Wang Du (王都) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Wang Du as an aristocrat, family member, military officer, and official. This record brings together 46 passages from 11 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Wang Du	王都	Wang Du
Personal name	Du	都	Du
Given	Du	都	Du
Given name	Du	都
Personal name	Du	都	Dū
Descriptive kinship	his son Du	其子都
Surname	Liu	劉	Liu
Title	Prince of Yiding	易定王
Surname	Wang	王	Wang
Personal name	Wang Du	王都	Wang Du
Personal	Wang Du	王都	Wáng Dū
Personal name	Wang Du	王都	Wáng Dū
Childhood name	Yunlang	雲郎	Yunlang

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:040:s0001, jiuwudaishi:054:s0183, jiuwudaishi:096:s0074, jiuwudaishi:141:s0082, liaoshi:002:s0039, liaoshi:075:s0100
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · jiuwudaishi:054:s0142, jiuwudaishi:057:s0018, jiuwudaishi:069:s0026, jiuwudaishi:074:s0113, jiuwudaishi:147:s0014
Value: male
Strongly inferred · jiuwudaishi:066:s0143

Roles

Aristocrat
Family Member
Military Officer
Official
Rebel
Royal Family Member
Ruler
Warlord

Life and dates

Death

Manner: self-immolation of mansion; died in fire with household · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天成四年三月 · Western Year: AD 929
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0179
Manner: beheaded · Place: Ding / 定州
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:040:s0001, jiuwudaishi:040:s0009

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 三年春 · Western Year: AD 925
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:069:s0026
Source Date: Text: 六年 · Western Year: AD 921
Explicit event contextual date · liaoshi:002:s0039, liaoshi:002:s0042
Source Date: Text: 十八年 · Western Year: AD 921
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:057:s0016, jiuwudaishi:057:s0018
Source Date: Text: 及都叛…城陷 · Western Year: AD 929
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:054:s0183, jiuwudaishi:054:s0184, jiuwudaishi:054:s0185
Source Date: Text: 同光元年十二月 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:147:s0010, jiuwudaishi:147:s0014
Source Date: Text: 天成中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 926 · End: AD 930
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:074:s0113
Source Date: Text: 天成四年三月 · Western Year: AD 929
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:040:s0033
Source Date: Text: 天成四年二月 · Western Year: AD 929
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:040:s0001, jiuwudaishi:040:s0009, jiuwudaishi:040:s0010, jiuwudaishi:040:s0012, jiuwudaishi:040:s0013
Source Date: Text: 天成末 · Western Interval: Start: AD 926 · End: AD 930
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:096:s0074
Source Date: Text: 天祐十九年 · Western Year: AD 922
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:141:s0082, jiuwudaishi:141:s0075
Source Date: Text: 天祐十八年十二月 · Western Year: AD 921
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:054:s0159
Source Date: Text: 明宗朝 · Western Interval: Start: AD 926 · End: AD 933
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:066:s0143
Source Date: Text: 神冊六年後 · Western Interval: Start: AD 921 · End: AD 922
Explicit event contextual date · liaoshi:075:s0099, liaoshi:075:s0100

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Child of Wang Chuzhi (王處直)
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father
Kinship Term: adopted son / 養子 · Parentage: adoptive · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Kinship Term: became Chuzhi's son / 為處直之子 · Parentage: adoptive · Subject Role: adoptive-father · Object Role: adoptive-son
Kinship Term: illegitimate son / 孽子 · Parentage: uncertain · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Parent of Daughter of Wang Du (王都女)
Kinship Term: beloved daughter / 愛女 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: daughter
Sibling of Wang Yu (王鬱)
Kinship Term: elder brother / 兄 · Shared Parentage: full · Subject Relative Age: elder · Subject Role: elder-brother · Object Role: younger-brother
Child of Li Yingzhi (李應之)
Kinship Term: raised as his own son / 養為己子 · Parentage: adoptive · Subject Role: adoptive-father · Object Role: adoptive-son
Sibling of Younger Brother of Wang Du (王都之弟)
Kinship Term: younger brother / 弟 · Subject Relative Age: elder · Shared Parentage: uncertain

