Before Wang Chengzongs death

Wang Chengyuan was born in 801, during the reign of Emperor Dezong. He was a son of Wang Shizhen, who, around the time, took over as military governor (Jiedushi) of Chengde after the death of Wang Chengyuan's grandfather Wang Wujun. He had two elder brothers Wang Chengzong, Wang Chengxi (王承系) and at least three younger brothers — Wang Chengtong (王承通), Wang Chengdi (王承迪), and Wang Chengrong (王承榮).

After Wang Shizhen died in 809, Wang Chengzong took over control of the circuit but was initially denied imperial sanction to succeed Wang Shizhen. Wang Chengzong received such imperial sanction in 810, however, after a failed imperial campaign against him. In 816, at Wang Chengzong's request, Wang Chengyuan was made deputy governor. When the imperial government declared a general campaign against Wang Chengzong's former ally Li Shidao the military governor of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong), he advised Wang Chengzong to send 2,000 to aid the imperial campaign against Li. Wang Chengzong did not accept the advice on account of Wang Chengyuan's youth, but it was said that the army thereafter often looked to him for his opinions.

After Wang Chengzongs death

In winter 820, Wang Chengzong died, and initially, his subordinates kept his death a secret. At that time, Wang Chengzong's two sons Wang Zhigan (王知感) and Wang Zhixin (王知信) were serving as hostages at the capital Chang'an. The Chengde officers wanted one of their own to succeed Wang Chengzong, and Wang Chengzong's staff member Cui Sui (崔燧) declared an order in the name of Wang Wujun's wife Lady Li, the Lady of Liang, declaring Wang Chengyuan successor to Wang Chengzong. When the officers bowed to Wang Chengyuan, Wang Chengyuan initially tearfully declined and requested a consultation with the imperial eunuch monitor of the army. The monitor arrived and also urged him to accept the officers' submission. Wang, after receiving a promise from the officers that they would be loyal to the imperial cause, accepted — but took office using his title of commander of the army rather than acting military governor. He also secretly submitted a petition to Emperor Muzong that the imperial government send a permanent replacement for him. In response, Emperor Muzong issued a number of military governor commissions involving Chengde and nearby circuits — transferring Tian Hongzheng the military governor of nearby Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei) to Chengde, making Wang Chengyuan the military governor of Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan), transferring Liu Wu the military governor of Yicheng to Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), transferring Li Su the military governor of Wuning Circuit (武寧, headquartered in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu) to Weibo, and making Tian Hongzheng's son Tian Bu the military governor of Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern Jiaozuo, Henan). Wang Chengzong was also made the prefect of Yicheng's capital prefecture Hua Prefecture (滑州).

When the imperial official Bo Qi (柏耆) arrived to declare the orders, the soldiers were initially clamoring and not willing to accept the orders. Wang Chengyuan urged them to accept, citing the example of how Li Shidao's officers had initially not allowed him to accept imperial orders, but later killed him and surrendered to imperial forces when they attacked. When some officers, led by Li Ji (李寂), nevertheless tried to keep him from leaving, he executed them. He soon departed Chengde and headed for Yicheng. Some of his staff members tried to carry valuable possession from Chengde, and he ordered them to leave such possessions at Chengde. Four brothers or cousins of Wang Chengyuans were commissioned as prefectural prefects, and four were commissioned as imperial officials. When Lady Li went to pay homage to Emperor Muzong, Emperor Muzong ordered a feast be held for her inside the palace and gave her much rewards.

