Ma Su
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Missing image Ma_Su_Portrait.jpg Portrait of Ma Su from a Qing Dynasty edition of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms | |
| Names | |
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| Simplified Chinese: | 马谡 |
| Traditional Chinese: | 馬謖 |
| Pinyin: | Mǎ Sù |
| Wade-Giles: | Ma Su |
| Zi: | Youchang (幼常) |
Ma Su (190 – 228) was a military strategist under the Kingdom of Shu during the Three Kingdoms Period in ancient China. A younger brother of Ma Liang, Ma Su had extraodinary talents in military stratagems and was favored by the Prime Minister of Shu, Zhuge Liang. However, a tactical blunder by Ma Su at Jieting resulted in a huge defeat by Zhang He, a general of the Kingdom of Wei.
Much dramatization shrouds the death of Ma Su. In the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms as well as the Peking Opera Loss of Jieting, Ma Su was said to have been beheaded at the order of Zhuge Liang. However, according to biographies of Ma Su and his close friend Xiang Lang (向朗) in the Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms, Ma Su had actually attempted to escape after the defeat at Jieting but was captured. He eventually died of sickness in jail before the ordered execution could be carried out.
Life
A local of Yicheng (宜城), Ma Su was one of the five brothers in the family, all of whom were renowned for their intellects, though Ma Su's elder brother Ma Liang was deemed to be the most talented among them. Together with Ma Liang, Ma Su began his service under Liu Bei at around 205, while the later founder of the Kingdom of Shu was still a guest of Liu Biao in Jingzhou.
Since the start, Liu Bei's chief advisor Zhuge Liang had been impressed by Ma Su's expansive knowledge in military stratagems. Before Liu Bei died in 223, he warned Zhuge Liang that Ma Su was not as talented as he seemed and should not be given important appointments. However, Zhuge Liang did not heed the warning. He made Ma Su a personal military consultant. The two would often hold discussions from day to night.
In 228, Zhuge Liang launched his Northern Expeditions against the Kingdom of Wei. Many suggested appointing either Wei Yan or Wu Yi (吴壹) as the vanguard commander but Zhuge Liang chose Ma Su instead.
Ma Su's force encountered that of Zhang He at Jieting. Zhang He seized a tactical blunder by Ma Su to camp on top of a hill and cut off the enemy's water supply. The parched soldiers of Shu were easily defeated when Zhang He launched an offensive. Though he survived the battle, Ma Su feared punishment and attempted to flee. However, he was soon captured and sentenced to death by Zhuge Liang. Ma Su eventually died of sickness in jail before the execution could be carried out.