang Ren, who came to the rescue, was pushed back by Zhang He's troops and fled to Nanzheng. In the Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records, Cao Cao secretly sent Xie Biao, Gao Zuo and others to make use of the rugged terrain and launch a night attack, crushing the enemy, and Yang Ren was beheaded in this battle. Romance, Ch. 67 §9–10Records, Wei 1 §147
Death: In Chapter 67 of the Romance, Yang Ren signed a written military pledge to Zhang Lu and went out again, and on the road to Nanzheng he fought Xiahou Yuan for more than thirty bouts before falling for the trick of the trailing blade and being cut down. The Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records state that Yangping Pass was attacked by night and crushed and that its general Yang Ren was beheaded. The Biography of Xiahou Yuan in the Records says only that during the campaign against Zhang Lu, Xiahou Yuan met Cao Cao at Xiuting, and that after Zhang Lu surrendered he was charged with pacifying Ba Commandery; it contains nothing about his killing Yang Ren. Romance, Ch. 67 §12–13Records, Wei 1 §147Records, Wei 9 §23
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.
Abilities
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.
Records total376 / 1000Rank 752 of 996 · Top 76%Romance total439 / 1000Rank 285 of 1,113 · Top 26%
Romance adaptation index+63Romance total − Records total
- LEA4550+5
- STR4562+17
- INT3858+20
- POL3333±0
- CHA3840+2
- VIR4050+10
- ADP4042+2
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3338+5
- DIS3335+2
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhang Lu's generalWei 1 §147
NFought Xiahou Yuan for more than thirty bouts without a decision, then was cut down by the trick of the trailing bladeCh. 67 §13
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhang Lu's generalWei 1 §147
NAfter the defeat, staked his life on a written military pledge and went out to fight againCh. 67 §12
7 similar abilities — show evidence
RDefended Yangping Pass but was crushed by Cao Cao's night attack and beheadedWei 1 §147
NRaided the camp of Cao Cao's vanguard under Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He along two routes with Yang Ang, but later was defeated and killedCh. 67 §2Ch. 67 §12
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhang Lu's generalWei 1 §147
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhang Lu's senior generalCh. 67 §2
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhang Lu's generalWei 1 §147
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhang Lu's senior generalCh. 67 §2
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhang Lu's generalWei 1 §147
NLaid the blame for the defeat on Yang Ang and escaped executionCh. 67 §12
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhang Lu's generalWei 1 §147
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhang Lu's senior generalCh. 67 §2
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhang Lu's generalWei 1 §147
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhang Lu's senior generalCh. 67 §2
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhang Lu's generalWei 1 §147
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Zhang Lu's senior generalCh. 67 §2
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.
Romance chapters (1)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Zhang Lu faction (~215) · Records · 「斬其將楊任」
Related events (2)
- Cao Cao Pacifies Hanzhong 215 · Appears (Romance scene)
- Battle of Yangping 215 · Command
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).