RAs Yuan Shu's envoy, told Lü Bu of the plans to usurp the title and went to fetch the brideWei 7 §19Wei 7 §20
NWon over Lü Bu with a secret letter and gifts and obtained his consent to the marriageCh. 16 §2Ch. 16 §20Ch. 16 §21
Han Yin 韓胤
| Occupation | RNOfficial | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Died | Place of death | RNXuchang County | |
| Cause of death | RExecuted NExecuted Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R2 |
Profile
Han Yin was the envoy Yuan Shu sent to Lü Bu. He has no biography of his own in the Records, and his name appears in the account of Lü Bu in Records of Wei 7. When Yuan Shu, seeking to join hands with Lü Bu, asked for Lü Bu's daughter as a bride for his son, Han Yin went to Lü Bu to inform him of the plans to usurp the imperial title and to fetch the bride. Records, Wei 7 §19
When Lü Bu, persuaded by Chen Gui, called back his daughter, who was already on the road, and broke off the marriage, Han Yin was sent in fetters to Xu and was beheaded in the marketplace of Xu County, his head put on display. Records, Wei 7 §19–20
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 16 as an envoy who goes to Lü Bu with a secret letter from Yuan Shu, and appears in 2 of its 120 chapters, Chapters 16 and 17; there is no chapter with his name in its title. He acted as go-between and arranged the marriage, but was seized by Lü Bu, who changed his mind at Chen Gui's words, was escorted under guard to Xudu, and was beheaded by Cao Cao. Romance, Ch. 16 §2 · 19 · 30 · 59Romance, Ch. 17 §3
In the Records
According to the biography of Lü Bu in Records of Wei 7, when Yuan Shu had his general Ji Ling and others attack Liu Bei at Xiaopei with 30,000 infantry and cavalry, Lü Bu stopped the fighting by shooting and hitting a halberd. Afterwards Yuan Shu, wishing to join hands with Lü Bu and make him his support, asked for Lü Bu's daughter as a bride for his son, and Lü Bu agreed. Yuan Shu sent the envoy Han Yin to inform Lü Bu of his plans to usurp the imperial title and also to fetch the bride. Records, Wei 7 §16–19
Chen Gui, Chancellor of Pei, fearing that if Yuan Shu and Lü Bu were joined by marriage, Xu and Yang provinces would form an alliance and become a calamity for the state, persuaded Lü Bu that he should join forces with Lord Cao, and that if he made a marriage alliance with Yuan Shu he would earn a name for unrighteousness throughout the realm and be in danger as precarious as a stack of eggs. Since Lü Bu also resented Yuan Shu for not having taken him in at first, he sent after his daughter, though she was already on the road, called her back and broke off the marriage. Han Yin was sent in fetters to Xu and was beheaded in the marketplace of Xu County, his head put on display. Records, Wei 7 §19–20
Later Lü Bu reproached Chen Deng, saying, 'Your father urged me to join forces with Lord Cao and break off the marriage with Gonglu.' Yuan Shu, enraged, joined forces with Han Xian, Yang Feng and others and sent his senior general Zhang Xun to attack Lü Bu. The only places Han Yin's name appears in Chen Shou's main text are two passages of the biography of Lü Bu, and his courtesy name, origin, office and the year of these events are not recorded. Records, Wei 7 §22–23 · 19–20 · 24
In the Romance
In Chapter 16 of the Romance, following the plan of Yang Dajiang, Yuan Shu prepared 200,000 hu of grain and had Han Yin take a secret letter to Lü Bu. Lü Bu, greatly pleased, treated Han Yin generously, and when Han Yin returned and reported, Yuan Shu made Ji Ling his senior general and had him attack Liu Bei at Xiaopei. Romance, Ch. 16 §1–2
After Lü Bu made peace between them by shooting a halberd at the camp gate, Ji Ling proposed a plan: if Lü Bu's daughter were married to Yuan Shu's son, Lü Bu would surely kill Liu Bei. That same day Yuan Shu sent Han Yin to Xu Province as go-between, and Han Yin asked Lü Bu to bind their two houses forever in a marriage alliance like that of Qin and Jin. Having consulted his wife, Lady Yan, Lü Bu treated Han Yin generously and agreed to the match, and Han Yin came to Xu Province again with the betrothal gifts. Romance, Ch. 16 §18–22
The next day Chen Gong called on Han Yin at the guesthouse and asked whether this marriage was not meant to get the head of Liu Xuande, and Han Yin, startled, begged him not to let it leak. When Chen Gong said he would have the daughter sent that very day for the wedding, Han Yin was overjoyed, and Lü Bu, as Chen Gong advised, had Song Xian and Wei Xu take his daughter along with Han Yin. Romance, Ch. 16 §23–27
