Wang Guan

Historical Record

Wang Guan, styled Weitai, was a native of Linqiu in Dong Commandery. In his youth his family was poor, yet he set his mind on advancement. The Grand Ancestor Cao Cao recruited him as Aide of Letters to the Chancellor, and he later went out to serve as Prefect of Gaotang, Yangquan, Zan and Ren, in each case becoming renowned for outstanding administrative records ^c:5952.

After Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi, ascended the throne, Wang Guan entered the court to serve as Gentleman of the Department of State Affairs and Supervisor of the Commandant of Justice, and was then sent out as Administrator of Nanyang and of Zhuo Commandery. Zhuo Commandery bordered the Xianbei to the north and was often harassed by bandits and raiders. For this Wang Guan instituted a measure: he ordered the border residents, in groups of ten households or more, to gather and dwell together and build watchtowers (a kind of defensive fortification). At the time some of the people were unwilling to comply, so Wang Guan, under the pretext of official business, dispatched court officials back to their home districts to assist their kinsmen, with no fixed deadline, merely enjoining them to return once the work was done. Inspired by his example, officials and people emulated one another and acted vigorously without prompting, so that within a mere ten days all the fortifications were completed. The border defenses were thereby strengthened, and the raids and plundering subsided accordingly ^c:5952.

After Emperor Ming, Cao Rui, ascended the throne, he issued an edict requiring commanderies and counties to report the "difficult, middling, or easy" grade of their administrative districts. The responsible official wished to report Zhuo Commandery as "middling," but Wang Guan instructed them, saying: "This commandery borders the foreign tribes and repeatedly suffers from raids; how can it not be reported as 'difficult'?" The responsible official worried: "If the commandery is listed as outer-difficult, it may affect the appointment of Your Honor's heirs." Wang Guan said sternly: "One who holds office ought to think of the people. Now if the commandery is listed as outer-difficult, there will be reductions in the items of corvée. How can I, for the Administrator's private interest, betray the people of a whole commandery?" So he insisted on reporting Zhuo Commandery as an "outer-difficult commandery," and subsequently sent his only young son to Ye to take office. Wang Guan had at the time but one son, who was young and frail—his public-spiritedness is thus plain to see. Wang Guan was upright and frugal in person, leading his subordinates with a frugal style, and his subordinate officials, influenced by him, all strove to better themselves ^c:5952.

When Emperor Ming made a progress to Xu Chang, he summoned Wang Guan to serve as Attendant Censor in Charge of Documents, handling the litigation of the traveling secretariat. At the time the court had many matters of hasty joy and wrath, but Wang Guan never flattered or pandered to the sovereign's will. The Grand Commandant Sima Yi requested Wang Guan to serve as Attendant Gentleman of the Bureau, and he was later promoted to Master of Writing, then sent out as Intendant of Henan, and transferred again to Lesser Treasurer. The Grand General Cao Shuang once directed the artisan-officer Zhang Da to fell timber from Wang Guan's house and take other items for private use; when Wang Guan learned of it, he recorded all of it and confiscated it for the public purse. The Lesser Treasurer had charge of the three workshops and the treasured curios of the Imperial Storehouse; Cao Shuang and his clique were extravagant and unrestrained and made many demands, but, wary of Wang Guan's upholding of the law, they transferred him to Grand Coachman ^c:2822.

When Sima Yi executed Cao Shuang, he sent Wang Guan to act as Central Leader of the Army and seize the camp of Cao Shuang's younger brother Cao Xi. Afterward, Wang Guan was granted the rank of Marquis Within the Passes, restored to Master of Writing, with the additional title of Commandant-Escort. After the Duke of Gaogui Precinct, Cao Mao, ascended the throne, Wang Guan was enfeoffed as Marquis of Zhongxiang Precinct. Soon after, he was given the additional title of Grand Master of Splendid Happiness and transferred to be Right Vice Director. After the Duke of Changdao Precinct, Cao Huan, ascended the throne, Wang Guan was advanced to Marquis of Yangxiang, with his fief increased by a thousand households, for a total of two thousand five hundred households together with the previous fief. He was appointed Minister of Works; although he firmly declined, the court would not permit it and sent an envoy to his residence to confer the office. A few days after taking up the post, Wang Guan handed in his seal of office and rode home of his own accord to his native dwelling. He died at last at home, leaving a deathbed injunction that his coffin should hold no more than his two feet, with no funerary vessels, no mounding of earth, and no erecting of a stele. His posthumous title was Marquis Su. His son Wang Kui inherited his rank. During the Xianxi era, when the court established the five ranks of nobility, on account of Wang Guan's outstanding merits in the previous reign, Wang Kui was re-enfeoffed as Viscount of Jiaodong ^c:2822.

