家世

王摶生年不詳，祖上有兩位宰相，即女主武則天年間拜相的十世祖王方慶和唐肅宗年間拜相的曾祖父王璵。王摶的祖父王及官至中書舍人，父親王鐬官至右諫議大夫。

早期仕途

王摶中進士，直弘文館，佐前宰相、義成軍節度使、滑州刺史王鐸為推官。王摶累遷蘇州刺史，曾任兵部員外郎兼侍御史知雜事，後以戶部侍郎判戶部。景福二年（893年）十一月，加同平章事、中書侍郎。

拜相

乾寧元年（894年）十月，王摶被任為武安軍節度使，但未赴任。二年（895年）三月，昭宗任宰相崔胤為護國軍節度使意圖收回朝廷對護國軍的控制，複任王摶為中書侍郎，授同中書門下平章事，以代崔胤，且仍判戶部。王摶雖明達有度量，並被時人稱為良相，但作為宰相時的舉措卻幾無記載，僅知曾進和詩及請求立何淑妃為皇后。威勝軍節度使董昌稱大越羅平帝，五月，昭宗令鎮海軍節度使錢鏐討之，王摶作詔書。七月昭宗為避軍閥鳳翔軍節度使李茂貞和靜難軍節度使王行瑜劫持，逃離京城長安而入秦嶺時，王摶與其他宰相崔昭緯、徐彥若一同隨駕。九月，在正議大夫、中書侍郎、同平章事任上被加金紫光祿大夫、戶部尚書、門下侍郎、監修國史、判度支。

三年（896年）五月，昭宗殺崔昭緯，與崔昭緯同宗的中書侍郎同平章事崔胤因而作為崔昭緯黨羽被罷相。同月，錢鏐敗殺後來取消帝號的董昌，從而控制威勝軍。七月，昭宗因李茂貞再攻京城避難鎮國軍軍部華州。王摶等宰相畏懼鎮國軍節度使韓建，不敢專斷政事。八月，王摶以扶危匡國致理功臣、判度支、諸道鹽鐵轉運等使、金紫光祿大夫、兼戶部尚書、門下侍郎、平章事、監修國史、上柱國、琅琊郡開國公、食邑二千戶的身份被任為檢校戶部尚書、檢校尚書左僕射、同平章事、兼越州刺史、充威勝軍節度、浙江東道管內觀察處置宣撫等使、使持節越州諸軍事守處州刺史，還未出發，又加檢校尚書右僕射。但錢鏐並不願讓出威勝軍，令兩浙吏民上表請以錢鏐兼領浙東。昭宗不得已，十月，召回王摶，王摶以扶危匡國致理功臣、新授武勝軍節度、浙江東道管內觀察處置兼宣撫等使、金紫光祿大夫、檢校尚書右僕射、同中書門下平章事、使持節越州諸軍事、越州刺史、上柱國、太原郡開國公、食邑二千戶的身份被拜為光祿大夫、守吏部尚書、同中書門下平章事，以錢鏐為鎮海、威勝兩軍節度使。四年（897年），昭宗立皇子李𥙿為皇太子，王摶建議昭宗大赦天下以顯隆重。王摶一度以扶危匡國致理功臣、光祿大夫、守吏部尚書、同中書門下平章事、上柱國、琅琊開國公、食邑二千戶的身份被任為門下侍郎、兼吏部尚書、同中書門下平章事、監修國史、充諸道鹽鐵轉運等使，後正拜右僕射，光化二年（899年）遷司空，封魯國公。王摶表辭司空。

王摶曾上表謝昭宗加其食邑、實封及任自己為監修國史、鹽鐵使等。當年冬，上表請辭宰相及接任上表請求接任的嶺南節度使嗣薛王李知柔。次年，再次為此上表。

身亡

此前崔胤和昭宗密謀屠戮宦官時，王摶害怕這樣的謀劃會引起朝臣和宦官的激烈對抗，建議謹慎。崔胤當時就誣告王摶奸邪，為樞密使朱道弼和景務修外應，後也懷疑自己先前在光化二年又一次罷相是被王摶所排擠，愈發恨王摶。三年（900年）六月，昭宗追究崔昭緯舊惡，崔胤受到牽連被遣出任清海軍節度使，離京前，他又彈劾王摶。崔胤給盟友宣武軍節度使朱全忠寫信告知王摶說的話，並要朱全忠上表稱崔胤應該留居相位。昭宗召崔胤回長安再拜為宰相，崔胤在朝中威權極盛，因徐彥若、王摶曾揭發崔昭緯而排擠他們，朱全忠也上書稱王摶勾結宦官，王摶以特進、扶危匡國致理功臣、開府儀同三司、守司空、兼門下侍郎、同中書門下平章事、監修國史、判度支、上柱國、魯國公、食邑三千戶、食實封一百戶的身份被貶為特進、工部侍郎。次日，又貶王摶為溪州刺史，又次日再貶崖州司戶參軍員外置同正員。同日，在藍田驛賜死，朱道弼、景務修也皆被賜死。王摶推薦的中書舍人錢珝也被貶為撫州司馬。

