Wang Liang, courtesy name Fengshu, was from Lin Yi in Langya and was the sixth great-grandson of Wang Dao, the prime minister of the Jin Dynasty. His grandfather, Wang Yan, held the position of Right Minister of Guanglu and Grand Secretary in the Song Dynasty; his father, Wang You, served as a Yellow Gate Attendant. Wang Liang came from a prestigious family. When the Song Dynasty was about to collapse, he was selected to marry a princess and became a prince consort, later holding positions as the Prince of Guiyang, Prince of Nanjun, and Secretary.
Prince Ziliang of the Qi Dynasty built a residence in the west, recruited talented individuals, and established a "Shilin Hall," akin to a talent exchange center, commissioning portraits of all the individuals in the hall, Wang Liang included. Later, he was promoted to Libationer of the Central Secretariat, a Cavalier Attendant to the Grand Marshal, and then sent to serve as the Prefect of Hengyang. However, Hengyang, located in the south, is humid and damp, and he felt it was unsuitable for him, so he resigned and then took on the role of Yellow Gate Attendant. Shortly after, he was appointed as the Prefect of Jinling, where he served with integrity, achieved significant political success, and earned a strong reputation.
At that time, when Emperor Ming of Qi assumed the role of prime minister, he heard that Wang Liang governed Jinling well and valued him, appointing him as his Chief Military Historian, demonstrating great favor. After Emperor Ming of Qi ascended the throne, Wang Liang was promoted to the position of Imperial Household Department for the Crown Prince, the Ministry of Personnel, and his writings and commentaries gained high acclaim. Later, he was promoted to the position of attendant. Towards the end of the Jianwu era, he became the Minister of Personnel. At that time, Jiang Shi, the Right Deputy of the Imperial Secretariat, wielded significant power in court affairs, promoting numerous individuals and garnering support from many scholars. Wang Liang often found himself at odds with Jiang Shi due to his role in selecting officials within the Ministry of Personnel.
At first, Wang Liang had not yet been appointed as a minister in the Ministry of Personnel. Because Jiang Ji was the emperor's brother-in-law, they had a close relationship. Jiang Ji often praised him in front of the emperor, so the emperor held him in even higher regard. Even after Wang Liang became the Minister of Personnel, his relationship with Jiang Ji remained good. However, Jiang Ji was later killed, and some opportunists began to seize power. All official appointments were determined by the emperor's favored courtiers, and Wang Liang found himself powerless to intervene. On the surface, he appeared to be diligently reviewing officials, but in reality, he lacked genuine ability. The selection of officials was based solely on qualifications and rank, so people at that time did not think he had any ability. Later, he was promoted to the position of Attendant of the Regular Cavalry, Chief of the Right Guard for the Crown Prince, and finally became the Chief Clerk of the Right of the Masters of Writing and Central Guard. Later, when the Eastern Marquis of Donghun in Qi became tyrannical and misused his power, Wang Liang yielded to him to save his own life and ultimately escaped unharmed. When the Rebel Army arrived in Xinlin, officials inside and outside the city came out to welcome them. Those who were unable to greet them in person sent gifts to show their respect. However, Wang Liang did not send anyone to greet them. After the city was captured, everyone unanimously hailed Wang Liang as the hero. Wang Liang went to visit the founding emperor, who remarked, "You fell down, and no one helped you up. What use are those ministers?" However, Wang Liang was not held responsible. After establishing his dominance, the founding emperor appointed Wang Liang as Chief Clerk of the Grand Marshal, General Who Calms the Army, Prefect of Langye County, and Prefect of Qinghe County. Later, after the construction of the Liang Platform, Wang Liang was appointed as Palace Attendant and Prefect of the Masters of Writing. Wang Liang firmly declined at first but ultimately accepted the positions of Palace Attendant, Director of the Palace Library, and concurrently Prefect of the Masters of Writing. After the founding emperor abdicated in favor of his heir, he further promoted Wang Liang to Palace Attendant, Prefect of the Masters of Writing, and General of the Central Army, enabling him to assist the emperor with state affairs. He was granted the title of Duke of Yuning County, with a fief of two thousand households.
