早年

王宰早年為宦官控制下的神策軍軍官，唐憲宗元和十三年隨父王智興討伐軍閥淄青節度使李師道，與兄王晏平率騎兵為先鋒。因參與甘露之變有功，約開成元年（836年）出任光州刺史（今河南信陽）兼御史大夫。開成初年，在淮南觀察使段文昌推薦下任鹽州刺史（今陝西榆林），用法嚴苛，百姓不便，因與羌人失和，被詔令由神策大將軍田牟代任。開成五年（840年）王宰由隴州防禦使被提拔為檢校工部尚書、邠寧慶節度使。回鶻平定後，會昌三年（843年）四月，王宰以銀青光祿大夫、檢校工部尚書、兼御史大夫、充邠寧節度觀察處置等使、上柱國、太原郡開國公、食邑三千戶充忠武軍節度使。

討伐劉稹

王宰出任忠武軍節度使後不久，唐武宗下詔要求王宰充澤潞南面招討使，出兵討伐自立為昭義節度使的軍閥劉稹。起初忠武軍節度使並沒有被動員討伐劉稹。唐武宗本來下詔魏博節度使何弘敬前去討伐，但實際上何弘敬首鼠兩端，不奉詔，沒有任何行動。成德軍節度使王元逵前鋒已經進入邢州一月有餘，屢次秘密上表說何弘敬首鼠兩端。為了向何弘敬施加壓力，李德裕稱忠武軍累戰有功，軍聲頗振，王宰年力方壯，謀略可稱，建議武宗命令王宰直接穿過魏博進攻磁州，並下詔告知何弘敬。當何弘敬得知王宰要來，他擔心如果王宰部隊進入魏博，自己的士兵可能會造反。同時，王元逵已經攻克邢州，開始攻打昭義軍軍部潞州，于是何弘敬急忙發動軍隊進攻磁州。李德裕認為這是何弘敬畏懼忠武軍，若因此令王宰終止出兵，對何弘敬姑息太過，但河陽山險，攻守艱難，王宰停留也只會白費運糧成本，建議給王宰下密詔讓他從容緩行不必急行軍，叛軍聽聞其軍勢也會破膽，如果魏博全軍而出，再制止忠武軍也不遲。

唐武宗在宰相李德裕的建議下，轉而將王宰調往河陽。當時河陽在由劉稹部下薛茂卿進攻下，河陽軍慘敗，河陽節度使王茂元又病重，李德裕考慮到河陽軍隊少，故建議武宗下詔令王宰不用去磁州，調王宰領陳許軍會合義成軍赴援，先發五千軍為先鋒，再自領全軍為後繼，入懷澤行營。當時何弘敬已經打敗叛軍，可以獨當一面，不再需要王宰協助，王宰全軍赴河陽，也可以制約何弘敬。陳許軍隊素來剽悍勇武，叛軍忌憚。武宗認為王茂元、王宰兩節度使共處河陽不妥，李德裕等奏：「王茂元習吏事而非將才，請以王宰為河陽行營攻討使。王茂元如果病癒，只令他留下鎮守河陽，如果病困，也沒有其他可憂慮的。」八月，李德裕建議詔王宰自揀馬步精兵，除了留鎮外，取河陽、相衛路，直抵磁州。九月，唐武宗讓忠武軍節度使、銀青光祿大夫、檢校工部尚書兼許州刺史、御史大夫、上柱國王宰兼河陽行營諸軍攻討使，接管了屯駐萬善柵的河陽軍的指揮權。同月，王茂元去世，李德裕奏稱只可以讓王宰以忠武節度使身份統領萬善營兵，不可讓他兼領河陽，恐怕他不愛惜河陽州縣，恣意侵擾。武宗採納，于是以河南尹敬昕為河陽節度、懷孟觀察使，王宰率行營禦敵，敬昕供饋糧餉。

