Wei Yan
Encyclopedia
Wei Yan was a military general of Shu Han
during the Three Kingdoms
era of Chinese history
. He became a soldier of Liu Bei
when the latter fled Jing Province and seek protection from the eastern warlord, Sun Quan
, in 208. In 211, Wei had climbed up the ranks and become a general in Liu Bei's invasion to Yi Province (益州, modern Sichuan
and Chongqing
). His talent and performance during battles helped him to become a major general of Liu Bei's army in a short period of time. He was later named Administrator of Hanzhong (漢中) and regional Area Commander in the year 219.
According to Chen Shou
's Records of Three Kingdoms
, Wei was a very arrogant man and others tended to avoid him. Some believed that he was an aggressive person, who was incompatible with the strategies and methods of Zhuge Liang
, the chancellor of Shu Han. Moreover, Wei's personality caused Yang Yi
, a scholarly official, to fear and despise him, with the two barely capable of avoiding fighting one another. Eventually Wei Yan lost his life and his family to this personal conflict.
. As one of Liu Bei's personal retainers, he followed Liu Bei into the Yi province. He had many military accomplishments and was assigned as General of the Standard (牙門將軍). When Liu Bei became King of Hanzhong
, he selected Wei Yan as the general who would guard Hanzhong and then honored him with the title, General Who Suppresses the North. This was despite Zhang Fei being considered by the majority and himself to be the likely candidate for the position, which assumed the imminent military responsibility to resist invasion from the leading warlord, Cao Cao
. When Wei was nominated by Liu, the court was shocked. Liu then asked Wei in front of the mass how would he serve his new post, wherein Wei confidently replied: "If Cao Cao mustered all his forces and invaded, let me assist my lord to repel the enemies; if an Assistant-General came with 100,000 troops, let me engulf them for my Majesty." During his tenure, Wei Yan borrowed the concept of "double gates" from the ancient text, Zhou Yi
(周易), and laid numerous camps along the outskirt and trail exits linking to Hanzhong. His defense mechanism was very effective in driving the enemy out, and his arrangement would be adopted by those who later succeeded his post.
In 223, Wei Yan was enfeoffed
as Marquis of a Chief Village (都亭侯). In 227, Zhuge Liang, following Liu Bei's death, employed Wei Yan for the war with Cao Wei
. Wei Yan was to supervise the front division with the rank of Major of the Prime Minister (丞相司馬) and Inspector of Liang province (涼州刺史). Wei was very good to his soldiers and was braver than others. On the other hand, he was boastful of his talents and his peers tended to avoid him. However, Yang Yi alone made no concession to him and thus Wei Yan was extremely resentful of him.
as the vanguard for the first campaign, which ended up with a total disaster. During the second campaign, Wei suggested Zhuge to attack Chang'an, but was refused, and the self-proclaimed 100,000 strong Shu forces laid a siege on Chencang
, where they could only lament upon the staunch defense of the 1,000 defenders under Hao Zhao
's command. In the fall of 230, the Cao-Wei regime launched a counter-offensive with a sizable army, Wei Yan and Wu Ban were then sent north as military attachés to join forces with the Qiang tribes to harass the Cao-Wei rear. Wei Yan swiftly led a mixed cavalry-infantry force to his destination, and sold the famous Chengdu silk brocades to the Qiang people in return for their military support, as well as horses and weapons. From the start the Cao-Wei attack ran into problems: heavy rain continued for more than 30 days, which rendered that the narrow valleys impassable, while Zhang He
in the west was threatened by Wei Yan's pincer movement in his rear. After one and a half month of little progress, the ill-fated campaign was terminated. However, the Wei General of the Rear Army, Fei Yao
, and the Inspector of Yong province, Guo Huai
, decided to earn some merits before their retreat, so they attacked Wei Yan at Yangqi, where Wei heavily defeated his rivals. Thus, the Shu Han force behind the enemy line was able to make a prudence dictated return to Hanzhong. Wei was then promoted as Advisor of the Front Army (前軍師), General Who Conquers the West, and Marquis of Nanzheng.
