Background

It is not known when Wang Ke was born. His biological father Wang Chongjian (王重簡) was an older brother to Wang Chongrong, who would become a powerful warlord as the military governor of Huguo. As Wang Chongrong was sonless, he adopted Wang Ke as his own son. (Wang Ke's cousins Wang Gong and Wang Yao (王瑤) would later accuse Wang Ke of not being actually Wang blood but a servant in origin, but that accusation did not appear reliable even in contemporary times.) After Wang Chongrong was assassinated by his officer Chang Xingru (常行儒) in 887, then-reigning Emperor Xizong commissioned another older brother of Wang Chongrong's, Wang Chongying (Wang Gong's and Wang Yao's father), who was then the military governor of neighboring Shanguo Circuit (陝虢, headquartered in modern Sanmenxia, Henan) as the new military governor of Huguo, while making Wang Gong the acting military governor of Shanguo (and later, full military governor) and Wang Ke the commander of the armed forces (行軍司馬, Xingjun Sima) at Huguo.

In spring 895, Wang Chongying died. The soldiers at Huguo supported Wang Ke to be the acting military governor. However, Wang Gong, then still the military governor of Shanguo (which had been renamed Baoyi at that point), and Wang Yao, then the prefect of Jiang Prefecture (絳州, in modern Yuncheng) objected, and they claimed that Wang Ke was not actually of Wang blood. At Wang Gong's and Wang Yao's urging, then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong initially commissioned the chancellor Cui Yin to be the military governor of Huguo. However, Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), whose daughter was contracted to marry Wang Ke, submitted a petition to Emperor Zhaozong supporting Wang Ke, and Emperor Zhaozong subsequently agreed to commission Wang Ke military governor. When Wang Gong's allies Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), Wang Xingyu the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi), and Han Jian the military governor of Zhenguo Circuit (鎮國, headquartered in modern Weinan, Shaanxi) submitted a contrary proposal — to have Wang Gong made the military governor of Huguo and Wang Ke the military governor of Baoyi — Emperor Zhaozong rejected on the basis that he had already accepted Li Keyong's proposal.

Emperor Zhaozong's rejection of Li Maozhen's, Wang Xingyu's, and Han Jian's proposal brought a violent reaction from them, who marched on the imperial capital Chang'an and killed the chancellors Li Xi and Wei Zhaodu; they subsequently forced Emperor Zhaozong to issue a new edict moving Wang Gong to Huguo, Wang Xingyu's brother Wang Xingyue (王行約) from Kuangguo Circuit (匡國, also headquartered in modern Weinan) to Baoyi, and Wang Ke to Kuangguo. Meanwhile, Wang Xingyue was attacking Huguo, and Wang Ke sought aid from Li Keyong. Li Keyong, denouncing Li Maozhen, Wang Xingyu, and Han for killing Li Xi and Wei, marched south. When Wang Yao tried to block his path, he captured Jiang Prefecture and executed Wang Yao, and subsequently arrived at Huguo to rendezvous with Wang Ke. He then proceeded toward Jingnan. By the end of the year, Wang Xingyu had been defeated and was killed by his own subordinates in flight; Li Maozhen and Han were forced to sue for peace. Emperor Zhaozong then officially commissioned Wang Ke military governor of Huguo.

As military governor

In 896, Emperor Zhaozong gave Wang Ke the honorary chancellor designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事).

In 897, Wang Gong attacked Wang Ke. Wang Ke sought aid from Li Keyong, while Wang Gong sought aid from Li Keyong's archenemy Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit. The Xuanwu forces, commanded by Zhu's generals Zhang Cunjing (張存敬) and Yang Shihou, were initially successful against Huguo forces, but the Hedong relief forces, commanded by Li Keyong's nephew Li Sizhao, then defeated Baoyi forces and lifted the siege against Huguo.

In 898, Wang Ke went to Hedong's capital Taiyuan to personally marry Li Keyong's daughter. During his absence from Huguo, Li Sizhao defended the circuit. Later in the year, Emperor Zhaozong bestowed the greater honorary chancellor title of Shizhong (侍中) on him. Later in 898, the Baoyi and Xuanwu forces again attacked Huguo; when Wang Ke sought aid from Hedong, Li Sizhao repelled the Baoyi and Xuanwu forces.