王宰到達前線後，由于王的部隊有軍紀，劉稹的士兵就開始有點擔心。王宰與屯石會關的義成節度使劉沔暫時觀望沒有進軍。河中節度使石雄也來到前線後，率先擊敗劉稹的軍隊。在李德裕見一下，刑部侍郎兼御史中丞李回奉命為使者至天井、冀氏宣慰，來蒲東督戰，向王宰、石雄及諸軍都頭、兩道大將等問詢戰況和破敵期限，王宰、石雄以戎裝在道路左邊謁見，李回沒有停下，看著左右，呼喊責問破敵期限，王宰等震恐，約定六十天攻取潞州，否則以死謝罪。同時，薛茂卿對劉稹不滿，因為劉沒有對他在擊敗河陽部隊後給予獎勵，認為正是薛的勝利使朝廷拒絕和談。因此，薛開始與王宰進行了秘密接觸。在王宰進攻天井關（今山西晉城）時，薛只稍作抵抗便撤出天井關，隨後王將天井關收復，十二月奏捷。劉稹遣軍將賈群來見河東節度使李石，呈上李石堂兄洺州刺史李恬的信說願意向李石投降。李石囚賈群，將書信內容上報。武宗給李石下詔稱石雄、王宰已據天井關，李石當道又得石會關，劉稹是計窮才為此，其實是緩兵之計，除非劉稹親自綁縛自己來降，否則不得受降；建議下詔給王元逵、何弘敬、王宰、石雄，令他們一齊進兵，十天內必能成功。薛撤退到澤州，並秘密勸說王盡快進攻澤州，並承諾在王到達時會向其投降。但是王宰對薛的誠意表示懷疑。薛的計劃很快被洩露，劉稹將其召回潞州並將其處死。澤州前線的部隊被劉稹部下劉公直接管，後來劉公直又從王宰手中奪回了天井關。王則攻占了陵川，但隨後王和劉公直的部隊陷入了對峙的殭局。

在844年農曆新年，太原的軍隊在楊弁領導下叛變，李石逃跑，楊隨後與劉稹結成了同盟。李德裕認為可以趁叛軍治下鄉村慶賀新年鬆懈、叛軍困頓可能自己生變之際立功，密詔王宰、石雄、河東監軍使呂義忠等，一旦叛軍有變，就星夜進軍潞州。李德裕建議王宰、石雄、呂義忠秘密遣細作探知敵情，發現叛軍來了就不交戰而攻打叛軍因調兵而空虛的地方。又建議將成德軍奏事官高迪獻上的破敵之策經由翰林院下詔給王元逵、何弘敬、王宰、石雄、呂義忠，希望他們速平殘寇。但有鑑於河東兵變，王認為可以接受劉稹的提議，應派遣使者前往潞州，了解劉稹的意圖。然而李德裕反對和談，認為王宰擅自接受劉稹上表，想專占招撫之功，認為只能讓王宰失信，但朝廷威望不能有損，並建議秘密下諭給石雄，告訴石雄如果王宰接受劉稹投降，則石雄無功可紀。李德裕寫信給王宰，歷數劉稹父子勾結楊弁等罪過，稱若得到劉稹的章表，應該令將校當場焚毀，除非劉稹肯綁著自己前來。三月，曾與劉稹作戰的河東軍人重新占領太原並平定了楊弁的兵變。

王宰逗留不進，李德裕指出王宰與石雄有隙，石雄距離潞州更近，王宰擔心自己在澤州與昭義軍交戰時石雄乘虛攻取潞州獨占大功，且王宰的兒子磁州刺史王晏實被劉稹扣押，這些都可能是王宰逗留的原因，建議將晉、絳二州所進叛軍文書詔示王宰，勘問王宰，如查出洩露軍情，可就在行營軍法處置；如與叛軍曖昧，就令差使押送王宰回京。武宗命李德裕草詔敦促王宰繼續進攻。李德裕舉命王宰攻打磁州則何弘敬出師、遣客軍討伐太原則戍兵先平定楊弁的例子，為了向王宰施壓，建議將義成節度使劉沔調到河陽，並請他帶二千滑州（義成軍治所）兵前往靠近王宰的營地駐扎在萬善，希望以此激王宰出兵，如王宰領會朝廷之意，必定不敢再逗留，如果王宰進軍，劉沔手握重兵也可以壯其聲勢。武宗採納。此後王宰於844年四月進攻了澤州，但無法立即將其佔領。李德裕指出石雄西面險阻，必須王宰、呂義忠深入，方可進軍。盛夏，李德裕建議下詔令王宰、石雄不可稍緩，可自行解決供奉短缺。閏七月，劉稹心腹將領高文端投降，說澤州有一萬五千軍，常分兵大半潛伏山谷，等官軍攻城疲倦了就集合相救，官軍必失利；請求令陳許軍過乾河立寨，從寨城連延建築夾城，環繞澤州，每天遣大軍布陣在外抵禦救兵，叛軍見圍城工事將要合攏必定出城大戰，待其敗北可以乘勢攻取澤州。李德裕奏請下詔告知王宰，並下詔給王元逵、何弘敬，稱會詔令王宰和石雄併力在秋季破敵，王宰過了乾河就抵達澤州城下，叛軍可能聚集太行山東兵馬抗拒南面官軍，令王元逵、何弘敬到時只需要進軍深入，王宰必能立功，只要以此破了叛軍的犄角之勢，即使王宰攻取澤州，二人的功勞也在王宰之上。又下詔令王宰以投降則善待、不投降則屠城之意招降澤州。太行山以東的三個劉稹控制的州對劉派人前來收稅感到憤怒。潞州大將郭誼、張谷、陳揚廷遣人到王宰軍，請求殺劉稹以自贖。王宰上報，武宗詔石雄率軍七千入潞州，郭誼殺死了劉稹並向唐軍投降。不久劉稹的頭顱通過澤州運送到了唐軍營地，當頭顱來到劉公直的營地時，劉公直全軍悲痛地哭泣，隨後劉公直向王宰投降。武宗下詔令石雄、王宰等約束軍隊不得侵犯潞州軍民，違者軍法處置。八月，王宰將劉稹首級與劉稹手下大將郭誼等一百五十人露布獻于京師，武宗御安福門、興安門受俘，百官在樓前稱賀。忠武都知兵馬使王逢領陳許軍七千人屯翼城，因功加檢校左散騎常侍。陰山府都督朱邪赤心率三千代北騎軍隸石雄麾下為前軍，破石會關，助王宰攻克天井關，會合河東軍屯榆社與呂義忠擒獲楊弁，以功遷朔州刺史，仍為代北軍使。百官上表祝賀王宰殲滅廣治砦、陽城縣叛軍，封敖代武宗作《批百寮賀王宰破陽城賊表》以回複。

