Ma Teng is an important leader of the northwestern forces in Romance of the Three Kingdoms and the father of Ma Chao. He maintains a military power base in the Liangzhou region and operates within the complicated network of western commanders that also includes Han Sui.
Within the political struggles of the late Eastern Han, Ma Teng becomes associated with opposition to Cao Cao. The novel connects him with forces that remain loyal to the Han court and seek to remove Cao Cao from power.
Ma Teng later enters the capital region and is ultimately killed by Cao Cao’s side. The destruction of Ma Teng and members of his family becomes an important background to Ma Chao’s later rebellion against Cao Cao.
Although Ma Teng is not defined by the same abundance of personal combat scenes as Ma Chao, he is a key node in the western military network. Through him, the narrative connects Ma Chao, Pang De, Cao Cao, and the broader entry of the Liangzhou forces into the central Three Kingdoms conflict.
