Background

It is not known when Wang Fangqing was born, but it is known that his family was from Tang Dynasty's capital prefecture Yong Prefecture (雍州, roughly modern Xi'an, Shaanxi). He came from a line of officials who had served during Jin Dynasty (266–420) and the subsequent Southern Dynasties Liu Song, Southern Qi, and Liang Dynasty, until his great-grandfather Wang Bao (王褒) surrendered to Northern Zhou when Northern Zhou forces captured the then-Liang capital Jiangling in 554. Wang Bao and his descendants thereafter served as officials of Northern Zhou and its successors Sui Dynasty and Tang. Wang Fangqing's father Wang Hongzhi (王弘直) successively served as advisor to Li Yuanchang (李元昌) the Prince of Han and Li Yuanjing (李元景) the Prince of Jing, sons of Tang's founder Emperor Gaozu.

Wang Fangqing himself started his official service at age 15, when he served on the military staff of Li Zhen the Prince of Yue, a son of Emperor Taizong (Emperor Gaozu's son and successor). He studied the Records of the Grand Historian and Book of Han under Li Zhen's secretary Ren Xigu (任希古), and later, when Ren became a staff member of the crown prince, Wang followed him and continued to study under him. During Emperor Taizong's successor Emperor Gaozong's Yongchun era (682-683), Wang was promoted to be the deputy minister of husbandry (太僕少卿, Taipu Shaoqing), and on one occasion, when Emperor Gaozong was considering creating his grandson Li Chongzhao the unprecedented title of deputy crown prince (皇太孫, Huang Taisun), he consulted Wang, who opined that the action was unprecedented and yet Emperor Gaozong could, if he so wanted, create a new tradition. After Emperor Gaozong's death later in 683, his powerful wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) became empress dowager and regent successively over their sons Emperor Zhongzong (whom she deposed in 684) and Emperor Ruizong. During her regency, Wang became the commandant at Guang Prefecture (廣州, roughly modern Guangzhou, Guangdong). Guang Prefecture was at that point becoming increasingly important as a port of international trade, and Wang's predecessor Lu Yuanrui (路元睿) was assassinated in 684 by Malay merchants after he had improperly seized their merchandise. After Wang succeeded Lu, he was said to be honest and clean, never taking bribes. Moreover, within his territory, there had long been tribal leaders who had received special treatment and who were corrupt, who in turn kept their corruption going by bribing the officials. Wang ordered the officials to stop associating with the tribal leaders and arrested the most corrupt of the tribal leaders. The public sentiment at the time believed that since the start of Tang, there had not been anyone who had governed Guang Prefecture better than Wang, and Empress Dowager Wu issued an edict honoring his achievements.

During Wu Zetians reign

In 695, Wu Zetian, who by that point had taken the throne from Emperor Ruizong as "emperor," establishing a new Zhou Dynasty and interrupting Tang, recalled Wang Fangqing to serve as the secretary general of the then-capital prefecture Luo Prefecture (洛州, roughly modern Luoyang, Henan). She soon gave him the honorific title of Yinqing Guanglu Daifu (銀青光祿大夫) and created him the Baron of Shiquan. In 696, she made him the secretary general at Bing Prefecture (并州, roughly modern Taiyuan, Shanxi) and created him the Baron of Langye—but even before he departed for Bing Prefecture, made him instead Luantai Shilang (鸞臺侍郎), the deputy head of the examination bureau of government (鸞臺, Luantai). She also gave him the designation of Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. His office was soon changed to be Fengge Shilang (鳳閣侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau (鳳閣, Fengge), and he remained chancellor de facto with the Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi designation.

In 697, after Wu Youyi (武攸宜) the Prince of Jian'an, the grandson of Wu Zetian's uncle Wu Shirang (武士讓), had returned victoriously from a campaign against Khitan forces, tradition called for the playing of a military band as Wu Youyi returned to the capital Luoyang. The chancellor Wang Jishan, as the month that Wu Youyi was returning was the same month when Emperor Gaozong died, requested that the band be only present but not playing. Wang Fangqing, citing precedents from Jin Dynasty, argued that the band should only not play if Wu Youyi were returning on the same day of Emperor Gaozong's death, advocated that the band still play, and Wu Zetian agreed. Around the same time, there was an occasion when Wu Zetian was visiting Yuquan Temple (玉泉寺) at Mount Wan'an (萬安山, near Luoyang). The path up the mountain was steep, and she considered going up the mountain in a litter. Wang Fangqing advocated against it, arguing that it was too dangerous for the sovereign to take such a journey, and she agreed. Later that year, she upgraded his title to Viscount of Shiquan. Also around the same time, there was a discussion as to whether the ceremony of having the emperor personally declare the start of each month should be abolished as not being referred to in the Confucian classics. Wang Fangqing advocated that the ceremonies be kept in place, and Wu Zetian agreed.

