RTried to draw Li Qian into rebellion and killed him when he refusedWei 18 §2
NNo direct recordCh. 12 §34
Xue Lan 薛蘭
| Occupation | RGeneral · Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage NGeneral | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | R? Unverified | Native place | |
| Died | R195 Unverified | Place of death | RJuye County |
| Cause of death | RKilled in battle NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R4 |
Profile
Xue Lan served as Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage under Lü Bu at the end of the Later Han. The Records give him no biography of his own; his name always appears together with the Headquarters Officer Li Feng in the Annals of Emperor Wu in Records of Wei 1, in the account of Xun Yu in the Biographies of Xun Yu, Xun You and Jia Xu in Records of Wei 10, and in the account of Li Dian in the Biographies of Er Li, Zang, Wen, Lü, Xu, Dian, Er Pang and Yan in Records of Wei 18. Records, Wei 18 §2Records, Wei 1 §33Records, Wei 10 §10
During Lü Bu's uprising, together with Li Feng he summoned Li Qian, who had returned to Chengshi, and tried to draw him into the revolt; when Li Qian refused, they killed him. In the summer of the 2nd year of Xingping (195) he was stationed at Juye with Li Feng and was defeated when Cao Cao attacked, and after Lü Bu, who had come to his rescue, fled, he was beheaded. Records, Wei 18 §2Records, Wei 1 §28 · 33
The Records contain no assessment of him, and Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name or his home. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 11 as a deputy general under Lü Bu and appears in 2 of its 120 chapters (Chapters 11 and 12); his name is in no chapter title. In Chapter 12, while holding Yan Province, he is taken by surprise by Cao Cao, and as he flees toward Juye he is shot from his horse by an arrow from Lü Qian. Romance, Ch. 11 §43Romance, Ch. 12 §34–35
In the Records
Li Dian's uncle Li Qian had a heroic spirit and gathered several thousand households of retainers at Chengshi, and in the Chuping era he led his followers in Cao Cao's service and defeated the Yellow Turbans at Shouzhang. When Lü Bu's uprising broke out, Cao Cao sent Li Qian back to Chengshi to pacify and console the counties. At this time Lü Bu's Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage Xue Lan and his Headquarters Officer Li Feng summoned Li Qian, wanting to rebel together with him, but when Li Qian refused, they finally killed him. Records, Wei 18 §2
Cao Cao had Li Qian's son Li Zheng command Li Qian's troops and attack Xue Lan and Li Feng together with the other generals. Xue Lan and Li Feng were defeated, and Li Zheng went on to take part in pacifying the counties of Yan Province, winning merit. Records, Wei 18 §3
According to the Annals of Emperor Wu, in the spring of the 2nd year of Xingping (195) Cao Cao made a surprise attack on Dingtao and defeated Lü Bu, who happened to arrive. In the summer of that year, when Lü Bu's generals Xue Lan and Li Feng were stationed at Juye, Cao Cao attacked them. Lü Bu came to rescue Xue Lan, but Xue Lan was defeated and Lü Bu fled, and Cao Cao at last beheaded Xue Lan and the others. Lü Bu came again from Dongmin with Chen Gong at the head of more than 10,000 men to fight, but was heavily defeated by Cao Cao, who set an ambush and unleashed surprise troops. Records, Wei 1 §28 · 33
According to the account of Xun Yu, in the summer of the 2nd year of Xingping, when Cao Cao was stationed at Chengshi, there was a great famine. When Tao Qian died, Cao Cao wanted to take the opportunity to seize Xu Province and then return to subdue Lü Bu, but Xun Yu dissuaded him, saying that Yan Province was the general's Guanzhong and Henei and must be pacified first. Xun Yu said that since Li Feng and Xue Lan had already been defeated, if troops were divided to attack Chen Gong in the east, Chen Gong would not dare to look west, and if in the meantime they harvested the ripe wheat and stored up grain, Lü Bu could be defeated at a single stroke. Cao Cao therefore gave up the plan, and after gathering in a great harvest of wheat he fought Lü Bu again; Lü Bu was defeated and fled, and Yan Province was pacified. Records, Wei 10 §8–10 · 12
These four passages are the only places in Chen Shou's main text where Xue Lan appears. His courtesy name, home and age are not recorded, and the Records contain no assessment of him. Records, Wei 1 §33Records, Wei 10 §10Records, Wei 18 §2–3
In the Romance
In Chapter 11 of the Romance, Lü Bu, learning that Cao Cao has turned his army back from Xu Province and already passed Teng County, summons his deputy generals Xue Lan and Li Feng, tells them he has long wanted to make use of the two of them, and orders them to take 10,000 troops and hold Yan Province firmly. Chen Gong says that Xue Lan will certainly fail to hold Yan Province and proposes placing 10,000 picked troops in ambush on the steep road through Mount Tai, 180 li due south, but Lü Bu does not listen, leaves Xue Lan to hold Yan Province and sets off for Puyang. Romance, Ch. 11 §43–45
