Wang Jing

Historical Record

Wang Jing, styled Yanwei, was a native of Qinghe Commandery, and together with his fellow commander Cui Yun was ranked among the notable men of Jizhou^[1]. His early experiences are unknown, but it is recorded that his mother once admonished him: "You are the son of a farming household; now your office has reached two thousand bushels. To go too far is inauspicious—you may well stop here." Wang Jing, however, did not heed her, rising to be Inspector of two provinces and Colonel-Director of Retainers, and was ultimately ruined as a result^[1].

When Wang Jing first served as Administrator of Jiangxia, the General-in-Chief Cao Shuang once sent him twenty bolts of silk and ordered him to trade them on the market in Wu; Wang Jing did not act on the letter and abandoned his office to return home. When his mother asked the reason, Wang Jing told her truthfully. His mother held that Wang Jing, charged with troops, had departed of his own accord, and so she had the courier flog Wang Jing fifty strokes. On learning of this, Cao Shuang did not, however, hold it against Wang Jing^[1].

In the second year of Ganlu (257 CE), the Shu Han General-in-Chief Jiang Wei led troops on a northern expedition, advancing to Didao. Wang Jing, then Inspector of Yong Province, joined the General Who Conquers the West, Chen Tai, in resisting him. Jiang Wei defeated Wang Jing at the Tao River, and Wang Jing withdrew to hold the city of Didao. Chen Tai and Wang Jing secretly plotted to intercept Jiang Wei's line of retreat together. Learning of this, Jiang Wei thereupon fled, and the commanders and soldiers within Didao were thus relieved of the siege. Wang Jing sighed, "With less than ten days' provisions, had we not met the moment, the whole city would have been slaughtered and a whole province lost."^[2]

In the fifth year of Ganlu (260 CE), the Wei emperor Cao Mao summoned the Palace Attendant Wang Chen, the Master of Writing Wang Jing, and the Cavalier Regular Attendant Wang Ye, telling them that Sima Zhao harbored intentions of usurpation and that he wished to campaign against him together with them. Wang Jing remonstrated: "Of old, Duke Zhao of Lu could not endure the Ji clan, and so fled in defeat and lost his state, becoming a laughingstock to the realm. Now power has been in his house for a long time; the court and all the four quarters serve him to the death, heedless of the principle of right and wrong—and this is no matter of a single day. Moreover, the palace guard is empty and the armor weak. On what does Your Majesty rely, that you would act thus all at once? Is this not seeking to remove a disease only to deepen it? The disaster may be beyond reckoning—the matter should be reconsidered with care." Cao Mao, however, would not listen, and resolved to act^[3].

After Cao Mao left the palace, Wang Chen and Wang Ye hurried off to denounce him to Sima Zhao, while Wang Jing, being upright, did not go. Cao Mao was at last killed beneath the Southern Watchtower by Cheng Ji, a subordinate commander of Jia Chong. Afterward, the Empress Dowager issued an order declaring Wang Jing "wickedly rebellious and without standing," and had him and his family taken into custody by the Commandant of Justice^[3]. After Wang Jing was arrested, his mother's countenance did not change; she laughed and replied, "Who does not die? The reason I did not stop you before was for fear you would not meet a fitting end. To lose our lives together over this—what regret is there?" Wang Jing was at last executed together with his family at the eastern market^[1]. In the first year of Taishi under Emperor Wu of Jin (265 CE), an edict declared: "The late Master of Writing Wang Jing, though he fell afoul of the law, yet held to his resolve in a manner praiseworthy. His household has been wiped out, which I have ever pitied. Let his grandson be granted the office of Gentleman of the Interior."^[1]

In the Novel

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Wang Jing's image is given literary elaboration on the basis of the historical facts, especially in his clashes with Jiang Wei and in the affair of Cao Mao's killing^[4].

Chapter 110 of the novel depicts Jiang Wei's northern expedition, with Wang Jing, as Inspector of Yong Province, leading troops to meet him in battle. At first he makes light of Jiang Wei's deploying his ranks with their backs to the water, thinking, "The Shu troops have arrayed themselves with their backs to the water; if defeated, they will be drowned," and sends four generals out to fight. Jiang Wei, however, after a few brief bouts, feigns defeat, luring Wang Jing's main army into pursuit. At the edge of the Tao River, Jiang Wei turns and fights his way back with all his might, while Zhang Yi and Xiahou Ba close in from the rear, trapping the Wei troops in the encirclement. Wang Jing is utterly defeated and flees back to the city of Didao with only a hundred horsemen, shutting the gates to hold out to the death. Jiang Wei wishes to take Didao while the advantage lasts, and Zhang Yi remonstrates, "The merit is already achieved and your awesome name resounds far—you may well stop here; if you press on now and things do not go as wished, it will be just like drawing legs on a snake," but Jiang Wei does not heed him and continues the assault^[4]. In history, Wang Jing was indeed defeated at the Tao River, but the novel gives a more vivid depiction of the battle's details, Jiang Wei's stratagems, and Wang Jing's underestimation of the enemy.

