RNo direct record — estimated from the record of his surrenderWei 1 §117
NWent twice as envoy to Cao Cao's camp, conveying peace terms and surrenderCh. 59 §16Ch. 59 §29
Yang Qiu 楊秋
| Occupation | RGeneral · General Who Leads the Army | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Cause of death | RNatural death Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R10 |
Profile
Yang Qiu was a general of Guanzhong. In the 16th year of Jian'an (211), when the generals of Guanzhong suspected that Zhong Yao meant to attack them, he rebelled together with Ma Chao, Han Sui, Li Kan, Cheng Yi and others and confronted Cao Cao at Tong Pass. Defeated in the decisive battle, he fled to Anding, and in the 10th month, in the winter of that year, when Cao Cao besieged Anding, he surrendered, had his rank restored, and was kept there to pacify its people. Records, Wei 1 §109–110 · 113 · 117
After Cao Pi became King of Wei, as General Who Leads the Army (guanjun jiangjun) under the supervision of Guo Huai, he attacked and pacified the mountain bandit Zheng Gan and the rebellious non-Han people of Lushui together with Zhang He. He has no biography of his own in the Records, and his name appears in the Annals of Emperor Wu and in the biographies of Ma Chao, Xiahou Yuan, Zhang He and Guo Huai. Records, Wei 26 §65Records, Wei 1 §110Records, Shu 6 §27Records, Wei 9 §16Records, Wei 17 §46
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 58 as one of the commanders of the eight divisions under Han Sui who set out to aid Ma Chao, and appears in 2 of its 120 chapters; there is no chapter with his name in its title. In Chapter 59 he urges Han Sui to submit to Cao Cao, volunteers to go himself, and takes Han Sui's secret letter to Cao Cao's camp. Romance, Ch. 58 §13Romance, Ch. 59 §28–29
In the Records
In the 3rd month of the 16th year of Jian'an (211), Cao Cao sent Zhong Yao to attack Zhang Lu, who held Hanzhong, and sent Xiahou Yuan and others out to Hedong to join Zhong Yao. At this the generals of Guanzhong suspected that Zhong Yao meant to attack them, and in the end Ma Chao rebelled together with Han Sui, Yang Qiu, Li Kan, Cheng Yi and others. The biography of Ma Chao likewise records that Ma Chao allied with Han Sui, joined hands with Yang Qiu, Li Kan, Cheng Yi and others, and advanced as far as Tong Pass. Records, Wei 1 §109–110Records, Shu 6 §27
Cao Cao sent Cao Ren to attack them, and in the 7th month, in autumn, he came west in person and drew up his army against Ma Chao and the others across Tong Pass. After crossing the Yellow River and setting up camp south of the Wei, Cao Cao, following Jia Xu's plan, feigned agreement to the peace request of Ma Chao and the others, who asked for a cession of territory, and by talking with Han Sui and sending him a corrected letter he made Ma Chao and the others suspect Han Sui. Records, Wei 1 §110–113
Cao Cao fixed a day for the decisive battle; after provoking the fight with light troops, he let loose his tiger cavalry to strike from both flanks, crushed them, and beheaded Cheng Yi, Li Kan and others. Han Sui, Ma Chao and others fled to Liang Province, Yang Qiu fled to Anding, and Guanzhong was pacified. Records, Wei 1 §113
In the 10th month, in the winter of that year, Cao Cao's army marched north from Chang'an against Yang Qiu and besieged Anding. When Yang Qiu surrendered, Cao Cao restored his rank and had him stay there to pacify its people, and in the 12th month, returning from Anding, he left Xiahou Yuan to garrison Chang'an. The biography of Xiahou Yuan says that Xiahou Yuan joined the Grand Progenitor at Anding and brought about Yang Qiu's surrender, and the biography of Zhang He records that Zhang He besieged Anding and brought about Yang Qiu's surrender. Records, Wei 1 §117Records, Wei 9 §16Records, Wei 17 §46
