Yellow Turban Rebellion
In the 14th-century historical novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Liu Yan was the governor of You Province in northern China during the events of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. He met Liu Bei, who rallied an army of volunteers to help him fight the Yellow Turban rebels. In Chen Shou's "Records of the Three Kingdoms", however, there is no record of Liu Yan assuming governorship of You Province.