Wang Fang 王方
| Occupation | RGeneral NGeneral · Colonel | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Cause of death | NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R2 |
Profile
Wang Fang was a former subordinate of Dong Zhuo. He has no biography of his own in the Records; his name appears once in the passage on Li Jue and Guo Si in the Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao in Records of Wei 6. After Dong Zhuo died in the 4th month of the 3rd year of Chuping (192), when Li Jue and the others, who had headed west with their followers on Jia Xu's advice, reached Chang'an, Wang Fang joined forces with them together with Fan Chou, Li Meng and other former subordinates of Dong Zhuo and besieged the city of Chang'an. The city fell in ten days and Lü Bu was defeated and fled. Records, Wei 6 §16 · 20
Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, his origin or what became of him afterwards, and Chen Shou's assessment in Records of Wei 6 does not mention him. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 9 as one of Dong Zhuo's remaining followers who, together with Li Meng, collude with the enemy from inside the city and secretly open the gates of Chang'an, and he appears in 2 of its 120 chapters; no chapter has his name in its title. In Chapter 10, after becoming a Colonel, he goes out to meet the Xiliang army of Ma Teng and Han Sui and is run through by Ma Chao's spear and dies. Records, Wei 6 §20 · 96–97Romance, Ch. 9 §46Romance, Ch. 10 §3 · 10
In the Records
In the 4th month of the 3rd year of Chuping (192), the Minister over the Masses Wang Yun, Dong Zhuo's general Lü Bu and others together put Dong Zhuo to death. At that time Dong Zhuo's son-in-law, the General of the Household Niu Fu, was stationed separately at Shan County and had sent the Colonels Li Jue, Guo Si and Zhang Ji to plunder the counties of Chenliu and Yingchuan. After Dong Zhuo's death, when some soldiers of his camp deserted by night, Niu Fu thought everyone had rebelled, took his gold and treasure and fled, and was beheaded by his close friend Hu Chi'er and others who went with him, and his head was sent to Chang'an. Records, Wei 6 §16 · 19
By the time Li Jue and the others returned, Niu Fu had already fallen and the men had no one to rely on, so each wanted to disperse and go home. There was no letter of amnesty, and they heard that in Chang'an there were plans to kill every man from Liang Province; worried, they adopted Jia Xu's plan, led their followers west and gathered troops wherever they went, so that by the time they reached Chang'an they numbered more than 100,000. They joined forces with Fan Chou, Li Meng, Wang Fang and other former subordinates of Dong Zhuo and besieged the city of Chang'an. The city fell in ten days, and Lü Bu, who fought them inside the city, was defeated and fled. Records, Wei 6 §20
Li Jue and the others let their troops loose to plunder the old and young of Chang'an and killed them all, put to death those who had killed Dong Zhuo, and exposed Wang Yun's corpse in the marketplace. Li Jue became General of Chariots and Cavalry and Marquis of Chiyang, Guo Si General of the Rear and Marquis of Meiyang, Fan Chou General of the Right and Marquis of Wannian, and Zhang Ji General of Agile Cavalry and Marquis of Pingyang. Chen Shou's main text does not record what office Wang Fang received at this time. Records, Wei 6 §21
That year Han Sui, Ma Teng and others surrendered and came to Chang'an. The Palace Attendant Ma Yu and others planned to have Ma Teng attack Chang'an while they acted as insiders and put Li Jue and the others to death, but the plot leaked, and Fan Chou attacked Ma Teng and drove him in defeat back to Liang Province. Chen Shou's main text names only Fan Chou as the one who attacked Ma Teng in this fight and does not mention Wang Fang. Records, Wei 6 §22
The siege of Chang'an is the only passage in Chen Shou's main text where Wang Fang appears. His courtesy name, origin, later deeds and death are not recorded, and Chen Shou's assessment in Records of Wei 6 does not mention him either. Records, Wei 6 §20 · 96–97
In the Romance
In Chapter 9 of the Romance, Li Jue, pushed back by Lü Bu, consults Guo Si, Zhang Ji and Fan Chou: he himself will hold the mouth of the valley and lure Lü Bu into battle every day, Guo Si will strike at his rear, and Zhang Ji and Fan Chou will split into two columns and attack Chang'an directly. Lü Bu hurries back and fights below the walls of Chang'an but fares badly, and a few days later, when Dong Zhuo's remaining followers Li Meng and Wang Fang collude with the enemy from inside the city and secretly open the gates, the enemy armies pour in from four directions at once. When Wang Yun refuses to the end his urging to escape together, Lü Bu abandons his family and flees through the pass with a hundred-odd riders to join Yuan Shu. Romance, Ch. 9 §41–42 · 44–47
