RNo direct recordWei 1 §56
NDragged from his saddle by Guan Yu and taken captiveCh. 22 §39
Wang Zhong 王忠
| Occupation | RGeneral · General of Light Chariots | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | Native place | Youfufeng Commandery | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R6 |
Profile
Wang Zhong was a general whom Cao Cao sent to attack Liu Bei in Xu Province. He has no biography of his own in the Records; his name appears once each, for the same event, in the Annals of Emperor Wu in Records of Wei 1, in the account of Yuan Shao in Records of Wei 6 (Biographies of Dong, the Two Yuans and Liu), and in the Biography of the First Sovereign in Records of Shu 2. When Liu Bei killed Che Zhou, Inspector of Xu Province, and stationed himself at Pei, Cao Cao sent Liu Dai and Wang Zhong to attack him, but they could not win. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, origin, offices, or the years of his birth and death. Records, Wei 1 §56Records, Wei 6 §50Records, Shu 2 §16
His name does not appear in the assessments of the three volumes. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 22 as the commander of Cao Cao's rear army and appears in 2 of the 120 chapters; his name is in the title of Chapter 22, 'Guan Yu and Zhang Fei Together Capture the Two Generals Wang Zhong and Liu Dai.' He goes to Xu Province flying the Chancellor's banner as a pretense, is captured by Guan Yu and released, and in Chapter 23 Cao Cao spares his life but strips him of his rank and emoluments. Records, Wei 1 §173Records, Wei 6 §96Records, Shu 2 §78Romance, Ch. 22 §31 · 39Romance, Ch. 23 §1
In the Records
According to the Annals of Emperor Wu, when Yuan Shu tried to pass north by way of Xiapi, Cao Cao sent Liu Bei and Zhu Ling to intercept him, and at that point Yuan Shu died of illness. When Cheng Yu and Guo Jia said that Liu Bei must not be let go, Cao Cao regretted it and had him pursued, but too late. Before going east, Liu Bei had secretly plotted rebellion with Dong Cheng and others, and on reaching Xiapi he killed Che Zhou, Inspector of Xu Province, raised troops and stationed himself at Pei County. Cao Cao sent Liu Dai and Wang Zhong to attack him, but they could not win. The Annals of Emperor Wu records this after the entry on Cao Cao stationing himself at Guandu in the 12th month of the 4th year of Jian'an (199). Records, Wei 1 §55–56
The Biography of the First Sovereign records the same events as follows. Liu Bei took Xiapi, and after Zhu Ling and the others had gone back he killed Che Zhou, Inspector of Xu Province, left Guan Yu to hold Xiapi and returned himself to Xiaopei. When Chang Ba (Chang Xi) of Donghai rebelled, many commanderies and counties turned against Cao Cao and sided with Liu Bei, so that his following reached tens of thousands, and Liu Bei sent Sun Qian to ally with Yuan Shao. Cao Cao sent Liu Dai and Wang Zhong to attack him, but they could not win. In the 5th year of Jian'an (200) Cao Cao marched east in person against Liu Bei, and Liu Bei was badly defeated. Records, Shu 2 §16
The account of Yuan Shao says that when Liu Bei killed Che Zhou and stationed his army at Pei, Yuan Shao sent cavalry to help him, and the Grand Progenitor sent Liu Dai and Wang Zhong to attack him, but they could not win. In the 5th year of Jian'an (200), when the Grand Progenitor marched east in person against Liu Bei, Tian Feng urged Yuan Shao to strike at the Grand Progenitor's rear, but Yuan Shao refused on account of his son's illness. When the Grand Progenitor defeated Liu Bei, Liu Bei fled to Yuan Shao. Records, Wei 6 §50
All three records mention Wang Zhong only once, alongside Liu Dai, and Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, origin, offices, what became of him after this fight, or his death. His name is not in the assessments at the end of the three volumes either. Records, Wei 1 §56 · 173Records, Wei 6 §50 · 96Records, Shu 2 §16 · 78
In the Romance
In Chapter 22 of the Romance, Cao Cao leads a great army of 200,000 to Liyang in person to hold off Yuan Shao, and calls in Liu Dai of the front army and Wang Zhong of the rear army, ordering them to take 50,000 troops and, flying the Chancellor's banner, attack Liu Bei in Xu Province. When Cheng Yu worries that the two may not be equal to the task, Cao Cao says he knows they are no match for Liu Bei but means only to make a show of strength for the time being, and instructs them not to advance rashly. Romance, Ch. 22 §31–32
The two pitch camp a hundred li from Xu Province and falsely fly the banner of 'Chancellor Cao' over the central army, but dare not advance and only watch for news from Hebei. When Cao Cao presses them to fight, Liu Dai says that as chief commander he can hardly go first and proposes drawing lots; Wang Zhong draws the lot marked 'first', takes half the troops and goes to attack Xu Province. Romance, Ch. 22 §34–35
Liu Bei consults Chen Deng and judges that Cao Cao is not there, and Guan Yu comes out with 3,000 troops. In early winter, with snow flying, Guan Yu calls for the Chancellor to come out before the lines, and Wang Zhong, saying that the Chancellor would hardly deign to meet the likes of him, levels his spear and meets him. Guan Yu turns his horse and flees, then wheels round the hillside and swoops back; Wang Zhong cannot hold him off, and as he is about to flee he is seized by the cords of his armor, dragged from the saddle, and carried off captive slung across Guan Yu's horse. Romance, Ch. 22 §36–39