Kinship Role: wives-and-children · Count: 2 · Note: 府庫妻孥一夕俱燼
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0179
Kinship Role: sons · Count: 4
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:040:s0010

Career and standing

Label: Grand Commandant and Palace Attendant / 太尉、侍中 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 同光三年 · Western Year: AD 925
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0163
Label: acting governor / 留後 · Action: appointed
Explicit · liaoshi:075:s0100
Label: Director of the Chancellery / 中書令 · Action: appointed
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0165
Label: vice military governor / 節度副大使 · Action: appointed
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0155
Label: acting governor (liuhou) / 留後 · Action: claimed
Explicit · liaoshi:002:s0039
Status: acting-governor · Action: declared
Explicit · liaoshi:002:s0039
Status: rebellious-intent · Action: harbored
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0183
Status: stripped-of-offices · Action: attainted · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天成三年四月 · Western Year: AD 928
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0173
Label: imprisoned his father / 囚父 · Action: committed · Other Person Id: Wang Chuzhi (王處直)
Explicit · liaoshi:075:s0100

Places and affiliations

Label: Later Tang / 唐 · Relation: served
Strongly inferred · jiuwudaishi:147:s0014
Place: Xingyi in Zhongshan / 中山陘邑
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0142
Place: Dingzhou / 定州 · Relation: posted-to
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:147:s0014

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Li Jitao (李繼陶) · Statement: called him Zhuangzong's crown prince / 呼為莊宗太子
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0183
Kind: speech · Role: subject-of · Speaker Person Id: Wang Chuzhi (王處直)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0133, jiuwudaishi:054:s0135

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: deposer · Action: deposed-father · Other Person Id: Wang Chuzhi (王處直)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:141:s0082
Kind: political · Role: instigator · Action: displayed-false-prince-on-ramparts · Other Person Id: Li Jitao (李繼陶)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0184
Kind: military · Role: rebel · Action: plotted-rebellion · Place: Zhongshan / 中山
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:096:s0074, jiuwudaishi:096:s0087
Kind: rebellion · Role: rebel-leader · Action: rebelled · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 及都叛 · Western Year: AD 929
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0184
Kind: military · Role: rebel · Action: resisted-imperial-siege-with-Khitan · Place: Dingzhou / 定州 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天成三年 · Western Year: AD 928
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0174, jiuwudaishi:054:s0175
Kind: political · Role: abductor · Action: secretly-took-back · Other Person Id: Li Jitao (李繼陶)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0183
Kind: political · Role: usurper · Action: seized-father-position · Other Person Id: Wang Chuzhi (王處直)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0141, jiuwudaishi:054:s0165
Kind: administrative · Role: submitter · Action: submitted-tang-law-books
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:147:s0014

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: form like a carp—hard to escape the knife · Provenance: Mode: named-person-speech · Speaker Person Id: Zhou Yuanbao (周元豹)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0164
Item: library of 30,000 scrolls plus paintings and instruments / 書三萬卷、名畫樂器 · Relation: collected
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0178

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0142, jiuwudaishi:147:s0014
From: Liu / 劉 · To: Wang / 王 · Context: adopted into Wang Chuzhi's house
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:054:s0142, jiuwudaishi:054:s0147

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 40Volume 40 Book of Later Tang 16: Mingzong Annals 6 · 6 passages

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二月乙巳，王晏球奏，此月三日收復定州，獲王都首級，生擒契丹托諾等二千餘人。 On yisi in the second month Wang Yanqiu reported recovering Ding on the third, taking Wang Du's head and capturing over two thousand Khitan including Tuonuo alive.

辛酉，帝御咸安樓受定州俘馘，百官就列，宣露布於樓前，禮畢，以王都首級獻於太社。 On xinyou Mingzong at the Xian'an Tower received Ding captives, proclaimed the victory bulletin, and offered Wang Du's head at the Grand Shrine.

