In Fiction
In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of Three Kingdoms, Ma Dai went with Ma Teng to the capital on a summon from Cao Cao, and escaped from Cao's trap by disguising himself, and participated actively during the Battle of Tong Pass. He later followed Ma Chao to serve under Zhang Lu, and defected to Liu Bei when Liu besieged the city of Chengdu. He was depicted as a trusted general under Zhuge Liang after Liu Bei's death, and was often used in crucial parts of the battlefield during Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign alongside Zhao Yun and Wei Yan. Right before Zhuge Liang died, he named Ma Dai, along with Liao Hua, Wang Ping, Zhang Ni and Zhang Yi, as the loyal retainers of Shu. Ma Dai's most notable deed is for slaying the rebellious Wei Yan in a ploy set up by Zhuge Liang and Jiang Wei. When Wei Yan revolted, Ma Dai pretended to join him, then sneaked up behind Wei and assassinated him. His reward was the rank that Wei Yan had forfeited.
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“It seems that the fiction writer has a revolting attachment to the poor, for even when he writes about the rich, he is more concerned with what they lack than with what they have.”
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