何弘敬和王元逵出兵時，李德裕奏稱：「貞元、太和年間，朝廷討伐叛軍時，詔命諸道會兵，藩鎮軍才出界就供給軍餉，他們逗留白費國力，有的還秘密和叛軍商量，攻取叛軍一縣一柵作為捷報，所以師出無功。現在請求告誡元逵、弘敬，只令他們攻取州城，不要攻打縣邑。」武宗認可。王宰、石雄討伐的時候過了年也沒有攻克澤潞，但當何弘敬、王元逵攻取邢、洺、磁三州後，劉稹便黨羽離心，並最終被平定，皆如李德裕所料。攻破潞州時，距離王宰等發誓的最後期限還有三天。

當月，王宰將劉稹首級獻于闕下，以功除授左僕射。討伐劉稹之戰石雄功勞最大，王宰厭惡他，數次想詆毀誣陷他。

戰後

會昌四年（844年）九月（或誤作十二月），王宰正要回許州時，唐武宗任命忠武軍節度、陳許蔡等州觀察處置等使、河陽行營諸軍招討使、金紫光祿大夫、檢校尚書右僕射、兼御史大夫、上柱國、太原郡開國公、食邑二千戶王宰為檢校司空、太原尹、北都留守，充河東節度、管內觀察處置等使。十月，路過靈石縣。

會昌五年（845年），昭義軍士兵不服新任節度使盧均再次叛變時，李德裕奏請密詔王宰令其從府城下選四千人，如已聞作亂，不需要再等待詔旨，令一千人守石會關，三千人取儀州路，截斷武安道路。唐武宗採納，命令王宰以一千步騎守石會關，三千步騎從儀州路據武安，以斷邢、洺道路，河陽節度使石雄引兵守澤州，河中節度使韋恭甫派出步騎千人戍守晉州，切斷叛軍可能的逃亡路線，不過隨後盧均成功說服叛亂分子投降。

會昌六年（846年），唐武宗去世，唐宣宗即位，加王宰檢校司空。大中元年（847年）五月，吐蕃將軍論恐熱趁機進攻黃河以西地區。唐宣宗命令王宰前去抵禦吐蕃。王宰讓朱邪赤心作為前鋒，從麟州渡河，最終在鹽州擊敗了論恐熱。王宰奏稱雲、蔚、朔三州為吐蕃咽喉，以前的守備多有廢缺，導致吐蕃來去無阻；土地肥沃，可供軍食；請求耕戰。他在三城招募了六千士兵，讓他們務農習戰，積聚軍糧。二年（848年）九月，秋季豐收，邊境肅寧，宣宗以功加王宰檢校司徒。十二月，入朝。三年（849年）正月，加光祿大夫，仍檢校司徒，回鎮。二月，再路過靈石縣，有感于歷任節度使柳公綽、令狐楚、狄兼謨、崔元式題字，遂作《靈石縣記石》。

