Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Spy and Rebel

Yin Fan 隱蕃

Attested AD 230

Passages: 11
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

The translated histories identify Yin Fan as a named individual, official, rebel, and spy. This record brings together 11 passages from 1 chapter across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Yin Fan	隱蕃	Yin Fan
Personal name	Yin Fan	隱蕃	Yin Fan

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · sanguozhi:062:s0099

Roles

Named Individual
Official
Rebel
Spy

Life and dates

Death

Manner: execution
Explicit · sanguozhi:062:s0115, sanguozhi:062:s0122

Age

Age: 22 · Reckoning: sui
Explicit · sanguozhi:062:s0102

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 二年，青州人隱蕃歸吳 · Western Year: AD 230
Explicit · sanguozhi:062:s0099

Career and standing

Label: overseer of the commandant of justice / 廷尉監 · Action: appointed
Explicit · sanguozhi:062:s0113

Places and affiliations

Polity: Cao Wei / 魏 · Relation: agent-of
Explicit · sanguozhi:062:s0116
Place: Qingzhou / 青州
Explicit · sanguozhi:062:s0099

Works and attributed material

Kind: memorial · Role: author · Addressee Person Id: Sun Quan (孫權)
Explicit · sanguozhi:062:s0100, sanguozhi:062:s0101, sanguozhi:062:s0102, sanguozhi:062:s0103, sanguozhi:062:s0104, sanguozhi:062:s0105

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: conspirator · Action: plotted-rebellion
Explicit · sanguozhi:062:s0115

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: grand language like Dongfang Shuo, crafty like Mi Heng, but lesser talent · Provenance: Mode: named-person-report · Speaker Person Id: Hu Zong (胡綜)
Explicit · sanguozhi:062:s0109, sanguozhi:062:s0110

Source notes

Field: mission · Statement: Wei Mingdi sent him to feign defection · Witness Work: Wu Records / 吴录
Explicit · sanguozhi:062:s0116

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 62Volume 62: Book of Wu 17: Biographies of Shi Yi and Hu Zong · 11 passages

二年，青州人隱蕃歸吳。 In the second year of that era a Qingzhou adventurer named Yin Fan crossed over to Wu.

蕃謝答問，及陳時務，甚有辭觀。 Yin Fan parried the emperor's questions and discoursed on policy with striking eloquence.

綜對曰："蕃上書，大語有似東方朔，巧捷詭辯有似彌衡。 Hu Zong said, His memorial sounds like Dongfang Shuo at his broadest and like Mi Heng at his sharpest.

"權以蕃盛論刑獄，用為廷尉監。 Because Yin Fan spoke well of criminal law, Sun Quan made him an assistant in the ministry of justice.

左將軍朱據、廷尉郝普稱蕃有王佐之才，普尤與之親善，常怨歎其屈。 Zhu Ju, general of the left, and Hao Pu, chief justice, hailed him as ministerial timber; Hao Pu grew especially close and complained that such a man was underemployed.

後蕃謀叛，事覺伏誅， Later Yin Fan plotted treason; when it leaked he was put to death.

〈吴录曰：蕃有口才，魏明帝使诈叛如吴，令求作廷尉职，重案大臣以离间之。〈The Wu Records say Cao Rui sent him south as a spy to angle for the post of commandant of justice and use reopened cases against high ministers to sow discord.

既为廷尉监，众人以据、普与蕃亲善，常车马云集，宾客盈堂。 Once he held that office, Zhu Ju and Hao Pu were seen at his door so often that rumor painted a conspiracy.

及至事觉，蕃亡走，捕得，考问党与，蕃无所言。 When the plot broke, Yin Fan ran, was caught, and under torture about accomplices said nothing.

蕃曰：“孙君，丈夫图事，岂有无伴！ Yin Fan replied, "My lord, a man who plays for high stakes always has partners.

吴历曰：权问普：“卿前盛称蕃，又为之怨望朝廷，使蕃反叛，皆卿之由。”〉 The Wu Calendar records Sun Quan confronting Hao Pu: "You heaped praise on Yin Fan and grumbled against the court until he rebelled—that fault is yours."