Historical Record
Yan Yu was a general of Shu Han in its later period. His life and deeds are little recorded in the histories, but it can be verified that he once held the post of General of the Right. In the second year of the Taiping era (257 CE), the Wu general Sun Chen held power, and many ministers at court harbored misgivings. The Grand Marshal Shi Ji (originally named Sun Ji), fearing that turmoil would break out in Wu and that the central states would seize the chance to invade, secretly wrote to form an alliance with Shu Han, seeking jointly to meet the possible threat of annexation. Against this background, Shu Han dispatched the General of the Right Yan Yu to lead five thousand troops to reinforce the defense of Baidicheng and await Shi Ji's further orders c:6561. At the beginning of the Yongan era, Shi Ji was promoted to Senior Grand General and Commander-Protector, in charge of the defenses from Baqiu to Xiling. In the first year of the Yuanxing era, Shi Ji was further appointed Grand Marshal of the Left. These records indicate that Yan Yu played a concrete role in the military cooperation between Shu Han and Wu, charged with carrying out important military deployments; although his personal achievements are not elaborated in the histories, his post of General of the Right and his reinforcement of Baidicheng both show his certain standing within the Shu Han military system.
In the Novel
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Yan Yu is cast as an official who attached himself to the powerful and received office without merit. The novel describes how the Later Ruler Liu Shan, indulging in wine and women and heeding the slanders of the eunuch Huang Hao, neglected state affairs, so that worthy ministers gradually withdrew and base men advanced by the day c:3990. It was against this background that Yan Yu, by fawning upon Huang Hao, obtained high rank, even though he was "without the slightest merit" c:3990. When Jiang Wei led troops in battle against the Wei army at Mount Qi, Yan Yu spoke to Huang Hao, claiming that Jiang Wei had fought repeatedly without success and suggesting that he himself replace Jiang Wei's command. Huang Hao thereupon slandered Jiang Wei before the Later Ruler, who believed Huang Hao's advice and sent an envoy with an edict to recall Jiang Wei. Jiang Wei, then assaulting the stockades at Mount Qi, received three edicts in a single day and had no choice but to obey and withdraw his army. Jiang Wei first ordered the Taoyang troops to retreat, then withdrew slowly with Zhang Yi. Deng Ai, in the Wei camp, heard the Shu troops sounding drums and horns all night without understanding why, and only at dawn learned that the Shu troops had all withdrawn, leaving an empty camp behind. Deng Ai, suspecting a trick, dared not give chase c:3990. This episode in the novel casts Yan Yu as one who rose by improper means and obstructed the normal military operations of frontline commanders, forming a sharp contrast with the relatively neutral record in the histories and highlighting his opportunism in political strife.
Key Relationships
* Shu Han: Yan Yu was a general of Shu Han who once held the post of General of the Right c:6561. In both history and the novel he served the Shu Han regime. In history, he was ordered to reinforce Baidicheng and took part in the military cooperation between Shu Han and Wu c:6561. In the novel, he is depicted as a product of the political corruption of Shu Han's later period, obtaining high office by attaching himself to the eunuch Huang Hao c:3990.
* Huang Hao: This is Yan Yu's key relationship in Romance of the Three Kingdoms (novel-only). The novel states plainly that Yan Yu "obtained high rank only by fawning upon Huang Hao" c:3990. Through Huang Hao he slandered Jiang Wei before the Later Ruler and succeeded in recalling Jiang Wei from the front, attempting to take his place. This relationship reveals Yan Yu's character in the novel: rising by attaching himself to the powerful rather than by his own ability.
* Jiang Wei: In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Jiang Wei is Yan Yu's direct victim (novel-only). Yan Yu's words to Huang Hao led to Jiang Wei being recalled from the front at Mount Qi, interrupting his military operations c:3990. This reflects Yan Yu's envy of Jiang Wei's military talent and his pursuit of power.
* Shi Ji (Sun Ji): In history, Yan Yu had an indirect relationship of military cooperation with Shi Ji. Shi Ji, fearing turmoil in Wu, secretly contacted Shu Han, and Yan Yu was ordered to lead troops to reinforce Baidicheng in response to Shi Ji's further orders c:6561. This shows that Yan Yu played the role of an executor in the strategic alliance between Shu Han and Wu.
Iconic Scenes
* Reinforcing Baidicheng: In history, Yan Yu's clearest record is that in the second year of the Taiping era (257 CE), he was ordered by Shu Han to lead five thousand troops to reinforce the defense of Baidicheng, in coordination with the strategic deployment of the Wu Grand Marshal Shi Ji c:6561. This scene shows that Yan Yu, as a general, played a part in an important military operation of Shu Han's later period; though the specifics are not detailed in the histories, the strategic significance of his participation should not be overlooked.
* Slandering to recall Jiang Wei: In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Yan Yu's most iconic scene is his slander to the eunuch Huang Hao, suggesting that he himself replace Jiang Wei's frontline command. This act led directly to Jiang Wei being recalled from the front at Mount Qi by the Later Ruler Liu Shan c:3990 (novel-only). This scene not only displays Yan Yu's grasping for power by improper means but also profoundly reflects the corrupt politics of Shu Han's later period, in which worthy ministers were pushed aside. Jiang Wei was thereby forced to withdraw his army, disrupting the original military deployment and indirectly laying the groundwork for the later conquest of Shu by Wei.
* Obtaining high rank by fawning upon Huang Hao: The novel states plainly that Yan Yu was "without the slightest merit; he obtained high rank only by fawning upon Huang Hao" c:3990 (novel-only). Though not a concrete scene, this description sums up Yan Yu's core image and the starting point of his political career in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, setting the stage for his subsequent conduct. It marks Yan Yu as a typical example, in the novel, of one who obtained high office by attaching himself to powerful ministers rather than by his own military merit.
Relationships
1 relationships
Lord & vassal1
Chapters2 回 ▸
- 史ch.56
- 演ch.115
Relationship timeline1 条 ▸
演 ch.115
- Huang Hao§10
serves
阿附黄皓得重爵；黄皓奏请以其代姜维
Inner monologues · AI-generated1 段 ▸
- I was ordered to lead five thousand troops to reinforce the defense of Baidi and await further orders from Lu Ji. The nu