Wang Fangqing
Encyclopedia
Wang Fangqing (died 702), formal name Wang Lin (王綝) but went by the courtesy name of Fangqing, formally Duke Zhen of Shiquan (石泉貞公), was an official of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
and Wu Zetian
's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.
's capital prefecture Yong Prefecture (雍州, roughly modern Xi'an
, Shaanxi
). He came from a line of officials who had served during Jin Dynasty (265-420)
and the subsequent Southern Dynasties
Liu Song, Southern Qi
, and Liang Dynasty
, until his great-grandfather Wang Bao (王褒) surrendered to Northern Zhou
when Northern Zhou forces captured the then-Liang capital Jiangling in 554. Wang Bao and his descendants thereafter served as officials of Northern Zhou and its successors Sui Dynasty
and Tang. Wang Fangqing's father Wang Hongzhi (王弘直) successively served as advisor to Li Yuanchang (李元昌) the Prince of Han and Li Yuanjing (李元景) the Prince of Jing, sons of Tang's founder Emperor Gaozu
.
Wang Fangqing himself started his official service at age 15, when he served on the military staff of Li Zhen
the Prince of Yue, a son of Emperor Taizong
(Emperor Gaozu's son and successor). He studied the Records of the Grand Historian
and Book of Han
under Li Zhen's secretary Ren Xigu (任希古), and later, when Ren became a staff member of the crown prince
, Wang followed him and continued to study under him. During Emperor Taizong's successor Emperor Gaozong
's Yongchun era (682-683), Wang was promoted to be the deputy minister of husbandry (太僕少卿, Taipu Shaoqing), and on one occasion, when Emperor Gaozong was considering creating his grandson Li Chongzhao
the unprecedented title of deputy crown prince (皇太孫, Huang Taisun), he consulted Wang, who opined that the action was unprecedented and yet Emperor Gaozong could, if he so wanted, create a new tradition. After Emperor Gaozong's death later in 683, his powerful wife Empress Wu
(later known as Wu Zetian) became empress dowager
and regent
successively over their sons Emperor Zhongzong
(whom she deposed in 684) and Emperor Ruizong
. During her regency, Wang became the commandant at Guang Prefecture (廣州, roughly modern Guangzhou
, Guangdong
). Guang Prefecture was at that point becoming increasingly important as a port of international trade, and Wang's predecessor Lu Wenrui (路文睿) was assassinated in 684 by Malay merchants after he had improperly seized their merchandise. After Wang succeeded Lu, he was said to be honest and clean, never taking bribes. Moreover, within his territory, there had long been tribal leaders who had received special treatment and who were corrupt, who in turn kept their corruption going by bribing the officials. Wang ordered the officials to stop associating with the tribal leaders and arrested the most corrupt of the tribal leaders. The public sentiment at the time believed that since the start of Tang, there had not been anyone who had governed Guang Prefecture better than Wang, and Empress Dowager Wu issued an edict honoring his achievements.
, Henan
). She soon gave him the honorific title of Yinqing Guanglu Daifu (銀青光祿大夫) and created him the Baron of Shiquan. In 696, she made him the secretary general at Bing Prefecture (并州, roughly modern Taiyuan
, Shanxi
) and created him the Baron of Langye -- but even before he departed for Bing Prefecture, made him instead Luantai Shilang (鸞臺侍郎), the deputy head of the examination bureau of government (鸞臺, Luantai). She also gave him the designation of Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. His office was soon changed to be Fengge Shilang (鳳閣侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau (鳳閣, Fengge), and he remained chancellor de facto with the Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi designation.
In 697, after Wu Youyi (武攸宜) the Prince of Jian'an, the grandson of Wu Zetian's uncle Wu Shirang (武士讓), had returned victoriously from a campaign against Khitan
forces, tradition called for the playing of a military band as Wu Youyi returned to the capital Luoyang. The chancellor Wang Jishan
, as the month that Wu Youyi was returning was the same month when Emperor Gaozong died, requested that the band be only present but not playing. Wang Fangqing, citing precedents from Jin Dynasty, argued that the band should only not play if Wu Youyi were returning on the same day of Emperor Gaozong's death, advocated that the band still play, and Wu Zetian agreed. Around the same time, there was an occasion when Wu Zetian was visiting Yuquan Temple (玉泉寺) at Mount Wan'an (萬安山, near Luoyang). The path up the mountain was steep, and she considered going up the mountain in a litter. Wang Fangqing advocated against it, arguing that it was too dangerous for the sovereign to take such a journey, and she agreed. Later that year, she upgraded his title to Viscount of Shiquan. Also around the same time, there was a discussion as to whether the ceremony of having the emperor personally declare the start of each month should be abolished as not being referred to in the Confucian classics. Wang Fangqing advocated that the ceremonies be kept in place, and Wu Zetian agreed.
Wang kept a large collection of books at his mansion, and on one occasion, Wu Zetian visited his mansion to request to see some of his ancestors' calligraphy
. Wang stated that his family had previously already submitted the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi
(of another line of his clan) to Emperor Taizong, but that he was willing to submit the calligraphy of his 11th generation ancestor Wang Dao
as well as 27 other ancestors' calligraphy. Wu Zetian displayed the calligraphy to the officials and had an official of the legislative bureau, Cui Rong (崔融), collect them into a collection, and then awarded the collection back to Wang, considered a great honor at the time.
