Background

It is not known for certain when Wang Hui was born—although he was said to be in his 40s when Emperor Xuānzong (r. 846–859) was asking chancellors to find appropriate husbands for the princesses in the 850s, placing a loose timeframe on the time of his birth. His family was from Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the region of the Tang Dynasty capital Chang'an) and claimed ancestry from Wei Wuji (魏無忌) the Lord of Xinling, a famous prince of the Warring States period state Wei, explaining that the line eventually changed its surname to Wang because it was from a house of kings (and Wang meant "king"). Wang Hui's family also traced its ancestry to the Western Wei general Wang Pi (王羆), whose descendants then served Sui Dynasty and Tang. Wang Hui's grandfather Wang Cha (王察) served as a prefectural prefect, and his father Wang Zili (王自立) served as a county magistrate.

Early career

Wang Hui passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class in 858, during Emperor Xuānzong's reign. He started his official career as a copyeditor (校書郎, Xiaoshu Lang) at the Palace Library. When the official Shen Xun (沈詢) served as the director of finances, he invited Wang to serve under him as a traveling reviewer. At that time, Emperor Xuānzong, who was looking for appropriate husbands for his daughters, asked the chancellors to look among the officials who had passed the Jinshi examination, and Wang's name was mentioned. Wang, however, did not want to marry into the imperial family, and he met the chancellor Liu Zhuan to decline on the account of age, as he was already in his 40s, as well as poor health. Liu thus informed Emperor Xuānzong, and Wang was not ordered to marry a princess.

Later, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong's son Emperor Yizong, when the former chancellor Linghu Tao served successively as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Xuanwu (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) and then Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), Wang served as Linghu's secretary. Wang was subsequently recalled to Chang'an to serve as You Shiyi (右拾遺), a low-level advisory official at the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng), and it was said that while serving there, he submitted petitions making 23 suggestions, causing people to respect him for his insight. When the chancellor Xu Shang also served as the director of salt and iron monopolies, he invited Wang to serve as an assistant. Later, after Xu was relieved of his chancellor post and made the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou, Hubei), he wanted Wang to serve under him, but did not dare to ask, as he did not know whether Wang would be willing to leave the capital again. Wang heard about this, and he stated to Xu, "When I had just passed the Jinshi examination, it was you, Lord, who regarded me well. Now that you, Lord, will be receiving a seal and a military command, how can your subordinate not follow you?" Xu was pleased, and he had Wang made his assistant.

During Emperor Xizongs reign

Later, when Gao Shi (高湜) oversaw the office of imperial censors (御史臺, Yushi Tai), he had Wang Hui recalled to Chang'an to serve as a supervising censor Shi Yushi Zhiza (侍御史知雜), as well as Zhifang Yuanwailang (職方員外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, Libu). From that latter position, Wang was later promoted to Kaogong Langzhong (考功郎中), a supervisory official at the ministry of civil service affairs. The chancellor Xiao Fang particularly respected Wang for his administrative abilities. Wang was later made Sifeng Langzhong (司封郎中), still a supervisory official at the office of civil service affairs, as well as the magistrate of Chang'an County (one of the two counties making up the capital), but as at that time, the ranks of imperial scholars (翰林學士, Hanlin Xueshi) was severely lacking, Xiao had him made an imperial scholar and also Zhifang Langzhong (職方郎中), also a supervisory official at the ministry of civil service affairs; Wang was also put in charge of drafting edicts. He was later made Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau. Yet later, he was made chief imperial scholar (翰林學士承旨, Hanlin Xueshi Chengzhi) and deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang). While serving as chief imperial scholar, he also successively served as deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang) and then Shangshu Zuo Cheng (尚書左丞), one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng).

In late 880, as the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao was approaching Chang'an, the powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi, in order to deflect blame for the imperial forces' inability to stop Huang, blamed the leading chancellor Lu Xi for erroneous strategies and had Lu demoted. (Lu, in response, committed suicide.) Wang and Pei Che were made chancellors (with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi) to replace Lu. However, on the same day, news arrived that Huang was about to attack Chang'an. Tian took Emperor Xizong and fled toward Chengdu, and the officials scrambled to either try to follow the emperor or to hide. Wang tried to follow the emperor in flight, but in his attempt to do so fell into a bush in a valley and was injured. He was captured by Huang's soldiers, who took him back to Chang'an, where Huang had declared himself emperor of a new state of Qi. Huang tried to force Wang to accept a commission in the Qi government, but Wang pretended to have been so severely injured that he could not speak, even when swords were placed against him. Huang had Wang returned to his mansion to recuperate, under close watch, and he sent doctors to treat Wang. After about a month, though, when the guards had relaxed, Wang disguised himself as a merchant and fled to Hezhong (河中, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi). He submitted a report to Emperor Xizong (who was then at Chengdu), and Emperor Xizong had him remotely made the minister of defense (兵部尚書, Bingbu Shangshu).

