| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 杨氏 |
| Nickname | Yangshi (杨氏); first wife of Ma Chao |
| Other name | Dương thị (vợ Mã Siêu) |
| Courtesy name | Yangshi (杨氏) |
| INFORMATION | |
| Born | c. 182 AD |
| Birth Place | Fufeng, Liangzhou (Shaanxi) |
| Died | 213 AD |
| Death Reason | Killed with her children following the Jicheng uprising |
| FAMILY | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | |
| Relatives | |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Ma Chao faction / Liang Province |
| Battles | Not a combatant. Victim of the Jicheng uprising. |
Lady Yang (Dương thị – 杨氏, d. 213 AD) was the first recorded wife of the legendary Liangzhou warlord Ma Chao (Mã Siêu / Khởi Phong), celebrated in Records of the Three Kingdoms and Romance of the Three Kingdoms for her tragic fortitude during the brutal wars of the northwestern frontier.
Following Ma Chao’s defeat at Tong Pass and his subsequent siege and occupation of Jicheng (Ký Thành) in 213 AD, Lady Yang accompanied her husband inside the city, enduring extreme deprivations alongside the garrison. When local officials Yang Fu, Jiang Xu, and Liang Kuan orchestrated a coordinated uprising to avenge Inspector Wei Kang, Ma Chao was lured outside the city gates. The conspirators seized control of Jicheng, locked the gates, and publicly butchered Lady Yang and her young children atop the ramparts to shatter Ma Chao’s morale—a horrific tragedy that severed Ma Chao’s roots in Liangzhou and drove him into exile toward Hanzhong.
In Historical Records & Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms — Chapter 64
“When Ma Chao returned to Jicheng, Liang Kuan and Zhao Qu climbed the city walls, cursing: ‘Traitorous rebel, your wife and sons are already slain!’ They tossed Lady Yang’s decapitated head down from the ramparts before Ma Chao’s eyes, alongside the corpses of his three sons. Ma Chao was so overcome with agony and rage that he nearly fell from his saddle.”
Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi) — Biography of Ma Chao
“Yang Fu, Zhao Ang, and Jiang Xu closed the gates of Jicheng and put Ma Chao’s wife and children to death. Chao wept in utter despair and fled south to Zhang Lu in Hanzhong.”
Historical Chronology
Born into a prominent Liangzhou family; marries Ma Chao in Fufeng.
Accompanies Ma Chao during the Battle of Tong Pass against Cao Cao.
Resides in Jicheng during Ma Chao’s rule as General Who Conquers the West.
Slain with her children when Yang Fu and Liang Kuan rebel, ending Ma Chao’s northwestern campaign.
Key Relationships
Family
Friends / Allies
- Allies and confederates of the Ma Chao faction / Liang Province.
Enemies / Rivals
- Hostile factions opposing the Ma Chao faction / Liang Province.
Other
- Recorded in contemporary imperial archives and classical annals.
In Historical Records & Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms — Chapter 64
"When Ma Chao returned to Jicheng, Liang Kuan and Zhao Qu climbed the city walls, cursing: 'Traitorous rebel, your wife and sons are already slain!' They tossed Lady Yang's decapitated head down from the ramparts before Ma Chao's eyes, alongside the corpses of his three sons. Ma Chao was so overcome with agony and rage that he nearly fell from his saddle."
Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi) — Biography of Ma Chao
"Yang Fu, Zhao Ang, and Jiang Xu closed the gates of Jicheng and put Ma Chao's wife and children to death. Chao wept in utter despair and fled south to Zhang Lu in Hanzhong."
In History
Summary
- The first wife of Ma Chao whose brutal execution alongside her children at Jicheng marked the tragic end of Ma Chao's independent dominion in Liangzhou.
Historical Record
- Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi), Volume 36: Biography of Ma Chao.
- Records of the Three Kingdoms, Volume 25: Biography of Yang Fu.
- Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 66 (Jian'an 18).
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