Zhao Yan

Historical Record

Zhao Yan, styled Boran, was a native of Yangzhai in Yingchuan. In the early years of Jian'an, to escape the chaos of war, he moved to Jing Province and lived together with Du Xi, Fan Qin, and others, sharing their property in common and treating one another as family. When Cao Cao welcomed Emperor Xian of the Han and moved the capital to Xu county, Zhao Yan told Fan Qin that Cao Cao had arisen in answer to the mandate of Heaven and would surely be able to set the realm aright, and resolved to give him his allegiance^[1].

In the second year of Jian'an (197 CE), Zhao Yan, then twenty-seven, brought the old and weak to join Cao Cao and was appointed Chief of Langling. At the time the local strongmen of Langling county ran riot and none dared restrain them. After taking office, Zhao Yan arrested and interrogated the worst of them, all condemned to death; but he did not execute them at once, instead reporting to the prefecture and requesting their release. By this his prestige and his benevolence stood side by side, and he won the hearts of the people^[1].

When Yuan Shao raised troops to invade Yu Province in the south, he sent envoys to induce the various commanderies of Yu Province to surrender, and most accepted Yuan Shao's commands. Only Yangan commandery did not stir, yet its Commandant Li Tong was eager to collect the household levy. When Zhao Yan saw Li Tong, he remonstrated: "Now the realm is not yet settled, and the various commanderies are defecting one after another; yet we are collecting silk and cloth from those who have submitted. This will breed resentment among the people and easily give rise to unrest. Moreover, with troubles many far and near, we cannot but be prudent." Li Tong held that, with Cao Cao and Yuan Shao locked in tense confrontation, if the silk and cloth were not submitted on time he might be suspected of fence-sitting. Zhao Yan understood Li Tong's misgivings but advised deferring the levy, and on his own initiative wrote to Xun Yu, setting forth the plight of Yangan commandery, pointing out that its position was strategic and its people loyal, and that exempting the silk and cloth would help stabilize the region. Xun Yu adopted his advice and, after reporting to Cao Cao, Cao Cao ordered all the silk and cloth already collected returned to the people, so that high and low in Yangan commandery rejoiced and the situation was settled^[1].

Later, Zhao Yan was put in charge of escorting twelve hundred soldiers to Hanzhong to reinforce its defense. As these soldiers set out, parting from their families, all wore looks of grief. One day after their departure, Zhao Yan, fearing some upheaval, personally pursued them to the mouth of Xiegu, comforting each man and repeatedly admonishing them. When he turned back and lodged at the home of the Inspector of Yong Province, Zhang Ji, he learned that the troops had indeed mutinied after marching forty li. Zhao Yan had with him only a hundred and fifty foot and horse, most of whom belonged to the same units as the mutinous soldiers or were connected by marriage; on hearing the news they were all alarmed and uneasy, donning armor and taking up arms, scarcely able to keep their composure. Zhang Ji and the others urged Zhao Yan to hold off and wait until the situation became clear. But Zhao Yan firmly held that, even if his own camp were in collusion with the mutineers, he should seize the moment of their hesitation to pacify them in time. He resolutely set off, halted thirty li away, gathered his followers, and laid out the advantages and dangers, and all declared themselves willing to follow him to the death. After Zhao Yan reached the mutineers' camp, he gathered and sifted out more than eight hundred of the ringleaders who had plotted the mutiny and dealt with them, troubling none of the rest. The mutineers seized by the commanderies and counties, Zhao Yan also released entirely, so that they came over in droves. Zhao Yan secretly reported to Cao Cao, advising that generals be sent to lead veteran troops to guard Guanzhong. Cao Cao sent the general Liu Zhu with two thousand men, but the matter leaked out, causing great alarm among the soldiers of every camp. Zhao Yan told the generals that the veteran troops were too few and the eastern troops had not arrived, and that if matters were left to run their course great upheaval might result. He thereupon announced that he would select a thousand of the gentlest new recruits to guard Guanzhong and send all the rest back east. He personally examined the rolls and swiftly completed the sifting. The soldiers retained were settled in mind and of one heart with Zhao Yan, while those sent back dared not act rashly. Zhao Yan sent them all back within a single day and used the thousand retained men, distributed in various places, for defense. Before long the eastern reinforcements arrived, and Zhao Yan again counseled those who had been sent back, mustered a thousand men to return east together with them, and in all preserved more than twenty thousand persons^[2].

When Guan Yu besieged the General Who Conquers the South, Cao Ren, at Fancheng, Zhao Yan, in the capacity of court gentleman for consultation, assisted in Cao Ren's military affairs and went together with the General Who Suppresses Bandits, Xu Huang, to the rescue. At the time Guan Yu's siege was very tight, the reinforcements had not arrived, and Xu Huang's forces were insufficient to break the siege, so the generals all pressed Xu Huang to rescue quickly. Zhao Yan analyzed for the generals: "Now the enemy's siege is firm and the floodwaters still high. Our forces are thin, and Cao Ren is cut off in the siege, hard to act in concert with; to force the siege now would only wear out both within and without. Better to press close to the enemy's lines, send spies to make contact with Cao Ren so that he knows reinforcements have arrived, and thus raise his spirits. The northern army should arrive within ten days, and Cao Ren can still hold out. Then, striking from within and without, we shall surely crush the enemy. If there be any blame for delaying the rescue, I will bear it all myself." The generals were all glad, and forthwith they dug tunnels and shot letters by arrow to make contact with Cao Ren, the messages passing back and forth several times. When the northern army arrived, the two armies joined forces and badly defeated Guan Yu. After Guan Yu's retreat, his boats still held the Mian River and the communications of Xiangyang were obstructed. At this point Sun Quan made a surprise attack and seized Guan Yu's baggage; on hearing of it, Guan Yu at once withdrew south. Cao Ren gathered the generals to confer, and all held that they should pursue Guan Yu in his straits and capture him. But Zhao Yan said: "Sun Quan joined Guan Yu in attacking Cao Ren, but in truth he meant to seize the chance to take Guan Yu's rear. He fears that, once Guan Yu turns back to relieve it, our army would profit from their mutual exhaustion, and so he feigns a request for peace while in truth biding his time. Now Guan Yu is already an isolated force; better to keep him as a bane to Sun Quan. If our army pursues deep, Sun Quan will turn instead against us, and trouble may follow. The King of Wei will surely consider this point deeply." Cao Ren thereupon stood down his battle preparations. When Cao Cao learned that Guan Yu had fled, fearing that the generals would pursue, he indeed urgently ordered Cao Ren — his decision in complete accord with Zhao Yan's analysis^[3].

