Wang Xuan was an official of 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, briefly serving as chancellor.

Despite Wang's high status, little is firmly established about his career except for the time that he served as chancellor—as, unusual for a chancellor, he did not have a biography in either the Book of Tang

Book of Tang

The Book of Tang , Jiu Tangshu or the Old Book of Tang is the first classic work about the Tang Dynasty. The book began when Gaozu of Later Jin ordered its commencement in 941...

or the New Book of Tang

New Book of Tang

The New Book of Tang , is a classic work of history about the Tang Dynasty edited by Ouyang Xiu and Song Qi and other official scholars of the Song Dynasty. The emperor called for a revision of the former Book of Tang in 1044. The New Book was presented to the throne in 1060. It was given its...

. It is known that his clan was a prominent one, from what was one point Langye Commandery (琅邪, roughly modern Linyi

Linyi

Linyi is a prefecture-level city in the south of Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The largest prefecture-level city in Shandong both by area and total population, Linyi borders Rizhao to the east, Weifang to the northeast, Zibo to the north, Tai'an to the northwest, Jining to the...

, Shandong

Shandong

' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...

), that traced its ancestry all the way back to a descendant of the original Zhou Dynasty

Zhou Dynasty

The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...

's imperial house, then to officials of Qin Dynasty

Qin Dynasty

The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...

, Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...

, Cao Wei

Cao Wei

Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...

, Jin Dynasty (265-420)

Jìn Dynasty (265-420)

The Jìn Dynasty , was a dynasty in Chinese history, lasting between the years 265 and 420 AD. There are two main divisions in the history of the Dynasty, the first being Western Jin and the second Eastern Jin...

, Liu Song, Liang Dynasty

Liang Dynasty

The Liang Dynasty , also known as the Southern Liang Dynasty , was the third of the Southern dynasties in China and was followed by the Chen Dynasty...

, and Chen Dynasty

Chen Dynasty

The Chen Dynasty , also known as the Southern Chen Dynasty, was the fourth and last of the Southern dynasties in China, eventually destroyed by the Sui Dynasty....

. Wang Gui's great-grandfather Wang Meng (王猛, not to be confused with the great Former Qin

Former Qin

The Former Qin was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Founded by the Fu family of the Di ethnicity, it completed the unification of North China in 376. Its capital had been Xi'an up to the death of the ruler Fu Jiān. Despite its name, the Former Qin was much later and less powerful than...

 chancellor of the same name) served as a provincial governor during Chen and carried the title of Duke of Yingyang. His grandfather Wang Kuang (王纊) served as a prefectural prefect during 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...

. His father Wang Dejian (王德儉) served as an imperial censor and was created the Baron of Guiren.

As of 692

692

Year 692 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 692 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 :* Leontios leading a substantial Byzantine army,...

, Wang Xuan was serving as the minister of construction (營繕大臣, Yingshan Dachen) when Wu Zetian promoted him to be the minister of defense (夏官尚書, Xiaguan Shangshu). She also gave him the designation Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. Just more than a month later, however, he, along with other chancellors Li Youdao

Li Youdao

Li Youdao was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor.Despite Li's high status, little is firmly established about his career except for the time that he served as chancellor -- as, unusual for a chancellor, he did not have a biography in either the Book of Tang or...

, Yuan Zhihong

Yuan Zhihong

Yuan Zhihong was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor.Despite Yuan high status, little is firmly established about his background or career except for the time that he served as chancellor -- as, unusual for a chancellor, he did not have a biography in either the...

, Cui Shenji

Cui Shenji

Cui Shenji , formally the Duke of Qingqiu , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign....

, Li Yuansu

Li Yuansu

Li Yuansu was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving twice as chancellor.Li Yuansu was the younger brother of Li Jingxuan, who served as chancellor during the reign of Wu Zetian's husband Emperor Gaozong of Tang. It was said that he, like Li Jingxuan, showed abilities as an official...

, and other officials Kong Siyuan (孔思元), and Ren Linghui (任令輝), were falsely accused of crimes by Wu Zetian's secret police official Wang Hongyi

Wang Hongyi

Wang Hongyi was a secret police official during the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty.It is not known when Wang Hongyi was born, but it is known that he was from Hengshui...

. They were relieved from their posts and exiled to the Lingnan

Lingnan

Lingnan is a geographic area referring to lands in the south of China's "Five Ranges" which are Tayu, Qitian, Dupang, Mengzhu, Yuecheng. The region covers the Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces of modern China and northern Vietnam...

region. That was the last historical reference to Wang Xuan, and it is not known when he died, although it is known that his sons Wang Dayou (王大有), Wang Tongren (王同人), Wang Jiji (王既濟), Wang Xiuming (王休明), Wang Xiuguang (王休光), Wang Xiuming (王休名, note different character than his brother), and Wang Xiuyan (王休言) all later served as officials.