同年，王去首都長安朝見唐宣宗。在長安期間，他賄賂了許多高級官員，希望能調任為宣武節度使以及加同中書門下平章事頭銜為名譽宰相。然而王這兩個請託都遭到宰相刑部尚書周墀上疏反對：「天下大鎮如並（河東節度使治所）、汴（宣武軍節度使治所）這樣的才幾個，王宰的所求怎能滿足？」宣宗也予以採納，王被迫返回河東。大中四年（850年）九月，他患病後又由河東節度兼諸道行營招討党項使調任河陽。大中七年（853年）他被罷官為太子少保和少傅，並且前往東都洛陽就職。最終王宰在洛陽去世。

作品

• 《靈石縣記石》

家庭

子王晏實。王智興很喜歡這個孫子，將他命為自己的兒子，故與王宰同字輩。

注釋和參考

注釋

資料來源

• 《舊唐書》卷156。

• 《新唐書》卷172。

• 《資治通鑑》卷247、248。

Background

It is not known when Wang Yanzai was born, but it is known that he was probably the second of nine sons of his father Wang Zhixing, who was a long-time military governor (Jiedushi) of Wuning Circuit (武寧, headquartered in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu). He was considered the most talented among his brothers. At an unknown point in his life, the character "Yan" was removed from his name, and he became known just as Wang Zai. One of his sons, Wang Yanshi (王晏實), was so loved by his father Wang Zhixing that Wang Zhixing adopted Wang Yanshi as his own son, so legally, Wang Yanshi became a brother to him.

Early career

Wang Zai was said to be resolute in his youth, and he became an officer in the Shence Armies, then under the control of the powerful eunuchs. He was said to have participated in suppressing the plot by Emperor Wenzong and his associates Li Xun and Zheng Zhu to slaughter the eunuchs in 835 — known as the Ganlu Incident — while serving in the Shence Armies. Thereafter, he served as the prefect of Guang Prefecture (光州, in modern Xinyang, Henan). Subsequently, at the suggestion of his superior, the former chancellor Duan Wenchang the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), Wang was moved to be the prefect of Yan Prefecture (鹽州, in modern Yulin, Shaanxi). It was said that he was strict at Yan Prefecture and the people did not appreciate him. He was later promoted to be the military governor of Binning Circuit (邠寧, headquartered in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi). After the campaigns against the remnants of the Huigu Khanate early in the reign of Emperor Wenzong's brother and successor Emperor Wuzong, in 843, Wang was moved to be the military governor of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang, Henan).

Campaign against Zhaoyi

Soon after Wang Zai's commission as military governor of Zhongwu, Emperor Wuzong declared a general campaign against Liu Zhen, who had seized control of Zhaoyi Circuit after the death of his adoptive father (and biological uncle) Liu Congjian, who was previously military governor, without imperial sanction. Initially, Zhongwu was not one of the circuits mobilized against Zhaoyi. However, He Hongjing the military governor of Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei) — one of the circuits that Emperor Wuzong did mobilize — who had been governing Weibo in de facto independence from the imperial government, had been trying to intercede on Liu Zhen's behalf, and had not launched his own troops against Zhaoyi. In order to pressure He Hongjing, Emperor Wuzong ordered Wang Zai to mobilize his troops and cut through Weibo to attack Zhaoyi's Ci Prefecture (磁州, in modern Handan). When He Hongjing heard of Wang's orders, he became apprehensive that if Zhongwu forces entered Weibo that his soldiers could rebel against him; he thus launched his troops in a hurry to attack Ci Prefecture.

After He Hongjing launched his troops, with the objective of pressuring He Hongjing having been accomplished, Emperor Wuzong, at the advice of the lead chancellor Li Deyu, diverted Wang Zai to Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern Jiaozuo, Henan) instead, as Heyang troops had recently been dealt a serious defeat by Zhaoyi forces under the command of the officer Xue Maoqing (薛茂卿), and its defense had been further hampered by the illness that its military governor Wang Maoyuan (王茂元) was suffering. When Wang Maoyuan subsequently died, Emperor Wuzong had Wang Zai take over the command of the Heyang troops, then at Wanshan (萬善, in modern Jiaozuo, Henan), as well, although he gave the command of the circuit itself to Jing Xin (敬昕), rather than giving Wang Zai the command of Heyang as well.