In the Novel

In the *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Wang Guan's image appears mainly at the critical moment when Sima Yi launched the Incident at the Gaoping Tombs. The novel depicts how Sima Yi, learning that Cao Shuang and his brothers and trusted men had accompanied the lord of Wei, Cao Fang, out of the city to pay respects at the tombs and to hunt, at once took action. Overjoyed, Sima Yi hurried to the secretariat and ordered the Minister over the Masses Gao Rou to take up the staff of authority and act as Grand General, first seizing Cao Shuang's camp. He then ordered the Grand Coachman Wang Guan to act as Central Leader of the Army and go to seize Cao Xi's camp ^c:5955.

This episode is basically consistent with the historical record, which expressly states that Sima Yi "had Wang Guan act as Central Leader of the Army and seize the camp of Shuang's brother Xi" ^c:2822. The novel here emphasizes Sima Yi's decisiveness and Wang Guan's role as an important executor, further highlighting Wang Guan's participation in the coup. However, the novel offers relatively little detailed depiction of Wang Guan's personal character and past achievements, placing him mainly within the grand narrative background of Sima Yi's coup, appearing as one of the capable generals in Sima Yi's camp. The novel does not delve into the character traits—"upright and law-abiding," "shining public-spiritedness"—that the histories emphasize, but focuses instead on his functional role in a particular historical event.

Key Relationships

* Cao Wei (serves): Wang Guan served the Cao Wei regime all his life, entering officialdom from Cao Cao's time and passing through the five reigns of Cao Pi, Cao Rui, Cao Fang, Cao Mao and Cao Huan, rising to Minister of Works—an important pillar of the Cao Wei regime ^c:5952, ^c:2822.
* Sima Yi (friend_of): Sima Yi held Wang Guan in considerable regard and trust. When Wang Guan served as Attendant Censor in Charge of Documents, Sima Yi requested him to serve as Attendant Gentleman of the Bureau. In the Incident at the Gaoping Tombs, Sima Yi entrusted him with the important task of acting as Central Leader of the Army and seizing Cao Xi's camp—showing the closeness of the two and Sima Yi's high recognition of Wang Guan's ability and loyalty ^c:2822, ^c:5955.
* Cao Shuang (rival_of): There was clear opposition between Wang Guan and Cao Shuang. During Cao Shuang's hold on power, he acted extravagantly and unrestrainedly, and once directed men to fell timber from Wang Guan's house and take items for private use, while Wang Guan handled it fairly and confiscated it all for the public purse. Wary of Wang Guan's incorruptibility and adherence to the law, Cao Shuang transferred him from Lesser Treasurer to Grand Coachman—all reflecting the conflict between the two over the way of officialdom and the struggle for power ^c:2822.
* The Sima Clan (serves): Although Wang Guan originally served Cao Wei, after Sima Yi launched the Incident at the Gaoping Tombs he chose to support the Sima clan. He took part in the coup and thereafter continued to hold office in the Cao Wei court under Sima clan control, rising to Minister of Works and being posthumously titled Marquis Su, with his son also enfeoffed—indicating that he ultimately became an important supporter of the Sima clan regime ^c:2822.

Signature Scenes

* Building Watchtowers in Zhuo Commandery, Public-Spirited for the People: As Administrator of Zhuo Commandery, faced with raids on the border, Wang Guan innovatively instituted the defensive strategy of "households of ten or more dwelling together and building watchtowers." When his subordinate worried this might affect the appointment of his heirs, Wang Guan, with the lofty conviction that "the lord exists for the sake of the people," insisted on pleading for the people, reported Zhuo Commandery as an "outer-difficult commandery," and resolutely sent his young son to take office. This event fully displays Wang Guan's governing style of "shining public-spiritedness" and his personal character of "stinting on his own comforts" ^c:5952.
* Undaunted by Power, Impeaching Cao Shuang: As Lesser Treasurer, faced with the Grand General Cao Shuang's extravagance and demands, Wang Guan upheld the principle of being "upright and law-abiding," recording and confiscating for the public purse Cao Shuang's private use of felled timber from his house and the like. Even though he was thereby resented by Cao Shuang and transferred from a key post, he still held firm to principle and did not curry favor with the powerful, reflecting his upright and uncompromising character ^c:2822.
* Ordered to Seize Cao Xi's Camp in the Incident at the Gaoping Tombs: At the critical moment when Sima Yi launched the Incident at the Gaoping Tombs, Wang Guan was entrusted with the important task of acting as Central Leader of the Army and going to seize the camp of Cao Shuang's younger brother Cao Xi. This scene is recorded in both the histories and the novel, and is an important reflection of Wang Guan's participation in and support of the Sima clan's seizure of power, marking a turning point in his political career ^c:2822, ^c:5955.
* Firmly Declining the Office of Minister of Works, Enjoining a Frugal Burial: In his later years Wang Guan was appointed Minister of Works, but he firmly declined; a few days after taking up the post he handed in his seal of office and returned home of his own accord. Before his death, he enjoined a frugal burial, requiring that the coffin hold no more than his two feet, with no funerary vessels, no mounding of earth, and no erecting of a stele. This is not only the ultimate expression of his character of being "upright and law-abiding" and "stinting on his own comforts," but also reflects his life outlook of indifference to fame and disdain for vanity ^c:2822.