RRemonstrated against welcoming the First SovereignShu 1 §16
NForesaw the danger, calling Zhang Lu a minor ailment and Liu Bei a grave oneCh. 60 §43
Wang Lei 王累
| Occupation | RNOfficial · Attendant Officer | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | Native place | Guanghan Commandery | |
| Cause of death | NSuicide Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R2 |
Profile
Wang Lei was a man of Guanghan and an Attendant Officer under Liu Zhang, who governed Yi Province. When Liu Zhang, following the advice of his Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage Zhang Song, sent Fa Zheng to invite the First Sovereign (Liu Bei), the Registrar Huang Quan set out the advantages and dangers, and Wang Lei hung himself upside down from the provincial city gate to remonstrate, but Liu Zhang accepted none of it. Records, Shu 1 §15–16
He has no biography of his own in Chen Shou's main text and appears only in this one passage of the Biographies of the Two Governors Liu in Records of Shu 1. His courtesy name, his later career and his death are not recorded, and the assessment in Records of Shu 1 discusses only Liu Yan and Liu Zhang and does not deal with him. Records, Shu 1 §16 · 21–22
In the Romance he appears only in one chapter, Chapter 60, and his name is not in its title. The Romance depicts him remonstrating once before the tent when Liu Zhang sends Fa Zheng as envoy, and then, on the day Liu Zhang sets out for the city of Fu to welcome Liu Bei, hanging himself upside down from the city gate, presenting a written remonstrance, and then cutting the rope himself and falling to his death. Romance, Ch. 60 §43–44 · 58–60
In the Records
The Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage Zhang Song, having returned from meeting Lord Cao, urged Liu Zhang to break with Lord Cao and persuaded him that Liu of Yu Province was a close blood relative of His Excellency and worth befriending. Liu Zhang sent Fa Zheng to establish friendly relations with the First Sovereign (Liu Bei); later, when Zhang Song again persuaded him that the various commanders within the province were relying on their merits and harboring disloyal intentions, and that without Liu of Yu Province he would surely be defeated, Liu Zhang again followed him and sent Fa Zheng to invite the First Sovereign. Records, Shu 1 §15–16
At this time Liu Zhang's Registrar Huang Quan set out the advantages and dangers, and the Attendant Officer Wang Lei of Guanghan hung himself upside down from the provincial city gate to remonstrate. Liu Zhang accepted none of it and ordered every place along the way to receive and provide for the First Sovereign. Records, Shu 1 §16
The First Sovereign entered the territory as if returning home and reached Fu County in the 16th year of Jian'an (211), and Liu Zhang went to meet him leading more than 30,000 infantry and cavalry, and they feasted happily for over a hundred days. The following year the First Sovereign turned his troops south from Jiameng, and in the 19th year (214), when he besieged Chengdu for several dozen days, Liu Zhang opened the city gates, came out and surrendered. Records, Shu 1 §16–18
This one passage is the only place where Wang Lei appears in Chen Shou's main text, and his courtesy name, his later career and his death are not recorded. The assessment in Records of Shu 1 says only that Liu Zhang, lacking the talent of a hero, held territory in a time of disorder, so that his losing it was no misfortune, and does not deal with Wang Lei. Records, Shu 1 §16 · 22
In the Romance
In Chapter 60 of the Romance, Zhang Song urges Liu Zhang to make friends with the Imperial Uncle Liu of Jing Province as an outside ally, and Liu Zhang sends Fa Zheng as envoy and has Meng Da lead 5,000 picked troops to welcome Xuande. When the Registrar Huang Quan objects and is not heeded, another man stops him, crying, 'No! No!' — it is Wang Lei, the Attendant Officer before the tent. Romance, Ch. 60 §38–43
Wang Lei kowtows and says that listening to Zhang Song is bringing disaster upon oneself, and that while Zhang Lu's incursions on the border are a minor ailment like scabies or ringworm, Liu Bei's entering Xichuan would be a grave affliction of the heart and belly. Liu Bei is the fierce hero of the age; earlier, when he served Cao Cao, he plotted to harm him, and later, when he followed Sun Quan, he seized Jing Province, so if he is invited in, Xichuan will be finished. Liu Zhang rebukes him never to talk such nonsense again and has the two men helped out. Romance, Ch. 60 §43–44
When Liu Bei enters Xichuan, Liu Zhang intends to go out in person to the city of Fu to welcome him; Huang Quan remonstrates, biting the hem of his robe until two of his front teeth break, and Li Hui too remonstrates and is dragged out. The next day, as Liu Zhang leaves by the Yuqiao Gate, Wang Lei hangs himself upside down from the city gate with a rope, holding a written remonstrance in one hand and a sword in the other, and cries out that if his remonstrance is not followed he will cut the rope and fall to his death. The written remonstrance cites how King Huai of Chu ignored the words of Qu Yuan, went to a covenant meeting at the Wu Pass and was trapped by Qin, warns that if Liu Zhang goes to welcome Liu Bei at the city of Fu there may be a road out but no road back, and urges him to behead Zhang Song in the marketplace and break off his agreement with Liu Bei. Romance, Ch. 60 §54–59
