RSurrendered to the enemy at the city he was defendingWei 28 §71
NHarbored the intention to surrender in advance, and his wife rebuked him as disloyalCh. 117 §21Ch. 117 §22
Ma Miao 馬邈
| Occupation | RNGeneral | Faction | Shu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R1 |
Profile
Ma Miao was a commander of Shu. He has no biography of his own in the Records and appears once, in the record of Deng Ai in Records of Wei 28 (Biographies of Wang, Guanqiu, Zhuge, Deng and Zhong). In the 4th year of Jingyuan (263), when Wei attacked Shu and Jiang Wei fell back to hold Jiange, Deng Ai passed through more than seven hundred li of uninhabited land by the Yinping road and reached Jiangyou (江由) first, and at that point the Shu garrison commander Ma Miao surrendered. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, origin, office, later career or death. Records, Wei 28 §67 · 69 · 71
In the Romance he appears in Chapter 117 as the commander defending the city of Jiangyou (江油城). Of the 120 chapters he appears in this one only, and no chapter has his name in its title. The Romance depicts him as drinking with his wife Lady Li when Deng Ai enters the city, whereupon he surrenders, his wife hangs herself, and Deng Ai learns the route from Fucheng to Chengdu from the map he presents. Romance, Ch. 117 §20–23 · 31
In the Records
In the autumn of the 4th year of Jingyuan (263), Wei issued an edict ordering its armies to attack Shu. Jiang Wei, hearing that Zhong Hui's armies had already entered Hanzhong, fell back and was defeated at Qiangchuankou, then passed Qiaotou and at last withdrew east to hold Jiange. Zhong Hui attacked Jiang Wei but could not overcome him. Records, Wei 28 §67–69
Deng Ai submitted a memorial saying that if they went from Yinping by a byway past Dexiang Pavilion in Han territory toward Fu County, they would come out a hundred li west of Jiange, some three hundred li from Chengdu, so that a surprise force could strike at the enemy's heart. Citing the saying of the Military Annals, 'Attack where he is unprepared, go out where he does not expect', he said that if they fell upon that undefended place they would surely break it. Records, Wei 28 §69–70
In the 10th month, in winter, Deng Ai marched more than seven hundred li through uninhabited land by the Yinping road, cutting roads through the mountains and building bridges and plank roads. The grain transport was also about to run out, and they were in danger many times; Deng Ai wrapped himself in felt and rolled down the slope. When they first reached Jiangyou (江由), the Shu garrison commander Ma Miao surrendered. The Shu General of the Guards Zhuge Zhan returned from Fu County to Mianzhu and drew up his ranks to await Deng Ai. Records, Wei 28 §71
Deng Ai sent his son Deng Zhong and the Major Shi Zuan and others out on the right and left; the two, who had fallen back after faring badly, were rebuked by Deng Ai, fought again and won a great victory, beheading Zhuge Zhan, the Master of Writing Zhang Zun and others. When Deng Ai reached Luo County, Liu Shan sent an envoy bearing the imperial seal and ribbon to ask to surrender. In Chen Shou's main text Ma Miao's name appears only in this one place in the record of Deng Ai, and his courtesy name, origin, office, later career and death are not recorded. Records, Wei 28 §71–72
In the Romance
In Chapter 117 of the Romance, while Jiang Wei holds Jiange Pass, Deng Ai secretly crosses Yinping and sees a large empty camp where Marquis Wu had once stationed a thousand troops on guard. Saying that they have a road by which they came but no road back, Deng Ai declares that the city of Jiangyou (江油城) ahead is well stocked with grain and that they must join forces to attack it, and he leads more than two thousand men on foot, marching day and night at double speed. Romance, Ch. 117 §19–20
Ma Miao, the commander defending the city of Jiangyou, has heard that Dongchuan is already lost and has made preparations, but guards only the main road, and, relying on Jiang Wei holding Jiange Pass with his whole army, he takes military matters lightly. That day too, after drilling his men and horses, he comes home and sits drinking by the brazier with his wife Lady Li. When his wife asks why he shows no sign of worry when the frontier is in such danger, Ma Miao says that the great affairs are in the hands of Jiang Boyue and have nothing to do with him, and that since the Son of Heaven listens only to Huang Hao and is sunk in wine and women, disaster is not far off, so if the Wei army comes, surrendering is the best course. Romance, Ch. 117 §20–21
His wife, in a great rage, spits in his face and rebukes him: as a grown man he has been the first to harbor disloyal and unrighteous thoughts and has drawn the state's rank and salary for nothing, so how can she face him? Ma Miao is silent with shame. Then word comes that Deng Ai has poured into the city with more than two thousand men, and Ma Miao, greatly alarmed, hurries out to offer his surrender, prostrates himself below the public hall and weeps, saying that he has long intended to submit and will summon all the residents of the city and the men under his command to surrender. Romance, Ch. 117 §22–23
