Liu Yan 劉延
| Occupation | RNOfficial · Administrator of Dong Commandery | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R4 |
Profile
Liu Yan was Administrator of Dong Commandery at the end of the Later Han. Chen Shou's main text gives him no biography of his own; his name appears in the Annals of Emperor Wu in Records of Wei 1, the Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao in Records of Wei 6, the Biographies of Xun Yu, Xun You and Jia Xu in Records of Wei 10, and the Biographies of Guan, Zhang, Ma, Huang and Zhao in Records of Shu 6, in connection with the attack on him at Baima by Yuan Shao's general Yan Liang in the 5th year of Jian'an (200). Cao Cao went north to relieve him, and when Yan Liang was beheaded the siege of Baima was lifted. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, his origin, or his later deeds and death. Records, Shu 6 §4Records, Wei 1 §60–61Records, Wei 6 §51Records, Wei 10 §58
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 25 as the Administrator of Dong Commandery who reports the emergency to Xuchang, and he appears in 2 of its 120 chapters; no chapter has his name in its title. In Chapter 27 he meets Guan Yu, who is heading for Hebei, at the border of Huazhou, but, fearing that Xiahou Dun will find out, he does not give him a boat to cross the Yellow River. Romance, Ch. 25 §39Romance, Ch. 27 §41–43
In the Records
In the 2nd month of the 5th year of Jian'an (200), Yuan Shao sent Guo Tu, Chunyu Qiong and Yan Liang to attack Liu Yan, Administrator of Dong Commandery, at Baima, while he himself led his troops to Liyang intending to cross the Yellow River. The Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao records that at this time Ju Shou remonstrated that Yan Liang was narrow-minded by nature and, however brave and valiant, should not be given sole command, but Yuan Shao did not listen. Records, Shu 6 §4Records, Wei 1 §60Records, Wei 6 §51
In the 4th month, in summer, Cao Cao went north to relieve Liu Yan. Xun You said that their troops were too few to match the enemy, so if they went to Yanjin as if to cross the river and head for the enemy's rear, Yuan Shao would surely go west to meet them, and if they then struck Baima with light troops, Yan Liang could be captured. Cao Cao followed this; Yuan Shao divided his army and sent part of it west, and Cao Cao hurried by forced marches to Baima, sent Zhang Liao and Guan Yu ahead to break the enemy, and beheaded Yan Liang. At last he lifted the siege of Baima, moved its people, and went west along the Yellow River. Records, Wei 1 §60–61
The Biographies of Guan, Zhang, Ma, Huang and Zhao records that Guan Yu, seeing Yan Liang's banner and carriage canopy, spurred his horse, stabbed Yan Liang in the midst of ten thousand men, and came back with his head; none of Yuan Shao's generals could stand against him, and the siege of Baima was at last lifted. The account of Xun You also says that when Xun You followed Taizu to relieve Liu Yan at Baima, he devised the plan by which Yan Liang was beheaded. Records, Shu 6 §4Records, Wei 10 §58
In Chen Shou's main text, Liu Yan appears only in these four places recording the battle of Baima. What became of him after the siege was lifted is not recorded, and there is no assessment of him. Records, Wei 1 §60Records, Wei 6 §51Records, Wei 10 §58Records, Shu 6 §4
In the Romance
In Chapter 25 of the Romance, Yuan Shao rejects Ju Shou's objections and makes his chief general Yan Liang the vanguard to attack Baima. When the main army reaches Liyang, Liu Yan, Administrator of Dong Commandery, reports the emergency to Xuchang, and Cao Cao divides an army of 150,000 into three columns and advances. As dispatches reporting Liu Yan's emergency keep arriving on the road, Cao Cao first leads 50,000 men to Baima himself and pitches camp against an earthen hill. Romance, Ch. 25 §39–40
