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Wang Ling's Rebellion

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Wang Ling's Rebellion
Part of the Three Rebellions in Shouchun
Date7–15 June 251[a]
Location
Shouchun (present-day Shou County, Anhui), China
Result Wang Ling surrendered
Belligerents
Cao Wei Wang Ling
Commanders and leaders
Sima Yi Wang Ling Surrendered

Wang Ling's Rebellion (Chinese: 王おう凌りょう之の亂みだれ), or the First Rebellion in Shouchun, was a punitive uprising in 251 led by Wang Ling, a general of the state of Cao Wei, against the regent Sima Yi and his clan. This was the first of a series of three rebellions that all took place in Shouchun (壽ことぶき春はる; present-day Shou County, Lu'an, Anhui) in the 250s during the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history.

Background[edit]

Like each of the Three Rebellions in Shouchun, the cause of the revolt was related to the Incident at Gaoping Tombs in 249, in which the Wei regent Sima Yi and his clan seized power from his co-regent Cao Shuang and dominated the Wei government. Wang Ling, an influential governor and general in Wei, was appointed "General Who Attacks the East" (征せい東ひがし將軍しょうぐん) and placed in charge of military affairs in Yang Province. In 241, Quan Cong, a general from Wei's rival state Eastern Wu, led thousands of troops to attack a Wei embankment at Quebei (芍陂). Wang Ling led an army to counter the invaders and drove them away after several days of fighting. For his efforts, Wang Ling was promoted to "General of Chariots and Cavalry" (車くるま騎き將軍しょうぐん), enfeoffed as the "Marquis of Nan District" (南鄉なんごう侯こう), and had the number of taxable households in his marquisate increased to 1,350.

Trigger[edit]

Around the time, Wang Ling's maternal nephew, Linghu Yu (令れい狐きつね愚ぐ), was appointed as the Inspector of Yan Province for his contributions and was stationed at Ping'e County (平たいら阿おもね縣けん). Both of them wielded significant military power in the Huainan region. Wang Ling was subsequently appointed as Minister of Works. After Sima Yi eliminated Cao Shuang and his clan in the Incident at Gaoping Tombs in February 249, Wang Ling was reassigned to the position of Grand Commandant (太ふとし尉じょう) and given a ceremonial axe to represent his authority. After discussing with Linghu Yu, Wang Ling felt that the Wei emperor Cao Fang was inept and plotted with his nephew to replace the emperor with Cao Biao, the Prince of Chu, and establish the new capital in Xuchang.

Between late September and October 249, Linghu Yu sent his subordinate Zhang Shi (張ちょう式しき) to Boma (白馬はくば) to contact Cao Biao. Wang Ling also sent someone to Luoyang to inform his son, Wang Guang (王おう廣ひろ), about the plot. Wang Guang advised his father against the idea, saying, "The act of changing the ruler is a cause for disaster."[2] Xi Zuochi mentioned in the Han Jin Chunqiu (漢かん晉すすむ春秋しゅんじゅう) that Wang Guang wrote a long reply to his father, stating that Cao Shuang fell from power because he lost the people's support and that Sima Yi's policies were more popular, hence it was difficult to overthrow the Sima clan. Pei Songzhi claimed that Xi Zuochi fabricated this account because the tone and writing style of Wang Guang's reply was different from that in earlier records.[3]

Rebellion[edit]

Between late December 249 and January 250, Linghu Yu sent Zhang Shi to contact Cao Biao again but died of illness before Zhang Shi returned. In early 250, a glitter was observed in the South Dipper constellation. Wang Ling said, "When there is a star in the Dipper, someone will make a sudden big fortune."[4] The Weilüe mentioned that Wang Ling asked others about the meaning of the stars, and they, in their attempt to please him, lied that the stars were a sign that a ruler will rise. Wang Ling then affirmed his plan to rebel.[5]

In the spring of 251, when Wu forces approached Tushui (塗ぬり水すい), Wang Ling requested permission from the Wei imperial court to lead his forces to engage the enemy. His true intention, however, was to use the attack to mask his plans for rebellion. Sima Yi sensed that there was something fishy in Wang Ling's request and ignored it. Wang Ling then sent Yang Hong (楊弘) to inform Huang Hua (黃き華はな), the Inspector of Yan Province, about his plan, but Yang and Huang betrayed him and reported his plot to Sima Yi. Sima Yi received intelligence on Wang Ling's plot on or before 7 June 251.[a]

