Wang Yan (Jin dynasty)
Wang Yan | |
---|---|
Minister of Works ( | |
In office 307 –310 | |
Monarch | Emperor Huai of Jin |
Minister Over the Masses ( | |
In office 308 –311 | |
Monarch | Emperor Huai of Jin |
Personal details | |
Born | 256 |
Died | 5 May 311 |
Spouse | Lady Guo |
Children | Wang Xuan Wang Jingfeng Wang Huifeng Lady Wang |
Parent |
|
Occupation | Politician |
Courtesy name | Yifu ( |
Wang Yan (256 – 5 May 311[1]), courtesy name Yifu, was a Chinese politician. He served as a minister and was one of the pure conversation leaders of the Jin dynasty (266–420). During the reign of Emperor Hui of Jin, Wang Yan grew popular among the court for his mastery in Qingtan and for being a patron of Xuanxue. Wang Yan vacillated between the warring princes during the War of the Eight Princes until he ended up with Sima Yue, who gave him a considerable amount of power in his administration. After Yue died in April 311, Wang Yan led his funeral procession but was ambushed and later executed by the Han-Zhao general, Shi Le at Ningping City (
Early life and career
[edit]Wang Yan was born in Langya commandery as part of the same Wang clan that his cousin Wang Rong, a member of the famous Seven Sages of the Bamboo Groves, came from. When he was 14 years old, he met with his uncle Yang Hu at Luoyang. Yang Hu and others were impressed with the way he spoke but Wang was very arrogant towards his uncle. He became the talk of the town, so much so that the minister Yang Jun wanted to marry him to his daughter. However, Wang Yan was not fond of Yang Jun, so he pretended to go mad to avoid him.[2]
In 273, Emperor Wu of Jin was looking for talents to help safeguard the northern frontiers. Wang Yan loved to discuss military strategies and was particularly enthusiastic in talking about "horizontal and vertical alliances (
Wang Yan eventually left Luoyang to take up the post of Prefect of Yuanxiang (
War of the Eight Princes
[edit]In 299, Wang Yan became somewhat involved with the imperial family. Empress Jia Nanfeng, the paramount leader of Jin working behind her husband Emperor Hui of Jin, was becoming more cruel day by day. Her brother Jia Mo (賈模) plotted to assassinate her together with Pei Wei and Wang Yan. However, the plot was dropped after Wang Yan decided to pull out.[a] Later, Wang Yan's younger daughter married the Crown Prince, Sima Yu but when Yu was reduced to a commoner and arrested by the Empress, Wang Yan had her divorced and refused to associate with him. His decision to do so backfired in 300 when Jia Nanfeng was overthrown and replaced by Sima Lun as regent. A group of minister submitted a petition accusing him of refusing to help Sima Yu to save his own life, and Wang Yan was barred from the government.[5]
At the advice of his cousin, Wang Dun, Wang Yan sided with Sima Jiong in removing Sima Lun after he usurped the throne in 301 and returned to the government as Intendant of Henan.[6] For the next few years of the War of the Eight Princes, Wang Yan appeared to have kept a neutral stance and was not closely affiliated with any of the warring princes. In 303, when Sima Ai (who became the new emperor's regent in 302) was besieged by Sima Ying's army in Luoyang, a group of ministers sent Wang Yan out to negotiate peace with Ying but ended in failure when Ying refused to accept it.[7] The following year in 304, when Sima Yong removed Sima Ying as Crown Prince, Wang Yan was appointed by Yong as Supervisor of the Left of the Masters of Writing.[8]
Service under Sima Yue's regency
[edit]The Prince of Donghai, Sima Yue, was the last of the so-called Eight Princes to take control of the government in 306. Yue appointed Wang Yan Minister of Works in 307 and later Minister Over the Masses in 308. Although Yue had won the civil war, he must now face the growing threat of Han-Zhao, a Xiongnu state that emerged in northern China during the war in 304. After his appointment, Wang Yan alerted Sima Yue that he should secure two places to run away to if the court were to fall. Wang Yan recommended he appoint his brother, Wang Cheng, as Inspector of Jingzhou and Wang Dun, as Inspector of Qingzhou. This was called the "three rabbit burrows strategy (
In 308, the powerful bandit, Wang Mi, aligned himself with Han-Zhao and began marching towards Luoyang. Mi threw Qingzhou, Xuzhou, Yanzhou and Yuzhou into chaos and had Xuchang's armoury emptied for his soldiers. The court was greatly afraid as Wang Mi defeated the Jin forces at Huanyuan Pass. Sima Yue sent Wang Bin (