After mutineers at Chengde, led by Wang Tingcou, assassinated Tian Hongzheng in 821, as part of the subsequent movement of military governors in a campaign against Wang Tingcou (which subsequently ended in failure), Wang Chengyuan was transferred to Fufang Circuit (鄜坊, headquartered in modern Yan'an, Shaanxi). On the way to Fufang, he went to Chang'an to pay homage to Emperor Muzong, who approved of his behavior and met him on several occasions. Soon thereafter, he was transferred to Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi). At that time, because Fengxiang Circuit's land was flat, Tufan forces often were able to invade without obstacles. Wang Chengyuan built a fort, Fort Linqian (臨汧城), at a key strategic point to try to control such incursions. He was subsequently created the Duke of Qi. He also built a city east of the circuit capital Fengxiang to house the merchants who often travelled through the circuit. When his grandmother Lady Li died early in the Taihe (太和) era (827-835) of Emperor Muzong's son Emperor Wenzong, she was buried with much honor.

In 831, Wang was transferred to Pinglu Circuit (which had been divided into three circuits and whose headquarters had by that point been moved to modern Weifang, Shandong). At that point, the salt monopoly that the imperial government imposed on most of the realm was not imposed in the region, and Wang offered that the salt sales be transferred to the imperial authorities for the salt monopoly. His offer was accepted, and was soon also applied to the other two circuits carved out of Pinglu (Tianping (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an) and Yanhai (兗海, headquartered in modern Jining, Shandong)). It was said that Wang was lenient and gracious, and wherever he went, he governed well. He died in 834 while still serving as the military governor of Pinglu. He was given posthumous honors.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 142.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 148.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 241.

王承宗生前

王承元生于唐德宗貞元十七年（801年），是王士真的兒子，上有兄王承宗、王承系，下有弟弟王承通、王承迪等。王士真在其父王武俊死後接管了成德。

元和四年（809年）王士真去世後，王承宗控制了成德，朝廷對他擅自繼承父位予以制裁，他起初予以抗拒。五年（810年）朝廷對王承宗作戰失利後，他卻接受了制裁。十一年（816年），在王承宗要求下，王承元被任為充鎮冀深趙觀察支使、朝議郎、左金吾衛胄曹參軍，兼監察御史。當朝廷宣布討伐王承宗的前盟友平盧節度使李師道時，王承元建議兄長出二千騎為朝廷助戰。雖然因為他還年輕，所言未被王承宗採納，但此後軍隊經常詢問王承元的意見。

王承宗死後

十五年（820年）十月，王承宗去世，手下秘不發喪。王承宗的兩個兒子王知感、王知信在都城長安為人質。成德諸將想從彼此中選一個或從周邊選節度使繼承王承宗，而王承元的參謀崔燧則與諸校合計，假託王承宗祖母涼國夫人李氏之名，宣布王承元繼任。當士兵向王承元鞠躬時，他流淚拒絕，請求和監軍宦官商議。監軍到後，也要求他接受推戴。在得到士兵忠于朝廷的承諾後，王承元接受了，但只以觀察支使的名義，不稱留後。他還秘密上表唐穆宗，請求朝廷派人永久接替他。監軍也上表奏王承宗病篤，以王承元權知留後。作為回應，穆宗下達了一系列節度使調令：鄰鎮的魏博節度使田弘正調任成德，王承元以鎮冀深趙等觀察度支使、朝議郎、試金吾左衛胄曹參軍兼監察御史授銀青光祿大夫、檢校工部尚書、守滑州刺史、御史大夫、義成軍節度、鄭滑觀察等使，義成節度使劉悟調任昭義，武寧節度使李愬調任魏博，任田弘正之子田敦禮為河陽節度使。並加成德軍將士官爵，賜錢一百萬貫、軍錢百萬緡，全部釋放鎮內囚徒，給孤獨、殘廢不能自理者粟帛，派官監視王承宗葬事且務令周厚，下詔贈賻，並封涼國夫人為晉國太夫人。