When Chen Gui, hearing the music, pointed out that this was a plan to keep an outsider from coming between close kin and that Yuan Shu intended to proclaim himself emperor, Lü Bu sent Zhang Liao to chase them 30 li out and bring back his daughter, and also seized Han Yin and held him in confinement. Chen Gui urged him to have Han Yin escorted under guard to Xudu, but Lü Bu hesitated and could not decide. Romance, Ch. 16 §28–30
When an envoy from Yuan Shu came to press for the imperial consort to be sent to Huainan quickly, Lü Bu killed the envoy, calling Yuan Shu a rebel, put a cangue on Han Yin, and had Chen Deng, carrying a memorial of thanks, escort him under guard to Xudu together with Wang Ze. Cao Cao, learning that Lü Bu had broken off the marriage with Yuan Shu, was greatly pleased and beheaded Han Yin in the marketplace. In Chapter 17, Yuan Shu, having proclaimed himself emperor, was pressing for Lü Bu's daughter to be brought as consort of the crown prince when he heard that Han Yin had been beheaded by Cao Cao at Xudu; in a great rage he made Zhang Xun General-in-Chief and had him attack Xu Province in seven columns. Romance, Ch. 16 §58–59Romance, Ch. 17 §3
Where the Romance differs
How the marriage was proposed: In Chapter 16 of the Romance, Han Yin first went to Lü Bu with 200,000 hu of grain and a secret letter, and the marriage is portrayed as a plan devised by Ji Ling for attacking Liu Bei. In the biography of Lü Bu in the Records, Yuan Shu asked for the daughter for his son in order to join hands with Lü Bu and make him his support, and Han Yin went to fetch the bride while informing Lü Bu of the plans to usurp the imperial title. The 200,000 hu of grain and Ji Ling's plan do not appear. Romance, Ch. 16 §2 · 19Records, Wei 7 §16–19
Chen Gong: In Chapter 16 of the Romance, Chen Gong called on Han Yin at the guesthouse and hurried the marriage along, and Lü Bu sent his daughter as he advised. Chen Gong does not appear in this passage of the biography of Lü Bu in the Records, which says only that the daughter was already on the road. Romance, Ch. 16 §23–27Records, Wei 7 §19–20
How the marriage was broken off: In Chapter 16 of the Romance, Zhang Liao chased them 30 li out and brought back the daughter, and Han Yin, after being held for some time, was escorted under guard only after Lü Bu killed the envoy Yuan Shu sent to press for the imperial consort. In the Records, persuaded by Chen Gui and resentful of Yuan Shu, Lü Bu sent after his daughter and called her back, then sent Han Yin off in fetters. Zhang Liao and Yuan Shu's second envoy do not appear. Romance, Ch. 16 §30 · 59Records, Wei 7 §19–20
Escort and death: In Chapter 16 of the Romance, Chen Deng, carrying a memorial of thanks, escorted Han Yin under guard to Xudu together with Wang Ze, and Cao Cao, pleased, beheaded him. The Records says only that Han Yin was sent in fetters and beheaded in the marketplace of Xu County, his head put on display. Chen Deng later went separately to Taizu when Lü Bu was appointed General of the Left, and nothing is said of his taking Han Yin with him. Romance, Ch. 16 §59Records, Wei 7 §20
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 total356 / 1000Rank 867 of 996 · Top 88%Romance total373 / 1000Rank 718 of 1,113 · Top 65%
Romance adaptation index+17Romance total − Records total
- LEA3131±0
- STR3131±0
- INT3838±0
- POL3535±0
- CHA3538+3
- VIR4042+2
- ADP3335+2
- SCH3535±0
- DIP4555+10
- DIS3333±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
9 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsWei 7 §19
NStartled when Chen Gong saw through the real aim, apologized and begged him not to let it leakCh. 16 §23
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsWei 7 §19
NNo direct record — estimated from his being generously treated by Lü BuCh. 16 §21
RNo direct record — executed while carrying out Yuan Shu's missionWei 7 §20
NNo direct record — put in a cangue and escorted under guard while carrying out his missionCh. 16 §59
RNo direct record — when the marriage was broken off, he was sent in fetters and beheaded at XuWei 7 §20
NWas pleased by Chen Gong's words but was soon seized and confinedCh. 16 §24Ch. 16 §30
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsWei 7 §19
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 16 §23
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)
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