Deng Ai accepts the surrender, takes the troops and horses of Jiangyou under his command, and makes Ma Miao his Guide Officer. When it is reported that Ma Miao's wife has hanged herself and Deng Ai asks the reason, Ma Miao tells him the truth, and Deng Ai, moved by her virtue, has her buried with generous rites and goes in person to offer sacrifice. The Romance cites a poem by a later writer saying that, though Ba-Shu had many famous commanders, none matched the virtue of Lady Li of Jiangyou. Romance, Ch. 117 §23–24
After taking the city of Jiangyou, Deng Ai goes straight on to Fucheng and receives its surrender, and obtains a map that Ma Miao has presented. The map sets out clearly, one by one, the mountains, rivers and roads over the 360 li from Fucheng to Chengdu, with their breadth and narrowness and their steep and dangerous places. On seeing it, Deng Ai says that if he merely holds Fucheng and the Shu army seizes the hills ahead, he cannot achieve anything, and he sends Shi Zuan and his son Deng Zhong to Mianzhu. In the Romance Ma Miao's name does not appear after this. Romance, Ch. 117 §25 · 31–32
Where the Romance differs
Defenses: In Chapter 117 of the Romance, Ma Miao relies solely on Jiang Wei holding Jiange Pass with his whole army and guards only the main road. The Records merely state that Jiang Wei fell back to hold Jiange and that, when Zhong Hui could not overcome him, Deng Ai set out by the Yinping byway, and do not record Ma Miao's defenses. Romance, Ch. 117 §20Records, Wei 28 §69–71
How he surrendered: In Chapter 117 of the Romance, Ma Miao, who has been drinking with his wife and saying that surrender is the best course if the Wei army comes, prostrates himself below the public hall and surrenders in tears when Deng Ai enters the city with more than two thousand men. The Records state only that when Deng Ai first reached Jiangyou (江由) the Shu garrison commander Ma Miao surrendered, and do not give the size of Deng Ai's force at that time or the circumstances of the surrender. Romance, Ch. 117 §20–23Records, Wei 28 §71
His wife Lady Li: In Chapter 117 of the Romance, his wife Lady Li spits in his face and hangs herself, and Deng Ai offers sacrifice to her in person. Ma Miao's wife does not appear in the biography of Deng Ai in the Records. Romance, Ch. 117 §22–23Records, Wei 28 §71
The guide and the map: In Chapter 117 of the Romance, Deng Ai makes Ma Miao his Guide Officer and learns the 360-li route from Fucheng to Chengdu from the map he presents. In the Records, the only mention of the distance to Chengdu is in the memorial Deng Ai submitted before setting out, saying that heading toward Fu County would put them some three hundred li from Chengdu, and there is no record of Ma Miao guiding the way or presenting a map. Romance, Ch. 117 §23 · 31Records, Wei 28 §69 · 71
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 total366 / 1000Rank 810 of 996 · Top 82%Romance total333 / 1000Rank 1,002 of 1,113 · Top 91%
Romance adaptation index−33Romance total − Records total
- LEA3522−13
- STR3835−3
- INT3835−3
- POL4038−2
- CHA3530−5
- VIR3212−20
- ADP4555+10
- SCH3333±0
- DIP3535±0
- DIS3538+3
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RAs garrison commander of Jiangyou, surrendered without a fight when Deng Ai arrivedWei 28 §71
NGuarded only the main road and took military matters lightlyCh. 117 §20
RChose to surrender at once when Deng Ai arrived firstWei 28 §71
NSurrendered in tears and handed over the city's troops, becoming a Guide OfficerCh. 117 §22Ch. 117 §23
7 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his being garrison commander of JiangyouWei 28 §71
NNo direct record — estimated from his being garrison commander of JiangyouCh. 117 §20
RNo direct record — estimated from his being garrison commander of JiangyouWei 28 §71
NSaw that the state was in peril but failed to prepare for a surprise attack by the bywayCh. 117 §20Ch. 117 §21
RNo direct record — estimated from his being garrison commander of JiangyouWei 28 §71
NNo direct record — estimated from his being garrison commander of JiangyouCh. 117 §20
RNo direct record — estimated from his being garrison commander of JiangyouWei 28 §71
NHis wife spat in his face and hanged herselfCh. 117 §22Ch. 117 §23
RNo direct record — estimated from his being garrison commander of JiangyouWei 28 §71
NNo direct record — estimated from his being garrison commander of JiangyouCh. 117 §20
RNo direct record — estimated from his being garrison commander of JiangyouWei 28 §71
NNo direct record — estimated from his being garrison commander of JiangyouCh. 117 §20
RNo direct record — estimated from his being garrison commander of JiangyouWei 28 §71
NNo direct record — estimated from his being garrison commander of JiangyouCh. 117 §20
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 (1)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history Changed allegiance 1 times
Related events (1)
- Deng Ai Crosses Yinping in Secret 263 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).