Su Yong

Historical Record

Regarding Su Yong, the official history Records of the Three Kingdoms and its related sources contain no clear record. In the verifiable historical documents, no information whatsoever about this person's life, deeds, or offices can be found. Therefore, from the standpoint of the histories, Su Yong was not a real historical figure—or at least his deeds were never recorded by the official histories. This means that all descriptions and episodes concerning Su Yong should be regarded as a product of literary creation.

In the Novel

In Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Su Yong appears as a Wei general, his image entirely a literary construction. He appears for the first and only time in Chapter 95 of the novel ^c:3057. In this chapter, Su Yong is depicted as a vanguard officer under the Wei commander Guo Huai. When Guo Huai was confronting the great Shu Han general Zhao Yun on the Jigu road, he gave Su Yong personal instructions, reminding him that Zhao Yun was brave and invincible and warning him that if the Shu army withdrew, there must be a stratagem behind it. Su Yong, however, seems not to have fully grasped the deeper meaning, instead showing an overly confident attitude. He gladly accepted the order and boasted to Guo Huai that, if the commander would lend support, he could capture Zhao Yun alive ^c:3057.

Su Yong then led a vanguard of three thousand troops and rushed into Jigu in pursuit of the Shu army. In the course of the pursuit he did indeed encounter Zhao Yun's banner. When he saw, flashing out from behind the slope, a red banner bearing the white characters "Zhao Yun," Su Yong immediately realized the danger and hastily withdrew his troops. But it was too late. Before Su Yong had retreated even a few li, shouts thundered out and a body of cavalry suddenly charged forth. At its head was the great general Zhao Yun, who, leveling his spear and spurring his horse, gave a great shout: "Do you recognize Zhao Zilong?" Faced with the sudden appearance of Zhao Yun, Su Yong was struck with terror and cried out: "How is it that Zhao Yun is here again?" ^c:3057 Caught off guard, Su Yong was stabbed off his horse and killed by Zhao Yun with a single spear thrust, and his subordinates scattered in rout. This episode of Su Yong fully displays his character of valor without strategy and reckless underestimation of the enemy, for which he ultimately paid with his life. His swift demise further sets off Zhao Yun's valor and cunning.

Key Relationships

* Guo Huai (serves): Su Yong was a subordinate general and vanguard of the Wei commander Guo Huai ^c:3057. In the novel, Guo Huai once gave Su Yong reminders and warnings, but Su Yong failed to fully grasp them, which ultimately led to his demise. This relationship reflects the chain of command between superior and subordinate, as well as Su Yong's fate of being used as a pawn by Guo Huai.
* Zhao Yun (killed by): Su Yong's life ended at the hands of Zhao Yun ^c:3057. In the pursuit battle at Jigu, Su Yong, because of his reckless underestimation of the enemy, was ambushed and stabbed to death by Zhao Yun. This relationship is a typical adversarial one in the novel and serves as a foil to Zhao Yun's valiant image.

Signature Scene

* Underestimating the enemy at Jigu and being stabbed (novel only): Su Yong's most signature scene in Romance of the Three Kingdoms is the episode in which, while pursuing the Shu army at Jigu, he underestimated Zhao Yun's valor and cunning and was ultimately ambushed and stabbed to death by Zhao Yun ^c:3057. Guo Huai had reminded him that Zhao Yun was brave and invincible and that if the Shu army withdrew there must be a stratagem, but Su Yong, relying on his own bravery, boasted that he would capture Zhao Yun alive. When he actually encountered Zhao Yun, however, he was caught off guard and stabbed off his horse by Zhao Yun with a single spear thrust. This scene not only displays Su Yong's rashness and lack of foresight but also further highlights Zhao Yun's deterrent power on the battlefield and his superb martial skill, becoming yet another instance of Zhao Yun's image as an "ever-victorious general." This episode is Su Yong's only appearance in the novel and also the end of his fate, and is therefore highly recognizable.