In late 900, Emperor Zhaozong was briefly deposed by a group of powerful eunuchs led by Liu Jishu. Wang Ke, when receiving the news, was incensed at the eunuchs, but before he could launch an army against them, Emperor Zhaozong was restored in a countercoup. Hearing of the emperor's restoration, Wang Ke was the first among military governors to submit tributes to the restored emperor, drawing imperial favor for him.

Defeat and death

Meanwhile, though, the bad blood between Wang Ke and Zhu Quanzhong continued to develop. In particular, after Zhu made a major attack on Yang Xingmi the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) but was repelled by Yang, he persuaded Qian Liu the military governor of Zhenhai (鎮海, headquartered in modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang) and Zhendong (鎮東, headquartered in modern Shaoxing, Zhejiang) Circuits, Zhong Chuan the military governor of Zhennan Circuit (鎮南, headquartered in modern Nanchang, Jiangxi), Du Hong the military governor of Wuchang Circuit (武昌, headquartered in modern Wuhan, Hubei), and Wang Shifan the military governor of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Weifang, Shandong) to accuse Yang of aggression against them and request Emperor Zhaozong to appoint Zhu the commander of an operation against Yang. Wang Ke reacted by jointly submitting a petition with Li Keyong, Wang Rong the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei) and Wang Gao the military governor of Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding, Hebei) accusing Zhu of aggression against them and asking that Yang be appointed the commander of an operation against Zhu. This allowed Emperor Zhaozong to decline both petitions. Meanwhile, by 901, Li Keyong had suffered defeats that caused his strength to wane, allowing Zhu to start reconsider another campaign to conquer Wang Ke's domain as a step in ultimately defeating Li Keyong. He stated to his generals:

Zhu then launched his attack, with he himself heading toward Huguo's capital Hezhong Municipality (河中), while sending Zhang Cunjing to attack Jin (晉州, in modern Linfen, Shanxi) and Jiang Prefectures to cut off any path of aid that Li Keyong might send. Jin and Jiang Prefectures were caught by surprise, and their prefects, Tao Jianzhao (陶建釗) and Zhang Hanyu (張漢瑜) quickly surrendered, allowing Zhu to cut off communications between Hezhong and Hedong Circuit. Meanwhile, Emperor Zhaozong, receiving words of the attack, tried to intervene by issuing an edict calling for peaceful resolution; Zhu ignored the edict. Li Keyong, receiving repeated calls for help from Wang Ke and Wang Ke's wife Lady Li but hearing that the Jin/Jiang path had been cut off, did not launch a relief force; instead, he suggested to Wang Ke that he abandon Huguo and flee to Chang'an. Wang Ke also sent request to Li Maozhen for aid, offering that, if Li Maozhen could repel Zhu, he would offer Huguo to Li Maozhen. Li Maozhen did not respond.

Unable to withstand Zhu's attack, Wang Ke tried to flee across the Yellow River toward Chang'an, but it happened that the bridge across the Yellow River was unusable at that time due to ice damage. With the morale of his troops low, Wang Ke decided to surrender. Trying to appease the Huguo people, Zhu declined Wang Ke's offer of surrendering in a ceremony in which Wang Ke, as the defeated, would bare his upper body, bind his own hands, and bring sheep out of the city; rather, under Zhu's direction, Wang Ke exited the city in full formal clothing, and was referred to as "Master" by Zhu. (Zhu had previously honored Wang Chongrong as an uncle because Wang Chongrong had been the one accepting his allegiance to Tang when he turned against the agrarian rebel Huang Chao and surrendered to Tang, and because Zhu's mother was surnamed Wang as well.)

After Wang Ke's surrender, Zhu commissioned Zhang as the acting military governor of Huguo, while relocating Wang Ke and his family to Xuanwu's capital Bian Prefecture (汴州). However, Zhu continued to be suspicious of Wang Ke due to Wang Ke's marriage to Li Keyong's daughter. He therefore sent Wang Ke on a journey to Chang'an to pay homage to the emperor, but sent assassins to kill Wang when he reached Zhenguo.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 182.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 187.

• History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 14.

• New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 42.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 260, 261, 262.