王都男四人、弟一人，禿餒父子二人，並磔於市。 Wang Du's four sons and brother and the Tu Nei father and son were dismembered in the market.

〈（《五代會要》：尚書兵部宣露布於樓前，宣訖，尚書刑部侍郎張文寶奏曰：「逆賊王都首級請付所司。」 (The 《Five Dynasties Essentials》 says War at the Secretariat proclaimed the bulletin at the tower; when it ended Zhang Wenbao of Punishments asked that Wang Du's head be given to the proper office."

大理卿蕭希甫受之以出，獻於郊社，其王都男並蕃將等磔於開封橋。）〉 Judicial review director Xiao Xifu took it out and offered it at the suburban altars; Wang Du's sons and Tangut generals were dismembered at Kaifeng Bridge.)〉

丙申，詔鄴都、幽、鎮、滄、邢、易、定等州管內百姓，除正稅外，放免諸色差配，以討王都之役，有挽運之勞也。 On bingshen Mingzong remitted extra levies in Yedu, You, Zhen, Cang, Xing, Yi, and Ding beyond regular tax after the Wang Du campaign's transport burden.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 54Volume 54 Book of Later Tang 30: Biographies 6: Wang Rong, Wang Zhaohui, Wang Chuzhi · 26 passages

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及破梁軍於高邑，我軍大振，自是遣大將王德明率三十七都從莊宗征伐，收燕降魏，皆預其功，然鎔未嘗親軍遠出。 After the Liang army was defeated at Gaoyi our forces were greatly heartened. Thereafter the great general Wang Deming led thirty-seven commands in Zhuangzong's campaigns, sharing in the conquest of Yan and the submission of Wei, yet Rong never personally led armies far afield.

〈（《王處直傳》，原本止存王都廢立之事，而處直事闕佚。 (The Biography of Wang Chuzhi in the original preserved only the matter of Wang Du's deposition and installation, while Chuzhi's affairs were missing.

初為定州後院軍都知兵馬使，汴人入寇，處直拒戰，不利而退，三軍大噪，推處直為帥，乃權知留後事。 At first he was commander of horse and infantry of the Dingzhou rear guard army. When the Bian forces invaded, Chuzhi fought them but was driven back. The three armies raised a clamor and installed him as commander, and he then acted as acting governor.

後十餘年，為其子都廢歸私第，尋卒，年六十一。）〉 More than ten years later he was deposed by his son Du and retired to a private residence. He soon died at the age of sixty-one.) 〉

王都，本姓劉，小字雲郎，中山陘邑人也。 Wang Du was originally surnamed Liu; his childhood name was Yunlang, and he was a native of Xingyi in Zhongshan.

處直時未有子，應之以都遺於處直曰：「此子生而有異。」 Chuzhi then had no son. Yingzhi presented Du to him, saying, "This child was born with something extraordinary."

因是都得為處直之子。 From this Du became Chuzhi's son.

乃逼牙帳請殺都，處直堅靳之，久乃得免。 They then pressed headquarters to kill Du. Chuzhi firmly refused, and only after a long time was Du spared.

都既成長，總其兵柄，奸詐巧佞，生而知之。 Once Du had grown up he held military authority. Treacherous, cunning, and artfully sycophantic, he seemed born to such ways.

處直愛養，漸有付托之意，時處直諸子尚幼，乃以都為節度副大使。 Chuzhi cherished him and gradually intended to entrust affairs to him. As Chuzhi's sons were still young, he made Du vice military governor.

明年正月，乘勝追敵，過定州，都馬前奉迎，莊宗幸其府第曲宴。 In the first month of the following year, pressing his victory in pursuit of the enemy, he passed Dingzhou. Du met him on the road to welcome him, and Zhuangzong visited his mansion for a private feast.

都有愛女，十餘歲，莊宗與之論婚，許為皇子繼岌妻之。 Du had a beloved daughter of more than ten. Zhuangzong discussed marriage with him and promised her as wife to his son Jiji.

