Han Sui 韓遂

The Records have no separate biography of Han Sui. He is summarized briefly, together with Ma Teng, at the end of the Biography of Dong Zhuo, and his other deeds are scattered through the Annals of Emperor Wu and the biographies of Ma Chao, Xiahou Yuan, Sun Jian and others. According to the Annals of Emperor Wu, at the end of Emperor Ling's reign Bian Zhang of Jincheng and Han Sui killed the Inspector and the Administrator and rebelled; their following numbered more than 100,000, and the realm was thrown into turmoil. Records, Wei 6 §29–31Records, Wei 1 §5

When Han Sui and the others rose in Liang Province, Dong Zhuo, as General of the Household (zhonglang jiang), resisted them in the west without success. In the 3rd year of Zhongping (186) the Minister of Works Zhang Wen, acting as General of Chariots and Cavalry, set out west to attack Bian Zhang and the others, and Tao Qian and Sun Jian took part in his army. At that time Sun Jian named it among Dong Zhuo's crimes, in speaking to Zhang Wen, that although Bian Zhang and Han Sui had run rampant for years, Dong Zhuo had held back the army by saying it was not yet time to attack. When Bian Zhang and Han Sui heard that a great army was about to arrive, their followers scattered and they all begged to surrender. Records, Wei 6 §4Records, Wu 1 §8–10Records, Wei 8 §24

In the 3rd year of Chuping (192) Han Sui and Ma Teng surrendered and led their followers to Chang'an. The court made Han Sui General Who Guards the West and sent him back to Jincheng, and made Ma Teng General Who Conquers the West and stationed him at Mei County. Later, following a plot by the Palace Attendant Ma Yu and others, Ma Teng attacked Chang'an, but the plot leaked out, and he was defeated by Fan Chou and returned to Liang Province. Records, Shu 6 §25Records, Wei 6 §22

While Cao Cao was fighting east of the mountains, in Guanzhong Ma Teng, Han Sui and others each commanded strong troops and contended with one another. Xun Yu said that although the commanders of Guanzhong numbered in the dozens, Han Sui and Ma Chao were the strongest, and advised winning them over with favor and making peace with them; Cao Cao entrusted Guanzhong to Zhong Yao. When Zhong Yao reached Chang'an and sent letters explaining the consequences of their choices, Ma Teng and Han Sui each sent a son to attend at court. Records, Wei 13 §5Records, Wei 10 §27

Han Sui and Ma Teng returned to Liang Province and attacked each other by turns. When Ma Teng fell out with Han Sui, he asked to return to the capital region and became Minister of the Guards, and his son Ma Chao took command of his retainers. Records, Wei 6 §31Records, Shu 6 §26

In the 3rd month of the 16th year of Jian'an (211), when Cao Cao sent Zhong Yao and others to attack Zhang Lu, the commanders of Guanzhong suspected that Zhong Yao meant to attack them. Just as Gao Rou had feared, Ma Chao rebelled together with Han Sui, Yang Qiu, Li Kan, Cheng Yi and others and took up position at Tong Pass. In the autumn, in the 7th month, Cao Cao marched west and encamped facing them across the pass, and secretly sent Xu Huang and Zhu Ling across at Puban Ford. Records, Wei 1 §109–110Records, Wei 24 §27

In the 9th month, when Cao Cao crossed the Wei River, Ma Chao and the others asked for a cession of territory and offered to send their sons as hostages, and Cao Cao, following Jia Xu's plan, pretended to agree. Han Sui asked to meet Cao Cao. Cao Cao had been recommended as Filial and Incorrupt in the same year as Han Sui's father, and was also of the same generation as Han Sui, so they talked for a long time with their horses side by side, never mentioning military matters but only reminiscing about old times in the capital, clapping their hands and laughing. The biographies of Xu Chu and Ma Chao record that when Cao Cao met Han Sui and Ma Chao, each on a single horse, only Xu Chu accompanied him, and that Ma Chao, wishing to fall upon Cao Cao, could not move under Xu Chu's gaze. Records, Wei 1 §112Records, Wei 18 §53Records, Shu 6 §27Records, Wei 10 §83

When Ma Chao and the others asked what Cao Cao had said, Han Sui answered that he had said nothing in particular, and they grew suspicious of him. Another day Cao Cao sent Han Sui a letter full of blots and corrections, so that it looked as if Han Sui had altered it, and Ma Chao and the others grew even more suspicious. Cao Cao fixed a day for a decisive battle, crushed them, and beheaded Cheng Yi, Li Kan and others. Han Sui and Ma Chao fled to Liang Province, and Guanzhong was pacified. The Biography of Jia Xu records that the defeat of Han Sui and Ma Chao was originally Jia Xu's plan. Records, Wei 1 §112–113Records, Wei 10 §83

In the 17th year of Jian'an (212), when Cao Cao returned to Ye, Xiahou Yuan, whom he had left at Chang'an, beheaded Liang Xing, a remnant follower of Han Sui and Ma Chao, at Hu County. In the 19th year of Jian'an (214), when Xiahou Yuan tried to take Han Sui by surprise at Xianqin, Han Sui fled. Xiahou Yuan seized Han Sui's provisions and pursued him as far as the city of Lüeyang, then attacked the Qiang of Changli, many of whom were in Han Sui's army, so that they went back to their own tribes. When Han Sui did indeed come to rescue Changli, Xiahou Yuan, without building a camp, beat the drums and advanced, routing Han Sui's army and capturing his banners. Records, Wei 9 §17–21

The Annals of Emperor Wu record that in the first month of spring of the same year, Han Sui moved to Jincheng, entered the tribe of Qianwan, King of the Di, and led more than 10,000 Qiang and Hu horsemen against Xiahou Yuan, but was heavily defeated and fled to Xiping. In the 20th year of Jian'an (215), while Cao Cao was on his way to attack Zhang Lu, Qu Yan, Jiang Shi and other commanders of Xiping and Jincheng together cut off Han Sui's head and sent it to him. The Biography of Dong Zhuo records that Han Sui fled to Jincheng and was killed by his own commanders. Records, Wei 1 §136 · 145–146Records, Wei 6 §31

During the uprising of Han Sui and Ma Chao, tens of thousands of households from west of the passes fled to Zhang Lu by way of the Ziwu Valley. Cao Cao later moved more than 5,000 former soldiers of Han Sui, Ma Chao and the others and placed them under the command of Yin Shu, General Who Pacifies Difficulties, and others. Since Han Sui has no biography, there is no assessment of him by Chen Shou. Records, Wei 8 §65Records, Wei 23 §52Records, Wei 6 §29–31