Chapter 246 Chapter 245 Taizu Wang Shenzhi

Wang Shenzhi, courtesy name Xintong, was born in Gushi, Guangzhou (now part of Henan).Born in the third year of Tang Xiantong (862 AD), his father was Wang Ping and his mother was a farmer.Brother Wang Chao is the county governor. The three brothers Wang Chao, Wang Shenzhi, and Wang Shenju lived in Gushi, Guangzhou (now Gushi, Henan) for generations, and worked in agriculture.After Wang Xu, a butcher in Shouzhou, Anhui, raised his troops to capture Gwangju, the three of them defected to Wang Xu together. They were defeated and went south, passing through Jiangxi and entering Tingzhou, Fujian.The three Wang brothers are tall and brave in battle, and they are highly valued, especially Wang Shenzhi, who is brave and resourceful, often rides a white horse across the battlefield, and is known as "White Horse Saburo".But this just violated Wang Xu's taboo. Wang Xu was narrow-minded, and he would do everything possible to kill any soldier who was slightly superior to him, and his brother-in-law Liu Xingquan was killed because of this.Therefore, everyone in the army is in danger, and the three Wang brothers feel even more precarious.When the team marched to Nan'an, Fujian, they united with the vanguard generals, set up an ambush in a bamboo forest, and suddenly kidnapped Wang Xu.In August of the second year of Guangqi (886 A.D.), he captured Quanzhou City and killed Liao Yanruo, the assassin.Chen Yanbiao, Fujian's observer, made Wang Chao the governor of Quanzhou.Since the Wang brothers acquired Quanzhou, they used it as a base to attract scattered people, develop agriculture, reduce taxes, and train soldiers, which won the hearts of the people.

In the second year of Dashun (891 A.D.), Chen Yan died, and his wife and younger brother Fan Ye acted as an observer on his behalf, tyrannical and innocent.Wang Chao sent troops to attack Fuzhou.In the second year of Jingfu (893 A.D.), Ye was killed by his subordinates. Wang Shenzhi led his troops to capture Fuzhou in one fell swoop, and then took Jianzhou (Zhi Jian'an, now Jian'ou, Fujian), Tingzhou, Zhangzhou, and occupied Fujian. The whole territory.Tang Zhaozong appointed Wang Chao as Fuzhou Jiedu envoy and Shenzhi as deputy envoy.In the winter of the fourth year of Qianning (897 A.D.), Wang Chao became ill and died soon after.Wang Shenzhi succeeded his elder brother.In the first year of Shengping in the Later Liang Dynasty (907 A.D.), Shenzhi was granted the title of King of Fujian by Liang.

Wang Shenzhi was born in a peasant family, and he was busy with his father in ridges since he was a child. He has a better understanding of the sufferings of the people and the harm that tyranny and wars have brought to farmers since the end of Tang Dynasty. Therefore, during the 29 years he ruled central Fujian, he has been The national policy is to protect the environment and the people. Since taking down Fujian, Shenzhi has ceased the war with the outside world, and has lived in friendly relations with neighboring countries, basically refraining from fighting.For the Liang and Tang Dynasties of the Central Plains who proclaimed themselves emperor, he has always been a minister and paid tribute.Some of his subordinates persuaded him to proclaim himself emperor, but he refused.Therefore, during his reign, he always claimed to be the king of Fujian and did not proclaim himself emperor, thus ensuring the peace of Fujian for 30 years.

In terms of internal politics, Wang Shenzhi paid attention to the reform of the tyrannical government since the end of the Tang Dynasty. He required officials to be honest and honest, save punishment and save money.He himself was frugal.His mansion is simple and simple, and it is not often maintained.I often wear hemp shoes and wear ordinary clothes.When the clothes were torn, I used the waste bags in the wine store to sew them up.And can rationally restrict and restrain one's extravagant desires. In terms of economy, he implemented policies such as persuading farmers to cultivate mulberry fields, lightening corvees and reducing taxes.At the same time, it took advantage of the coastal areas of Fujian to open up seaports and attract foreign merchants.Reward trade.In addition, he also recruited talents extensively, so that many exiled scholars in the late Tang Dynasty and the children of Gongqing gathered around him as his assistants.He also established schools to educate local scholars and scholars.The Fujian region, which has always been culturally and economically backward, has developed in all aspects during this period.

On December 12th in the third year of Tongguang (AD 925), Shenzhi died of illness at the age of 64. He was posthumously named "Zhongyi" and the temple name was "Taizu". He was buried in Fengchi Mountain in the north of Fuzhou City, called Xuanling Mausoleum.