Wang kept a large collection of books at his mansion, and on one occasion, Wu Zetian visited his mansion to request to see some of his ancestors' calligraphy. Wang stated that his family had previously already submitted the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi (of another line of his clan) to Emperor Taizong, but that he was willing to submit the calligraphy of his 11th generation ancestor Wang Dao as well as 27 other ancestors' calligraphy. Wu Zetian displayed the calligraphy to the officials and had an official of the legislative bureau, Cui Rong (崔融), collect them into a collection, and then awarded the collection back to Wang, considered a great honor at the time.

In 698, the chancellor Di Renjie advocated recalling Li Zhe the Prince of Luling (the former Emperor Zhongzong) from exile—a suggestion that Wang Jishan and Wang Fangqing concurred in, and was also advocated by Wu Zetian's close advisor Ji Xu and her lovers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong. Wu Zetian agreed and recalled Li Zhe from exile, and soon created him crown prince. Later that year, Wang Fangqing, on account of failing health, requested a less important position, and Wu Zetian made him the director of the imperial library (麟臺監, Lintai Jian), no longer chancellor. Once Li Zhe (whose name was then changed to Li Xian) was made crown prince, she also made Wang Fangqing a member of his staff. In 699, she created him the Duke of Shiquan and ordered that his salary be the same as if he were still a chancellor, and also ordered him to teach Li Xian in his studies. He died in 702 and was buried with honor. It was said, however, that as his sons did not attend to his great book collections, the collections were gradually lost after his death.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 89.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 129.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 203, 205, 206.

家世

王方慶出自琅邪王氏，屬于王導第三子王洽一支，北周軍于承聖三年（554年）攻占南梁都城江陵時，王方慶的曾祖王褒被北周俘虜。王褒及其後人隨後做了北周及相繼的隋朝、唐朝官員，從丹徒遷徙到咸陽。王方慶父王弘直歷任唐朝開國皇帝唐高祖之子漢王李元昌和荊王李元景之友。

王方慶本人十六歲入仕，為唐太宗子越王李貞府參軍，向李貞記室任希古學習《史記》《漢書》，後來任希古遷太子舍人，王方慶也跟隨他繼續學習。唐高宗永淳年間（682年-683年），王方慶升遷為太僕少卿。永淳元年二月，高宗破例立孫李重照為皇太孫，想為他開府置僚屬，諮詢吏部侍郎裴敬彞和時任吏部郎中的王方慶，王方慶認為皇太子尚在而立皇太孫史無前例，但高宗可開此先例。高宗很高興，但最終未能為皇太孫設立府僚。永淳二年（683年），高宗崩，他有權勢的妻子武皇后（後世稱武則天）先後作為他們的兒子唐中宗（嗣聖元年（684年）廢）、唐睿宗的太后和攝政。她攝政期間，王方慶累遷廣州都督。當時廣州作為國際貿易港口日益重要，王方慶的前任路元睿因冒取馬來商人的貨物，于文明元年（684年）被馬來商人所殺。王方慶繼任後，誠實廉潔不受賄。他的轄區內長期有受到特殊照顧並賄賂官員的貪腐部落首領，王方慶禁止官員和他們交通，並拘捕了最貪腐的部落首領們。當時議者認為唐朝建立以來，再無人管治廣州能超過王方慶。武太后也下詔褒獎他，賜瑞錦、雜彩，褒其善政。

天授元年（690年），時年十三歲的張九齡上書王方慶，王方慶大為嗟賞，說：「此子必能致遠。」

武則天年間

武則天從睿宗手中奪取帝位稱帝，建立周朝，中斷唐朝，証聖元年（695年），召回王方慶為洛州長史，不久加銀青光祿大夫，封石泉縣男。萬歲通天元年（696年），轉并州長史，封琅邪縣男，尚未就職，九月又遷鸞台侍郎，授同鳳閣鸞台平章事，為實質宰相。不久轉鳳閣侍郎，仍居相位。麟台少監李嶠為王方慶上表辭讓，未果。

