Qin and Han · Official

Wang Zhang 王章

First attested BC 33; died BC 24

Passages: 15
Chapters: 6
Histories: 2

Overview

Wang Zhang was an official.

Life and dates

Death

BC 24 historical identification
Cause Died in imperial prison
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 70, passage 179
BC 24 王章死詔獄
Cause Died in the imperial prison after impeachment ordered by Emperor Cheng.
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 70, passage 179
BC 24 陽朔元年冬
Cause Died in prison · Died after imprisonment for crime
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 11, passage 100
died in the imperial prison 死詔獄
Directly stated · Book of Han 70, passage 179
Executed
Directly stated · Book of Han 90, passage 154
executed through legal process
Responsible Person Id Wang Feng (王鳳)
Directly stated · Book of Han 93, passage 45

Attested activity

c. BC 30 to c. BC 24 王章
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 70, passage 166
BC 33 to BC 24 王章
Strongly inferred · Book of Jin 109, passage 248
BC 24 陽朔元年冬
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 11, passage 100

Key source chapters

Book of Han, Chapter 93 Volume 82: Wang Shang, Shi Dan and Fu Xi 2 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 70 Volume 60: Du Zhou 8 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 90 Volume 79: Feng Fengshi 2 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 11 Volume 10: Annals of Emperor Cheng 1 passage
Book of Han, Chapter 117 Volume 100a: Afterword and Family History 1 1 passage

Career and standing

governor of the capital 京兆尹
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 93, passage 44
Jingzhao Governor 京兆尹
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 11, passage 100
metropolitan governor 京兆尹
Directly stated · Book of Han 70, passage 166
Had crime
Criminal
Directly stated · Book of Han 11, passage 100
Sent to prison
BC 24 陽朔元年冬 · Imprisonment
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 11, passage 100
death or punishment 死或刑
Suffered
Directly stated · Book of Jin 109, passage 248

Places and affiliations

Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Jin 109, passage 248
Polity Western Han 西漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 11, passage 100
Polity Western Han 西漢 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 117, passage 75

Works and attributed material

sealed memorials 封事
Relation Author
Directly stated · Book of Jin 109, passage 248
defended Wang Shang and accused Wang Feng of monopolizing power
Sealed memorial · Author
Directly stated · Book of Han 93, passage 44

Events and relationships

Criticized throne or applied law
Political · Remonstrator
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 75
Denounced Wang Feng's monopoly of power and urged the emperor to dismiss him.
Political · Remonstrator
Directly stated · Book of Han 70, passages 166-167
Imprisoned and died
BC 24 陽朔元年冬 · Legal · Accused
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 11, passage 100

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 75

References in the histories

Search passages

History

15 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 11Volume 10: Annals of Emperor Cheng · 1 passage

冬，京兆尹王章有罪，下獄死。 In winter, Jingzhao Governor Wang Zhang had a crime and was sent to prison where he died.

Book of Han, Chapter 70Volume 60: Du Zhou · 8 passages

頃之，復日蝕，京兆尹王章上封事求見，果言鳳專權蔽主之過，宜廢勿用，以應天變。 Soon another eclipse darkened the sun. Wang Zhang, governor of the capital, sealed a memorial and begged an audience, denouncing Wang Feng for monopolizing power and blinding the throne. He urged that Feng be removed to answer Heaven.

於是天子感悟，召見章，與議，欲退鳳。 The emperor was stirred, received Wang Zhang in audience, and began to consider dismissing Feng.

上令尚書劾奏京兆尹章，章死詔獄。 The emperor then ordered the Masters of Writing to impeach Wang Zhang, who died in the imperial prison.

章既死，眾庶冤之，以譏朝廷。 The people believed Wang Zhang had been wronged, and the court became a laughingstock.

欽欲救其過，復說鳳曰：「京兆尹章所坐事密，吏民見章素好言事，以為不坐官職，疑其以日蝕見對有所言也。 Du Qin, hoping to repair the damage, again urged Feng: "The charge against Metropolitan Governor Wang Zhang was never made public. The capital supposes that because he always spoke boldly on policy, he lost his life not for corruption but for what he said about the eclipse.

假令章內有所犯，雖陷正法，事不暴揚，自京師不曉，況於遠方。 Even if he were guilty of some private crime, a quiet execution would have left the capital guessing, to say nothing of the provinces.

恐天下不知章實有罪，而以為坐言事也。 I fear the realm will conclude he was executed for honest counsel, not for proven guilt.

欽愚以為宜因章事舉直言極諫，並見郎從官展盡其章，加於往前，以明示四方，使天下咸知主上聖明，不以言罪下也。 I suggest you use this case to invite the harshest criticism: let every gentleman-attendant and staff officer air his views more freely than before, so the whole empire will see that the sage Son of Heaven does not punish men for speaking out.

Book of Han, Chapter 90Volume 79: Feng Fengshi · 2 passages

是時，成帝長舅陽平侯王鳳為大司馬大將軍，輔政八九年矣，時數有災異，京兆尹王章譏鳳專權不可任用，薦野王代鳳。 Wang Feng, Cheng's senior uncle, had run the state nearly a decade when capital governor Wang Zhang attacked his monopoly and nominated Yewang to replace him.

上初納其言，而後誅章，語在《元后傳》。 The throne first agreed, then executed Wang Zhang—the tale is told with the Yuan empress.

Book of Han, Chapter 93Volume 82: Wang Shang, Shi Dan and Fu Xi · 2 passages

商死後，連年日蝕、地震，直臣京兆尹王章上封事召開，訟商忠直無罪，言鳳顓權蔽主。 After Wang Shang's death, solar eclipses and earthquakes followed year on year. Wang Zhang, the principled governor of the capital, submitted a sealed memorial; when the emperor summoned him and opened it, Zhang argued that Wang Shang had been loyal and blameless and that Wang Feng had monopolized power and blinded the throne.

鳳竟以法誅章，語在《元後傳》。 Wang Feng eventually had Wang Zhang executed on a legal pretext; the story is told in the biography of Empress Dowager Yuan.

Book of Han, Chapter 117Volume 100a: Afterword and Family History 1 · 1 passage

初，成帝性寬，進入直言，是以王音、翟方進等繩法舉過，而劉向、杜鄴、王章、朱雲之徒肆意犯上，故自帝師安昌侯，諸舅大將軍兄弟及公卿大夫、後宮外屬史許之家有貴寵者，莫不被文傷詆。 Cheng's easy temper invited blunt speech, so ministers such as Wang Yin and Zhai Fangjin policed the law while scholars like Liu Xiang, Du Ye, Wang Zhang, and Zhu Yun flayed the throne; from the imperial tutor the marquis of Anchang through the Wang uncles and every powerful consort kin of the Shi and Xu lines, no favorite escaped their written attacks.

Book of Jin, Chapter 109Volume 109 Records 9: Murong Huang · 1 passage

昔王章、劉向每上封事，未嘗不指斥王氏，故令二子或死或刑。 Formerly Wang Zhang and Liu Xiang denounced the Wang clan in every sealed memorial and ended dead or punished.