In the second year of Tianjian, Wang Liang was promoted to Left Minister of Guanglu, while retaining the positions of Imperial Attendant and General of the Central Army. During the New Year's court meeting, with envoys from various countries attending, Wang Liang did not attend the court meeting, citing illness as an excuse. Instead, he hosted a banquet for guests elsewhere and seemed to be in high spirits, chatting and laughing. A few days later, the Emperor ordered the officials to visit Wang Liang, who looked perfectly healthy. The Chief Imperial Censor, Le Ai, reported that Wang Liang had shown great disrespect and deserved the death penalty. As a result, the Emperor stripped Wang Liang of his title and demoted him to a commoner.
In the summer of the fourth year, Emperor Gaozu hosted a banquet in the Huaguang Hall and said to his ministers, "I work late every day in order to hear your opinions and see where I may have gone wrong. You are all talented and should give your best and offer more suggestions." Left Minister Fan Zhen stood up and said, "The Minister Xie Pu is not as capable as his reputation suggests, yet Your Majesty still values him greatly. On the other hand, the former Prime Minister Wang Liang was indeed talented, but Your Majesty abandoned him, which is hard for us to comprehend." Emperor Gaozu's expression changed upon hearing this and replied, "You may speak of other matters." Fan Zhen insisted on his opinion and refused to change his words, which displeased Emperor Gaozu. Taking advantage of the moment, Chief Imperial Censor Ren Fang then reported, "I have heard that Xifu and Lidie faced severe penalties under the Han Dynasty; Bai Bao's accusation led to severe punishment during the Jin Dynasty. Furthermore, what of someone like Fan Zhen, who speaks ill behind others' backs and openly defames the court? I heard that after returning from Jin'an, Fan Zhen told others, 'I do not visit others, only Wang Liang; I do not give gifts to others, only to Wang Liang.' Consequently, the authorities arrested Fan Zhen and gathered information from his associate, Wan Xiu, to corroborate these allegations."
Also, on the 10th of this month, when the emperor was bidding farewell to the governor of Liangzhou, Zhen Guo, after the banquet, all the ministers left, but the emperor retained ten individuals, including the attendant Ang, to discuss some political matters. Fan Zhen did not give a direct answer to the emperor's questions, but instead made random comments, which resulted in Minister Fei being demoted and commoner Wang Liang receiving a promotion. I was also there, attending to the emperor at that time, and heard and saw everything with my own ears and eyes. This is not just hearsay. Upon further reflection, Wang Liang had the emperor's favor when he entered the court, a friendship as deep as that depicted in the poem "Zhan Lu." After the banquet, we stood by the emperor's side, first noting the events, then the words spoken. Wang Liang was preoccupied with court matters and concerned about national issues, while Fan Zhen was disrespectful, making arbitrary praises and criticisms, undermining the positive atmosphere of the court and letting down his colleagues. If Fan Zhen is not punished severely, it will undermine the law, and he is the root cause of the problem.
Fan Zhen is a person who dresses flashy, but his words and actions are inconsistent. He boasts and stirs up trouble everywhere, showing off and spouting nonsense all around. He has no concept of loyalty; he only knows how to run his mouth and cover up his own mistakes. A few days ago, when the imperial army was deployed, Fan Zhen hid away at home, solely looking out for himself, putting on a show of nobility, but actually trying to please the emperor. Now that the situation has passed, he has begun to stir up trouble again, being fickle and doing all sorts of bad things. Recently, the emperor rewarded him with an official position, minimal contributions but hefty rewards, letting him be a local official and in charge of important departments. Even though he’s been showered with gifts, he feigns modesty, claiming his clothes are old, but in reality, he is greedy by nature. After being exposed by others, the emperor is disappointed in him. He fancies himself a court inspector, but seldom takes action against wrongdoers; he turns a blind eye to their misdeeds and likes to talk bad about others behind their backs. He should be locked up as a cautionary example! We recommend that Fan Zhen be stripped of his official position and turned over to the court for prosecution. Anyone connected to him should also be turned over to the authorities for legal action. Fan Zhen's official position should be documented on yellow paper, but I've written it on white paper.
