| Occupation | RGeneral · General-in-Chief Who Guards the North NGeneral · Inspector of Yang Province | Faction | Wei |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | Book of Wei |
| Born | R? Unverified | Native place | Qiao Commandery |
| Died | R258 Unverified | Place of death | RNShouchun County |
| Cause of death | RKilled NExecuted Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R57 |
Wen Qin was Inspector of Yang Province and General of the Front of Wei, and came from the same town as Cao Shuang. Swift, bold, rough and fierce, he won merit in battle many times. In the 1st month of the 2nd year of Zhengyuan (255) he raised troops together with Guanqiu Jian, General Who Guards the East, against the General-in-Chief Sima Shi, but was defeated at Lejia and fled to Wu. Records, Wei 28 §20–21Records, Wei 4 §54
In Wu he became General-in-Chief Who Guards the North and Governor of You Province, and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Qiao. In the 2nd year of Ganlu (257) he entered the city of Shouchun to relieve Zhuge Dan, who had rebelled there, and in the 1st month of the following year, after quarrelling with Zhuge Dan over the food supply, he was killed by him. Records, Wei 28 §27 · 36 · 39–40
The Records has no separate biography of Wen Qin and therefore no assessment by Chen Shou; he is appended briefly to the end of the Biography of Guanqiu Jian. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 109 in a report that he has raised troops with Guanqiu Jian, and he appears in 4 of its 120 chapters, with no chapter title bearing his name. In Chapter 110 he makes a night raid with his son Wen Yang on Sima Shi's camp at Lejia, and in Chapter 112 he is killed by Zhuge Dan over the food supply inside Shouchun. Records, Wei 28 §26–27Romance, Ch. 109 §45Romance, Ch. 110 §13–16Romance, Ch. 112 §12
The Records has no separate biography of Wen Qin. There is only a single line at the end of the Biography of Guanqiu Jian recording his offices after he fled to Wu, and his deeds are scattered across the biographies of Guanqiu Jian and Zhuge Dan and several biographies in the Records of Wu. The Biography of Guanqiu Jian records that Wen Qin, Inspector of Yang Province and General of the Front, came from the same town as Cao Shuang, and that, swift, bold, rough and fierce, he won merit in battle many times. But he inflated the numbers of his captures in hope of favour and reward, and when most of his claims were not accepted, his resentment grew deeper by the day. Records, Wei 28 §20 · 26–27
According to the Biography of Zhu Yi in the Records of Wu, Wen Qin, Administrator of Lujiang for Wei, set up many camps and stockades at Liu'an and lured deserters and rebels to raid the border, but lost seven camps to a surprise attack by Zhu Yi. In the 10th month, in winter, of the 13th year of Chiwu (250), Wen Qin feigned surrender and secretly wrote to Zhu Yi, trying to get him to come in person to receive him. Zhu Yi reported that it was a ruse, but Sun Quan gave Lü Ju 20,000 men to receive him together with Zhu Yi, and with a large army waiting, Wen Qin could not come forward. Records, Wu 11 §63–65Records, Wu 2 §108–109
When Zhuge Ke, Grand Tutor of Wu, besieged the New City of Hefei, Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin held him off, and the Grand Commandant Sima Fu came with the central army and lifted the siege. Guanqiu Jian was on close terms with Xiahou Xuan, Li Feng and others, and with calculation treated Wen Qin generously; Wen Qin in turn was moved and devoted himself to him without a second thought. Records, Wei 28 §19–20