家庭

妻

• 楊氏，著有《女誡》一卷及《傷子辭》

子

• 王倜，字垂光，鄠尉，直弘文館

• 王倓，河南府文學

• 王倫，校書郎

• 女王氏，嫁呂韜（呂蒙正墓誌銘載）

後裔

• 七世孫王稟

注釋及參考文獻

Background

It is not known when Wang Tuan was born. He was born from a lineage that had two male-line ancestors who were chancellors earlier in history — his 10th generation ancestor Wang Fangqing, who served under the female sovereign Wu Zetian, and his great-grandfather Wang Yu, who served under Emperor Suzong. Both his grandfather Wang Ji (王及) and father Wang Hui (王鐬) also served honored positions in the imperial administration.

Early career

At some point, Wang Tuan passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi (進士) class. He thereafter served on the staff of the former chancellor Wang Duo (who was not related to him, as Wang Tuan was from the "Langye Branch" of Wangs while Wang Duo was from the "Taiyuan Branch" of Wangs) in Wang Duo's role as the prefect of Hua Prefecture (滑州, in modern Anyang, Henan). Wang Tuan later served as the prefect of Su Prefecture (蘇州, in modern Suzhou, Jiangsu), and later the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang) as well as director of taxation (判戶部, Pan Hubu).

As chancellor

In 895, when Emperor Zhaozong commissioned the chancellor Cui Yin to be the military governor of Huguo Circuit (護國, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi) in an (ultimately unsuccessful) attempt to take back control of Huguo for the imperial government, he made Wang Tuan Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎) — the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng) — and a chancellor with the designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事) to replace Cui. While it was said that Wang was understanding and magnanimous, and that the people considered him an excellent chancellor, little is known about Wang's own actions as chancellor, other than that, when Emperor Zhaozong fled from the imperial capital Chang'an into the Qinling Mountains later in the year in fear of being taken hostage by the warlords Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi) and Wang Xingyu the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi), Wang Tuan, along with other chancellors Cui Zhaowei and Xu Yanruo, accompanied the emperor.

In 896, while Emperor Zhaozong was at Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi) due to another attack by Li Maozhen on the capital, the warlord Qian Liu the military governor of Zhenhai Circuit (鎮海, headquartered in modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang) defeated and killed fellow warlord Dong Chang the military governor of Weisheng Circuit (威勝, headquartered in modern Shaoxing, Zhejiang) (who had declared himself the emperor of a new state of Dayue Luoping (大越羅平) but then disavowed the declaration), thus taking over control of Weisheng. Emperor Zhaozong, apparently in an attempt to take back control of Weisheng, commissioned Wang as the military governor of Weisheng, still carrying the Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi designation as an honorary title. However, Qian, not willing to cede control of Weisheng, encouraged the people of Zhenhai and Weisheng Circuits to submit petitions to have Qian be the military governor of both circuits. Emperor Zhaozong, bowing to the pressure, recalled Wang to serve as chancellor again, as well as the minister of civil service affairs (吏部尚書, Libu Shangshu), while naming Qian the military governor of both circuits. After Emperor Zhaozong created his son Li Yu, Prince of De Crown Prince in 897, Wang Tuan suggested that a general pardon be issued to show the importance of the creation. Emperor Zhaozong thereafter gave Wang the titles of You Pushe (右僕射), one of the heads of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng), as well as Sikong (司空, one of the Three Excellencies). He also created Wang the Duke of Lu.

Death

Meanwhile, by spring 900, Cui Yin had become the most powerful official at the imperial court. Cui had already previously intensely plotted with Emperor Zhaozong in considering whether to slaughter the eunuchs. Wang, fearing that such plotting would lead to an explosive confrontation between imperial officials and eunuchs, urged caution. Cui, who had earlier already accused Wang of working in concert with the eunuch directors of palace communications Zhu Daobi (朱道弼) and Jing Wuxiu (景務脩), had previously suspected Wang Tuan of squeezing him out of the chancellorship in 899, and further despised Wang after he was, in spring 900, sent out of the capital to serve as the military governor of Qinghai Circuit (清海, headquartered in modern Guangzhou, Guangdong). Before he left the capital, he renewed the accusations against Wang. Subsequently, Cui's ally Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) submitted a petition urging that Cui be returned to the chancellorship and accusing Wang of collaborating with the eunuchs. Emperor Zhaozong recalled Cui to Chang'an to serve as chancellor again, while demoting Wang to be the deputy minister of public works (工部侍郎, Gongbu Shilang). Within a few days, Wang was further demoted to be the prefect of Xi Prefecture (溪州, in modern Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan), then to be the census officer at Yai Prefecture (崖州, in modern Haikou, Hainan). The same day that the exile to Yai Prefecture was announced, Wang was forced to commit suicide (as were Zhu Daobi and Jing), and Wang died at Lantian Station (藍田驛, in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi).

Notes and references

• New Book of Tang, vol. 116.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 260, 262.