| Occupation | RNRuler · General Who Conquers the West | Faction | Ma Teng faction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | Book of Wei |
| Born | Native place | Youfufeng Commandery Maoling County Unverified | |
| Died | Place of death | NXuchang County | |
| Cause of death | RExecuted NExecuted Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R18 |
Ma Teng was the father of Ma Chao. At the end of Emperor Ling's reign he rose in the western region together with Bian Zhang, Han Sui and others. In the 3rd year of Chuping (192) he came to Chang'an with Han Sui, was made General Who Conquers the West (zhengxi jiangjun) and was stationed at Mei County, but after attacking Chang'an he was defeated and returned to Liang Province. Records, Shu 6 §25Records, Wei 6 §22
Thereafter he and Han Sui attacked each other by turns while he remained one of the commanders of Guanzhong, and, accepting the persuasion of Zhong Yao and Zhang Ji (張既), he sent his son Ma Chao to attack Guo Yuan. He later entered the court as Minister of the Guards (weiwei), but when Ma Chao rebelled in the 16th year of Jian'an (211) and seized Hanyang, he was implicated and his three sets of kin were exterminated. Records, Wei 6 §31Records, Wei 13 §5Records, Wei 15 §39–41
The Records have no separate biography of Ma Teng and thus no assessment of him by Chen Shou; he is summarized together with Han Sui at the end of Records of Wei 6. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 5 as Administrator of Xiliang, the 13th contingent among the lords who rose to attack Dong Zhuo, and features in 13 of its 120 chapters. As the title of Chapter 10, 'Ma Teng Raises a Righteous Army for the Royal House', suggests, he sets out to attack Li Jue and Guo Si; he joins the pact of the edict hidden in the sash and is killed by Cao Cao in Chapter 57. Records, Wei 6 §29–31Romance, Ch. 5 §7–8Romance, Ch. 10 §5Romance, Ch. 20 §42Romance, Ch. 57 §52
The Records have no separate biography of Ma Teng. He is summarized briefly, together with Han Sui, at the end of Records of Wei 6 (Biographies of Dong, the Two Yuans and Liu), and his other deeds are scattered through the biography of his son Ma Chao and the biographies of Zhong Yao, Zhang Ji (張既), Pang De, Liu Yan and others. According to the Biography of Ma Chao, at the end of Emperor Ling's reign Ma Teng rose in the western region together with Bian Zhang, Han Sui and others. The Biography of Pang De records that in the Chuping era Pang De followed Ma Teng in attacking the rebellious Qiang and Di. Records, Wei 6 §29–31Records, Shu 6 §25Records, Wei 18 §68
In the 3rd year of Chuping (192) Han Sui and Ma Teng surrendered and led their followers to Chang'an. The court made Han Sui General Who Guards the West and sent him back, and made Ma Teng General Who Conquers the West and stationed him at Mei County. The Palace Attendant Ma Yu plotted with the Grandee Remonstrant Chong Shao, the General of the Household of the Left Liu Fan and others to have Ma Teng attack Chang'an while they collaborated from inside, so as to kill Li Jue and the others. When Ma Teng led his troops to the Changping Lodge, the plot leaked out and Ma Yu and the others fled to Huaili. Fan Chou attacked Ma Teng, who was defeated and returned to Liang Province, and Fan Chou attacked Huaili and killed Ma Yu and all the others. Records, Wei 6 §22Records, Shu 6 §25
The Biography of Liu Yan records this affair as follows: when Ma Teng, General Who Conquers the West, rebelled while stationed at Mei County, Liu Yan and his son Liu Fan conspired with Ma Teng to lead troops and attack Chang'an. Liu Fan's plot leaked out and he fled to Huaili, Ma Teng was defeated and withdrew to Liang Province, and Liu Fan was killed soon after. Records, Shu 1 §10
Han Sui and Ma Teng returned to Liang Province and attacked each other by turns. According to the Biography of Zhong Yao, at that time the commanders of Guanzhong, Ma Teng, Han Sui and others, each held powerful troops and fought one another, so Taizu (Cao Cao) memorialized that Zhong Yao should act as Colonel-Director of Retainers while serving as Palace Attendant and supervise the various armies of Guanzhong. When Zhong Yao reached Chang'an and sent letters to Ma Teng, Han Sui and the others setting out the consequences of disaster and fortune, Ma Teng and Han Sui each sent a son to serve at court. Records, Wei 6 §31Records, Wei 13 §5
