Five Dynasties · Eldest Son of Wang Rong

Wang Zhaozuo 王昭祚

First attested AD 900; died AD 911

Passages: 8
Chapters: 3
Histories: 1

Overview

Wang Zhaozuo was an Eldest Son of Wang Rong.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Zhaozhuo	昭祚	Zhaozhuo

Life and dates

Death

AD 911 天祐八年
Beheaded at army gate · Authority Zhang Wenli (張文禮)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 54, passage 117
killed in mutiny 殺 · With Zhang Wenli (張文禮)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passage 83

Attested activity

AD 907 開平元年五月十一日
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 11, passage 53
AD 900 光化三年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 54, passage 74

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Princess Puning (普寧公主)
married 降 · Marriage
wife 妻
married to 降 · Marriage
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 11, passage 53; Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passage 83
Child of Wang Rong (王鎔)
son 子
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 54, passages 74, 117; Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passage 76
Spouse of Daughter of Zhu Wen (梁祖女)
wife 妻
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 54, passage 75

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Sent to
AD 900 光化三年 · Hostage · At Bian 汴
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 54, passage 74

Assessments and attributes

Assessment harsh and ignorant of human affairs · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passage 77

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 54, passage 74

References in the histories

Search passages

History

8 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 11Volume 11 Book of Later Liang 11: Biographies 1: Empresses and Consorts · 1 passage

普寧公主，降昭祚王氏，開平元年五月十一日封。 Princess Puning wed Wang Zhaozuo on the same date, 11 v, Kaiping 1.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 54Volume 54 Book of Later Tang 30: Biographies 6: Wang Rong, Wang Zhaohui, Wang Chuzhi · 4 passages

式請鎔子昭祚及大將梁公儒、李宏規子各一人往質於汴。 Shi requested that Rong's son Zhaozhuo and one son each of the great generals Liang Gongru and Li Honggui be sent as hostages to Bian.

梁祖以女妻昭祚。 The Founding Emperor of Liang married his daughter to Zhaozhuo.

是日，令其子昭祚與張文禮以兵圍李宏規及行軍司馬李藹宅，並族誅之，詿誤者凡數十家。 That day he ordered his son Zhaozhuo and Zhang Wenli to surround the residences of Li Honggui and the campaign secretary Li Ai with troops, executed their entire clans, and implicated several dozen households by error.

鎔長子昭祚，亂之翌日，張文禮索之，斬於軍門。 Rong's eldest son Zhaozhuo was demanded by Zhang Wenli the day after the uprising and beheaded at the army gate.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 62Volume 62 Book of Later Tang 38: Biographies 14: Meng Fangli, Zhang Wenli, Dong Zhang · 3 passages

及鎔殺李宏規，委政於其子昭祚。 When Rong executed Li Honggui he handed power to his son Zhaozuo.

昭祚性逼戾，未識人間情偽，素養名持重，坐作貴人，既事權在手，朝夕欲代其父，向來附勢之徒，無不族滅。 Zhaozuo was harsh and ignorant of human affairs, having long cultivated an air of lofty dignity; once power was his he plotted day and night to supplant his father and exterminated to the last man every courtier who had once curried favor.

是夜作亂，殺王鎔父子，舉族灰滅，惟留王昭祚妻朱氏通梁人； That night they rose in mutiny, killed Wang Rong and his son, and annihilated the clan—only Zhaozuo's wife Lady Zhu, who had connections with the Liang, was spared;