Ma Su

Also known as Zi Youchang

Ma Su, courtesy name Youchang, came from Yicheng in Xiangyang and was the younger brother of Ma Liang; he followed Liu Bei into Shu and governed Mianzhu, Chengdu and Yuexi in turn. Zhuge Liang prized his talent and his love of strategic debate, though the dying Liu Bei warned that Ma Su's words outran his abilities. The Xiangyang Records, cited in Pei Songzhi's commentary, say that when Zhuge Liang marched south in 225 Ma Su advised that winning hearts mattered more than taking cities. In 228 he led the vanguard at Jieting, ignored his orders, left the water to camp on a hill, and was routed when the Wei general Zhang He cut off his water, which ended the campaign. The Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi) says in one place that he died in prison aged thirty-nine and in another that Zhuge Liang executed him to answer to the army. The Xiangyang Records add that Zhuge Liang wept for him and cared for his family.