Sima Yi immediately mobilised troops to attack Wang Ling and they travelled on water. He first issued a pardon to Wang Ling and sent a secretary to call for Wang's surrender, while his army advanced to within 100 chi of Wang's base to put pressure on Wang. Wang Ling knew that his forces were too weak so he gave up, sent his subordinate Wang Yu (王おう彧) to apologise on his behalf, and hand over his official seal and ceremonial axe to Sima Yi. The Weilüe contained detailed records of two apology letters written by Wang Ling to Sima Yi.[6]

When Sima Yi's army reached Qiutou (丘おか頭あたま), Wang Ling tied himself up to show his repentance. Acting on imperial order, Sima Yi sent a Registrar (主おも簿ぼ) to unbind Wang and reassure him and return him his official seal and ceremonial axe. Wang Ling later had a conversation with Sima Yi[7] at a distance of more than ten zhang between them. Wang Ling knew that he had committed a capital offence, so he wanted to test whether Sima Yi was sincere about sparing him. He asked for a coffin and was given one by Sima Yi.[8] Sima Yi then sent 600 men to escort Wang Ling back to the capital Luoyang. However, on 15 June 251,[a] before he reached his destination, Wang Ling committed suicide at Xiang County (項こう縣けん) by consuming poison. The Weilüe mentioned that before he killed himself, Wang Ling exclaimed, "I've lived for 80 years. My reputation is destroyed just like that!"[9] Gan Bao's Jin Ji (晉すすむ紀き) stated that before committing suicide at Xiang county, Wang Ling passed by a shrine honouring Jia Kui and said: "Jia Liangdao, only the gods know Wang Ling is truly loyal to Wei."[10][11]

The Wei imperial court ordered Cao Biao to commit suicide in July 251. His subordinates who conspired with him were executed along with their families. Wang Ling and Linghu Yu's bodies were exhumed from their graves and exposed to the public for three days in a nearby city, while their official seals and court dresses were burnt and buried.

Aftermath[edit]

As a result of this uprising, it occurred to many Wei officials that Sima Yi and his clan were serious about affairs, most likely because the Wei court was seen as being divided into those supported the Simas and those who were still loyal to the Cao imperial family. The revolt also had a strong influence on the subsequent second and third rebellions in Shouchun, as they were all inspired by the same cause, which was to unseat the Simas and restore the monarchy.

During the revolt, Sima Yi, who was feigning illness before the Incident at Gaoping Tombs, became drastically ill and died in September 251. His power was passed on to his eldest son, Sima Shi, who immediately faced an assassination attempt and the second rebellion in Shouchun.

The revolt is often also considered a turning point in the decline of Wei and the mark of the beginning of the rise of the Sima clan. Sima Yi's grandson, Sima Yan, eventually ended the Wei regime and unified the Three Kingdoms under the Jin dynasty in 280.

Order of battle[edit]

In popular culture[edit]

The rebellion, along with the other two uprisings, are all featured as playable stages in the Jin Story Mode in the seventh instalment of Koei's Dynasty Warriors video game series. During the stage, the player plays as Sima Yi, and has to plot with Wang Ling's son Wang Guang, who chose to remain in Wei to convince his father Wang Ling to "clear his mind from the chaos". During the stage, Eastern Wu's Zhuge Ke also makes it to the battle to support Wang Ling, even though in history he never did.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Cao Fang's biography in the Sanguozhi recorded that Sima Yi led troops to attack Wang Ling on the bingwu day of the 5th month of the 3rd year of the Jiaping era, and that Wang Ling committed suicide on the jiayin day in the same month.[1] These dates correspond to 7 June 251 and 15 June 251 in the Gregorian calendar.

References[edit]

