Wang Ping

Volunteers as Xu Huang's second for knowing the country — then argues in vain against crossing River Han: Han Xin's death-ground array worked only against the unskillful, 'have you reckoned upon Zhao Zilong and Huang Zhong?'

The defection: blamed for Xu Huang's self-made disaster and nearly killed for answering honestly, he fires both camps in the night, crosses the river to Zhao Yun, and lays all his knowledge of the River Han country before Liu Bei — who makes him General and Army Guide on the spot.

Sent with Liu Feng and Meng Da against Shangyong, which yields without a fight.

Deputy Commander — closes the pincer on E Huan, storms the second Ravine camp's rear with Ma Zheng, and plays the bait against Mangya Chang, fleeing seven miles to drag Meng Huo's whole army into the ambush.

Holds one of the four heat-shelter stockades, and springs the first jaw of the night-raid trap on the fleeing King.

Leads the advance guard into the Bald Dragon country and drinks at the first inviting spring — the Dumb Spring: he returns able only to point at his mouth, and is cured with all his men at the hermit's Spring of Peace and Joy.

Appointed Front Army Marching General under Wei Yan for the Northern Expedition.

Takes the chapter's most valuable prisoner: when Nanan falls and Xiahou Mao tries to fight out through the south gate, it is Wang Ping who meets and captures him, and everyone with him is killed.

Reinforces Zhang Yi against Jiang Wei's grain raid, making it an attack on two sides that costs him the wagons and the last of his men. One of the four commanders in ambush around the empty camp.

Ma Su forces the separation on him as a punishment for arguing. He fells trees for a stockade at the meeting of the roads exactly as instructed, argues the hill down point by point (surrounded if they come in force, mutiny if the water goes), asks at minimum for a supporting camp to the west, and is refused. Given five thousand men and told he will get no credit, he camps three miles off — and still sends Zhuge Liang the plan and topography that reveals the disaster in time for it to be understood, if not prevented. Blocked by Zhang He when he tries to relieve the hill, he comes back later to cut Wei Yan out of the three-sided ambush — 'This is life for me!' — and joins the night attempt to retake Jieting.

Rebuked first, exonerated by his own account. Asked why he did not prevent the disaster, he gives the whole sequence — remonstrated many times, wanted a rampart down in the road, was met with ill temper, camped three miles off with five thousand, attacked 'a score of times' to break through, went to Wei Yan for help, was trapped in a valley, found his own camp taken, met Gao Xiang on the road to Liliu, saw the night raid fail, and pulled Wei Yan and Gao Xiang out before making for Yangping Pass — and closes with the line that settles it: 'It was not that I failed to remonstrate… you can get confirmation of my words from any of the officers.' (No promotion is recorded in this chapter.)

The one who reads Wang Shuang's feigned flight correctly and calls the warning — 'Do not follow the fleeing general!' — too late to stop the meteor hammer. Helps check Wang Shuang's counter-charge, then is sent with Li Hui to hold the narrow road to Jieting while the army pivots to Qishan.

Sent with ten thousand troops to take Yinping while Jiang Wei takes Wudu - the two commanderies Zhuge Liang wants because 'Yinping and Wudu are connected with Hanzhong. If I can win these, I can drive a wedge into the Wei force.' (Wei Yan's and Jiang Wei's ch98 summaries had this the wrong way round.)

Confirmed here as the captor of Yinping - the scout's report is 'Wang Ping has captured Yinping, and Wudu is in possession of Jiang Wei', which settles the ch98 mix-up. Smites Guo Huai and Sun Li in the rear at the ambush. Then volunteers for the most dangerous job in the chapter and stakes his life on it in four words ('Then there is the military rule'), drawing from Zhuge Liang the only praise of that kind he gives here: 'Wang Ping is most loyal. He is willing to risk wounds and death in his country's service.' Holds Zhang He and Dai Ling while Zhang Yi takes Sima Yi. Finally sent with Zhang Ni and a deliberately tiny thousand men to garrison the Chencang road against four hundred thousand, and is the one who sends word when the rain-soaked enemy retreats.

Paired with Ma Dai for the night march east of Qishan and the signal fire, and comes up behind Cao Zhen's camp as it is being stormed from within.

One of the two Leaders of the Van for the march out of Chencang across San Pass and into the Xie Valley, then left with Zhang Ni, Hu Ban and Wu Yi to hold the Qishan camps while Zhuge Liang goes after the wheat. Brings his division out again in good order when the recall comes, under Zhang He's eye and without being followed.

Front division at the River Wei crossing with Zhang Ni, and the one who smells the trap in the silence - 'It is strange that we do not see a single soldier of the enemy. Surely Sima Yi has found out the plan' - and halts to wait for the bridge fires that never come. Fights his way out of the ambush that follows. Then the chapter's best piece of work: a thousand men dressed as Wei soldiers who join Cen Wei's convoy escort on the road, turn on it, kill Cen Wei, and drive the wooden oxen off; when Guo Huai catches up they twist the animals' tongues to lock them, abandon them in the road and run, and come back for them once he has been driven off.

Named on the deathbed among the five who 'may be depended on to the death. They have fought many campaigns and borne many hardships; they should be retained in the public service' - Zhuge Liang's last act of patronage for the men who carried the six expeditions.

Sent with Zhang Ni to garrison Baidicheng as a precaution when Quan Zong's Wu army appears at Baqiu — Jiang Wan's insurance against the alliance breaking now that Zhuge Liang is dead.