Wang Ping (died 248),

courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...

Zijun, was a military general of the state of

Shu Han Han (; 221–263), known in historiography as Shu Han ( ) or Ji Han ( "Junior Han"), or often shortened to Shu (; pinyin: ''shŭ'' <

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...

period of China. Originally a military officer serving under the warlord

Cao Cao Cao Cao () (; 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde (), was a Chinese statesman, warlord and poet. He was the penultimate Grand chancellor (China), grand chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the End of ...

in the late

Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

, in 218 he defected to Cao Cao's rival

Liu Bei Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who founded the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period and became its first ruler. Although he was a distant relative of the H ...

, who later became the founding emperor of Shu, during the

Hanzhong Campaign The Hanzhong Campaign was a military campaign launched by the warlord Liu Bei to seize control of Hanzhong Commandery from his rival, Cao Cao. The campaign took place between 217 and 219 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period. Althou ...

. Though he was a talented orator, Wang Ping never learned to read because he joined the army at a young age. Yet he did not let this disadvantage stop him and had his clerk help him with his reports. Known for his self discipline, he steadily rose through the ranks to become a senior general. During his career, he defeated

Zhang He Zhang He () (died July or August 231), courtesy name Junyi, was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He continued serving in the state of Cao Wei under its first two rulers, Cao Pi and ...

, quelled

Wei Yan Wei Yan () (died October 234), courtesy name Wenchang, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dy ...

's alleged rebellion and was the leading commander of the Shu forces during the

Battle of Xingshi The Battle of Xingshi was fought between the states of Cao Wei and Shu Han in 244 during the Three Kingdoms period in China. The location was at Mount Xingshi (), which is situated north of present-day Yang County, Shaanxi, and is now part of t ...

. The highest position he reached was Senior General Who Guards the North ().

Early life

Wang Ping was from Dangqu County, Baxi Commandery, which was around present-day

Qu County Qu County or Quxian () is a county in the northeast of Sichuan Province, China. It is the westernmost county-level division of the prefecture-level city of Dazhou. History Formerly known as Dangqu (), the county is best known for historic monumen ...

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

. Both he and another

Shu Han Han (; 221–263), known in historiography as Shu Han ( ) or Ji Han ( "Junior Han"), or often shortened to Shu (; pinyin: ''shŭ'' <

Ju Fu Ju Fu ( third century), courtesy name Xiaoxing, was a military officer of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period of China. His name is sometimes rendered as Gou Fu. Life Information about Ju Fu is recorded at the end of Wang Ping's ...

were natives from the same commandery of Baxi. He was raised by his maternal family, whose family name was He (), so he was also known as He Ping. He presumably changed his family name back to

Wang Wang may refer to: Names * Wang (surname) (王), a common Chinese surname * Wāng (汪), a less common Chinese surname * Titles in Chinese nobility * A title in Korean nobility * A title in Mongolian nobility Places * Wang River in Thailand ...

in his later years because historical records show no consistency in recording his name. It could also be possible that his name was changed to Wang Ping posthumously.

Service under Cao Cao

Wang Ping had good relations with the local tribes of Baxi and started his career under their leaders Du Huo () and Pu Hu (朴胡). In 215, after his defeat against

, Zhang Lu fled to them for help and better surrendering terms with Cao Cao. After Zhang Lu's surrender, Cao Cao had Du Huo and Pu Hu promoted to marquise with the mission of defending Badong (巴東) and Baxi (巴西) commanderies. However Du Huo and Pu Hu failed their mission and were defeated by Huang Quan and had to abandon Ba. After this, Wang Ping accompanied them to visit the Han imperial court,

Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...

where he was appointed as an acting colonel under

Xiahou Yuan Xiahou Yuan () (died 219), courtesy name Miaocai, was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He is known for his exploits in western China (in parts of present-day Ga ...

. In 217, when Cao Cao's rival

launched a campaign to seize control of the strategic Hanzhong Commandery, Wang Ping fought with Cao Cao's forces as a subordinate of Du Huo to counter Liu Bei's invasion. Around 218, when the situation became highly unfavourable for Cao Cao's side because they were running short of supplies, many of Cao Cao's soldiers started defecting to Liu Bei's side, which could provide food and shelter to them. Wang Ping was one of them.