When Yuan Shang sent Guo Yuan, the Administrator of Hedong whom he had appointed, Gao Gan, the Inspector of Bing Province, and the Chanyu of the Xiongnu to seize Pingyang and sought to ally with the commanders of Guanzhong, the Colonel-Director of Retainers Zhong Yao sent Zhang Ji to persuade Ma Teng and the others. When Zhang Ji explained the advantages and dangers, Ma Teng and the others followed him, and Ma Teng had his son Ma Chao lead more than 10,000 troops to attack Gao Gan and Guo Yuan together with Zhong Yao. They crushed them and beheaded Guo Yuan. The Biography of Pang De records that Pang De, who had gone with Ma Chao, led the vanguard and personally cut off Guo Yuan's head. Records, Wei 15 §39–40Records, Wei 13 §8Records, Wei 18 §68
Later Gao Gan rebelled again with Bing Province, and Zhang Sheng of Henei, Wei Gu of Hedong and Zhang Yan of Hongnong rose. Taizu had Zhang Ji summon the commanders of the west, Ma Teng and others, who led their troops to join in defeating Zhang Sheng and the others and beheaded Zhang Yan and Wei Gu. When Zhang Baiqi also rebelled in Hongnong, Pang De again followed Ma Teng on campaign and defeated Zhang Baiqi between the two Xiao Mountains. In every battle Pang De broke the enemy's ranks and drove the enemy back, and his valor was foremost in Ma Teng's army. Records, Wei 15 §40Records, Wei 18 §69
When Taizu was about to campaign against Jing Province, Ma Teng and the others held divided parts of Guanzhong. Taizu again sent Zhang Ji to instruct Ma Teng and the others to release their private troops (buqu) and ask to return to the court. Ma Teng agreed but then hesitated again, and Zhang Ji, fearing that some trouble would arise, had the counties press ahead with stockpiling supplies and had the officials of two thousand dan rank go out to the outskirts to welcome him, so Ma Teng had no choice but to set out east. Taizu memorialized that Ma Teng be made Minister of the Guards and his son Ma Chao a general in command of his followers. Records, Wei 15 §41
The Biography of Ma Chao records that when Ma Teng fell out with Han Sui, he asked to return to the capital region; he was then summoned and made Minister of the Guards, and Ma Chao, made Lieutenant General and Marquis of a Capital District, commanded Ma Teng's private troops. Pang De stayed behind under Ma Chao. Records, Shu 6 §26Records, Wei 18 §69
In the 16th year of Jian'an (211), when Ma Chao rebelled together with the commanders of Guanzhong, Han Sui and others, Taizu campaigned against them and defeated them. When Ma Chao seized Hanyang, Ma Teng was implicated and his three sets of kin were exterminated. Ma Chao later fled to Liu Bei and died in Shu; in the memorial he submitted as death approached, he said that his clan of more than two hundred people had been almost entirely killed by Mengde, and that only his cousin Ma Dai remained. As Ma Teng has no separate biography, there is no assessment of him by Chen Shou. Records, Wei 6 §31 · 29–31Records, Shu 6 §33
In Chapter 5 of the Romance, Ma Teng first appears as Administrator of Xiliang, the 13th contingent among the lords who rose in answer to Cao Cao's call to arms. In Chapter 10, together with Han Sui, Inspector of Bing Province, he leads more than 100,000 troops on Chang'an, declaring that he will attack the rebels; having colluded beforehand with the Palace Attendant Ma Yu and others, he has been made General Who Conquers the West by a secret edict of Emperor Xian. His son Ma Chao runs Wang Fang through and captures Li Meng, but while Li Jue and Guo Si, following Jia Xu's plan, simply hold fast, his provisions run out and even his inside collaborators are exposed, so he withdraws his troops. Romance, Ch. 5 §7–8Romance, Ch. 10 §5–6 · 9–13
In Chapter 20, having finished his audience at court and about to return, Ma Teng comes to take his leave of Dong Cheng. When Dong Cheng tries to avoid meeting him on the pretext of illness, Ma Teng says that 'your face has the glow of spring and shows no sign of illness', and, saying that his chest is still full of rage over what happened at the hunt at Xutian, he rebukes Dong Cheng for not thinking of attacking the traitor. On seeing the edict he bites his lip until it bleeds and says that he will respond from outside with the troops of Xiliang, then signs his name on the pledge and swears an oath smeared with blood. In Chapter 21 he proposes that they consult Liu Bei, Governor of Yu Province. Romance, Ch. 20 §38–42Romance, Ch. 21 §1–2
