Sui and Tang · Son of Wang Zhixing

Wang Yanzai 王晏宰

Attested AD 818 - AD 860

Passages: 24
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

Wang Yanzai was a Son of Wang Zhixing.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Wang Yanzai / Zai	王晏宰 / 王宰	Wang Yanzai / Zai

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 818 元和十三年
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 72
AD 847 to AD 860 大中後
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 303
AD 836 開成元年七月
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 294

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Wang Yanping (王晏平)
brothers 昆仲 · Full siblings · paternal line
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 303
Parent of Wang Yanshi (王晏實)
his son 其子
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 113
Child of Wang Zhixing (王智興)
son 子 · paternal line
son 子
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 294; New Book of Tang 172, passage 72

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Binning-Qing military governor 邠寧慶節度使
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 106
Guangzhou prefect 光州刺史
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 103
Shence Army soldier 神策軍
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 102
Taiyuan military governor 太原節度太原
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 116
Military Governor of Shangdang 上黨節度使
AD 847 to AD 860 大中後 · Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 303
Military Governor of Taiyuan 太原節度使
AD 847 to AD 860 大中後 · Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 303

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 303
AD 847 to AD 860 大中後
At Shangdang 上黨 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 303
AD 847 to AD 860 大中後
At Taiyuan 太原 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 303

Events and relationships

Campaigned against Liu Zhen and sent his head to the capital
Military
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 108
Later dropped the generational name Yan and used Zai alone
Renaming context
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 101
Repelled Uyghurs and Tangut
AD 847 to AD 860 大中後 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 304

Assessments and attributes

Assessment most-capable-among-the-brothers · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 303

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 72
Value historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 294
From Wang Yanzai 王晏宰 · To Zai 宰 · Change dropped the generational name Yan (晏)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 101

References in the histories

Search passages

History

24 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 160Volume 156 Biographies 106: Yu Di, Han Hong, Wang Zhixing · 2 passages

智興九子：晏平、晏宰、晏臯、晏實、晏恭、晏逸、晏深、晏斌、晏韜，而晏平、晏宰最知名。 Zhixing had nine sons—Yanping, Yanzai, Yangao, Yanshi, Yangong, Yanyi, Yanshen, Yanbin, and Yantao—of whom Yanping and Yanzai were the best known.

晏宰於昆仲間最稱偉器，大中後，歷上黨、太原節度使。 Among the brothers Yanzai was regarded as the most capable; after the Dazhong reign he served in turn as military governor of Shangdang and Taiyuan.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 172Volume 172 Biographies 97: Yu, Wang, Two Du's, Fan · 22 passages

翌日復往，宰相諭使還第。 They returned the next day, but the chief ministers told them to go home.

帝初欲頔告老，宰相李逢吉謂得謝乃優禮，非所以示責。 The emperor first wanted Di to retire, but Chief Minister Li Fengji argued that granting retirement would look like an honor, not a punishment.

宰司將以太子少保官之，帝改署賓客。 The chief ministers planned to make him Junior Mentor to the Heir Apparent, but the emperor reassigned him as Retainer instead.

方，長慶時以勛家子通豪俠，欲事河朔，以策幹宰相元稹。 During Changqing, Fang, scion of a meritorious house and friend to men of daring, sought a career in Hebei and brought his plans to Chief Minister Yuan Zhen.

元和十三年，伐師道，智興以步騎八千次胡陵，與忠武軍會，以騎畀其子晏平、晏宰為先鋒，自率軍繼之。 In Yuanhe year 13, campaigning against Shidao, Zhixing encamped eight thousand infantry and cavalry at Huling, joined the Zhongwu army, put his sons Yanping and Yanzai at the head of the cavalry vanguard, and followed with the main force.

子九人，晏平、宰知名。 He had nine sons; Yanping and Yanzai were the most notable.

晏宰，後去「晏」，獨名宰。 He was called Yan Zai at first, but later dropped the generational name "Yan" and went by Zai alone.

討劉稹也，詔宰以兵出魏博，趨磁州。 During the campaign against Liu Zhen, the emperor ordered Zai to march from Weibo toward Cizhou at the head of his troops.

當是時，何弘敬陰首鼠，聞宰至，大懼，即引軍濟漳水。 He Hongjing was then hedging his bets in secret; when he learned Zai was coming he panicked and at once crossed the Zhang River with his army.

宰相李德裕建言：「河陽兵寡，以忠武為援，既以捍洛，則並制魏博。」 The chief minister Li Deyu argued: "Heyang's garrison is thin; Zhongwu should reinforce it—protect Luoyang and Weibo falls into our grip as well."

遂詔宰以兵五千椎鋒，兼統河陽行營。 The emperor accordingly put Zai at the head of five thousand shock troops and gave him overall command of the Heyang field camp.

德裕以宰乘破竹勢不遂取澤州，以其子晏實守磁，為顧望計，帝有詔切責。 Zai had the momentum of a bamboo split wide open yet stalled before Zezhou while his son Yan Shi guarded Cizhou—a feint of hesitation—and the emperor sent down a stern rebuke.

宰懼，急攻陵川，破賊石會關，進攻澤州。 Frightened, Zai rushed to assault Lingchuan, stormed the rebel strongpoint at Shihui Pass, and pressed the attack on Zezhou.

宰傳稹首京師，遂節度太原。 Zai forwarded Liu Zhen's head to the capital and was appointed military governor of Taiyuan.

宣宗初，入朝，厚結權幸求宰相，周墀劾之，乃還軍。 Early in Xuanzong's reign he came to court, currying favor with the mighty to win a seat in the chancellery; Zhou Chi denounced him, and he went back to his command.

羔乃謁宰相，請移散官。 Gao went to the chief ministers and asked to be moved to an inactive honorary rank.

開成初，文宗欲以真源、臨真二公主降士族，謂宰相曰：「民間脩婚姻，不計官品而上閥閱。 Early in Kaicheng, Wenzong meant to marry the Princesses Zhenyuan and Linzhen into great clans and told his chief ministers: "Common folk arranging marriages care nothing for office and everything for pedigree.

京兆尹缺，宣宗將用之，宰相以年少，欲歷試其能，更出為義武節度使。 When the capital governorship fell open, Xuanzong meant to give it to him; the chief ministers thought him still young and preferred to test his mettle, so he was posted instead as military governor of Yiwu.

李棲筠風望高，時謂當宰相，故亞厚結納。 Li Qiyun commanded high esteem and was widely tipped for the chancellery—Ya drew him into a warm alliance.

載死，遷給事中。 After Zai's death he was promoted to Supervising Censor.

亞意必任臺宰，倍道進。 Convinced he would be named chief minister, Ya hastened toward the capital at breakneck pace.

宰相竇參憚其宿望，以檢校吏部尚書留守東都。 Chief Minister Dou Can, wary of his standing, appointed him acting Minister of the Civil Service with charge as regent of the Eastern Capital.