In 309, Wang Yan was made Grand Commandant to replace the retiring Liu Shi (
Downfall and death
[edit]In 311, tensions between Sima Yue and his powerful general Gou Xi reached its climax. Gou Xi, disgruntled at the fact that Sima Yue was believing in slanders regarding him, cooperated with Emperor Huai and retaliated against Yue. With Han-Zhao growing day by day and now his strongest general turning on him, Yue was undergoing a severe amount of stress, and had Wang Yan to take over the handling of affairs. Yue died shortly after in Xiang county (
Yue's heir, Sima Pi (
Shi Le had heard of Wang Yan's talents and was happy when he received him. When Wang Yan met with Shi Le, Wang thoroughly explained to him the causes of Jin's downfall, citing its lack of preparation against the likes of Shi Le as one of it. He downplayed his role in the government and even tried to curry Shi Le's favour by urging him to become emperor. However, Shi Le told him, "You have supported the court ever since you were young; your fame spreads throughout the Four Seas, and you occupy a very important office. How can you speak as though you were some nobody? If you are not the one responsible for wrecking the realm, then who is?"[14]
Shi Le then scheduled the prisoners for execution. Due to his refusal to take responsibility, Shi Le ordered that Wang Yan be executed by pushing a wall to crush him to death rather than by the sword. Before his death, Wang Yan was recorded to have lamented, "Though I am inferior to the ancients, had I not favoured vanity and devoted myself to bettering the state, I would not have suffer today."[15] Later that year, Luoyang would fall to Han-Zhao and Emperor Huai was taken captive during the Disaster of Yongjia.
Appraisals
[edit]During his time, Wang Yan was viewed favourably by many of his contemporaries due to his knowledge of Qingtan and Xuanxue. His family members, Wang Rong, Wang Cheng, Wang Dun, and Wang Dao, had all made positive remarks in regard to him. However, there were those who were skeptical of him in spite of acknowledging his talents. Both Shan Tao and Yang Hu commented that while Wang was indeed intelligent, they feared that Wang might not use his strengths for the better good.
After the Disaster of Yongjia, Wang's reputation soured as many blamed him for being one of the reasons why Western Jin fell. The Jin general, Yu Yi wrote a letter to Yin Hao asking him to quit his life as a hermit and join the government. In it, he brings up Wang Yan who he criticized for neglecting government responsibilities in favour of philosophical discussions and failing to make a positive name for himself, much like what Yin Hao was doing at the time.[16] During his 2nd northern expedition in 356, the Jin commander Huan Wen reportedly said, "For causing the Sacred Lands to fall into the hands of the enemies and lay it in ruins for a hundred years, Wang Yifu and his followers must bear this burden!"[17]
Traditional historians and writers also cast a negative light on Wang Yan. Most of this stems from his association with Qingtan and Xuanxue. The Confucianist scholar, Fan Ning, made a very critical assessment against Wang, denouncing him of distorting the orthodox teachings of Confucius which in turn brought disaster to his dynasty.[18] Some even extended Wang Yan's faults to He Yan and other followers of Neo-Taoism like Wang Rong and Ruan Ji. This hostile sentiment was shared by the Book of Jin and various famous writers from different dynasties such as Wei Yuanzhong,[19] Su Shi,[20] Wang Fuzhi[21] and more.
The Chinese saying "Randomly speaking out orpiment (
Note
[edit]- ^ This is based on Empress Jia's biography in the Book of Jin. Pei Wei's biography in the same records provides a completely different account, and it was Zhang Hua, not Wang Yan, who participated in the plot.
- ^ Sima Yue based himself in Xiang county near Xuchang. The strategy was that if the north were to fall, he can choose to flee to Jingzhou or Qingzhou where the trusted inspector can host him. The plan fell through due to the circumstances that befell the two men, but Wang Cheng and Wang Dun were able to amass so much power in the south because of this. Dun in particular grew so powerful that he became a threat to the Eastern Jin regime until his death in 324.
