I. Introduction

Ma Chao, styled as Mengqi, was one of the famous generals during the Three Kingdoms period. He once established a separatist regime in Xiliang, and later joined Liu Bei, becoming one of the Five Tigers Generals of Shu Han. However, despite achieving certain accomplishments in Shu Han, many historical records and literary works suggest that Ma Chao's days in Shu Han were not happy. So, why do we have this impression? This article will analyze it from the following aspects.

II. Ma Chao's Personality Traits

Ma Chao was a fierce and valiant warrior, but he was also somewhat arrogant and self-conceited. This personality made his days in Shu Han unpleasant. Firstly, Ma Chao did not get along well with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Guan Yu once had a dispute with Ma Chao due to his disrespect, and although they later reconciled, there were still lingering resentments between them. In addition, Ma Chao's relationships with Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun were not good either. This made Ma Chao's position in Shu Han somewhat embarrassing.

III. Ma Chao's Political Status

Although Ma Chao was one of the Five Tigers Generals of Shu Han, his political status was not high. When Liu Bei was alive, Ma Chao was not given important positions. After Liu Bei's death, Zhuge Liang's attitude towards Ma Chao was also relatively cold. This made Ma Chao's political career in Shu Han unsatisfactory.

IV. Ma Chao's Family Tragedy

Ma Chao also experienced great pain from family tragedies during his time in Shu Han. His wife, Wang Yi, was captured by Cao Cao and later forced to marry Cao Pi, Cao Cao's son. This was undoubtedly a huge blow to Ma Chao. Additionally, Ma Chao's mother also died in Shu Han, which made him feel even more lonely and helpless.

V. Ma Chao's Later Life

Ma Chao's later life in Shu Han was also unsatisfactory. He participated in the war to conquer the Central Plains in the north, but he suffered a defeat in the Street Pass battle and was demoted to a commoner by Zhuge Liang. Although Ma Chao regained his official position later, his status was nowhere near what it had been before. Eventually, Ma Chao passed away in Chengdu in 222 AD, at the age of 47.

VI. Conclusion

In summary, Ma Chao's days in Shu Han were not happy. His personality traits, political status, family tragedies, and later life all brought him great pressure and pain. This also made us feel his melancholy and dissatisfaction when reading historical records and literary works. However, it was this perseverance and indomitable spirit that made Ma Chao an admirable hero in the history of the Three Kingdoms.

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