Qin and Han · Chancellor of Jiaodong

Wang Cheng 王成

Attested BC 74 - BC 48

Passages: 7
Chapters: 3
Histories: 2

Overview

Wang Cheng was a Chancellor of Jiaodong.

Life and dates

Death

Context died in office before further promotion
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 42

Attested activity

BC 74 to BC 49 孝宣
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 101, passages 12, 22
BC 74 to BC 48 孝宣承統
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 260
BC 74 to BC 48 孝宣承統
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passages 285-286

Key source chapters

Career and standing

governing the people 治民
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 286
Chancellor of Jiaodong 膠東相
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 38
Marquis within the passes 關內侯
BC 67 地節三年 · Granted
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passages 39, 41

Places and affiliations

Western Han 漢
Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 260
Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passages 285-286
At unknown commandery 不知何郡 · Negated false
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 37

Events and relationships

Settled refugees
Administrative · Governor · Quantity over 80,000
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 40
Skilled in governing the people
Administrative · Governor · Mode quotation Speaker Ban Gu (班固)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 286

Assessments and attributes

Assessment governed the people (治民) · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 260
Assessment had achievements recounted in their age · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 260
Assessment had notable achievements recorded in later accounts · Mode quotation Speaker Ban Gu (班固)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 286

Source notes

accused of inflating migrant counts for reward
Field governance-merit
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 43
Value historical
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 286

References in the histories

Book of Han, Chapter 68Volume 58: Gongsun Hong, Bu Shi and Er Kuan · 1 passage

孝宣承統，纂修洪業，亦講論六藝，招選茂異，而蕭望之、梁丘賀、夏侯勝、韋玄成、嚴彭祖，尹更始以儒術進，劉向，王褒以文章顯，將相則張安世、趙充國、魏相、丙吉、於定國、杜延年，治民則黃霸、王成、龔遂、鄭弘、召信臣、韓延壽、尹翁歸、趙廣漢、嚴延年、張敞之屬，皆有功跡見述於世。 Emperor Xuan inherited the succession and carried forward the great enterprise. He too expounded the Six Arts and recruited outstanding men. Xiao Wangzhi, Liangqiu He, Xiahou Sheng, Wei Xuancheng, Yan Pengzu, and Yin Gengshi advanced through Confucian learning; Liu Xiang and Wang Bao gained distinction for their writing; among the generals and chancellors were Zhang Anshi, Zhao Chongguo, Wei Xiang, Bing Ji, Yu Dingguo, and Du Yannian; and among those who governed the people were Huang Ba, Wang Cheng, Gong Sui, Zheng Hong, Shao Xinchen, Han Yanshou, Yin Wengui, Zhao Guanghan, Yan Yannian, Zhang Chang, and others. All left achievements celebrated in their age.

Book of Han, Chapter 101Volume 89: Upright Officials · 5 passages

王成、黃霸、朱邑、龔遂、鄭弘、召信臣等，所居民富，所去見思，生有榮號，死見奉祀，此廩廩庶幾德讓君子之遺風矣。 Wang Cheng, Huang Ba, Zhu Yi, Gong Sui, Zheng Hong, Shao Xinchen, and their peers left districts wealthier than they found them and were mourned when they left. Honored in life and worshipped after death, they came closest to the old ideal of the gentleman who leads by deference and virtue.

王成，不知何郡人也。 Wang Cheng's native commandery is not recorded.

今膠東相成，勞來不怠，流民自佔八萬餘口，治有異等之效。 Our chancellor of Jiaodong, Cheng, has worked tirelessly to settle wanderers: over eighty thousand migrants have filed for residence under his care. His administration stands out among his peers.

其賜成爵關內侯，秩中二千石。」 We therefore ennoble Cheng as marquis within the passes at the salary rank of two thousand bushels."

後詔使丞相、御史問郡國上計長吏守丞以政令得失，或對言前膠東相成偽自增加，以蒙顯賞，是後俗吏多為虛名雲。 Later the emperor told the chancellor and chief clerk to quiz returning fiscal officers on what policies worked or failed. Some claimed the former Jiaodong chancellor Cheng had inflated his numbers to win honors. Thereafter petty officials chased hollow reputations—or so the story goes.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 112Biographies of the Marquis of Pingjin and Zhufu · 1 passage

將相則張安世、趙充國、魏相、邴吉、于定國、杜延年，治民則黃霸、王成、龔遂、鄭弘、邵信臣、韓延壽、尹翁歸、趙廣漢之屬，皆有功跡見述於後。 Among the generals and chief ministers were Zhang Anshi, Zhao Chongguo, Wei Xiang, Bing Ji, Yu Dingguo, and Du Yannian. Among those skilled in governing the people were Huang Ba, Wang Cheng, Gong Sui, Zheng Hong, Shao Xinchen, Han Yanshou, Yin Wenggui, Zhao Guanghan, and others. All had notable achievements recorded in later accounts.