- ^ Orpiment was used as a correction fluid in ancient China. To speak out orpiment is as if to constantly correct oneself when they speak.
References
[edit]- ^ wuzi day of the 4th month of the 5th year of the Yong'jia era, per Emperor Huai's biography in Book of Jin. This was less than two weeks after Sima Yue's death, on 23 April. Wang's biography in the same work indicate that he was 56 (by East Asian reckoning) when he died.
- ^ (
衍字 夷 甫 ,神 情 明秀 ,風姿 詳 雅 。總角 嘗造山 濤,濤嗟歎 良久 ,既 去 ,目 而送之 曰:「何 物 老 嫗 ,生 甯馨兒 !然 誤 天下 蒼生 者 ,未必 非 此人也。」父 乂,為平 北 將軍 ,常 有 公事 ,使 行人 列 上 ,不 時報 。衍年十 四 ,時 在京 師 ,造 僕 射 羊 祜,申 陳 事 狀 ,辭 甚清辯 。祜名德 貴重 ,而衍幼年 無 屈 下之 色 ,眾咸異 之 。楊駿欲 以女妻 焉,衍恥之 ,遂 陽 狂 自 免 。武 帝 聞其名 ,問 戎 曰:「夷 甫 當世 誰 比 ?」戎 曰:「未見 其比,當 從 古人 中 求 之 。」) Book of Jin, Volume 43 - ^ (
泰 始 八 年 ,詔 舉奇才 可 以安邊 者 ,衍初好 論 從 橫 之 術 ,故 尚書 盧 欽舉為 遼東 太守 。不 就,於是口 不 論 世事 ,唯 雅 詠 玄 虛 而已。) Book of Jin, Volume 43 - ^ (
初 ,何 晏等祖述 老 、莊 ,立論 以爲:「天地 萬物 ,皆 以無爲本 。無 也者,開 物 成 務 ,無 往而不 存 者 也。陰陽 恃以化生 ,賢者 恃以成德 。故 無 之 爲 用 ,無 爵而貴 矣!」王 衍之徒 皆 愛重 之 。由 是 朝廷 士 大夫 皆 以浮誕爲美 ,弛 廢 職業 。裴頠著 《崇 有 論 》以釋其蔽曰:「夫 利欲 可 損 而未可 絕 有 也,事務 可 節 而未可 全 無 也。蓋 有 飾 爲 高談 之 具 者 ,深 列 有形 之 累 ,盛 陳 空 無 之 美 。形 器 之 累 有 徵 ,空 無 之 義 難 檢 ;辯巧 之 文 可 悅 ,似 象 之 言 足 惑;衆 聽眩焉,溺 其成說 。雖頗有 異 此心者 ,辭 不 獲 濟 ,屈 於所習,〈濟 ,通 也。謂 虛無 習以成 俗 ,崇 有 者 辭 不能 通 其意,遂 爲所 屈 也。〉因 謂 虛無 之 理 誠 不可 蓋 。〈蓋 ,掩也。〉一 唱百 和 ,往而不 反 ,遂 薄 綜世之 務 ,賤功利 〈【嚴 :「利 」改 「烈 」。】〉之 用 ,高 浮游 之 業 ,卑經實 之 賢 。〈經 實 ,謂 有 經世 之 實用 者 。〉人情 所 徇,名利 從 之 ,於是文者 衍其辭 ,訥者贊 其旨。立言 藉於虛無 ,謂 之 玄妙 ;處 官 不 親 所 職 ,謂 之 雅 遠 ;奉 身 散 其廉操 ,謂 之 曠達;故 砥 礪之風 ,彌 以陵遲 。〈砥 礪,謂 砥 節 礪行也。〉放 者 因 斯,或 悖 吉凶 之 禮 ,忽 容止 之 表 ,瀆長幼 之 序 ,混 貴 賤之級 ,甚者至 於裸裎褻慢,無 所 不 至 ,〈裸 裎,露 體 也。