Wang Chongrong (王重榮)

Overview

Wang Chongrong was a Military Commissioner.

PeriodSui and Tang

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Death

AD 887 唐僖宗光啟三年
Killed · Cause Killed by subordinate · Authority Chang Xingru (常行儒)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 197

Attested activity

AD 874 to AD 879 乾符中
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 96, passages 176-177
AD 885 光启元年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 4, passage 51
AD 880 to AD 887 兩池為河中節度使王重榮所有
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 70
AD 880 及王重榮代
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passages 2-3
AD 887 唐僖宗光啟三年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 197
AD 880 廣明初
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 20, passages 3, 12

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AD 880 to AD 888 河中節度使王重榮請圖撰碑
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 159
AD 881 to AD 887 王重榮父子雅重之
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 194, passages 284-285
AD 880 to AD 884 破黃巢
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 195
AD 880 to AD 884 討黃巢
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 40, passage 119
AD 880 to AD 887 重榮不奉詔，至舉兵反
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 71

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Wang Zong (王縱)
grandfather 祖 · paternal line
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 194-195
Kin of The Founder (太祖)
maternal uncle 舅 · Uncertain parentage · maternal line
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 216, 218
Sibling of Wang Chongjian (王重簡)
elder brother 兄 · Full siblings · paternal line
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 196
Parent of Wang Ke (王珂)
father 父 · Adoptive parentage
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 195-196
Parent of Son of Wang Chongrong
father 父
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 284
Sibling of Wang Chongying (王重盈)
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings · paternal line
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 197

Key source chapters

Career and standing

military governor of Hezhong 河中节度使
AD 885 光启元年 · Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 4, passage 51
Hedong military commissioner 河東節度使
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 195
military commissioner of Hezhong 河中節度使
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 159
Military Governor of Hezhong 河中節度使
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 70
Military Commissioner of Hezhong 河中節度使
Succeeded · With Li Du (李都)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 3
Prince of Langye 琅邪郡王
Enfeoffed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 195

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Granted
AD 909 開平三年十二月
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 5, passage 73
praise and enfeoffment 褒獎而封崇
AD 909 開平三年十二月 · Received
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 5, passage 73
Prince of Langye 琅邪郡王
Enfeoffed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 195
Entered
Rebel
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 71

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 195; New Book of Tang 54, passage 70
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 194, passage 284
At Hezhong 河中 · Relation Based at
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 96, passage 176
At Hezhong 河中 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 70
At tomb at Pu 重榮之墓 · Relation Buried at
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 215
At Two Ponds 兩池 · Relation Controlled
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 70

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Li Keyong (李克用) · Mode quotation Speaker Wang Chongrong (王重榮)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 4, passages 52-53

Events and relationships

Commissioned stele
Commission · Patron · With Sikong Tu (司空圖)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 159
Controlled Two Ponds and sent annual salt tribute
Fiscal · Military governor · Quantity three thousand cartloads yearly 歲貢鹽三千車
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 70
Defeated
AD 880 to AD 884 破黃巢 · Military · Commander · With Huang Chao (黃巢)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 195
Forged edict to trick Keyong
AD 885 光启元年 · Political · Deceiver · With Li Keyong (李克用)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 4, passages 52-53
Killed
AD 887 唐僖宗光啟三年 · Political · Victim · With Chang Xingru (常行儒)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 197
Tu wrote a stele for Wang Chongrong father and son
Commemorative · Honoree · Received stele · With Tu (圖)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 285

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Refused edict and raised troops
Military · Rebel · With Tian Lingzi (田令孜) · Outcome Court could not reclaim Two Ponds
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 71
Refused transfer to Yanzhou
Political · Appointee
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 4, passage 55
Esteemed Tu and often sent gifts
Personal · Patron · Sent gifts to · With Tu (圖)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 284
Relation Opponent of · Person Tian Lingzi (田令孜)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 71
Relation Rival of · Person Tian Lingzi (田令孜)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 4, passage 51
Relation Successor of · Person Li Du (李都)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 3
Relation Rebelled against · Person Xizong (僖宗)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 71

Assessments and attributes

Assessment did not favor literary men · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 3
Assessment remembered for old achievements · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 5, passage 73
Item several thousand bolts of silk 絹數千匹 · Relation Paid
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 159

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 159; New Book of Tang 194, passage 284

References in the histories

Search passages

History

20 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 5Volume 5 Book of Later Liang 5: Taizu Annals 5 · 1 passage

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暇日游豫至焦梨店，頗述前事，念王重榮舊功，下詔褒獎而封崇之。 At leisure he visited Jiaoli Shop, spoke of old days, and remembering Wang Chongrong’s service issued praise and enfeoffment.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 14Volume 14 Book of Later Liang 14: Biographies 4: Luo Shaowei, Zhao Chou, Wang Ke · 7 passages

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父重榮，河東節度使，破黃巢有大功，封琅邪郡王。 His father Chongrong, Hedong commissioner, broke Huang Chao and became Prince of Langye.

珂本重榮兄重簡之子，出繼重榮。 Ke was Chongjian's son, adopted by Chongrong.

唐僖宗光啟三年，重榮為部將常行儒所害，推重榮弟重盈為蒲帥，以珂為行軍司馬。 In Guangqi 3 of Tang Xizong, Chongrong was killed by his officer Chang Xingru; they pushed Chongrong's younger brother Chongying as Pu commander and made Ke campaign deputy.

