English

Ding Yuan 丁原

RecordsRomance Courtesy name 建陽 Jianyang정원건양

Profile
OccupationRGeneral · Inspector of Bing Province NGeneral · Inspector of Jing ProvinceFaction
AppearsRNBiography in
BornR? N? UnverifiedNative place
DiedR189 N(same) UnverifiedPlace of death
Cause of deathRKilled NKilled Unverified
ExistenceHistoricalMentionsR8

Profile

Ding Yuan's courtesy name was Jianyang. While Inspector of Bing Province he became Chief Commandant of Cavalry, and when he was stationed at Henei he made Lü Bu his Registrar and treated him with great intimacy; he also summoned Zhang Liao as an Attendant Officer because his martial strength surpassed that of other men. Records, Wei 7 §2 · 27Records, Wei 17 §2

When Emperor Ling died, he led troops to Luoyang, plotted with He Jin to kill the eunuchs, and was appointed Bearer of the Golden Mace. After He Jin fell, Dong Zhuo, who had entered the capital, enticed Lü Bu in order to absorb Ding Yuan's troops, and Lü Bu cut off Ding Yuan's head and went over to Dong Zhuo. The Annals of Emperor Wu record this year as the 6th year of Zhongping (189). Records, Wei 7 §2–3Records, Wei 1 §5–6

The Records give him no biography and no assessment; in Chen Shou's text his name appears in the biographies of Dong Zhuo, Lü Bu, Zhang Yang and Zhang Liao. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 3 as the Inspector of Jing Province who rebukes Dong Zhuo's plan to depose the emperor, appears in 3 of its 120 chapters, and is named in the title of Chapter 3, 'Dong Zhuo Rebukes Ding Yuan'. In the same chapter he is killed by his adopted son Lü Bu, and in Chapters 9 and 19 only his name is mentioned. Records, Wei 6 §6Records, Wei 7 §2Records, Wei 8 §30Records, Wei 17 §2Romance, Ch. 3 §30 · 46Romance, Ch. 9 §15Romance, Ch. 19 §58

In the Records

In Emperor Ling's last years, when the realm fell into disorder, Emperor Ling made his favored Junior Attendant of the Yellow Gate Jian Shuo Colonel of the Upper Army of the Western Garden, stationed troops in the capital, and summoned the bold men of the realm to serve as subordinate commanders. Ding Yuan, Inspector of Bing Province, had Zhang Yang, who for his valor had become Assistant Officer for Martial Valor in Bing Province, lead troops to Jian Shuo, and Zhang Yang became an Acting Major. Records, Wei 8 §30

At the end of the Han, Ding Yuan summoned Zhang Liao of Mayi County in Yanmen Commandery as an Attendant Officer because his martial strength surpassed that of other men, and had him lead troops to the capital. On He Jin's orders Zhang Liao went to Hebei and gathered more than a thousand men, but when he returned He Jin had already fallen, so he led his troops over to Dong Zhuo. Records, Wei 17 §2

When Ding Yuan became Chief Commandant of Cavalry and was stationed at Henei, he made Lü Bu of Jiuyuan in Wuyuan Commandery, who for his swiftness and valor held office in Bing Province, his Registrar and treated him with great intimacy. When Emperor Ling died, Ding Yuan led troops to Luoyang, plotted with He Jin to kill the eunuchs, and was appointed Bearer of the Golden Mace. The Annals of Emperor Wu record this year as the 6th year of Zhongping (189). Records, Wei 7 §2Records, Wei 1 §5–6

When He Jin fell, Dong Zhuo entered the capital intending to cause disorder, and he wished to kill Ding Yuan and absorb his troops. Seeing that Lü Bu was trusted by Ding Yuan, Dong Zhuo enticed Lü Bu into killing him. Lü Bu cut off Ding Yuan's head and went over to Dong Zhuo, who made him Chief Commandant of Cavalry, loved and trusted him greatly, and swore with him to be father and son. The biography of Dong Zhuo records that Dong Zhuo had Lü Bu kill Ding Yuan, Bearer of the Golden Mace, and absorbed his troops, so that military power in the capital lay with Dong Zhuo alone. Records, Wei 7 §2–3Records, Wei 6 §6

Later, after Taizu (Cao Cao) had besieged him for three months, Lü Bu came down from the White Gate Tower and surrendered. When Lü Bu, bound alive, asked to be given command of the cavalry, saying it would then not be hard to pacify the realm, Taizu showed a look of doubt, and Liu Bei said, 'Has my lord not seen how Lü Bu served Ding Jianyang and Grand Preceptor Dong?' Taizu nodded, and Lü Bu was strangled. Records, Wei 7 §26–27

