Wang Can

Also known as Zi Zhongxuan

Wang Can, courtesy name Zhongxuan, came from Gaoping in Shanyang; his great-grandfather and grandfather had both held top ministerial office under Han. In Chang'an Cai Yong rushed to greet him with his shoes on backwards and promised him his library. At seventeen he declined office and went south to Liu Biao in Jingzhou, who thought him plain and frail and made little use of him. After Liu Biao's death in 208 he persuaded Liu Cong to submit to Cao Cao, joined the chancellor's staff as a marquis within the passes, and later became a palace attendant of Wei. He could rebuild a scattered board of weiqi from memory and left nearly sixty poems, rhapsodies and essays, notably the Seven Sorrows and the Rhapsody on Climbing the Tower. He died on campaign against Wu in the spring of 217; A New Account of Tales of the World says Cao Pi had the mourners bray like donkeys at his funeral. Liu Xie ranked him first among the Seven Masters of Jian'an.