The emperor agreed. The emperor personally questioned Fan Zhen, saying, "When you were young, you had no talent and no reputation. It was not easy for you to mix into the court full of talents. But later on, you fawned over Jiang Ji, became an official in the Ministry of Personnel, colluded with bad people like Mei Chong'er and Ru Fazhen, and did a lot of bad things. The people suffered, families were destroyed, and the world fell into chaos; whose fault is that? You drew a salary from the court yet thrived during a time of peace. You associated with those bad people, abused your power, lived in luxury, and when the situation became critical, you turned against one another. You erected a stone tablet yet failed to acknowledge your guilt. I forgave your past sins upon your surrender. You are fickle, disloyal, corrupt, and greedy. What else is there to say! Confess to your crimes honestly!" The emperor listed ten charges, but Fan Zhen could not answer. So Fan Zhen stayed behind closed doors and avoided seeing anyone. After his mother passed away, he mourned very seriously.
Eight years later, the emperor appointed him as the Secretary of the Secretariat, and shortly after he was promoted to the Attendant of the Imperial Horse. In a few days, he was promoted to the Minister of Ceremonies. Nine years later, he was promoted to the Chief of the Secretarial Bureau and also appointed as the Attendant of the Imperial Horse. He died that same year. The emperor granted him thirty thousand coins and fifty bolts of silk. He was posthumously given the title "Yangzi."
Zhang Ji, courtesy name Gongqiao, was a native of Wu County. His father, Zhang Yong, served as the Right Guanglu Daifu of the Song Dynasty, holding a significant government post. Zhang Ji's mother fell ill and remained sick for a long time. At the age of eleven, Zhang Ji would stay fully dressed at night to care for his mother, and his father thought this child was extraordinary. After his mother passed away, Zhang Ji was devastated by grief, became emaciated, and could barely stand and needed a cane for support. He was straightforward by nature but was very intelligent and talented. He, along with his cousins Zhang Chong, Zhang Rong, and Zhang Juan, were well-known. People praised them as the "Four Zhangs": Chong, Rong, Juan, and Ji. Initially, the court appointed him as a Zuo Lang in the Imperial Academy, but he did not take up the position because his parents had passed away one after the other. He observed a six-year mourning period and lived next to his parents' graves. After completing the mourning period, he became a military officer in the Piaoqi Law Office, and later was promoted to a military officer in the Outer Army.
He has been a filial son since a young age. When his mother was sick, at the age of eleven, he stayed up all night to take care of her. Who could shoulder such a burden! His father saw all of this and thought that this child would definitely have a bright future. After his mother's death, he was even more grief-stricken, emaciated, highlighting the depth of his emotions. Although he had a straightforward personality, he had real abilities. Together with his cousins, they were famous figures at the time, known as the "Four Zhangs," which was quite impressive. However, he initially did not take up the position, observing a six-year mourning period, showing unparalleled filial piety. This was the true "filial son and virtuous grandson"! He only started his official career later, step by step, starting from being a military officer, with a bright future ahead!
During the Yongming period of the Qi Dynasty, he became the Magistrate of Yan County. However, he was not very diligent in his duties, spending his days exploring and enjoying the scenery. When Tang Yuzhi rebelled, he proved to be quite capable and quickly organized the people in the county to protect the entire county.
