Wang Lei was a staff officer under Liu Zhang, governor of Yi province, at the end of the Eastern Han, from Xindu county in Guanghan commandery, Yi province. Wikidata's Chinese label is 王累, and the Chinese Wikipedia article is also under 王累, so the title is unchanged. Wikidata records his death in 211 and the manner of death as suicide, and lists Wong Lui as an English alias.[1][2]
In the histories
Chinese Wikipedia says that the histories record little about him, mentioning him only in the Book of the Later Han, the Records of the Three Kingdoms and the Chronicles of Huayang. In all of them the setting is that Liu Zhang, on the advice of his assistant Zhang Song, made an alliance with Liu Bei against Zhang Lu. Wang Lei then hung himself upside down from the city gate by a rope to urge Liu Zhang not to welcome Liu Bei into Shu. Liu Zhang would not listen, and Wang Lei cut his own throat at the gate.[2]
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms
The article says that the novel's account is broadly the same as the history, except for the manner of his death after Liu Zhang rejects his plea, which changes from cutting his throat to cutting the rope himself and falling to his death.[2]
Scope of the sources
The two sources behind this entry contain only this episode, with no information on his family or his birth year beyond what is shown above, so nothing more is said here.[1][2]