Wang Jishan
Encyclopedia
Wang Jishan (618
– August 28, 699), formally Duke Zhen of Xing (邢貞公), was an official of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
and Wu Zetian
's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
. His family was from Ming Prefecture (洺州, in modern Handan
, Hebei
). His father Wang Jun'e (王君愕) had, at the end of Tang's predecessor Sui Dynasty
, served under the agrarian rebel leader Wang Junkuo (王君廓), and after Tang was founded, surrendered to Tang with Wang Junkuo and subsequently served as a Tang general. Wang Jun'e participated in Emperor Taizong
's campaign against Goguryeo
, and died in 645 during the Battle of Mount Zhubi (駐驆山). Emperor Taizong posthumously created him the Duke of Xing. After Wang Jun'e's death, Wang Jishan inherited the title of Duke of Xing and was given the additional honorific title of Chaosan Daifu (朝散大夫).
, Wang Jishan served on the staff of his son and crown prince
Li Hong
. Once, Li Hong gathered his staff members for a gave of zhidao (擲倒, probably traversing on one's hands with feet in the air). When Wang's turn was up, he opined that there were people whose responsibilities were to entertain the crown prince, and that it was inappropriate for staff members to be participating in the game. Li Hong thanked him and excused him. When Emperor Gaozong heard this, he awarded Wang with silk and made him a commanding general of the imperial guards, commenting, "I know that you are faithful and diligent, and that is why I give you an office of the third rank. Other people need to be searched before they could enter the palace, but you are allowed to holster a large sword to be by my side. Do you understand the honor that this is?" Soon thereafter, however, Wang was dismissed on account of illness, but later on was made the minister of military supplies (衛尉卿, Weiwei Qing).
(Li Hong's younger brother, as Li Hong having predeceased Emperor Gaozong), with Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wu
(later known as Wu Zetian) serving as empress dowager
and regent
, Wang Jishan served as the minister of imperial clan affairs (司屬卿, Sishu Qing). During a famine in the region east of the Taihang Mountains
, Wang served as the coordinator of famine relief. He then successively served as the minister of rites (春官尚書, Chunguan Shangshu), the commandant at Qin Prefecture (秦州, roughly modern Tianshui
, Gansu
), and then the secretary general at Yi Prefecture (益州, roughly modern Chengdu
, Sichuan
). He eventually requested retirement on account of old age and illness.
attack in 697, Wu Zetian requested Wang Jishan to come out of retirement to serve as the prefect of Hua Prefecture (滑州, roughly modern Anyang
, Henan
), stating to him, "The thieves on the border have rebelled. Even though you are ill, you can head slowly to your post 30 li
a day [(i.e., 15 kilometers a day)]) with your wife and children. Even if you can only govern the prefecture while lying on your bed, you can cut off the Yellow River
for me." She then inquired him as to his opinion on a number of central government affairs. He gave her some 10-odd items of opinion. She, in turn, responded, "A prefecture is unimportant compared to the important matters of the central government. You must not leave." She then made him Neishi (內史), the head of the legislative bureau of government (鳳閣, Fengge) and a post considered one for a chancellor. Later that year, when her secret police official Lai Junchen
were accused of crimes warranting death and yet she considered pardoning Lai on account of his contributions to her in the past, Wang pointed out that Lai had falsely killed many virtuous officials and that he must be killed. Wu Zetian agreed and executed Lai.
In 698, the chancellor Di Renjie
advocated that Wu Zetian recall Emperor Ruizong's older brother Li Zhe
the Prince of Luling, himself a former emperor, from exile, an opinion that Wang Jishan and fellow chancellor Wang Fangqing
shared. With her close advisor Ji Xu
and her lovers Zhang Yizhi
and Zhang Changzong
advocating the same, she agreed and recalled Li Zhe, soon changing his name to Li Xian and making him crown prince. Later in 698, with rumors that Li Xian's crown prince position was not secure, Wang Jishan requested that Wu Zetian have Li Xian go to the central government buildings to meet with the officials, to quell the rumors, and she agreed.
It was said that Wang was not well-studied, but was honest and upright in his acts. Around 699, at imperial feasts, Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were often not acting in accordance with proper regulations for imperial subjects, and Wang often counseled Wu Zetian not to allow them to carry out these actions. This displeased her, and she told Wang, "You are old. It is not right that you be required to attend so many feasts. From now on, just tend to the matters of the legislative bureau." Wang, in turn, claimed illness and requested sick leave. After taking leave for a month, Wu Zetian had not yet tried to see him. He sighed and stated, "How can the Son of Heaven
not see someone as important as the head of the legislative bureau on a daily basis? This shows how unimportant I am viewed." He then requested retirement, but she did not approve of it. Instead, she made him Wenchang Zuo Xiang (文昌左相), one of the heads of the executive bureau (文昌臺, Wenchang Tai), and gave him the designation of Tong Fengge Luantai Sanpin (同鳳閣鸞臺三品), having him still serve as a chancellor de facto. He died a month later and was buried with honors, near the tomb of Emperor Gaozong, where Wu Zetian herself would eventually be buried as well.
