Wang Shuwen - Historical Views of Wang Shuwen

Historical Views of Wang Shuwen

The official histories of Tang Dynasty, the Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang, both charactered Wang Shuwen as conniving, power-hungry, and insolent. These characterizations were adopted by the Zizhi Tongjian. The only positive characteristic that they attributed to Wang Shuwen was a sense of duty and a desire to improve the imperial government structure.

However, as observed by such historians as the Qing Dynasty historian Wang Mingsheng (王鳴盛), Wang Shuwen was trying to reform the imperial government in such a way as to strip power from powerful eunuchs and warlords and restore it to the emperor. Wang Mingsheng pointed out that there were a number of positive reforms carried out during Emperor Shunzong's brief reign that historians did not attribute to Wang Shuwen but which could only have been the result of Wang Shuwen's actions, including:

• Exiling of the mayor of the capital municipality Jingzhao (京兆), Li Shi (李實), known for his harsh treatment of the people.
• General pardoning of past taxes owed by the people.
• Forbidding of improper tributes to the emperor.
• Releasing of ladies in waiting from palace service.
• Recalling and posthumous honoring of several key officials who had been unduly exiled during Emperor Dezong's reign.
• Commissioning of Fan Xichao in an attempt to take back control of Shence Army.

Wang Mingsheng compared Wang Shuwen to an overly aggressive daughter-in-law who tried to correct her mother-in-law in important matters as soon as she was married — in other words, being attentive but being overly eager on his agenda, and believed that Wang Shuwen had committed no crimes.