家世

王珂生年不詳。生父王重簡曾任華州防禦使、檢校兵部尚書，為後來成為權勢軍閥的護國軍節度使王重榮之兄。王重榮無子，養王珂為嗣子（王珂的堂兄王珙、王瑤後來指稱王珂非王家血脈，本是僕人，但即使同時代人也並不認為此說可靠）。光啟三年（887年），王重榮被牙將常行儒殺死，唐僖宗任王重榮的另一兄陝虢節度使王重盈即王珙、王瑤的父親為新任護國軍節度使，以王珙權知陝虢留後（後為全權節度使），而以王珂為護國軍行軍司馬。

乾寧二年（895年）正月，王重盈薨，護國軍士卒擁戴王珂自稱留後。但二月，保義軍（即改名後的陝虢軍）節度使王珙和絳州刺史王瑤反對，起兵討王珂，上表章並寫信給朱全忠稱王珂其實並非王家子孫，而是僕人，小字蟲兒（或作忠兒）。唐昭宗派中使慰勞。因王珙、王瑤所請，唐昭宗起初任宰相中書侍郎同平章事崔胤充護國軍節度使。河東進奏官薛志勤揚言：「崔相雖重德，如作鎮河中代王珂，不如光德劉公（劉崇望）。」三月，女兒已與王珂訂婚的河東節度使李克用上表昭宗，稱王重榮有功于國，支持王珂承襲。王珂也上表稱亡父有興複之功。李克用派養侄李嗣昭率兵援王珂，敗王珙軍于猗氏。昭宗同意任王珂為節度使。王珙盟友鳳翔軍節度使李茂貞、靜難軍節度使王行瑜、鎮國軍節度使韓建上表反對，請以王珙為護國軍節度使，王珂為保義軍節度使。昭宗下詔告諭，以已答應李克用所奏為由拒絕。

昭宗拒絕李茂貞、王行瑜和韓建的表章引起了他們的暴力回應，五月，他們進軍京城長安，殺宰相李磎、韋昭度，又迫昭宗下新詔，王珙調任護國軍，王行瑜弟匡國軍節度使王行約調任保義軍，王珂調任匡國軍。此時王行約正在攻打護國軍，王珂求助于李克用。六月，李克用責李、王、韓殺害宰相，率軍南下。王瑤試圖阻其道路，李克用攻陷絳州，殺王瑤，七月，到護國軍，得王珂迎謁，隨後進軍靜難軍。昭宗遣使賜詔，令李克用與王珂同討邠州、鳳州，又遣內侍郗廷昱齎詔詣李克用軍，令與王珂各發萬騎同赴新平。李克用奉詔屯渭北，令王珂將河中粟備送給行在。八月，因李克用三度上表，昭宗正授王珂旄鉞，任為兼河中尹、御史大夫，充護國軍節度、河中晉絳慈隰觀察等使，充供軍糧料使，加檢校司空。十一月，王行瑜已兵敗並在逃亡時為部下所殺，李茂貞、韓建被迫求和。李克用屯雲陽，請求與王珂合力討李茂貞，昭宗不許。十二月，李克用回師，王珂在夏陽渡為其造浮橋。

任節度使

乾寧三年（896年）十月，昭宗加王珂宰相榮銜同中書門下平章事。

四年（897年）三月，王珙攻王珂，王珂求助于李克用，八月，王珙求助于李克用的大敵宣武軍節度使朱全忠。宣武軍在張存敬、楊師厚率領下起初大敗護國軍于猗氏南，但九月，河東援軍二千騎（一作三千騎）在李嗣昭率領下隨後擊敗保義軍于猗氏，解護國軍之圍。

光化元年（898年）正月，王珂前去太原迎娶李克用女。他離開護國軍期間，李嗣昭權典河中留後事。四月，昭宗加王珂宰相銜兼侍中。十月，保義、宣武軍又攻護國軍，王珂求助于河東，李嗣昭受命率軍三千相救，敗保義、宣武軍，攻王珙于陝州。因王珂有李嗣昭幫助，王珙屢敗，部下也離心。

三年（900年）十一月，昭宗短暫被以左軍中尉劉季述為首的一夥權勢宦官廢黜。王珂聞訊，憤怒見于言表，屢次陳說討賊的謀劃，但尚未起兵，昭宗已因一起反政變而複位。昭宗複位後，王珂在眾節度使之中首先進獻方物，因而得帝寵。

