Wang Ling 王淩

Wang Ling's uncle Wang Yun, as Minister over the Masses of the Han, killed Dong Zhuo. When Dong Zhuo's commanders Li Jue, Guo Si and others stormed Chang'an to take revenge, killed Wang Yun and destroyed his entire household, the young Wang Ling and his elder brother Wang Chen escaped over the city wall and fled back to their home district. In his youth he became known together with Wang Chang of the same commandery, and Wang Chang served the older Wang Ling as an elder brother. Records, Wei 28 §2Records, Wei 27 §22

Wang Ling was recommended as Filial and Incorrupt (xiaolian) and became Chief of Fagan County, and rising step by step he reached Administrator of Zhongshan, governing well wherever he took office. Cao Cao (Taizu) summoned him and made him a clerk on the Chancellor's staff. The biography of Chang Lin records that when Liang Xi, Inspector of Bing Province, recommended Chang Lin, Yang Jun, Wang Ling and others as famous scholars of the province, Cao Cao made them all county chiefs. Records, Wei 28 §2Records, Wei 23 §21

When Emperor Wen, Cao Pi, ascended the throne, Wang Ling became Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary (sanji changshi), and going out as Inspector of Yan Province, he reached Guangling with Zhang Liao and others to attack Sun Quan. When a great wind blew at night by the river and the ships of Wu's commander Lü Fan and others were swept to the northern bank, he met and attacked them together with the other commanders, taking heads and capturing ships. For this merit he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Yicheng Village and given the additional title of General Who Establishes Martial Might (jianwu jiangjun). Records, Wei 28 §3

When he was transferred to Qing Province, the coastal region, having suffered disorder, had no established order. Wang Ling spread good government and instruction, rewarding the good and punishing the wicked, and established discipline, and the people praised him without end. At this time Wang Ling specially requested Wang Ji as his Attendant Officer (biejia), and even when the Minister over the Masses Wang Lang summoned Wang Ji and impeached the province, he never sent him. Chen Shou wrote that Wang Ling's renown in Qing Province was probably due in part to Wang Ji's harmonious assistance. Records, Wei 28 §3–4Records, Wei 27 §48–49

Later he followed Cao Xiu to attack Wu and met the enemy at Jiashi; Cao Xiu's army was defeated, but Wang Ling fought hard and broke through the encirclement, so that Cao Xiu escaped disaster. He went on to serve as Inspector of Yang and Yu provinces and won the hearts of soldiers and people, and in Yu Province he honored the descendants of former worthies and sought out scholars who had not made their names known. In Yan and Yu provinces he carried on the reputation and achievements of his friends Sima Lang and Jia Kui. Records, Wei 28 §4–5

When he was Inspector of Yang Province, Sun Bu of Wu sent a man to say that he would surrender and asked for troops to come and receive him, and Wang Ling requested troops. Man Chong, judging it a false surrender, did not give him troops, and Wang Ling separately sent a Supervising Commander with 700 infantry and cavalry, more than half of whom were killed or wounded in Sun Bu's night attack. He did not get along with Man Chong while working with him, and on one occasion Wang Ling's faction slandered Man Chong as old and worn out, so that Emperor Ming, Cao Rui, recalled Man Chong. Records, Wei 26 §13–15Records, Wu 2 §70

At the beginning of the Zhengshi era he became General Who Conquers the East (zhengdong jiangjun) and, with the tally of authority (jiajie), Commander of All Military Affairs in Yang Province. In the 2nd year of Zhengshi (241), when Wu's senior commander Quan Cong raided Quebei with tens of thousands of men, Wang Ling led the various armies to meet him and drove him off after fighting hard for the embankments day after day. He was enfeoffed as Marquis of Nanxiang with a fief of 1,350 households and became General of Chariots and Cavalry with honors equal to the Three Excellencies (yitong sansi). The Biography of Gu Tan of Wu records that the Wu army was faring badly in this battle, but Zhang Xiu and Gu Cheng halted the Wei army, and when Quan Cong's sons advanced and attacked, Wang Ling's army withdrew. Records, Wei 28 §5Records, Wei 4 §12Records, Wu 2 §95Records, Wu 7 §44–45