When Liu Bei leaves, Ma Teng also returns to Xiliang. In Chapter 23 the servant Qin Qingtong informs Cao Cao that Ma Teng plotted at Dong Cheng's house together with Wang Zifu and others, and in Chapter 24, when Cao Cao says that Ma Teng and Liu Bei still remain, Cheng Yu proposes comforting Ma Teng with a letter, luring him to the capital and then disposing of him. Romance, Ch. 21 §33Romance, Ch. 23 §39Romance, Ch. 24 §11
In Chapter 57, when Cao Cao, about to campaign south, worries that Ma Teng may attack Xudu, Xun You proposes luring him in with an edict making him General Who Conquers the South and ordering him to attack Sun Quan, and then doing away with him. The Romance introduces Ma Teng as having the courtesy name Shoucheng, a descendant of Ma Yuan, General Who Calms the Waves, born to his father Ma Su, who had taken a Qiang woman as his wife, and eight chi tall. Ma Teng has Ma Chao guard Xiliang and, taking his sons Ma Xiu and Ma Tie and his nephew Ma Dai, arrives 20 li outside Xuchang. Romance, Ch. 57 §38–44
When the Attendant Gentleman of the Gate Huang Kui, sent by Cao Cao, raises the subject of the edict in the sash and reveals his true feelings, the two agree to kill Cao Cao when he comes out of the city to review the troops. But Miao Ze, who has been carrying on an affair with Huang Kui's concubine Li Chunxiang, reports this to Cao Cao. The next day Ma Teng is surrounded by Cao Hong, Xu Chu, Xiahou Yuan and Xu Huang; Ma Tie is killed by arrows, and Ma Teng and Ma Xiu are captured. Ma Teng rails, 'That rotten pedant has ruined my great cause!', and, cursing without stopping, is put to death together with Ma Xiu and Huang Kui. Romance, Ch. 57 §45–52
In Chapter 58, when Ma Dai, who has escaped, brings the news, Ma Chao raises troops. In Chapter 78 Cao Cao tells Jia Xu that he once dreamed of three horses eating from one trough and suspected it meant disaster from Ma Teng and his sons, and the closing poem of Chapter 120 sings that Ma Teng and Han Sui held Xiliang. Romance, Ch. 58 §8–11Romance, Ch. 78 §24Romance, Ch. 120 §62
The lords who attacked Dong Zhuo: In Chapter 5 of the Romance, Ma Teng, as Administrator of Xiliang and the 13th contingent, is among the lords who rose to attack Dong Zhuo. In the list of those who raised troops in the 1st year of Chuping (190) in the Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records, only Yuan Shu, Han Fu, Kong Zhou, Liu Dai, Wang Kuang, Yuan Shao, Zhang Miao, Qiao Mao, Yuan Yi and Bao Xin appear, and Ma Teng is not among them. Romance, Ch. 5 §8Records, Wei 1 §7
How he became General Who Conquers the West: In Chapter 10 of the Romance, he is made General Who Conquers the West by a secret edict after Ma Yu and others petition Emperor Xian, and thereafter Ma Teng attacks Chang'an with Han Sui and more than 100,000 troops. In the Records, in the 3rd year of Chuping (192) he surrendered together with Han Sui, came to Chang'an and was made General Who Conquers the West and stationed at Mei County; after that, at the instigation of Ma Yu and others, he attacked Chang'an, but the plot leaked out at the Changping Lodge and he was defeated by Fan Chou. Romance, Ch. 10 §5–6Records, Wei 6 §22Records, Shu 6 §25
The battle at Chang'an: In Chapter 10 of the Romance, Ma Chao runs Wang Fang through and captures Li Meng, and Ma Teng, withdrawing when his provisions run out, is pursued by Zhang Ji (張濟). In the Records, the man who attacked and defeated Ma Teng was Fan Chou, and Ma Chao does not appear in this battle. Li Meng and Wang Fang appear as former subordinates of Dong Zhuo who surrounded the city of Chang'an together with Fan Chou. Romance, Ch. 10 §10–13Records, Wei 6 §20 · 22Records, Shu 6 §25
The edict in the sash: In Chapter 20 of the Romance, Ma Teng signs his name on Dong Cheng's pledge, swears an oath smeared with blood, and proposes drawing in Liu Bei. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, those who joined Dong Cheng's plot of the secret edict were the First Sovereign (Liu Bei), the Colonel of the Changshui Garrison Chong Ji, and the generals Wu Zilan, Wang Zifu and others, and Ma Teng does not appear. Romance, Ch. 20 §41–42Romance, Ch. 21 §1Records, Shu 2 §15