  1. ^ ([嘉平かへい三さん年ねん]四よん月がつ甲かぶと申さる， ... 丙午ひのえうま，聞太尉じょう王おう淩謀廢帝はいてい，立たて楚すわえ王おう彪ぴょう，太ふとし傅でん司馬しば宣せん王おう東征とうせい淩。五月ごがつ甲きのえ寅とら，淩自殺じさつ。) Sanguozhi vol. 4.
  2. ^ (廢立はいりつ大事だいじ，勿為禍か先さき。) Sanguozhi vol. 28.
  3. ^ (臣しん松まつ之の以為如此言ごと之これ類るい，皆みな前史ぜんし所しょ不ふ載の，而猶出で習氏。且制言げん法體ほうたい不ふ似に於昔，疑うたぐ悉鑿齒は所しょ自じ造みやつこ者しゃ也。) Pei Songzhi's annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 28.
  4. ^ (斗と中有ちゅうう星ぼし，當とう有ゆう暴貴者しゃ。) Sanguozhi vol. 28.
  5. ^ (魏ぎ略りゃく曰：凌しのげ聞東平民へいみん浩ひろし詳しょう知ち星ぼし，呼よび問とい詳しょう。詳しょう疑うたぐ凌しのげ有ゆう所しょ挾はさみ，欲よく悅えつ其意，不言ふげん吳ご當とう有ゆう死し喪も，而言淮南ワイナン楚すわえ分ぶん也，今こん吳ご、楚すわえ同どう占うらない，當とう有ゆう王者おうじゃ興きょう。故こ凌しのげ計けい遂とげ定じょう。) Weilüe annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 28.
  6. ^ (魏ぎ略りゃく載の凌しのげ與太よた傅でん書しょ曰：「卒そつ聞神軍ぐん密みつ發はつ，巳み在ざい百ひゃく尺しゃく，雖知命いのち窮きゅう盡つき，遲おそ於相見み，身み首くび分離ぶんり，不ふ以為恨，前後ぜんご遣や使つかい，有ゆう書しょ未み得え還かえ報むくい，企くわだて踵かかと西にし望もち，無む物もの以譬。昨さく遣や書しょ之これ後ご，便乘びんじょう船せん來らい相しょう迎むかえ宿やど丘おか頭あたま，旦だん發はつ於浦口こう，奉たてまつ被ひ露ろ布ぬの赦書，又また得え二に十じゅう三さん日にち況きょう，累るい紙し誨示，聞命驚愕きょうがく，五ご內失守もり，不知ふち何なん地ち可か以自處しょ？仆久忝かたじけな朝恩ちょうおん，歷れき試ためし無效むこう，統御とうぎょ戎えびす馬ば，董ただし齊ひとし東ひがし夏なつ，事こと有ゆう闕廢，中心ちゅうしん犯はん義よし，罪つみ在ざい三さん百ひゃく，妻子さいし同どう縣けん，無む所しょ禱矣。不ふ圖ず聖恩せいおん天てん覆くつがえ地ち載の，橫よこ蒙こうむ視し息いき，復ふく睹日月じつげつ。亡ほろび甥おい令れい狐きつね愚ぐ攜惑群ぐん小しょう之の言げん，仆即時じ呵しか抑そもそも，使つかい不ふ得とく竟其語ご。既すんで人じん已やめ知ち，神明しんめい所しょ鑒，夫おっと非ひ事こと無む陰かげ，卒そつ至いたり發露はつろ，知ち此梟夷之えびすの罪ざい也。生なま我が者しゃ父母ちちはは，活かつ我が者しゃ子こ也。」又重またしげ曰：「身み陷おちい刑けい罪ざい，謬蒙赦宥。今いま遣や掾じょう送おく印綬いんじゅ，頃ごろ至いたり，當とう如詔書しょ自縛じばく歸命きみょう。雖足下か私わたし之の，官かん法ほう有ゆう分ぶん。」) Weilüe annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 28.
  7. ^ (淩計無む所出しょしゅつ，乃迎於武丘おか，面めん縛ばく水次みつぎ，曰：「淩若有罪ゆうざい，公おおやけ當とう折おり簡召淩，何なに苦く自じ來らい邪よこしま！」帝みかど曰：「以君非ひ折おり簡之客きゃく故こ耳みみ。」) Jin Shu vol. 1.
  8. ^ (太ふとし傅でん使つかい人じん解かい其縛。凌しのげ既すんで蒙こうむ赦，加か怙舊好このみ，不ふ復ふく自じ疑うたぐ，徑みち乘じょう小船おぶね自じ趣おもむき太ふと傅でん。太ふとし傅でん使つかい人じん逆ぎゃく止とめ之の，住じゅう船せん淮中，相去あいさり十じゅう餘あまり丈たけ。凌しのげ知見ちけん外がい，乃遙謂いい太ふと傅でん曰：「卿きょう直ちょく以折簡召我わが，我わが當とう敢不至いたり邪よこしま？而乃引軍來らい乎！」太ふとし傅でん曰：「以卿非ひ肯逐折おり簡者故こ也。」凌りょう曰：「卿きょう負ふ我が！」太ふとし傅でん曰：「我わが寧やすし負ふ卿きょう，不ふ負まけ國家こっか。」遂とげ使し人じん送おく來らい西にし。凌しのげ自じ知ち罪ざい重じゅう，試ためし索さく棺かん釘くぎ，以觀太ふと傅でん意い，太ふとし傅でん給きゅう之の。) Weilüe annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 28.
  9. ^ (行年ぎょうねん八はち十じゅう，身み名めい並なみ滅めつ邪よこしま！) Weilüe annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 28.
  10. ^ Jin Ji annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 28.
  11. ^ (賈梁道どう！王おう淩是大だい魏ぎ之の忠臣ちゅうしん，惟おもんみ爾しか有ゆう神知しんち之の。) Jin Shu vol. 1.

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