Li Dian 李典

His uncle Li Qian had a heroic spirit and gathered several thousand households of retainers at Chengshi. In the Chuping era he led his followers to join Cao Cao, defeated the Yellow Turbans at Shouzhang, and took part in the attacks on Yuan Shu and on Xu Province. When Lü Bu's rebellion broke out, Cao Cao sent Li Qian back to Chengshi to pacify the counties there; Lü Bu's Attendant Officer (biejia) Xue Lan and Headquarters Officer (zhizhong) Li Feng invited Li Qian to rebel with them, and when he refused, they killed him. Records, Wei 18 §2

Cao Cao had Li Qian's son Li Zheng command Li Qian's troops and defeat Xue Lan and Li Feng, and for his merit in pacifying the counties of Yan Province Li Zheng rose to be Inspector of Qing Province. When Li Zheng died, Li Dian went from Prefect of Yingyin to General of the Household (zhonglang jiang) in command of Li Zheng's army, and was promoted to Administrator of Lihu. Records, Wei 18 §3

When Cao Cao faced Yuan Shao at Guandu, Li Dian led his clan and personal troops in transporting grain and silk to supply the army, and after Yuan Shao was defeated he became Assistant General (pi jiangjun) and was stationed at Anmin. When Cao Cao attacked Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang at Liyang, Li Dian and Cheng Yu were transporting army provisions by boat, and Gao Fan, sent by Yuan Shang, cut the waterway on the bank of the Yellow River. Cao Cao ordered that if the boats could not get through they should disembark and go by land, but Li Dian said that Gao Fan's army had little armor and, relying on the river, had grown slack, so an attack would surely succeed, and that "if it truly benefits the state, one may act on one's own authority." Cheng Yu also agreed, and they crossed the Yellow River and defeated Gao Fan, and the waterway was opened. Records, Wei 18 §4–5

When Liu Biao sent Liu Bei north to invade as far as She County, Li Dian followed Xiahou Dun to resist him. When Liu Bei burned his camp one morning and left, Xiahou Dun wanted to pursue, but Li Dian stopped him, saying that the enemy was retreating for no reason, so there must be an ambush, and that the road south was narrow and the grass and trees thick. Xiahou Dun did not listen and pursued with Yu Jin; as expected they ran into the ambush and fared badly, and when Li Dian, who had stayed behind on guard, went to their rescue, Liu Bei saw him coming and scattered and withdrew. The Biography of the First Sovereign records this battle as one at Bowang in which Liu Bei set an ambush, burned his own camp, feigned flight, and defeated Xiahou Dun and the others. Records, Wei 18 §5–6Records, Shu 2 §19

He took part in the siege of Ye, and after Ye was pacified he and Yue Jin besieged Gao Gan at Huguan and attacked Guan Cheng at Changguang, defeating both; he became General Who Captures Barbarians (bulu jiangjun) and Marquis of a Chief Village (duting hou). The Annals of Emperor Wu date the attack on Guan Cheng to the 8th month of the 11th year of Jian'an (206). When he asked to move the more than 3,000 households of his clan and personal troops living at Chengshi to Wei Commandery, Cao Cao laughed and asked, "Do you mean to emulate Geng Chun?" Li Dian replied that his merit was slight while his rank and favor were excessive, so his whole clan ought to exert its strength, and that since the campaigns had not ceased, the land near the capital ought to be filled so as to control the four quarters; it was not that he sought to emulate Geng Chun. In the end he moved more than 13,000 people to Ye, and Cao Cao, commending this, promoted him to General Who Smashes Barbarians (polu jiangjun). Records, Wei 18 §6–7Records, Wei 1 §93–95

He was stationed at Hefei with Zhang Liao and Yue Jin, and in the 20th year of Jian'an (215), when Sun Quan led his host to besiege Hefei, Zhang Liao, following Cao Cao's written instructions, wanted to go out and fight. Yue Jin, Li Dian and Zhang Liao had never been on good terms, and Zhang Liao worried that the other two would not follow him. Li Dian said with deep feeling, "This is a great matter of state; all that matters is how good your plan is. How could I forget the public good for the sake of a private grudge!" He then led his troops together with Zhang Liao, defeated Sun Quan and put him to flight. According to the Biography of Zhang Liao, the instructions Cao Cao had left were for Zhang Liao and Li Dian to go out and fight while Yue Jin guarded the Protector of the Army. Records, Wei 18 §7–8Records, Wei 17 §10–11Records, Wei 1 §145 · 149

Li Dian loved learning and valued the refinement of Confucian scholars, and he did not compete with the other generals for merit. He respected worthy gentlemen, as careful as if he always fell short of them, and in the army he was called a man of worth (zhangzhe). He died at the age of thirty-six, and his son Li Zhen succeeded him. After Cao Pi took the throne, he recalled Li Dian's merit at Hefei, increased his son's fief, granted another of Li Dian's sons the rank of Marquis Within the Passes, and gave Li Dian the posthumous title Marquis Min. The Biography of Zhang Liao records that an edict of the 6th year of Huangchu (225) praised them, saying, "Zhang Liao and Li Dian, with 800 foot soldiers, defeated 100,000 of the enemy." Records, Wei 18 §9Records, Wei 17 §17–18

In his assessment, Chen Shou said that Li Dian esteemed the refinement of Confucian learning and forgot private grudges for the sake of duty, and called this admirable. Records, Wei 18 §92