When Liu Zhang flies into a rage, saying that meeting a benevolent man is like keeping company with fragrant herbs and orchids, so why does Wang Lei keep insulting him, Wang Lei gives one loud cry, cuts the rope himself, and falls to the ground and dies. The Romance includes a poem by a later writer saying that Huang Quan broke his teeth but in the end surrendered to Liu Bei, so how could his keeping of integrity compare with Wang Lei's firmness. After meeting Liu Bei at the city of Fu, Liu Zhang tells his officials that it is laughable how men like Huang Quan and Wang Lei, not knowing the heart of his clan elder brother, groundlessly suspected him. Romance, Ch. 60 §59–61 · 64–65
Where the Romance differs
Number of remonstrances: In Chapter 60 of the Romance, Wang Lei remonstrates once before the tent when Liu Zhang sends Fa Zheng as envoy, and once more, hanging from the city gate, on the day Liu Zhang sets out for the city of Fu. The Records state only once that Wang Lei hung himself upside down from the city gate to remonstrate when Liu Zhang sent Fa Zheng to invite the First Sovereign. Romance, Ch. 60 §43–44 · 58Records, Shu 1 §16
When he hung himself: In the Romance, Wang Lei hangs from the city gate on the day Liu Zhang leaves by the Yuqiao Gate to welcome Liu Bei. In the Records it is recorded as happening when Liu Zhang sent Fa Zheng to invite the First Sovereign, and only after that did Liu Zhang go to Fu County to meet the First Sovereign. Romance, Ch. 60 §58Records, Shu 1 §16
Content of the remonstrance: Chapter 60 of the Romance gives Wang Lei's words and his written remonstrance, saying that Zhang Lu is a minor ailment while Liu Bei is a grave one, and citing King Huai of Chu to urge that Zhang Song be beheaded. The Records say only that Wang Lei remonstrated and do not give his words. Romance, Ch. 60 §43 · 58–59Records, Shu 1 §16
Death: In Chapter 60 of the Romance, when his remonstrance is not accepted, Wang Lei cuts the rope himself and falls to the ground and dies. Chen Shou's main text says only that he hung himself upside down from the city gate to remonstrate, with no mention of his dying. Romance, Ch. 60 §60Records, Shu 1 §16
Origin: The Records describe him as 'the Attendant Officer, a man of Guanghan'. The Romance calls him only 'the Attendant Officer before the tent' and 'Attendant Officer of Yi Province', without stating where he came from. Records, Shu 1 §16Romance, Ch. 60 §43 · 58
Liu Zhang's ridicule: In Chapter 60 of the Romance, after meeting Liu Bei at the city of Fu, Liu Zhang says it is laughable how men like Huang Quan and Wang Lei groundlessly suspected him. The Records have no such words and say only that Liu Zhang feasted happily with the First Sovereign for over a hundred days. Romance, Ch. 60 §65Records, Shu 1 §16
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 total428 / 1000Rank 461 of 996 · Top 47%Romance total462 / 1000Rank 189 of 1,113 · Top 17%
Romance adaptation index+34Romance total − Records total
- LEA3131±0
- STR3131±0
- INT5060+10
- POL4545±0
- CHA4042+2
- VIR7888+10
- ADP3535±0
- SCH4042+2
- DIP4050+10
- DIS3838±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RHung himself upside down from the provincial city gate to remonstrateShu 1 §16
NRemonstrated hanging from the city gate, then cut the rope and died, honored for his integrityCh. 60 §58Ch. 60 §60Ch. 60 §61
RRemonstrated, but Liu Zhang accepted none of itShu 1 §16
NRemonstrated with reasoned arguments but failed to persuade Liu ZhangCh. 60 §43Ch. 60 §65
7 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his being recorded as Liu Zhang's Attendant OfficerShu 1 §16
NNo direct record — estimated from his being recorded as Liu Zhang's Attendant OfficerCh. 60 §43
RNo direct record — estimated from his being recorded as Liu Zhang's Attendant OfficerShu 1 §16
NNo direct record — estimated from his being recorded as Liu Zhang's Attendant OfficerCh. 60 §43
RNo direct record — estimated from his being recorded as Liu Zhang's Attendant OfficerShu 1 §16
NNo direct record — estimated from his being recorded as Liu Zhang's Attendant OfficerCh. 60 §43
RNo direct record — estimated from his being recorded as Liu Zhang's Attendant OfficerShu 1 §16
NNo direct record — estimated from his being recorded as Liu Zhang's Attendant OfficerCh. 60 §43
RNo direct record — estimated from his being recorded as Liu Zhang's Attendant OfficerShu 1 §16
NNo direct record — estimated from his being recorded as Liu Zhang's Attendant OfficerCh. 60 §43
RNo direct record — estimated from his being recorded as Liu Zhang's Attendant OfficerShu 1 §16
NPresented a written remonstrance citing old sayingsCh. 60 §58
RNo direct record — estimated from his being recorded as Liu Zhang's Attendant OfficerShu 1 §16
NNo direct record — estimated from his being recorded as Liu Zhang's Attendant OfficerCh. 60 §43
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 (1)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Liu Zhang faction · Records · 「從事廣漢王累自倒縣於州門以諫」