Wang Zhi is a fictional character in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Wikidata gives his Chinese label as 王植 and his English label as Wang Zhi, describes him as grand administrator of Xingyang, set in the Han dynasty, and records his death as 200. Chinese Wikipedia states plainly that the Records of the Three Kingdoms contain no such person. The title stays as the character's name.[1][2]
In the novel
According to the Chinese Wikipedia summary, in chapter 27 of the novel Wang Zhi serves Cao Cao as grand administrator of Xingyang and is the in-law of Han Fu, grand administrator of Luoyang. Guan Yu is escorting the two wives of Liu Bei to join him, and Xingyang is the fourth pass. Hearing that Guan Yu has killed Han Fu, Wang Zhi wants to harm him, welcomes him into an inn and plans to burn the party to death at midnight. His subordinate Hu Ban secretly warns Guan Yu, who hurries the two ladies out of the city. Wang Zhi leads troops in pursuit and is killed by Guan Yu when they meet. The article counts him as the fifth general Guan Yu kills while passing the five passes and slaying six generals.[2]
Other works
The same article notes that in the 2010 film Guan Yunchang Wang Zhi is played by Wang Xuebing as a good official who had killed a corrupt predecessor. He tries to stop Guan Yu, but after a fight Guan Yu spares him because he wants to find Qilan, and Wang Zhi kills himself after telling Guan Yu where she is. This differs from the novel.[2]