生平

忠烈貞節

王異以節義及多謀見稱。她的丈夫是天水人趙昂，當趙昂出任羌道令時，王異與子女留在天水郡西城縣。當時同郡人梁雙背反朝廷，率兵攻破西城，並殺害了王異的兩名兒子。王異見二子被殺，又不欲被梁雙所侵犯，所以打算自殺，但當她看著六歲的女兒趙英，便放棄了自殺的念頭，向著女兒嘆道：「我死了，妳便會遭到遺棄，妳又可以投靠誰呢？我聽說過西施也曾穿著不潔的衣服，人人掩鼻遠離，因此而認不出她。西施這樣美麗也能作出如此犧牲，何況我沒有西施般漂亮？」於是她披上一件曾浸在糞水的麻衣，吃很少東西令自己看上去又瘦又弱，就這麼過了一年。後來梁雙與州郡官員和解，王異就憑著這種生活方式得免於難。後來趙昂派人來接王異母女，將至官舍之時，王異不再前進，並向女兒表示自己遇難不能死節，全因顧念幼女，如今女兒將回到父親身邊，她就決定離開女兒尋死，說罷便服毒自殺。幸好當時有人提供解毒的藥湯，強行灌進王異口中，最終使王異甦醒過來。

助夫禦敵

趙昂後來擔任軍事官職，到冀城就任，王異隨夫徙居冀城。213年，馬超進攻冀城，王異親自披著戰衣，輔佐趙昂守城，又以其身上的珠飾、佩環等物品犒賞軍士，振奮軍心。馬超加強攻勢後，城防危急，城中缺糧；素來仁愛的刺史韋康看到士民傷殘者眾，不忍其苦，於是打算與馬超議和。趙昂苦諫，韋康不從，於是趙昂回家後與王異商議。王異便說：「君王有進諫的諍臣，士大夫亦有隨機應變、專權從事的義務，這種專權的行為不是一種過錯。誰知道中原的救兵一定趕不及來此赴援？我們應該勉勵士卒同心效命，以死報國，不應順從逆賊之意。」但當趙昂回到崗位的時候，韋康已逕自與馬超媾和。而馬超納降不久，便違背約定殺死了韋康，更逼趙昂交兒子趙月至南鄭為人質，趙昂自己則成為馬超的下屬。

設謀復仇

馬超雖然想任用趙昂，但仍未對其推心置腹。馬超妻子楊氏曾聽過王異的節行，於是每天都請王異赴宴相聚。王異便想乘此機會，讓趙昂取信於馬超，設計報復。於是她對楊氏說：「從前管仲入齊國為相，立下大功；由余入秦國，讓秦穆公得成大業。如今冀城初定，要治亂便必須重用人才。如此涼州的軍隊，才可與中原的軍隊爭鋒較量，因此用人之術真的不可不詳察啊。」楊氏深深認同王異的看法，更認為王異是真心為馬超設謀，於是與王異更相結納。趙昂亦因這一層關係而受到馬超的信任，最後與楊阜、姜敘等人成功反攻驅逐馬超。

在趙昂與楊阜等準備起事之前，趙昂曾向王異表達心中對兒子趙月的憂慮。王異聽罷便大聲對趙昂說：「忠義是立身之本，現在我們要雪君父之恥，就算犧牲自己的項上人頭也不足為重，何況只是一個兒子？以前的項託、顏淵之所以能傳誦千秋，正是因為他們重義啊。」趙昂於是下定決心，與眾人一起趕走馬超。馬超投靠張魯後借兵回攻冀城，王異便與趙昂一起保守祁山。冀城被馬超軍隊所圍不久，果然如王異所料，夏侯淵軍的救兵在三十天左右到達，為冀城解圍。趙月最後仍被馬超所殺。

家庭

夫

• 趙昂

子女

• 趙月

• 趙英

• 另有二子，死於梁雙造反時。

評價

• 皇甫謐：「凡自冀城之難，至於祁山，昂出九奇，異輒參焉。」（皇甫謐《列女傳》）

• 郝經：「姜敘之母、趙昻之妻以死徇義，亦其亞也嚴辛阮之識，慮哲婦以成城者也。」「婉娩淑女，與士並列。至柔動剛，彤管煒節。」（《續後漢書》）

• 羅貫中：「趙昂妻王氏，催夫報主仇。喪身猶不重，滅子複何愁？盡把家財散，親將士卒酬。三分賢達婦，萬載姓名留。」

• 毛宗崗：「人謂趙昂之妻異于呂布之妻：布之妻阻其夫之出戰，昂之妻勵其夫以起兵，此則其可嘉者也。我謂趙昂之妻，同于劉表之妻：表之妻背劉備而從曹操，致其身與子俱死；昂之妻助曹操以攻馬超，身倖免於死，而亦致其子於死。此又其可惜者也。雖然，郭嘉、程昱等輩，天下所稱智謀之士，猶然不明順逆，而何論於婦人哉？尚論者于楊氏、王氏可勿譏雲。」（《匯評三國志演義》）

