丁斐 / Ding Fei (Late Han)

Overview

丁斐 / Ding Fei (Late Han) enters the current evidence as the Cao-side officer whose improvised release of cattle and horses disrupts pursuit during 曹操’s dangerous Yellow River crossing in the 211 CE 渭南之战.

Current Profile

The profile is narrow but operationally distinct. While 许褚 provides immediate physical protection on the boat, Ding Fei changes the pursuers’ incentives on shore: releasing valuable animals draws attention away from Cao Cao and creates the time needed for escape. The episode therefore presents survival as a combined result of close protection, improvisation, and enemy indiscipline rather than personal courage alone.

Key Characteristics

• Cao-side participant in the Yellow River crossing phase of the Weinan campaign.
• Responds to an immediate pursuit crisis through improvised diversion rather than direct combat.
• Uses cattle and horses to redirect the pursuers’ attention away from Cao Cao.
• Complements Xu Chu’s close protection by changing conditions on shore.

Evidence

• Pursuit diversion: Hanji 1121 says Ding Fei releases cattle and horses while Ma Chao’s riders attack the crossing, causing pursuers to turn toward the animals.
• Escape sequence: Hanji 1121 places the diversion alongside Xu Chu’s shielding and rowing as the action that gives Cao Cao’s boat time to reach safety.

Qualifications

The current profile rests on one structured podcast summary and does not establish Ding Fei’s wider career. The exact number and ownership of the animals, the pursuers’ behavior, and Ding Fei’s formal office remain source-scoped pending comparison with primary records.

What Changed

• Created a source-scoped profile for Ding Fei’s diversion during Cao Cao’s Yellow River escape.
• Distinguished shore-side incentive disruption from Xu Chu’s direct physical protection.

Relationships

• 曹操 - commander whose escape Ding Fei’s diversion enables.
• 许褚 - close protector whose boat-side action complements Ding Fei’s shore-side intervention.
• 马超 - opposing commander whose cavalry pursues Cao Cao at the crossing in the episode.
• 渭南之战 - campaign containing Ding Fei’s current source-scoped role.
• 渡河欺敌 - broader maneuver context created by the hidden Pujin crossing.