Yan Yan

Historical Record

Yan Yan, Grand Administrator of Ba Commandery, was an important general of Liu Zhang's faction. During Liu Bei's entry into Shu and his attack on Liu Zhang, Yan Yan was responsible for garrisoning Jiangzhou. In 214 CE, Liu Bei dispatched Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang, and others to advance upstream, taking and settling the commanderies and counties. When Zhang Fei's army reached Jiangzhou, Yan Yan led his troops in resistance, but was finally captured alive by Zhang Fei ^c:6954.

After capturing Yan Yan, Zhang Fei rebuked him: "A great army has arrived—why do you not surrender, but dare to resist?" Facing Zhang Fei's challenge, Yan Yan showed not the slightest fear and declared boldly: "You men without manners have invaded and plundered my province! My province has only generals who would lose their heads, no generals who would surrender!" Enraged at these words, Zhang Fei ordered his attendants to drag Yan Yan out and behead him. Yet Yan Yan, his expression still unchanged, calmly said: "If you would cut off my head, then cut it off—why be angry!" Seeing Yan Yan so heroic, Zhang Fei was instead won over by his spirit, and so released him and treated him as an honored guest ^c:6954.

The Huayang Guozhi records that when Liu Bei first entered Shu, Yan Yan, clutching his chest, sighed: "This is truly what is called sitting alone in a barren mountain, releasing a tiger to guard oneself!" ^c:6954 These words show Yan Yan's deep anxiety and dissatisfaction with Liu Zhang's decision to bring Liu Bei into Shu. After Yan Yan was released by Zhang Fei, his subsequent deeds are little recorded in the histories, but it may be inferred that he in the end submitted to Liu Bei's faction.

In the Novel

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Yan Yan's image is further enriched and heroized. As Grand Administrator of Ba Commandery, he is portrayed as a renowned general of Shu—aged yet undiminished in vigor, skilled with the strong bow and great blade, possessing the valor of ten thousand men ^c:4479. When Liu Zhang invited Liu Bei into Shu, Yan Yan foresaw the crisis and sighed, "This is what is called sitting alone in a barren mountain, drawing in a tiger to guard oneself!"—in accord with the historical record ^c:42.

When Zhang Fei led troops to attack Ba Commandery, Yan Yan adopted a strategy of holding firm and not coming out, hoping through delaying tactics to exhaust Zhang Fei's provisions and, exploiting Zhang Fei's hot temper, to strike when his army's morale was unsteady ^c:42. When Zhang Fei sent men into the city to urge surrender, Yan Yan not only refused but cut off the envoy's ears and nose to show his resolve ^c:42.

To lure Zhang Fei, Yan Yan laid an ambush ruse. He pretended to let a scout report back to Zhang Fei that he would slip away by a side road, but in fact lay in ambush on that side road, ready to intercept Zhang Fei's grain and baggage train. However, Zhang Fei saw through Yan Yan's scheme and turned it against him, sending a false Zhang Fei ahead as a lure while the real Zhang Fei lay in wait behind. When Yan Yan led troops out to seize the baggage, he was ambushed by Zhang Fei and captured alive after a single bout ^c:6945.

After his capture, facing Zhang Fei's angry rebuke, Yan Yan still displayed the heroic spirit of one who would rather die than yield, crying out the bold words "There are only generals who lose their heads! No generals who surrender!" ^c:6947. Zhang Fei, moved by Yan Yan's loyalty and integrity, turned his anger to delight, personally untied Yan Yan, bowed to him, and asked his counsel on the plan to enter Shu ^c:6947. Moved by his kindness and righteousness, Yan Yan submitted and offered of his own accord to serve as vanguard, using his connections and prestige in Shu to persuade the passes and strongholds along the way to surrender, so that Zhang Fei's army advanced unobstructed and reached Luocheng without bloodshed ^c:43.

Later, in the Hanzhong Campaign, Yan Yan paired with the veteran general Huang Zhong to resist the Cao Wei general Zhang He together. Zhuge Liang at first doubted the ability of the two veterans, but Yan Yan and Huang Zhong rendered outstanding service. Through clever coordination, they first defeated Zhang He, and later, in the Battle of Tiandang Mountain, Yan Yan and Huang Zhong acted separately, with Yan Yan responsible for setting fire to and burning the Cao army's provisions and beheading Xiahou De, rendering great service in Liu Bei's seizure of Hanzhong ^c:45. After Liu Bei pacified Yi Province, Yan Yan was enfeoffed as General of the Van ^c:4481.

Key Relationships

* Liu Zhang's faction: Yan Yan was once an important general under Liu Zhang, loyal and steadfast, defending Ba Commandery to the death ^c:6954.
* Liu Zhang: Yan Yan was deeply anxious about Liu Zhang's decision to invite the wolf into the house, regarding it as "sitting alone in a barren mountain, releasing a tiger to guard oneself" ^c:6954.
* Zhang Fei: The turning point of Yan Yan's fate. The two went from adversaries on the battlefield to mutual respect, as Zhang Fei was won over by Yan Yan's integrity; in the end they became allies who esteemed each other. After being released by Zhang Fei, Yan Yan actively helped him enter Shu and became an important member of Liu Bei's faction ^c:6947.
* Liu Bei's faction: After submitting, Yan Yan became a general of Liu Bei's faction and took part in the Hanzhong Campaign, contributing to the establishment and consolidation of Liu Bei's regime ^c:4481.
* Huang Zhong: In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Yan Yan and Huang Zhong, two veteran generals, paired up to render outstanding service together in the Hanzhong Campaign, displaying the heroic image of vigor in old age ^c:70.

Iconic Scenes

* Refusing surrender at Jiangzhou, choosing death over yielding: After being captured alive by Zhang Fei, Yan Yan, facing Zhang Fei's rebuke, declared boldly, "My province has only generals who lose their heads, no generals who surrender," displaying his unbending heroic spirit. This scene is not only a high point of Yan Yan's personal image but also brought about Zhang Fei's respect and his release ^c:6954.
* The sigh of "sitting alone in a barren mountain, releasing a tiger to guard oneself": When Liu Bei entered Shu, Yan Yan foresaw the consequences of Liu Zhang's inviting the wolf into the house and uttered this sigh, reflecting his foresight and clear understanding of the situation ^c:6954.
* Zhang Fei unties him, Yan Yan submits: Moved by Yan Yan's loyalty and righteousness, Zhang Fei personally untied him and bowed to ask his counsel. Yan Yan, moved by this kindness, thereupon submitted; this scene displays the mutual appreciation of hero for hero and laid the foundation for Yan Yan's subsequent help in Zhang Fei's entry into Shu ^c:6947 (novel only).
* Persuading the passes along the way to surrender: After submitting, Yan Yan volunteered to serve as vanguard, using his influence to persuade the garrisons along the way to surrender, so that Zhang Fei advanced without bloodshed and greatly accelerated Liu Bei's seizure of Yi Province ^c:43 (novel only).
* Beheading Xiahou De at Tiandang Mountain: In the Hanzhong Campaign, Yan Yan coordinated with Huang Zhong; Yan Yan was responsible for setting fire to and burning the Cao army's provisions at Tiandang Mountain and beheading Xiahou De, rendering military service in Liu Bei's seizure of Hanzhong ^c:45 (novel only).