Wang Shizhen

Wang Shizhen (; 759–809), courtesy name Gongyi (公一), posthumous name Prince Jingxiang of Qinghe , was a general of the Chinese Tang dynasty who served as a military governor (jiedushi) of Chengde Circuit (成德; headquartered in modern-day Shijiazhuang, Hebei) and ruled it as a de facto independent regime from the Tang imperial court.

Background Wang Shizhen was born in 759. It is known that his father was Wang Wujun, who was, around or sometime after his birth, an officer serving under the general Li Baochen, the military governor (jiedushi) of Chengde Circuit, and that he was Wang Wujun's oldest son. Wang Shizhen had at least three younger brothers, Wang Shiqing , Wang Shiping , and Wang Shize .

Service under Li Baochen and Li Weiyue It was said that Wang Shizhen became a fierce soldier in his youth and was capable in strategies. He became a guard commander for Li Baochen, and Li Baochen gave him a daughter in marriage.

Li Baochen died in 781, and Emperor Dezong refused to let Li Weiyue inherit his position. Thereafter, Li Weiyue and the rulers of three other allied circuits—Li Na, whom Emperor Dezong similarly refused to allow to inherit his father Li Zhengji's position as military governor of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong) upon the latter's death the same year; Tian Yue, the military governor of Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei); and Liang Chongyi, the military governor of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan, Hubei) prepared for war against the imperial government.

After the defeat, Li Weiyue was even more suspicious of Wang, but his advisors pointed out that there was no one other than Wang who was capable of commanding the army. Li Weiyue thus commissioned Wang, assisted by Wei Changning , to attack Zhao Prefecture, and put Wang Shizhen in charge of security at headquarters. Wang Wujun was glad to leave Heng Prefecture, and once he exited the city, initially wanted to flee to Zhang. Wei pointed out that Emperor Dezong had issued an edict promising to give the offices that Li Weiyue wanted to whoever would cut off Li Weiyue's head and advocated for an attack on Li Weiyue. Wang Wujun thus notified Wang Shizhen and involved Li Weiyue's close associate Xie Zun in the plot at well. He made a surprise attack against Heng Prefecture, and Wang Shizhen and Xie opened the city gates to welcome him. Wang Shizhen also captured Li Weiyue and delivered him to Wang Wujun. Wang Wujun killed Li Weiyue and his associates and surrendered to the imperial government. in an elaborate ceremony, Zhu claimed the title of Prince of Ji; Wang claimed the title of Prince of Zhao; Tian claimed the title of Prince of Wei; and they issued a letter offering Li Na the title of Prince of Qi. They also established administrations with governmental structures paralleling the Tang imperial government to further show independence, although the titles were intentionally different than Tang's to show some subordination. After Wang Wujun died in 801, Emperor Dezong made Wang Shizhen military governor to succeed his father.

As military governor It was said that Wang Shizhen, while serving his father in the campaigns, suffered much difficulty, and that after he became military governor, he was interested in being restful and peaceful. Like his father and the other de facto independent military governors, he refused to submit taxes to the imperial government and refused to allow the imperial government to commission Chengde officials, but, in contrast with Weibo and Lulong, he often submitted tributes.

In 807, there was a dispute between Wang, Liu Ji, the military governor of Lulong Circuit, and Zhang Maozhao (張茂昭, Zhang Xiaozhong's son), the military governor of Yiwu Circuit that caused them to submit accusations against each other. Emperor Xianzhong sent the official Fang Shi to mediate a peace between them. Wang Shizhen died in 809, Emperor Xianzong initially did not allow his oldest son Wang Chengzong to inherit the position, but eventually did.

Notes and references

Old Book of Tang, vol. 142 . New Book of Tang, vol. 211 . Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 226, 227, 233, 236, 237.