Ming · Eunuch

Wang Zhi 汪直

Wāng Zhí

Attested AD 1477 - AD 1483

Passages: 15
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

The translated histories identify Wang Zhi as an eunuch and military officer. This record brings together 15 passages from 1 chapter across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Wang Zhi	汪直	Wāng Zhí
Title	Palace Attendant	奉御
Surname	Wang	汪	Wāng
Given	Zhi	直	Zhí

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · mingshi:014:s0019

Roles

Eunuch
Military Officer

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 成化十七年 · Western Year: AD 1481
Explicit event contextual date · mingshi:014:s0086
Source Date: Text: 成化十三年 · Western Year: AD 1477
Explicit event contextual date · mingshi:014:s0019
Source Date: Text: 成化十九年 · Western Year: AD 1483
Explicit event contextual date · mingshi:014:s0112
Source Date: Text: 成化十五年 · Western Year: AD 1479
Explicit event contextual date · mingshi:014:s0056
Source Date: Text: 成化十八年 · Western Year: AD 1482
Explicit event contextual date · mingshi:014:s0101
Source Date: Text: 成化十六年 · Western Year: AD 1480
Explicit event contextual date · mingshi:014:s0066
Source Date: Text: 成化十四年 · Western Year: AD 1478
Explicit event contextual date · mingshi:014:s0041

Career and standing

Label: Army Supervisor / 監軍 · Action: appointed
Explicit · mingshi:014:s0060
Label: Director of the Western Depot / 西廠提督 · Action: appointed
Explicit · mingshi:014:s0019
Label: Palace Attendant / 奉御 · Action: demoted
Explicit · mingshi:014:s0119
Label: Nanjing Imperial Horse Directorate / 南京御馬監 · Action: transferred
Explicit · mingshi:014:s0112
Label: increased yearly stipend / 加歲祿 · Action: granted
Explicit · mingshi:014:s0061
Status: guilty · Action: judged
Explicit · mingshi:014:s0112
Label: demotion and punishment / 謫 · Action: suffered
Explicit · mingshi:014:s0119

Places and affiliations

Label: Ming / 明 · Relation: served
Strongly inferred · mingshi:014:s0019
Place: Datong and Xuanfu / 大同、宣府 · Relation: traveled-to
Explicit · mingshi:014:s0059
Place: Liaodong / 遼東 · Relation: traveled-to
Explicit · mingshi:014:s0041
Organization: Western Depot / 西廠 · Relation: headed
Explicit · mingshi:014:s0019

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: arresting-officer · Action: arrested-officials · Other Person Ids: Wu Qing (武清), Yue Zhang (樂章), Jiang Zongwu (蔣宗武), Zhang Tinggang (張廷綱), Liu Fu (劉福)
Explicit · mingshi:014:s0020
Kind: political · Role: arresting-officer · Action: arrested · Other Person Id: Fang Xian (方賢)
Explicit · mingshi:014:s0021
Kind: political · Role: accuser · Action: impeached · Other Person Id: Ma Wensheng (馬文升)
Explicit · mingshi:014:s0056

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: misled the emperor; Western Depot abuses · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · mingshi:014:s0197, mingshi:014:s0198

References in the histories

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

History of Ming, Chapter 14Volume 14 Annals 14: Xianzong 2 · 15 passages

己巳，置西廠，太監汪直提督官校刺事。 On jisi the Western Depot was set up, with the eunuch Wang Zhi directing palace agents to ferret out intelligence.

夏四月，汪直執郎中武清、樂章，太醫院院判蔣宗武，行人張廷綱，浙江布政使劉福下西廠獄。 In the fourth month of summer Wang Zhi seized Bureau Director Wu Qing, Music Master Yue Zhang, Court of Imperial Medicine Vice Director Jiang Zongwu, courier Zhang Tinggang, and Zhejiang administrative commissioner Liu Fu and jailed them in the Western Depot.

六月癸卯，太監汪直行遼東邊。 In the sixth month, on guimao, the eunuch Wang Zhi toured the Liaodong border.

五月壬戌，汪直劾侍郎馬文升，下文升獄，謫戍。 In the fifth month, on renxu, Wang Zhi denounced Vice Minister Ma Wensheng, who was jailed and exiled to the border.

秋七月癸酉，汪直行大同、宣府邊。 In the seventh month of autumn, on guiyou, Wang Zhi toured the Datong and Xuanfu borders.

冬十月丁亥，撫寧侯朱永為靖虜將軍，充總兵官，汪直監軍，禦伏當加。 In the tenth month of winter, on dinghai, Zhu Yong, Marquis of Funing, was made Pacifying the Barbarians General and supreme commander, with Wang Zhi as army supervisor, to repel Boladaci.

十二月辛未，論功封朱永保國公，加汪直歲祿，陞賞者二千六百餘人。 In the twelfth month, on xinwei, after a merit review Zhu Yong was enfeoffed Duke of Bao, Wang Zhi's yearly stipend was raised, and more than twenty-six hundred men were promoted or rewarded.

丁酉，保國公朱永為平虜將軍，充總兵官，王越提督軍務，汪直監軍，禦亦思馬因於延綏。 On dingyou Zhu Yong, Duke of Bao, was made Pacifying the Barbarians General and supreme commander, with Wang Yue directing operations and Wang Zhi supervising the army, to meet Isibayan on the Yan-Sui frontier.

丙寅，朱永、汪直、王越帥京軍禦之。 On bingyin Zhu Yong, Wang Zhi, and Wang Yue marched the metropolitan army to meet him.

五月己亥，汪直監督軍務，王越為平胡將軍，充總兵官，禦之。 In the fifth month, on jihai, Wang Zhi took charge of operations and Wang Yue was made Pacifying the Hu General and supreme commander to repel him.

甲午，命所在鎮守總兵、巡撫聽汪直、王越節制。 On jiawu all frontier supreme commanders and regional inspectors were ordered to take direction from Wang Zhi and Wang Yue.

六月壬寅，亦思馬因犯延綏，汪直、王越調兵禦敗之。 In the sixth month, on renyin, Yisimayin struck Yan-sui; Wang Zhi and Wang Yue raised troops to meet him and drove him off.

六月乙亥，汪直有罪，調南京御馬監。 In the sixth month, on yihai, Wang Zhi was judged guilty and reassigned to the Nanjing Imperial Horse Directorate.

壬申，謫汪直為奉御，其黨王越、戴縉等貶黜有差。 On renshen Wang Zhi was reduced to palace attendant, and his allies Wang Yue, Dai Jin, and others were punished and demoted according to their crimes.

顧以任用汪直，西廠橫恣，盜竊威柄，稔惡弄兵。 Yet because he employed Wang Zhi, the Western Depot ran rampant, stole imperial authority, and—grown wicked through long license—stirred up war at will.