In 698, the chancellor Di Renjie
advocated recalling Li Zhe the Prince of Luling (the former Emperor Zhongzong) from exile -- a suggestion that Wang Jishan and Wang Fangqing concurred in, and was also advocated by Wu Zetian's close advisor Ji Xu
and her lovers Zhang Yizhi
and Zhang Changzong
. Wu Zetian agreed and recalled Li Zhe from exile, and soon created him crown prince. Later that year, Wang Fangqing, on account of failing health, requested a less important position, and Wu Zetian made him the director of the imperial library (麟臺監, Lintai Jian), no longer chancellor. Once Li Zhe (whose name was then changed to Li Xian) was made crown prince, she also made Wang Fangqing a member of his staff. In 699, she created him the Duke of Shiquan and ordered that his salary be the same as if he were still a chancellor, and also ordered him to teach Li Xian in his studies. He died in 702 and was buried with honor. It was said, however, that as his sons did not attend to his great book collections, the collections were gradually lost after his death.
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
It is not known when Wang Fangqing was born, but it is known that his family was from 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...
's capital prefecture Yong Prefecture (雍州, roughly modern Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
). He came from a line of officials who had served during 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...
and the subsequent Southern Dynasties
Southern dynasties
The Southern dynasties comprise the Liu Song, Southern Qi, Liang Dynasty and Chen Dynasty, whose capital were at Jiankang , and Emperor Yuan of Liang, as well as the later Western Liang emperors , also set their...
Liu Song, Southern Qi
Southern Qi
The Southern Qi Dynasty was the second of the Southern dynasties in China, followed by the Liang Dynasty. During its 23-year history, the dynasty was largely filled with instability, as after the death of the capable Emperor Gao and Emperor Wu, Emperor Wu's grandson Xiao Zhaoye was assassinated...
, and 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...
, until his great-grandfather Wang Bao (王褒) surrendered to Northern Zhou
Northern Zhou
The Northern Zhou Dynasty followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581. It was overthrown by the Sui Dynasty.Northern Zhou's basis of power was established by Yuwen Tai, who was paramount general of Western Wei, following the split of Northern Wei into Western Wei and...
when Northern Zhou forces captured the then-Liang capital Jiangling in 554. Wang Bao and his descendants thereafter served as officials of Northern Zhou and its successors 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....
and Tang. Wang Fangqing's father Wang Hongzhi (王弘直) successively served as advisor to Li Yuanchang (李元昌) the Prince of Han and Li Yuanjing (李元景) the Prince of Jing, sons of Tang's founder Emperor Gaozu
Emperor Gaozu of Tang
Emperor Gāozǔ of Táng , born Lǐ Yuān , courtesy name Shūdé , was the founder of the Tang Dynasty of China, and the first emperor of this dynasty from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-day Shanxi, and was based in Taiyuan.In 615, Li Yuan was assigned...
.
Wang Fangqing himself started his official service at age 15, when he served on the military staff of Li Zhen
Li Zhen (Tang Dynasty)
Li Zhen , formally Prince Jing of Yue , posthumously known during Wu Zetian's reign as Hui Zhen , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who, along with his son Li Chong rose against Wu Zetian, then empress dowager and regent, as they feared that she was about to slaughter the...
the Prince of Yue, a son of 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...
(Emperor Gaozu's son and successor). He studied the Records of the Grand Historian
Records of the Grand Historian
The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name Shiji , written from 109 BC to 91 BC, was the Magnum opus of Sima Qian, in which he recounted Chinese history from the time of the Yellow Emperor until his own time...
and Book of Han
Book of Han
The Book of Han, Hanshu or History of the Former Han Dynasty |Fan Ye]] . Various scholars have estimated that the earliest material covered in the book dates back to between 206 and 202 BCE...
under Li Zhen's secretary Ren Xigu (任希古), and later, when Ren became a staff member of the 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....
, Wang followed him and continued to study under him. During Emperor Taizong's successor Emperor Gaozong
Emperor 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...
's Yongchun era (682-683), Wang was promoted to be the deputy minister of husbandry (太僕少卿, Taipu Shaoqing), and on one occasion, when Emperor Gaozong was considering creating his grandson Li Chongzhao
Li Chongrun
Li Chongrun , né Li Chongzhao , formally Crown Prince Yide , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasties Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty. He was the only son of Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Zhongzong's second wife Empress Wei...
the unprecedented title of deputy crown prince (皇太孫, Huang Taisun), he consulted Wang, who opined that the action was unprecedented and yet Emperor Gaozong could, if he so wanted, create a new tradition. After Emperor Gaozong's death later in 683, his powerful 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) became 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...
successively over their sons Emperor Zhongzong
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...
(whom she deposed in 684) and Emperor Ruizong
Emperor 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...
