RNo direct record — estimated from his being a general who led a cavalry pursuitShu 5 §35
NCut down Xie Xiong and Gong Qi within three bouts and struck Zhang Ni with a meteor hammerCh. 97 §16Ch. 97 §31Ch. 97 §32
Wang Shuang 王雙
| Occupation | RGeneral · General NGeneral · General of Tiger Might | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | R? Unverified | Native place | Longxi Commandery Didao |
| Died | R228 Unverified | Place of death | |
| Cause of death | RKilled in battle NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R5 |
Profile
Wang Shuang was a general of Wei. In the winter of the 6th year of Jianxing (228), when Zhuge Liang came out through San Pass and besieged Chencang but withdrew after his provisions ran out, Wang Shuang pursued him with cavalry, was defeated by Zhuge Liang and was beheaded. The Records give him no biography of his own; the episode is recorded in the Biography of the Later Sovereign in Records of Shu 3 and the Biography of Zhuge Liang in Records of Shu 5. Records, Shu 3 §9Records, Shu 5 §35
In an edict the following year restoring Zhuge Liang as Chancellor, the Later Sovereign said, 'Last year you displayed the might of the army and beheaded Wang Shuang.' The account of Zhu Huan in Records of Wu 11 also mentions a Wang Shuang who was captured in the battle of Ruxu in the 1st year of Huangwu (222) and sent to Wuchang, but Chen Shou's main text does not make clear whether the two Wang Shuangs are the same person. Records, Shu 5 §35–36Records, Wu 11 §51–52
Chen Shou did not mention him separately in his assessment. In the Romance he appears in Chapter 97 as a man of Didao in Longxi recommended by Cao Zhen, a general who wields a 60-jin great saber and meteor hammers, and, as the title of Chapter 98, 'Wang Shuang Is Slain While Pursuing the Han Army', has it, he is cut down by Wei Yan. Counting Chapter 85, where the same name appears, he appears in 4 of the 120 chapters. Records, Shu 5 §66–67Romance, Ch. 97 §16Romance, Ch. 98 §22Romance, Ch. 85 §9
In the Records
According to the account of Zhu Huan in Records of Wu 11, in the 1st year of Huangwu (222) Wei's Grand Marshal Cao Ren led several tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry toward Ruxu. Cao Ren sent his son Cao Tai to attack the city of Ruxu, and separately dispatched General Chang Diao to lead Zhuge Qian, Wang Shuang and others aboard oiled boats in a separate raid on Zhongzhou. Zhu Huan's troops attacked and seized the oiled boats and separately struck Chang Diao and the others, and in the end they beheaded Chang Diao and displayed his head, and captured Wang Shuang alive and sent him to Wuchang. Chen Shou's main text does not make clear whether this Wang Shuang is the same person as the Wei general later beheaded by Zhuge Liang. Records, Wu 11 §49 · 51–52
In the winter of the 6th year of Jianxing (228), Zhuge Liang again came out through San Pass and besieged Chencang, but when Cao Zhen blocked him, his provisions ran out and he turned back. When the Wei general Wang Shuang pursued Zhuge Liang with cavalry, Zhuge Liang fought him, defeated him and beheaded Wang Shuang. The Biography of the Later Sovereign records that when the Wei commander Wang Shuang led troops in pursuit of Zhuge Liang, Zhuge Liang met him in battle, defeated him and beheaded him, and then returned to Hanzhong. Records, Shu 5 §35Records, Shu 3 §9
The following year, the 7th year of Jianxing (229), Zhuge Liang sent Chen Shi to pacify Wudu and Yinping. The Later Sovereign issued an edict restoring as Chancellor Zhuge Liang, who had demoted himself in rank over the battle of Jieting, saying, 'Last year you displayed the might of the army and beheaded Wang Shuang; this year you set out on campaign and put Guo Huai to flight; you brought the Di and the Qiang to submission and recovered two commanderies.' Records, Shu 5 §35–36
