Ma Zhong

Historical Record

In the twenty-fourth year of Jian’an (219), Guan Yu besieged Cao Ren at Xiangyang, and Cao Cao sent Yu Jin to relieve him. After the Han River flooded, Guan Yu captured Yu Jin and a large number of troops. Sun Quan, meanwhile, seized the opportunity to take Jing Province, first ordering Lü Meng to attack Gong’an and then taking control of Jiangling. After Guan Yu retreated to Maicheng, Sun Quan’s forces sent Zhu Ran and Pan Zhang to cut off his escape route. Sima Ma Zhong, a subordinate of Pan Zhang, captured Guan Yu, his son Guan Ping, the commander Zhao Lei, and others at Zhangxiang, thereby pacifying Jing Province. Historical accounts record Ma Zhong’s role and actions in this event, but do not describe his native place, background, or subsequent career.^[1]

Another passage in the Records of the Three Kingdoms records that, when Sun Quan campaigned against Guan Yu, Pan Zhang and Zhu Ran cut off Guan Yu’s escape route and reached Linju, where they encamped at Jiashi. Sima Ma Zhong, a subordinate of Pan Zhang, captured Guan Yu, Guan Ping, Zhao Lei, and others. The historical account goes on to describe Pan Zhang’s enfeoffment, appointments, and participation in the Battle of Xiaoting, but provides no further account of Ma Zhong’s personal life.^[2] Thus, based on the historical sources available, Ma Zhong’s most clearly attested deed is his participation, as a Sima under Pan Zhang, in the capture of Guan Yu and his party.

In the Novel

Chapter 77 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms portrays Ma Zhong as a general under Pan Zhang who carries out an ambush and captures Guan Yu. The novel first has Lü Meng predict that Guan Yu will flee north from Maicheng through its north gate toward Linju, and arrange for Zhu Ran and Pan Zhang to set ambushes along separate routes. After Guan Yu breaks out, he is repeatedly intercepted, and his followers dwindle. Near Jueshi, the ambushers use long hooks and lassoing ropes to trip Guan Yu’s mount. Ma Zhong steps forward and captures Guan Yu alive, while Guan Ping is subsequently surrounded and captured. The historical accounts merely record that Ma Zhong captured Guan Yu and others; they do not describe this specific ambush, the long hooks and lassoing ropes, or the details of Guan Ping’s capture. These scenes are elaborations of the novel.^[3][4]

The novel also has Ma Zhong bring Guan Yu before Sun Quan. Sun Quan attempts to persuade him to surrender, but Guan Yu refuses to submit, and Guan Yu and his son are ultimately killed. After Guan Yu’s death, Ma Zhong takes possession of the Red Hare and presents it to Sun Quan, who then grants the horse to Ma Zhong to ride. The Red Hare refuses to eat for several days and dies. The historical materials provided contain no corresponding accounts of the surrender dialogue, the circumstances of Guan Yu and his son’s deaths, or the Red Hare.^[5][6]

In Chapter 83, Ma Zhong remains a general of Eastern Wu and becomes a target in the Shu army’s revenge narrative. He leads troops in battle against Pan Zhang and others, and shoots Huang Zhong in the shoulder. Huang Zhong dies not long after being rescued. Later, Guan Xing encounters Ma Zhong, and the two fight; Ma Zhong retreats for a time. The novel then has Mi Fang and Shi Ren, fearing that morale is wavering, sneak into Ma Zhong’s tent at night and assassinate him, cutting off his head and presenting it to Liu Bei. The episodes of Huang Zhong being shot, Guan Xing fighting Ma Zhong, and Ma Zhong being assassinated are all fictional character developments, with no record in the historical sources.^{[7][8][9][10]}

Key Relationships

• Pan Zhang: Historical accounts identify Ma Zhong as a Sima under Pan Zhang and credit him with capturing Guan Yu and the others. The novel further portrays him as a general under Pan Zhang and places the two together in the pursuit from Maicheng to Linju.^[1][4]
• Guan Yu, Guan Ping, and Zhao Lei: Historical accounts state that Ma Zhong captured Guan Yu, his son Ping, the commander Zhao Lei, and others. The novel expands this into a scene in which Guan Yu is first caught with a lasso and Guan Ping is surrounded and captured afterward.^[2][4]
• Sun Quan: The novel has Ma Zhong present the Red Hare to Sun Quan and receive it back as a gift to ride; this detail appears only in the novel.^[6]
• Huang Zhong and Guan Xing: The novel has Ma Zhong shoot and wound Huang Zhong, then fight Guan Xing, who seeks to avenge his father. These relationships and events appear only in the novel.^[7][8]
• Mi Fang and Shi Ren: The novel has the two men attack Ma Zhong at night and present his severed head. This episode appears only in the novel.^[9][10]

Signature Scenes

• Guan Yu captured at Zhangxiang: The central moment in the historical record is Sima Ma Zhong, a subordinate of Pan Zhang, capturing Guan Yu, Guan Ping, Zhao Lei, and others at Zhangxiang, bringing the conflict in Jing Province to a close.^[1]
• Ambush at Linju and capture at Jueshi: The novel first has Zhu Ran drive Guan Yu onward and Pan Zhang engage him, then has ambushers trip his horse with long hooks and lassoing ropes, allowing Ma Zhong to capture Guan Yu alive. The dramatized details of the ambush appear only in the novel.^[3][4]
• The Red Hare starves itself to death: After Guan Yu’s death, Ma Zhong presents the horse and is granted it in return, but the Red Hare refuses food for several days and dies. This episode, which heightens the novel’s themes of loyalty and righteousness, appears only in the novel.^[6]
• Assassinated in the dead of night: Against the backdrop of the Yiling campaign, Mi Fang and Shi Ren sneak into Ma Zhong’s tent, assassinate him, cut off his head, and deliver it to Shu. This concluding scene in the revenge storyline appears only in the novel.^[9][10]