既而珙厚結王行瑜、李茂貞、韓建為援，三鎮互相表薦，昭宗詔諭之曰：「吾以太原與重榮有再造之功，已俞其奏矣。」 Gong won Wang Xingyu, Maozhen, and Han Jian; Zhaozong told them, "I have approved Taiyuan's memorial for Chongrong's renewal merit."

三月，太祖自洛陽至，先哭於重榮之墓，蒲人聞之感悅。 Month 3 the Founder came from Luoyang and wept at Chongrong's tomb; Pu was moved.

珂欲麵縛牽羊以見，太祖曰：「太師阿舅之恩，何時可忘，郎君若以亡國之禮相見，黃泉其謂我何！」 Ke offered to present himself bound, leading a sheep; the Founder said, "How can I forget the grace of my maternal uncle the Grand Preceptor! If you, sir, meet me with a lost-state rite, what will the yellow springs say of me!"

〈（《歐陽史》云：梁太祖自同州降唐，即依重榮，以母王氏，故事重榮為舅。）〉 (Ouyang Xiu notes the Founder called Chongrong uncle through Lady Wang.)〉

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 20Volume 20 Book of Later Liang 20: Biographies 10: Xie Tong, Si Maye, Liu Han, Wang Jinrao, Gao Shao, Ma Sixun, Zhang Cunjin, Kou Yanqing · 1 passage

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王重榮表瞳為檢校屯田員外郎，賜緋，令奉表於蜀。 Wang Chongrong made Tong acting Director of the Palace Farms, dressed him in crimson, and sent him to present the submission to Shu.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 60Volume 60 Book of Later Tang 36: Biographies 12: Li Xiji, Wang Jian, Li Jingyi, Lu Rubi, Li Dexiu, Su Xun · 2 passages

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及王重榮代，不喜文士，時喪亂之後，衣冠多逃難汾、晉間。 When Wang Chongrong took his place, the new commissioner had little use for scholars; in the wake of the civil wars, men of the official class fled in droves to the Fen and Jin region.

河中節度使王重榮請圖撰碑，得絹數千匹，圖致於虞鄉市心，恣鄉人所取，一日而盡。 Wang Chongrong of Hezhong asked Tu to write a stele and paid him several thousand bolts of silk; Tu piled them in the Yuxiang market and let the townspeople take what they wished—it was all gone in a day.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 96Volume 96 Book of Later Jin 22: Biographies 11: Kong Chongbi, Chen Baoji, Wang Yu, Zhang Jizuo, Zhen Ruan, Hu Rao, Liu Suiqing, Fang Gao, Meng Chenghui, Liu Jixun, Zheng Shouyi, Cheng Xun, Li Yu, Zheng Xuansu, Ma Zhongji, Chen Xuan · 1 passage

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家世為醫，初事河中王重榮。 His family had practiced medicine for generations; he first served Wang Chongrong of Hezhong.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 54Volume 54 Treatises 50: Finance and Economics 3 · 2 passages

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其後兵遍天下，諸鎮擅利，兩池為河中節度使王重榮所有，歲貢鹽三千車。 Later, as warfare engulfed the empire, regional commands seized profits for themselves. Wang Chongrong, governor of Hezhong, controlled the Two Ponds and sent three thousand cartloads of salt in annual tribute.

中官田令孜募新軍五十四都，餫轉不足，乃倡議兩池復歸鹽鐵使，而重榮不奉詔，至舉兵反，僖宗為再出，然而卒不能奪。 Eunuch Tian Lingzi raised fifty-four new army units but could not supply them. He urged returning the Two Ponds to the Salt and Iron Commissioner; Wang Chongrong refused, rebelled, and forced Emperor Xizong to flee the capital again, yet the court never regained the ponds.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 194Volume 194 Biographies 119: Outstanding Conduct · 1 passage

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王重榮父子雅重之，數饋遺，弗受。 Wang Chongrong, father and son, esteemed him highly and often sent gifts, which he would not accept.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 4Volume 4 Later Tang Annals 1: Zhuangzong 1 · 4 passages

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光启元年，河中王重荣与宦者田令孜有隙，徙重荣兖州，以定州王处存为河中节度使，诏克用以兵护处存之镇。 In Guangqi 1 (885) Wang Chongrong of Hezhong clashed with the eunuch Tian Lingzi. Chongrong was ordered to Yanzhou and Wang Chucun of Dingzhou was named military governor of Hezhong; Keyong was told to march troops escorting Chucun into the circuit.

重荣使人绐克用曰：「天子诏重荣，俟克用至，与处存共诛之。」 Chongrong sent an agent to trick Keyong: “The emperor has instructed me that once you arrive, Chucun and I are to kill you together.”

重荣既不肯徙，僖宗遣邠州朱玫、凤翔李昌符讨之。 When Chongrong refused to move, Xizong dispatched Zhu Mei of Bin and Li Changfu of Fengxiang against him.

克用反以兵助重荣，败玫于沙苑，遂犯京师，纵火大掠。 Keyong turned his arms to Chongrong’s side, routed Mei at Shayuan, then stormed the capital, burning and looting the city.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 40Volume 40 Miscellaneous Biographies 20: Li Maozhen, Han Jian, Li Renfu, Han Xun, Yang Chongben, Gao Wanxing, Wen Tao · 1 passage

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其後，黃巢陷京師，王重榮、李克用等會諸鎮兵討賊，思敬與破巢復京師，然皆未嘗有所可稱，故思敬之世次、功過不顯而無傳。 When Chao seized Chang’an, Wang Chongrong and Li Keyong mustered the circuits against him. Sijing helped retake the city, but won no fame for it. His deeds and his line fade into silence.