618
Year 618 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 618 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* The Sui Dynasty ends and the Tang Dynasty...
– August 28, 699), formally Duke Zhen of Xing (邢貞公), was an official of the Chinese
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
and Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian , personal name Wu Zhao , often referred to as Tian Hou during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant...
's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
Background
Wang Jishan was born in 618, around the time of the founding of Tang DynastyTang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
. His family was from Ming Prefecture (洺州, in modern Handan
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwestern part of Hebei Province of China.- History :Handan was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period , after the capital moved from Zhongmu. The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
). His father Wang Jun'e (王君愕) had, at the end of Tang's predecessor Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
, served under the agrarian rebel leader Wang Junkuo (王君廓), and after Tang was founded, surrendered to Tang with Wang Junkuo and subsequently served as a Tang general. Wang Jun'e participated in Emperor Taizong
Emperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Shìmín , was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649...
's campaign against Goguryeo
Emperor Taizong's campaign against Goguryeo
The First Goguryeo–Tang War started when Emperor Taizong of Tang , the second emperor of Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, asserting that a campaign against Goguryeo was necessary to protect Tang's ally Silla, as well as to punish Goguryeo's Dae Mangniji Yeon Gaesomun for his killing of Goguryeo's...
, and died in 645 during the Battle of Mount Zhubi (駐驆山). Emperor Taizong posthumously created him the Duke of Xing. After Wang Jun'e's death, Wang Jishan inherited the title of Duke of Xing and was given the additional honorific title of Chaosan Daifu (朝散大夫).
During Emperor Gaozong's reign
During the reign of Emperor Taizong's son Emperor GaozongEmperor Gaozong of Tang
Emperor Gaozong of Tang , personal name Li Zhi , was the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty in China, ruling from 649 to 683...
, Wang Jishan served on the staff of his son and crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
Li Hong
Li Hong
Li Hong , formally Emperor Xiaojing with the temple name of Yizong , was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...
. Once, Li Hong gathered his staff members for a gave of zhidao (擲倒, probably traversing on one's hands with feet in the air). When Wang's turn was up, he opined that there were people whose responsibilities were to entertain the crown prince, and that it was inappropriate for staff members to be participating in the game. Li Hong thanked him and excused him. When Emperor Gaozong heard this, he awarded Wang with silk and made him a commanding general of the imperial guards, commenting, "I know that you are faithful and diligent, and that is why I give you an office of the third rank. Other people need to be searched before they could enter the palace, but you are allowed to holster a large sword to be by my side. Do you understand the honor that this is?" Soon thereafter, however, Wang was dismissed on account of illness, but later on was made the minister of military supplies (衛尉卿, Weiwei Qing).
During Emperor Ruizong's first reign
During the first reign of Emperor Gaozong's son Emperor RuizongEmperor Ruizong of Tang
Emperor Ruizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Dàn , known at times during his life as Li Xulun , Li Lun , Wu Lun , and Wu Dan , was the fifth and ninth emperor of Tang Dynasty...
(Li Hong's younger brother, as Li Hong having predeceased Emperor Gaozong), with Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wu
Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian , personal name Wu Zhao , often referred to as Tian Hou during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant...
(later known as Wu Zetian) serving as empress dowager
Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...
and regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
, Wang Jishan served as the minister of imperial clan affairs (司屬卿, Sishu Qing). During a famine in the region east of the Taihang Mountains
Taihang Mountains
The Taihang Mountains are a Chinese mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Henan, Shanxi and Hebei provinces. The range extends over 400 km from north to south and has an average elevation of 1,500 to 2,000 meters. The principal peak is Xiao Wutaishan...
, Wang served as the coordinator of famine relief. He then successively served as the minister of rites (春官尚書, Chunguan Shangshu), the commandant at Qin Prefecture (秦州, roughly modern Tianshui
Tianshui
Tianshui is the second largest city in Gansu province in northwest China. Its population is approximately 3,500,000.Tianshui lies along the route of the ancient Northern Silk Road at the Wei River, through which much of trade occurred between China and the west...
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
), and then the secretary general at Yi Prefecture (益州, roughly modern Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
). He eventually requested retirement on account of old age and illness.