Service under Shu

Liu Bei welcomed Wang Ping and appointed him as a Major-General. During his 10 years of service under Liu Bei and later under Liu Bei's son and successor

Liu Shan Liu Shan () (207–271), courtesy name Gongsi, was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. As he ascended the throne at the age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Lia ...

, Wang Ping did not make any recorded significant achievements. In 228, when

Zhuge Liang Zhuge Liang ( zh, t=諸葛亮 / 诸葛亮) (181 – September 234), courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman and military strategist. He was chancellor and later regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. He is r ...

, the Imperial Chancellor of Shu, launched the first of a series of military campaigns against Shu's rival state

Cao Wei Wei ( Hanzi: 魏; pinyin: ''Wèi'' <

Middle Chinese

: *''ŋjwei^C'' <

(founded by Cao Cao's son

Cao Pi Cao Pi () ( – 29 June 226), courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Cao Cao, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty, but the eldest son ...

), Wang Ping served as a subordinate of the Shu general

Ma Su Ma Su (190–228), courtesy name Youchang, was a military general and strategist of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period of China. Ma Su had conspicuous talent in military theories and was admired by the Shu chancellor Zhuge Liang. ...

, who led the vanguard force to attack the enemy at the

Battle of Jieting The Battle of Jieting was fought between the states of Cao Wei and Shu Han in 228 during the Three Kingdoms period in China. The battle was part of the first Northern Expedition led by Shu's chancellor-regent, Zhuge Liang, to attack Wei. The b ...

. As Ma Su's subordinate, Wang Ping advised his superior against camping on top of a hill away from water sources. Although Ma Su rejected Wang Ping's advice, he still put Wang Ping in command of a detachment of troops and let him set up a camp below the hill. As Wang Ping foresaw, the Wei general

led his troops to cut off the Shu army's access to water sources and surround them on the hill. Upon receiving news of Ma Su's dire situation, Wang Ping led his 1,000 troops to the hill and ordered them to beat their drums loudly to create the impression that reinforcements had arrived. Zhang He probably mistook the drum sounds as a signal for ambush units, so he did not attack in Wang Ping's direction and pulled back. Wang Ping was thus able to regroup Ma Su's remaining troops and gather the Shu army's scattered supplies. In the aftermath of the loss of Jieting, Zhuge Liang had Ma Su executed for his blunder but Wang Ping actions were met with honour and praise. Zhuge Liang appointed Wang Ping to Army Advisor with the mission to manage the five divisions and also the camp affairs. Hence, thanks to his courage, Wang Ping was promoted to the rank of General Who Attacks Bandits (討寇將軍) and given a fief as a Village Marquis. In 231, when Zhuge Liang launched the fourth campaign against Wei, he tasked Wang Ping with greater responsibilities by ordering him to guard a hill located south of a Shu fortress at Lucheng (). When the fortress came under attack, the Wei general Zhang He led his men to attack Wang Ping, but Wang Ping firmly defended his position and managed to hold off the attack and then drive back Zhang He. After Zhuge Liang's death in 234, Wei Yan and Yang Yi entered into a power struggle with Wei Yan blocking the retreat route of the Shu forces to keep up the fight against Wei. When they met in battle Yang Yi ordered him to lead the soldiers, before the battle started Wang Ping came forward and called out to Wei Yan: "His Excellency (Zhuge Liang) had just died and his body had yet to turn cold, and now you dare to do something like this!". Wei Yan's soldiers knew that he was in the wrong and so wouldn't follow his orders; they soon scattered. For his effort in quelling

's alleged mutiny, Wang Ping received credit and was appointed as the Administrator of

Hanzhong Hanzhong (; abbreviation: Han) is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Shaanxi province, China, bordering the provinces of Sichuan to the south and Gansu to the west. The founder of the Han dynasty, Liu Bang, was once enfeoffed as the ...