When Cao Cao's army reaches the steep road through Mount Tai and Guo Jia fears an ambush, Cao Cao laughs that Lü Bu is a man without strategy who has left Xue Lan to hold Yan Province and gone to Puyang himself, so there can be no ambush here. Cao Cao has Cao Ren lead a detachment to surround Yan Province, while he himself advances on Puyang. Romance, Ch. 11 §45–46
In Chapter 12, when Cao Cao has pacified Runan and Yingchuan and turns his army back, Cao Ren and Xiahou Dun report, on the word of their spies, that the soldiers of Xue Lan and Li Feng in Yan Province have all gone out plundering and the city is empty. Cao Cao rushes straight to Yan Province, and Xue Lan and Li Feng, taken by surprise, have no choice but to lead their troops out of the city to meet him. Xu Chu steps forward, offering to capture the two men as his gift on first being presented. Romance, Ch. 12 §33–34
When Li Feng is cut down within two bouts of crossing horses with Xu Chu, Xue Lan hurriedly flees back toward his lines but is blocked by Li Dian at the drawbridge. Not daring to return to the city, he leads his troops in flight toward Juye, but Lü Qian, galloping after him, brings him down from his horse with a single arrow, and his soldiers all break and scatter. Cao Cao regains Yan Province. Romance, Ch. 12 §35
Where the Romance differs
Post: In Chapter 11 of the Romance, Xue Lan is Lü Bu's deputy general. In the Records, the account of Li Dian calls him Lü Bu's Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage (Li Feng being the Headquarters Officer), and the Annals of Emperor Wu describe him, together with Li Feng, as one of Lü Bu's generals. Romance, Ch. 11 §43Records, Wei 18 §2Records, Wei 1 §33
The killing of Li Qian: Li Qian does not appear in Chapters 11–12 of the Romance. In the account of Li Dian in the Records, Xue Lan and Li Feng summoned Li Qian, who had returned to Chengshi, to rebel with them and killed him when he refused, and Cao Cao had Li Qian's son Li Zheng lead his troops against the two men. Romance, Ch. 11 §43–45Romance, Ch. 12 §34–35Records, Wei 18 §2–3
Holding Yan Province: In Chapter 11 of the Romance, Lü Bu has Xue Lan hold Yan Province with 10,000 troops and goes to Puyang. Chen Shou's main text never says that Xue Lan held Yan Province, and the Annals of Emperor Wu record that Xue Lan and Li Feng were stationed at Juye. Romance, Ch. 11 §44–45Records, Wei 1 §33Records, Wei 10 §10Records, Wei 18 §2–3
Course of the battle: In Chapter 12 of the Romance, Xue Lan is taken by surprise by Cao Cao while his soldiers are out plundering and the city is empty, and comes out of the city to fight; Lü Bu takes no part in this battle. In the Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records, when Cao Cao attacked Xue Lan, who was stationed at Juye, Lü Bu came to his rescue but fled when Xue Lan was defeated. Romance, Ch. 12 §34–35Records, Wei 1 §33
His end: In Chapter 12 of the Romance, Xue Lan is shot from his horse by an arrow from Lü Qian while fleeing toward Juye. The Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records state only that Cao Cao beheaded Xue Lan and the others, without saying who did the beheading, and the biography of Lü Qian contains no fight with Xue Lan either. Romance, Ch. 12 §35Records, Wei 1 §33Records, Wei 18 §40–44
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 total350 / 1000Rank 903 of 996 · Top 91%Romance total325 / 1000Rank 1,029 of 1,113 · Top 93%
Romance adaptation index−25Romance total − Records total
- LEA3830−8
- STR3835−3
- INT3530−5
- POL4031−9
- CHA3533−2
- VIR2838+10
- ADP3535±0
- SCH3331−2
- DIP3531−4
- DIS3331−2
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
9 similar abilities — show evidence
RStationed at Juye but was defeated by Taizu's attack and beheadedWei 1 §33
NChen Gong said he would fail to hold Yan Province; his soldiers went out plundering and left the city emptyCh. 11 §44Ch. 12 §34
RNo direct recordWei 1 §33
NBlocked by Li Dian, he fled and was shot from his horse by Lü Qian's arrowCh. 12 §35
RNo direct recordWei 18 §2
NWas caught off guard by Cao Cao's surprise attackCh. 12 §34
RNo direct record — Lü Bu's Attendant Officer with Separate CarriageWei 18 §2
NNo direct recordCh. 11 §44
RNo direct recordWei 18 §2
NNo direct recordCh. 11 §43
RNo direct recordWei 18 §2
NNo direct recordCh. 12 §35
RNo direct recordWei 18 §2
NNo direct recordCh. 11 §43
RSummoned Li Qian to rebel with him but failed to persuade himWei 18 §2
NNo direct recordCh. 11 §43
RNo direct recordWei 1 §33
NNo direct recordCh. 11 §43
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 (2)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Lü Bu faction (~195) · Records · 「布將薛蘭、李封屯鉅野」 · 「遂斬蘭等」(sgz-wei-01:s33)
Related events (1)
- Battle of Dingtao 195 · Command
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).