Wang Yan 王琰
| Occupation | RNGeneral · Commandant of Shangluo | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R3 |
Profile
Wang Yan was Commandant of Shangluo at the end of the Later Han. He has no biography of his own in the Records, and his name appears once, in the Annals of Emperor Wu in Records of Wei 1. In the 11th year of Jian'an (206), when Cao Cao besieged the Hu Pass for three months and took it, Gao Gan, who had rebelled with Bing Province, fled toward Jing Province but was captured and beheaded by Wang Yan, Commandant of Shangluo. Records, Wei 1 §93–94
Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name or origin, nor his later deeds or death, and he does not appear in the assessment of the Annals of Emperor Wu. The Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao in Records of Wei 6 record the same event without his name, saying that the Commandant of Shangluo captured and beheaded Gao Gan. Records, Wei 1 §94 · 173Records, Wei 6 §69
In the Romance he appears only in Chapter 33, and no chapter has his name in its title. When Gao Gan, on his way to seek refuge with Liu Biao, reaches Shangluo, he is killed by the Commandant Wang Yan, who sends his head to Cao Cao and is enfeoffed as a full marquis. Romance, Ch. 33 §29
In the Records
Earlier, Yuan Shao had made his nephew Gao Gan Governor of Bing Province, and when Cao Cao took Ye, Gao Gan surrendered and so was kept on as Inspector of Bing Province. Hearing that Cao Cao was attacking the Wuhuan, Gao Gan rebelled with Bing Province, seized the Administrator of Shangdang and raised troops to hold the mouth of the Hu Pass. When Cao Cao sent Yue Jin and Li Dian to attack him, Gao Gan withdrew to hold the city of the Hu Pass. Records, Wei 1 §93
In the 1st month, spring, of the 11th year of Jian'an (206), Cao Cao attacked Gao Gan. Hearing of it, Gao Gan left his subordinate commanders to hold the city and fled to the Xiongnu to ask the chanyu for help, but the chanyu refused him. Cao Cao besieged the Hu Pass for three months and took it, and Gao Gan at last fled toward Jing Province but was captured and beheaded by Wang Yan, Commandant of Shangluo. Records, Wei 1 §93–94
The Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao in Records of Wei 6 record that Gao Gan left his commanders Xia Zhao (夏昭) and Deng Sheng to hold the city and went in person to the chanyu of the Xiongnu to ask for help; failing to get it, he fled alone with a few horsemen, intending to escape south to Jing Province, but the Commandant of Shangluo captured and beheaded him. Wang Yan's name does not appear in this passage. Records, Wei 6 §69
This passage of the Annals of Emperor Wu is the only place in Chen Shou's main text where Wang Yan's name appears, and his courtesy name and origin, his later deeds and death, and any reward he received for beheading Gao Gan are not recorded. He does not appear in the assessment of the Annals of Emperor Wu or in that of the Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao either. Records, Wei 1 §94 · 173Records, Wei 6 §69 · 96–97
In the Romance
In Chapter 33 of the Romance, following Xun You's plan, Cao Cao has the surrendered commanders Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang (呂翔) go over to Gao Gan in feigned surrender. Taking their word, Gao Gan sets out at night to raid Cao Cao's camp but is caught by ambushes springing up on all sides, and when he hurries back to the city of the Hu Pass, Yue Jin and Li Dian have already taken the pass. Cutting his way out, Gao Gan goes to seek refuge with the chanyu and meets the Wise King of the Left of the Northern Fan to ask for help, but the Wise King of the Left, saying he has no quarrel with Cao Cao, rebukes him and sends him away. Romance, Ch. 33 §26–29
With nowhere left to go, Gao Gan has no choice but to set out to seek refuge with Liu Biao, and when he reaches Shangluo he is killed by the Commandant Wang Yan. Wang Yan sends his head to Cao Cao, and Cao Cao enfeoffs Wang Yan as a full marquis. This passage is the only place in the Romance where Wang Yan appears. Romance, Ch. 33 §29
Where the Romance differs
The killing of Gao Gan: In Chapter 33 of the Romance, Gao Gan is killed by the Commandant Wang Yan when he reaches Shangluo, and Wang Yan sends his head to Cao Cao. The Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records say only that Wang Yan, Commandant of Shangluo, captured and beheaded Gao Gan as he fled toward Jing Province, and do not record the sending of the head. Romance, Ch. 33 §29Records, Wei 1 §94
The reward: In Chapter 33 of the Romance, Cao Cao enfeoffs Wang Yan as a full marquis. In Chen Shou's main text, neither the Annals of Emperor Wu nor the Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao record any reward Wang Yan received for this. Romance, Ch. 33 §29Records, Wei 1 §94Records, Wei 6 §69
Gao Gan's flight: In Chapter 33 of the Romance, Gao Gan, having lost the Hu Pass, asks the Wise King of the Left of the Northern Fan for help, is rebuked and sent away, and then tries to go to Liu Biao. In the Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records, Gao Gan left the city to his subordinate commanders and asked the chanyu of the Xiongnu for help but was refused, and fled toward Jing Province after Cao Cao had besieged the Hu Pass for three months and taken it. Romance, Ch. 33 §28–29Records, Wei 1 §93–94
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.
- LEA4542−3
- STR4548+3
- INT4242±0
- POL4242±0
- CHA4040±0
- VIR4545±0
- ADP4245+3
- SCH4040±0
- DIP4242±0
- DIS3838±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
No ability differs by 10 or more — the Romance portrays this person much as the Records do.
10 similar abilities — show evidence
RAs Commandant of Shangluo, captured the fleeing Gao GanWei 1 §94
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Commandant at ShangluoCh. 33 §29
RCaptured and beheaded Gao GanWei 1 §94
NKilled Gao Gan at Shangluo and sent his head to Cao CaoCh. 33 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Commandant of ShangluoWei 1 §94
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Commandant at ShangluoCh. 33 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Commandant of ShangluoWei 1 §94
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Commandant at ShangluoCh. 33 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Commandant of ShangluoWei 1 §94
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Commandant at ShangluoCh. 33 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Commandant of ShangluoWei 1 §94
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Commandant at ShangluoCh. 33 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Commandant of ShangluoWei 1 §94
NSent Gao Gan's head to Cao Cao and was enfeoffed as a full marquisCh. 33 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Commandant of ShangluoWei 1 §94
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Commandant at ShangluoCh. 33 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Commandant of ShangluoWei 1 §94
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Commandant at ShangluoCh. 33 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Commandant of ShangluoWei 1 §94
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Commandant at ShangluoCh. 33 §29
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)
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