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Overview Names Identity Roles Life and dates Family Career and standing Places and affiliations Assessments and attributes Source notes References in the histories
Overview The translated histories identify Wang Zhengyan as an administrator, military officer, official, and poet. This record brings together 25 passages from 6 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.
Names Type English Chinese Pinyin
Personal
Wang Zhengyan
王正言
Wang Zhengyan
Personal name
Wang Zhengyan
王正言
Wang Zhengyan
Given
Zhengyan
正言
Zhengyan
Given name
Zhengyan
正言
Zhengyan
Identity
Historicity Historical
Identification Named
Sex Male Roles Administrator Military Officer Official Poet Life and dates Death Attested activity Source Date: Text: AD 923-925Western Year: AD 923
Source Date: Text: 三年冬Western Year: AD 925
Source Date: Text: 同光二年Western Year: AD 924
Source Date: Text: 同光初Western Year: AD 923
Source Date: Text: 居鄴都Western Interval: Start: AD 925End: AD 926
Source Date: Text: 帝既平梁汴Western Year: AD 923
Western Year: AD 915Source Date: Text: 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！」
Source Date: Text: 明宗即位Western Year: AD 926
Family
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Career and standing Label: studied under Buddhist monks / 從沙門學
Label: Minister of Rites / 禮部尚書Action: appointed
Label: land-tax commissioner / 租庸使Action: heldDate Context: Source Date: Text: 同光二年Western Year: AD 924
Label: garrison commander / leftover guardian / 留守Action: held
Label: Xingtang prefect / 興唐尹Action: held
Assessments and attributes References in the histories Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.
Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 31 Volume 31 Book of Later Tang 7: Zhuangzong Annals 5 · 1 passage
Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 69 Volume 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
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 71 Volume 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
Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 73 Volume 73 Book of Later Tang 49: Biographies 25: Mao Zhang, Nie Yu, Wen Tao, Duan Ning, Kong Qian, Li Ye · 6 passages
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 26 Volume 26 Later Tang Biographies 6: Fu Xi, Wu Zhen, Kong Qian, Zhang Yanlang, Li Yan, Li Renju, Mao Zhang · 2 passages
New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 37 Volume 37 Biographies 17: · 1 passage