During the fourth norther campaign, Zhuge sent Wei Yan to counter the enemy commander, Sima Yi
, who was leading a frontal assault to Lu fortress from the central main road. Together with Wu Ban
, and Gao Xiang
, they resisted the enemy outside the city wall. In this particular battle, they killed 3000 armoured Cao Wei soldiers ,and seized 5000 sets of armor and 3100 crossbows. If the above record from the Spring and Autumn Annal of Han and Jin Dynasty is true, Wei Yan had achieved the greatest deed during the five expeditions to the north.
. But Zhuge never allowed this plan and Wei Yan often said Zhuge was faint-hearted.
The Weilüe
records Wei Yan's reasoning in detail: Wei Yan received intelligence that the defender of the strategic city Chang'an
, Xiahou Mao
, was fainthearted and without counsel. Thus, he reasoned, it would be easy for him to take five thousand troops (plus another five thousand to carry supplies) across the Qin Mountains via the Ziwu Valley and into Chang'an. Wei estimated that he would reach Chang'an in ten days and scare Xiahou into flight, leaving the grain in the storehouses of Hengmen for Shu Han's taking. There Wei Yan's force can wait for Zhuge Liang's main force to take the safer road out of Xie valley and rendezvous in Chang'an. This way, the region west of Xianyang
could be settled in one stroke.
Upon Chen Shou
's compilation on the unofficial works on Shu's history (Shu had no official logs on its history) in the Book of Shu, it only tells that Wei Yan wanted to spilt the force in two and meet at Tong Pass, not much detail was recorded due to fact that the position of Historian was banned by Zhuge Liang. The reason Zhuge rejected Wei's plan remained dubious, but it is generally believed Zhuge considered the plan to be dangerous and preferred to travel along the flat roads so that Longyou could be taken easily. He was certain that his plan would work out without any worry, and so did not accept Wei Yan's plan.
When Cao Wei received intelligence about Ziwu Valley Plan (子午谷計), the emperor immediately removed Xiahou Mao from his command and reassigned him to a civilian job in the imperial court as Imperial Secretariat (尚书). Thus, whether Wei Yan's plan could have succeeded, Zhuge had forfeited the chance to act on it. After Zhuge's own plan had failed as history manifests, Wei Yan then sighed that his talents were not used to their full potential. The viability of Wei Yan's Ziwu Valley Plan (before Xiahou's reassignment) would become a subject of debate over the generations.
, Zhuge Liang fell sick and sent secret orders to the Chief Clerk (長史) Yang Yi, the Major Fei Yi
, and the Protector of the Army, Jiang Wei
for the armies to retreat after his death. Wei Yan was to guard the rear with Jiang Wei after him. If Wei Yan refused to accept the order, they were to retreat without him. Eventually, Zhuge Liang died, but his death was kept secret. Yang Yi ordered Fei Yi to go to Wei Yan and to discover his intentions. Wei Yan said:
So Wei Yan and Fei Yi took charge of the troops left behind with Fei Yi writing a letter to be signed by both of them which was to be announced to the various generals. Fei Yi offered to go on Wei Yan's behalf and explain the situation to the Chief Clerk, Yang Yi, saying that the Chief Clerk is a civil official and is not experienced in military affairs, making it certain that Yang Yi would not disobey him. Wei Yan let him go, but immediately regretted it and went after him. He was unable to catch up to him in time. He then sent someone to Yang Yi and the others, and discovered that the various encampments were returning, according to Zhuge Liang's plan to retreat. Wei Yan had wanted to continue the campaign against Cao Wei despite Zhuge Liang's death, and was thus angry at this development. Intending to block the retreating Shu force, Wei Yan led his troops back to the South before Yang Yi's main force, and cut off the Shu retreat by burning the gallery road
s.
Both Wei Yan and Yang Yi sent memorials, each accusing each other of treason. Within the same day, their memorials arrived and the Shu Emperor Liu Shan
asked Dong Yun
and Jiang Wan
for their opinions. Both of them supported Yang Yi and were suspicious of Wei Yan. Yang Yi had trees hewn to make roads and marched day and night to get close behind Wei Yan. Wei Yan arrived first at the Southern Valley and ordered his troops to attack Yang Yi and the others. Yang Yi ordered Wang Ping forward to resist Wei Yan. Wang Ping was critical of Wei Yan and Wei Yan's soldiers knew their leader was in the wrong, thus they scattered.