When Cao Pi became King of Wei, Guo Huai was granted the rank of Marquis Within the Passes and transferred to Chief Clerk to the General Who Guards the West. Acting as Protector of the Army Who Subjugates the Qiang, Guo Huai supervised Zhang He, General of the Left, and Yang Qiu, General Who Leads the Army, in attacking the mountain bandit Zheng Gan and the rebellious non-Han people of Lushui, defeating and pacifying them all, and only then was Guanzhong settled so that the people could go about their livelihoods in peace. Chen Shou's text does not record Yang Qiu's courtesy name, origins or death. Records, Wei 26 §65
In the Romance
In Chapter 58 of the Romance, when Ma Chao raises the troops and horses of Xiliang, Han Sui, Administrator of Xiliang, says that he will help him because he swore brotherhood with Ma Chao's father, and beheads Cao Cao's envoy. Han Sui musters the troops and horses of the eight divisions under him, whose commanders are Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin, Li Kan, Zhang Heng, Liang Xing, Cheng Yi, Ma Wan and Yang Qiu. The eight generals, joined by Pang De and Ma Dai under Ma Chao, march on Chang'an with a great army of 200,000. Romance, Ch. 58 §11–13
In Chapter 59, when Cao Cao's troops set up camp west of the Yellow River, Li Kan proposes ceding territory to make peace, and Han Sui is inclined to agree. When Ma Chao hesitates, Yang Qiu and Hou Xuan both urge suing for peace, and Han Sui sends Yang Qiu as envoy to deliver a letter to Cao Cao's camp, offering to cede territory and asking for peace. Cao Cao tells him to go back for now and says he will reply tomorrow, and after Yang Qiu leaves, Jia Xu proposes feigning agreement and using a scheme of sowing discord to split Han Sui and Ma Chao. Romance, Ch. 59 §15–16
When, because of Cao Hong's words, Ma Chao tries to spear Han Sui, Yang Qiu and the other four generals stop and calm him. When Han Sui confers with the five generals, Yang Qiu says that Ma Chao relies only on his martial prowess and always looks down on their lord, and asks whether he would yield to him even if he defeated Cao Cao; he urges that they would do better to submit secretly to Lord Cao. When Han Sui hesitates, citing the bond of brotherhood he swore with Ma Teng, Yang Qiu says things have already come this far, volunteers to go himself, and takes Han Sui's secret letter to Cao Cao's camp. Cao Cao agrees to enfeoff Han Sui as Marquis of Xiliang and Yang Qiu as Administrator of Xiliang, and they agree to set a fire as the signal to strike Ma Chao together. Romance, Ch. 59 §27–30
But Ma Chao has already found out, slips into Han Sui's tent, and hears Yang Qiu say, 'This must not be delayed; carry it out quickly.' Ma Chao bursts in swinging his sword and cuts off Han Sui's left hand, and fighting the five generals he cuts down Ma Wan and Liang Xing, whereupon the remaining three generals each flee. After the battle Cao Cao enfeoffs both Yang Qiu and Hou Xuan as full marquises and has them guard the mouth of the Wei. The Romance records nothing more of Yang Qiu after this. Romance, Ch. 59 §31–32 · 38
Where the Romance differs
How he rebelled: In Chapter 58 of the Romance, Yang Qiu appears as one of the eight generals following Han Sui, who decides to help Ma Chao when Ma Chao raises troops. In the Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records, when Cao Cao sent Zhong Yao to attack Zhang Lu, the generals of Guanzhong suspected that Zhong Yao meant to attack them, and so Ma Chao rebelled together with Han Sui, Yang Qiu, Li Kan, Cheng Yi and others. Romance, Ch. 58 §11–13Records, Wei 1 §109–110
Envoy for peace: In Chapter 59 of the Romance, Yang Qiu goes to Cao Cao's camp as Han Sui's envoy, offering to cede territory and asking for peace. The Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records only record that Ma Chao and the others sent a messenger asking to make peace by ceding the land west of the Yellow River and later offered to send sons as hostages, without naming the envoy. Romance, Ch. 59 §16Records, Wei 1 §111–112