神功元年（697年），武則天伯父武士讓之孫清邊道大總管建安王武攸宜破契丹回朝獻俘，按傳統應由軍樂隊奏樂。因武攸宜回朝時，正值高宗去世當月，內史王及善請求備鼓吹但不奏樂。王方慶引用晉朝先例，稱樂隊只有當武攸宜回朝正值高宗忌日時才不奏樂，建議樂隊仍然奏樂，武則天同意了。大約同時，一次，武則天去萬安山的玉泉祠，上山的道路很險峻，想乘腰輿上山。王方慶反對，稱作為君主這樣做太危險了，她同意了。同年，她升他為石泉縣子。大約同時，還有每月一日于明堂行告朔之禮的儀式是否廢止的爭論。王方慶倡議維持，武則天同意了。王方慶重視禮法，當時朝臣在有大功的大臣去世之後沒有按禮法致哀，他于是上書反映此現象，武則天接納其說並責備了不遵守禮法的官員。經過這些事件，在朝的官員們都很敬畏他。

武則天曾向王方慶求取王羲之的書法，王方慶稱王家早已將王羲之的四十餘份書法呈給唐太宗，只剩一軸了，但他願意呈上十一世祖王導、十世祖王洽、九世祖王珣、八世祖王曇首、七世祖王僧綽、六世祖王儉、五世祖王騫、高祖王規、曾祖王褒及九世從祖王獻之等其它28人的書法。獻上書法時，又由李嶠作表。武則天在武成殿將書法展示給大臣們，令中書舍人崔融作序，號為《寶章集》並重新賜給王方慶，士人以為榮寵。

聖歷元年（698年）二月，宰相狄仁傑倡議召回流放中的廬陵王李哲（原唐中宗），王及善和王方慶也贊成。武則天近臣右肅政中丞吉頊和男寵張易之、張昌宗也都倡議。而武則天又有意立侄梁王武三思為太子。王方慶有子為眉州司士參軍，武則天說：「君在相位，為何兒子的任所那麼遠？」王方慶對答：「廬陵王是陛下愛子，尚在遠處，臣之子怎敢相近？」以比戰國時舍人倉唐說服魏文侯召還遠在中山國的太子擊之事。後來武則天又召狄仁傑說：「朕數次夢見下雙陸棋不勝，為什麼？」狄仁傑與王方慶異口同聲說：「雙陸不勝，是『無子』。這是天意在警示陛下啊！且太子，天下之本，本一搖，天下危險了。文皇帝身蹈鋒鏑，勤勞而有天下，傳之子孫。先帝寢疾，詔陛下監國。陛下掩神器而取之十多年，又欲以武三思為繼承人。且姑侄與母子哪個更親？陛下立廬陵王，則千秋萬歲後常享宗廟；如果武三思得立，宗廟不祔其姑母。」武則天最終召回李哲，不久立為太子。八月，時為銀青光祿大夫、行鳳閣侍郎、同平章事、上柱國、石泉縣開國子的王方慶因身體健康惡化，請求閒職，武則天任他為麟台監，修國史，不再任相。武則天令侍御醫張文仲集當時名醫共撰治療風氣的藥方，令王方慶監其修撰。李哲被立為太子時，已改名李顯，武則天任王方慶為行太子左庶子。二年（699年），武則天想在季冬講武，有司辦理不及，遂決定明年孟春再講武。王方慶說：「按《月令》：『冬季，天子命將帥習武，練習射箭、駕戰車，角力較量』。這是三個季度務農，一個季度練武，平安之日不忘戰亂之時。春天不可以舉兵。兵，當五行之金；金勝木。春天，正是木旺之時，舉金會傷德，扼殺生氣。孟春季節而幹冬季幹的事，將會發生水澇，雪霜也會使人不安，種子不能入土。如今孟春時練兵，以陰政觸犯陽氣，危害了生物的生機。臣擔心澇水將會衝毀東西，霜雪會打壞莊稼，以致夏麥不熟。懇請陛下不要違背時令，還是提前到冬季練兵，以順應自然規律。」武則天手詔褒允之。同年武則天正授他為太子左庶子，進封石泉縣公，俸祿仍視同三品宰相，命他兼侍太子讀書。王方慶上奏：「人臣對于天子，沒有指斥太子名字不當的。以前晉朝山濤《啟事》稱皇太子時不稱其名；孝敬皇帝為太子時，天下『弘』字改為『崇』字；沛王為太子時，天下『賢』字改為『文』字。現在東宮的門、殿名稱很多涉嫌觸諱，懇請一一改去，使能遵符舊典。」武則天下詔稱可。武則天在三陽宮時，王方慶與御史大夫楊再思為東都留守，引太學生徐堅為判官，專委以表奏。王方慶善《三禮》之學，每有疑難，常問徐堅，徐堅總能引用舊說詳明訓釋，王方慶深以為善，又賞識其文章典實，常稱讚他說：「掌綸誥之選也。」王方慶卒于長安二年（702年）五月，贈袞州都督。中宗複位後，因王方慶是舊臣，贈吏部尚書。