In the Romance

In Chapter 3 of the Romance, Dong Zhuo gathers the officials in the Wenming Garden and announces that he will depose the present emperor and set up the Prince of Chenliu. While the officials dare not make a sound, Ding Yuan, Inspector of Jing Province, pushes aside his table, steps forward and cries out, 'The Son of Heaven is the late emperor's legitimate son and has committed no fault from the first; how dare you recklessly discuss deposing him? Do you mean to usurp the throne?' When Dong Zhuo draws his sword to cut Ding Yuan down, Li Ru, seeing a man standing behind Ding Yuan glaring with a sky-piercing halberd in hand, stops him, saying that today is a banquet, and the others urge Ding Yuan to mount his horse and leave. Romance, Ch. 3 §27–31

Li Ru tells Dong Zhuo that the man galloping back and forth outside the garden gate is 'Ding Yuan's adopted son, surnamed Lü, named Bu, styled Fengxian'. The next day Ding Yuan leads his troops outside the city and challenges Dong Zhuo to battle. Here the Romance calls him 'Ding Jianyang', and depicts how, while he is rebuking Dong Zhuo with 'You have not a hair's breadth of merit; how dare you speak recklessly of deposing the emperor?', Lü Bu charges straight in, and Ding Yuan drives his troops into the attack, so that Dong Zhuo's army is badly defeated and falls back more than thirty li. Romance, Ch. 3 §34–36

To Dong Zhuo, who longs to win Lü Bu, Li Su, General of the Household Rapid as Tigers, comes forward and says that if he shows Lü Bu profit with the Red Hare and with gold and pearls, Lü Bu will surely betray Ding Yuan. Li Su visits Lü Bu, gives him the Red Hare, and saying that he often meets his younger brother's father, points to 'the present Inspector Ding'. Lü Bu replies that he serves under Ding Jianyang only because he has no choice, and in the end says that he will kill Ding Yuan and lead his troops over to Dong Zhuo. Romance, Ch. 3 §36–39 · 41–42 · 44

That night around the second watch, when Lü Bu enters the tent with a sword, Ding Yuan, who has lit a candle and is reading a book, asks, 'What brings my son here?' When Lü Bu says, 'How could a man of my stature be your son?', Ding Yuan says, 'Fengxian, why has your heart changed?', and Lü Bu cuts off his head with a single stroke. More than half of the soldiers scatter, and the next day Lü Bu takes Ding Yuan's head to Li Su, meets Dong Zhuo and takes him as his adoptive father. The poem at the end of the chapter sings that 'Ding Yuan held to righteousness and was the first to lose his life'. Romance, Ch. 3 §46–47 · 51

In Chapter 9, when Shisun Rui proposes sending Li Su to Dong Zhuo, Lü Bu says that this is also the man who once urged him to kill Ding Jianyang, and that if he refuses to go he will behead him first. At the White Gate Tower in Chapter 19, when Cao Cao asks what to do with Lü Bu, Liu Bei answers, 'Have you not seen what happened to Ding Jianyang and Dong Zhuo?', and the poem that follows sings that 'the blood of Dong Zhuo and Ding Yuan is not yet dry'. Romance, Ch. 9 §15Romance, Ch. 19 §58 · 61

Where the Romance differs

Office: In Chapter 3 of the Romance, Ding Yuan appears as 'Inspector of Jing Province'. In the Records, while Inspector of Bing Province he became Chief Commandant of Cavalry and was stationed at Henei, and after Emperor Ling died he came to Luoyang and was appointed Bearer of the Golden Mace. Romance, Ch. 3 §30Records, Wei 7 §2Records, Wei 17 §2

Relationship with Lü Bu: In Chapter 3 of the Romance, Lü Bu appears as Ding Yuan's adopted son, and Ding Yuan calls him 'my son'. The biography of Lü Bu in the Records states only that Ding Yuan made Lü Bu his Registrar and treated him with great intimacy; those who swore to be father and son were Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu, after Ding Yuan had been killed. Romance, Ch. 3 §34 · 46Records, Wei 7 §2–3

Opposing the deposition: In Chapter 3 of the Romance, Ding Yuan opposes Dong Zhuo's deposition of the emperor at the banquet in the Wenming Garden and rebukes him. The Records contain no record of Ding Yuan opposing the deposition. In the biography of Dong Zhuo, it is after Dong Zhuo had Lü Bu kill Ding Yuan and absorbed his troops that he deposed the emperor and made him Prince of Hongnong. Romance, Ch. 3 §30Records, Wei 6 §6 · 8

