Wang Shichong (; 567– August 621), courtesy name Xingman (), was a Chinese military general, monarch, and politician during the Sui dynasty who deposed Sui's last emperor Yang Tong and briefly ruled as the emperor of a succeeding state of Zheng. He first became prominent during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui as one of the few Sui generals having success against rebel generals, and during Yang Tong's brief reign, he was able to defeat the rebel general Li Mi and seize Li Mi's territory. After becoming emperor, however, he was unable to withstand military pressure from Tang dynasty forces, forcing him to seek aid from Dou Jiande the Prince of Xia. After Dou was defeated and captured by the Tang general Li Shimin (the later Emperor Taizong), Wang surrendered. Emperor Gaozu of Tang spared him, but the Tang official Dugu Xiude (), whose father Dugu Ji () had been executed by Wang, assassinated him.
Early career Wang Shichong's ancestors were surnamed Zhi (), originally from the Western Regions (Xiyu) and were presumably ethnic Yuezhi from his surname. After his grandfather Zhi Tuinou () died early, his grandmother married a man named Wang, who also adopted his father Zhi Shou (), who thereafter changed his name to Wang. Wang Shou later served as a secretary to the governor of Bian Province (, roughly modern Kaifeng, Henan). The Book of Sui described Wang as a cunning and skeptical man with curly hair and a jackal-like voice.
Wang Shichong himself was said to be studious in his youth, particularly concentrating on military strategies. He was also well-acquainted with laws. He apparently had contributions as a soldier and was gradually promoted. It was said that he was skillful in his application of laws and use of language, such that even when he made suggestions that did not appear to make sense logically, people were unable to refute him.() Sui Shu, vol.85
By 610, after Zhang Heng (), the supervising official of Emperor Yang's palace at Jiangdu (, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), fell from Emperor Yang's grace, Wang replaced him. As Emperor Yang frequently visited Jiangdu, Wang was said to be skillful at flattering the emperor as well as decorating the palace in an extravagant manner, bringing favor from the emperor. It was further said that Wang understood that Sui was soon to be in disturbance, and therefore carefully cultivated relationships with brave men. Whenever people were imprisoned, he would often find ways to free them, to gain their gratitude.
In 613, when the general Yang Xuangan rebelled near the eastern capital Luoyang, agrarian rebels south of the Yangtze River rose as well, with Liu Yuanjin () as their leader. Emperor Yang initially sent the generals Tuwan Xu () and Yu Juluo () against Liu, but Tuwan and Yu were not able to defeat Liu conclusively. Emperor Yang executed Yu, and Tuwan died in fear. Emperor Yang instead sent Wang, and Wang defeated Liu, killing him. Wang initially promised not to kill Liu's soldiers, and they surrendered, but he slaughtered them after they surrendered. However, Emperor Yang, believing that Wang was a capable general, bestowed even greater favor on him.
In 614, the major rebel leader Meng Rang () advanced south from his home commandery, Qi Commandery (roughly modern Jinan, Shandong), advancing to Xuyi (, in modern Huai'an, Jiangsu). Wang led his army against Meng and built five fences to block Meng's path, while feigning weakness. Meng, believing Wang to be an incompetent civilian, spread his forces, not only to attack Wang, but also to pillage the area. Wang, catching Meng by surprise, struck back, defeating Meng and forcing him to flee.
In the fall of 615, Emperor Yang, Empress Xiao, and much of the Sui court was touring Yanmen Commandery on the northern frontier when it received word from the Chinese princess Yicheng that her husband, Shibi Khan, was launching a surprise attack on the area. They hurried to the commandery seat at present-day Daixian in Shanxi;. the Turks besieged it on 11 September. Academia Sinica Sima Guang, Zizhi Tongjian, Vol. 182. The emperor sent out messages of distress, promising promotion and riches to his saviors. Wang launched his army from Jiangdu toward Yanmen Commandery despite the long distance. During the journey, he often wept and was disheveled, stating his fear for the emperor's safety. Because the siege was lifted largely through the treacherous deception of Princess Yicheng, who told her husband that the khaganate had come under attack from the north in his absence, Emperor Yang followed the advice of councilors like Su Wei and gave no rewards and few promotions to the soldiers who had come to his assistance, causing great resentment among the military. Hearing of Wang's great personal distress, however, the emperor believed in his loyalty and promoted him to acting governor of Jiangdu in 616.
