Wang Zhengyan (王正言)

Overview

Wang Zhengyan was a minister of Rites and Revenue.

PeriodFive Dynasties

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Death

AD 926 to AD 930 明宗即位後
died in office 卒於任
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 69, passage 101

Attested activity

AD 923 AD 923-925
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 61
AD 925 三年冬
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 69, passage 91
AD 925 丙子
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 167
AD 926 十二月
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 34, passage 46
AD 925 同光三年秋七月
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 18
AD 924 同光二年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 31, passage 33

Show 6 more source-backed claims

AD 923 同光初
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 69, passage 76
AD 925 to AD 926 居鄴都
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 37, passage 78
AD 923 帝既平梁汴
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 117
AD 915 張彥之亂，命判官王正言草奏，正言素不能文，不能下筆，彥怒詬曰：「鈍漢乃辱我！」
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 71, passage 28
AD 926 明宗即位
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 69, passage 101
AD 926 是日
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 34, passage 81

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Zhi (誌)
father 父
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 69, passage 69

Key source chapters

Career and standing

studied under Buddhist monks 從沙門學
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 69, passage 70
acting Minister of Personnel 檢校吏部尚書
AD 925 丙子 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 167
acting Xingtang prefect 守興唐尹
AD 925 丙子 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 167
Yedu deputy regent 鄴都副留守
AD 925 丙子 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 167
acting regent 知留守事
AD 926 十二月 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 34, passage 46
Xingtang prefect 興唐尹
AD 926 十二月 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 34, passage 46

Show 8 more source-backed claims

Minister of Revenue 戶部尚書
AD 925 同光三年秋七月 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 18
Minister of Rites 禮部尚書
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 125
Minister of Revenue 戶部尚書
AD 925 丙子 · Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 167
land-tax commissioner 租庸使
AD 924 同光二年 · Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 31, passage 33
garrison commander / leftover guardian 留守
Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 37, passage 78
Minister of Revenue 戶部尚書
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 34, passage 46
Minister of Rites 禮部尚書
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 18
Xingtang prefect 興唐尹
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 117

Places and affiliations

Polity Later Tang 後唐 · Relation Served
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 18
Polity Later Tang 後唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 167; Old History of the Five Dynasties 34, passage 46
At Yanzhou 鄆州
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 69, passage 68
At Ye 鄴都 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 37, passage 78

Events and relationships

Appointed
AD 925 丙子 · Appointment · Appointee · At Yedu 鄴都
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 167
Bowed to
Political · Supplicant · With Zhao Zaili (趙在禮) · At Ye 鄴
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 34, passage 81
Curried favor under
Political · Subordinate · With Shi Yanqiong (史彥瓊)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 34, passage 48

Assessments and attributes

Assessment integrity to spare but insufficient intelligence · Mode named-speech Speaker Kong Qian (孔謙)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 69, passage 85
Assessment lacked talent for steady governance; aged and forgetful · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 34, passage 47
aged and wind-sick; often forgot affairs and lacked talent for steady governance
Illness
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 34, passage 47
wind ailment and mental confusion
Illness
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 125

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passages 18, 167; Old History of the Five Dynasties 34, passage 46; New History of the Five Dynasties 37, passage 78

References in the histories

Search passages

History

32 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 31Volume 31 Book of Later Tang 7: Zhuangzong Annals 5 · 1 passage

Open chapter

以禮部尚書、興唐尹王正言依前禮部尚書，充租庸使。 Wang Zhengyan stayed Minister of Rites and was made land-tax commissioner.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 33Volume 33 Book of Later Tang 9: Zhuangzong Annals 7 · 2 passages

Open chapter

以禮部尚書王正言為戶部尚書，以御史中丞崔協為禮部尚書，以刑部侍郎、史館修撰、判館事崔居儉為御史中丞，以尚書左丞歸靄為刑部侍郎。 Wang Zhengyan, Minister of Rites, was made Minister of Revenue; Cui Xie, censor-in-chief, was made Minister of Rites; Cui Jujian, Vice Minister of Punishments, History Office compiler, and acting institute director, was made censor-in-chief; and Gui Ai, Left Assistant Director of the Department of State Affairs, was made Vice Minister of Punishments.

