Service During Liu Song
Because of Wang Jian's noble birth and because he became known for studiousness in his youth, Yuan Can, the mayor of the capital Jiankang under Emperor Xiaowu's brother Emperor Ming recommended him to be the husband of Emperor Ming's daughter, Princess Yangxian. However, Emperor Ming felt that because Wang Sengchuo's wife Liu Ying'e (劉英娥) the Princess Dongyang (who was not Wang Jian's mother) was involved in the witchcraft carried out by Liu Shao, she should not be his daughter's mother-in-law, he wanted to disinterr Princess Dongyang's body from her joint tomb with Wang Sengchuo. Wang Jian pleaded that this not be carried out—stating that he would rather die—and Emperor Ming did not insist. Duiring Emperor Ming's reign, he was repeatedly promoted, although was never among the upper echelon of officials.
After Emperor Ming died in 472 and was succeeded by his violent and arbitrary son Emperor Houfei, Wang became fearful and requested that Yuan, who was then in charge of the government along with Chu Yuan, make him a commandery governor. Yuan made him the governor of Yixing Commandery (義興, roughly modern Wuxi, Jiangsu). After the general Xiao Daocheng assassinated Emperor Houfei in 477, and effectively took over the government, Wang was recalled to the capital in 478.
Wang could see what Xiao wanted to do next—take over the throne—and he was the only nobleman who actively sought to assist Xiao in doing so, and he carried out the planning for the various steps that Xiao would take in taking over. In 479, Xiao was able to take over from Emperor Houfei's brother Emperor Shun, ending Liu Song and starting Southern Qi, as its Emperor Gao.
Read more about this topic: Wang Jian (Southern Qi)
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