Brought before Liu Bei, Wang Zhong confesses that he had only been ordered to make a show of strength to confuse the enemy and that the Chancellor is in fact not there. Liu Bei gives him clothes, wine and food and keeps him confined, saying that killing such a man would gain nothing while sparing him would open the way to reconciliation. When Zhang Fei brings back Liu Dai as a captive, Liu Bei releases Wang Zhong as well and entertains them together, asking them to go to the capital Xu and explain his case, and the two pledge the old and young of both their households as surety. Romance, Ch. 22 §40–41 · 47–48
Before they have gone ten-odd li on the way back, Zhang Fei blocks the road and the two tremble on their horses; when Guan Yu restrains Zhang Fei, they beg, saying they will never come again even if the Chancellor wipes out three generations of their kin, and flee with their hands over their heads. When the two report that Liu Bei has not rebelled, Cao Cao calls them a disgrace to the state and orders them beheaded, but in Chapter 23, when Kong Rong remonstrates that the two were never a match for Liu Bei and that beheading them might cost him the hearts of his officers and men, he spares their lives and takes away their rank and emoluments. Romance, Ch. 22 §49–52Romance, Ch. 23 §1
Where the Romance differs
Nature of the expedition: In Chapter 22 of the Romance, Cao Cao, going to Liyang to hold off Yuan Shao, gives Liu Dai and Wang Zhong 50,000 troops and the Chancellor's banner and sends them to Xu Province as a show of strength. The Annals of Emperor Wu, the Biography of the First Sovereign and the account of Yuan Shao in the Records say only that when Liu Bei killed Che Zhou and stationed himself at Pei, Cao Cao sent Liu Dai and Wang Zhong, and record neither the number of troops nor the Chancellor's banner. Romance, Ch. 22 §31–32Records, Wei 1 §56Records, Shu 2 §16Records, Wei 6 §50
Outcome of the fight: In Chapter 22 of the Romance, Wang Zhong is captured by Guan Yu and Liu Dai by Zhang Fei. All three records in the Records say only that 'they could not win', and say nothing of the two being captured. Romance, Ch. 22 §39 · 45Records, Wei 1 §56Records, Shu 2 §16Records, Wei 6 §50
Where Guan Yu was: In Chapter 22 of the Romance, Guan Yu leads 3,000 troops out of Xu Province and captures Wang Zhong, and only afterwards, on Sun Qian's advice, goes to hold Xiapi. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, Liu Bei left Guan Yu to hold Xiapi after killing Che Zhou and returned himself to Xiaopei, and after that Cao Cao sent Liu Dai and Wang Zhong. Romance, Ch. 22 §37–39 · 51Records, Shu 2 §16
The release: In Chapter 22 of the Romance, Liu Bei releases Wang Zhong and Liu Dai, entertains them and asks them to explain his case, and Zhang Fei blocks their way home. The Records has no record of Liu Bei letting the two go, nor any scene involving Zhang Fei. Romance, Ch. 22 §47–50Records, Wei 1 §56Records, Shu 2 §16Records, Wei 6 §50
After the return: In Chapter 23 of the Romance, Cao Cao is about to behead the two but, on Kong Rong's remonstrance, spares their lives and takes away their rank and emoluments. Chen Shou's main text does not record what became of Wang Zhong after the defeat. Romance, Ch. 23 §1Records, Wei 1 §56Records, Shu 2 §16Records, Wei 6 §50
Yuan Shao's moves: In Chapter 22 of the Romance, Yuan Shao keeps his troops at Liyang and does not advance because his advisers cannot agree. In the account of Yuan Shao in the Records, when Liu Bei stationed himself at Pei, Yuan Shao sent cavalry to help him, and after that Cao Cao sent Liu Dai and Wang Zhong. Romance, Ch. 22 §33 · 36Records, Wei 6 §50
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Abilities
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
Records total359 / 1000Rank 858 of 996 · Top 87%Romance total317 / 1000Rank 1,049 of 1,113 · Top 95%
Romance adaptation index−42Romance total − Records total
- LEA3525−10
- STR4025−15
- INT3530−5
- POL3533−2
- CHA3535±0
- VIR4250+8
- ADP4025−15
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3332−1
- DIS3331−2
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct recordShu 2 §16
NTrembled before Zhang Fei and fled, and on returning was stripped of his rankCh. 22 §49Ch. 23 §1
RAttacked Liu Bei together with Liu Dai but could not winWei 1 §56Shu 2 §16
NEven Cao Cao said he was no match for Liu Bei, and he went out first only because he drew the lotCh. 22 §32Ch. 22 §34
7 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct recordWei 1 §56
NOnce captured, revealed outright that the show of strength was a bluffCh. 22 §40
RNo direct recordWei 6 §50
NNo direct recordCh. 22 §31
RNo direct recordWei 6 §50
NNo direct recordCh. 22 §35
RNo direct recordWei 1 §56
NGrateful for having his life spared, he told Cao Cao of Liu Bei's innocence as promisedCh. 22 §48Ch. 22 §52
RNo direct recordWei 1 §56
NNo direct recordCh. 22 §34
RNo direct recordWei 1 §56
NSpoke in Liu Bei's defense, but Cao Cao in anger wanted to behead himCh. 22 §52
RNo direct recordWei 1 §56
NNo direct recordCh. 22 §34
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
Romance chapters (2)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Related events (1)
- Guan Yu and Zhang Fei Capture Wang Zhong and Liu Dai 199 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).