Wang was then planning to join the emperor in Chengdu, but he was then commissioned to review the Tang troops in the east. At that time, the chancellor Wang Duo was in overall command of the operations against Huang, but Tang forces had not been able to gain a decisive victory over Qi. The eunuch monitor of the army, Yang Fuguang wanted to invite the Shatuo rebel Li Keyong to join the Tang cause, and Wang Hui agreed with the proposal. Wang Duo then issued an edict in Emperor Xizong's name pardoning Li Keyong and summoning him to join the Tang imperial cause. After Tang forces, with Li Keyong as a major contributor, defeated Huang and recaptured Chang'an early in 883, Wang, for his contribution, was made You Pushe (右僕射), one of the heads of the executive bureau.

Meanwhile, Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi) had been going through much turmoil—as the officer Cheng Lin (成麟) had killed the military governor Gao Xun (高潯) in a mutiny in 881 and was in turn killed by another officer, Meng Fangli. The people of Zhaoyi then asked the eunuch monitor Wu Quanxu to act as military governor, but Meng rejected this (claiming that a eunuch should not be a governor) and put Wu under house arrest, instead claiming that he wanted the imperial government to send a replacement. The imperial government commissioned Wang Hui to serve as Zhaoyi's military governor. Wang, however, knowing that Meng had full control of three of Zhaoyi's five prefectures (i.e., the ones east of the Taihang Mountains), believed that he would not be actually able to exercise control, and so declined the commission. The circuit was then instead given to Zheng Changtu, although Zheng left his post just three months later, leaving Meng in control.

At this time, Chang'an was in shambles due to the warfare, and Emperor Xizong had not returned to Chang'an. Wang was made the director of Daming Palace and acting mayor of Jingzhao, overseeing the recovery effort. It was said that Wang comforted the people, such that the people began to return. However, the powerful individuals inside the palace (i.e., eunuchs headed by Tian) and outside were trying to reconstruct their mansions, and they often infringed on the people's rights. When the people complained, Wang tried to exercise the laws properly against the powerful people, and thus offended them. They thus had another official, Xue Qi (薛杞), made Wang's deputy, with the intent that Xue would strip Wang's actual authority, but Wang, citing the fact that Xue's father had just died and that he should thus be observing a period of mourning, refused to let Xue take office. This further angered the powerful people, and Wang was stripped of his posts and summoned to Chengdu. He was then made a senior advisor to the Crown Prince — an entirely honorary post as there was no crown prince at the time — and ordered to retire to Hezhong. About three months later, even that honorary post was stripped, although a similar post was conferred after Emperor Xizong returned to Chang'an in 885, and Wang was recalled to Chang'an, although he declined the post on account of illness. The chancellors, rebuking Wang for not accepting the imperial largess, had him made the prefect of Ji Prefecture (集州, in modern Bazhong, Sichuan) and ordered him to report immediately.

Immediately after, though, Tian provoked Wang Chongrong and Li Keyong into attacking Chang'an, and Emperor Xizong fled to Xingyuan (興元, in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi). The warlord Zhu Mei, the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi), took over Chang'an and declared an imperial prince, Li Yun the Prince of Xiang, emperor. Tian was removed from his post and fled to Chengdu to serve as the eunuch monitor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu), where his brother Chen Jingxuan was military governor. After Tian's removal, Emperor Xizong sent an edict summoning Wang to serve as the minister of civil service affairs (吏部尚書) and creating him the Marquess of Langye. Wang wanted to report to Emperor Xizong, but the roads were blocked off by Li Yun. Subsequently, Li Yun's edict arrived at Hezhong, also summoning Wang. Wang claimed to have suffered a stroke and to be unable to walk, and he refused to submit to Li Yun. After Zhu was killed by his own subordinate Wang Xingyu later in the year, and Li Yun was then executed by Wang Chongrong when he fled to Hezhong, Emperor Xizong returned to Chang'an. He made Wang chief imperial censor (御史大夫, Yushi Daifu), but Wang declined on account of illness.

