RAs Army Supervisor led 5,000 troops and held off Zhong Hui's attack on LechengWei 28 §104Shu 14 §45
NLost his camp to a surprise attack through a tunnel and asked for punishmentCh. 113 §27Ch. 113 §29
Wang Han 王含
| Occupation | RGeneral · Army Supervisor | Faction | Shu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R2 |
Profile
Wang Han was an Army Supervisor of Shu-Han. The Records give him no biography of his own; he appears once each in the Biographies of Jiang Wan, Fei Yi and Jiang Wei in Records of Shu 14 and the Biographies of Wang, Guanqiu, Zhuge, Deng and Zhong in Records of Wei 28. When, on Jiang Wei's proposal, the defensive positions of Hanzhong withdrew their troops and fell back to hold the two cities of Hancheng and Lecheng (樂城), he was put in charge of Lecheng. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, origin, or dates of birth and death. Records, Shu 14 §41–42
In the autumn of the 4th year of Jingyuan (263), when Zhong Hui of Wei invaded Hanzhong, he held Lecheng with 5,000 troops. Li Fu besieged Lecheng, but Zhong Hui attacked Lecheng and could not take it. He does not appear in the assessments of Records of Shu 14 or Records of Wei 28. Records, Wei 28 §103–104 · 140Records, Shu 14 §45 · 52
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 113 as part of Jiang Wei's left army, and he appears in 3 of its 120 chapters; no chapter has his name in its title. In Chapter 113 he loses his camp to Deng Ai's surprise attack through a tunnel, and in Chapter 116, learning that Hanzhong has been lost, he opens the gates of Lecheng and surrenders. Romance, Ch. 113 §23 · 27Romance, Ch. 116 §38
In the Records
At first, when the Former Lord (Liu Bei) left Wei Yan to hold Hanzhong, he had the various defensive positions fully manned to ward off outside enemies, and Wang Ping's repulse of Cao Shuang in the campaign of Xingshi also followed this system. Jiang Wei argued that spreading troops out to hold each position could ward off the enemy but would not win any great advantage, and proposed that, on hearing that the enemy was coming, it would be better for the positions to withdraw their troops, gather the grain and fall back on the two cities of Hancheng and Lecheng (樂城). The enemy would be kept from entering the plain while the passes were held in depth, and on the day the exhausted enemy withdrew, the cities would sally out together and strike in concert with mobile forces, so that the enemy could be annihilated. Records, Shu 14 §41–42
Accordingly the Area Commander of Hanzhong, Hu Ji, was pulled back to stay at Hanshou (漢壽), the Army Supervisor Wang Han was set to guard Lecheng and the Protector of the Army Jiang Bin to guard Hancheng, and defensive positions were also set up and garrisoned at Xi'an, Jianwei, Wuwei, Shimen, Wucheng, Jianchang and Linyuan. The Biography of Jiang Wei records this between the entry on Jiang Wei's return to Chengdu in the 1st year of Jingyao (258) and the entry on his advance to Houhe in the 5th year of Jingyao (262). Records, Shu 14 §40 · 42–43
In the autumn of the 4th year of Jingyuan (263), Wei had Deng Ai and Zhuge Xu each lead more than 30,000 men to pin down Jiang Wei and cut off his way back, and had Zhong Hui lead a host of more than 100,000 to enter in separate columns by the Xie Valley and the Luo Valley. Shu ordered its various defensive positions not to give battle but to fall back and hold the two cities of Hancheng and Lecheng. The Biography of Zhong Hui records that the Shu Army Supervisor Wang Han held Lecheng and the Protector of the Army Jiang Bin held Hancheng, each with 5,000 troops. Zhong Hui gave the Protector of the Army Xun Kai and the General of the Front Li Fu 10,000 men each, and had Xun Kai besiege Hancheng and Li Fu besiege Lecheng. Records, Wei 28 §103–104
According to the Biography of Jiang Wei, Zhong Hui besieged the two cities of Hancheng and Lecheng and sent a separate general to attack the pass entrance, where Jiang Shu opened the gates and went out to surrender and Fu Qian died fighting. Zhong Hui attacked Lecheng but could not take it, and on hearing that the pass entrance had already fallen, he drove far forward. Records, Shu 14 §45
Chen Shou's main text does not record what became of Wang Han afterward. The assessment of Records of Shu 14 discusses Jiang Wan, Fei Yi and Jiang Wei, and that of Records of Wei 28 discusses Wang Ling, Guanqiu Jian, Zhuge Dan, Zhong Hui and others, but neither mentions Wang Han. Records, Shu 14 §45 · 52Records, Wei 28 §104 · 140
In the Romance
In Chapter 113 of the Romance, in the winter of the 1st year of Jingyao (258), when the General-in-Chief Jiang Wei sets out once more to attack Wei, he makes Liao Hua and Zhang Yi the vanguard, Wang Han and Jiang Bin the left army, Jiang Shu and Fu Qian the right army and Hu Ji the rear army, and himself takes command of the central army together with Xiahou Ba, raising 200,000 Shu troops. Romance, Ch. 113 §23