裸 ,郎 果 翻 。裎,馳 成 翻 。〉士行 又 虧矣。夫 萬物 之 有形 者 ,雖生於無,然 生 以有爲 已 分 ,〈物 之 未生 ,則 有無 未 分 ,旣 生 而有,則 與 無爲 已 分 矣。〉則 無 是 有 之 所 遺 者 也。〈遺 ,棄也。〉故 養 旣 化 之 有 ,非 無用 之 所 能 全 也;治 旣 有 之 衆 ,非 無爲 之 所 能 脩 也。〈治 ,直之 翻 。〉心 非 事 也,而制事 必由於心,然 不可 謂 心 爲 無 也;匠 非 器 也,而制器 必須 於匠,然 不可 謂 匠 非 有 也。是 以欲收 重 淵 之 鱗 ,非 偃息之 所 能 獲 也;〈重 ,直 龍 翻 。〉隕高墉之禽,非 靜 拱之所 能 捷 也。由 此而觀 ,濟 有 者 皆 有 也,虛無 奚益於已有 之 羣生哉!」然 習俗 已 成 ,頠論亦 不能 救 也。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 82 - ^ (
後 曆 北 軍 中 候 、中 領 軍 、尚書 令 。女 為 湣懷太子 妃 ,太子 為 賈后所 誣,衍懼禍 ,自 表 離婚 。賈后既 廢 ,有司 奏 衍,曰:「衍與司 徒 梁 王 肜書,寫 呈 皇太子 手 與 妃 及衍書 ,陳 見 誣見狀 。肜等伏 讀,辭 旨 懇 惻。衍備位 大臣 ,應 以議責 也。太子 被 誣得罪 ,衍不能 守 死 善道 ,即 求 離婚 。得 太子 手書 ,隱蔽 不出 。志 在 苟免,無 忠 蹇 之 操 。宜 加 顯 責 ,以厲臣節 。可 禁錮 終身 。」從 之 。) Book of Jin, Volume 83 - ^ (
趙 王 倫 篡位,敦 叔父 彥為兗州刺史 ,倫 遣 敦 慰勞 之 。會 諸王 起 義兵 ;彥被齊 王 冏檄,懼倫兵 強 ,不 敢應命 ,敦 勸 彥起兵 應 諸王 ,故 彥遂立 勳 績。) Book of Jin, Volume 43 - ^ (
朝議 以爲乂、穎兄弟 ,可 辭 說 而釋,乃使中書 令 王 衍等往說穎,令 與 乂分陝而居 ,穎不從 。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 85 - ^ (
又 以光祿 大夫 王 衍爲尚書 左 僕 射 。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 85 - ^ (
乙 亥 ,以王衍爲司 徒 。衍說太 傅 越 曰:「朝廷 危亂,當 賴 方 伯 ,宜 得 文武 兼 資 以任之 。」乃以弟 澄 爲 荊州都 督 ,族 弟 敦 爲 青 州 刺史 ,語 之 曰:「荊州有江 、漢 之 固 ,青 州 有 負 海 之 險 ,卿 二 人 在外 而吾居中 ,足 以爲三 窟 矣。」澄 至 鎭,以郭舒爲別 駕 ,委 以府事 。澄 日 夜 縱 酒 ,不 親 庶務 ,雖寇戎 交急,不 以爲懷 。舒常切 諫,以爲宜 愛 民 養 兵 ,保全 州 境 ,澄 不 從 。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 86 - ^ (
太 傅 越 遣 司馬 王 斌 帥 甲 士 五 千 人 入 衞 京師 ,張 軌亦遣 督 護 北宮 純 將兵 衞 京師 。五月 ,彌 入 自 轘轅,敗 官軍 于伊北 ,京師 大震 ,宮城 門 晝 閉。壬 戌 ,彌 至 洛陽 ,屯 于津陽 門 。詔 以王衍都督 征討 諸 軍事 。北宮 純 募 勇士 百 餘人 突陳,彌 兵 大敗 。乙 丑 ,彌 燒 建 春 門 而東,衍遣左 衞 將軍 王 秉追之 ,戰 于七 里 澗,又 敗 之 。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 86 - ^ (
