Customs and Folk Culture - A Thousand Years of Chinese Cultural Treasures

Author: Qin Yu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: The Caowang Stele records that Wang Gao, surnamed Wang and named Li, styled Zilan, was posthumously honored as King Cheng. His ancestors were descended from King Ming, who was a son of Emperor Taizong and enfeoffed as King of Cao. The title was restored, and it passed through five kings until King Cheng. King Cheng inherited the title during Emperor Xuanzong's reign, and he was around seventeen or eighteen years old at the time. After three years of ruling, conflicts broke out in Henan and Hebei, causing turmoil across the empire. The king, accompanied by his mother, the Grand Empress Dowager, fled to the people and sought refuge in Shu, where he followed the emperor. The emperor, remembering his loyalty, appointed him as the Left General of the Imperial Guard and later promoted him to Vice Director of the Imperial Academy and Secretary of the National University.
When the king lost his predecessor at the age of ten, he grieved deeply, and even the guests could not bear to hear his sorrow. After the mourning period ended, he devoted himself to studying and honed his skills. As he grew older, he became deeply concerned with human affairs and the pressing issues of the time, ashamed of his own ignorance. While serving the Grand Empress Dowager and accompanying the emperor in Shu, he demonstrated both filial piety and loyalty. He conducted himself with integrity both in public and private, which led the court to consider testing his abilities among the people.
In the first year of the Shangyuan era, he was appointed as the Magistrate of Wenzhou and acting Governor of the prefecture. Jiangdong had recently suffered from warfare, and the prefecture was hit by drought and famine, with people dying in droves. Upon his arrival, the king did not even take off his clothes and ordered the granaries to be opened, distributing their contents to the people, saving millions of lives. His report led to his promotion to the position of Director of the Imperial Workshops. He helped suppress the Yuan rebels and was subsequently transferred to the Imperial Academy, serving as both Vice Director and Deputy Governor of the prefecture. The region reported no further disturbances. He was then moved to Hengzhou, where he established effective laws and governance, surpassing Zhang Shi in both method and reputation. His fame grew, and his influence extended. However, the Regional Inspection Commissioner, unable to breathe due to the king's presence, falsely accused him of misconduct, supported by the censors. He was demoted to the position of Governor of Chaozhou.
Yang Yan, who later served as the Chancellor of Emperor Dezong in Daozhou, had the king reinstated in Hengzhou, citing his previous unjust treatment. The king's unjust accusation was rectified, and he was deeply concerned about the aged Grand Empress Dowager, fearing her distress. He appeared in prison attire for his defense and, in court, held his ceremonial staff and wore his official robes with dignity. When he was demoted to Chaozhou, he was later transferred to Hezhou. It was only then that he knelt to express his gratitude and clarify the truth.
Earlier, the Regional Inspection Commissioner had cruelly treated General Jiang Liang, who rebelled and led ten thousand troops to the frontier. The king gathered troops from Jing, Gui, Hong, and Guilin to suppress him. In the second year, the rebellion intensified, and the emperor appointed the king as the commander of Hunan, leading fifty thousand soldiers to Liang. Upon arrival, the king concealed his troops and sent a letter to Liang, which touched upon his sensitivities. Liang, ashamed and fearful, sought surrender, and his subordinates hesitated. The king pretended to be an envoy, riding alone for five hundred miles to Liang's camp, shouting at the gate: "I am King Cao, come to receive Liang's surrender—where is Liang?" Liang, unable to resist, greeted him in shock and surrendered his entire army.
When the Grand Empress Dowager passed away, the king abandoned his post to follow her remains to Henan for burial. Upon reaching Jing, he was ordered to return but, coincidentally, encountered the rebellion of Liang Chongyi, and thus he could not refuse the order to return. He was promoted to the rank of. The following year, when Li Xili rebelled, the king was appointed as the Director of Censors and granted military authority to lead troops to suppress him in Jiangxi. Upon receiving the order, he resided outside the city, forbidding any personal affairs to disturb him. He gathered and trained troops in Jiangzhou, appointing capable individuals to key positions, personally instructing them in martial arts, tactics, and strategies. He led an army of twenty thousand, engaging the enemy in skirmishes. He defeated them at Fengfeng, captured Huai'an in Huangmei, subdued Changping in Guangji, overwhelmed Qichun, seized Shuishui, took Huanggang, laughed at Hanyang, marched across Hanchuan, and returned to the Qishui region, conquering An County and the prefecture, executing the false governor, and marking the northern mountains of Guang. He then moved to Guanghuang, established a military post, and implemented a policy of taxing one in ten, providing relief to the northeastern towns, and accepting surrenders. In thirty-two battles, he captured five prefectures and nineteen counties, leaving no harm to the elderly, women, or children, and ensuring markets remained open. His fields and crops remained untouched. He was further honored as the Silver and Green Robe Grand Master and Minister of Works, later transferring to the Ministry of Revenue. He was again granted military authority over Jing and Xiang, receiving a fief of three hundred.
During his military campaigns, the emperor traveled west to Liang, while Li Xili seized Bian and Zheng in the north, expanded eastward into Shang, besieged Chen, took Yu in the west, and approached the Eastern Capital. The king, positioned in the south but facing north, shattered the enemy's advance, causing them to suffer heavy losses and retreat. Ten thousand enemy soldiers were killed, and their remnants were driven south.
The king began his governance in Wenzhou and ended it in Xiang, always working to stabilize prices, distributing grain during scarcity, and ensuring the people's livelihood. He ruled with strict discipline, making orders clear and visible to all, eliminating crime and corruption. No urgent footsteps or loud calls were heard in the government offices.