Wang Shuwen - During Emperor Shunzong's Reign

During Emperor Shunzong's Reign

In late 804, Li Song suffered a debilitating stroke that left him partially paralyzed and unable to speak. When Emperor Dezong died on February 25, 805, there were initially some eunuchs who suggested that someone else should succeed Emperor Dezong, but at the strong advocacy of the imperial scholar Wei Cigong (衛次公), Li Song's succession was not further questioned despite his illness. To show that he was still not completely incapacitated, Li Song was forced to personally show himself to the imperial guards, and he took the throne (as Emperor Shunzong).

However, Emperor Shunzong remained seriously ill, and he was often attended to only by the eunuch Li Zhongyan (李忠言) and his concubine Consort Niu. Much of the decisions on important matters of state were entrusted to Wang Pi and Wang Shuwen, both of whom were named imperial scholar and was largely making decisions at the Hanlin Institute (翰林院). Under Wang Shuwen's recommendation, Wei Zhiyi was made a chancellor, and it was said that Wei, Wang Shuwen, Wang Pi, Li Zhongyan, and Consort Niu formed a group of decision makers. It was said that much authority were also delegated to Han Tai, Liu Zongyuan, and Liu Yuxi, and that Wang Shuwen was effectively the leader. His associates were also said to be praising each other and comparing each other to such great historical figures as Yi Yin, the Duke of Zhou, Guan Zhong, and Zhuge Liang. Many officials were being promoted and demoted based on their recommendations. Meanwhile, Wang Shuwen, believing that the key to getting the support from the soldiers and the people to affirm their power was control over the imperial treasury, had himself made the deputy director of finances, serving under the senior chancellor Du You. Wang Shuwen was said to be so insolent in his exercise of power that, at one point, breaching the protocol that chancellors were to have lunch together, he demanded that Wei meet him during lunch time — angering Wei's senior colleague Zheng Xunyu so much that Zheng went home and refused to exercise chancellor responsibilities from that point on.

With Emperor Shunzong's severe illness, there was a popular sentiment among officials that Emperor Shunzong's oldest son Li Chun should be made crown prince as soon as possible. It was said, though, that Wang Shuwen and his associates — especially Consort Niu, who was not Li Chun's mother — were apprehensive about Li Chun, who was known for his being intelligent and decisive. One of the imperial scholars, Zheng Yin, however, directly proposed to Emperor Shunzong that LI Chun be created crown prince by writing the proposal on paper and showing it to Emperor Shunzong. After Emperor Shunzong nodded to show approval, Li Chun was created crown prince on April 26. At Li Chun's creation ceremony, Wang Shuwen was said to be so concerned about Li Chun's accession that, while he did not say anything directly, he was heard reading from Du Fu's poem about Zhuge — "He had not even succeeded in his campaigns when he died. This often caused heroes to weep onto their collars."

Meanwhile, though, Wang Shuwen had begun to draw the displeasure of the powerful eunuch Ju Wenzhen (俱文珍). In summer 805, when Wang Shuwen, wanting to strip the control of the imperial Shence Army from the eunuchs, had the general Fan Xichao (范希朝) made the commanding general of the Shence Army soldiers at the western frontier with Han Tai as his deputy, the eunuchs were alarmed. Ju had Wang Shuwen promoted in title to be the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎) — but stripped of his imperial scholar status, making it impossible for him to be making decisions at Hanlin Institute. Wang Pi tried to intercede, but was only able to have Wang Shuwen allowed to visit Hanlin Institute once every three to five days to continue to look over the matters of state. Meanwhile, the eunuchs, believing that Wang Shuwen was intending them harm by giving Fan the command, instructed the Shence Army officers not to yield to Fan's orders. When Fan reached the frontier, none of the Shence Army officers came to greet him, and he was forced to return to the capital Chang'an. When Han Tai reported this to Wang Shuwen, Wang Shuwen became distressed but was unable to think of anything further to do.

Around this time, also, Wei and Wang Shuwen began to break with each other, as Wei wanted not to be seen as a puppet of Wang Shuwen's. For example, when Yang Shi'e (羊士諤), a messenger from Xuanshe Circuit (宣歙, headquartered in modern Xuancheng, Anhui), and Liu Pi, a messenger from Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan), made demands on behalf of their superiors, Wang angrily wanted to execute both of them, but Wei opposed, and Yang was only exiled, while Liu Pi fled back to Xichuan. This incident created a substantial rift between Wang Shuwen and Wei. After Liu Pi returned to Xichuan, his commanding officer, the military governor of Xichuan Circuit, Wei Gao, further submitted a harshly worded accusation against Wang Shuwen and his associates. Wei Gao's words were soon echoed in petitions submitted by other regional governors Pei Jun (裴均) and Yan Shou (嚴綬), and it was said that Wang Shuwen and his associates were greatly distressed.

Meanwhile, Wang Shuwen's mother had become seriously ill to the point of near death. Wang Shuwen, anticipating that he would have to leave governmental service to observe a period of mourning for her, held a banquet and invited the other imperial scholars, as well as Li Zhongyan, Ju, and another powerful eunuch Liu Guangqi (劉光奇), to try to defend his actions with these eunuchs, including his attempts to have Yang and Liu Pi executed and his attempts to reform the economic regulations. Ju was thoroughly dismissive, and it was said that as Wang Shuwen made each point, Ju would rebut each point. On July 19, when his mother died, Wang Shuwen left governmental service.

It was said that after Wang Shuwen left governmental service, Wei Zhiyi further abandoned the alliance, drawing Wang Shuwen's anger and causing him and his associates to plan to have Wang Shuwen recalled to government to counteract Wei. Wang Pi submitted petitions to have Wang Shuwen recalled to governmental service and be made a chancellor, but none of Wang Pi's petitions were acted on. Wang Pi, seeing that the situation was hopeless, feigned a stroke himself and resigned. After this, Wang Shuwen's and Wang Pi's associates began to be purged from government. Li Chun was soon made regent, and on August 31, Emperor Shunzong yielded the throne to Li Chun (as Emperor Xianzong).