In the 1st month of the 2nd year of Zhengyuan (255), when a comet several dozen zhang long stretched across the sky toward the northwest, Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin took it as an auspicious omen for themselves. The two forged an edict of the Empress Dowager, circulated an indictment of the General-in-Chief Sima Jingwang (Sima Shi) to the commanderies and kingdoms, and raised troops. They coerced the generals, officials and people of Huainan into the city of Shouchun, built an altar west of the city and swore an oath smeared with blood, then crossed the Huai with 50,000 or 60,000 men and reached Xiang County. Guanqiu Jian held firm, while Wen Qin acted as a mobile force outside. Records, Wei 28 §20–21Records, Wei 4 §54
The General-in-Chief had the commanderies strengthen their walls and not give battle, and the soldiers of Huainan, whose families were in the north, surrendered one after another. The General-in-Chief had Deng Ai, Inspector of Yan Province, feign weakness at Lejia to lure the enemy out, and the Biography of Wang Ji records that Guanqiu Jian gave Wen Qin troops to attack Deng Ai. Not knowing that the General-in-Chief had arrived in person, Wen Qin tried to raid Deng Ai and the others by night, but at daybreak, seeing the strength of the main army's troops and horses, he turned back. The General-in-Chief pursued with swift cavalry and routed him, and Wen Qin fled, with Deng Ai chasing him as far as Qiutou. That same day Guanqiu Jian, hearing of Wen Qin's defeat, also fled by night and was killed. Records, Wei 28 §22–24 · 62Records, Wei 27 §64
The Annals of the Three Young Emperors records that Wen Qin was defeated at Lejia on the day jihai of the intercalary month and fled to Wu. According to the Records of Wu, when Sun Jun, who was coming to raid Shouchun, advanced to Tuogao, Wen Qin came and surrendered, and tens of thousands of the remaining people of Huainan fled to Wu. Sun Jun and the others went to Shouchun with Wen Qin, but Zhuge Dan's army had already arrived, so they withdrew. Wu made Wen Qin Protector-General, Acting with Imperial Authority, General-in-Chief Who Guards the North and Governor of You Province, and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Qiao. Records, Wei 4 §54Records, Wu 3 §9Records, Wei 28 §33 · 27
In the 1st year of Taiping (256) Wen Qin persuaded Sun Jun to attack Wei, and Sun Jun sent Wen Qin with Lü Ju, Zhu Yi, Tang Zi and others into the Huai and Si rivers to make an attempt on Qing and Xu Provinces. The Biographies of the Three Successor Rulers give Wen Qin's title at this time as General-in-Chief Who Conquers the North. In the 9th month Sun Jun died and his cousin Sun Chen succeeded him; Lü Ju, Wen Qin, Tang Zi and others recommended Teng Yin as Chancellor, but Sun Chen would not agree, and when Lü Ju turned his army back, Sun Chen ordered Wen Qin, Tang Zi and others by edict to seize Lü Ju. Records, Wu 19 §76 · 80Records, Wu 3 §12–13
In the 5th month of the 2nd year of Ganlu (257) Zhuge Dan rebelled at Shouchun and asked for help, and in the 6th month Wu sent Wen Qin, Tang Zi, Quan Duan and others with 30,000 infantry and cavalry. While the encirclement of Wang Ji, General Who Guards the South, had not yet closed, Tang Zi, Wen Qin and the others got into the city from the northeast, using the hills and rough terrain. When the General-in-Chief Sima Wenwang (Sima Zhao) threw a double ring of siege around the city with an army of 260,000, Wen Qin and the others sallied out several times against the siege lines but were driven back each time. Records, Wei 28 §35–37Records, Wu 3 §16
In the 1st month of the 3rd year of Ganlu (258), Zhuge Dan, Wen Qin, Tang Zi and the others attacked the southern siege line for five or six days, but their siege engines were burned and broken and they went back into the city. Food ran out, and tens of thousands surrendered and left. Wen Qin proposed sending out all the northerners to save food and holding firm with the men of Wu, but Zhuge Dan would not listen, and they quarrelled and resented each other. The two, who had long been at odds and had joined hands only out of calculation, grew more suspicious as matters became urgent, and when Wen Qin came to see Zhuge Dan to discuss affairs, Zhuge Dan finally killed him. The Biographies of the Three Successor Rulers likewise record that Zhuge Dan killed Wen Qin in the 1st month, in spring, of the 3rd year of Taiping. Records, Wei 28 §39–40Records, Wu 3 §18