京師 饑 困 日 甚,太 傅 越 遣 使 以羽檄 徵 天下 兵 ,使 入 援京師 。帝 謂 使者 曰︰「爲 我 語 諸 征 、鎭,今日 尚 可 救 ,後 則 無 及矣!」旣 而卒無 至 者 。征 南 將軍山 簡遣督 護 王 萬 將兵 入 援,軍 于涅陽 ,爲 王 如所敗 。如遂大 掠 沔、漢 ,進 逼襄陽 ,簡嬰城 自 守 。荊州刺史 王 澄 自 將 ,欲 援京師 ,至 沶口,聞簡敗 ,衆 散 而還。朝議 多欲 遷都 以避難 ,王 衍以爲 不可 ,賣 車 牛 以安衆 心 。山 簡爲嚴 嶷所逼,自 襄 陽 徙屯夏 口 。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 87 - ^ (
越 憂 憤 成 疾 ,以後 事 付 王 衍;三 月 ,丙 子 ,薨于項 ,祕 不發 喪 。衆 共 推衍爲 元帥 ,衍不敢當;以讓襄 陽 王 範 ,範 亦 不 受。範 ,瑋之子 也。於是衍等相 與 奉 越 喪 還 葬 東海 。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 87 - ^ (
夏 ,四 月 ,石 勒率輕 騎 追 太 傅 越 之 喪 ,及於苦 縣 寧 平城 ,大敗 晉 兵 ,縱 騎 圍 而射之 ,將士 十餘萬人相踐如山,無 一 人 得 免 者 。執 太 尉 衍、襄 陽 王 範 、任 城 王 濟 、武 陵 莊 王 澹、西河 王 喜 、梁 懷 王 禧、齊 王 超 、吏部尚書 劉 望 、廷尉諸 葛 銓、豫 州 刺史 劉 喬 、太 傅 長 史 庾敳等 ,坐 之 幕下 ,問 以晉故 。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 87 - ^ (
俄 而舉軍 為石 勒所破 ,勒呼王公 ,與 之 相 見 ,問 衍以晉 故 。衍為陳 禍 敗 之 由 ,雲 計 不在 己 。勒甚悅 之 ,與語 移 日 。衍自說 少 不 豫 事 ,欲求 自 免 ,因 勸 勒稱尊號 。勒怒曰:「君 名 蓋 四海 ,身 居 重任 ,少壯 登 朝 ,至 於白首 ,何 得 言 不 豫 世事 邪 !破壞 天下 ,正 是 君 罪 。」) Book of Jin, Volume 43 - ^ (
使 左右 扶出。謂 其党孔 萇曰:「吾 行 天下 多 矣,未 嘗見如此人 ,當 可 活 不 ?」萇曰:「彼 晉 之 三公 ,必不為 我 盡力 ,又 何 足 貴 乎!」勒曰:「要 不可 加 以鋒刃 也。」使 人 夜 排 牆填殺 之 。衍將死 ,顧而言 曰:「嗚呼 !吾 曹雖不 如古人 ,向 若 不 祖 尚 浮虛,戮力以匡天下 ,猶 可 不 至 今日 。」時 年 五 十 六 。) Book of Jin, Volume 43 - ^ (庾翼貽浩
書 曰:「當今 江東 社稷 安危 ,內委何 、褚諸君 ,外 托 庾、桓數族 ,恐 不 得 百 年 無 憂 ,亦 朝夕 而弊。足下 少 標 令名 ,十 餘 年間 ,位 經 內外,而欲潛 居 利貞 ,斯理難 全 。且夫濟 一 時 之 務 ,須一 時 之 勝 ,何 必德均 古人 ,韻 齊 先達 邪 !王 夷 甫 ,先 朝 風流 士 也,然 吾 薄 其立名 非 真 ,而始終 莫取。若 以道非 虞 夏 ,自 當 超然 獨往 ,而不能 謀 始 ,大 合 聲譽 ,極致 名 位 ,正當 抑揚 名 教 ,以靜亂 源 。而乃高談 《莊 》《老 》,說 空 終日 ,雖云談 道 ,實 長 華 競 。及其末 年 ,人望 猶 存 ,思 安 懼亂,寄 命 推務。而甫自 申述 ,徇小好 名 ,既 身 囚 胡 虜 ,棄言非 所 。凡明德 君子 ,遇 會 處 際 ,寧 可 然 乎?而世皆 然 之 。益 知 名實 之 未定 ,弊風 之 未 革 也。」浩 固辭 不 起 。) Book of Jin, Volume 77 - ^ (