. During her regency, Wang became the commandant at Guang Prefecture (廣州, roughly modern Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
). Guang Prefecture was at that point becoming increasingly important as a port of international trade, and Wang's predecessor Lu Wenrui (路文睿) was assassinated in 684 by Malay merchants after he had improperly seized their merchandise. After Wang succeeded Lu, he was said to be honest and clean, never taking bribes. Moreover, within his territory, there had long been tribal leaders who had received special treatment and who were corrupt, who in turn kept their corruption going by bribing the officials. Wang ordered the officials to stop associating with the tribal leaders and arrested the most corrupt of the tribal leaders. The public sentiment at the time believed that since the start of Tang, there had not been anyone who had governed Guang Prefecture better than Wang, and Empress Dowager Wu issued an edict honoring his achievements.
During Wu Zetian's reign
In 695, Wu Zetian, who by that point had taken the throne from Emperor Ruizong as "emperor," establishing a new Zhou Dynasty and interrupting Tang, recalled Wang Fangqing to serve as the secretary general of the then-capital prefecture Luo Prefecture (洛州, roughly modern LuoyangLuoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
, 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...
). She soon gave him the honorific title of Yinqing Guanglu Daifu (銀青光祿大夫) and created him the Baron of Shiquan. In 696, she made him the secretary general at Bing Prefecture (并州, roughly modern Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
) and created him the Baron of Langye -- but even before he departed for Bing Prefecture, made him instead Luantai Shilang (鸞臺侍郎), the deputy head of the examination bureau of government (鸞臺, Luantai). She also gave him the designation of Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. His office was soon changed to be Fengge Shilang (鳳閣侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau (鳳閣, Fengge), and he remained chancellor de facto with the Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi designation.
In 697, after Wu Youyi (武攸宜) the Prince of Jian'an, the grandson of Wu Zetian's uncle Wu Shirang (武士讓), had returned victoriously from a campaign against Khitan
Khitan 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...
forces, tradition called for the playing of a military band as Wu Youyi returned to the capital Luoyang. The chancellor Wang Jishan
Wang Jishan
Wang Jishan , formally Duke Zhen of Xing , 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 :...
, as the month that Wu Youyi was returning was the same month when Emperor Gaozong died, requested that the band be only present but not playing. Wang Fangqing, citing precedents from Jin Dynasty, argued that the band should only not play if Wu Youyi were returning on the same day of Emperor Gaozong's death, advocated that the band still play, and Wu Zetian agreed. Around the same time, there was an occasion when Wu Zetian was visiting Yuquan Temple (玉泉寺) at Mount Wan'an (萬安山, near Luoyang). The path up the mountain was steep, and she considered going up the mountain in a litter. Wang Fangqing advocated against it, arguing that it was too dangerous for the sovereign to take such a journey, and she agreed. Later that year, she upgraded his title to Viscount of Shiquan. Also around the same time, there was a discussion as to whether the ceremony of having the emperor personally declare the start of each month should be abolished as not being referred to in the Confucian classics. Wang Fangqing advocated that the ceremonies be kept in place, and Wu Zetian agreed.
Wang kept a large collection of books at his mansion, and on one occasion, Wu Zetian visited his mansion to request to see some of his ancestors' calligraphy
East Asian calligraphy
East Asian calligraphy is a form of calligraphy widely practised and revered in the Sinosphere. This most often includes China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The East Asian calligraphic tradition originated and developed from China. There is a general standardization of the various styles of...
. Wang stated that his family had previously already submitted the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi
Wang Xizhi
Wang Xizhi was a Chinese calligrapher, traditionally referred to as the Sage of Calligraphy , who lived during the Jin Dynasty...
(of another line of his clan) to Emperor Taizong, but that he was willing to submit the calligraphy of his 11th generation ancestor Wang Dao
Wang Dao
Wang Dao , courtesy name Maohong , formally Duke Wenxian of Shixing , was a Jin Dynasty statesman who served important roles in the administrations of Emperor Yuan, Emperor Ming, and Emperor Cheng, including as Emperor Cheng's regent...
as well as 27 other ancestors' calligraphy. Wu Zetian displayed the calligraphy to the officials and had an official of the legislative bureau, Cui Rong (崔融), collect them into a collection, and then awarded the collection back to Wang, considered a great honor at the time.
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 recalling Li Zhe the Prince of Luling (the former Emperor Zhongzong) from exile -- a suggestion that Wang Jishan and Wang Fangqing concurred in, and was also advocated by Wu Zetian's 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...
. Wu Zetian agreed and recalled Li Zhe from exile, and soon created him crown prince. Later that year, Wang Fangqing, on account of failing health, requested a less important position, and Wu Zetian made him the director of the imperial library (麟臺監, Lintai Jian), no longer chancellor. Once Li Zhe (whose name was then changed to Li Xian) was made crown prince, she also made Wang Fangqing a member of his staff. In 699, she created him the Duke of Shiquan and ordered that his salary be the same as if he were still a chancellor, and also ordered him to teach Li Xian in his studies. He died in 702 and was buried with honor. It was said, however, that as his sons did not attend to his great book collections, the collections were gradually lost after his death.