In Chapter 10, Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji and Fan Chou each write down the titles they want, present them and force Emperor Xian to grant the offices, and the emperor, with no choice but to comply, makes Li Jue General of Chariots and Cavalry, Guo Si General of the Rear, Fan Chou General of the Right and Zhang Ji General of Agile Cavalry. The rest, Li Meng, Wang Fang and others, each become Colonels, and only then do they give thanks for the favor and lead their troops out of the city. Romance, Ch. 10 §2–3
When the Administrator of Xiliang Ma Teng and the Inspector of Bing Province Han Sui march on Chang'an with more than 100,000 troops, declaring that they will punish the rebels, the adviser Jia Xu says that if they dig deep moats, build high ramparts and hold fast, the enemy's provisions will run out in less than a hundred days and they will withdraw. Li Meng and Wang Fang say this is not a good plan, that if they are lent 10,000 picked troops they will at once cut off the heads of Ma Teng and Han Sui and present them, and say in unison that if they lose they will gladly give up their own heads, but if they win Jia Xu must give up his. On Jia Xu's advice, Li Jue and Guo Si station Zhang Ji and Fan Chou on Mount Zhouzhi and give Li Meng and Wang Fang 15,000 men and horses, and the two, delighted, pitch camp 280 li from Chang'an. Romance, Ch. 10 §5 · 7–8
When Ma Teng and Han Sui point at Li Meng and Wang Fang and denounce them as traitors to the state, Ma Teng's son Ma Chao, just seventeen years old, rides out from the ranks. Wang Fang, looking down on him for his youth, gallops out to meet him, but before they have fought a few bouts he is run through by a single thrust of Ma Chao's spear and falls from his horse. Li Meng, seeing Wang Fang stabbed to death, chases after Ma Chao from behind, is captured and beheaded, and only when Li Jue and Guo Si hear that both men have been killed by Ma Chao do they believe that Jia Xu had foresight. Romance, Ch. 10 §9–12
Where the Romance differs
How Chang'an fell: In Chapter 9 of the Romance, Wang Fang and Li Meng collude with the enemy from inside the city and secretly open the gates. In the Records, Li Jue and the others joined forces with Fan Chou, Li Meng, Wang Fang and other former subordinates of Dong Zhuo and besieged the city of Chang'an from outside, and the city fell in ten days. Nothing is said of anyone colluding from inside or opening the gates. Romance, Ch. 9 §46Records, Wei 6 §20
Office: In Chapter 10 of the Romance, Wang Fang becomes a Colonel together with Li Meng and others. The Records records only the offices that Li Jue, Guo Si, Fan Chou and Zhang Ji received after taking Chang'an, and does not record Wang Fang's office. Romance, Ch. 10 §3Records, Wei 6 §21
The fight with the Xiliang army: In Chapter 10 of the Romance, Wang Fang and Li Meng dismiss Jia Xu's plan of holding fast as a poor one and, staking their heads, go out to meet the Xiliang army of Ma Teng and Han Sui. In the Records, in the fight in which Ma Teng tried to attack Chang'an and the plot leaked, the one who attacked Ma Teng was Fan Chou, and Wang Fang does not appear. Romance, Ch. 10 §7–9Records, Wei 6 §22
His death: In Chapter 10 of the Romance, Wang Fang is run through by Ma Chao's spear and dies. This passage of the account of Ma Chao in the Records says only that Ma Teng attacked Chang'an, was defeated and fled back to Liang Province; it says nothing of Ma Chao fighting, and Wang Fang does not appear. The Records does not record Wang Fang's death. Romance, Ch. 10 §10Records, Shu 6 §25Records, Wei 6 §20
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.
- LEA4530−15
- STR4235−7
- INT3520−15
- POL3131±0
- CHA3533−2
- VIR3022−8
- ADP3820−18
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3131±0
- DIS3131±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsWei 6 §20
NOpposed Jia Xu's defensive plan, sallied out and was defeated, proving Jia Xu rightCh. 10 §7Ch. 10 §12
7 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated as a military commanderWei 6 §20
NTook on Ma Chao, looking down on him, and was speared to death within a few boutsCh. 10 §10
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 →
Allegiance history
- Dong Zhuo faction (~192) · Records · 「與卓故部曲樊稠、李蒙、王方等合圍長安城」
Related events (1)
- Revolt of Li Jue and Guo Si 192 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).