RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's Area Commander of JianglingWu 3 §81
NWhen all the armies were defeated, abandoned the city and fled, and was capturedCh. 120 §41
Wu Yan 伍延
| Occupation | RGeneral · Area Commander of Jiangling NGeneral · General of Chariots and Cavalry | Faction | Wu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | R? Unverified | Native place | |
| Died | R280 Unverified | Place of death | |
| Cause of death | RKilled in battle NExecuted Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R1 |
Profile
Wu Yan was Area Commander of Jiangling in the last years of Wu. He has no biography of his own in the Records; his name appears once, in the record of Sun Hao in the Biographies of the Three Successor Rulers (Records of Wu 3). In winter of the 3rd year of Tianji (279), when Jin attacked Wu along several routes, Du Yu, General Who Guards the South, advanced toward Jiangling, and in spring of the following year, the 4th year of Tianji (280), Du Yu beheaded Wu Yan, Area Commander of Jiangling. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, his origins, or when he became Area Commander of Jiangling. Records, Wu 3 §74 · 78 · 81
In the Romance he appears only in Chapter 120, 1 of its 120 chapters, and his name is in no chapter title. In the Romance, on the recommendation of the Chancellor Zhang Ti, he was made General of Chariots and Cavalry and Commander-in-Chief and advanced to Jiangling to meet Du Yu in battle, but when all the armies were defeated he abandoned the city and fled, was captured by troops lying in ambush, and was beheaded on Du Yu's orders. Romance, Ch. 120 §35 · 41
In the Records
According to the record of Sun Hao in the Biographies of the Three Successor Rulers, in winter of the 3rd year of Tianji (279) Jin sent Sima Zhou, General-in-Chief Who Guards the East, toward Tuzhong; Wang Hun, General Who Pacifies the East, and Zhou Jun (周浚), Inspector of Yang Province, toward Niuzhu; Wang Rong, General Who Establishes Might, toward Wuchang; Hu Fen, General Who Pacifies the South, toward Xiakou; and Du Yu, General Who Guards the South, toward Jiangling. It had Wang Jun, General Who Soars Like a Dragon, and Tang Bin, General Who Broadens Martial Might, sail east down the Yangtze, and made the Grand Commandant Jia Chong Grand Area Commander. Wu's Area Commander of Xuling (徐陵督), Tao Jun, reached Wuchang, but on hearing that the northern armies had come out in force he halted and did not advance. Records, Wu 3 §74 · 78
Chen Shou recorded that at this time, at every banquet, Sun Hao made his ministers drink themselves into a stupor and appointed officials to watch for their faults, punishing every lapse great or small, so that high and low alike were estranged from him and no one would exert himself for Sun Hao. Records, Wu 3 §79–80
In spring of the 4th year of Tianji (280), wherever Wang Jun and Tang Bin arrived, the defenders collapsed like crumbling earth and shattering tiles, and no one stood in their way. Du Yu also beheaded Wu Yan, Area Commander of Jiangling, and Wang Hun beheaded the Chancellor Zhang Ti, the Grand Administrator of Danyang Shen Ying and others, winning wherever they fought. Records, Wu 3 §81
In the 3rd month, when Tao Jun, returning from Wuchang, said that with 20,000 soldiers fighting from large ships he could easily defeat the enemy, Sun Hao gathered troops and gave him the tally and axe of command, but on the night before the day set for departure the troops all fled. Sun Hao sent envoys separately to Wang Jun, Sima Zhou and Wang Hun with letters saying that he was sending the Minister of Ceremonies Zhang Kui (張夔) and others to present the seal and ribbon he wore, submitting himself and begging for his life. In Chen Shou's main text, the only place Wu Yan's name appears is the single phrase that he, the Area Commander of Jiangling, was beheaded. Records, Wu 3 §82–84 · 81
In the Romance
In Chapter 120 of the Romance, the ruler of Jin made Du Yu, General-in-Chief Who Guards the South, Grand Area Commander and sent him with 100,000 troops toward Jiangling, and also gave Sima Zhou, Wang Hun, Wang Rong and Hu Fen 50,000 troops each and placed them under Du Yu's command. Wang Jun and Tang Bin launched their ships and sailed east down the Yangtze. Romance, Ch. 120 §33–34
When Sun Hao, the ruler of Wu, heard the news, he was greatly alarmed and summoned the Chancellor Zhang Ti, the Minister over the Masses He Zhi and the Minister of Works Teng Xun to deliberate. Zhang Ti proposed making Wu Yan, General of Chariots and Cavalry, Commander-in-Chief to advance to Jiangling and meet Du Yu, having Sun Xin, General of Agile Cavalry, hold off the forces at Xiakou and elsewhere, and himself leading 100,000 troops with Shen Ying, General of the Left, and Zhuge Jing, General of the Right, out to Niuzhu to support the various fronts. Sun Hao followed his advice. Romance, Ch. 120 §35–36