敗亡

同時，王珂和朱全忠之間的交惡還在繼續發展，尤其是在朱全忠大舉進攻淮南節度使楊行密但被其擊退後，說服鎮海軍和鎮東軍節度使錢鏐、鎮南軍節度使鐘傳、武昌軍節度使杜洪、平盧軍節度使王師範指稱被楊行密攻打，請求昭宗以朱全忠為都統討伐楊行密之後。王珂與李克用、成德軍節度使王鎔、義武軍節度使王郜則指稱被朱全忠攻打，請求以楊行密為都統討伐朱全忠。昭宗拒絕雙方所請。約光化末年、天複元年（901年），李克用屢敗導致勢衰，朱全忠正要西征，懼王珂為患，開始重新考慮再起一戰奪王珂之地，作為最終擊敗李克用的一部分。正月，他對諸將張存敬、侯言說：「王珂駑鈍，仗著河東為後台，驕恣放縱。我現在要斷長蛇之腰，諸君為我用一根繩子綁縛他。」

朱全忠發起進攻，本人進軍護國軍軍部河中府，派張存敬等率兵數萬渡河出含山路鼓行而進攻晉州、絳州，切斷李克用可能派來的救兵的道路。晉、絳被突襲攻下，王珂部下的兩州刺史張漢瑜、陶建釗無防備，當即開門投降，朱全忠因而切斷了河中府和河東軍之間的聯絡。昭宗聞信，試圖下詔和解，朱全忠不從。二月，張存敬從晉州出兵圍河中並攻城。李克用收到王珂及其妻李氏使者屢次求救，李氏說「賊勢攻逼，早晚為俘囚，乞食于大梁，大人安忍不救？」但李克用得知晉絳道路已被切斷，沒有派出援軍，而建議王珂棄護國軍逃奔長安。王珂無計可施，圖謀奔長安，又寫信求助于李茂貞，稱朱全忠不顧國家約束攻打自己，其心可見，河中若失守，同、華、邠、岐乃至朝廷神器也不能保，建議李茂貞與韓建早出精銳固守潼關響應自己，願意鎮守李茂貞西境，將護國軍給李茂貞，關西安危和國祚長短都繫於李茂貞此舉。李茂貞不答。

王珂不能承受朱全忠的攻打，試圖渡黃河逃奔長安，但正好冰塊塞河，河上的浮橋壞了。王珂全族停船多日不能行，士氣低落，王珂夜間親自慰諭守城者，對方默然不應。牙將劉訓夜半到王珂臥室門，王珂叱之：「兵欲反耶？」劉訓解衣袒臂說：「公若懷疑，訓請斷臂。」王珂問：「事勢如何，計將安出？」劉訓說趁夜乘船出奔則人們必爭搶船隻，若有一人凶暴則其禍莫測，不如等第二天天亮告諭三軍，必有半數願意跟從，然後可以登船去長安；不然就召諸將校，作投降送款狀，緩住賊軍，徐圖向背，這是上策。王珂認可，登城對張存敬說自己與朱全忠有舊，等朱全忠來了就聽命，請張存敬退兵一舍，張存敬即日退兵一舍。蒲州人以素幡請降。三月，朱全忠到，哭于王重榮之墓，悲不自勝，陳辭致祭，蒲州人聞之感悅。朱全忠為了安撫護國軍百姓，提出不可忘舅父之恩，拒絕王珂提出的作為敗者以赤裸上身自縛牽羊的亡國儀式出城投降，否則九泉之下無顏見舅父；在朱全忠命令下，王珂著正裝出城相迎，被朱全忠呼為「郎君」。這是因為之前朱全忠背叛農民軍黃巢投唐時，由王重榮受降，朱全忠因母親也姓王，曾尊王重榮為舅父。朱全忠在路上迎接王珂，握手哀哭，並轡入城。河中遂為朱全忠所有，李克用朝貢及救援京師之路斷絕。

王珂投降後半月，朱全忠任張存敬為護國軍留後，將王珂及其兄王璘、弟王瓚等一族遷至宣武軍軍部汴州。但因王珂娶李克用女，朱全忠繼續懷疑他。後來派王珂入朝，當王珂行經鎮國軍軍部華州時，派人殺之于傳舍。

二年（905年）三月，李襲吉在《答李克用咨問》中舉了王珂被迫投降朱全忠的例子，勸諫李克用崇德愛人，去奢省役。

評價

• 《舊五代史》：王珂奕世山河，勢危被擄，乃魏豹之徒與！

注釋及參考文獻