Cai Yong
Many anecdotes and stories related to Wang Can exist. It is recounted that when he was yet a youth, Cai Yong, then a high-ranking official, once saw him and was in awe. Later, Wang Can went to visit Cai Yong; although many guests of exalted rank were present, the host hastened to welcome the newcomer with the greatest deference，even wearing his shoes the wrong way in his haste. The others were astonished and asked why he was so respectful to a mere youth. "He is a young man with the highest gifts, which I cannot match. I shall grant him all the books and essays in my home," said Cai Yong. The "Records of the Three Kingdoms" stated that Wang Can was widely read and had a most retentive memory, better than any of his contemporaries. If he glanced at a roadside monument as he passed, he remembered every word of the inscription. If he saw people playing "weiqi" and the board was suddenly disturbed, he could replace every piece in its correct place.