王方慶博學多才，熟悉朝章，著書二百多篇，特別精通《周禮》、《校禮》、《禮記》。學禮者向他諮詢疑難，他一定回答得十分深刻精到，他的門生因而把他的答問輯錄成《雜禮答問》一書。他家藏書極多，與皇家秘府不相上下，圖畫也都是精本。但諸子不能守業，他死後，藏書漸漸散佚。

唐德宗年間，王方慶得以續圖凌煙閣。

作品

• 《公卿故事》二卷，《禮經正義》十卷，《寶章集》十卷，《南宮故事》十二卷，《文貞公事錄》一卷，《宮卿舊事》一卷，《尚書考功簿》五卷，《友悌錄》十五卷，《王氏女記》十卷，《三品官祔廟禮》二卷，《王氏家牒》十五卷，《九嵕山志》十卷，《諫林》二十卷，《神仙后傳》十卷，《續世說新書》十卷，《園庭草木疏》二十一卷，《王氏神通記》十卷，《新本草》四十一卷，《王氏神道銘》二十卷，《魏玄成傳》一卷，《王氏譜》一卷。

評價

• 《舊唐書》史臣曰：王方慶幹城南海，羽冀東宮，台閣樞機，無不功濟，所謂君子不器者也。苟非文學，斯焉取斯。

• 《舊唐書》贊曰：方慶之才，周旋特立。

• 《新唐書》贊曰：李德裕著書稱：「方慶為相時，子為眉州司士參軍。武后曰：『君在相位，何子之遠？』對曰：『盧陵是陛下愛子，今尚在遠，臣之子庸敢相近？』以比倉唐悟文侯事。」嗟乎，君子哉！雖造次不忘悟君於善。及建言不斥太子名，以動群臣，示中興之漸，所謂人難言者，於方慶難乎哉！德裕之稱，為不誣矣。