Urging Han Sui to surrender: In Chapter 59 of the Romance, Yang Qiu urges Han Sui to submit secretly to Cao Cao and delivers his secret letter, and Cao Cao promises to enfeoff him as Administrator of Xiliang. In the Records, what split Ma Chao and Han Sui was Cao Cao's talk with Han Sui and the corrected letter he sent, and Yang Qiu never urged Han Sui to surrender. Romance, Ch. 59 §28–29Records, Wei 1 §112–113
The fight in the tent: In Chapter 59 of the Romance, Ma Chao bursts into Han Sui's tent, cuts off Han Sui's left hand and cuts down Ma Wan and Liang Xing, and three generals including Yang Qiu flee. In the Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records, Cao Cao fixed a day for the decisive battle and beheaded Cheng Yi, Li Kan and others, and Han Sui, Ma Chao and others fled to Liang Province. Romance, Ch. 59 §31–32Records, Wei 1 §113
Whereabouts after the battle: In Chapter 59 of the Romance, after the battle Cao Cao enfeoffs Yang Qiu and Hou Xuan as full marquises and has them guard the mouth of the Wei. In the Records, Yang Qiu fled to Anding, and when Cao Cao besieged Anding in the 10th month, in winter, he surrendered, had his rank restored, and stayed there to pacify its people. Romance, Ch. 59 §38Records, Wei 1 §113 · 117
Later events: The Romance does not mention Yang Qiu after Chapter 59. In the Records, after Cao Pi became King of Wei, Yang Qiu, General Who Leads the Army, under the supervision of Guo Huai, pacified the mountain bandit Zheng Gan and the rebellious non-Han people of Lushui together with Zhang He. Romance, Ch. 59 §38Records, Wei 26 §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 total419 / 1000Rank 504 of 996 · Top 51%Romance total427 / 1000Rank 337 of 1,113 · Top 31%
Romance adaptation index+8Romance total − Records total
- LEA5040−10
- STR4040±0
- INT3850+12
- POL4535−10
- CHA4238−4
- VIR3525−10
- ADP6268+6
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3862+24
- DIS3838±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated from his careerWei 1 §113
NJudged that even if Ma Chao defeated Cao Cao he would not yield to Han SuiCh. 59 §28
RAs General Who Leads the Army, attacked and pacified the mountain bandit Zheng Gan and the non-Han people of LushuiWei 26 §65
NNo direct record — commander of one of Han Sui's eight divisionsCh. 58 §13
RAfter surrendering, was kept there to pacify its peopleWei 1 §117
NNo direct record — estimated from the record of guarding the mouth of the WeiCh. 59 §38
RSuspected Zhong Yao and rebelled together with Ma Chao and Han SuiWei 1 §110
NUrged Han Sui, sworn brother of Ma Teng, to abandon Ma Chao and go over to Cao CaoCh. 59 §28Ch. 59 §29
5 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a general of GuanzhongWei 1 §110
NNo direct record — the record of him blocking Ma ChaoCh. 59 §28
RNo direct record — estimated from the record of being entrusted with the peopleWei 1 §117
NNo direct record — estimated from his careerCh. 58 §13
RFled to Anding when defeated, then surrendered and regained his rankWei 1 §113Wei 1 §117
NArranged the submission to Cao Cao, was enfeoffed as a full marquis and guarded the mouth of the WeiCh. 59 §29Ch. 59 §38
RNo direct record — estimated as a military commanderWei 1 §110
NNo direct record — estimated as a military commanderCh. 58 §13
RNo direct record — estimated from his careerWei 26 §65
NNo direct record — estimated from his careerCh. 58 §13
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 (2)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Han Sui faction · Romance · 「乃點手下八部軍馬…侯選、程銀、李堪、張橫、梁興、成宜、馬玩、楊秋也」
Related events (1)
- Battle of Tong Pass 211 · Command
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).