(漢中太守) under the supervision of a senior Shu general, Wu Yi. Following Wu Yi's death in 237, Wang Ping replaced him as the general who was overall-in-charge of military affairs in Hanzhong Commandery which put him in charge of the most important defensive location of Shu against the rival state of Wei. The Shu emperor

also enfeoffed Wang Ping as the Marquis of Anhan (安漢侯). After that, the General in Chief

Jiang Wan Jiang Wan (180s - November or December 246), courtesy name Gongyan, was a regent and military general of the state of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Born in the late Eastern Han dynasty, Jiang Wan initially served as a scribe, c ...

wanted to start an invasion of Wei by an alternative route and he named Wang Ping as the Vanguard Protector of the Army (前護軍). Jiang Wan was also given Wang Ping responsibility to manage his office affairs and staff. In 243, however due to his poor health, Jiang Wan had to abandon his plan for a large campaign against Wei and relocate his base to Fu County (涪縣; present-day Mianyang, Sichuan) yet he did promote Wang Ping to Vanguard Supervisor of the Army (前監軍) and Senior General Who Guards the North (鎮北大將軍).

Battle of Xingshi

The next year, 244 saw Wang Ping's greatest victory. The Wei regent

Cao Shuang Cao Shuang (died 9 February 249), courtesy name Zhaobo, was a Chinese military general and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the eldest son of Cao Zhen, a prominent general of Wei. He initially held ...

led more than 100 000 soldiers to attack Hanzhong Commandery. While Hanzhong Commandery had less than 30 000 men and Wang Ping's subordinates, feeling intimidated by the sheer size of the enemy force in comparison to them, urged their general to vacate the area for a more concentrated defence to the rear. An officer in Wang Ping's staff said: However Wang Ping answered: Among Wang Ping's officers, the General Who Protects the Army () Liu Min insisted on following the defence arrangements previously set up by

(when he was in charge of Hanzhong Commandery) to resist Wei invasions. Wang Ping agreed with Liu Min and ordered the troops to advance to Xingshi and occupy the mountains. Although he had only less than 30,000 troops at the time, the enemy did not know the strength of his army. Liu Min also ordered the Shu troops to erect a flow of flags and streamers across the mountain to create the impression of a larger army. When Cao Shuang led his army far into Shu's territory, Wang Ping's forces held the high ground and the mountains to solidify their defences and therefore stopped their advance. While Cao Shuang was stuck in a dilemma between retreating and attacking, Shu reinforcements led by

Fei Yi Fei Yi (died 16 February 253), courtesy name Wenwei, was a regent and military general of the state of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Born in the late Eastern Han dynasty, Fei Yi started his career as an attendant to Liu Shan, ...

showed up at Xingshi. Then, Cao Shuang had no choice but to order a retreat just as Wang Ping had originally planned.

Appraisal and death

Wang Ping 2016 Temple of Marquis Wu (Wuzhang Plains)

Chen Shou Chen Shou (; 233–297), courtesy name Chengzuo (), was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer who lived during the Three Kingdoms period and Jin dynasty of China. Chen Shou is most known for his most celebrated work, the ''Records of the ...

, who wrote Wang Ping's biography in the ''

Records of the Three Kingdoms The ''Records or History of the Three Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese name as the Sanguo Zhi, is a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220– ...

'' (''Sanguozhi''), appraised him as follows: "Wang Ping was loyal and brave yet lived a strict lifestyle... Along with Huang Quan, Li Hui,

Lü Kai Lü Kai (died 225), courtesy name Jiping, was an official of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Background Lü Kai was from Buwei County (不韋縣), Yongchang Commandery (永昌郡), which is located northeast of ...

, Ma Zhong,

Zhang Ni Zhang Ni (died 254), courtesy name Boqi, rendered also as Zhang Yi, was a military general of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Famous for his courage and generosity, Zhang Ni made his name known while rescuing a m ...