Later, he was promoted and first served as the Prince's stableman, then as the Grand Marshal's Eastern Clerk, followed by the friend of the Prince of Jian'an, and later became the Grand Marshal's aide. He then served as the military commander for Prince Wuling, was promoted to Guard General, and shortly after became the Administrator of Benzhou. When Emperor Mingdi became the governor of the province, he became the Deputy. When the Wei army attacked Shou Chun, he was appointed as General of Ning Shuo and military commander, guarding Yuzhou with the Minister of Works Shen Wenji. After the Wei army retreated, he was promoted to General of Pingxi, General of Ning Shuo, and Internal Historian of Nanping. Not long after, when the Wei army attacked Yongzhou again, the court sent him, still in his original position, to command the military in Jingzhou and Yongzhou. At that time, the Governor of Yongzhou, Cao Hu, was resisting the enemy at the bank of Fancheng, so he served as the acting Governor of Yongzhou. After the Wei army retreated, he returned to Jingzhou and was appointed as Attendant of the Yellow Gate, also serving as the Marshal and concurrently as Prefect of Xinxing and Yongning. Because the name "Yongning" violated the emperor's taboo, it was renamed to "Changning." Shortly after, he was promoted to Minister of Works and also received the title of Assistant General.
Later, the Governor of Jiangzhou, Chen Xianda, rebelled. He was then sent to guard Liyang and Nanqiao counties, and later promoted to be the Chief of Zhen Nan Province, the Prefect of Xunyang, and also the Assistant General, as well as acting in Jiangzhou's affairs. Not long after, he was recalled by the court and became Governor, Assistant General, Commander of the Northern Xu Province military forces, and Governor of Northern Xu Province. Upon his arrival in Bai Xia, he was promoted to Commander of the military forces of Southern Yan Province and Governor of Southern Yan Province. Soon after, he was promoted to Commander of the military forces of Northern Xu, Xu, Yan, Qing, and Ji Provinces, with his military rank remaining the same. As the Yongyuan era drew to a close, he was recalled by the court to serve as an imperial attendant in the palace. When the rebels attacked, the Guard, Jiang Yan, fled, so he took on the role of the Guard and, together with Wang Ying, was responsible for the military defense of the city.
At that time, the emperor was incompetent and tyrannical, and the rebels had surrounded the capital for a long time. The people in the city wanted to see him gone, but no one dared to act first. Wang Zhenguo, the Governor of Northern Xu Province, went to discuss this matter with Xiao Daocheng (Ji), who then dispatched his aide, Zhang Qi, to assassinate the tyrant in the Handede Hall.
Xiao Daocheng then called the Right Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Wang Liang, and others to sit under the West Bell Tower in front of the hall, and addressed them, "In the past, when Xia Jie was incompetent and unjust, Shang Tang replaced him; when King Zhou was tyrannical, King Wu of Zhou destroyed him. Now this tyrant has cut off his ties with the heavens, and the people of the realm have all submitted to the emperor. This is akin to Viscount Wei abandoning the Yin Dynasty, and to Xiang Bo submitting to Liu Bang. Shouldn't we take action as well?" After he spoke, he sent the Imperial Scholar Fan Yun and others to meet Xiao Daocheng (Gaozu) at Shitoucheng. Xiao Daocheng appointed Xiao Daocheng (Ji) as an attendant and the Left Guard General.
Xiao Daocheng gained control over the court's political power and was later promoted to Grand Marshal and Left General. After the completion of the Liang Tower, Xiao Daocheng also became the Minister of the Cavalry and Chancellor of the Secretariat. After declaring himself emperor, Xiao Daocheng was granted the title of Marquis of Jiang'an County with a fief of one thousand households in recognition of his contributions. He also served as the Palace Attendant, Director of the Imperial Academy, and General of the Swift Cavalry. Later, he was promoted to General of the Guard and Governor of Yangzhou but was dismissed from these positions due to various incidents. Shortly after, he was appointed as Minister of Finance, Former General, and Commander of the Right Guard for the Crown Prince but was dismissed again due to official matters. He subsequently became the Minister of Rites, then was promoted to Minister of the Cavalry, Chief of the Capital Secretariat, Governor of Yangzhou, while also overseeing military affairs. He was later promoted to General of the Army, retaining his titles and ranks.