When his sister's son Linghu Yu became Inspector of Yan Province and was stationed at Ping'e, uncle and nephew each commanded troops, together bearing the heavy responsibility of Huainan. Wang Ling was made Minister of Works while remaining at his post in the 9th year of Zhengshi (248), and in the 12th month of the 1st year of Jiaping (249), after Sima Yi (Prince Xuan) had killed Cao Shuang, he was promoted to Grand Commandant and given the tallies and axes of authority. Records, Wei 28 §6Records, Wei 4 §27 · 30

Wang Ling and Linghu Yu, judging that the Prince of Qi, Cao Fang, was unfit for the imperial throne and that Cao Biao, Prince of Chu, was mature and able, secretly plotted to receive Cao Biao and establish the capital at Xuchang. In the 9th month of the 1st year of Jiaping (249) Linghu Yu sent his commander Zhang Shi to Baima to go back and forth with Cao Biao, and Wang Ling sent his retainer Lao Jing to inform his son Wang Guang in Luoyang. Wang Guang said that deposing and enthroning an emperor was a grave matter and that they should not be the first to bring on disaster. In the 11th month of that year Linghu Yu sent Zhang Shi again, but before Zhang Shi returned, Linghu Yu died of illness. Records, Wei 28 §6–7

In the spring of the 3rd year of Jiaping (251), when Wu blocked the Tu River, Wang Ling, meaning to use this as the occasion to act, put the various armies on alert and memorialized asking to attack the enemy, but was refused permission. When Wang Ling sent the general Yang Hong to tell Huang Hua, Inspector of Yan Province, about the plan to depose and enthrone, Huang Hua and Yang Hong, signing their names together, reported it to the Grand Tutor Sima Yi (Prince Xuan). Records, Wei 28 §8

Sima Yi advanced by water with the central army, first issuing an amnesty pardoning Wang Ling's crime and having the Master of Writing Wang Guang write a letter admonishing Wang Ling, while with a great army he suddenly reached Baichi to press him. Knowing his situation was hopeless, Wang Ling came out alone by boat to meet him, sent his subordinate Wang Yu to beg forgiveness and hand over his seal and ribbon and his tallies and axes, and at Qiutou came out at the water's edge with his hands tied behind his back. Sima Yi untied him, returned his clothes, comforted him and gave back his seal and ribbon and his tallies and axes, then had 600 infantry and cavalry escort him to the capital. On reaching Xiang County, Wang Ling took poison and died. The Annals of the Prince of Qi record that Wang Ling killed himself on the jiayin day of the 5th month of the 3rd year of Jiaping (251). Records, Wei 28 §8–9Records, Wei 4 §33

Sima Yi reached Shouchun, received the confessions of Zhang Shi and others, and investigated the affair to the end. Cao Biao was ordered to die, and all those implicated had their three sets of kin exterminated. Following the old law of the Spring and Autumn Annals, the court dug up the graves of Wang Ling and Linghu Yu, split open their coffins and exposed their corpses in a nearby marketplace for three days, burned their seals, ribbons and court robes, and buried them in the bare earth. Yang Hong and Huang Hua, who had informed on them, were made district marquises. His son Wang Guang had lofty aims and valued learning and good conduct, but died at a little over forty. Records, Wei 28 §10

In his assessment, Chen Shou said that Wang Ling's bearing and integrity were lofty. But he wrote that he, together with Guanqiu Jian, Zhuge Dan and Zhong Hui, although they had made their names known and risen to honored posts, had great ambitions but misguided aims and failed to foresee disaster; upheaval broke out like the release of a crossbow trigger and their clans were crushed into the earth, and he asked whether this was not error and delusion. Records, Wei 28 §140