• 李贄：「薑母、王妻賢，哉兩婦！勿論其所事之人應死與否，彼能言不刊之言，行不刊之事，其人亦自不刊矣！誰謂笄帷中果無丈夫哉！」（《匯評三國志演義》）

• 李漁：「薑母、王妻二婦人是真丈夫，真烈漢，照映千古。」（《匯評三國志演義》）

• 蔡東藩：「姜敘母及趙昂妻，名為勸忠，實則知其一不知其二，仍不過為婦人女子之見，無足取焉。」（《後漢演義·第八十七回》）

藝術形象

三國演義

王異亦登場於章回小說《三國演義》之中，不過作者不載其名，只稱「王氏」。她出現於第六十四回「孔明定計捉張任　楊阜借兵破馬超」中，事跡與《列女傳》所載相似。小說中趙昂與楊阜、姜敘、尹奉等密謀起兵對抗強攻冀城的馬超，趙昂因顧慮兒子趙月而回家跟妻子王氏商量，王氏聽罷便怒道：「雪君父之大恥，雖喪身亦不惜，何況一子乎！君若顧子而不行，吾當先死矣！」令趙昂下定決心協助楊阜。王氏更將自己的首飾資帛，親自往祁山軍中賞勞軍士，亦因此而避過馬超後來的屠殺。

遊戲

• 真三國無雙系列（光榮公司開發，桑島法子配音）

• 三國殺

注釋

Background

Wang Yi's exact origins are not recorded in history. All that is known of her heritage was that her family name was "Wang", and that she married Zhao Ang, an official who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. She bore Zhao Ang three sons and a daughter.

As Liang Shuangs captive

When Zhao Ang was serving as the Prefect of Qiangdao County (羌道縣; around present-day Zhugqu County, Gansu), he left his family in Xi District (西鄉) of the county. Around the time, Liang Shuang (梁雙) started a revolt in the county and occupied Xi District. Wang Yi's two sons were killed during the conflict, leaving behind Wang Yi and her six-year-old daughter, Zhao Ying (趙英). When Wang Yi saw that her two sons had died, she feared that Liang Shuang would violate her, so she attempted to slit her throat with a sword. However, she gave up when she saw her daughter and she said: "If I killed myself and abandoned you, who will take care of you? I heard that people will cover their noses if someone wore unclean clothing – even if the person was Xi Shi. Besides, my looks aren't even comparable to Xi Shi's." She then rubbed dirt and excrement on her clothes, and fasted to make herself become thin. This lasted for about a year.

Wang Yi was spared from disaster when Liang Shuang reconciled with the authorities in Qiangdao County. Zhao Ang sent his men to fetch his wife and daughter. When they were about 30 li away from their destination, Wang Yi suddenly stopped and told Zhao Ying: "I'd have never left that place if your father didn't send someone to fetch us. Whenever I read the stories of Lady Jiang and Lady Bo, I feel inspired by their devotions and convictions. However, I am still alive after having gone through similar a experience, so wouldn't I feel ashamed when I face those ladies after I die? I didn't choose death then because of you. Now, since we are close to safety and within the protection of the authorities, I can leave you and die." Having said that, she attempted suicide by consuming poison but luckily for her, an antidote was available, so she received medical treatment quickly and survived.

Siege of Jicheng

Sometime during the Jian'an era (196–220) of the reign of Emperor Xian, Zhao Ang was reassigned to be an Army Adviser (參軍事) and relocated to Ji County (兾縣; present-day Gangu County, Gansu). In 211, the warlord Ma Chao started a rebellion against Cao Cao, the warlord who controlled the Han central government, but was defeated along with his allies by Cao Cao's forces at the Battle of Tong Pass. In the following two or three years after the battle, Ma Chao constantly raided the lands in Liang Province (covering roughly present-day Gansu and Ningxia) and attacked the cities in the area.

