Records indicate that he excelled at naval warfare. In A.D. 208, after the death of general Liu Biao, he took command of a fleet of ships on the Han River and brought them to Red Cliffs.

Following the death of his lord Liu Biao, he takes service with Liu Bei. Despite Zhuge Liang’s objections, Liu Bei accepts Wei Yan’s service. His style name is Yuanfang. He can use sorcery to ...