Wang De王德

History vs. fiction

Wang De. A Southern Song general, victorious in every battle, a Southern Song general, respected by the Huaixi Army. Commander, pursued. Former jailer of the Dali Temple, ...

• based on factSouthern Song general, victorious in every battle; Southern Song general, respected by the Huaixi Army.; Commander, pursued | Former jailer of the Dali Temple, later opened an inn, set up a memorial tablet for Lord Yue.

  Historically, Wang De indeed existed. His deeds are recorded in historical sources such as the History of Song. For example, in the biography of Yue Fei, it is recorded: "In the seventh year, he had an audience. The emperor asked leisurely: 'Do you have good horses?' Yue Fei replied: 'I have two horses. They eat several pecks of hay and beans daily and drink one hu of spring water, but they will not accept it unless it is clean. When saddled and galloped, they are not fast at first, but after a hundred li they become vigorous. From noon to dusk, they can still cover two hundred li. When the saddle and armor are removed, they do not pant or sweat, as if nothing had happened. This is because they are great in capacity and not picky, strong in power but not seeking to show off, truly horses of endurance. Unfortunately, they died one after another. The horses I ride now eat no more than a few sheng a day, and they do not choose grain or water. Before the reins are settled, they leap and dash quickly. After barely a hundred li, they are exhausted, sweating and panting, as if about to die. These are the ones that take little but are easily satisfied, like to show off but easily exhausted, the dull and inferior kind.' The emperor praised him, saying: 'Your discussion today is very advanced.' He was appointed Grand Commandant, then removed as Pacification Commissioner and concurrently Agricultural Field Commissioner. When accompanying the emperor to Jiankang, Wang De and Li Qiong's troops were placed under Yue Fei's command. An edict was issued to Wang De and others, saying: 'Obey Yue Fei's orders as if I were personally present.'" In the novel The Story of Yue Fei, Chapter 65 describes: "After a while, the innkeeper prepared food and wine, and together with the waiter brought it in. Zhuge Jin then asked the host: 'Why is this memorial tablet for Lord Yue set up here?' The host said: 'To be honest with you gentlemen, you are travelers from other places and do not avoid taboos, but the local people here are not to know. I was originally Wang De, a jailer of the Dali Temple. Because Lord Yue was framed by treacherous ministers, Officer Ni also saw through the world and returned to his hometown. I thought that working in prison was earning money by deceiving people, and feared there would be retribution. So I gave up that profession and helped my brother run this inn. Because Lord Yue died, I was also there to help. Thinking he was a loyal minister, I set up this tablet and burn incense morning and evening, wishing him an early ascent to heaven.' Zhuge Jin said: 'So we are all one family, and we will never leak this.' Pointing to Yue Lei, he said: 'This is the second son of Marshal Yue, who has come to visit the grave.' Wang De said: 'Then I have been disrespectful! Because I worked in the government, I know many people, and no one will come to investigate. You gentlemen can stay here safely. But around the grave, Prime Minister Qin has sent people to patrol, so it may be difficult to visit the grave. We can only go quietly in the middle of the night.' Zhuge Jin said: 'We'll discuss that later.' That day, the seven brothers stayed in the inn for the night."