His sons Wen Yang and Wen Hu rushed from the small fort, but when their men would not follow them, they climbed over the wall and surrendered to the General-in-Chief. The army officers asked that they be killed, but the General-in-Chief pardoned them, saying that the two had come to entrust their lives to him when cornered and that, since the city had not yet fallen, killing them would only harden the resolve of those inside. The two rode around the city calling out, 'Even the sons of Wen Qin have not been killed,' and they were made generals and given the rank of Marquis Within the Passes. Records, Wei 28 §40–41
After Shouchun fell, Wen Yang and Wen Hu were permitted to collect Wen Qin's body and bury it in the old family tomb. The passage on Tang Zi records that with Zhuge Dan and Wen Qin slaughtered and Tang Zi also taken alive, all three rebels were captured, to the delight of the whole realm. Since Wen Qin has no biography, there is no assessment of him by Chen Shou. Records, Wei 28 §46–47 · 140
At the end of Chapter 109 of the Romance, in the 1st month of the 2nd year of Zhengyuan, a spy reports that Guanqiu Jian, General Who Guards the East, and Wen Qin, Inspector of Yang Province, have raised troops on the pretext of the deposing of the emperor. In Chapter 110 Guanqiu Jian summons the Inspector Wen Qin to confer, and the Romance introduces Wen Qin as a former retainer in Cao Shuang's household. Wen Qin says that if Guanqiu Jian will attack the traitors in the name of righteousness, he will give his life to help, and he proposes as vanguard his second son Wen Shu, childhood name A Yang, who has the valour of a man ten thousand cannot stand against and has always wanted to kill the Sima brothers to avenge Cao Shuang. Romance, Ch. 109 §45Romance, Ch. 110 §2–3
The two falsely claim to have a secret edict from the Empress Dowager, gather all the officers and soldiers of Huainan into the city of Shouchun, build an altar west of the city, and sacrifice a white horse to swear an oath in blood. Guanqiu Jian stations himself at Xiangcheng with 60,000 troops, and Wen Qin acts as a mobile force outside with 20,000. In Sima Shi's camp, Zheng Mao, Superintendent of the Palace, judges that Guanqiu Jian likes to scheme but lacks decisiveness, and that Wen Qin has courage but no wisdom. Romance, Ch. 110 §3–4 · 7
When Guanqiu Jian worries that troops may come by way of Lejia, Wen Qin offers to hold Lejia with just 5,000 men, himself and his unworthy son Wen Yang. On a report that the Wei camp is not yet complete, Wen Yang proposes splitting their troops into two columns to meet at the Wei camp at the third watch, and Wen Qin agrees. But Wen Qin loses his way on the mountain paths and emerges only at daybreak, while in the meantime Wen Yang throws the Wei camp into turmoil on his own and drives off the Wei generals single-handed. Seeing only that the Wei army has won a great victory, Wen Qin withdraws to Shouchun without fighting. Romance, Ch. 110 §13–15 · 18–21
Yin Damu, a trusted follower of Cao Shuang who had long been on close terms with Wen Qin, obtains Sima Shi's permission and chases after him, takes off his helmet and cries, 'Inspector Wen, why can you not hold out a few more days?' Knowing that Sima Shi will soon die, he is trying to hold Wen Qin back, but Wen Qin fails to grasp his meaning, curses him and makes to shoot at him. When Wen Qin reaches Shouchun, Zhuge Dan has already taken it, and when he tries to return to Xiangcheng, the three columns of Hu Zun, Wang Ji and Deng Ai have all arrived, so Wen Qin goes to Eastern Wu to take refuge with Sun Jun. Romance, Ch. 110 §22–24