In the Novel

*Romance of the Three Kingdoms* does not give Zhao Yan an independent and detailed literary treatment; his deeds largely accord with the historical record, with no marked deviation or added novel-only episodes. Thus, in the novel, Zhao Yan's image is reflected chiefly in his identity as a Cao Wei strategist and general, his character of firm resolve and measure and his precise foresight, as well as his ability to settle the army's morale, all consistent with the histories. For instance, in the Battle of Fancheng, Zhao Yan's strategy of remonstrating with Cao Ren not to pursue Guan Yu is also reflected in the novel, no different from the historical record^[3].

Key Relationships

* Li Tong (friend_of): Zhao Yan became acquainted with Li Tong through handling the affairs of Langling county. When Li Tong's wife's uncle broke the law and was condemned to death by Zhao Yan, Li Tong's wife and children wept and pleaded, but Li Tong declared, "I am joining my strength to the Duke of Cao's; in righteousness I will not let private feeling override public duty," commending Zhao Yan's impartial enforcement of the law, and so became his close friend^[4].
* Du Xi (friend_of): During his refuge in Jing Province, Zhao Yan shared property and plans with Du Xi, Fan Qin, and others, forming a single household — clearly a close relationship^[1].
* Fan Qin (friend_of): Like Du Xi, Fan Qin lived together with Zhao Yan during their refuge in Jing Province, in close relationship^[1].
* Cao Wei (serves): Zhao Yan was an important strategist and official of Cao Wei; from the time he joined Cao Cao in the second year of Jian'an, he held in succession the posts of Chief of Langling, court gentleman for consultation, and others, making important contributions to Cao Wei's stability and development^[1].
* Guan Yu (fights_in): In the Battle of Fancheng, Zhao Yan, as court gentleman for consultation, assisted in Cao Ren's military affairs and went together with Xu Huang to relieve Cao Ren, who was besieged by Guan Yu, finally repelling Guan Yu^[3].
* Xun Yu (colleague_of): Zhao Yan once wrote to Xun Yu requesting the exemption of Yangan commandery's silk-and-cloth levy; Xun Yu adopted his advice and reported it to Cao Cao, bringing about the settling of Yangan commandery^[1].
* Cao Ren (colleague_of): In the Battle of Fancheng, Zhao Yan, as court gentleman for consultation, assisted in Cao Ren's military affairs, offering him counsel in jointly resisting Guan Yu^[3].
* Xu Huang (colleague_of): Zhao Yan went together with Xu Huang to relieve Cao Ren at Fancheng, jointly taking part in the campaign that repelled Guan Yu^[3].

Signature Scenes

* Governing the strongmen of Langling, prestige and benevolence both manifest: When Zhao Yan first took office as Chief of Langling, faced with strongmen running riot in the county, he resolutely arrested them and condemned them to death, yet reported to the prefecture and requested their release — an act that both established his authority and made manifest his benevolence, so that Langling county was settled^[1].
* Exempting the levy of Yangan commandery and settling the people's hearts: At the time of Yuan Shao's southern invasion and the unrest of Yu Province's commanderies, Zhao Yan remonstrated with Li Tong to defer the silk-and-cloth levy and wrote to Xun Yu, successfully securing a tax exemption for the people of Yangan commandery and stabilizing the people's hearts, displaying his precise foresight and his ability to settle the army's morale^[1].
* Quelling the mutiny at the mouth of Xiegu, turning the tide: On the way escorting the Hanzhong reinforcements, the troops mutinied. Heedless of his own safety, Zhao Yan went deep into the mutinous area and, through pacification and sifting, successfully quelled the mutiny and preserved more than twenty thousand persons, displaying his firm resolve and measure and his skill in settling the army's morale^[2].
* Breaking the siege of Fancheng and outwitting Guan Yu: When Guan Yu besieged Fancheng, Zhao Yan proposed the strategy of first pressing close to the enemy's lines, making contact with Cao Ren, and striking from within and without after the northern army arrived, successfully repelling Guan Yu. After Guan Yu's retreat, he again remonstrated with Cao Ren not to pursue, "keeping him as a bane," thereby avoiding direct conflict between Cao Wei and Sun Quan and displaying his far-reaching strategic vision^[3].
* Befriending Li Tong, enforcing the law impartially: When Li Tong's wife's uncle broke the law, Zhao Yan enforced the law impartially and condemned him to death. Far from resenting this, Li Tong commended Zhao Yan's fairness and so became his close friend, embodying Zhao Yan's upright integrity^[4].