Du Yu gave his subordinate general Zhou Zhi 800 sailors to cross the Yangtze secretly and lie in ambush on Mount Ba, and the next day advanced with the main army by water and land together. Scouts reported that the ruler of Wu had sent Wu Yan by land and Lu Jing by water, with Sun Xin as vanguard, coming to meet them along three routes. Sun Xin pursued Du Yu, who feigned retreat, was badly defeated when the Jin forces closed in from all sides, and was beheaded near the city by Zhou Zhi, who had slipped in among the troops. Lu Jing, on his ship, saw flames rising on the south bank of the river and tried to go ashore, but was beheaded by the Jin general Zhang Shang. Romance, Ch. 120 §38–40
Seeing that all the armies had been defeated, Wu Yan abandoned the city and fled, but he was captured by troops lying in ambush and brought bound before Du Yu. Saying that there was no use in keeping him alive, Du Yu ordered his soldiers to behead him, and thus took Jiangling. After that, from the Yuan and Xiang rivers all the way to the commanderies of Guang Province, the governors and magistrates came to surrender with their seals at the mere news. Romance, Ch. 120 §41–42
Where the Romance differs
Post: In Chapter 120 of the Romance, Wu Yan, as General of Chariots and Cavalry, was made Commander-in-Chief and advanced to Jiangling. In the Biographies of the Three Successor Rulers in the Records he is Area Commander of Jiangling. Romance, Ch. 120 §35Records, Wu 3 §81
How he came to Jiangling: In Chapter 120 of the Romance, Sun Hao sent Wu Yan to Jiangling to meet Du Yu on the advice of the Chancellor Zhang Ti. The Records say only that Du Yu of Jin advanced toward Jiangling and that Du Yu beheaded Wu Yan, Area Commander of Jiangling; there is no record of Zhang Ti recommending him. Romance, Ch. 120 §35–36Records, Wu 3 §78 · 81
How he died: In Chapter 120 of the Romance, Wu Yan abandoned the city and fled, was captured by troops lying in ambush, and was brought bound before Du Yu and beheaded. The Records say only that Du Yu beheaded Wu Yan, Area Commander of Jiangling, and won wherever he fought, and do not record his capture. Romance, Ch. 120 §41Records, Wu 3 §81
Fellow commanders: In Chapter 120 of the Romance, Wu Yan came by land and Lu Jing by water, with Sun Xin leading the vanguard, to meet Du Yu along three routes, and Sun Xin was beheaded by Zhou Zhi and Lu Jing by Zhang Shang. Sun Xin does not appear in Chen Shou's main text, and the Biography of Lu Xun records only that Lu Jing was also killed on the guihai day of the 2nd month of the 4th year of Tianji (280), with no record that he fought alongside Wu Yan. Romance, Ch. 120 §38–40Records, Wu 13 §88–89Records, Wu 3 §81
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 total370 / 1000Rank 788 of 996 · Top 80%Romance total338 / 1000Rank 973 of 1,113 · Top 88%
Romance adaptation index−32Romance total − Records total
- LEA4235−7
- STR4040±0
- INT3835−3
- POL3533−2
- CHA3835−3
- VIR4238−4
- ADP3825−13
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3333±0
- DIS3333±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
9 similar abilities — show evidence
RWas Area Commander of Jiangling and was beheaded by Du Yu of JinWu 3 §81
NWas made Commander-in-Chief to hold off Du Yu at Jiangling, but abandoned the cityCh. 120 §35Ch. 120 §41
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's Area Commander of JianglingWu 3 §81
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's General of Chariots and CavalryCh. 120 §35
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's Area Commander of JianglingWu 3 §81
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's General of Chariots and CavalryCh. 120 §35
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's Area Commander of JianglingWu 3 §81
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's General of Chariots and CavalryCh. 120 §35
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's Area Commander of JianglingWu 3 §81
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's General of Chariots and CavalryCh. 120 §35
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's Area Commander of JianglingWu 3 §81
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's General of Chariots and CavalryCh. 120 §35
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's Area Commander of JianglingWu 3 §81
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's General of Chariots and CavalryCh. 120 §35
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's Area Commander of JianglingWu 3 §81
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's General of Chariots and CavalryCh. 120 §35
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's Area Commander of JianglingWu 3 §81
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Wu's General of Chariots and CavalryCh. 120 §35
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
- Wu · Romance · Romance ch. 120 「前哨报道：吴主遣伍延出陆路，陆景出水路，孙歆为先锋：三路来迎」 · Q124737814
Related events (1)
- Conquest of Wu by Jin 279~280 · Command
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).