同光三年，莊宗幸鄴都，都來朝覲，留宴旬日，錫賚钜萬，遷太尉、侍中。 In the third year of Tongguang Zhuangzong visited Yedu. Du came to court, was kept for a ten-day feast, granted gifts worth tens of thousands, and promoted to Grand Commandant and Palace Attendant.

初，同光中，祁、易二州刺史，都奏部下將校為之，不進戶口，租賦自贍本軍，天成初仍舊。 During the Tongguang era the prefects of Qi and Yi were commanders under Du whom he memorialized for appointment. They did not submit household registers, and tax revenues supported their own armies. This continued unchanged at the beginning of Tiancheng.

時契丹犯塞，諸軍多屯幽、易間，大將往來，都陰為之備，屢廢迎送，漸成猜間。 At that time the Khitan raided the frontier and many armies were stationed between You and Yi. Great generals came and went; Du secretly prepared against them, repeatedly neglected welcoming and escorting them, and suspicion gradually grew.

和昭訓為都籌畫曰：「主上新有四海，其勢易離，可圖自安之計。」 He Zhaoxun plotted for Du, saying, "The sovereign has newly possessed the realm; the situation is easy to divide. One may plan a course of self-preservation."

都陰知之，乃遣人說建立謀叛，建立偽許之，密以狀聞。 Du secretly learned of this and sent men to persuade Jianli to plot rebellion. Jianli falsely agreed and secretly reported the matter.

都又與青、徐、岐、潞、梓五帥蠟書以離聞之。 Du also sent sealed letters to the five commanders of Qing, Xu, Qi, Lu, and Zi to sow discord.

三年四月，製削都在身官爵，遣宋州節度使王晏球率師討之。 In the fourth month of the third year an edict stripped Du of all his titles and ranks, and Wang Yanqiu, military governor of Songzhou, was sent with troops to suppress him.

都急與王鬱謀，引契丹為援。 Du urgently plotted with Wang Yu and brought in the Khitan as support.

洎王師攻城，契丹將托諾率騎萬人來援，都與契丹合兵大戰於嘉山，為王師所敗，唯餒諾以二千騎奔入定州。 When the imperial army besieged the city, the Khitan general Tuonuo led ten thousand cavalry to the rescue. Du and the Khitan joined forces and fought a great battle at Jiashan but were defeated by the imperial army. Only Nuonuo with two thousand cavalry fled into Dingzhou.

都仗之守城，呼為諾王，屈身瀝懇，冀其盡力。 Du relied on him to defend the city, called him Prince Nuo, bowed low and pleaded earnestly, hoping he would exert himself fully.

都好聚圖書，自常山始破，梁國初平，令人廣將金帛收市，以得為務，不責貴賤，書至三萬卷，名畫樂器各數百，皆四方之精妙者，萃於其府。 Du loved to collect books and scrolls. From the time Changshan first fell and the Liang was newly pacified, he sent men far and wide with gold and silk to buy on the market, caring only to acquire and not whether prices were high or low. Books reached thirty thousand scrolls, famous paintings and musical instruments each numbered in the hundreds—all the finest from the four directions were gathered in his mansion.

四年三月，晏球拔定州，時都校馬讓能降於曲陽門，都巷戰而敗，奔馬歸於府第，縱火焚之，府庫妻孥，一夕俱燼，惟擒托餒並其男四人、弟一人獻於行在。 In the third month of the fourth year Yanqiu captured Dingzhou. Du's officer Ma Rangneng surrendered at the Quyang Gate. Du fought in the lanes and was defeated, fled on horseback to his mansion, and set it ablaze. The treasury, wives, and children were all reduced to ashes in one night. Only Tuonuo was captured along with his four sons and one younger brother and presented at the imperial camp.

王都素蓄異志，潛取以歸，呼為莊宗太子。 Wang Du had long harbored rebellious intent. He secretly took Jitao back and called him Zhuangzong's crown prince.

