Wei Guan

Historical Record

Wei Guan, courtesy name Boyu, played an important role in the late Cao Wei and early Western Jin periods. He was known for his cunning and his precise judgment of the situation. In the fourth year of Jingyuan (263 CE), when Deng Ai led his army into Shu Han and on his own authority appointed officials by provisional commission and pacified the newly submitted, Wei Guan, as Army Supervisor, conveyed to Deng Ai—on the orders of the Cao Wei Prince of Wen, Sima Zhao—the instruction that "matters ought to be reported and should not be carried out on one's own"^[1]. Deng Ai, however, paid this no heed, holding that "having received the command to march, I act on the strategy entrusted to me; the chief villain has now submitted; as for appointing officials by provisional commission to settle the newly submitted, I deem this in keeping with expedient measure," and emphasizing that "by the art of war, in advancing one does not seek fame, and in retreating one does not avoid blame," he persisted in his own course^[1]. This act of Deng Ai's was regarded by Zhong Hui, Hu Lie, Shi Zuan, and others as treasonous, and they reported it to the court, which ultimately led to an edict summoning Deng Ai into a prison cart. When arrested, Deng Ai sighed up to heaven: "I am a loyal minister, and yet it has come to this! The cruelty done to Bai Qi is seen again today."^[1]

After Deng Ai and his son were imprisoned, Zhong Hui arrived at Chengdu, first sending Deng Ai away and then launching a rebellion in the land of Shu. After Zhong Hui was defeated and killed, the soldiers of Deng Ai's old command went out in pursuit of the prison cart, trying to welcome Deng Ai back. At this critical moment, however, Wei Guan displayed his decisiveness. He dispatched Tian Xu and others to go after Deng Ai, and in the end killed him west of Mianzhu. Deng Ai's son Deng Zhong was killed along with him. Deng Ai's remaining sons in Luoyang were all likewise executed, and his wife and grandsons were exiled to the Western Regions^[2]. It is worth noting that in the year Deng Ai attacked Jiangyou, he had wished to behead Tian Xu for failing to advance, but later relented for some reason. When dispatching Tian Xu, Wei Guan deliberately said to him: "Now you may avenge the disgrace of Jiangyou."^[2] This shows that Wei Guan was deeply versed in human nature and skilled at exploiting personal grudges to achieve his ends. Du Yu once commented on Wei Guan: "Will Boyu not fail to escape disaster! As a man of renown, his rank and reputation already lofty, yet without virtuous words, and not governing his subordinates with rectitude—this is a small man wielding the instruments of a gentleman; how will he bear up under the responsibility?" Hearing these words, Wei Guan at once went to apologize, showing how much he valued his own reputation and position^[2].

In the Novel

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Wei Guan's image is further developed, especially in the power struggle between Deng Ai and Zhong Hui, where he displays a character that is shrewd and good at avoiding disaster. He first appears when Zhong Hui wished to behead Zhuge Xu: Wei Guan, as Army Supervisor, dissuaded Zhong Hui, pointing out that Zhuge Xu was a subordinate of Deng Ai and should not be killed arbitrarily, lest harmony be harmed^[3]. Although Zhong Hui in the end sent Zhuge Xu back to Luoyang in a prison cart, this act of Wei Guan's both averted an escalation of conflict and won him prestige.

As Deng Ai's achievements came to overshadow his lord, Sima Zhao grew suspicious of him. On Jia Chong's advice, Sima Zhao enfeoffed Zhong Hui as Minister over the Masses and ordered Wei Guan to supervise the two columns of troops, while secretly instructing Wei Guan to watch over Deng Ai together with Zhong Hui to guard against any rebellion^[4]. This placed Wei Guan in the important role of liaison and surveillance between Sima Zhao and Zhong Hui.

When Zhong Hui plotted rebellion and conferred with Jiang Wei about doing away with Deng Ai, Jiang Wei advised Zhong Hui first to send Wei Guan to arrest Deng Ai; if Deng Ai resisted, his rebellious intent would be confirmed, and Zhong Hui could then send troops to chastise him^[5]. Wei Guan knew well the danger of this errand, but he did not flinch; instead he adopted a clever strategy. He first issued twenty or thirty proclamations declaring that he was acting on imperial edict to arrest Deng Ai, and that any other officers and soldiers who submitted would be granted rank and reward, while those who did not would have their three clans exterminated^[5]. This act effectively broke the morale of Deng Ai's subordinates. When he burst into Deng Ai's residence with a few dozen men, Deng Ai's officers had already surrendered one after another because of the proclamations. Wei Guan successfully captured Deng Ai and his son and bound them in a prison cart^[6]. This episode is not recorded in such detail in the histories and is a notable embellishment by the Romance of Wei Guan's cunning.

