韩延年 / Han Yannian (Western Han)

Overview

韩延年 / Han Yannian is a Western Han officer in 李陵’s isolated infantry force against 匈奴. Hanji 377-2 gives him a compact but consequential role: he commands one of the forward eight-hundred-man elements and dies beside Li Ling’s attempted night breakout.

Current Profile

The source first identifies Han Yannian through battlefield organization. Li Ling and Han Yannian each have eight hundred soldiers opening the route, distinguished by yellow and white flags. After 管敢 defects, this arrangement becomes actionable enemy intelligence because Guan Gan advises Xiongnu elite cavalry to target the two commanders.

When the Han force is trapped, out of arrows, and unable to sound its broken drums, Han Yannian mounts with Li Ling and a small group for a midnight breakout. Thousands of Xiongnu cavalry pursue them, and Han Yannian is killed.

Key Characteristics

• Western Han officer serving in Li Ling’s deep-frontier infantry force.
• Forward-element commander associated with an eight-hundred-man formation and flag marker.
• Target exposed when Guan Gan reveals command and identification details to Xiongnu.
• Final breakout companion who dies under mounted pursuit.

Evidence

• Forward command: Hanji 377-2 says Li Ling and Han Yannian each command eight hundred men at the front, using yellow and white flags.
• Intelligence exposure: Hanji 377-2 says Guan Gan discloses the formation and recommends targeting the two commanders.
• Death in breakout: Hanji 377-2 says Han Yannian rides out with Li Ling and a small group at midnight and dies during Xiongnu pursuit.

Qualifications

This profile is bounded to one short popular-history episode. It does not reconstruct Han Yannian’s family, office history, earlier service, exact command rank, which flag belonged to him, or the detailed circumstances of his death.

What Changed

• Created a source-bounded profile for Han Yannian’s command role, intelligence exposure, and death during the breakout.

Relationships

• 李陵 - commanding officer and fellow leader in the final breakout.
• 管敢 - defector who reveals Han Yannian’s forward formation and identifying flag system.
• 匈奴 - opposing force whose cavalry pursue and kill him.
• 地形阵型战力放大 - tactical system in which his forward element operates before intelligence and resource exhaustion undo it.