In the 41st chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, when Cao Cao attacked Jingzhou to the south, Liu Bei led civilians across the river to the gates of Xiangyang but was denied entry by Cai Mao and Zhang Yun. Wei Yan, enraged by their surrender to Cao Cao, “led hundreds of men straight to the city gate, cursing Cai Mao and Zhang Yun as traitors,” killed the guards, and tried to let Liu Bei in.
At this point, Wen Biao rode out with troops to stop Wei Yan. The two sides clashed, with Wei Yan “grasping his spear and leaping onto his horse” to fight. The battle lasted from mid-morning to mid-afternoon until Wei Yan’s troops were wiped out, forcing him to flee alone.
Historical inaccuracy: No record of the duel
However this dramatic confrontation between Wei Yan and Wen Ping in Chapter 41 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms is entirely fictional. Historical sources – primarily the Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi) by Chen Shou – provide no evidence for this event.
First, Wei Yan’s background contradicts the novel’s portrayal. According to the Sanguozhi – Biography of Wei Yan, Wei Yan was a native of Yiyang and joined Liu Bei as a “buqu” (private retainer or subordinate officer) well before the fall of Jing Province.
This means he was already part of Liu Bei’s inner circle during the Xinye period and never served as a general under Liu Biao or Liu Cong. Consequently, he could not have been stationed inside Xiangyang, nor could he have “opened the city gates” to welcome Liu Bei – let alone fail to find him and flee to serve Han Xuan in Changsha.
Second, Wen Ping had neither motive nor opportunity to fight. Historically, Wen Ping was a loyal general under Liu Biao. After Liu Cong surrendered to Cao Cao without resistance, Wen Ping was so ashamed that he secluded himself and refused to appear in public.
Only after Cao Cao personally summoned him did he emerge, vowing to defend Hanchuan in memory of Liu Biao. During this period of mourning and introspection, he certainly would not have led troops to clash with a rebel like Wei Yan – and no historical text mentions any encounter between the two men.
Third, the actual passage through Xiangyang was peaceful. As recorded in the Sanguozhi – Biography of the First Sovereign (Liu Bei), when Liu Bei learned of Cao Cao’s advance, he evacuated from Fancheng and passed by Xiangyang. Liu Bei quickly organized his troops to retreat. Upon reaching the gates of Xiangyang, he called out to speak with Liu Cong who already surrendered to Cao Cao. However, Liu Cong, fearing an encounter with Liu Bei, refused to show himself. Zhuge Liang urged him to seize the city, but Liu Bei refused out of compassion for the people. Without any hesitation, Liu Bei, with his soldiers and a large number of civilians, continued to flee to Jiangling.
Why did Luo Guanzhong invent this scene?
Despite its historical implausibility, Luo Guanzhong’s invention serves multiple narrative and thematic purposes in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
- Introducing Wei Yan with Impact and Foreshadowing
This duel marks Wei Yan’s debut in the novel. By having him kill guards and attempt to open the gates for Liu Bei, Luo instantly establishes him as bold, loyal, and action-oriented. His subsequent flight to Changsha after failing to locate Liu Bei sets up his later role in the Changsha campaign – where he kills Governor Han Xuan to rescue Huang Zhong and finally joins Liu Bei. This creates a coherent character arc that justifies his eventual prominence in Shu Han.
- Reinforcing Liu Bei’s benevolent image
While Wei Yan offers a path into Xiangyang, Liu Bei refuses to enter, fearing the ensuing bloodshed would harm innocent civilians. This moment powerfully contrasts Liu Bei’s “benevolence” with Cao Cao’s ruthless pragmatism. It deepens the novel’s central moral dichotomy: the virtuous ruler versus the cunning tyrant.
- Heightening dramatic tension
Liu Bei’s retreat southward is already fraught with danger due to Cao Cao’s pursuit. The added chaos of an internal struggle at Xiangyang’s gate – depicted as a fierce duel lasting from mid-morning to early afternoon – injects urgency and emotional stakes into what might otherwise be a routine evacuation. This literary embellishment enhances pacing and reader engagement.
- Laying groundwork for future conflict
Though Wei Yan acts out of loyalty to Liu Bei, his violent betrayal of Xiangyang’s defenders – killing fellow soldiers and abandoning his post – carries ethical ambiguity. This foreshadows Zhuge Liang’s famous suspicion: upon Wei Yan’s later surrender, Zhuge Liang accuses him of “eating his master’s grain yet killing his lord; living on his land yet handing it over to others,” and famously declares he has “a traitor’s bone at the back of his skull.” The fictional gate scene thus provides behavioral justification for Zhuge Liang’s distrust, subtly linking Wei Yan’s impulsive heroism to his tragic fate decades later.
History subordinated to narrative art
Luo Guanzhong’s fabrication of the Wei Yan–Wen Ping duel exemplifies how Romance of the Three Kingdoms prioritizes moral drama, character development, and plot cohesion over historical fidelity. While scholars of the Sanguozhi recognize the episode as pure invention, readers of the novel experience it as a pivotal moment that shapes identities, deepens themes, and propels the story forward. In this blend of fact and fiction, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms achieves its enduring power – not as history, but as myth.
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