Wei Yan, along with his sons and a few followers, fled to Hanzhong. Yang Yi sent Ma Dai
to give chase. Ma Dai caught up to Wei Yan, decapitated him, and sent his severed head to Yang Yi. Yang Yi then ordered the execution of Wei Yan's family to the third degree. Before, Jiang Wan had led the various camps of the imperial bodyguards north to cope with the disorders. He travelled about ten li
(1 quarter mile) when he heard news of Wei Yan's death, and so he returned.
, the compiler of Records of Three Kingdoms
, analyzed Wei Yan's death as thus: In the beginning, Wei Yan did not go north to Wei but instead returned to the South. His desire was to kill Yang Yi and the others in disagreement with him, with the hope that opinion of the time would make him Zhuge Liang's successor. This was his actual aim and he did not think of rebelling. However, it was his own fault for bringing upon his downfall by being boastful and ignorant of discipline.
A similar, but somehow different and more detailed account exists in Weilüe. It states that when Zhuge Liang died, he said to Wei Yan and the others, "After I am dead, be cautious in guarding but do not return here". Wei Yan was ordered to take up Zhuge's authority and to not reveal news about Zhuge's death, and he did as he was told. When they reached the entrance of Bao, the death was announced and a funeral was held. Zhuge Liang's Chief Clerk, Yang Yi, was never in agreement with Wei Yan, and after noticing that Wei Yan was in charge of military affairs, feared that he would be harmed. So he disseminated rumours that Wei Yan was going to submit to the North and led his troops to attack him. In reality, Wei Yan had no intention to do such a thing, and so offered no resistance. Liu Song Dynasty
compiler Pei Songzhi
, when combining this account with Chen Shou's account in the Records of Three Kingdoms, argued that the Weilües account might be derived from hearsay or spies planted in an enemy state, and might not be reliable when compared to the account Chen Shou chose from Shu's folklore.
From a neoteric article by Shanghai University history professor Zhu Ziyan, the death of Wei Yan was explained in political terms (just as tons of other academic papers). In Injustise Treatment on Wei Yan (《魏延的千古奇冤》), Zhu says "Zhuge appointed Jiang Wan, Fei Yi, and Jiang Wei to succeed him, but Wei Yan's titles, as well as contributions, were far greater than theirs. The reason Zhuge needed to isolate Wei Yan is to clear the obstacle for his appointed successors.
, it is suggested that Wei Yan originally served as a mid-ranking military officer under the warlord Liu Biao
, though this fact is historically unattested. Before the Battle of Changban
, Wei Yan tried to revolt against Cai Mao
, who had already surrendered to Cao Cao, to give the city of Xiangyang to Liu Bei. Liu Bei, however, didn't want to bring chaos to Xiangyang and chose to go to Jiangling instead. Wei Yan was not able to rendezvous with Liu Bei and became a subject of Han Xuan
. Liu Bei later came to invade Han Xuan's city of Changsha, and Han Xuan became suspicious of his top general Huang Zhong
amidst the battle and wanted to execute him. Wei Yan, outraged at Han Xuan's distrust, killed Han Xuan, rescued Huang Zhong, and surrendered the city to Liu Bei. While Zhuge Liang welcomed Huang Zhong, he ordered Wei Yan executed, saying that Wei Yan had the complexion of a traitor. Nonetheless, Liu Bei ordered Wei Yan's life to be spared and welcomed him into his forces.
Wei Yan became a valuable asset to Liu Bei's military, and he continued to serve Liu Bei's state of Shu Han well until Zhuge Liang died. At the eve of his death, Zhuge Liang predicted that Wei Yan would rebel, and so laid out a secret plan that would remove this threat after his death. Wei Yan openly rebelled with Ma Dai after Zhuge Liang died, as predicted. In one particular standoff between Wei Yan and Wang Ping, Wei Yan repeatedly shouted the challenge: "Who dares to kill me?" Unbeknownst to Wei Yan, Ma Dai was actually involved in Zhuge Liang's plan to remove Wei. Responding to Wei Yan's challenge, Ma Dai then sprung out from Wei Yan's own ranks and decapitated him.
and Warriors Orochi
video game series. He also appears in Koei's Dynasty Tactics 2.