In Chapter 27, when Guan Yu, escorting his two sisters-in-law to seek his elder brother, reaches the border of Huazhou, Liu Yan comes out of the city wall with a few dozen horsemen to meet him. Liu Yan asks how Guan Yu could be allowed to go when Xuande is with Yuan Shao, the Chancellor's enemy, and says he fears that Qin Qi, Xiahou Dun's subordinate general guarding the pass at the Yellow River ford, will not let him cross. When Guan Yu asks him for a boat, he says that he has boats but dares not give one, and even when Guan Yu reminds him that he earlier beheaded Yan Liang and Wen Chou and relieved Liu Yan's plight, he only says that he fears Xiahou Dun will punish him if he finds out. Guan Yu, seeing that Liu Yan is a useless man, urges his carriages on by himself, and at the ford cuts down Qin Qi, who blocks his way, in a single bout. Romance, Ch. 27 §39 · 41–44
Where the Romance differs
Reporting the emergency: In Chapter 25 of the Romance, when Yan Liang attacks Baima, Liu Yan reports the emergency to Xuchang, and dispatches reporting the emergency reach Cao Cao one after another. The Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records only says that Yuan Shao sent Yan Liang and others to attack Liu Yan at Baima and that Cao Cao went north to relieve him in the 4th month, in summer; there is no mention of Liu Yan reporting an emergency. Romance, Ch. 25 §39–40Records, Wei 1 §60
How Baima was relieved: In Chapter 25 of the Romance, Cao Cao leads 50,000 men straight to Baima and pitches camp against an earthen hill. In the Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records, following Xun You's plan, he first feinted a river crossing at Yanjin to draw part of Yuan Shao's army west, and then hurried by forced marches to Baima and beheaded Yan Liang. Romance, Ch. 25 §40Records, Wei 1 §60–61
Meeting Guan Yu: In Chapter 27 of the Romance, Liu Yan meets Guan Yu at the border of Huazhou and, fearing Xiahou Dun, refuses his request for a boat. In the Biographies of Guan, Zhang, Ma, Huang and Zhao in the Records, Guan Yu sealed up everything he had been given, sent a letter of farewell, and went to Liu Bei in Yuan Shao's army; nowhere in Chen Shou's main text is there any record of him meeting Liu Yan on the way. Romance, Ch. 27 §41–43Records, Shu 6 §6Records, Wei 1 §60Records, Wei 6 §51Records, Wei 10 §58
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.
- LEA4538−7
- STR3831−7
- INT3832−6
- POL4035−5
- CHA3835−3
- VIR4235−7
- ADP4240−2
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3335+2
- DIS3331−2
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
No ability differs by 10 or more — the Romance portrays this person much as the Records do.
10 similar abilities — show evidence
RAs Administrator of Dong Commandery, was attacked by Yuan Shao's army at Baima and relieved by TaizuWei 1 §60Wei 6 §51
NReported one emergency after another from Baima and asked for reliefCh. 25 §39Ch. 25 §40
RNo direct record — estimatedWei 1 §60
NNo direct record — estimatedCh. 27 §41
RNo direct record — estimatedWei 1 §60
NRefused Guan Yu a boat out of fear of Xiahou Dun and was judged uselessCh. 27 §42Ch. 27 §43
RNo direct record — estimated as Administrator of Dong CommanderyWei 1 §60
NNo direct record — estimatedCh. 27 §41
RNo direct record — estimatedWei 1 §60
NNo direct record — estimatedCh. 27 §41
RNo direct record — estimatedWei 1 §60
NDid not give a boat despite owing Guan Yu for beheading Yan LiangCh. 27 §42
RNo direct record — estimatedWei 1 §60
NFearing punishment, chose to keep his distance from both sidesCh. 27 §42
RNo direct record — estimatedWei 1 §60
NNo direct record — estimatedCh. 27 §41
RNo direct record — estimatedWei 1 §60
NMet Guan Yu and tried to dissuade him with words, but failed to persuade himCh. 27 §41Ch. 27 §42
RNo direct record — estimatedWei 1 §60
NNo direct record — estimatedCh. 27 §41
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 →
Related events (1)
- Battle of Baima 200 · Command
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).