Life

Wang Ao was born in 1450 and originated from Suzhou, born into a clerical family. He studied Confucianism and passed the imperial examination. After he passed the imperial examinations, he served at Hanlin Academy.

In 1506, under the Zhengde Emperor, Wang was promoted to Grand Secretary. In 1509, Wang was recalled and retired in his native home Suzhou. Here, he wrote poetry and enjoyed great respect.

He died on 11 March 1524 at the age of 73.

Names

Wang Ao held the courtesy name Jizhou 濟之 Jizhou and the pseudonym name of Shouxi ( Shǒuxī). After Wang Ao's death, the Jiajing Emperor gave him the pusthomous name of Wenke ( Wénkè), which literally meant "Cultivated and Honest".

Poems

File:Shen Zhou (painting) and Wang Ao (poem). Ode to Pomegranate and Melon Vine. Detroit Institute of Arts.jpg|Ode to Pomegranate and Melon Vine, poen by Wang Ao, painting by Shen Zhou

File:Poetry Grieving for a Pine - Wang Ao.jpg|Poetry Grieving for a Pine, 1520

Eight-legged essays

The following is a translation of an original eight-legged essay, written by Wang Ao.

----

Essay Topic:

"If the people enjoy sufficiency how could the ruler suffer from insufficiency?"

1. Pòtí:

When the people below are rich, the ruler at the top will naturally be rich.

2. Chéngtí:

This is so because the wealth of the ruler is something kept by the people. If the people are already rich, how can it stand to reason that the ruler alone is poor?

3. Qǐjiǎng:

You Ruo spoke from profundity the idea of the oneness of the ruler and the people in his advice to Duke Ai. The implication was that the Duke's proposal to increase the taxation was due to the insufficiency of his revenues for state expenditure; to insure the sufficiency of state expenditure, then, what could take precedence over measures to insure sufficiency for his people?

4. Qǐgǔ:

If, indeed,

the farming lands were tithed with a sincere wish to be thrifty in expenditure and to be considerate in showing love to the people,

the one-tenth tax on the agricultural produce were levied with no scheme to exploit the people and to seek extravagance for the person of the ruler himself;

Then,

the exertions of the people would not be burdened with excessive taxations, the accumulation of the people's property would not be exhausted by undue demands;

within common households there would be enough savings and accumulation, leaving little worry over caring for parents and raising the young,

in the ordinary farms there would be abundant grains and millets, warding off the anxieties of nurturing the living and of honoring the dead.

5. Xùgû:

If the people are enjoying sufficiency, for what conceivable reason should the ruler be left alone in poverty?

6. Zhōnggǔ:

I know that

what was kept in the common households would all be available to the ruler, without its being hoarded in the treasury to enable the ruler to claim, "This is my wealth";

what is stored in the farm and fields would all be accessible to the ruler, without its being accumulated in the vaults to enable the ruler to claim, "These are my possessions."

With inexhaustible availability, what worry is there for failure to respond to demand?

With inexhaustible supplies, what anxiety is there for lack of preparedness in emergency?

7. Hòugǔ:

The sacrificial animals and ritual cereals are plentiful to be used in religious offerings; and the jades and silks are abundant to be used as tributes and diplomatic gifts. Even if these were insufficient, the people will naturally supply them in full. Wherein will there be a shortage?

Food and delicacies, beefs and drinks are abundant for entertainment of state guests; carriages and horses, arms and equipment are enough for the preparation of wars and defense. Even if these were insufficient, the people will take care of the needs. Wherein again will there be insufficiency?

8. Dàjié:

Oh! The establishment of the tithe was originally for the good of the people, but in this very usage lies the sufficiency of national expenditure. Where then is there any need to increase taxation to attain national wealth?

生平

王鏊之父王琬于成化九年（1473），年五十五歲始授湖廣光化縣知縣，成化十三年（1477）三月棄官還吳。王鏊自幼隨父讀書，善寫文章，國子監諸生爭誦其文。鄉試、會試皆第一，成化十一年（1475年）成一甲第三名進士（探花）。王鏊廷試原擬第一，一說因對策指陳時弊，為執政所忌；一說時任大學士商輅（明朝當時唯一連中三元者）不欲讓他人儷己，故抑之。歷官翰林院編修、侍講、右春坊右諭德、詹事府少詹事兼侍讀學士。弘治十三年七月（1500年）擢吏部右侍郎，正德元年（1506年）升吏部左侍郎。十月以吏部左侍郎兼翰林院學士與焦芳一同入閣參政。十二月升戶部尚書、文淵閣大學士、國事總裁、同知經筵事。正德二年（1507年）八月升少傅兼太子太傅、武英殿大學士，尚書仍舊。

王鏊居官清廉，為人正直，時稱「天下窮閣老」。當時中官劉瑾擅權，郎中張瑋、副使姚祥、尚寶卿崔璿被劉瑾荷杖幾死，王鏊怒斥劉瑾：「士可殺，不可辱。今辱且殺之，吾尚何顏居此。」又與韓文等上疏請誅劉瑾等「八黨」，不被採納。正德四年（1509年）四月致仕歸里，讀書著作，常與詩友遊山玩水。學者稱震澤先生。閒居十四年而卒。朝廷追贈太師，諡文恪。

著作

著有《詩文集》36卷、《奏疏》2卷、《守溪筆記》2卷、《震澤紀聞》2卷、《震澤長語》2卷、《震澤編》8卷、《姑蘇志》60卷、《春秋詞命》3卷、《本草單方》8卷，並參與纂修《明孝宗實錄》224卷。

家庭

• 成化六年（1470年）娶武山西金吳氏為妻，十二年（1476年）生女王儀，成化十三年（1477年）卒。

• 成化十七年（1481年）娶張氏為妻，十九年（1483年）生子延喆，成化二十三年（1487年）卒。

• 成化二十三年（1487年）娶李氏為妻，生有二女。李氏多病，不久卒，葬于洞庭東山嘶馬塢。

• 成化二十三年（1487年）再娶胡宜人為妻，生二子（延素、延陵）二女。

• 側室萬氏，正德十一年（1516年）生子延昭。

王鏊有四子五女：長子王延喆（子貞）娶吳縣人、都察院右副都御使毛珵小女，次子王延素〈子儀〉娶長洲人、南京都察院左副都御使陳璚次女，三子王延陵（子永）娶朱氏，四子王延昭（卓峰）。長女嫁王鏊門生、禮部侍郎徐縉，次女嫁雲南按察司副使朱文次子朱希召，三女嫁宜興永定鄉紳邵天賜長子卲鑾，四女嫁丹徒人、大學士靳貴獨子靳懋仁，五女嫁吳縣人、彰德府知府嚴經之子嚴濡。

紀念

王鏊故里陸巷有惠和堂以及解元、會元、探花牌樓。其墓在東山梁家山。