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...
during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
era of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. He became a soldier of Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
when the latter fled Jing Province and seek protection from the eastern warlord, Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
, in 208. In 211, Wei had climbed up the ranks and become a general in Liu Bei's invasion to Yi Province (益州, modern Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
and Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
). His talent and performance during battles helped him to become a major general of Liu Bei's army in a short period of time. He was later named Administrator of Hanzhong (漢中) and regional Area Commander in the year 219.
According to Chen Shou
Chen Shou
Chen Shou was a historian during the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history. He is best known as the author of Records of Three Kingdoms, a historical account of the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period.-Biography:...
's Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms , is regarded as the official and authoritative historical text on the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history covering the years 184-280 CE. Written by Chen Shou in the 3rd century, the work combines the smaller histories of the rival states of Cao Wei , Shu Han and...
, Wei was a very arrogant man and others tended to avoid him. Some believed that he was an aggressive person, who was incompatible with the strategies and methods of Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....
, the chancellor of Shu Han. Moreover, Wei's personality caused Yang Yi
Yang Yi
Yang Yi , style name Weigong , was a minister of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He hailed from Xiangyang and was originally a subject of Cao Wei and later defected to Guan Yu, who sent him to Liu Bei...
, a scholarly official, to fear and despise him, with the two barely capable of avoiding fighting one another. Eventually Wei Yan lost his life and his family to this personal conflict.
Early and mid-career
Wei Yan was a native of YiyangYiyang
Yiyang is a prefecture-level city at the Zi River in Hunan province, China. According to the 2010 Census, Yiyang has a population of 4,313,084 inhabitants residing in an area of 12,144 km². It can be said that the population of the city hasn't changed since the last census in 2000, when the data...
. As one of Liu Bei's personal retainers, he followed Liu Bei into the Yi province. He had many military accomplishments and was assigned as General of the Standard (牙門將軍). When Liu Bei became King of Hanzhong
Hanzhong
Hanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...
, he selected Wei Yan as the general who would guard Hanzhong and then honored him with the title, General Who Suppresses the North. This was despite Zhang Fei being considered by the majority and himself to be the likely candidate for the position, which assumed the imminent military responsibility to resist invasion from the leading warlord, Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
. When Wei was nominated by Liu, the court was shocked. Liu then asked Wei in front of the mass how would he serve his new post, wherein Wei confidently replied: "If Cao Cao mustered all his forces and invaded, let me assist my lord to repel the enemies; if an Assistant-General came with 100,000 troops, let me engulf them for my Majesty." During his tenure, Wei Yan borrowed the concept of "double gates" from the ancient text, Zhou Yi
I Ching
The I Ching or "Yì Jīng" , also known as the Classic of Changes, Book of Changes and Zhouyi, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts...
(周易), and laid numerous camps along the outskirt and trail exits linking to Hanzhong. His defense mechanism was very effective in driving the enemy out, and his arrangement would be adopted by those who later succeeded his post.
In 223, Wei Yan was enfeoffed
Enfeoffment
Under the European feudal system, enfeoffment was the deed by which a person was given land in exchange for a pledge of service. This mechanism was later used to avoid restrictions on the passage of title in land by a system in which a landowner would give land to one person for the use of another...
as Marquis of a Chief Village (都亭侯). In 227, Zhuge Liang, following Liu Bei's death, employed Wei Yan for the war with Cao Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
. Wei Yan was to supervise the front division with the rank of Major of the Prime Minister (丞相司馬) and Inspector of Liang province (涼州刺史). Wei was very good to his soldiers and was braver than others. On the other hand, he was boastful of his talents and his peers tended to avoid him. However, Yang Yi alone made no concession to him and thus Wei Yan was extremely resentful of him.