十一月，當起居舍人柏耆前來宣詔時，諸將及鄰道都勸王承元繼續割據。王承元與柏耆于館驛召諸將告諭，諸將號哭喧譁。王承元勸他們接受朝命，引用平盧節度使李師道的部將挾持師道，抵抗朝廷，師道被朝廷討伐，將領們卻殺了師道投降的事例，求他們讓他離開，哭泣下拜。他還把家財賞賜給士兵。十將李寂等十餘人堅持不讓王承元離職，王承元將他們處決，上表表示願意赴闕，加上宣諭使諫議大夫鄭覃曉以大義，軍中才安定。他很快離開成德，領兵二千前往義成。他的一些將吏想把成德的器用財貨帶走，被他下令制止。王承元的四個兄弟和堂兄弟被任為刺史，另有四人被用為朝臣。長慶元年（821年）正月，因王承元請求入朝，穆宗以京兆府司錄參軍溫造為太原鎮州等道宣慰使。三月，涼國夫人覲見穆宗時，穆宗在宮內為她賜宴，還送了她很多禮物。

同年七月，王承元在成德軍時的衙內兵馬使王廷湊在成德發動兵變殺死田弘正，諸鎮節度使討伐王廷湊，時盧龍、魏博也生亂，朝廷擔心義成軍與成德軍接壤，王承元部下的二千成德軍卒會被成德軍勸誘，命鄜坊丹延節度觀察等使韓充與王承元互換軍鎮。王承元調任途經長安時入朝，得到穆宗的讚許，也在一些場合被穆宗召見。二年（822年）二月，穆宗不得已以王廷湊為成德軍節度使，複其軍中將士官爵，以兵部侍郎韓愈為宣慰使，王廷湊以甲士相待，韓愈對甲士們舉王承元歸順朝廷故二十歲即為節度使等例子，王廷湊擔心甲士心變，麾出甲士，韓愈趁機說服其放過被其圍困的深州刺史牛元翼。

七月，王承元又被調任到鳳翔為鳳翔隴州節度觀察等使。由于鳳翔地勢平坦，吐蕃經常輕易入侵。王承元占據戰略要衝在汧陽縣西北八十里建造堡壘，分兵千人防守，皇帝賜堡壘名為臨汧城。他隨後被封為岐國公，累加檢校左僕射。他還在鳳翔城東造了一座城，安置路過鳳翔的商人和保護受到烽火驚擾的居民。四年（824年）三月，唐敬宗大赦天下，令王承元等在元和之後歸朝的節度使若因本道債務、非法之事被訴則不得受理，並各與一子正員官。十二月，給來投降的吐蕃一十九人各賜衣一襲。唐文宗太和（827年—835年）初年，涼國夫人去世，文宗下詔表彰了王武俊的功勞，供給儀仗安葬。太和年間，王承元奏稱：應管兵三萬人，內軍一千五百騎，請求再添置一千五百騎，請度支給衣糧草料。

王承元累加檢校司空、御史大夫。太和五年（831年）十一月，入朝，改檢校司空、青州刺史、充平盧軍節度使、淄青登萊觀察等使（這時平盧已被一份為三，軍部也遷到了今山東濰坊）。當時，全國幾乎都出現食鹽壟斷，平盧尚未受到影響，王承元請求將鹽的生意交給朝廷處理。他的請求被接受了，還被推廣到從平盧分出來的天平和兗海。六年（832年）九月，王承元奏稱上繳治下五州兩稅共一十九萬三千九百八十九貫。淄青自從反正後從未有兩稅上供，自此恢復。王承元寬容謙和，不管在哪個藩鎮，都能把軍民治理得很好。八年（834年）十一月，他卒于平盧節度使任上，追贈司徒。

開成元年（836年）正月，文宗下詔褒獎王承元等元和年間歸順朝廷之功，賜一子正員官。

軼聞

《玉泉子》及《唐語林》載：夏侯孜還是秀才時，曾科舉落第，與一同落第的王生一起去鳳翔府遊玩，鳳翔節度使設館招待，從事還擲骰子祈禱二位秀才次年及第。後來夏侯孜進士及第，累官至宰相，而王生最終湮沒無聞。夏侯孜在長慶二年（822年）五月前後為鄉貢進士，于寶曆二年（826年）進士及第，可見當時招待他的鳳翔節度使即王承元。

注釋