Wang Yanhan

King Si of Min Mân tự vương
King of Great Min ( đại mân quốc vương )
Reign	November 13, 926 – January 14, 927
Predecessor	Wang Shenzhi
Successor	Wang Yanjun
Jiedushiof Weiwu Circuit ( uy vũ quân tiết độ sứ )
Tenure	November 13, 926– January 14, 927 (Acting: December 30, 925– November 13, 926)
Predecessor	Wang Shenzhi
Successor	Wang Yanhan
Born	unknown
Died	January 14, 927
Burial	in modernJin'an District, Fuzhou
Full name Family name: Wáng( vương ) Given name: Yánhàn ( duyên hàn ) Era name and dates Tiancheng ( thiên thành ) (adopted theLater Tang'sera name): 926 Posthumous name King Si ( tự vương )
House	Wang
Dynasty	Min

Wang Yanhan(Chinese:Vương duyên hàn) (died January 14, 927),courtesy nameZiyi(Tử dật), also known by hisposthumous nameas theKing Si of Min(Mân tự vương), was arulerofMinduring theFive Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms periodof China. He ruled briefly after the death of his fatherWang Shenzhi(Prince Zhongyi) without a regal title, but later declared himself king.Just two months after declaring himself king, he was overthrown and killed in a revolt by his adoptive brotherWang Yanbingand younger biological brotherWang Yanjun.Wang Yanjun took over the state thereafter.

Background

Perhaps because of the briefness of his reign and his eventual fate, little is known about Wang Yanhan's person prior to his reign, including who his mother was or when he was born. It is known that he was the oldest son ofWang Shenzhithe Prince of Min,and that, at least by 925, he was carrying the title of deputy military governor of Weiwu Circuit ( uy vũ, headquartered in modernFuzhou,Fu gian) — as his father Wang Shenzhi, at that time, had, among his titles, the title of military governor (Jiedushi) of Weiwu, as a vassal ofLater Tang.It was said that Wang Yanhan was handsome, tall, and studious.

When Wang Shenzhi fell ill in summer 925, he had Wang Yanhan take over the affairs of the state. When Wang Shenzhi died later in 925, Wang Yanhan took over the state, but initially did not declare any regal titles, but instead only the title of acting military governor of Weiwu.(A rumor at that time — later claimed to be true by Wang Yanhan's adoptive brotherWang Yanbing— was that Wang Shenzhi was poisoned by Wang Yanhan's wifeLady Cui,but it cannot be known whether the rumor was true.)

As military governor of Weiwu

An immediate crisis that Wang Yanhan had to deal with in the aftermaths of Wang Shenzhi's death was that at the same time, one Chen Ben (Trần bổn), from Ting Prefecture ( đinh châu, in modernLongyan,Fu gian) rose against his rule, gathered 30,000 men, and sieged Ting Prefecture. Wang sent his general Liu Yong (Liễu ung) with 20,000 men to attack Chen. By spring 926, Liu had defeated and killed Chen, ending his rebellion.

Meanwhile, then-reigning emperor of Later Tang,Emperor Zhuangzong,had heard of Wang Yanhan's succession, and bestowed on Wang Yanhan the title of military governor of Weiwu, but shortly after, Emperor Zhuangzong himself was killed in a mutiny.Emperor Zhuangzong was succeeded by his adoptive brotherEmperor Mingzong,who confirmed the commission and further gave Wang the honorarychancellortitle ofTong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi(Cùng trung thư môn hạ bình chương sự).

As king

The bronze gilt lion-shaped incense burner of Wang Yanhan, King of Min. It is housed in theFu gian Museum.

However, despite these honors granted him by the Later Tang imperial court, Wang Yanhan, who was described to be arrogant and violent by this point, declared himself King of Min in winter 926. He also established a government in the form of an imperial government, referred to his residence as a palace, and declared a general pardon, thus in effect declared independence from Later Tang (as those were all trappings of an emperor), although there was no record of him declaring anera nameindependent of Later Tang's.

Wang was said to be distant from his brothers, and shortly after he took over control of the state, sent his younger brotherWang Yanjunout of the capital Fu Prefecture to be the prefect of Quan Prefecture ( Tuyền Châu, in modernQuanzhou,Fu gian). Further, he was gathering many women among his people to fill his palace. Both Wang Yanjun and an adoptive brother, Wang Yanbing, who was then the prefect of Jian Prefecture ( Kiến Châu, in modernNanping,Fu gian), both advised him against it, but he refused to listen, causing friction between him and both of those brothers. Around the new year 927, Wang Yanbing and Wang Yanjun jointly attacked Fu Prefecture. Wang Yanbing arrived first and defeated Wang Yanhan's general Chen Tao (Trần đào), causing Chen to commit suicide. That night, Wang Yanbing took his soldiers, scaled the walls of the city, and entered, capturing Wang Yanhan. Wang Yanbing publicly accused Wang Yanhan of crimes, including murdering their father Wang Shenzhi along with Lady Cui, and executed him. When Wang Yanjun arrived shortly later, Wang Yanbing supported him to be the new acting military governor of Weiwu.

Notes and references

• Old History of the Five Dynasties,vol. 134.
• New History of the Five Dynasties,vol. 68.
• Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms(Mười quốc xuân thu),vol. 91.
• Zizhi Tong gian,vols.273,274,275.