Relations with Han Sui: Chapter 57 of the Romance says that Ma Teng had become sworn brothers with Han Sui, General Who Guards the West. In the Records, the two returned to Liang Province and attacked each other by turns, and when Ma Teng fell out with Han Sui he asked to return to the capital region. Romance, Ch. 57 §40Records, Wei 6 §31Records, Shu 6 §26
How he entered the court: In Chapter 57 of the Romance, following Xun You's plan, Cao Cao summons Ma Teng with an edict making him General Who Conquers the South and ordering him to attack Sun Quan, and Ma Teng goes to Xuchang intending to carry out the purpose of the edict in the sash. In the Records, when Taizu was about to campaign against Jing Province he sent Zhang Ji (張既) to instruct him to release his private troops and return, and Ma Teng, who had hesitated, had no choice but to set out east and became Minister of the Guards. Romance, Ch. 57 §39–41Records, Wei 15 §41
When and why he died: In Chapter 57 of the Romance, Ma Teng plots with Huang Kui to kill Cao Cao, and when the plot leaks out he is put to death together with his son Ma Xiu and Huang Kui; then in Chapter 58 Ma Chao raises troops to avenge his father. In the Records the order is reversed: in the 16th year of Jian'an (211), after Ma Chao rebelled with Han Sui and others and seized Hanyang, Ma Teng was implicated and his three sets of kin were exterminated. Romance, Ch. 57 §51–52Romance, Ch. 58 §8–11Records, Wei 6 §31
His sons: In Chapter 57 of the Romance, his sons Ma Xiu and Ma Tie, who have accompanied Ma Teng, die with him. The names of Ma Xiu and Ma Tie do not appear in Chen Shou's main text; there is only Ma Chao's statement in his memorial that his clan of more than two hundred people had been almost entirely killed by Mengde. Romance, Ch. 57 §42 · 51–52Records, Shu 6 §25–33Records, Wei 6 §29–31
Lineage and appearance: Chapter 57 of the Romance says that Ma Teng was a descendant of Ma Yuan, General Who Calms the Waves, born to his father Ma Su and a Qiang woman, and eight chi tall. Ma Teng's lineage and appearance do not appear in Chen Shou's main text. Romance, Ch. 57 §39–40Records, Shu 6 §25–33Records, Wei 6 §29–31
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.
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.
RRebelled in collusion with Liu Fan, attacked Han Sui by turns, and hesitated after agreeing to go to courtShu 1 §10Wei 6 §31Wei 15 §41
NSwore to the edict in the sash with blood and died cursing even after capture, praised for his firm integrityCh. 20 §42Ch. 57 §52Ch. 57 §53
RChose the court's side over Yuan Shang, but went to court only reluctantly under Zhang Ji's pressureWei 15 §39Shu 6 §26Wei 15 §41
NWent to Xuchang despite Ma Dai's warning, and was captured when the plan leaked outCh. 57 §42Ch. 57 §49
RA commander of Guanzhong with powerful troops, under whom warriors such as Pang De foughtWei 13 §5Wei 18 §69
NDescribed as gentle and good by nature and much respected by othersCh. 57 §40Ch. 57 §53
ROn receiving Zhong Yao's letter, sent a son to serve at courtWei 13 §5
NRebuked the hesitant Dong Cheng, drew out his true intentions and joined the pactCh. 20 §39
RNo direct record — estimated from the record that Pang De's valor was foremost in his armyWei 18 §69
NRecommended Liu Bei as a comrade in the edict in the sashCh. 21 §1
RDefeated the Qiang, the Di and Zhang Baiqi, but was beaten by Fan Chou and fled after attacking Chang'anWei 18 §68Wei 15 §40Wei 6 §22
NGathered militia to crush a Qiang revolt, but his advance on Chang'an fell back for lack of provisions and was routedCh. 57 §40Ch. 10 §13
RNo direct record — estimated from his attacks on rebellious Qiang as a western warlordWei 18 §68
NCharged left and right with his son amid Cao Cao's ambush, but was captured when his horse fellCh. 57 §51
RFollowed the advantages and dangers Zhang Ji set out, but his plot to attack Chang'an leaked out and failedWei 15 §39Wei 6 §22
NRecommended Liu Bei to Dong Cheng, but answered Cao Cao's summons and fell into an ambushCh. 21 §1Ch. 57 §44Ch. 57 §49
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a warlord stationed at Mei CountyWei 6 §22
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as Administrator of XiliangCh. 57 §40
RNo direct record — estimated as there is no record of learningWei 6 §22
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a military commanderCh. 57 §40
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.
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