Background and Service Under Li Song As Crown Prince
It is not known when Wang Shuwen was born. His family was from Yue Prefecture (越州, in modern Shaoxing, Zhejiang). It was said that during the reign of Emperor Dezong, he became a reserve consultant in the imperial administration on the basis of his abilities in Go, rough knowledge in the books, and speaking ability. Emperor Dezong had him become a member of the staff of Emperor Dezong's son and crown prince Li Song. It was said that Wang was, when he was having chances, bringing to Li Song's attention of the suffering of the people. At one point, Li Song was studying with several scholars who were teaching him in various matters, and they began to discuss one of the institutions of Emperor Dezong's court that was much criticized — the "Palace Market" (宮市), where palace eunuchs "bought" items for palace supplies, but effectively were forcibly taking things from merchants and paying either nothing or very little. Li Song indicated that when he had a chance, he would try to talk to Emperor Dezong to suggest ending the process. The scholars all praised Li Song, but Wang, who was also present did not say anything. After the scholar had left, Wang told Li Song that if he actually made such suggestions to Emperor Dezong, Emperor Dezong would suspect him of attempting to please the people. Li Song saw Wang's point and wept, and thereafter became more trusting of Wang. Meanwhile, Wang and another staff member of Li Song's, Wang Pi, who was known for his calligraphy, became close associates.
As time went by, Wang Shuwen gradually recommended to Li Song a group of junior officials with reputations for abilities whom he believed could eventually be high level officials or generals, and whom he had befriended. Such junior officials included Wei Zhiyi, Lu Chun (陸淳), Lü Wen (呂溫), Li Jingjian (李景儉), Han Ye (韓曄), Han Tai (韓泰), Chen Jian (陳諫), Liu Zongyuan, Liu Yuxi, Ling Zhun (凌準), and Cheng Yi. It was said that they would spend their days together in secret and that the contents of their deliberations were not openly known. Some regional governors, believing that this would be the next group of officials to take power, sent them gifts. By 803, this group was said to be powerful enough that, when they suspected another junior official, Zhang Zhengyi (張正一) of making negative reports about Wang Shuwen to Emperor Dezong, they had Wei accuse Zhang of being wasteful and engaging in partisanship. As a result, Zhang and his associates Wang Zhongshu (王仲舒) and Liu Bochu (劉伯芻) were exiled without any publicly announced faults.
Read more about this topic: Wang Shuwen
Famous quotes containing the words background, service, song, crown and/or prince:
“Silence is the universal refuge, the sequel to all dull discourses and all foolish acts, a balm to our every chagrin, as welcome after satiety as after disappointment; that background which the painter may not daub, be he master or bungler, and which, however awkward a figure we may have made in the foreground, remains ever our inviolable asylum, where no indignity can assail, no personality can disturb us.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Human life consists in mutual service. No grief, pain, misfortune, or “broken heart,” is excuse for cutting off one’s life while any power of service remains. But when all usefulness is over, when one is assured of an unavoidable and imminent death, it is the simplest of human rights to choose a quick and easy death in place of a slow and horrible one.”
—Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860–1935)
“And the song she was singing ever since
In my ear sounds on:—
“Stay at home, pretty bees, fly not hence!
Mistress Mary is dead and gone!””
—John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892)
“It grazes the horizons, launched above
Mortality—ascending emerald-bright,
A fountain at salute, a crown in view—”
—Hart Crane (1899–1932)
“Discontented women dream of being rescued by Prince Charming. Discontented men dream of finding a horny blond in the back seat of a taxi.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)