以戶部尚書王正言為檢校吏部尚書、守興唐尹，充鄴都副留守； Wang Zhengyan of Revenue became acting Personnel minister, acting Xingtang prefect, and Yedu deputy regent;

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 34Volume 34 Book of Later Tang 10: Zhuangzong Annals 8 · 5 passages

Open chapter

十二月，以戶部尚書王正言為興唐尹、知留守事。 In the twelfth month Wang Zhengyan of Revenue became Xingtang prefect and regent.

正言年耄風病，事多忽忘，比無經治之才。 Aged and ill, Zhengyan forgot duties and could not govern.

武德使史彥瓊者，以伶官得幸，帝待以腹心之任，都府之中，威福自我，正言以下，皆脅肩低首，曲事不暇。 Shi Yanqiong, commissioner of Wude, had won favor as an actor, and the emperor entrusted him as an intimate. Within the capital prefecture, authority and favor issued from him alone; Wang Zhengyan and those below him all hunched their shoulders and bowed their heads, too busy currying favor to do anything else.

詰旦，閽報正言曰：「史武德夜半馳馬而去，不知何往。」 At dawn the gate officer told Zhengyan that Shi Yanqiong had fled at midnight."

興唐尹王正言謁在禮，望塵再拜。 Wang Zhengyan bowed twice in the dust to Zhao Zaili.

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 · 14 passages

Open chapter

王正言，鄆州人。 Wang Zhengyan was a native of Yanzhou.

正言早孤貧，從沙門學，工詩，密州刺史賀德倫令歸俗，署郡職。 Zhengyan was orphaned early and poor; he studied under Buddhist monks and was skilled at poetry. The prefect of Mizhou, He Delun, had him return to lay life and appointed him to a prefectural post.

莊宗平定魏博，正言仍舊職任，小心端慎，與物無競。 When Zhuangzong pacified Weibo, Zhengyan remained in his former post, careful and upright, without striving against others.

嘗為同職司空頲所淩，正言降心下之。 He was once bullied by his colleague Sikong Ting; Zhengyan humbled himself and submitted to him.

魏博六州戶口，天下之半，王正言操守有餘，智力不足，若朝廷任使，庶幾與人共事； The six prefectures of Weibo account for half the empire's households. Wang Zhengyan has integrity to spare but insufficient intelligence; if the court appoints him, he might perhaps work with others;

崇韜即奏憲留守魏州，征王正言為租庸使。 Chongtao immediately memorialized that Xian remain intendant at Weizhou and summoned Wang Zhengyan as commissioner of transport and corvée.

正言在職，主諾而已，權柄出於孔謙。 In office Zhengyan merely assented; real authority lay with Kong Qian.

正言不耐繁浩，簿領縱橫，觸事遺忘，物論以為不可，即以孔謙代之，正言守禮部尚書。 Zhengyan could not bear the complexity; ledgers crisscrossed and he forgot matters at every turn. Public opinion held this unacceptable, so Kong Qian replaced him and Zhengyan remained minister of rites.

時武德使史彥瓊，監守鄴都，廩帑出納，兵馬製置，皆出彥瓊，將佐官吏，頤指氣使，正言不能以道禦之，但趑趄聽命。 At that time the Military Virtue commissioner Shi Yanqiong supervised and guarded Yedu; granary receipts and disbursements and military arrangements all issued from Yanqiong. Generals, staff, and officials he ordered about imperiously; Zhengyan could not restrain him by principle but only hesitated and obeyed.

正言促召書吏寫奏章，家人曰：「賊已殺人縱火，都城已陷，何奏之有。」 Zhengyan urgently summoned clerks to draft a memorial; his family said, "The rebels have already killed and set fires—the capital has fallen; what memorial is there to write?"

是日，正言引諸僚佐謁趙在禮， That day Zhengyan led his staff to call on Zhao Zaili,

〈（《通鑒》：正言索馬，不能得，乃帥僚佐步出府門謁在禮。）〉 (Comprehensive Mirror: Zhengyan sought a horse but could not obtain one, so he led his staff on foot out the prefectural gate to call on Zaili.)〉

因拜正言，厚加慰撫。 He then bowed to Zhengyan and comforted him generously.

