Ma Miao

Historical Record

Concerning this man Ma Miao, there is no clear record in the official histories such as the Records of the Three Kingdoms. His life, offices, and deeds are all unrecorded in history, and so no objective account of him can be given based on historical biographical material.

In the Novel

In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Ma Miao appears as the defending general of the city of Jiangyou for Shu Han, and his image is portrayed as that of a cowardly, idle, and incompetent official. When the Wei general Deng Ai led his army deep into Shu territory and word came that Dongchuan had fallen, Ma Miao, although somewhat prepared, focused his defenses only on the main road and relied excessively on Jiang Wei's forces garrisoning Jianmen Pass, paying insufficient attention to the military situation.^[1]

In the novel, Ma Miao's idle character is vividly displayed through the scene of him drinking wine by the brazier with his wife, Lady Li. When his wife asked about the danger on the frontier, he answered offhandedly, "The great matters are in the hands of Jiang Boyue—what concern is it of mine?"^[1] This attitude of shirking responsibility not only exposed his inaction but also foreshadowed his ultimate fate. Worse still, Ma Miao's loyalty to the Shu Han court was exceedingly low; he reckoned, "The Son of Heaven heeds Huang Hao and drowns in wine and women—I judge that calamity is not far off. When the Wei troops arrive, surrender is the best course; why need I worry?"^[1] These words utterly enraged his wife, Lady Li, who even spat in his face and rebuked him: "As a man, you first harbor a heart of disloyalty and injustice, vainly receiving the rank and emoluments of the state."^[1]

When Deng Ai led the Wei army in a sudden assault into the city of Jiangyou, Ma Miao was struck with terror and immediately went out of the city to surrender, declaring obsequiously that he "had long intended to submit," and even volunteering to recruit the city's inhabitants and his own troops to surrender together.^[1] Deng Ai accepted his surrender and appointed him as a guide officer. However, just after Ma Miao surrendered, his wife, Lady Li, unwilling to keep company with a disloyal and unjust husband, chose to hang herself. When Deng Ai learned of this, he sighed at Lady Li's virtue, personally went to offer sacrifices, and buried her with full honors. Ma Miao's image in the novel is a microcosm of the corruption and disheartenment of late Shu Han; through his contrast with his wife, the stark opposition between loyalty and betrayal is all the more highlighted.

Key Relationships

* Shu Han: Ma Miao was once the defending general of the city of Jiangyou for Shu Han, receiving the state's rank and emoluments, yet he lacked loyalty to the Shu Han court and finally chose to betray it and surrender to the Wei army.^[1] (unique to the novel)
* Cao Wei: After Deng Ai stormed into Jiangyou, Ma Miao quickly surrendered to Cao Wei and was appointed a guide officer.^[1] (unique to the novel)
* Jiang Wei: Ma Miao staked the safety of the city of Jiangyou on Jiang Wei's defense of Jianmen Pass, holding that "the great matters are in the hands of Jiang Boyue," and thereby shirking his own responsibility.^[1] (unique to the novel)
* Lady Li (Ma Miao's wife): Lady Li is one of the most important relationships in Ma Miao's life. Steadfast and unyielding, she deeply detested her husband's act of betrayal, and finally proved her resolve through death, forming a sharp contrast with Ma Miao's ignoble clinging to life.^[1] (unique to the novel)
* Deng Ai: Deng Ai was the lord to whom Ma Miao surrendered; he accepted Ma Miao's submission and expressed admiration for the loyal and righteous conduct of his wife, Lady Li.^[1] (unique to the novel)

Iconic Scenes

* Drinking by the brazier, idle and shirking: Ma Miao drank wine by the brazier with his wife, Lady Li, and faced with the danger on the frontier, he said, "The great matters are in the hands of Jiang Boyue—what concern is it of mine?" and "When the Wei troops arrive, surrender is the best course," fully showing his idleness and disloyalty.^[1] (unique to the novel) This is the most concentrated embodiment of his character.
* The wife spits in his face, and he is mute with shame: When Ma Miao expressed his intent to surrender to Wei, his wife, Lady Li, was furious, spat in his face, and rebuked him for his disloyalty and injustice, leaving Ma Miao "mute with shame."^[1] (unique to the novel) This scene profoundly reveals Ma Miao's moral degeneration and foreshadows Lady Li's subsequent tragic end.
* Hastily surrendering, begging to be taken in: When Deng Ai's troops reached the walls, Ma Miao "was greatly alarmed, hurried out to surrender, prostrated himself before the hall, and weeping declared: 'I have long intended to submit.'"^[1] This scene depicts Ma Miao's cowardice and his eager, undignified clinging to life in the face of a powerful enemy.
* The lady hangs herself, and Deng Ai offers sacrifice: After Ma Miao surrendered, his wife, Lady Li, unwilling to be of the same stripe as her husband, hanged herself. When Deng Ai heard of it, moved by her virtue, he personally went to offer sacrifices and buried her with full rites.^[1] (unique to the novel) This event not only highlights Lady Li's loyalty but also indirectly sets off Ma Miao's shamelessness, becoming a poignant classic episode in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.