Wei Yan (unknown – 234 CE), courtesy name Wenchang, was a native of the Ping clan of Yiyang (present-day Tongbai County, Henan). During the Three Kingdoms period, the famous generals of the Shu Han Dynasty, brave and strategic, good at strange military strategy, followed Liu Bei into Sichuan, born into death, repeatedly made military achievements, and guarded Hanzhong for more than ten years, and was successively named General of Yamen, General of Zhenyuan, Taishou of Hanzhong, General of Zhenbei, Assassin of Bailiangzhou, and Marquis of Fengduting.
Wei Yan had suggested to Zhuge Liang that the Meridian Dao raid Guanzhong, Zhuge Liang refused Wei Yan's suggestion because of caution, and later because Wei Yan was arrogant, Zhuge Liang was afraid that after his death, no one would be able to suppress Wei Yan, afraid of his rebellion, and at the time of his death, he instructed the governors Shi Yangyi and Ma Dai to kill him if Wei Yan had two hearts. After Zhuge Liang's death, the contradictions between Wei Yan and Yang Yi intensified, and finally Wei Yan was killed by Ma Dai and destroyed the three tribes.
Later, after historical research, Wei Yan followed Liu Bei, repeatedly made great achievements, attacked the city for Shu Han, was loyal to the Shu Han regime, and had no intention of rebellion, but Wei Yan's personality was lonely and arrogant, coupled with the death of Shu Han Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, other generals had fallen, and no one could compete with Wei Yan, which led to the suspicion of other Shu Han ministers and led to the disaster of killing.
Later generations felt that Wei Yan's death was unjust, so in front of Wei Yan's tomb in Hanzhong, Shaanxi, three kneeling stone statues were built, which have been verified by historians, one is Zhuge Liang, and the other two are Yang Yi and Ma Dai.