Chen Shou's main text does not record Wang Shuang's courtesy name, origin or year of birth. In his assessment in the Biography of Zhuge Liang, Chen Shou called Zhuge Liang an excellent talent who understood governance, yet said that his failure to achieve success despite mobilizing troops year after year was perhaps because adaptable generalship was not his strength; he said nothing separately about Wang Shuang. Records, Shu 3 §9Records, Shu 5 §35–36 · 66–67
In the Romance
In Chapter 85 of the Romance, Zhu Huan, who is guarding Ruxu, receives a report that Cao Ren has ordered his senior general Chang Diao, together with Zhuge Qian and Wang Shuang, to lead 50,000 picked troops and race to the city of Ruxu. In this passage of the Romance, Wang Shuang appears only by name, and in the fighting it is Chang Diao who is cut down by Zhu Huan. Romance, Ch. 85 §9 · 12
In Chapter 97, when Zhuge Liang submits another memorial and comes out to the mouth of the Chencang road, the General-in-Chief Cao Zhen recommends as vanguard a senior general he has recently acquired: Wang Shuang, courtesy name Ziquan, a man of Didao in Longxi, who wields a 60-jin great saber, rides a Dayuan warhorse that can run a thousand li, draws an iron-cored bow of two dan and carries three meteor hammers hidden on his person. He is depicted as nine chi tall, with a dark face and yellow eyes, and Cao Rui appoints him General of Tiger Might and Grand Vanguard of the Front Division. Romance, Ch. 97 §15–17
Coming to relieve Chencang, which Hao Zhao is holding, Wang Shuang splits the Shu lieutenant Xie Xiong in two with a single stroke of his saber in fewer than three bouts, then gives chase and cuts down Gong Qi within three bouts as well. After fighting Zhang Ni for several bouts, he feigns defeat and flees, hurls a meteor hammer that strikes Zhang Ni in the back, and inflicts heavy casualties on the Shu army. Zhang Ni reports that Wang Shuang has pitched a camp outside the walls of Chencang with 20,000 troops, with palisades, a double wall and deep moats, and Zhuge Liang, following Jiang Wei's advice, has Wei Yan guard the mouth of the Chencang road and then advances on Mount Qi. Romance, Ch. 97 §29 · 31–34
In Chapter 98, following Guo Huai's advice, Cao Zhen has Wang Shuang patrol the narrow roads. As Zhuge Liang withdraws his army, he sends a secret plan to Wei Yan, who is holding off Wang Shuang on the Chencang road. When Wei Yan breaks camp at night and returns to Hanzhong, Wang Shuang pursues him for more than 20 li, but on hearing shouts from behind that the camp outside the city is on fire, he pulls his troops back. When Wei Yan, who has been hiding in the woods, bursts out on the left side of a hillside, Wang Shuang, with no time to react, is cut from his horse by a single stroke of Wei Yan's blade. Wei Yan had hidden thirty horsemen beside Wang Shuang's camp and had them set the fire. Romance, Ch. 98 §6–7 · 18 · 21–22 · 24
When Hao Zhao in the city of Chencang reports that Wang Shuang has been slain, Cao Zhen grieves without end, and his worry turns into illness, so he returns to Luoyang. In Chapter 99, the edict that the Later Sovereign sends by Fei Yi restores Zhuge Liang as Chancellor, saying that last year he displayed the might of the army and beheaded Wang Shuang. Romance, Ch. 98 §25Romance, Ch. 99 §16
Where the Romance differs
Introduction and office: In Chapter 97 of the Romance, Wang Shuang is a man of Didao in Longxi recommended by Cao Zhen, with the courtesy name Ziquan, and Cao Rui appoints him General of Tiger Might and Grand Vanguard of the Front Division. In the Records he appears only as 'a general of Wei' and 'a Wei commander', and his courtesy name, origin and title of office are not recorded. Romance, Ch. 97 §16–17Records, Shu 5 §35Records, Shu 3 §9