Once Wang Zai arrived at the front, it was said that because Wang's troops had strict discipline, the Zhaoyi soldiers became apprehensive of him. Meanwhile, Xue had become resentful toward Liu Zhen, as Liu had not rewarded Xue for his great victory over Heyang troops — believing that it was Xue's victory that aggravated the imperial government into refusing peace. Xue therefore initiated secret contacts with Wang. When Wang subsequently attacked Tianjing Pass (天井關, in modern Jincheng, Shanxi), which Xue had previously captured, Xue made only minimal efforts to resist him before withdrawing and allowing Wang to recover Tianjing Pass. Xue withdrew to Ze Prefecture (澤州, in modern Jincheng) and secretly urged Wang to attack Ze Prefecture quickly, promising to surrender Ze Prefecture to him when he arrived. Wang, however, doubted Xue's sincerity and did not do so. Xue's plans were subsequently leaked, and Liu summoned him back to Zhaoyi's capital Lu Prefecture (潞州) and killed him and his family. The Zhaoyi forces on the Ze Prefecture front were taken over by another Zhaoyi officer, Liu Gongzhi, who subsequently recaptured Tianjing Pass from Wang. Wang was subsequently able to in turn deal Liu Gongzhi a loss and capture Lingchuan (陵川, in modern Jincheng), but his and Liu Gongzhi's forces subsequently stalemated.

On Chinese New Year's Day 844, soldiers at Taiyuan Municipality, the capital of the imperially-controlled Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), mutinied against the military governor Li Shi, under the leadership of the officer Yang Bian. Li Shi was forced to flee. Yang subsequently entered into an alliance with Liu Zhen. In light of this, Wang advocated accepting Liu Zhen's offer to submit, and sent messengers to Lu Prefecture to see what Liu Zhen's intentions were. Li Deyu, however, advocated against peace, and argued that neither Yang nor Liu Zhen should be allowed to remain. When other Hedong soldiers, who were previously attacking Zhaoyi, subsequently recaptured Taiyuan and put down Yang's mutiny, Li Deyu pointed out to Emperor Wuzong two reasons why he believed that Wang wanted peace — because Shi Xiong, who commanded an army against Zhaoyi that was then closer to Lu Prefecture than Wang, had been previously falsely accused by Wang Zhixing, and therefore an enmity existed between Shi and Wang; and because Wang Yanshi, who had been the prefect of Ci Prefecture, was then detained by Liu Zhen. Emperor Wuzong thereafter issued an edict urging Wang Zai to continue his offensive, pointing out that he knew Wang Yanshi's importance to him, but the welfare of the state had to come first.

In order to pressure Wang Zai, Emperor Wuzong subsequently, at Li Deyu's suggestion, transferred Liu Mian the military governor of Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan) to Heyang, and had him take his troops to Wanshan, close to Wang's camp. Wang, thereafter, attacked Ze Prefecture in summer 844, but did not capture it immediately. Subsequently, in fall 844, the three Zhaoyi prefectures east of the Taihang Mountains, angry at the taxes that officers Liu Zhen sent were imposing on them, surrendered to He Hongjing and Wang Yuankui the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei). When this news reached Lu Prefecture, Liu Zhen's officer Guo Yi (郭誼) killed Liu Zhen and surrendered to the imperial forces. Liu Zhen's head was subsequently delivered through Ze Prefecture to the imperial camp, and when it arrived at Liu Gongzhi's camp, Liu Gongzhi, after the entire army wept in grief, surrendered to Wang Zai.

After campaign against Zhaoyi

Late in 844, Emperor Wuzong made Wang Zai the military governor of Hedong Circuit. In 845, when Zhaoyi soldiers mutinied against the new military governor, Lu Jun (盧均), Emperor Wuzong ordered Wang, Shi Xiong (then the military governor of Heyang), and Wei Gongfu (韋恭甫) the military governor of Hezhong to launch their troops to cut off potential escape routes of the mutineers, but after Lu was subsequently able to persuade the mutineers to surrender, Wang, Shi, and Wei stood down.

After Emperor Wuzong died in 846 and was succeeded by his uncle Emperor Xuānzong, the Tufan general Lun Kongre (論恐熱) took the opportunity to raid to attack the area west of the Yellow River (i.e., modern northern Shaanxi). Emperor Xuānzong ordered Wang to engage Lun. Wang, with the Shatuo chieftain Zhuye Chixin as his forward commander, did so, and he defeated Lun at Yan Prefecture.

In 849, Wang went to the capital Chang'an to pay homage to Emperor Xuānzong. While at Chang'an, he bribed many high-level officials, hoping to be able to be transferred to Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), and be made an honorary chancellor. Both of these aspirations, however, were opposed by the chancellor Zhou Chi, and Wang was forced to return to Hedong. Later, after he suffered an illness, he was transferred to Heyang. Yet later, he was made an advisor to the Crown Prince, to have his office at the eastern capital Luoyang. He died while there, although the time of his death is not recorded.

Notes and references

;Notes

;Sources

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 156.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 172.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 247, 248.