Wang Jichang () (died 945) was a general and chancellor of the

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen conc ...

state

Min Min or MIN may refer to: Places * Fujian, also called Mǐn, a province of China ** Min Kingdom (909–945), a state in Fujian * Min County, a county of Dingxi, Gansu province, China * Min River (Fujian) * Min River (Sichuan) * Mineola (Am ...

. He was a nephew of its last emperor

Wang Yanzheng Wang Yanzheng () (died 951?), known as Tiande Emperor () after his Chinese era name, era name of Tiande, formally Prince Gongyi of Fu (), also known during Min as the Prince of Fusha (), was the last ruler of the History of China, Chinese Five Dyn ...

, and briefly served as chancellor and general during Wang Yanzheng's reign.

Background

It is not known when or where Wang Jichang was born. It is known, however, that he was a nephew of

— and, therefore, likely a grandson of

's founding prince

Wang Shenzhi Wang Shenzhi (; 862 – December 30, 925), courtesy name Xintong () or Xiangqing (), formally Prince Zhongyi of Min () and later further posthumously honored as Emperor Taizu of Min (), was the founder of Min Kingdom on the southeast coastal pro ...

(Prince Zhongyi) (although conceivably the grandson of one of Wang Shenzhi's brothers, Wang Chao or Wang Shengui (). His parents' identity were not otherwise given in traditional histories.''

Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese title ''Shiguo Chunqiu'' (), is a history of the Ten Kingdoms that existed in southern China after the fall of the Tang Dynasty and before the reunification of China ...

''
vol. 94

During Wang Yanzheng's Reign

In 943, Wang Yanzheng, then in civil war against his brother, then-reigning Min emperor Wang Xi (Emperor Jingzong), declared himself the emperor of a new branch state

Yin Yin may refer to: *the dark force in the yin and yang from traditional Chinese philosophy and medicine *Yīn (surname) (), a Chinese surname *Yǐn (surname) (), a Chinese surname *Shang dynasty, also known as the Yin dynasty **Yinxu or Yin, the S ...

at his stronghold of Jian Prefecture (建州, in modern

Nanping Nanping (), historically known as Yanping (), is a third-tier prefecture-level city in northwestern Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. It borders Ningde to the east, Sanming to the south, and the provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangxi to ...

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its cap ...

).''

Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song (960–1127), Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959&n ...

'', vol. 283. He made Wang Jichang ''Menxia Shilang'' () and chancellor with the designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'' (). In 944, Wang Xi's general

Zhu Wenjin Zhu Wenjin () (died February 14, 945) was a general of, and later a claimant of the throne of, the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Min. In 944, he assassinated the emperor Wang Yanxi (also known as Wang Xi, Emperor Jingzong) ...

assassinated Wang Xi and took the throne himself, but later that year was in turn killed by the general Lin Renhan (), who then submitted the Min capital Fu Prefecture (福州, in modern Fuzhou,

) to Wang Yanzheng. The senior officials remaining at Fu went to Jian to request that he change the name of his state back to Min and move the capital back to Fu. Wang Yanzheng agreed to the former but not the latter (as he anticipated having to defend against an attack from the northwestern neighbor

Southern Tang Southern Tang () was a state in Southern China that existed during Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, which proclaimed itself to be the successor of the former Tang dynasty. The capital was located at Nanjing in present-day Jiangsu Province. ...

), so he, keeping the capital at Jian, made Fu the southern capital and put Wang Jichang in the position of overseer of the southern capital. He also sent the general Huang Renfeng () with a detachment to Fu to aid Wang Jichang, along with the general Wu Chengyi (), who had already been stationed there.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 284. However, it was said that Wang Jichang was weak in personality and often taking to drinking, not caring about his soldiers. The soldiers and the officers thus came to resent him. Two former officers,

Li Renda Li Renda () (died 947), also known by the names of Li Hongyi () (945–946), Li Hongda () (946), Li Da () (946–947), and Li Ruyun () (947), was a warlord of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. He was initially an officer for the ...

and Chen Jixun (), in particular, were worried for themselves because they had both defected from Wang Yanzheng's army previously. They met with Huang and persuaded him that Wang Yanzheng himself was in such a precarious position to defend against the Southern Tang attack such that they should rebel against him and seize control of Fu for themselves. Huang agreed. That day, they led an assault on the headquarters and killed Wang Jichang and Wu, seizing control of Fu.

Notes and references

* ''

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vol. 94
* ''

'', vol. 284. {{DEFAULTSORT:Wang, Jichang 945 deaths Year of birth unknown Politicians from Fujian Generals from Fujian Min Kingdom chancellors Min Kingdom generals Assassinated Chinese politicians 10th-century assassinated people