Li Yan (Three Kingdoms)

When Yong Kai, a local leader in the Nanzhong region, started a rebellion and declared independence from Shu rule, Li Yan tried to tap into his personal influence to dissuade Yong Kai from doing so, by writing a total of six letters to him, but to no avail. Gao Ding and Meng Huo also fanned the uprising and the campaign became a major revolution, which prompted Zhuge Liang to retaliate with military force.

After his successful southern subjugation and repair of the Wu–Shu alliance, Zhuge Liang, utilising his huge bureaucratic power and influence, carried out a series of human resource rearrangement. After prescribing several officers as palace attendants for the young emperor, Zhuge Liang continued to spend considerable effort in strengthening ties with Wu. Chen Zhen (Three Kingdoms), a close associate of Zhuge Liang, was selected to be the ambassador to congratulate Sun Quan's enthronement in 229. Before his departure, Chen Zhen told Zhuge Liang that "Li Yan has scales in his stomach"[4] but Zhuge Liang replied that he would rather praise Li Yan than to attack him because the situation had not been settled. Around 226, Zhuge Liang attempted to replace Wei Yan, the area commander of Hanzhong assigned by Liu Bei, with Li Yan. Li Yan was the acting area commander of the eastern front at the time, so such a move transferred him form the east to the north without technically changing his rank; however, Li Yan did not perceive it thus. On the other hand, Li Yan suggested Zhuge Liang to create a new province, Ba Province, with five commanderies and recommended himself to be the Inspector of this new Ba Province. Zhuge Liang did not agree to Li Yan's suggestion. In the following years, Li Yan and Zhuge Liang shared a competitive, yet cooperative relationship. Li Yan once sent a letter to Zhuge Liang, stating the latter should receive the nine bestowments and become a vassal king of the Shu regime; Zhuge Liang replied that he would do so only after Shu had vanquished its rival state, Wei.[5]

In August 230, the Wei general Cao Zhen launched a punitive campaign against Shu as a form of retaliation against Zhuge Liang's previous attacks. Zhuge Liang urged Li Yan to lead 20,000 troops to Hanzhong Commandery to defend against the Wei invasion. However, Li Yan did not want to leave his home base and serve under Zhuge Liang, so he told the latter that he should have the right to open an office (just like Zhuge Liang) as a co-regent. Zhuge Liang denied Li Yan's request, but appeased him by allowing his son, Li Feng, to replace him if he did come to Hanzhong Commandery.[6] Li Yan finally went to Hanzhong Commandery under persuasion and pressure from Zhuge Liang.

After the Wei attack stalled due to continuous rainfall, Li Yan was not permitted to go back to the east; instead, Zhuge Liang included Li Yan as a member of his cabinet, granting the latter access to the Imperial Chancellor's office to help prepare for future campaigns against Wei. Thus, Li Yan changed his name to "Li Ping", compromised on Zhuge Liang's war plan, and accepted the role of a logistic officer for Zhuge Liang's fourth northern expedition.

As the fourth expedition dragged on for months, Zhuge Liang and the Wei general Sima Yi had been having a series of battles around Mount Qi, and both sides needed backup supplies. However, rainfall rendered the transportation lines impassable, and Li Yan failed to provide supplies to Zhuge Liang's camp. Instead of informing Liu Shan of the situation, Li Yan attempted to cover up his failure. Li Yan sent a letter to Zhuge Liang, informing the commander of the logistic problem, and asked the latter to return. When Zhuge Liang got back to Hanzhong Commandery, Li Yan told him that the food supply was ready and asked him why he retreated. At the same time, Li Yan sent Liu Shan a memo which says "the army feigned retreat in order to lure the enemy to do battle", hoping that Zhuge Liang would resume the war so his failure to transport supplies would go unnoticed.

However, Zhuge Liang absolved himself from the campaign, and returned to Chengdu to deal with Li Yan. On the way back to Chengdu from Hanzhong Commandery, Zhuge Liang did not reprimand Li Yan, but he secretly preserved Li Yan's letter. When the returning officers greeted the emperor at the imperial palace, Zhuge Liang showed Li Yan's handwritten letter to Liu Shan, so Li Yan could not deny his fault. Then, Zhuge Liang asked Liu Shan to strip Li Yan off all of his titles and official posts and exile him to Zitong Commandery. There, Li Yan lived the rest of his life as a civilian until he heard the news of Zhuge Liang's death in 234, after which he became ill and died.