The relief of Chencang: In Chapter 97 of the Romance, Wang Shuang comes to relieve Chencang, cuts down Xie Xiong and Gong Qi, and strikes Zhang Ni with a meteor hammer. The only record of Wang Shuang in the Records is that he was beheaded while pursuing Zhuge Liang, and this battle does not appear. Romance, Ch. 97 §31–32Records, Shu 3 §9Records, Shu 5 §35
The timing of the pursuit: In Chapter 98 of the Romance, Wang Shuang pursues Wei Yan, who, on the orders of Zhuge Liang as he withdraws from Mount Qi, leaves the Chencang road and returns to Hanzhong. In the Records, it was when Zhuge Liang, having besieged Chencang, was blocked by Cao Zhen and turned back after his provisions ran out that Wang Shuang pursued him with cavalry. Romance, Ch. 98 §18 · 21Records, Shu 5 §35
Who killed him: In Chapter 98 of the Romance, Wei Yan, having received Zhuge Liang's secret plan, sets fire to the camp, hides in the woods and cuts down Wang Shuang. The Records say only that Zhuge Liang fought Wang Shuang, defeated him and beheaded him, and Wei Yan's name does not appear. Romance, Ch. 98 §22 · 24Records, Shu 5 §35Records, Shu 3 §9
The battle of Ruxu: In Chapter 85 of the Romance, Wang Shuang only comes to the city of Ruxu with Chang Diao and Zhuge Qian. In the account of Zhu Huan in Records of Wu 11 in the Records, Chang Diao was beheaded and Wang Shuang was captured alive and sent to Wuchang. Romance, Ch. 85 §9 · 12Records, Wu 11 §51–52
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 total351 / 1000Rank 897 of 996 · Top 91%Romance total434 / 1000Rank 308 of 1,113 · Top 28%
Romance adaptation index+83Romance total − Records total
- LEA3260+28
- STR4886+38
- INT3542+7
- POL3131±0
- CHA3542+7
- VIR4250+8
- ADP3530−5
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3131±0
- DIS3131±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RPursued Zhuge Liang and was defeated (the sources do not say whether he is the Wang Shuang captured at Zhongzhou)Shu 3 §9Wu 11 §52
NRouted the Shu army and pitched a tightly guarded camp outside ChencangCh. 97 §32Ch. 97 §33
8 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his being a generalShu 3 §9
NLured Zhang Ni with a feigned retreat, but fell into Wei Yan's ambushCh. 97 §32Ch. 98 §22
RNo direct record — estimated from his being a generalShu 3 §9
NNo direct record — estimated from his being a military commanderCh. 97 §16
RNo direct record — estimated from his being a generalShu 3 §9
NNo direct record — estimated from his being a military commanderCh. 97 §16
RNo direct record — estimated from his being a generalShu 3 §9
NNo direct record — estimated from his being a military commanderCh. 97 §16
RNo direct record — estimated from his being a generalShu 3 §9
NPursued Wei Yan recklessly and was cut down in an ambushCh. 98 §21Ch. 98 §22
RNo direct record — estimated from his being a generalShu 3 §9
NNo direct record — estimated from his being a military commanderCh. 97 §16
RNo direct record — estimated from his being a generalShu 3 §9
NNo direct record — estimated from his being a military commanderCh. 97 §16
RNo direct record — estimated from his being a generalShu 3 §9
NNo direct record — estimated from his being a military commanderCh. 97 §16
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 (4)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Related events (4)
- Battle of Ruxu 222~223 · Command
- Siege of Chencang 228 · Command
- Wang Shuang Slain Pursuing the Han Army 228 · Appears (Romance scene)
- Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions 228~234 · Command
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).
Items owned or made (2)
- Liuxingchui · Weapon · 228~ · Romance
- Tietaigong · Weapon · 228~ · Romance
Ownership and authorship assigned by 3KDEX from source sentences — not yet reviewed (unverified).