Early career Wang Jian (Former Shu)

1 career

1.1 service under yang fuguang
1.2 service under lu yanhong
1.3 service under tian lingzi
1.4 service under yang shouliang
1.5 campaign against chen jingxuan

early career
service under yang fuguang

as of 881, major agrarian rebel huang chao had captured tang capital chang an, forcing then-reigning emperor xizong flee chengdu. zhongwu s then-military governor zhou ji submitted huang, established new state of qi emperor, @ urging eunuch general yang fuguang redeclared allegiance tang in summer 881. yang took 8,000 zhongwu troops , organized them 8 corps, commanded lu yanhong, jin hui (晉暉), wang jian, han jian, zhang zao (張造), li shitai (李師泰), , pang cong (龐從) respectively. took troops northwest join other tang troops in campaign against huang.

service under lu yanhong

yang fuguang died in 883 while stationed @ hezhong circuit (河中, in modern yuncheng, shanxi) , still fighting against huang. instead of continuing fight against huang, lu yanhong decided take troops , rove around region, pillaging went. wang jian, han jian, zhang zao, jin hui, , li shitai followed him well. later in 883, lu captured xingyuan (興元, in modern hanzhong, shaanxi) capital of shannan west circuit (山南西道), expelling military governor niu xu (牛勗) , claiming title of acting military governor. commissioned wang , other zhongwu corps commanders prefects within shannan west, did not allow them report prefectures. particularly suspicious of wang , han because of deep friendship, wanting comfort them, treated them well. wang , han realized lu s intentions, however, , in fall 884, emperor xizong s trusted eunuch tian lingzi secretly tempting them offers of treatment, they, along zhang, jin, , li, abandoned lu , fled chengdu serve under tian.

service under tian lingzi

tian lingzi subsequently reorganized zhongwu troops wang jian , others commanded group of imperial guards directly under tian s command, while sending imperial troops attack lu yanhong, defeating him , forcing him abandon shannan west. tian adopted wang , others sons. meanwhile, huang chao having been defeated earlier, emperor xizong returned chang an, in spring 885, tian , troops accompanying him.

soon after emperor xizong returned chang an, however, tian got major dispute wang chongrong military governor of hezhong on control of 2 salt ponds @ hezhong, tian wanted use revenue support imperial shence armies. wang chongrong refused yield control, , soon, full confrontation between tian , allies (zhu mei military governor of jingnan circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern xianyang, shaanxi) , li changfu military governor of fengxiang circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern baoji, shaanxi)) , wang chongrong , ally li keyong military governor of hedong circuit (河東, headquartered in modern taiyuan, shanxi) occurred. in winter 885, wang chongrong s , li keyong s forces defeated of tian, zhu, , li changfu. li keyong s forces approached chang an, tian escorted emperor xizong , fled again, fengxiang , xingyuan when zhu , li changfu turned against him. during flight, emperor xizong s flight path blocked waves of refugees, wang jian , jin cleared path, killing in way, allow emperor xizong through, , during confusion, emperor xizong had wang jian bear imperial seal, , @ night slept on wang jian s knees.

with tian realizing whole empire against him point, resigned while emperor xizong @ xingyuan, recommending yang fuguang s brother yang fugong succeed him commander of shence armies, while having himself commissioned eunuch monitor of xichuan circuit (西川, headquartered @ chengdu) join brother chen jingxuan military governor of xichuan. yang fugong, not wanting tian s trusted officers near him, had wang, jin, zhang, , li shitai sent out prefectures serve prefect, wang becoming prefect of li prefecture (利州, in modern guangyuan, sichuan). after yang fuguang s adoptive son yang shouliang became military governor of shannan west in spring 887, wang became titularly subordinate.

service under yang shouliang

yang shouguang apprehensive wang jian s fighting ability , tried summon him xingyuan several times, wang, fearful of yang s intentions, refused summons. @ suggestion of subordinate zhou xiang, pointed out li prefecture not ideal defense position, attacked lang prefecture (閬州, in modern nanchong, sichuan), expelled prefect yang maoshi (楊茂實), , took on lang, claiming greater title of defender. @ advice of zhang qianyu (張虔裕) , qiwu jian (綦毋諫), submitted humble petitions emperor xizong , comforted people. entered friendly relations gu yanlang military governor of dongchuan circuit (東川, headquartered in modern mianyang, sichuan), 2 colleagues @ shence armies.

campaign against chen jingxuan

chen jingxuan, however, feared close alliance between gu yanlang , wang jian , worried gu , wang attack him. discussed situation tian lingzi. tian opined he, wang s adoptive father, summon wang , make him serve under chen. chen agreed , allowed tian in winter 887. wang, after receiving summons, happy summons. he, leaving of family @ dongchuan s capital zi prefecture (梓州) gu, took 2,000 men, along nephew wang zonghui (王宗鐬) , adoptive sons wang zongyao (王宗瑤), wang zongbi, wang zongkan (王宗侃), wang zongji, , wang zongbian (王宗弁), , headed toward chengdu. while wang en route chengdu, however, chen s subordinate li ai (李乂) convinced chen wang not trusted, , chen decided try stop wang s advance. wang, in anger, refused, defeating officers chen sent stop him , advancing way chengdu. unable capture quickly, assistance of gu yanlang s brother gu yanhui, both , gu yanhui withdrew han prefecture (漢州, in modern deyang, sichuan). hostilities continued, despite efforts emperor xizong mediate. said wang s army pillaged 12 prefectures of xichuan circuit.

however, wang s attacks stifled chengdu s strong defenses, , supplies ran low. summer 888, considered abandoning campaign altogether, after zhou xiang , qiwu jian convinced him otherwise, continued campaign. he, believing needed imperial sanction in order succeed in campaign, had zhou draft petition him emperor zhaozong — emperor xizong s brother, succeeded emperor xizong after emperor xizong died in 888 — asking given rich qiong prefecture while asking emperor send new military governor of xichuan, offering assist new military governor. gu yanlang submitted petition requesting chen moved post. emperor zhaozong, had previous grudges against tian , chen tian s ill treatment of him while imperial prince, issued edict summoning chen chang serve imperial guard general, while making chancellor wei zhaodu new military governor of xichuan. when chen subsequently refused summons, emperor zhaozong stripped him of of titles , put wei in charge of operations against him, yang shouliang, wang, , gu assisting him. emperor zhaozong carved out 4 prefectures xichuan , made new yongping circuit, capital @ qiong, wang serve military governor. in spring 890, wang put qiong prefecture under siege. around same time, wei arrived in chengdu s vicinity, , wang outwardly honored him greatly. number of prefectures began submit wang, , in winter 890, qiong fell him, allowing him use qiong basis of operations.

however, in spring 891, imperial forces having conducted failed campaign against li keyong , imperial treasury drained, emperor zhaozong decided abandon campaign against chen. restored chen s titles , ordered gu , wang return posts @ dongchuan , yongping. wang, believing chengdu on verge of falling, decided disobey imperial orders , continue campaign. intimidated wei having dongchuan soldiers arrest , execute wei s associate luo bao (駱保) on charges of corruption, , wei transferred command of army him. wang continued siege against chengdu, , famine began in city. in fall 891, after wang made assurances continue respect chen , honor tian father, chen , tian surrendered chengdu. emperor zhaozong made wang military governor of xichuan, merging yongping xichuan.