When Ma Chao attacked Ji County, Wang Yi donned a battledress, armed herself with a bow and arrows, and assisted Zhao Ang in defending the city from Ma Chao's forces. She also handed out her personal accessories as rewards to the soldiers and substantially raised the defenders' morale. However, as Ma Chao pressed on the attack, the city gradually ran short of supplies and its defenders and civilian population began to suffer from hunger. Zhao Ang's superior, Wei Kang, the governor of Liang Province, took pity on the plight of the people and planned to start peace talks with Ma Chao. Zhao Ang tried to dissuade Wei Kang from doing so but was ignored. Zhao Ang returned home and told his wife about it. Wang Yi replied: "A ruler has advisers to provide him counsel; officials also have the right to disregard the command hierarchy and take matters into their own hands when the situation calls for it. There's nothing wrong with you being dictatorial under the current circumstances. Who knows whether reinforcements will arrive soon? We should encourage all the troops to perform their duties to the utmost and lay down their lives if necessary. We must never give in to the rebels' demands." However, by the time Zhao Ang went back to see Wei Kang, the latter had already concluded his negotiations with Ma Chao, with both sides agreeing to end the conflict.

Living under Ma Chaos control

Ma Chao broke his word later – he killed Wei Kang, captured Zhao Ang, and kept Zhao Ang and Wang Yi's son, Zhao Yue (趙月), as a hostage in Nanzheng County. He hoped that Zhao Ang would comply with his demands and serve him, but was uncertain about Zhao Ang's intentions. Ma Chao's wife, Lady Yang (楊氏), heard of Wang Yi's reputation, so she hosted a feast and invited Wang Yi to attend. Wang Yi planned to make use of that opportunity to help her husband gain Ma Chao's trust and wait for a chance to take revenge. She told Lady Yang: "In the past, Guan Zhong became the chancellor of Qi and made great achievements; You Yu entered Qin and played an important role in Duke Mu's rise to power. Now that Ji County has just been pacified, we need men of talent to govern and maintain the city. Only in this way can Liang Province's armies compete with those in the Central Plains. As such, it's imperative that talented people be employed and their abilities put to good use." Lady Yang was very impressed with Wang Yi and thought that Wang Yi was loyal to her husband's faction. She gradually became close to Wang Yi, and Zhao Ang began to gain Ma Chao's trust. Zhao Ang was able to survive under Ma Chao's control because of his wife's efforts.

Driving Ma Chao out of Liang Province

When Zhao Ang secretly plotted with Yang Fu and others to drive Ma Chao out of Liang Province, he conveyed his worries about Zhao Yue – who was still held hostage by Ma Chao – to Wang Yi. However, Wang Yi sternly replied: "Loyalty and righteousness are the core virtues a person should possess. Now, we are going to erase our earlier humiliation. We might end up sacrificing our lives and this isn't a cause for concern, so does the loss of our son still mean anything? Xiang Tuo and Yan Hui left their good names in history because they valued righteousness." Zhao Ang agreed with his wife.

The plot turned out successful. They managed to lure Ma Chao out of Ji County to suppress a revolt in Lu County, and then block him from entering Ji County again when he returned to the city after failing to defeat the rebels. Ma Chao fled to Hanzhong Commandery, borrowed troops from the warlord Zhang Lu, and returned to attack Liang Province. Zhao Ang and Wang Yi had moved to Mount Qi (祁山; the mountainous regions around present-day Li County, Gansu) by then. Ma Chao's army besieged Zhao Ang's forces at Mount Qi for about 30 days until reinforcements led by Cao Cao's generals Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He arrived and lifted the siege. After his defeat, Ma Chao went to Nanzheng County and killed Zhao Yue. Throughout the whole period of time from the siege at Ji County to the battle at Mount Qi, Zhao Ang had launched nine attacks on Ma Chao and Wang Yi participated in all of them.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Wang Yi briefly appears in the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in which she is referred to as Lady Wang (王氏).

The narrative depicts Zhao Ang and Wang Yi's son, Zhao Yue, as a Major-General (裨將) in Ma Chao's army. After Ma Chao murders Wei Kang, Zhao Ang wants to avenge his superior, but he hesitates because his son is with Ma Chao, so he consults his wife. Lady Wang's response to her husband is similar to the one documented in the Lie Nü Zhuan, but the last sentence about Xiang Tuo and Yan Hui has been changed to: "If you do not carry out your plan because of our son, I will die first." Ma Chao feels so angry at Zhao Ang's betrayal that he kills Zhao Yue and seeks revenge for his losses by massacring several civilians in the area. Lady Wang survives because she is with her husband all that while.

In popular culture

Wang Yi is a playable character in Koei's Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends, Dynasty Warriors 8, Warriors Orochi 3., and Romance of the Three Kingdoms video game series.