Northern Campaign
When Zhuge became the regent of Shu, he launched several campaigns against the kingdom of Wei, whereins Wei Yan attended most of them, if not all. However, Wei was disappointed by his supposedly supervisor, on account the latter used Ma SuMa Su
Ma Su was a military general and strategist of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was the younger brother of Ma Liang. Ma Su had conspicuous talent in military theories and was admired by the Shu chancellor Zhuge Liang...
as the vanguard for the first campaign, which ended up with a total disaster. During the second campaign, Wei suggested Zhuge to attack Chang'an, but was refused, and the self-proclaimed 100,000 strong Shu forces laid a siege on Chencang
Siege of Chencang
The Siege of Chencang was a siege of the Cao Wei stronghold at Chencang by forces of the rival state of Shu Han from December 228 to early 229 during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The siege was part of second Northern Expedition led by Shu's chancellor Zhuge Liang to attack Wei...
, where they could only lament upon the staunch defense of the 1,000 defenders under Hao Zhao
Hao Zhao
Hao Zhao, style name Bodao , was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. His single most important victory over the much larger Shu Han army led by Zhuge Liang during the Siege of Chencang made him a celebrity overnight, but he soon died of...
's command. In the fall of 230, the Cao-Wei regime launched a counter-offensive with a sizable army, Wei Yan and Wu Ban were then sent north as military attachés to join forces with the Qiang tribes to harass the Cao-Wei rear. Wei Yan swiftly led a mixed cavalry-infantry force to his destination, and sold the famous Chengdu silk brocades to the Qiang people in return for their military support, as well as horses and weapons. From the start the Cao-Wei attack ran into problems: heavy rain continued for more than 30 days, which rendered that the narrow valleys impassable, while Zhang He
Zhang He
Zhang He was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He continued serving the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period until his death....
in the west was threatened by Wei Yan's pincer movement in his rear. After one and a half month of little progress, the ill-fated campaign was terminated. However, the Wei General of the Rear Army, Fei Yao
Fei Yao
Fei Yao was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Biography:Fei served as General of the Rear in the state of Cao Wei. In 220, he followed Zhang Ji and Xiahou Ru to suppress a rebellion by Zhang Jin in Jiuquan . In 228, he defended Chencang from Shu...
, and the Inspector of Yong province, Guo Huai
Guo Huai
Guo Huai , style name Boji , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He started his career during the late Han Dynasty under the warlord Cao Cao. During Cao Pi's reign, Guo rose up the ranks and became a grand marshal under Sima Yi...
, decided to earn some merits before their retreat, so they attacked Wei Yan at Yangqi, where Wei heavily defeated his rivals. Thus, the Shu Han force behind the enemy line was able to make a prudence dictated return to Hanzhong. Wei was then promoted as Advisor of the Front Army (前軍師), General Who Conquers the West, and Marquis of Nanzheng.
During the fourth norther campaign, Zhuge sent Wei Yan to counter the enemy commander, Sima Yi
Sima Yi
Sima Yi was a general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is perhaps best known for defending Wei from Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions...
, who was leading a frontal assault to Lu fortress from the central main road. Together with Wu Ban
Wu Ban
Wu Ban, style name Yuanxiong , was a military general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. A relative of Wu Yi , Wu Ban at one time was a close servant under Liu Zhang. During the Battle of Xiaoting against Sun Quan, Wu Ban was tasked to lead the vanguard, winning many...
, and Gao Xiang
Gao Xiang
Gao Xiang was a Qing Chinese painter, and one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou....
, they resisted the enemy outside the city wall. In this particular battle, they killed 3000 armoured Cao Wei soldiers ,and seized 5000 sets of armor and 3100 crossbows. If the above record from the Spring and Autumn Annal of Han and Jin Dynasty is true, Wei Yan had achieved the greatest deed during the five expeditions to the north.
The Ziwu Valley Plan
Each time Wei Yan accompanied Zhuge Liang on expedition, he always wanted to lead ten thousand and go along different paths to meet up with Zhuge at the Tong Pass, based on the previous strategy of Han XinHán Xìn
Han Xin was a military general who served Liu Bang during the Chu–Han contention and contributed greatly to the founding of the Han Dynasty...
. But Zhuge never allowed this plan and Wei Yan often said Zhuge was faint-hearted.