子孫

• 王曒，長子，字光輔，開元年間官至潞州刺史

　• 王寵

　　• 王仲連，揚府錄事參軍

　　　• 王紹

　　　　• 王璵，唐肅宗朝宰相

　• 王宰，國子司業

　　• 王嗣宗

　　• 王汶

　　　• 王眾

　　• 王嗣昌、王嗣端

　　• 王士則，挽郎

　　• 王嗣源，饒州參軍

　　• 王嗣恭、王師寶、王平子

• 王晞，字光烈，鄜州刺史，襲石泉侯

　• 王俌，字靈龜，定州刺史

　　• 王濡，膳部員外郎、黃州刺史

　　　• 王牧，涇陽尉

　　　• 王源茂，榮州刺史

　　　　• 王璋，左衛兵曹參軍

　　　　　• 王晉、王存

　　　• 王遂，沂海觀察使

　　　　• 王新豐，蓬州刺史

　　　　• 王果，鳳翔府參軍

　　　• 王長文，禮賓使

　　　　• 王早，大理丞

　　　　• 王昶，太子詹事

　　　　　• 王仲鸞，徐州節度判官

　　　　• 王皞，福建觀察推官

　　　　• 王晟，明經及第

　　　　• 王升，舞陽尉

　　• 王澄，洋州刺史，朝議大夫，妻博陵縣君崔氏（753年—803年8月6日）

　　　• 王造，太子諭德

　　　• 王乃，崔氏長子，淄州刺史

　　　　• 王釴、王鎬、王鎔

　　　• 王逵，殿中少監

　　　　• 王煉，秘書省正字

　　　　• 王錫、王鎛

　　　• 王邁，淄州刺史

　　　• 王○

　　• 王沐，御史中丞

　　　• 王源上，華陰令

　　　• 王源長，渭南令

　　　• 王源通，衛佐

　　• 王淮，御史中丞

　　　• 王子文，平山尉

　　　• 王子西，恆州參軍

　　　• 王子尚，恆山令

　　• 王濟，尚衣奉御

　　　• 王源永，澧州參軍

　　• 王沼，集州刺史

　　　• 王魯卿

　　　　• 王質，偃師丞

　　　　• 王寶、王賀、王贄、王賈

　　• 王潤，杭州別駕

　　　• 王遇，著作郎

　　　• 王源中

　　　• 王敬元，散騎常侍

　　　• 王逢元、王迪

　　　• 王適，侍御史

　　　　• 王季羽

　　　• 王高，安邑尉

　　　　• 王希范

　　• 王澗，汝州長史

　　　• 王源植，福建觀察使

　　　　• 王願，襄邑尉

　　　　• 王賜，永城尉

　　　　• 王恪，同州參軍

　　　　• 王慎、王愖、王憬

　　　　• 王柷，字不耀，給事中

　　　• 王源會，絳州司馬

　　　• 王源端，溫令

　　　　• 王歡，湖州文學

　　　• 王源蒙，四門助教

　　　• 王退思，晉陵丞

　• 王侁，舒州刺史

　　• 王漪，衛尉丞

　　• 王泛

　　　• 王邈，徐城令

　　　　• 王師貞

　　• 王渶

　　　• 王源謙

　　　• 王源評

　　　　• 王修禮

　　　• 王源誠

• 王晦，字光遠，冀王執仗

　• 王休，王晦再從弟王慎子，繼嗣，○水令

• 王晊，字光賓，監察殿中侍御史

　• 王寰，河東丞

　　• 王嗣立，晉州參軍

　　• 王源潔，建昌尉

　• 王寂

　　• 王嗣文

　• 王寧

　　• 王仲文，義烏尉

　　　• 王忠君，溧陽丞

　　• 王仲武

• 王曄，殿中侍御史

　• 王儇，挽郎

• 王暟，字光范，明威將軍

　• 王俶，荊州刺史

　　• 王金刀、王鼎子

　• 王傑

　　• 王現

　　　• 王源奕、王源奭、王源爽

　• 王儀

　　• 王灩

　　　• 王天養

　　• 王貞

• 王昕，字光業，忠王司馬

• 王暐，字光緒，萬州司馬

　• 王佺，金牛令

　　• 王和及

　　　• 王冕、王冠、王求

　　• 王和友

　　　• 王罕

　　　　• 王亭、王謝老

　　　• 王筧、王覺

　　　• 王寬

　　　　• 王相老

　• 王○，睦州司馬、祁縣男

　　• 王澈、王湜

　• 王洞玄，金州司馬

　　• 王彭

• 王暉，字光嗣，安化郡司馬，娶西平王李晟之姐妹，李欽之女李氏，唐書有載

　• 王佖、王伸、王佶

• 王晙，少子，字光庭，明威將軍

　• 王份，咸陽令

　　• 王複，奉天尉

　　　• 王宗卿，分寧丞

　　　　• 王麗

　　• 王河

　　　• 王孺卿，好畤令

　• 王佾，臨汾尉

　　• 王和

　　　• 王道固

　　　• 王元貞，管城令

　　　• 王孝源

　　• 王雄

　　• 王溥

　　　• 王源矩、王源明

　　• 王濤

　　　• 王源孚、王源採、王源芳、王源旭

　• 王侗，大理主簿

　　• 王佛奴，虔州刺史

　• 王氏，嫁著作郎貶台州司戶滎陽鄭虔

王方慶有孫女嫁戶部尚書判度支李元素為繼室，後被李元素休棄。王氏訴之于朝，李元素被免官並被令給王氏錢財五百萬。

注釋