In Chapter 111, when Zhuge Dan asks for help, Sun Chen sends an army of 70,000 with Quan Yi and Quan Duan as chief commanders, Zhu Yi and Tang Zi as vanguard, and Wen Qin as guide. Zhuge Dan joins forces with Wen Qin and his two sons Wen Yang and Wen Hu to meet Sima Zhao in battle. In Chapter 112 Wen Qin takes the right wing, but he and Zhuge Dan are badly defeated by Sima Zhao's ambush, and later, together with Quan Yi, Quan Duan and others, he follows Yu Quan's troops into Shouchun through the south gate, which has been left unguarded. Romance, Ch. 111 §32 · 36Romance, Ch. 112 §2–3 · 6
When the grain in the city runs out, Wen Qin, who has been holding the small fort with his two sons, proposes to Zhuge Dan that all the northern soldiers be sent out of the city to save food. Zhuge Dan flies into a rage, crying, 'Do you mean to do me harm?', and has him dragged out and beheaded. Wen Yang and Wen Hu kill several dozen men on the spot with short blades, leap down from the city wall, and surrender to the Wei camp. Sima Zhao, still resenting Wen Yang for driving off his troops single-handed at Lejia, wants to behead him, but on Zhong Hui's advice he makes the two Lieutenant Generals and enfeoffs them as Marquises Within the Passes. Romance, Ch. 112 §12–13
Ties to Cao Shuang: In Chapter 110 of the Romance, Wen Qin is a former retainer in Cao Shuang's household, and his son seeks to avenge Cao Shuang. The Biography of Guanqiu Jian in the Records says only that Wen Qin came from the same town as Cao Shuang. Romance, Ch. 110 §2–3Records, Wei 28 §20
The cause of the uprising: Chapter 109 of the Romance gives Sima Shi's deposing of the emperor as the pretext and has no story of a comet. In the Biography of Guanqiu Jian in the Records, the two took the comet of the 1st month of the 2nd year of Zhengyuan as an auspicious omen, forged an edict of the Empress Dowager, and set out the crimes of Sima Jingwang. Romance, Ch. 109 §45Romance, Ch. 110 §3Records, Wei 28 §20–21
His son's name: In Chapter 110 of the Romance, Wen Yang is the second son Wen Shu, whose childhood name was A Yang. Chen Shou's main text in the Records says only that Wen Qin's sons were Wen Yang and Wen Hu, and has no name Wen Shu. Romance, Ch. 110 §3Records, Wei 28 §40
The night raid at Lejia: In Chapter 110 of the Romance, father and son plan to attack in two columns, but Wen Qin loses his way on the mountain paths and fails to arrive, while Wen Yang throws the Wei camp into turmoil on his own and then drives off the Wei generals single-handed. In the Records, Wen Qin tried to raid Deng Ai and the others by night, turned back at daybreak on seeing the main army, and was pursued and badly defeated. Romance, Ch. 110 §15 · 19–21Records, Wei 28 §23–24
Yin Damu: In Chapter 110 of the Romance, Yin Damu chases after the fleeing Wen Qin and tries to hold him back. Yin Damu does not appear in Chen Shou's main text. Romance, Ch. 110 §22–23Records, Wei 28 §23–24
How he went to Wu: In Chapter 110 of the Romance, Wen Qin first goes to Shouchun, but Zhuge Dan has already taken it, and unable to return to Xiangcheng either, he takes refuge with Sun Jun. In the Records, Wen Qin was defeated at Lejia and chased by Deng Ai as far as Qiutou, and surrendered at Tuogao to Sun Jun, who was coming to raid Shouchun. After that, when Sun Jun reached Shouchun with Wen Qin, Zhuge Dan's army was already there, so they withdrew. Romance, Ch. 110 §24Records, Wei 28 §62 · 33Records, Wu 3 §9
His career in Wu: The Romance merely sends Wen Qin out again in Chapter 111 as guide for the relief army Sun Chen dispatches, and records neither his offices in Wu nor what happened in between. In the Records he became General-in-Chief Who Guards the North, Governor of You Province and Marquis of Qiao, and in the 1st year of Taiping (256) he persuaded Sun Jun to attack Wei and took the field. Romance, Ch. 111 §31–32Records, Wei 28 §27Records, Wu 19 §76