Jiang Wei pitches three separate camps at the mouth of the Qishan valley, but Deng Ai has gauged the lie of the land in advance, left that ground free and dug a tunnel, which runs straight into the middle of the left camp set up by Wang Han and Jiang Bin. Wang Han and Jiang Bin, who have not yet properly finished their camp and dare not take off their armor for fear of a raid, are struck from within and without when an uproar breaks out in the middle of the camp at night and Deng Zhong attacks from outside; they fight desperately, then abandon the camp and flee. The next day the two gather their defeated troops and prostrate themselves before the main camp to ask for punishment, but Jiang Wei says, 'The fault is not yours but mine, for not understanding the lie of the land', and assigns them troops and horses again to set up camp. Romance, Ch. 113 §24–27 · 29
In Chapter 115 Jiang Wei, having decided to go to Tazhong to set up military farms, has his commanders withdraw their troops, gather the grain and fall back to hold Hanzhong. He has Hu Ji guard the city of Hanshou, Wang Han Lecheng (樂城) and Jiang Bin Hancheng, and has Jiang Shu and Fu Qian guard the passes and strongholds together. Romance, Ch. 115 §29–30
In Chapter 116, when Zhong Hui invades, Wang Han, seeing how strong the Wei army is, dares not come out to fight and simply shuts his gates and holds, and Zhong Hui has Li Fu of the front army surround Lecheng and the Protector of the Army Xun Kai surround Hancheng, while he himself leads the main army to take Yang'an Pass. A courier who later reaches Jiang Wei reports that Yang'an Pass has fallen, Jiang Shu has surrendered and Fu Qian has died fighting, and that Wang Han, guarding Lecheng, and Jiang Bin, guarding Hancheng, learning that Hanzhong has been lost, have also opened their gates and surrendered. Romance, Ch. 116 §20 · 38
Where the Romance differs
The fate of Lecheng: In Chapter 116 of the Romance, Wang Han, learning that Hanzhong has been lost, opens the gates of Lecheng and surrenders. In the Biography of Jiang Wei in the Records, Zhong Hui attacked Lecheng but could not take it and pressed on, and Chen Shou's main text says nothing of Wang Han surrendering. Romance, Ch. 116 §38Records, Shu 14 §45Records, Wei 28 §104
When he was given Lecheng: In Chapter 115 of the Romance, Jiang Wei entrusts Lecheng to Wang Han as he leaves for Tazhong to set up military farms. In the Biography of Jiang Wei in the Records, it is recorded as an assignment made on Jiang Wei's proposal to pull the various positions of Hanzhong back to Hancheng and Lecheng, and Jiang Wei's stay at Tazhong came later, after his defeat by Deng Ai at Houhe in the 5th year of Jingyao (262). Romance, Ch. 115 §29–30Records, Shu 14 §41–43
The tunnel battle at Qishan: In Chapter 113 of the Romance, Wang Han goes out to Qishan in the winter of the 1st year of Jingyao (258) as part of Jiang Wei's left army and loses his camp to Deng Ai's surprise attack through a tunnel. In the Biography of Jiang Wei in the Records, Jiang Wei returned to Chengdu in the 1st year of Jingyao on hearing that Zhuge Dan had been defeated, and neither of the two records of Wang Han in the Records mentions any fighting with Deng Ai. Romance, Ch. 113 §23 · 25 · 27Records, Shu 14 §40 · 42Records, Wei 28 §104
Office and troops: The Romance calls Wang Han only a commander of the left army, a Shu general and the commander guarding Lecheng, and does not give the number of his troops. In the Records he appears as Army Supervisor, and the Biography of Zhong Hui gives the troops at Lecheng as 5,000. Romance, Ch. 113 §23Romance, Ch. 116 §20 · 38Records, Shu 14 §42Records, Wei 28 §104
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 total420 / 1000Rank 496 of 996 · Top 50%Romance total365 / 1000Rank 771 of 1,113 · Top 70%
Romance adaptation index−55Romance total − Records total
- LEA6040−20
- STR4042+2
- INT4238−4
- POL4035−5
- CHA4238−4
- VIR4835−13
- ADP4540−5
- SCH3531−4
- DIP3333±0
- DIS3533−2
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated from his not yielding Lecheng to Zhong Hui's attackShu 14 §45
NOpened the city gates and surrendered on news that Hanzhong had been lostCh. 116 §38
8 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a garrison commanderWei 28 §104
NFought desperately when attacked from within and without, but could not holdCh. 113 §27
RNo direct record — estimated from his role in Jiang Wei's defensive deploymentShu 14 §42
NNo direct record — estimated from his actionsCh. 113 §27
RNo direct record — estimated from his office as Army SupervisorShu 14 §42
NNo direct record — estimated from his role in guarding LechengCh. 115 §30
RNo direct record — estimated from his actionsWei 28 §104
NNo direct record — estimated from his actionsCh. 113 §23
RNo direct record — estimated from his actionsShu 14 §45
NShut his gates and held, but surrendered once Hanzhong was lostCh. 116 §20Ch. 116 §38
RNo direct record — estimated from his military careerShu 14 §42
NNo direct record — estimated from his military careerCh. 113 §23
RNo direct record — estimated from his actionsShu 14 §42
NNo direct record — estimated from his actionsCh. 113 §23
RNo direct record — estimated from his actionsShu 14 §42
NNo direct record — estimated from his actionsCh. 113 §23
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 (3)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Shu · Romance · Romance ch. 116 「时蜀将王含守乐城，蒋斌守汉城，见魏兵势大，不敢出战，只闭门自守」 · Q124664936
Related events (2)
- Jiang Wei Defeats Deng Ai in Battle Formation 258 · Appears (Romance scene)
- Conquest of Shu by Wei 263 · Command
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).