及都叛，遂僭其服裝，時俾乘墉，欲惑軍士，人咸知其偽，競詬辱之。 When Du rebelled he dressed Jitao in princely robes and at times had him ride the ramparts, hoping to delude the soldiers. All knew he was a fraud and cursed and insulted him.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 57Volume 57 Book of Later Tang 33: Biographies 9: Gao Chongtao · 1 passage

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崇韜曰：「阿保機隻為王都所誘，本利貨財，非敦鄰好，苟前鋒小衄，遁走必矣。 Guo Chongtao said, "Abaoji was lured here by Wang Du alone. He came for loot, not out of genuine alliance. If our vanguard inflicts even a minor defeat, he is certain to flee.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 66Volume 66 Book of Later Tang 42: Biographies 8: an Zhonghui, Zhu Hongzhao, Zhu Hongshi, Kang Yicheng, Yao Yanchou, Song Lingxun · 1 passage

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從王晏球討王都於定州，平之，領壽州節度使、侍衛步軍都虞候。 With Wang Yanqiu he pacified Wang Du at Ding and received Shou and Foot Army deputy command.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 69Volume 69 Book of Later Tang 45: Biographies 21: Zhang Xian, Wang Zhengyan, Hu Zhuang, Cui Yisun, Meng Hu, Sun Yue, Zhang Yanlang, Liu Yanhao, Liu Yanlang · 1 passage

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三年春，車駕幸鄴，時易定王都來朝，宴於行宮，將擊鞠。 In the spring of the third year the emperor visited Ye; at that time the Prince of Yiding, Wang Du, came to court, and a banquet was held in the traveling palace with cuju to follow.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 74Volume 74 Book of Later Tang 50: Biographies 126: Kang Yanxiao, Zhu Shouyin, Yang Li, Dou Tingwan, Zhang Qianzhao, Yang Yanwen · 1 passage

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天成中，與諸將圍王都於中山，大敗契丹於嘉山之下，及定州平，以功授滄州節度使。 During Tiancheng he joined other generals in besieging Wang Du at Zhongshan and routed the Khitan below Mount Jia. When Ding Prefecture fell, he was rewarded with the military governorship of Cang.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 96Volume 96 Book of Later Jin 22: Biographies 11: Kong Chongbi, Chen Baoji, Wang Yu, Zhang Jizuo, Zhen Ruan, Hu Rao, Liu Suiqing, Fang Gao, Meng Chenghui, Liu Jixun, Zheng Shouyi, Cheng Xun, Li Yu, Zheng Xuansu, Ma Zhongji, Chen Xuan · 4 passages

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天成末，王都構亂，陰使結建立為兄弟之國。 Late in the Tiancheng era Wang Du plotted rebellion and secretly sent envoys to win Jianli into a pact of allied states.

建立時密以王都之盟告之，澄與饒俱贊成其事，會王師圍中山，其事遂寢，而饒之兇戾如此。 Jianli secretly disclosed Wang Du's alliance to them, and both Cheng and Rao urged it on. When imperial troops besieged Zhongshan the plot came to nothing, but Rao's brutality and perversity were of this sort.

逾歲，以中山王都有不臣之跡，除遂清為易州刺史，俾遏其寇沖，既至郡，大有禦侮之略，境內賴焉。 A year later, when Wang Du of Zhongshan showed signs of rebellion, Suiqing was appointed prefect of Yi to block his raids. On reaching the prefecture he devised strong defenses, and the region came to rely on him.

王都平，加檢校司空，遷棣州刺史。 After Wang Du was pacified he was given the honorary title of minister of works and transferred to prefect of Di.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 141Volume 141: Treatises 3 Five Elements · 1 passage

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果為其子都所廢。 In the end he was deposed by his son Wang Du.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 147Volume 147: Treatises 9 Punishment and Law · 1 passage

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未幾，定州王都進納唐朝格式律令，凡二百八十六卷。 Soon afterward Wang Du of Dingzhou submitted the Tang regulations, formats, statutes, and ordinances—two hundred and eighty-six scrolls in all.

History of Liao, Chapter 2Volume 2 Annals 2: Taizu 2 · 2 passages