The Weilüe
Weilüe
The Weilüe written by Yu Huan between CE 239, the end of Emperor Ming’s reign, and 265 CE, the end of the Cao Wei . Although not an "official historian," Yu Huan has always been held in high regard amongst Chinese scholars....
records Wei Yan's reasoning in detail: Wei Yan received intelligence that the defender of the strategic city Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
, Xiahou Mao
Xiahou Mao
Xiahou Mao, style name Zilin , was a military general and civilian administrator of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the second son of Xiahou Dun...
, was fainthearted and without counsel. Thus, he reasoned, it would be easy for him to take five thousand troops (plus another five thousand to carry supplies) across the Qin Mountains via the Ziwu Valley and into Chang'an. Wei estimated that he would reach Chang'an in ten days and scare Xiahou into flight, leaving the grain in the storehouses of Hengmen for Shu Han's taking. There Wei Yan's force can wait for Zhuge Liang's main force to take the safer road out of Xie valley and rendezvous in Chang'an. This way, the region west of Xianyang
Xianyang
Xianyang is a former capital of China in Shaanxi province, on the Wei River, a few kilometers upstream from Xi'an. It has an area of...
could be settled in one stroke.
Upon Chen Shou
Chen Shou
Chen Shou was a historian during the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history. He is best known as the author of Records of Three Kingdoms, a historical account of the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period.-Biography:...
's compilation on the unofficial works on Shu's history (Shu had no official logs on its history) in the Book of Shu, it only tells that Wei Yan wanted to spilt the force in two and meet at Tong Pass, not much detail was recorded due to fact that the position of Historian was banned by Zhuge Liang. The reason Zhuge rejected Wei's plan remained dubious, but it is generally believed Zhuge considered the plan to be dangerous and preferred to travel along the flat roads so that Longyou could be taken easily. He was certain that his plan would work out without any worry, and so did not accept Wei Yan's plan.
When Cao Wei received intelligence about Ziwu Valley Plan (子午谷計), the emperor immediately removed Xiahou Mao from his command and reassigned him to a civilian job in the imperial court as Imperial Secretariat (尚书). Thus, whether Wei Yan's plan could have succeeded, Zhuge had forfeited the chance to act on it. After Zhuge's own plan had failed as history manifests, Wei Yan then sighed that his talents were not used to their full potential. The viability of Wei Yan's Ziwu Valley Plan (before Xiahou's reassignment) would become a subject of debate over the generations.
Death
In 234, Zhuge Liang set out on his last northern expedition against Cao Wei, with Wei Yan leading the Van. During the standoff in the Battle of Wuzhang PlainsBattle of Wuzhang Plains
The Battle of Wuzhang Plains was a standoff between the contending states of Cao Wei and Shu Han in 234 during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
, Zhuge Liang fell sick and sent secret orders to the Chief Clerk (長史) Yang Yi, the Major Fei Yi
Fei Yi
Fei Yi, style name Wenwei , was an official of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He succeeded Jiang Wan as regent of Shu Han, and avoided major expedition against rival state, Cao Wei...
, and the Protector of the Army, Jiang Wei
Jiang Wei
Jiang Wei was a military general and regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He originally served Shu's rival state, Cao Wei, as a middle-level military officer, but defected to the Shu strategist Zhuge Liang, leaving his mother in Wei. After that, Jiang...
for the armies to retreat after his death. Wei Yan was to guard the rear with Jiang Wei after him. If Wei Yan refused to accept the order, they were to retreat without him. Eventually, Zhuge Liang died, but his death was kept secret. Yang Yi ordered Fei Yi to go to Wei Yan and to discover his intentions. Wei Yan said:
Although the Prime Minister had died, I am still here. The officials belonging to the Office of Prime Minister may carry his mortal remains to be buried. I, on the other hand, should command the various troops and strike at the rebels. Because of the death of one man, must we neglect the affairs of the State? Besides, who am I, Wei Yan, that I should be commanded by Yang Yi to serve as general of the rearguard?
