Five Dynasties · Emperor of Min

Wang Lin 王鏻

Wáng Lín

Died AD 935

Passages: 20
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Wang Lin was an emperor of Min.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	Emperor Hui	惠皇帝
Temple name	Taizong	太宗

Life and dates

Death

AD 935 是歲十月
Stabbed then finished by palace women
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passages 95, 97

Attested activity

AD 935 是歲十月被弒
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passages 93, 97

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Wang Jipeng (王繼鵬)
eldest son 長子
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passages 74, 98
Spouse of Chen Jinfeng (陳金鳳)
empress 後
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 87
Spouse of First wife of Wang Lin (鏻前妻)
first wife 妻 · Ended
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 86
Parent of Wang Jitao (王繼韜)
second son 次子
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 92
Spouse of Lady Jin (金氏)
second wife 繼室
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 86

Career and standing

Emperor Hui 惠皇帝
Granted posthumously
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 97
Suffered
Paralyzed / wind illness
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 88

Places and affiliations

Polity Min 閩 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 97

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 68, passage 80

References in the histories

Search passages

History

20 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 68Volume 68: Hereditary House of Min · 20 passages

明日，諷鏻使巫視英疾，巫言：「入北廟，見英為崇順王所訊，曰：『汝何敢謀反？』 The next day he persuaded Lin to have the sorcerer divine Ying's illness. The sorcerer reported, "In the northern temple I saw Ying questioned by King Chongshun, who demanded, 'How dare you plot rebellion?'

鏻以語文傑，文傑曰：「未可信也，宜問其疾如何。」 Lin told Wenjie what the sorcerer had said. Wenjie replied, "That alone proves nothing. Ask what his illness actually is."

鏻遣人問之，英曰：「頭痛。」 Lin sent an envoy to Ying, who answered, "A headache."

鏻以為然，即以英下獄，命文傑劾之，英自誣伏，見殺。 Lin took this as confirmation, threw Ying into prison, and ordered Wenjie to prosecute him. Ying confessed to the fabricated charge and was executed.

是歲，吳人攻建州，鏻遣其將王延宗救之，兵士在道不肯進，曰：「得文傑乃進。」 That year the Wu attacked Jianzhou. Lin sent his general Wang Yancong to relieve the city, but the troops on the march refused to go forward, crying, "Hand over Wenjie, then we march!"

鏻惜之不與，其子繼鵬請與之以紓難，乃以檻車送文傑軍中。 Lin was loath to surrender him. His son Jipeng urged that Wenjie be given up to avert disaster, and Wenjie was sent to the army in a prison cart.

明日，鏻使者至，赦之，已不及。 The next day Lin's messenger arrived with an order of pardon, but it was too late.

初，文傑為鏻造檻車，以謂古制疏闊，乃更其制，令上下通，中以鐵芒內向，動輒觸之，既成，首被其毒。 Wenjie had once designed a prison cart for Lin, finding the old model too loose. He redesigned it with open top and bottom and inward-pointing iron spikes so that any movement drew blood. When it was finished he became its first victim.

王仁達為鏻殺延稟有功，而典親兵，鏻心忌之，嘗問仁達曰：「趙高指鹿為馬，以愚二世，果有之邪？」 Wang Renda had distinguished himself by killing Yanbin and now commanded the imperial guard. Lin grew jealous and once asked him, "Did Zhao Gao really point to a deer and call it a horse to deceive the Second Emperor?"

鏻慚，賜與金帛慰安之。 Lin was abashed and rewarded him with gold and silk to reassure him.

鏻妻早卒，繼室金氏賢而不見答。 Lin's first wife died young. His second wife, Lady Jin, was virtuous but went unloved.

審知婢金鳳，姓陳氏，鏻嬖之，遂立以為後。 Golden Phoenix, a maid of Shenzhi's from the Chen clan, became Lin's favorite and was raised to empress.

初，鏻有嬖吏歸守明者，以色見倖，號歸郎，鏻後得風疾，陳氏與歸郎奸。 Lin once kept a favorite clerk named Gui Shouming, who won his affection by his beauty and was nicknamed Lord Gui. After Lin fell ill with paralysis, Empress Chen and Lord Gui became lovers.

鏻命錦工作九龍帳，國人歌曰：「誰謂九龍帳，惟貯一歸郎！」 Lin ordered the brocade workshops to weave a Nine Dragons canopy. The people sang, "They call it the Nine Dragons canopy, but it holds only Lord Gui!"

鏻婢春燕有色，其子繼鵬蒸之，鏻已病，繼鵬因陳氏以求春燕，鏻怏怏與之。 Spring Swallow, a maid in Lin's household, was beautiful. His son Jipeng took her as a concubine. Already gravely ill, Lin yielded her to Jipeng at Empress Chen's urging, though he did so with bitter reluctance.

是歲十月，鏻饗軍於大酺殿，坐中昏然，言見延稟來，仿以為鏻病已甚，乃令壯士先殺李可殷於家。 In the tenth month of that year Lin feasted his troops in the Great Revelry Hall. Midway through the banquet he fell into a stupor and cried that Yanbin had come for him. Fang judged Lin's illness beyond recovery and sent bravos to kill Li Keyin at his home.

明日晨朝，鏻無恙，問仿殺可殷何罪，仿懼而出，與繼鵬率皇城衛士而入。 The next morning Lin appeared at court unharmed and demanded to know what crime had justified Keyin's murder. Fang fled in terror and, with Jipeng, led the Imperial City guards into the palace.

鏻聞鼓噪聲，走匿九龍帳中，衛士刺之不殂，宮人不忍其苦，為絕之。 Hearing the uproar, Lin fled into the Nine Dragons canopy. The guards stabbed him but failed to kill him outright, and the palace women, unable to bear his agony, finished him off.

鏻立十年見殺，謚曰惠皇帝，廟號太宗。 Lin had ruled ten years when he was murdered. He was posthumously titled Emperor Hui, with the temple name Taizong.

繼鵬，鏻長子也。 Jipeng was Lin's eldest son.