| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 王广, 王廣, Wáng Guǎng |
| Other name | Vương Quảng |
| Courtesy name | 公渊, 公淵, Gōngyuān, Gong Yuan, tự Công Uyên |
| INFORMATION | |
| Birth Place | Qi County, Taiyuan (太原祁县; Thái Nguyên Kỳ huyện) |
| Died | 251 AD |
| Death Reason | Executed in Luoyang with Wang Ling clan after failed 251 AD revolt against Sima Yi |
| FAMILY | |
| Father | |
| Relatives | |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Cao Wei (曹魏, Tào Ngụy) |
| Battles | Wang Ling rebellion (251 AD) — counsel against revolt; executed after collapse, not a field commander |
Biography & Historical Record
Wang Guang (王广, Vương Quảng), courtesy name Gongyuan (公渊, Công Uyên), was the eldest son of Grand Commandant Wang Ling (王凌, Vương Lăng), styled Yanyun (彦云, Ngạn Vân). Renowned in Luoyang for sharp analytical foresight, Wang Guang correctly judged that Sima Yi (司马懿, Tư Mã Ý)‘s faction had become too entrenched to overthrow by palace coup. When Wang Ling resolved in 251 AD to depose Emperor Cao Fang (曹芳, Tào Phương) and install Prince Cao Biao (曹彪, Tào Bưu), Wang Guang urgently warned his father that the plot would end in catastrophe.
Wang Ling proceeded anyway. Sima Yi’s forces crushed the rebellion; Wang Guang was arrested and executed in Luoyang together with his father and the clan — a tragic case of prophetic counsel ignored. The episode belongs to the Gaoping tombs aftermath when Sima Yi eliminated the last great Wei military independents.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
General: Wang Guang does not appear in Luo Guanzhong’s novel, which ends before the 251 AD Wang Ling revolt. His father Wang Ling is also absent from major novel arcs; the rebellion is attested in Sanguozhi Wei and Sima Yi biographies.
Wang Guang (王广) — Historical & Literary Timeline
Youth in Wang house
Eldest son of Wang Ling; develops reputation for strategic foresight in Luoyang.
Warns against rebellion
Urges Wang Ling to abandon the plot to replace Cao Fang with Cao Biao — Sima Yi too strong.
Execution in Luoyang
Executed with Wang Ling and clan after the revolt collapses.
For detailed historical records, explore Wang Ling on Wikipedia.
Key Relationships
Family
- Wang Ling (王凌, Vương Lăng): Father — Wei Grand Commandant who led the failed 251 AD revolt against Sima Yi.
- Spouse and children: not named in core records; clan executed with father.
Friends
- Luoyang scholars and officers who respected Wang Guang’s analytical reputation — no individual names preserved.
Enemies
- Sima Yi (司马懿, Tư Mã Ý): Victor who crushed the Wang Ling plot and ordered the executions.
Other
- Cao Fang (曹芳, Tào Phương): Wei emperor Wang Ling sought to depose.
- Cao Biao (曹彪, Tào Bưu): Prince of Chu whom Wang Ling intended to enthroned instead.
In Novel
General
- Wang Guang (王广, Vương Quảng): Not a character in Luo Guanzhong's Romance. The Wang Ling revolt of 251 AD postdates the novel's narrative; Wang Guang is attested in Sanguozhi as Wang Ling's foresighted son who warned against challenging Sima Yi and was executed when the plot failed.
In History
Summary
- Wang Guang (王广, Vương Quảng), courtesy Gongyuan, eldest son of Wang Ling — warned his father against the 251 AD anti-Sima Yi coup; executed with the clan when the revolt collapsed.
Year: 251 AD
- Wang Ling plots to depose Cao Fang and enthrone Cao Biao; Wang Guang warns of certain failure.
- Sima Yi suppresses the rebellion; Wang Guang and Wang Ling executed in Luoyang.
Historical Record
- Sanguozhi, Book of Wei — Wang Ling biography; Sima Yi biography on the Gaoping-era purge.
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