So Wei Yan and Fei Yi took charge of the troops left behind with Fei Yi writing a letter to be signed by both of them which was to be announced to the various generals. Fei Yi offered to go on Wei Yan's behalf and explain the situation to the Chief Clerk, Yang Yi, saying that the Chief Clerk is a civil official and is not experienced in military affairs, making it certain that Yang Yi would not disobey him. Wei Yan let him go, but immediately regretted it and went after him. He was unable to catch up to him in time. He then sent someone to Yang Yi and the others, and discovered that the various encampments were returning, according to Zhuge Liang's plan to retreat. Wei Yan had wanted to continue the campaign against Cao Wei despite Zhuge Liang's death, and was thus angry at this development. Intending to block the retreating Shu force, Wei Yan led his troops back to the South before Yang Yi's main force, and cut off the Shu retreat by burning the gallery road
Gallery road
The archaeological gallery roads were roads through remote mountain areas of China. They consisted of wooden planks erected on holes cut into the sides of cliffs. They were most notably used in the Qin Mountains linking the Wei River and the Han River valleys. The first gallery roads were built...
s.
Both Wei Yan and Yang Yi sent memorials, each accusing each other of treason. Within the same day, their memorials arrived and the Shu Emperor Liu Shan
Liu Shan
Liu Shan, , was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. As he ascended the throne at the young age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Liang and Imperial Secretariat Li Yan...
asked Dong Yun
Dong Yun
Dong Yun , style name Xiuzhao , was a minister of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.-Biography:...
and Jiang Wan
Jiang Wan
Jiang Wan , style name Gongyan , was an official of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. After Zhuge Liang's death, he succeeded Zhuge as the regent for the Shu emperor, Liu Shan.-Early career:...
for their opinions. Both of them supported Yang Yi and were suspicious of Wei Yan. Yang Yi had trees hewn to make roads and marched day and night to get close behind Wei Yan. Wei Yan arrived first at the Southern Valley and ordered his troops to attack Yang Yi and the others. Yang Yi ordered Wang Ping forward to resist Wei Yan. Wang Ping was critical of Wei Yan and Wei Yan's soldiers knew their leader was in the wrong, thus they scattered.
Wei Yan, along with his sons and a few followers, fled to Hanzhong. Yang Yi sent Ma Dai
Ma Dai
Ma Dai was a military general of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He previously served under his uncle, the warlord Ma Teng...
to give chase. Ma Dai caught up to Wei Yan, decapitated him, and sent his severed head to Yang Yi. Yang Yi then ordered the execution of Wei Yan's family to the third degree. Before, Jiang Wan had led the various camps of the imperial bodyguards north to cope with the disorders. He travelled about ten li
Li (unit)
The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer...
(1 quarter mile) when he heard news of Wei Yan's death, and so he returned.
Analysis
Chen ShouChen Shou
Chen Shou was a historian during the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history. He is best known as the author of Records of Three Kingdoms, a historical account of the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period.-Biography:...
, the compiler of Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms , is regarded as the official and authoritative historical text on the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history covering the years 184-280 CE. Written by Chen Shou in the 3rd century, the work combines the smaller histories of the rival states of Cao Wei , Shu Han and...
, analyzed Wei Yan's death as thus: In the beginning, Wei Yan did not go north to Wei but instead returned to the South. His desire was to kill Yang Yi and the others in disagreement with him, with the hope that opinion of the time would make him Zhuge Liang's successor. This was his actual aim and he did not think of rebelling. However, it was his own fault for bringing upon his downfall by being boastful and ignorant of discipline.
A similar, but somehow different and more detailed account exists in Weilüe. It states that when Zhuge Liang died, he said to Wei Yan and the others, "After I am dead, be cautious in guarding but do not return here". Wei Yan was ordered to take up Zhuge's authority and to not reveal news about Zhuge's death, and he did as he was told. When they reached the entrance of Bao, the death was announced and a funeral was held. Zhuge Liang's Chief Clerk, Yang Yi, was never in agreement with Wei Yan, and after noticing that Wei Yan was in charge of military affairs, feared that he would be harmed. So he disseminated rumours that Wei Yan was going to submit to the North and led his troops to attack him. In reality, Wei Yan had no intention to do such a thing, and so offered no resistance. Liu Song Dynasty
Liu Song Dynasty
The Liu Song Dynasty , also known as Song Dynasty , Former Song , or Southern Song , was first of the four Southern Dynasties in China, succeeding the Eastern Jin Dynasty and followed by the Southern Qi Dynasty....
compiler Pei Songzhi
Pei Songzhi
Pei Songzhi was commissioned by Emperor Wen of Liu Song to write a commentary on Chen Shou's Records of Three Kingdoms, providing additional detail omitted from the original work. His commentary, completed in 429, became integral to later editions of the Records, making the joint work three times...