During Zhong Hui's rebellion, Wei Guan again displayed his cleverness. When Zhong Hui placed the various officers under house arrest, intending to kill them all, Wei Guan secretly schemed with Hu Yuan and others. Through Qiu Jian he passed word to Hu Lie and ultimately brought about the counterattack of Hu Yuan and the others^[7]. After Zhong Hui and Jiang Wei were killed, Wei Guan decisively ordered the Wei troops each to return to their camps to await the royal command, stabilizing the situation^[8]. When Deng Ai's subordinates wished to pursue and rescue Deng Ai, Wei Guan, knowing that if Deng Ai survived he himself would have no place to be buried, exploited the old grudge between Tian Xu and Deng Ai, dispatching Tian Xu to pursue and kill Deng Ai, and in the end beheaded Deng Ai and his son at Mianzhu^[8]. This accords with the historical account of Wei Guan dispatching Tian Xu to pursue and kill Deng Ai, but in the Romance, Wei Guan's motives and methods are portrayed as more calculating and self-protective.

Key Relationships

* Deng Ai (enemy_of): The relationship between Wei Guan and Deng Ai was complex and full of conflict. In history, Wei Guan was ordered to keep watch over Deng Ai and ultimately dispatched Tian Xu to pursue and kill Deng Ai and his son^[2]. In the Romance, Wei Guan went further, successfully capturing Deng Ai through cunning and proclamations and ultimately bringing about his death to protect himself^[6],^[8].
* Zhong Hui (advises_in): Wei Guan played an important role beside Zhong Hui. He once dissuaded Zhong Hui from arbitrarily killing Zhuge Xu^[3]. At Sima Zhao's instruction, Wei Guan watched over Deng Ai together with Zhong Hui^[4]. During Zhong Hui's rebellion, Wei Guan again schemed in secret and ultimately brought about Zhong Hui's defeat and stabilized the situation^[7],^[8].
* Cao Wei (serves): Wei Guan was a loyal minister of Cao Wei, who kept watch over Deng Ai on the orders of Sima Zhao^[1].
* Sima Zhao (serves): Wei Guan took his orders directly from Sima Zhao and carried out his commands, especially in dealing with the matter of Deng Ai^[4].
* Tian Xu (utilizes): Wei Guan cleverly exploited the old grudge between Tian Xu and Deng Ai, dispatching Tian Xu to pursue and kill Deng Ai—to avenge the disgrace of Jiangyou and to achieve his own ends^[2],^[8].

Defining Scenes

* As Army Supervisor conveying the order to Deng Ai: On Sima Zhao's orders, Wei Guan conveyed to Deng Ai the edict that "matters ought to be reported and should not be carried out on one's own," attempting to stop Deng Ai from acting on his own authority. Deng Ai paid this no heed and persisted in his own view, sowing the seeds of the conflict to come^[1].
* Capturing Deng Ai by proclamation: On the advice of Zhong Hui and Jiang Wei, Wei Guan first issued proclamations to break the morale of Deng Ai's troops, then led a few dozen men bursting into Deng Ai's residence and successfully captured Deng Ai and his son. This scene displays Wei Guan's cunning and decisiveness and is a brilliant shaping of Wei Guan's image in the Romance^[5],^[6] (novel only).
* Beheading Deng Ai at Mianzhu: After Zhong Hui's death, Wei Guan, knowing that he himself would face danger if Deng Ai survived, dispatched Tian Xu—who bore an old grudge against Deng Ai—to pursue and kill him, and in the end beheaded Deng Ai and his son at Mianzhu, eliminating future trouble for good^[2],^[8]. This scene both accords with history and is invested in the Romance with the deeper motive of Wei Guan's self-protection.
* Quelling Zhong Hui's rebellion: During Zhong Hui's rebellion, Wei Guan secretly liaised with Hu Yuan and others and ultimately brought about Zhong Hui's defeat. After the deaths of Zhong Hui and Jiang Wei, Wei Guan swiftly stabilized the situation, averting greater chaos^[7],^[8] (novel only).