背景及效力王建

潘炕出生时间和地点都无载，祖上来自河西地区。潘炕为人有器量，家人不曾看到他喜怒。

武成三年（910年）二月，潘炕在前蜀开国皇帝王建手下任宣徽南院使时，王建之子太子王宗懿和内枢密使唐道袭的冲突公开化，都弹劾对方有罪，王建意图派唐道袭离开都城成都任山南节度使以化解纠纷，要唐道袭推荐替任者，唐道袭最初提名潘炕的同僚宣徽北院使郑顼。但郑顼受到委任的第二天就开始著手调查唐道袭的兄弟们盗用内库金帛之事。唐道袭惊惧，对王建奏称郑顼性格褊急，不可大任。王建听信了，出郑顼为果州刺史，任潘炕为内枢密使。

永平元年（911年），王建任潘炕为武泰节度使兼侍中，改任其弟宣徽南院使潘峭为内枢密使。潘炕、潘峭同掌机要，号大枢小枢。

三年（913年），已被召回成都的唐道袭和已改名王元膺的王宗懿之间的旧怨白热化。七夕节前夕，王元膺召诸王大臣宴饮，王建养子集王王宗翰、潘峭、翰林学士承旨毛文锡没到场。王元膺发怒了，认为是潘峭和毛文锡让王宗翰疏远了自己。次日，他向王建弹劾二人离间兄弟，王建起初信了，下令贬逐二人，再任潘炕为内枢密使。但后来，唐道袭弹劾王元膺谋反，两人最终兵戎相见，唐道袭被杀，但王建在潘炕劝说下面谕大将，王元膺军崩溃，王元膺本人也被一士兵所杀。

王元膺死后，十月，潘炕一直请求王建立新太子。王建误以为幼子郑王王宗衍得绝大多数官员支持，选立为太子。此事后，潘炕称朝廷无事，请求退休。王建本不同意，但潘炕哭泣再请，王建同意了。但即使潘炕退休了，王建也常派使者谘询他重要事务。

王建死后

光天元年（918年），王建崩，王宗衍继位，随即改名王衍。尽管其子内皇城使潘在迎成为王衍的知名狎客之一，潘炕却没有回归朝廷，也没有他继续介入国政的记载。咸康元年（925年），前蜀被东北邻国后唐所灭后，潘炕也降后唐，被任为蜀州刺史。大约天成二年（927年），潘炕在夔州刺史任上被罢官。这是史籍对潘炕的最后记载，他的卒年不详。

轶事

潘炕有一至爱美妾名叫赵解愁，有国色，善为新声。王建曾来潘炕官邸，对他说：「朕的宫里没有她这样的人。」希望潘炕把她献给他。潘炕答：「这只是臣下的贱人，不敢让她玷污了至尊。」潘峭举西晋石崇和其宠妾绿珠的例子劝他献出解愁以免灾祸，潘炕说：「人生贵在适意，岂能因为怕死而不随心所欲？」人们因此敬仰他的操守。然而潘炕也正是因为宠爱解愁而得了花柳病。

评价

• 《十国春秋》论曰：两潘敏于吏事，颇知大体，洵所谓玉友金昆者也。

注释及参考文献

Background and service under Wang Jian

It is not known when or where Pan Kang was born. It was said that his ancestors were originally from the Hexi region. Pan himself was said to be tolerant and mature, with his family members rarely seeing him happy or angry.

As of 910, Pan was serving as one of the directors of palace affairs (宣徽使, Xuanhuishi) under Former Shu's founding emperor Wang Jian. Early that year, after a conflict between Wang Jian's son and crown prince Wang Zongyi and the director of palace communications Tang Daoxi blew up into the open, with both of them accusing each other of crimes, Wang Jian tried to defuse the tension by sending Tang out of the capital Chengdu to serve as the military governor of Shannan Circuit (山南, headquartered in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi). Wang Jian asked Tang for his recommendation for his replacement, and Tang initially endorsed Pan's colleague (as the other director of palace affairs) Zheng Xu (郑顼). However, the day after Zheng was commissioned, he began to consider investigating embezzlement by Tang's brothers. Tang, in shock, informed Wang Jian that Zheng was intolerant and violent in disposition, unsuitable for the position. Wang Jian believed him, and so sent Zheng out of the capital to serve as a prefectural prefect, while making Pan the director of palace communications.

In 911, Wang Jian made Pan the military governor of Wutai Circuit (武泰, headquartered in modern Chongqing), while making Pan's younger brother Pan Qiao the new director of palace communications.

By 913, Wang Jian had recalled Tang to the capital, and the old rivalry between Tang and Wang Zongyi (whose name had been changed to Wang Yuanying by this point) flared up. This matter flared up on the eve of the Qixi Festival, when Wang Yuanying held a feast for the high-level officials. However, Wang Jian's adoptive son Wang Zonghan (王宗翰) the Prince of Ji, as well as Pan Qiao and the chief imperial scholar Mao Wenxi, did not attend. Wang Yuanying became angry, believing that Pan Qiao and Mao must have alienated Wang Zonghan from him. The next day, he accused to Wang Jian that Pan Qiao and Mao were alienating him and his brothers, and Wang Jian initially believed so, ordering Pan Qiao and Mao demoted while making Pan Kang the director of palace communications again. However, Tang later accused Wang Yuanying of plotting treason. Tang's accusations eventually led to a battle between imperial guards under him and the guards under Wang Yuanying's command. Tang was initially killed in battle, but after Wang Jian (at Pan Kang's urging) personally met the senior generals to encourage them, Wang Yuanying's army collapsed, and Wang Yuanying was killed by a soldier.

After Wang Yuanying's death, Pan Kang repeatedly requested Wang Jian to create a new crown prince. Wang Jian selected his youngest son Wang Zongyan the Prince of Zheng (after incorrectly concluding that Wang Zongyan had the most support by his officials). After he did so, Pan, citing the fact that there was nothing else that he considered urgent for him to remain in imperial service, sought to retire. Wang Jian, after initially declining to grant Pan retirement, eventually did so after Pan requested again tearfully. However, it was said that even in retirement, Wang Jian often sent messengers to consult him on important matters.

It was also said that Pan had a favorite beautiful concubine, named Jiechou (解愁), who was also talented in music. Wang Jian once visited Pan's mansion and stated to Pan, "Among my palace ladies, there is no one like she is," hoping that Pan would offer her to him. Pan responded, "This is but a dishonored person belonging to your subject. I do not dare to let her taint Your Imperial Majesty." When Pan Qiao urged that he offer Xianchou to the emperor, arguing that he might be bringing trouble for himself, Pan Kang stated, "In a man's life, he should treasure his happiness. How should one fear death and deny his heart?" It was said that for this stance, he was much admired.

After Wang Jians reign

In 918, Wang Jian died and was succeeded by Wang Zongyan (who then changed his name to Wang Yan). Pan Kang did not return to the imperial government, and there was no reference suggesting that he continued to have input on imperial governance, although his son Pan Zaiying (潘在迎) became one of the well-known Xiake (狎客) — someone who would attend feasts that Wang Yan held to write poems and talk with him at those feasts — for Wang Yan. After Former Shu's destruction by its northeastern neighbor Later Tang in 925, Pan also surrendered to Later Tang and was made the prefect of Shu Prefecture (蜀州, in modern Chengdu). That was the last historical reference to Pan Kang, and it is not known when he died.

Notes and references

• Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms (十国春秋), vol. 41.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 267, 268.