During Emperor Zhaozongs reign

Sometime after Emperor Xizong died in 888 and was succeeded by his brother Emperor Zhaozong, Wang Hui was again made advisor to the Crown Prince. When he went to the palace to thank Emperor Zhaozong, Emperor Zhaozong stated, "Wang Hui's spirit is still strong. How could he just take the easy way out?" Emperor Zhaozong then made him minister of civil service affairs again. It was said that, even though the Tang imperial government had suffered through many disasters by this point, Wang was still able to sort through the records and grant offices appropriately. He was thereafter made acting Sikong (司空, one of the Three Excellencies) and You Pushe. He died around the new year 891 and was given posthumous honors.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 178.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 185.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 254, 255, 256.

家世

王徽生年不詳，只知當唐宣宗在850年代命宰相們為公主們挑選合適的駙馬時，王徽四十多歲。他是京兆杜陵人，戰國時期魏國著名公子信陵君魏無忌之後，這一支因是王族之後，故改姓王。北周同州刺史王羆為王徽十代祖，其後人後來效力隋朝和唐朝。王徽祖父王察為連州刺史，父王自立為緱氏令。

早期仕途

唐宣宗大中十一年（857年），王徽中進士，任秘書省校書郎。戶部侍郎沈詢判度支，闢王徽為巡官。當時宣宗正為女兒們挑選合適的駙馬，要求宰相們觀察中進士的官員，王徽被提名。但他不想與皇室結親，見宰相劉瑑，以年齡為由辭讓，因為他已經四十多歲且多病。劉瑑告訴了宣宗，王徽因而沒有被命令娶公主。

宣宗子唐懿宗年間，前宰相令狐綯歷任宣武、淮南節度使，王徽都作為掌書記跟隨他，官至大理評事。後又被召回拜為右拾遺，前後上疏提了23條建議，人們因而敬重他的洞察力。宰相徐商判鹽鐵事務，邀王徽為參佐。徐商罷相後為荊南節度使，想邀王徽為他效力，但不知他是否願意再次離開長安而不敢問。王徽聞知，對徐商說：「我剛中進士的時候，是公照顧我，現在公就要佩戴印綬領軍了，下官怎能不跟從呢？」徐商很高興，奏授王徽殿中侍御史，賜緋，署任為荊南節度判官。

唐僖宗年間

高湜監督御史台時，奏王徽回長安為侍御史知雜兼職方員外郎，後升考功員外郎。任上于咸通十四年（873年）奏請將考簿上的上中下字由紅字改為用不易塗改的黑字書寫，制止了考功作弊行為。宰相蕭仿尤其敬重王徽精通為官之術。乾符初年，遷司封郎中、長安縣令。當時翰林學士缺人，蕭仿任王徽為翰林學士，改職方郎中、知制誥，三年（876年）九月正拜中書舍人。王徽于延英殿中謝恩，被當面賜以金紫，後又遷戶部侍郎、學士承旨，後又改兵部侍郎、尚書左丞，仍任學士承旨。曾奉命授西川節度使高駢功狀，六年（879年）作《創築羅城記》紀念高駢在成都築大城事。

廣明元年（880年）十二月，黃巢農民大軍逼近長安，當權宦官田令孜為轉移對朝廷軍隊無力阻止黃巢的指責，歸咎首席宰相盧攜戰略錯誤，貶之。盧攜因而自殺。王徽和裴澈被加同中書門下平章事，代盧攜為相，王徽改戶部侍郎。但同日，傳來黃巢軍將攻長安的消息。田令孜帶僖宗乘夜逃往成都，王徽等官員們上朝時才知道，為了隨駕和躲藏而亂竄。王徽想隨駕逃跑，落入荊榛中，墜入崖谷受傷，被黃巢的士兵所獲，帶回長安。當時黃巢已在長安自稱大齊皇帝。中和元年（881年）二月，黃巢想任王徽大齊官職，但即使周圍都是白刃，王徽也假裝重傷不能說話。黃巢命他回官邸養病，嚴密監視，派醫生為他治病。過了一個多月，守衛懈怠，王徽裝作商販逃到河中。他撕裂絹布寫上表文，遣人獻上已在成都的僖宗，僖宗遙授他光祿大夫，任為兵部尚書。期間，王徽厚待退居河中的禮部郎中司空圖。王徽想去成都會合僖宗，但僖宗詔令他以本官充東面宣慰催陣使。