During Wu Zetian's reign
In 690, Empress Dowager Wu had Emperor Ruizong yield the throne to her, and she took the throne as "emperor," establishing a new Zhou Dynasty and interrupting Tang. During a KhitanKhitan people
thumb|250px|Khitans [[Eagle hunting|using eagles to hunt]], painted during the Chinese [[Song Dynasty]].The Khitan people , or Khitai, Kitan, or Kidan, were a nomadic Mongolic people, originally located at Mongolia and Manchuria from the 4th century...
attack in 697, Wu Zetian requested Wang Jishan to come out of retirement to serve as the prefect of Hua Prefecture (滑州, roughly modern Anyang
Anyang
Anyang is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, People's Republic of China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi and Hebei to its west and north respectively....
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
), stating to him, "The thieves on the border have rebelled. Even though you are ill, you can head slowly to your post 30 li
Li (unit)
The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer...
a day [(i.e., 15 kilometers a day)]) with your wife and children. Even if you can only govern the prefecture while lying on your bed, you can cut off the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
for me." She then inquired him as to his opinion on a number of central government affairs. He gave her some 10-odd items of opinion. She, in turn, responded, "A prefecture is unimportant compared to the important matters of the central government. You must not leave." She then made him Neishi (內史), the head of the legislative bureau of government (鳳閣, Fengge) and a post considered one for a chancellor. Later that year, when her secret police official Lai Junchen
Lai Junchen
Lai Junchen was a secret police official during the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, whose ability to interrogate and falsely implicate officials of crimes made him a subject of fear and hatred...
were accused of crimes warranting death and yet she considered pardoning Lai on account of his contributions to her in the past, Wang pointed out that Lai had falsely killed many virtuous officials and that he must be killed. Wu Zetian agreed and executed Lai.
In 698, the chancellor Di Renjie
Di Renjie
Dí Rénjié , courtesy name Huaiying , formally Duke Wenhui of Liang , was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, twice serving as chancellor during her reign...
advocated that Wu Zetian recall Emperor Ruizong's older brother Li Zhe
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Xiǎn , at times during his life Li Zhe and Wu Xian , was the fourth Emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 684 and again from 705 to 710.Emperor Zhongzong was the son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu...
the Prince of Luling, himself a former emperor, from exile, an opinion that Wang Jishan and fellow chancellor Wang Fangqing
Wang Fangqing
Wang Fangqing , formal name Wang Lin but went by the courtesy name of Fangqing, formally Duke Zhen of Shiquan , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.- Background :It is not known when Wang Fangqing was...
shared. With her close advisor Ji Xu
Ji Xu
Ji Xu was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor.- Background :It is not known when Ji Xu was born, but it is known that he was from the Zhou capital Luoyang. He was said to be tall, good at hiding his emotions, but daring to speak...
and her lovers Zhang Yizhi
Zhang Yizhi
Zhang Yizhi , formally the Duke of Heng , nickname Wulang , was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty who, along with his brother Zhang Changzong, became a lover of Wu Zetian and became very powerful late in her reign...
and Zhang Changzong
Zhang Changzong
Zhang Changzong , formally the Duke of Ye , nickname Liulang , was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty who, along with his brother Zhang Yizhi, became a lover of Wu Zetian and became very powerful late in her reign...
advocating the same, she agreed and recalled Li Zhe, soon changing his name to Li Xian and making him crown prince. Later in 698, with rumors that Li Xian's crown prince position was not secure, Wang Jishan requested that Wu Zetian have Li Xian go to the central government buildings to meet with the officials, to quell the rumors, and she agreed.
It was said that Wang was not well-studied, but was honest and upright in his acts. Around 699, at imperial feasts, Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were often not acting in accordance with proper regulations for imperial subjects, and Wang often counseled Wu Zetian not to allow them to carry out these actions. This displeased her, and she told Wang, "You are old. It is not right that you be required to attend so many feasts. From now on, just tend to the matters of the legislative bureau." Wang, in turn, claimed illness and requested sick leave. After taking leave for a month, Wu Zetian had not yet tried to see him. He sighed and stated, "How can the Son of Heaven
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
not see someone as important as the head of the legislative bureau on a daily basis? This shows how unimportant I am viewed." He then requested retirement, but she did not approve of it. Instead, she made him Wenchang Zuo Xiang (文昌左相), one of the heads of the executive bureau (文昌臺, Wenchang Tai), and gave him the designation of Tong Fengge Luantai Sanpin (同鳳閣鸞臺三品), having him still serve as a chancellor de facto. He died a month later and was buried with honors, near the tomb of Emperor Gaozong, where Wu Zetian herself would eventually be buried as well.