桓公 入洛 ,過 淮、泗,踐北境 ,與 諸 僚屬登 平 乘 樓 ,眺 矚中原 ,慨然 曰:「遂 使 神州 陸 沈,百 年 丘 墟,王 夷 甫 諸人 ,不 得 不 任 其責!」袁虎率爾 對 曰:「運 自 有 廢 興 ,豈 必諸人 之 過 ?」桓公 懍然作 色 ,顧謂四 坐 曰:「諸君 頗聞劉 景 升 不 ?有 大 牛重 千 斤 ,噉芻豆 十 倍 於常牛 ,負 重 致遠,曾不若 一 羸牸。魏 武 入 荊州,烹以饗 士卒 ,于時莫不稱 快 。」意 以況袁。四坐既駭,袁亦失 色 。) Shishuo Xinyu, Volume 26.11 - ^ (
王 何 蔑棄典文 ,不 遵禮度 ,遊 辭 浮說 ,波 蕩 後生 ,飾 華 言 以翳實 ,騁繁文 以惑世 。搢紳之 徒 ,翻然 改 轍 ,洙泗之 風 ,緬 焉將墜。遂 令 仁義 幽 淪,儒雅蒙塵 ,禮 壞樂崩 ,中原 傾 覆 。古 之 所謂 言 偽 而辯,行 僻 而堅者 ,其斯人 之 徒 歟?昔 夫子 斬 少 正 於魯,太 公 戮華士 於齊 ,豈 非 曠世 而同誅乎?桀紂暴虐 ,正 足 以滅身 覆 國 ,為 後世 鑑 戒耳。豈 能 回 百姓 之 視聽 哉!王 何 叨海內之浮譽,資 膏 粱之傲誕,畫 螭魅以為巧 ,扇 無 檢 以為俗 ,鄭 聲 之 亂 樂 ,利口 之 覆 邦 ,信 矣哉!吾 固 以為一 世 之 禍 輕 ,歷代 之 罪 重 ,自 喪 之 釁少,迷眾之 愆大也。) Quan Jinwen, Volume 125 - ^ (
臣 嘗讀魏 、晉 史 ,每 鄙 何 晏、王 衍終日 談 空 。近 觀 齊 、梁 書 ,才 士 亦 復 不 少 ,並 何 益 於理亂 哉?從 此而言 ,則 陸士 衡著《辨 亡 論 》,而不救 河 橋 之 敗 ,養 由 基 射 能 穿 札 ,而不止 鄢陵之 奔,斷 可知 矣。昔 趙 岐撰禦寇之 論 ,山 濤陳用兵 之 本 ,皆 坐 運 帷幄 ,暗合 孫 、吳 。宣 尼 稱 ‘有德 者 必有言 ,仁者 必有勇 ’,則 何 平 叔、王 夷 甫 豈 得 同日 而言載 !) Old Book of Tang, Volume 42 - ^ (
王 夷 甫 既 降 石 勒,自 解 無罪 ,且勸僭號,其女惠 風 為 愍懷太子 妃 ,劉 曜陷洛 ,以惠風 賜 其將喬 屬 ,屬 將 妻 之 ,惠 風 拔劍 大 罵 而死,乃知夷 甫 之 死 非 獨 慚見晉 公卿 ,乃當羞見其女也。) Assessment of Virtuous and Famous People of Past Dynasties, Volume 59 - ^ (
不 然 ,則 崇 尚 虛 浮,逃於得失 之 外 以免害 ,則 阮籍、王 衍、樂 廣之 流 是 已 。) Commentary on the Tongjian, Volume 12 - ^ (
每 捉玉柄 麈尾 ,與 手 同色 。義理 有 所 不安 ,隨 即 改 更 ,世 號 “口中 雌 黃 。”) Book of Jin, Volume 43
- Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). Book of Jin (Jin Shu).
- Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.