At that time, when the Wei army invaded Qingzhou, the court ordered him to lead troops to Qingzhou and oversee military operations there. After the retreat of the Wei army, he was appointed as Minister of the Cavalry, General, and Prefect of Wuxing, with a rank equivalent to 2,000 dan. Upon taking office, he first paid a visit to the local elders and arranged for their descendants to be employed by the government. His governance was renowned for his kindness and benevolence. He was later promoted to General of the Cloud Banners and summoned as Left Deputy Director of the Secretariat. The emperor wished to visit his residence personally, but due to the heat, he met him at the Deputy Director's office. Normally, when the emperor visits an official's residence, the expenses would typically be covered by the Imperial Household Department. However, aware of Xiao Daocheng's modest means, the emperor issued a decree exempting him from these expenses.
Later, he was appointed as Commissioner, Minister of the Cavalry, and Commander of military affairs in the provinces of Qing and Ji. When the Wei army invaded Qushan, the court ordered Xiao Daocheng to encamp six miles away and command the forces. After the battle, he was promoted to General of the Northern Defense.
It is said that Yuzhou was close to the border, and the local people often traded with the Wei people. Later, there was a rebellion in Qushan, and some of the locals even colluded with Wei, leading to widespread fear and instability. At that time, Governor Ji was quite lax in his administration, without any preventive measures in place, and his subordinates exploited the situation. As a result, local people such as Xu Daojiao attacked the city at night, killing Governor Ji, who was 63 at the time. The court subsequently stripped him of his title and lands.
Ji was upright and easy to get along with. He had been in office for many years, never engaged in corruption or greed, saving nothing for himself, and giving his salary to relatives and friends, leaving his family with no extra money. When he left Wuxing County and was summoned by the court to be the Minister of Works, as he passed through Wuxiang, the roads and waterways were filled with people coming to greet him. However, he traveled light and went straight back to the capital; many people didn’t recognize him; he had always been this unassuming.
Ji's daughter, Chu Yuan, married into the Kong family in Kuaiji, but they did not have any children and later returned to her mother's home. When Ji was killed, Chu Yuan protected her father with her own body, blocking the blade; her father died, and she was injured as well. Ji's son Sheng has a separate account.
Juan Zi Lingyuan was Ji's cousin, renowned for his political acumen from a young age, and served as the Minister of Works. He passed away in the early years of the Liang Tianjian era.
Wang Ying, courtesy name Fengguang, was a native of Linyi in Langye. His father, Wang Mao, held the position of Grand Master of the Imperial Granary and Marquis Xi of Nanxiang. Wang Ying married Princess Linhuai of Song and was appointed as Duke of the Imperial Guards. He later became a Gentleman of the Imperial Writings, and gradually rose through the ranks to become an Attendant to the Crown Prince, Chief of Military Affairs, Cavalry General, and Left Adjunct of the Ministry of Works. During the time when Emperor Gao of Qi was the General of the Cavalry, he invited Wang Ying to serve as his Attendant Gentleman. Not long after, he was appointed as the Prefect of Yixing, taking over the position from Xie Chaozong. After Xie Chaozong left Yixing County, he harbored resentment towards Wang Ying, and after returning to the capital, he accused Wang Ying of embezzling salary during his tenure, which resulted in Wang Ying's dismissal. Much later, Wang Ying was appointed as a Consultant to the Vanguard, Attendant Gentleman of the Palace Library, and Assistant Gentleman to the Grand Marshal, but before he could take up the position, his mother passed away and he needed to observe a mourning period. After completing the mourning period, he was reappointed as a Yellow Gate Attendant, later reassigned as the Prefect of Xuancheng, and then promoted to Chief of the Cavalry. He then served as a Yellow Gate Attendant, Marshal, Junior Palace Attendant to the Crown Prince, and then further promoted to Palace Attendant. However, due to his father's passing, he resigned to observe mourning. After completing the mourning period, he was reappointed as a Palace Attendant, also serving as Chief of Archery, and later became Champion General and Prefect of Dongyang. He enacted numerous benevolent policies in Dongyang County and was later promoted to Prefect of Wuxing. Emperor Ming of Liang was diligent in state affairs and cared for the hardships of the people. Wang Ying achieved remarkable political accomplishments in both Dongyang and Wuxing counties, gaining the Emperor's favor and acclaim. He was later appointed as Advisor to the Crown Prince and Commander of the Central Army.