The battle outside the city: In Chapter 3 of the Romance, Ding Yuan challenges Dong Zhuo to battle outside the city, crushes his army and drives it back more than thirty li. In the biographies of Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu in the Records, Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo never meet in battle. Romance, Ch. 3 §34–36Records, Wei 6 §5–8Records, Wei 7 §2–3

How Lü Bu was won over: In Chapter 3 of the Romance, Li Su takes Dong Zhuo's Red Hare, a thousand taels of gold, several dozen bright pearls and a jade belt to win Lü Bu over. The biography of Lü Bu in the Records says only that Dong Zhuo enticed Lü Bu into killing Ding Yuan, and neither Li Su nor the Red Hare appears in this passage. Romance, Ch. 3 §37–38 · 43–44Records, Wei 7 §2–3

Ding Yuan's troops: In Chapter 3 of the Romance, when Ding Yuan dies more than half of his troops scatter. In the biography of Dong Zhuo in the Records, Dong Zhuo killed Ding Yuan and absorbed his men, so that military power in the capital lay with Dong Zhuo alone. Romance, Ch. 3 §47Records, Wei 6 §6

The men under Ding Yuan: In the Romance, the only man shown as Ding Yuan's follower is Lü Bu. In the Records, Ding Yuan summoned Zhang Liao as an Attendant Officer and had him lead troops to the capital, and sent Zhang Yang to Jian Shuo, where he became an Acting Major. Romance, Ch. 3 §30–47Records, Wei 17 §2Records, Wei 8 §30

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 total425 / 1000Rank 476 of 996 · Top 48%Romance total488 / 1000Rank 130 of 1,113 · Top 12%
Romance adaptation index+63Romance total − Records total
LEASTRINTPOLCHAVIRADPSCHDIPDIS
Records (solid) vs Romance (dashed)
  • LEA4862+14
  • STR4045+5
  • INT4040±0
  • POL4040±0
  • CHA4550+5
  • VIR5286+34
  • ADP3530−5
  • SCH3545+10
  • DIP3558+23
  • DIS5532−23
Records · Romance scores and difference (Romance − Records · left = lowered by the Romance · right = raised)

Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more

VirtueR52UnverifiedN86 +34

RNo direct record — estimated from his part in the plot to kill the eunuchsWei 7 §2

NRebuked and checked the deposition at the banquet, and died holding to righteousnessCh. 3 §30Ch. 3 §51

DiplomacyR35UnverifiedN58 +23

RNo direct recordWei 7 §2

NDenounced Dong Zhuo as a usurper and charged him with his crimes before the ranksCh. 3 §30Ch. 3 §35

DiscernmentR55N32 −23

RRecognized Zhang Liao's martial strength and made him an Attendant Officer, but was killed by Lü Bu, whom he trusted greatlyWei 17 §2Wei 7 §2

NKept Lü Bu, who was swayed by profit, as his adopted son and was betrayedCh. 3 §37Ch. 3 §46

LeadershipR48UnverifiedN62 +14

RNo direct record — estimated from his being stationed at Henei as Chief Commandant of Cavalry and leading troopsWei 7 §2

NDrew up his ranks and crushed Dong Zhuo's army, driving it back more than 30 liCh. 3 §35

ScholarshipR35UnverifiedN45 +10

RNo direct recordWei 7 §2

NWas reading a book by candlelight at nightCh. 3 §46

5 similar abilities — show evidence
  • StrengthR40UnverifiedN45Unverified +5

    RNo direct recordWei 7 §2

    NNo direct record — estimated from his riding out before the ranks with Lü BuCh. 3 §35

  • IntelligenceR40UnverifiedN40Unverified ±0

    RNo direct record — his plot with He Jin to kill the eunuchsWei 7 §2

    NNo direct recordCh. 3 §46

  • PoliticsR40UnverifiedN40Unverified ±0

    RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Inspector of Bing ProvinceWei 8 §30

    NNo direct record — estimated from his post as InspectorCh. 3 §30

  • CharismaR45UnverifiedN50 +5

    RNo direct recordWei 7 §2

    NWhen Ding Yuan died, more than half his troops scattered rather than follow Lü BuCh. 3 §47

  • AdaptabilityR35UnverifiedN30 −5

    RNo direct record — killed by Lü Bu, who had been enticed by Dong ZhuoWei 6 §6

    NWas cut down in his tent, unaware that his adopted son Lü Bu had turned against himCh. 3 §46

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 (3)

AppearsNot present Chapter list →

Related events (1)

Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).