How did Wang Jian, a general of the late Tang Dynasty, become the founding monarch of Former Shu

Wang Jian is from Wuyang, Xuzhou. He has a dignified appearance and is known for his broad eyebrows and majestic appearance. When Wang Jian was young, he was a scoundrel who ran rampant in the countryside, known as the “Thief King Eight” for his activities such as slaughtering cows, stealing donkeys, and smuggling salt. Wang Jian once became a fugitive and later joined the army. He later became a loyal soldier and was slightly transferred to the rank of general. Below, the history encyclopedia editor will bring you a detailed introduction. Let’s take a look together!
In 880, Huang Chao led the rebel army to capture Chang’an City, and Tang Xizong fled to Shu in haste. Afterwards, the Tang Dynasty organized an army to fight against Huang Chao, including the Zhongwu Army led by Wang Jian. At this time, Wang Jian had become one of the eight commanders of the loyal army, leading a thousand soldiers. Afterwards, the Zhongwu Army split, and Wang Jian and five other leaders led their troops into Sichuan and defected to Tang Xizong. Emperor Xizong of Tang was very pleased and appointed Tian Lingzi, the commander of the Ten Armies, as his adopted son.
After Tang Xizong returned to Chang’an, he trusted Wang Jian and others very much and appointed them to lead the Shence Army (i.e. the Forbidden Army). Wang Chongrong invaded Chang’an and, during his escape to Xingyuan, “appointed Jian as the Qing Dynasty’s envoy and carried the jade seal to obey. At that time, the boardwalk was burned down and the road was difficult to navigate. ‘Building and controlling the horses of Emperor Xizong, passing through smoke and flames.’. When resting at night, Emperor Xizong of Tang slept with Wang Jian’s knee on his head, “Upon waking up, tears streamed down his face, and he untied his imperial robe and bestowed it upon him.
But with the loss of power by his adoptive father Tian Lingzi, Wang Jian, who had saved the emperor, was ostracized. Eunuch Yang Fugong became a lieutenant of the Left Divine Strategy and a military appearance inspector. After he came to power, he “denounced the party of Lingzi” and Wang Jian was forced to leave the Divine Strategy Army to serve as the governor of Lizhou. At this time, Wang Jian had lost confidence in the Tang Dynasty. After coming to Lizhou, he recruited troops and network talents, actively expanding his strength. After ten years of hard work, Wang Jian fully mastered the western and eastern Sichuan, which is now most of Sichuan.
After Zhu Wen deposed the Tang Dynasty emperor, he declared himself emperor and established the Later Liang regime. He also sent envoys to pacify Wang Jian. Wang Jian refused to recognize the legitimacy of Later Liang and instead wrote letters to other separatist regimes, calling for an uprising to suppress Zhu Wen. However, “all sides know that he is dishonest and should not be punished”. In this situation, Wang Jian had two options to choose from: one was to declare himself emperor, and the other was to continue using the banner of the Tang Dynasty. Wang Jian chose the first option.
In September 907, Wang Jian led officials and people to weep for three days, expressing their sadness for the downfall of the Tang Dynasty. He then ascended to the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, with the country being called Da Shu and historically known as Qian Shu. Although Wang Jian came from a humble background and had little education, he respected scholars very much. “Although the Shu Lord is ignorant of books, he is good at discussing with scholars and has a rough understanding of their principles. Many literati of the Tang Dynasty fled to Sichuan for refuge, and Wang Jian highly valued them, “so their inscriptions and cultural relics have the legacy of the Tang Dynasty.
During the reign of Wang Jian, there were no large-scale wars in the territory of Former Shu. The economy was prosperous and the people lived and worked in peace, making it a pure land in times of chaos. In 918, 71 year old Wang Jian passed away due to illness, and his son Wang Yan succeeded him to the throne. Wang Yan was a tyrannical ruler during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. During his reign, he indulged in extravagance and debauchery, and ultimately lost the country that his father had worked hard to establish. As the saying goes, “it is even harder to start a business and maintain it.