In the first year of Yongyuan, the court was in the hands of a group of unscrupulous officials, and although Wang Ying was conscientious and dedicated, she was unable to change the situation. Wang Ying's younger brother Wang Liang was an official in the court at the time. Although the relationship between the two siblings was strained, Wang Liang wanted to work with Wang Ying. So Wang Ying was promoted to the position of Left Deputy of the Ministry of Personnel before she had the chance to assume her duties. At this time, General Cui Huijing led his troops from Jingkou to support Prince Zao of Jiangxia in rebellion. Wang Ying was ordered to lead her forces against Cui Huijing at Hutou. That night, she was ambushed by Cui Huijing, causing her army to scatter, and Wang Ying escaped by jumping into the water and escaping by boat to Leyou Park, eventually returning to Taicheng. Following Cui Huijing's defeat, Wang Ying returned to the military headquarters. After the rebel forces arrived, Wang Ying was once again ordered to lead the military affairs of the palace city. After the stabilization of Jiankang City, Emperor Xiaodao Cheng was appointed Prime Minister, promoted Wang Ying to Left Chief Historian, granted her the title of Crown Champion General, and had her escort the emperor to Jiangling. After the emperor arrived in the southern state, he abdicated in another palace. After Emperor Xiaodao Cheng ascended the throne, Wang Ying was promoted to Palace Attendant and General of the Army, and was appointed as Duke of Jiancheng County with a fief of one thousand households. Shortly after, she was promoted to Left Deputy of the Ministry of Personnel, with her positions as Palace Attendant and General of the Army unchanged. Shortly thereafter, she served as General of the Guard, and later was promoted to Cavalier Attendant, General of the Central Army, and Intendant of Danyang. She held the position of Intendant of Danyang for three years, then was promoted to Palace Attendant and Grandee of the Palace, concurrently serving as General of the Left Guard. Soon after, she was promoted to Prefect of the Masters of Writing and General of Cloud Banners, with her position as Palace Attendant unchanged. Later, she rose to the rank of General of the Central Authority, and was assigned a band of musicians. Wang Ying was recognized for her integrity, prudence, and commitment to her responsibilities, and Emperor Xiaodao Cheng held her in high regard.
In the fifteenth year of Tianjian, Wang Ying was promoted to Left Minister of Rites and Grand Councilor, while his positions as Danyang Yin and Shizhong remained unchanged. Wang Ying was about to take office, and the craftsmen tasked with making his seal made six attempts, each resulting in the seal breaking! Finally, it was successfully cast, but the neck of the seal was hollow and incomplete, so it had to be repaired before being used. He died only six days after taking office. He was posthumously honored with the titles of Shizhong, Left Minister of Rites, and Grand Councilor.
Yao Cha, the Minister of Personnel of the Chen Dynasty, said, "Confucius noted, 'During the Yin Dynasty, there were three virtuous men: Weizi Qi who fled the Shang, Jizi who willingly became a slave, and Bi Gan who was killed for his honesty.' Wang Liang lived in chaotic times, and his status and power were evident. How does he differ from these three virtuous men in terms of choices and sacrifices? Moreover, he assisted the founding king and enjoyed a relaxed political environment. As a founding figure, he should have felt ashamed! His eventual downfall was not just bad luck; it was self-inflicted. The Book of Changes says, 'If one insists on occupying a position that is not meant for them, they will inevitably fall into danger.' It's a shame that Wang Liang went astray! Zhang Ji was punished for his involvement in the political upheaval, which was also a thing of that time. Could the six failures of Wang Ying's seal be a warning from above? 'How can one escape the wrath of the gods?'"