王徽有雅望，但拜相才一天就遭遇此亂，故沒有可稱道的建樹。

同時，昭義鎮歷經混亂：當年昭義將成麟兵變殺節度使高潯，又被天井關戍將孟方立所殺。昭義人請監軍吳全勖知留後，但孟方立拒絕，稱宦官不能為節度使，軟禁吳全勖，稱希望朝廷派人來代任。三月，朝廷任時任右僕射、租庸使、京城四面催陣使、守兵部尚書王徽為檢校左僕射兼潞州大都督府長史、昭義節度、潞邢洺磁觀察等使、同平章事。王徽表司空圖為副使。但王徽知道孟方立已經完全控制了昭義鎮全部五州中在太行山以東的三州，自認不能實際控制昭義，上表堅辭獲准，請求任知昭義軍事鄭昌圖為節度使，而司空圖也因此沒赴任。鄭昌圖僅三個月後即離任，使孟方立控制了昭義。王徽則被任為諸道租庸供軍使、大明宮留守、京畿安撫制置、修奉園陵等使。

宰相王鐸都統行營兵馬對抗黃巢，不能取勝。二年（882年）十月，行營都監楊複光想請沙陀叛軍李克用加入唐軍，王徽同意了。于是王鐸以僖宗名義下敕書赦免李克用，召他加入唐軍。唐軍在李克用的巨大貢獻下于中和三年（883年）初擊敗黃巢、收複長安，王徽因功加尚書右僕射。四月，僖宗詔留忠武軍及延州、鳳翔、博野軍及東西神策軍二萬人于長安，令王徽護衛諸門，安撫居民，與京畿制置使田從異守長安。

當時，長安因戰亂而毀壞，僖宗尚未返回。王徽受任為大明宮留守、京畿安撫制置、修奉園陵等使、御史大夫，任上表奏前廬州刺史鄭綮為兵部郎中、知台雜。九月，權知京兆尹事。王徽安撫百姓，百姓開始返回，又修繕宮室，粗略整頓百司。時任淮南節度使的高駢命從事崔致遠給王徽寫信。四年（884年）十二月，王徽與留司百官上表請僖宗車駕還宮。但宮內外權臣重建官邸，常侵擾百姓，百姓抱怨，王徽試圖以法律妥善對抗權臣，因而冒犯了他們，他們以其黨羽薛杞為少尹，知府事，希望薛杞剝奪王徽實權，但王徽稱薛杞剛喪父，應服喪，拒絕讓他就職。這愈發激怒了權臣，王徽因而被免職召去成都。他被授太子少師——當時並無太子，這完全是榮譽職位，並被命令在河中退休養病。大約一百天後，太子少師也被免，光啟元年（885年）僖宗回長安後複授太子少師，召回長安，他稱病不就。宰相們責王徽不受皇恩，奏貶集州刺史，命他立即赴任。

不數日，田令孜激怒了河中節度使王重榮和時任河東節度使李克用，他們攻打長安，僖宗逃到興元。亂軍入長安後放火，王徽勉強修好的宮闕又化為灰燼。靜難軍節度使朱玫占領長安，立襄王李煴為帝。田令孜被解職，逃到成都任西川監軍使，他的哥哥陳敬瑄在那裡當節度使。田令孜被罷後，僖宗念及王徽無罪，詔王徽拜吏部尚書，封琅邪郡侯，食邑千戶。王徽想去見駕，但道路被李煴所阻。隨後李煴的詔書到了河中，也召王徽。王徽稱中風不能走路，拒絕歸順李煴。同年，朱玫被部將王行瑜所殺，李煴逃到河中也被王重榮處決後，僖宗回長安，途經鳳翔時，任王徽為御史大夫，但王徽堅稱腳有病不就。

唐昭宗年間

文德元年（888年），唐僖宗崩，弟唐昭宗繼位，複授王徽太子少師。當他去便殿向昭宗致謝時，昭宗說：「王徽精神還好，怎能僅僅自便？」改授吏部尚書。儘管當時唐朝政府已數遭災禍，王徽仍能篩選記錄，適當處理公務，驗看選官、補調官職等。進位檢校司空，守尚書右僕射。大順元年（890年）三月，宣武軍節度使朱全忠還上表稱王徽等為縉紳名族，宜用為徐鄆青兗等道節度使，昭宗從之，但沒有任王徽為節度使。十二月卒，贈司空、太尉，謚貞。

評價

• 《舊唐書》史臣曰：徽志吐盜泉，脫身虎口，功名不墜，君子多之。

子

• 王椿

• 王樗

• 王松

注釋