Ma Su
Ma Su (190–228), courtesy name Youchang, was a military general and strategist of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period of China. Ma Su had conspicuous talent in military theories and was admired by the Shu chancellor Zhuge Liang. However, a tactical blunder by Ma Su at the Battle of Jieting resulted in Shu being dealt a huge defeat by Zhang He, a general of the rival state of Wei. He was a younger brother of Ma Liang. Much dramatisation shrouds the death of Ma Su. According to his biography in the "Records of the  Three Kingdoms" along with Pei Songzhi "Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms" and Xi Zuochi's comment, Ma Su was executed on Zhuge Liang's order. Most of the cultural's depictions follow this version such as the historical novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" as well as the Peking opera "Loss of Jieting". However, in the biography of Ma Su's close friend Xiang Lang, Ma Su was said to actually attempt to escape after his defeat at Jieting, but was captured, and he may have eventually died of illness in prison before the ordered execution could be  carried out. Early life. A local of Yicheng, Xiangyang (present-day Yicheng, Hubei), Ma Su was one of the five brothers in the family, all of whom were renowned for their intellects and commonly known as the "Five Changs" as their style names all contained "Chang". Though Ma Su's elder brother Ma Liang was deemed to be the most talented among them all. Together with Ma Liang, Ma Su began his service under Liu Bei around 205, when Liu Bei was still a guest of Liu Biao in Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan). In 214, when  Liu Bei started his campaign against Liu Zhang into Yi Province, Ma Su followed him with the army and served as a military advisor along with Pang Tong and Fa Zheng. To reward him for his help during the campaign; Liu Bei after his victory named him not only as the Prefect of Mianzhu, but also Chengdu the capital of the recently conquered province. Since the start, Ma Su had talent and ability that surpassed others and enjoyed discussing planning and strategy. Liu Bei's chief advisor Zhuge Liang had been impressed by Ma Su's expansive knowledge in military  strategy. At some point before 219, Ma Su was transferred to Yuexi, a troubled commandery in the south as his Administrator. Yuexi was home to numerous indigenous tribes, many of whom refused to accept Liu Bei’s authority. It was the site of a significant tribal revolt led by Gao Ding (高定), the chief of the Sou tribe (叟族) in 218. With help from Li Yan who bent Gao Ding in battle; Ma Su did well in keeping order in the commandery. However, before Liu Bei died in 223, he warned Zhuge Liang that Ma Su's knowledge and speech  exceed his real abilities and should not be given important appointments. Still, Zhuge Liang did not heed the warning, and Ma Su was made a personal military consultant to Zhuge soon after Liu died. The two were very close and would often hold discussions from dawn to dusk. Southern Campaign. During the campaign against Meng Huo, Ma Su went several tens of li to see Zhuge Liang off. Zhuge Liang told Ma Su: "It's been years since we strategized together, now I ask for your help with your wise and skilled planning." Ma Su answered to Zhuge Liang as  such: Zhuge Liang was greatly impressed and followed Ma Su's advice, many times he forgave Meng Huo in order to gain the trust of the people of the South. And so, until the end of Zhuge Liang’s life, the South did not rebel again. Performance in Jieting. In 228, Zhuge Liang launched his Northern Expeditions against Wei, at the time there were veteran leaders such as Wei Yan and Wu Yi. Among the army, many suggested appointing either one of them as the vanguard commander however Zhuge Liang disagreed with the majority and chose the callow Ma Su  to command the army at the front instead. Ma Su's forces encountered Zhang He's forces at Jieting. It was here that Ma Su made a serious tactical blunder. He had camped on top of a hill, believing the vantage point would provide him with a more advantageous position in terms of observation and a place of attack. The veteran general Wang Ping advised against Ma Su's decision, arguing that their water supply might be cut off and their forces surrounded. While his good counsel was rejected, Ma Su allowed Wang Ping to take 1,000 men and camp  nearby the source of the Shu forces' water supply. As Wang Ping predicted, Zhang He took advantage of Ma Su's mistake by striking at the Shu camp's water supply. Scattering Wang Ping's much smaller force, he succeeded in cutting off the enemy's water supply. The parched soldiers of Shu were easily defeated when Zhang He then launched an offensive on the main camp itself. Wang Ping with only a handful of soldiers did his best to keep the retreat organized and ordered his soldiers to beat their drums loudly to create the impression that reinforcements had  arrived. Zhang He believed this to possibly be a sign of an ambush and so he did not pursue. When Zhuge Liang arrived, he attempted to defeat Zhang He however he didn't find a way to take a position and so the Shu army had to retreat to Hanzhong. Records on Ma Su's death. Though he survived the battle, Ma Su's army suffered a heavy defeat (Wang Ping was able to regroup the scattered forces), so he was soon arrested and sentenced to execution by a reluctant and tearful Zhuge Liang. As a way to soothe the  masses. Before his execution Ma Su wrote a letter to Zhuge Liang: Many among the army wept greatly for Ma Su's death. When Jiang Wan later visited Hanzhong, he spoke with Zhuge Liang on this matter: "In the past, when the kingdom of Chu killed Dechen (得臣) then the joy of the Duke Wen of Jin was great. Today, the Empire has yet to be unified, however you put a man of wise counsel to death. Is it not regretful?" Zhuge Liang, in tears, answered: "The reason why the kingdom of Sun Wu (孫武) was able to end the  war through the empire was that he was clear in application of laws. Thus, it was because Yang Gan (楊干) had brought confusion to laws that Wei Jiang put his charioteer to death. Now that the 'four seas' are still divided and split and war has just begun. If we again abandon the laws, then by what means shall we quell the rebels?" Xi Zuochi commented on this event and harshly criticized Zhuge Liang for Ma Su's death, he said: Li Sheng and Zhang Xiu were also put to death with Ma Su but not Wang Ping. To the  opposite, for his efforts in minimizing casualties and for trying to prevent Ma Su's actions. He was promoted to General Who Attacks Bandits. While Zhuge Liang sent a memorial to the Emperor Liu Shan requesting for him to be demoted which he was. Another record from the biography of Xiang Lang stated that Xiang, as a close friend of Ma Su, assisted the latter in escaping by covering up Ma's jailbreak. Regardless, Ma Su was deemed by Zhuge Liang to hold major responsibility for the failure of the first Northern Expedition. However Ma Su's wife and children  were spared and have been well taken care of by Zhuge Liang after Ma's death. Zhuge Liang also offered personally sacrifice to Ma Su's grave.