▁ 2 3 5 , ▁he ▁led ▁Sh u ▁forces ▁to ▁attack ▁Sh u ' s ▁rival ▁state , ▁C ao ▁Wei , ▁but ▁was ▁defeated ▁and ▁driven ▁back ▁by ▁the ▁Wei ▁general ▁N iu ▁Jin . ▁He ▁lost ▁about ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁troops ▁in ▁battle . ▁ ▁In ▁Rom ance ▁of ▁the ▁Three ▁Kingdom s ▁Ma ▁D ai ▁is ▁a ▁character ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 4 th - century ▁historical ▁novel ▁Rom ance ▁of ▁the ▁Three ▁Kingdom s , ▁which ▁rom antic ises ▁the ▁historical ▁events ▁and ▁figures ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁Eastern ▁Han ▁dynast y ▁and ▁Three ▁Kingdom s ▁period . ▁In ▁the ▁novel , ▁he ▁follows ▁Ma ▁T eng ▁to ▁the ▁capital ▁on ▁a ▁sum mon ▁from ▁C ao ▁C ao , ▁and ▁surv ives ▁when ▁Ma ▁T eng ▁and ▁his ▁sons ▁are ▁killed ▁by ▁C ao ▁C ao ' s ▁men ▁in ▁a ▁trap . ▁He ▁joins ▁his ▁cousin ▁Ma ▁Ch ao ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁T ong ▁Pass ▁against ▁C ao ▁C ao , ▁and ▁accompan ies ▁Ma ▁Ch ao ▁when ▁the ▁latter ▁is ▁defeated ▁and ▁has ▁to ▁seek ▁refuge ▁under ▁Z hang ▁Lu ▁of ▁H anz h ong . ▁He ▁follows ▁Ma ▁Ch ao ▁and ▁comes ▁to ▁serve ▁Li u ▁Bei ▁when ▁his ▁cousin ▁defect s ▁to ▁Li u ▁Bei ' s ▁side ▁during ▁the ▁take over ▁of ▁Y i ▁Province . ▁Ma ▁D ai ▁particip ates ▁act ively ▁in ▁southern ▁campaign ▁against ▁the ▁Nan man ▁and ▁the ▁Northern ▁Ex ped itions ▁against ▁the ▁rival