RNo direct record — none recordedWei 1 §83
NCut from his horse by a single stroke of Gan Ning's bladeCh. 50 §10
Ma Yan 馬延
| Occupation | RNGeneral | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | N? Unverified | Native place | |
| Died | N208 Unverified | Place of death | |
| Cause of death | NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R2 |
Profile
Ma Yan was a commander under Yuan Shang, the youngest son of Yuan Shao. He has no biography of his own in the Records and appears only in a single scene of the battle of Ye in the 9th year of Jian'an (204), in the Annals of Emperor Wu and the Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao. When Yuan Shang, who had come back to relieve Ye, was surrounded and pursued by Cao Cao, Ma Yan surrendered on the battlefield together with Zhang Yi and others, and Yuan Shang's army collapsed. Records, Wei 6 §60 · 65Records, Wei 1 §81–83
Chen Shou's main text says nothing more about Ma Yan after his surrender. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 32 as Yuan Shang's vanguard and appears in 4 of its 120 chapters, and his name is in the title of none of them. After surrendering to Cao Cao he pursues Zhao Yun at Changban in Chapter 41, and in Chapter 50, while meeting Cao Cao in his flight after the defeat at Chibi and opening the road for him, he is cut down by Gan Ning. Records, Wei 1 §83Records, Wei 6 §65Romance, Ch. 32 §32Romance, Ch. 41 §60Romance, Ch. 50 §9–10
In the Records
In the 9th year of Jian'an (204) Cao Cao attacked Ye, building earthen mounds and digging tunnels, and in the 5th month he breached the Zhang River (Zhangshui) to flood the city. Yuan Shang, who was attacking Yuan Tan at Pingyuan, heard that Ye was in danger and came back to relieve it with more than 10,000 men. In the autumn, in the 7th month, the commanders said that a returning army would fight to the death man by man and should be avoided, but Cao Cao said that if Yuan Shang came by the main road he should be avoided, but if he came along the Western Hills he was as good as captured. Yuan Shang did indeed come along the Western Hills and encamped by the Fu River (Fushui). Records, Wei 1 §81–83Records, Wei 6 §63–64
Yuan Shang sent troops by night to strike at the siege lines but was beaten by Cao Cao, who then surrounded his camp. Before the encirclement had closed, Yuan Shang, afraid, sent Yin Kui and Chen Lin to ask to surrender, but Cao Cao refused. When Yuan Shang fled again, Cao Cao pursued and swiftly surrounded him once more. The Annals of Emperor Wu name the place Yuan Shang fled to as Qishan, while the Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao name it as Lankou. Records, Wei 1 §83Records, Wei 6 §65
At this point Yuan Shang's commanders Ma Yan, Zhang Yi and others surrendered on the battlefield, Yuan Shang's army collapsed, and Yuan Shang fled to Zhongshan. Cao Cao seized all his baggage and obtained Yuan Shang's seal and ribbon and his tally and battle-axe, and had them shown to the families inside the city, and the city's morale broke. In the 8th month Shen Rong, the son of Shen Pei's elder brother, opened the east gate, and Ye was pacified. Records, Wei 1 §83–84Records, Wei 6 §65–66
In Chen Shou's main text Ma Yan's name appears only in these two places. What office he received after his surrender, and when and how he died, are not recorded. Records, Wei 1 §83Records, Wei 6 §65
In the Romance
In Chapter 32 of the Romance, Yuan Shang leaves Shen Pei and Chen Lin to hold Ji Province, makes the two commanders Ma Yan and Zhang Yi his vanguard, and marches through the night to attack Pingyuan. When Yuan Shang hears that Cao Cao has surrounded Ji Province and turns back to relieve it, his lieutenant Ma Yan advises that if they take the main road Cao Cao is sure to have set an ambush, so they should take a byway through the Western Hills, come out at the mouth of the Fu River (Fushui) and raid Cao Cao's camp. Yuan Shang follows this advice, leads the main army ahead in person and has Ma Yan and Zhang Yi guard the rear, but spies have already told Cao Cao, who says that if they come by the byway of the Western Hills he can capture them in a single battle. Romance, Ch. 32 §32 · 38–39
Badly defeated by Cao Cao, Yuan Shang falls back to make camp below the Western Hills and sends to hurry Ma Yan and Zhang Yi's troops to him. But Cao Cao has already sent Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang to persuade the two commanders to surrender, and the two follow the two Lüs over to his side. Cao Cao makes them marquises as well, and that same day has the two Lüs, Ma Yan and Zhang Yi cut Yuan Shang's supply road. Romance, Ch. 32 §43–44
In Chapter 33, following Guo Jia's advice to let the surrendered commanders of the Yuan family do the attacking themselves, Cao Cao has Jiao Chu, Zhang Nan, Lü Kuang, Lü Xiang, Ma Yan and Zhang Yi each lead the troops of their own commands and attack You Province along three routes. Romance, Ch. 33 §22
At Changban in Chapter 41, together with Zhang Yi he pursues the fleeing Zhao Yun, shouting 'Zhao Yun, do not run!', and with Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan, who block the road ahead, the four commanders fight Zhao Yun. The Romance says that all of them were commanders who had surrendered from Yuan Shao's service, and Zhao Yun draws the Qinggang Sword, cuts about him wildly and breaks through the layered encirclement. Romance, Ch. 41 §60–61