Entering Shouchun: In Chapter 112 of the Romance, when the Wei army leaves the south gate open on Zhong Hui's plan, Wen Qin enters through that gate with Quan Yi, Quan Duan and others, following Yu Quan's troops. In the Records, before Wang Ji's encirclement had closed, Tang Zi, Wen Qin and the others broke into the city from the northeast, using the hills and rough terrain. Romance, Ch. 112 §4–6Records, Wei 28 §36
His death: In Chapter 112 of the Romance, when Wen Qin proposes sending out the northern soldiers, Zhuge Dan flies into a rage and has him dragged out and beheaded on the spot. In the Records, Zhuge Dan rejected the same proposal and the two quarrelled and resented each other, and later, when Wen Qin came to see Zhuge Dan to discuss affairs, Zhuge Dan killed him. Romance, Ch. 112 §12Records, Wei 28 §39–40
The surrender of his two sons: In Chapter 112 of the Romance, Wen Yang and Wen Hu kill several dozen men and leap down from the city wall to surrender, and when Sima Zhao wants to behead Wen Yang out of resentment over Lejia, Zhong Hui dissuades him. In the Records, the two sons climbed over the wall alone to surrender because their men would not follow them; it was the army officers who asked that they be killed, and the General-in-Chief spared them by his own order. There is no advice from Zhong Hui. Romance, Ch. 112 §12–13Records, Wei 28 §40–41
His burial: In the Records, after Shouchun was pacified, Wen Yang and Wen Hu collected Wen Qin's body and buried it in the old family tomb. This does not appear in the Romance. Records, Wei 28 §47Romance, Ch. 112 §12–14
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.
RInflated his captures to seek rewards and staged a false surrender, but had no second thoughts toward Guanqiu JianWei 28 §20Wu 11 §64
NFollowed Guanqiu Jian, vowing to give his life if they struck the traitors in the name of righteousnessCh. 110 §2Ch. 110 §22
RFell for Deng Ai's feigned weakness, and his false letter of surrender was seen through by Zhu YiWei 28 §23Wei 28 §39Wu 11 §64
NCalled brave but unwise, and failed to grasp the meaning Yin Damu conveyedCh. 110 §7Ch. 110 §23
RPersuaded Sun Jun to raise an army to attack WeiWu 19 §76Wu 3 §12
NHis proposal to send out the northern soldiers only provoked Zhuge Dan's angerCh. 112 §12
RHuainan's loyalty scattered and surrenders followed one after another; after his death even his sons' men would not followWei 28 §23Wei 28 §40
NWas on close terms with Yin Damu, but lost Zhuge Dan's trust at ShouchunCh. 110 §22Ch. 112 §12
RWon merit in battle many times, but his night raid at Lejia went wrong and he was routed in the pursuitWei 28 §20Wei 28 §23Wei 28 §37
NLost his way on the mountain paths during the night raid at Lejia, withdrew without fighting and was pursuedCh. 110 §13Ch. 110 §21
RCalled swift, bold and fierce, hard to stand against, and broke through the siege into ShouchunWei 28 §20Wei 27 §61Wei 28 §36
NZheng Mao granted him courage, and he fought as Zhuge Dan's right wingCh. 110 §7Ch. 112 §2
RNo direct record — estimated from his office as Inspector of Yang ProvinceWei 28 §20
NNo direct record — estimated from his office as Inspector of Yang ProvinceCh. 110 §2
RFled to Wu after defeat and gained rank, but died at Shouchun amid mutual suspicion with Zhuge DanWei 28 §27Wei 28 §40
NTook refuge in Wu when the situation grew dangerous, but was beheaded by Zhuge Dan at ShouchunCh. 110 §24Ch. 112 §12
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a rough and fierce generalWei 28 §20
NNo direct record — estimated from the career of a general who had been a retainer in Cao Shuang's householdCh. 110 §2
RNo direct record — estimated from the career of a general with no record of employing othersWei 28 §20
NNo direct record — estimated from his following his son Wen Yang's planCh. 110 §14
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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Based on Wikidata items for the historical and Romance figures. Relations without the Unverified badge were also confirmed in the Records.
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).