, It was thanks to their qualities that they were all well known through the empire and because they seized the opportunity given to them that they left strong legacies." As Wang Ping came from a humble background and had spent most of his life in the military, he received very little education. He could not write a single word and could read only a mere 10 words or so. Whenever he needed to write reports, he would dictate it to his clerk yet the reports were all rational and insightful. As he feared that others would ridicule him for his inability to read, he looked down on himself and belittle his own achievements and reputation. However, in his free time; he liked having others read him the

Shiji ''Records of the Grand Historian'', also known by its Chinese name ''Shiji'', is a monumental history of China that is the first of China's 24 dynastic histories. The ''Records'' was written in the early 1st century by the ancient Chinese hist ...

and

Hanshu The ''Book of Han'' or ''History of the Former Han'' (Qián Hàn Shū,《前汉书》) is a history of China finished in 111AD, covering the Western, or Former Han dynasty from the first emperor in 206 BCE to the fall of Wang Mang in 23 CE. I ...

’s various Annals and Biographies and could discuss them fluently. Wang Ping was known to strictly obey the law and for his discipline; he never cracked jokes. Apart from narrating stories, he hardly spoke and would simply meditate in his command tent from morning until dusk and then fall asleep without the appearance of a military General. Wang Ping's position in the north was comparable to that of

Deng Zhi Deng Zhi (178 - 251), courtesy name Bomiao, was a government official, diplomat and military general of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. A descendant of Deng Yu, Deng Zhi started his career in the late Eastern Han ...

of the east and Ma Zhong of the south. The three of them had great achievements and reputation. Wang Ping died in 248. His son, Wang Xun (), inherited his marquis title and marquisate.((延熙)十一年卒，子訓嗣。) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 43.

In ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''

In the 14th-century historical novel ''

Romance of the Three Kingdoms ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ...

'', Wang Ping was given a fictionalised and more prominent role in the

, opposing

Xu Huang Xu Huang () (died 227), courtesy name Gongming, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He later served in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period under the first ...

's tactics and defecting. Xu Huang wanted his army to cross the Han River and battle

's forces on the other side. Wang Ping warned that it would be impossible to retreat once they crossed the river, as the river would significantly slow down the retreat and they would be vulnerable to enemy fire. Xu Huang claimed that the soldiers would fight to the death and have no need to retreat if they were in a dire situation (in conjunction with the tactic by legendary

Western Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...

general

Han Xin Han Xin (; 231/230–196 BC) was a Chinese military general and politician who served Liu Bang during the Chu–Han Contention and contributed greatly to the founding of the Han dynasty. Han Xin was named as one of the "Three Heroes of the ear ...

, where he purposely placed his army near a river in order to unleash their full potential). Wang Ping then claimed that Han Xin only used that tactic because the opposition had no strategist to see through it, but Liu Bei's army had the support of

, who would be able to easily see through this tactic. Xu Huang refused to listen and, as expected, suffered great defeat. He asked why Wang Ping did not come to his rescue, and Wang Ping replied, "If I came to rescue you with my portion of the army, then our main camp would have had no protection; I warned you multiple times against crossing the river, but you did not listen, which resulted in this defeat." Xu Huang was greatly angered by this and planned to kill Wang Ping that night. However, the plan was leaked out and Wang Ping set the camp on fire and defected to Liu Bei's side. Right before Zhuge Liang died, he named Wang Ping, along with

Liao Hua Liao Hua (late 180s - 264), courtesy name Yuanjian, originally named Liao Chun, was a military general of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Like Zhang Yi and Zong Yu, Liao was one of few officials who served the Sh ...

, Ma Dai,

and Zhang Yi, as the loyal generals of Shu who should be given greater responsibilities.

References

* Chen, Shou (3rd century). ''

'' (''Sanguozhi''). * Luo, Guanzhong (14th century). ''

'' (''Sanguo Yanyi''). * Pei, Songzhi (5th century). ''

Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms () by Pei Songzhi (372-451) is an annotation completed in the 5th century of the 3rd century historical text ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'', compiled by Chen Shou. After leaving his native land, Pei ...

'' (''Sanguozhi zhu''). {{DEFAULTSORT:Wang, Ping Year of birth unknown 248 deaths Shu Han generals Generals under Liu Bei Generals under Cao Cao Political office-holders in Shaanxi Politicians from Dazhou Shu Han politicians Han dynasty generals from Sichuan