Wang Jingchong (Five Dynasties)
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Wang Jingchong (Chinese: 王景崇; died 15 January 950[1][2]) was an official and general of China's Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Shu dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. During the reign of Emperor Yin of Later Han, Wang Jingchong, fearing defamation by the official Hou Yi (侯益), rebelled against the Later Han dynasty in conjunction with Li Shouzhen and Zhao Siwan (趙思綰), and submitted to the Later Shu dynasty. After repeated defeats, however, he committed suicide.
It is not known when Wang Jingchong was born, but it is known that he was from Xing Prefecture (邢州, in modern Xingtai, Hebei). He was said to be intelligent and capable of debating, as well as being good at serving others. During the time that the Jin general Li Siyuan served as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Anguo Circuit (安國, headquartered at Xing Prefecture), Wang served as an officer at his headquarters. He subsequently followed Li on his campaigns.[3][4]
During Later Tang
After Li Siyuan became emperor of Jin's successor state Later Tang in 926, Wang Jingchong became a protocol officer (通事舍人, Tongshi Sheren). He was often given responsibilities of welcoming emissaries from the circuits, delivering imperial edicts to the circuits, and monitoring armies on campaigns.[3]
During Later Jin
During the time of Later Tang's successor state Later Jin, founded by Li Siyuan's son-in-law Shi Jingtang, Wang Jingchong continued to serve the imperial government.[3] In 937, when Shi was commissioning the general An Chongrong as the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei) to displace the Chengde officer Mi Qiong (秘瓊), who had seized control of the circuit in the confusion of Later Tang's fall and Later Jin's founding, Shi sent Wang to Chengde to persuade Mi to yield the control of the circuit to An. He was able to persuade Mi to do so.[5]
Wang was eventually promoted to be a general of the imperial guards, but apparently had little actual authority. He was often distressed about not being given greater authority by the Later Jin emperors (Shi Jingtang and his nephew and successor Shi Chonggui).[3]
During the Liao dynasty
In 947, Later Jin was destroyed by its northern neighbor, the Liao dynasty. Emperor Taizong initially claimed to be the emperor of China as well, but soon tired of the uprisings against him. He left his brother-in-law Xiao Han in charge of the Later Jin capital Kaifeng (as military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武)).[6] During the time that Xiao was at Kaifeng, Wang tried to bribe Xiao's subordinate Gao Muohan (高謨翰), hoping that Xiao would give him greater authority.[3] However, soon thereafter, Emperor Taizong died on the way back to Liao proper, and was succeeded by his nephew Emperor Shizong.[6][7] The anti-Liao uprisings intensified, and Xiao wanted to abandon Xuanwu and return to Liao proper as well, but wanted to keep some resemblance of a continuation of government. He therefore forced Li Siyuan's son Li Congyi the Prince of Xu to assume the title of emperor, and then left Kaifeng in Li Congyi's control. Li Congyi commissioned Wang as the director of palace affairs (宣徽使, Xuanhuishi).[7]
However, Li Congyi's court was not supported by the Han uprisings, and instead, the former Later Jin general Liu Zhiyuan, who had claimed the title of emperor of a new state of Later Han, was gaining strength. Liu was thereafter advancing toward Kaifeng. Wang took the money in the imperial treasury and left Kaifeng, submitting to Liu. Li Congyi subsequently submitted to Liu as well, allowing him to enter Kaifeng and take over control of the realm.[7]