39 Facts About Wang Yanzheng

Wang Yanzheng, known by his era name as the Tiande Emperor, posthumous name Prince Gongyi of Fu, was the founder and only emperor of Yin, who later became the last monarch of Min, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of China.

In 943, he, then in civil war with his brother Wang Yanxi, declared himself emperor of a new Yin dynasty at his power base at Jian Prefecture, but after Wang Yanxi was killed by the general Zhu Wenjin, who was himself assassinated thereafter, Wang Yanzheng claimed the title of Emperor of Min, thereby putting an end to the state of Yin.

Wang Yanzheng's father was Min's first ruler, Wang Shenzhi, but his mother's identity is not recorded in history.

In 939, Wang Yanxi became Min's ruler after the prior emperor of Min, their nephew Wang Chang, had been overthrown and killed.

Wang Yanzheng wrote several letters to him urging him to change his behavior.

Wang Yanzheng sent his close associate Ye Qiao to monitor Wang Yanzheng's army, and the officer Du Hanchong to monitor the nearby Nanzhen Base.

Ye and Du submitted numerous reports alleging misdeeds by Wang Yanzheng, exacerbating the suspicions between the brothers.

Wang Yanzheng then attacked Nanzhen and defeated the central government-controlled army there.

Wang Yanzheng then defeated the other central government-controlled forces in the region.

Wang Yanzheng sought aid from Qian Yuanguan, the king of Min's northern neighbor Wuyue.

Wang Yanzheng used the opportunity to capture the cities of Yongping and Shunchang.

When Yang's army arrived, Wang Yanzheng tried to send him away by offering beef and wine to the troops, but Yang refused, instead setting his camp outside the city, posturing to get ready to besiege it.

Wang Yanzheng Xi sent their nephew Wang Yanzheng Jiye with an army to aid him, and wrote Qian to rebuke him and sent another army to cut off the Wuyue army's food supply route.

Once the Wuyue army's food supply ran out, Wang Yanzheng attacked, defeating it.

Subsequently, Li Jing, the emperor of Min's northwestern neighbor Southern Tang, sent the emissary Shang Quangong to both Wang Xi and Wang Yanzheng, urging them to make peace with each other.

In 941, Wang Yanzheng fortified the defenses around Jian Prefecture, and he requested Wang Xi make him the military governor of Weiwu Circuit.

Meanwhile, Wang Xi, suspecting that another brother, Wang Yanxi the Prefect of Ting Prefecture, was allying with Wang Yanzheng, sent the general Xu Renqin to Ting, seizing Wang Yanxi and returning him to Fu.

Also suspecting Wang Jiye, who was then serving as the prefect of Quan Prefecture, as Wang Yanzheng had written Wang Jiye, Wang Xi recalled Wang Jiye and then ordered him to commit suicide.

In 942, Wang Yanzheng attacked Ting and put it under siege.

In 943, Wang Yanzheng declared himself emperor of a new state of Yin.

Wang Yanzheng created his wife Lady Zhang as empress, and commissioned Pan Chengyou and Yang Sigong as his chancellors.

In summer 943, Chen Wang Yanzheng attacked Fu Prefecture and advanced into the city through its west gate, but was eventually repelled and forced to withdraw.

Shortly later, Li Jing sent letters to both Wang Xi and Wang Yanzheng, rebuking them for attacking each other.

Wang Yanzheng Xi wrote back, citing comparisons to the Duke of Zhou's killing of his rebellious brothers, the Lords of Guan and Cai, and to Emperor Taizong of Tang's killing of his brothers Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji.

Wang Yanzheng wrote back in a more disrespectful manner, instead rebuking Li Jing's father Li Bian's usurpation of the throne from Southern Tang's predecessor state Wu.

Later in 944, Wang Yanzheng Xi was assassinated by his generals Zhu Wenjin and Lian Chongyu.

Zhu, faced with these prefectures' turning against him, sent the generals Lin Shouliang and Li Ting'e to attack Quan, and Wang Yanzheng sent the general Du Jin to aid Liu in defending Quan.

Wang Yanzheng then sent Wu to attack Fu again, and Zhu sought aid from Wuyue.

Wang Yanzheng then opened the city gates to welcome Wu in, and offered Lian's and Zhu's heads to Wang Yanzheng.

The Min officials submitted petitions to Wang Yanzheng, urging him to change the name of the state back to Min and to return the capital to Fu.

Wang Yanzheng accepted the first proposal and claimed the title of Emperor of Min, but declined the second, due to the impending Southern Tang attack.

However, Yang, stating that it was Wang Yanzheng's order, insisted that Chen attack.

Wang Yanzheng sent the general Zhang Hanzhen to attack Zhuo's new regime, and, suspecting the loyalty of the Fu troops at Jian at that time, slaughtered them and used their flesh for food.

Wang Yanzheng sent a petition offering to submit as a vassal to Wuyue, seeking its aid.

Wang Yanzheng surrendered, while Wang Zhongshun died in the battle and Dong took his army and fled back to Quan.

Wang Yanzheng was delivered back to the Southern Tang capital Jinling.

Wang Yanzheng commissioned his general Wang Chongwen to be the military governor of a newly established Yong'an Circuit, headquartered at Jian, to rule over the former Min territory that Wang Yanzheng still held, including Ting, Quan, and Zhang Prefectures, each of which submitted to Southern Tang.

In 947, Li commissioned Wang Yanzheng to be the military governor of Anhua Circuit.

Wang Yanzheng was posthumously created the Prince of Fu, and given the posthumous name of Gongyi.