Wang Jianli

Wang Jianli (871 -July 4, 940 ), formally the Prince of Han , was a general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Later Tang and Later Jin, who also briefly served as a chancellor during the reign of Later Tang's second emperor Li Siyuan.

Background Wang Jianli was born in 871, during the reign of Emperor Yizong of Tang. It is known that he was from Yushe, but all that is known about his family background were the names of his great-grandfather Wang Qiu , grandfather Wang Jia , and father Wang Bian . In his youth, he was said to be ferocious and not careful in his behavior. he became the disciplinary officer of LI Siyuan's army. At that time, Li Cunxu's capital was at Taiyuan, but the tombs of his grandfather Li Guochang and father Li Keyong were at Dai, so he often sent female servants to offer sacrifices to them. These female servants of the prince often disrupted the lives of the people of Dai, and Wang would arrest and whip them. When Li Cunxu heard of this, he was angry and wanted to kill Wang, but Li Siyuan interceded on his behalf, and he was spared. Wang thus became well known in the realm. Throughout Li Cunxu's reign, both as the Prince of Jin and later, after Li Cunxu established a new Later Tang as its emperor, whenever Li Siyuan received a new governorship assignment, he would take Wang with him and have Wang serve as a commander of his headquarters guard corps. He then gathered his troops and joined forces with Li Siyuan's adoptive son Li Congke, and they then joined Li Siyuan on his march south toward the capital Luoyang.

During Li Siyuan's reign For his contributions to Li Siyuan's regime, Wang Jianli was initially made the deputy military governor of Chengde and given the honorary title of acting Situ . Thereafter, in fairly short succession, he was made the acting military governor of Chengde, and then full military governor. He was also given the honorary chancellor designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi and the honorary title of acting Taiwei .

In 928, with An back in good graces of Li Siyuan's, Wang was sent out to serve as the military governor of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Weifang, Shandong). In retirement, he made several requests to see the emperor, but was refused. He decided to, without permission, head to Luoyang and enter the rear tower in the palace to see Li Siyuan. He wept and said that he had not committed a crime, but had been falsely accused by An. Li Siyuan responded, "While serving as military governor, you had not done well. Would it really be just An Chonghui who accuses you?" Li Siyuan did not punish him, but gave him a gift of tea and sent him away.

After Li Siyuan's reign It was not until after Li Siyuan had died and Li Congke were emperor (r. 934-936) that Li Congke recalled Wang Jianli back to active service, as the military governor of TianpIng Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong). It was said that, as Wang Jianli was a long-time disciplinary officer, he was a harsh military governor, such that if there were wicked people in his realm, he would slaughter their entire families. This earned him the nickname of Wang Duodie (王垜疊, "Wang the Stacker"), referring to his executing people so much that the bodies stacked up. Later, when he heard that Li Congke was near defeat when his brother-in-law (Li Siyuan's son-in-law) Shi Jingtang rebelled against him, he took the chance to kill his deputy military governor Wang Yanyun and a secretary, both of whom he disliked. This caused people to view him even more negatively. Shortly after, Shi made him the military governor of Pinglu, and gave him the honorary titles of acting Taiwei and Zhongshu Ling . It was said that by this point, Wang's disposition had changed, as he had become a Buddhist. He was generous to the monks and building temples, and his harsh nature had softened, with his no longer killing many people. His people thus became more comforted.

Less than a month after Wang's arrival at Zhaoyi's capital Lu Prefecture , there was a time when a meteorite fell into his mansion. Believing that this was a sign of his impending death, he drafted a will. He died shortly after, and was given posthumous honors.

Notes and references

History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 91. New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 46. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 274, 275, 276, 277, 280, 282.