In the affair of Cao Mao's killing, Chapter 114 of the novel strengthens Wang Jing's loyalty and righteousness. When Cao Mao summons Wang Chen, Wang Jing, and Wang Ye to discuss campaigning against Sima Zhao, Wang Jing's remonstrance accords largely with history, but he stresses, "When the lord is troubled, the minister is shamed; when the lord is shamed, the minister dies—how dare I harbor a divided heart?"^[5] When Wang Chen and Wang Ye go to inform on him, Wang Jing is enraged and refuses to join their treachery. After Cao Mao leaves the palace, Wang Jing even prostrates himself before the imperial carriage, weeping bitterly as he remonstrates: "Now Your Majesty leads a few hundred men to attack Sima Zhao—this is driving sheep into a tiger's maw, dying in vain to no purpose. It is not that I cherish my life; truly I see that the matter cannot be done."^[6] After Cao Mao is killed, Wang Jing rushes up and curses Jia Chong: "Rebel! How dare you murder the sovereign!"^[7] These details all strongly highlight Wang Jing's unbending loyalty, consonant with the historical record that he "did not go, being upright," but more dramatic. In the novel, after Wang Jing is arrested, his mother's dialogue accords with the historical record, but the closing description—"Wang Jing and his mother went smiling to their execution; in all the city there was no commoner or scholar who did not shed tears"—further elevates his tragic and stirring image^[8].

Key Relationships

* Cao Mao (advises_in): As Master of Writing, Wang Jing, when Cao Mao resolved to campaign against Sima Zhao, strongly remonstrated, pointing out the danger of the action, but Cao Mao would not listen^[3]. In the novel, Wang Jing further prostrates himself before the carriage and weeps bitterly, striving to stop Cao Mao, showing his loyalty^[6].
* Cao Wei (serves): Wang Jing served the Cao Wei regime throughout his life, rising to offices such as Inspector of Yong Province and Master of Writing^[1]. Although he was in the end put to death over the affair of Cao Mao, his steadfast resolve was praiseworthy, and was later acknowledged by Emperor Wu of Jin^[1].
* Jiang Wei (fights_in): Wang Jing, as Inspector of Yong Province, fought against Jiang Wei's northern expeditionary army at Didao. In the Battle of the Tao River, Wang Jing's forces were defeated by Jiang Wei, and he withdrew to hold Didao^[2].
* Wang Chen, Wang Ye (did not join in informing): After Cao Mao resolved to campaign against Sima Zhao, Wang Chen and Wang Ye chose to inform on him to Sima Zhao, while Wang Jing, being upright, did not follow and refused to join their treachery^[3]. In the novel, Wang Jing even angrily rebukes Wang Chen and Wang Ye: "How dare you harbor a divided heart?"^[5]
* Wang Jing's mother (family affection, admonition): Wang Jing's mother once advised him to stop while he was ahead, holding that "to go too far is inauspicious"^[1]. After Wang Jing's arrest, his mother displayed righteous resolve, laughing in the face of death and encouraging Wang Jing, becoming an important foil to his loyal and righteous image^[1].

Signature Scenes

* Remonstrating with Cao Mao to act slowly: Cao Mao summoned Wang Chen, Wang Jing, and Wang Ye, telling them he wished to campaign against Sima Zhao. Wang Jing strongly laid out the pros and cons, pointing out that Sima Zhao's power had long been entrenched and Cao Mao's strength was slight, and that this move was no different from "seeking to remove a disease only to deepen it," advising that "the matter should be reconsidered with care"^[3]. This scene reflects Wang Jing's clear understanding and loyal, frank counsel.
* Refusing to join Wang Chen and Wang Ye in informing: When Wang Chen and Wang Ye resolved to inform on Cao Mao to Sima Zhao, Wang Jing, being upright, did not go and refused to betray Cao Mao^[3]. In the novel, he even angrily rebukes the two, holding fast to his minister's duty^[5].
* Bound and imprisoned, kowtowing and weeping, "An unfilial son has brought disaster upon his loving mother!": Wang Jing was arrested and imprisoned over the affair of Cao Mao; when his mother too was brought in, he kowtowed and wept bitterly, blaming himself for implicating his mother^[8]. This scene displays his filial piety and human feeling as a son, contrasting with his loyalty and righteousness as a minister and making his humanity shine all the brighter.
* Mother and son go smiling to their execution: Wang Jing and his mother were at last taken to the eastern market for execution. Before the execution, his mother laughed and replied, "Who does not die? The reason I did not stop you before was for fear you would not meet a fitting end. To lose our lives together over this—what regret is there?" Wang Jing and his mother went smiling to their execution, moving the commoners and scholars of the whole city^[8]. This scene (a novel-only detail, though the mother–son dialogue is historical) greatly elevates Wang Jing's tragic heroic image, making his name for loyalty and righteousness pass down to later ages.
* Crushing defeat by Jiang Wei at the Tao River (novel only): As Inspector of Yong Province, Wang Jing fought Jiang Wei at the Tao River and, through underestimating the enemy and falling into a trap, was crushingly defeated by Jiang Wei, fleeing back to Didao with only a hundred horsemen^[4]. This battle is depicted in detail in the novel, highlighting Jiang Wei's military talent and indirectly shaping Wang Jing's military shortcomings.