, when combining this account with Chen Shou's account in the Records of Three Kingdoms, argued that the Weilües account might be derived from hearsay or spies planted in an enemy state, and might not be reliable when compared to the account Chen Shou chose from Shu's folklore.
From a neoteric article by Shanghai University history professor Zhu Ziyan, the death of Wei Yan was explained in political terms (just as tons of other academic papers). In Injustise Treatment on Wei Yan (《魏延的千古奇冤》), Zhu says "Zhuge appointed Jiang Wan, Fei Yi, and Jiang Wei to succeed him, but Wei Yan's titles, as well as contributions, were far greater than theirs. The reason Zhuge needed to isolate Wei Yan is to clear the obstacle for his appointed successors.
In fiction
In the historical novel Romance of the Three KingdomsRomance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, it is suggested that Wei Yan originally served as a mid-ranking military officer under the warlord Liu Biao
Liu Biao
Liu Biao , style name Jingsheng , was a warlord and the governor of Jing Province during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a member of the extended family of the Han Dynasty emperors...
, though this fact is historically unattested. Before the Battle of Changban
Battle of Changban
The Battle of Changban was a battle fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Liu Bei in 208 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
, Wei Yan tried to revolt against Cai Mao
Cai Mao
Cai Mao was a military general specializing in naval warfare during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He was from Xiangyang in Jing Province and originally served the warlord Liu Biao before joining Cao Cao's forces. He gained his status when his sister married Liu Biao.Cai Mao initially...
, who had already surrendered to Cao Cao, to give the city of Xiangyang to Liu Bei. Liu Bei, however, didn't want to bring chaos to Xiangyang and chose to go to Jiangling instead. Wei Yan was not able to rendezvous with Liu Bei and became a subject of Han Xuan
Han Xuan
Han Xuan was a minor warlord and the Administrator of Changsha commandery during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He served under Liu Biao, governor of Jing Province, for three years. After Liu Biao's death, the northern part of Jing Province was divided between two of Liu Biao's...
. Liu Bei later came to invade Han Xuan's city of Changsha, and Han Xuan became suspicious of his top general Huang Zhong
Huang Zhong
Huang Zhong was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was most noted for his victory in the Battle of Mount Dingjun, in which his force routed that of Xiahou Yuan, who was slain during battle...
amidst the battle and wanted to execute him. Wei Yan, outraged at Han Xuan's distrust, killed Han Xuan, rescued Huang Zhong, and surrendered the city to Liu Bei. While Zhuge Liang welcomed Huang Zhong, he ordered Wei Yan executed, saying that Wei Yan had the complexion of a traitor. Nonetheless, Liu Bei ordered Wei Yan's life to be spared and welcomed him into his forces.
Wei Yan became a valuable asset to Liu Bei's military, and he continued to serve Liu Bei's state of Shu Han well until Zhuge Liang died. At the eve of his death, Zhuge Liang predicted that Wei Yan would rebel, and so laid out a secret plan that would remove this threat after his death. Wei Yan openly rebelled with Ma Dai after Zhuge Liang died, as predicted. In one particular standoff between Wei Yan and Wang Ping, Wei Yan repeatedly shouted the challenge: "Who dares to kill me?" Unbeknownst to Wei Yan, Ma Dai was actually involved in Zhuge Liang's plan to remove Wei. Responding to Wei Yan's challenge, Ma Dai then sprung out from Wei Yan's own ranks and decapitated him.
Modern references
Wei Yan is featured as a playable character in Koei's Dynasty WarriorsDynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
and Warriors Orochi
Warriors Orochi
, is a PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 hack and slash video game developed by Koei and Omega Force. It is a crossover of two of Koei's popular video game series, Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors...
video game series. He also appears in Koei's Dynasty Tactics 2.