明宗即位，正言求為平盧軍行軍司馬，因以授之，竟卒於任。 When Mingzong took the throne, Zhengyan asked to serve as acting commander of the Pinglu army and received the post; he died in that office.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 71Volume 71 Book of Later Tang 47: Biographies 23: Ma Yu, Si Kongting, Cao Tingyin, Xiao Xifu, Yao Zongzhi, Jia Fu, Ma Gao, Luo Guan, Chun Yuyan, Zhang Ge, Xu Ji, Zhou Xuanbao · 1 passage

Open chapter

張彥之亂，命判官王正言草奏，正言素不能文，不能下筆，彥怒詬曰：「鈍漢乃辱我！」 When Zhang Yan rebelled he ordered his aide Wang Zhengyan to draft a memorial, but Wang, who had never mastered prose, could not write a word; Zhang Yan thundered, "You blockheaded oaf—how dare you disgrace me!"

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 73Volume 73 Book of Later Tang 49: Biographies 25: Mao Zhang, Nie Yu, Wen Tao, Duan Ning, Kong Qian, Li Ye · 6 passages

Open chapter

興唐尹王正言無裨益之才，徒有獨行，詔書既征張憲，復以何人為代？」 Xingtang prefect Wang Zhengyan lacks talent of real use and possesses only a reputation for integrity. Now that an edict has summoned Zhang Xian, who is to replace him?"

豆盧革言於崇韜，崇韜曰：「鄴都分司列職，皆主上舊人，委王正言何慮不辦？」 Dou Lüge spoke to Chongtao, who said, "All the branch offices and posts at Ye are the emperor's old associates; if Wang Zhengyan is entrusted with the task, why worry that he cannot manage it?"

革曰：「俱是失也，設不獲已，以正言掌租庸，取書於大臣，或可辦矣； Ge said, "Both choices would be mistakes. If there is no help for it, let Zhengyan manage taxation and corvée while taking counsel from senior ministers—that might work;

謙以正言非德非勳，懦而易製，曰：「此議為便。」 Qian, knowing Zhengyan lacked virtue and merit and was cowardly and easy to control, said, "This plan is convenient."

尋掎正言之失，泣訴於崇韜，厚賂閹伶，以求進用，人知奸諂，沮之，乃上章請退。 Before long he seized on Zhengyan's faults and tearfully complained to Chongtao, bribed eunuch actors heavily to seek advancement; when people recognized his treachery and flattery they blocked him, and he submitted a memorial asking to retire.

王正言風病恍惚，不能綜三司事，景進屢言於帝，乃以正言守禮部尚書，以謙為租庸使。 Wang Zhengyan suffered from wind ailment and mental confusion and could not manage the three offices. Jing Jin repeatedly spoke to the emperor, whereupon Zhengyan was made Minister of Rites and Qian was made commissioner of taxation and corvée.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 26Volume 26 Later Tang Biographies 6: Fu Xi, Wu Zhen, Kong Qian, Zhang Yanlang, Li Yan, Li Renju, Mao Zhang · 2 passages

Open chapter

革以語崇韜，崇韜罷憲不召，以興唐尹王正言為租庸使。 Ge repeated this to Chongtao. Chongtao dropped the recall and made Xingtang governor Wang Zhengyan grain-and-corvée commissioner.

已而正言病風，不任事，景進數以為言，乃罷正言，以謙為租庸使，賜「豐財贍國功臣」。 Before long Zhengyan was struck with paralysis and could not serve. Jing Jin kept pressing the point. Zhengyan was removed, Qian got the commission, and the throne gave him the title "Meritorious in Enriching Wealth and Nourishing the State."

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 37Volume 37 Biographies 17: · 1 passage

Open chapter

史彦瓊者，為武德使，居鄴都，而魏博六州之政皆決彦瓊，自留守王正言而下，皆俛首承事之。 Shi Yanqiong held Ye as Military Virtue Commissioner and ruled Weibo’s six prefectures; from Wang Zhengyan the garrison commander down, everyone kowtowed to him.