In Chapter 50, as Cao Cao, defeated at Chibi, flees toward Wulin, Ma Yan and Zhang Yi are encamped in front of a hillside with 3,000 men and horses from the north. Though they see flames rising across the whole night sky, they dare not move, and just then they meet Cao Cao, who has the two commanders lead 1,000 men and horses to open the road. Before they have gone ten li, a commander appears shouting 'I am Gan Xingba of Eastern Wu!', and just as Ma Yan is about to engage, he is cut down from his horse by a single stroke of Gan Ning's blade. Zhang Yi too then falls from his horse under Gan Ning's blade. Romance, Ch. 50 §7 · 9–10
Where the Romance differs
How he surrendered: In Chapter 32 of the Romance, Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang, sent by Cao Cao, persuade Ma Yan and Zhang Yi to surrender, and by the time Yuan Shang summons the two commanders from below the Western Hills they have already gone over to Cao Cao. In the Records, when Yuan Shang was fleeing while surrounded and was pursued by Cao Cao, Ma Yan, Zhang Yi and others surrendered on the battlefield. In the Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records, Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang had turned against Yuan Shang earlier, in the winter of the 8th year of Jian'an (203), and surrendered with their followers, and nothing is said of their persuading Ma Yan. Romance, Ch. 32 §44Records, Wei 1 §80 · 83Records, Wei 6 §65
Marquisate: In Chapter 32 of the Romance, Cao Cao makes the surrendered Ma Yan and Zhang Yi marquises as well. In the Records it is Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang who surrendered and were made marquises, and there is no record of Ma Yan being enfeoffed. Romance, Ch. 32 §44Records, Wei 1 §80 · 83
The Western Hills route: In Chapter 32 of the Romance, it is his lieutenant Ma Yan who advises taking a byway through the Western Hills to come out at the mouth of the Fu River and raid Cao Cao's camp. The Records says only that Yuan Shang came along the Western Hills and encamped by the Fu River, without saying who advised that route. Cao Cao's remark that if Yuan Shang came along the Western Hills he could be captured is in the Records as well. Romance, Ch. 32 §38–39Records, Wei 1 §82–83Records, Wei 6 §64
His duties: In Chapter 32 of the Romance, Ma Yan, together with Zhang Yi, becomes the vanguard in the attack on Pingyuan, and when they return to relieve Ji Province he guards the rear of Yuan Shang's main army. The Records says only that Yuan Shang attacked Yuan Tan at Pingyuan, and no duty of Ma Yan's appears. Romance, Ch. 32 §32 · 39Records, Wei 1 §81Records, Wei 6 §63
After his surrender: In the Romance, Ma Yan goes to attack You Province in Chapter 33 and pursues Zhao Yun at Changban in Chapter 41. Ma Yan does not appear in Chen Shou's main text after his surrender. Romance, Ch. 33 §22Romance, Ch. 41 §60Records, Wei 1 §83Records, Wei 6 §65
Death: In Chapter 50 of the Romance, Ma Yan is cut down by Gan Ning while opening the road for Cao Cao in his flight from Chibi. The Biography of Gan Ning in the Records says only that Gan Ning followed Zhou Yu and checked and defeated Lord Cao at Wulin, with nothing about killing Ma Yan. The Records does not record Ma Yan's death. Romance, Ch. 50 §10Records, Wu 10 §58Records, Wei 1 §83Records, Wei 6 §65
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 total349 / 1000Rank 907 of 996 · Top 92%Romance total346 / 1000Rank 924 of 1,113 · Top 84%
Romance adaptation index−3Romance total − Records total
- LEA4242±0
- STR4030−10
- INT3845+7
- POL3131±0
- CHA3535±0
- VIR2830+2
- ADP4240−2
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3131±0
- DIS3131±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 as a commander under Yuan ShangWei 1 §83
NGuarded Yuan Shang's rear, and later commanded 3,000 men and horses from the northCh. 32 §39Ch. 50 §9
RNo direct record — none recordedWei 1 §83
NProposed raiding Cao Cao's camp by a byway, but the plan was seen throughCh. 32 §38
RNo direct record — none recordedWei 1 §83
NNo direct record — none recordedCh. 32 §38
RNo direct record — none recordedWei 1 §83
NNo direct record — none recordedCh. 32 §44
RSurrendered on the battlefield, and Yuan Shang's army collapsedWei 1 §83Wei 6 §65
NAbandoned Yuan Shang and surrendered at the urging of Lü Kuang and Lü XiangCh. 32 §44
RSurrendered to Taizu on the battlefield when defeat loomedWei 1 §83
NSurrendered and became a marquis, but dared not move on seeing the flamesCh. 32 §44Ch. 50 §9
RNo direct record — none recordedWei 1 §83
NNo direct record — none recordedCh. 32 §38
RNo direct record — none recordedWei 1 §83
NNo direct record — none recordedCh. 32 §38
RNo direct record — none recordedWei 1 §83
NNo direct record — none recordedCh. 32 §38
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 (4)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Related events (1)
- Battle of Ye 204 · Command
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).