After the general Yang Yichen defeated and killed the rebel general Ge Qian (), Wang crushed the remainder of Ge's forces, and also those of Lu Mingyue (). Emperor Yang was impressed with his success and personally awarded him wine.
Struggle against Li Mi
In fall 617, with Luoyang under the threat of the rebel leader Li Mi the Duke of Wei, who had captured the large food storages that Emperor Yang had built near Luoyang and begun to starve the Sui defense forces at Luoyang, Emperor Yang, then at Jiangdu, sent Wang Shichong, along with several other generals, Wang Shilong (), Wei Ji (), and Wang Bian (), from various locations of the empire, to aid Luoyang. They were under the command of Xue Shixiong (), who was ordered to take his forces from Zhuo Commandery (, roughly modern Beijing) to Luoyang was well. However, Xue was intercepted and defeated by Dou Jiande and forced to return to Zhuo Commandery, and died there, leaving the other generals without a central commander. When Wang Shichong, Wang Bian, and Wei arrived at Luoyang, they stalemated with Li across the Luo River, and Emperor Yang put the Sui forces under Wang Shichong's command. For the next several months, he battled with Li, and while each had victories, the results were generally indecisive, although Wang's forces took the brunt of the losses. Meanwhile, he had hoped that Li and his key general Zhai Rang would eventually have a fallout and that he could use the fallout to his advantage, but in winter 617 Li assassinated Zhai without Wang's being able to take advantage.
In spring 618, after his forces were reinforced by 70,000 men sent by Emperor Yang's grandson Yang Tong the Prince of Yue, who was nominally in command at Luoyang, Wang launched a major attack on Li, but was defeated by Li, allowing Li to then crush the other Sui forces as well. In light of the victory, a number of Sui generals and rebel generals all submitted to Li, requesting Li to take imperial title, but Li declined. Wang retreated to Luoyang, and for a while did not dare to engage Li again.
Later in spring 618, Emperor Yang was killed at Jiangdu in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji. When the news reached Luoyang, the Sui officials at Luoyang, including Wang, declared Yang Tong emperor. Wang was made one of the heads of the examination bureau (, Menxia Sheng) and created the Duke of Zheng. He and six other officials, Duan Da (), Yuan Wendu (), Huangfu Wuyi (), Lu Chu (), Guo Wenyi (), and Zhao Changwen (), formed a collective leadership and were known as the "seven nobles."
With Yuwen leading the elite Xiaoguo Army () back north toward Luoyang, both the Sui officials at Luoyang and Li were apprehensive of Yuwen's plans. In summer, after Yuan and Lu advocated the plan, Yang Tong entered into a peace agreement with Li, where Li accepted Sui titles and nominally submitted to Yang Tong. Li was subsequently able to repel Yuwen's attacks, and when the news reached Luoyang, the officials were largely pleased—but Wang was not, stating, "Why are they giving offices and titles to a bandit?" This drew suspicions from Yuan and Lu that Wang was intending to surrender the city to Yuwen. The "seven nobles" thereafter came to suspect each other.
Wang began to incite his troops by telling them that they would soon fall into Li's trap, and that if Li received the command over them (as Li was nominally bestowed the office of supreme commander of the armed forces), he would surely slaughter them for having resisted him. When Yuan received news that Wang was doing this, he planned to ambush Wang. However, Duan revealed the plot to Wang, and Wang started a coup himself first, killing Lu and surrounding the palace. Huangfu fled to Chang'an, the capital of Emperor Gaozu of Tang (Li Yuan), a former Sui general who had first nominally supported Emperor Yang's grandson Yang You (Emperor Gong) as emperor, but who had taken the throne himself earlier in 618 to establish Tang dynasty. At Wang's insistence, Yang Tong surrendered Yuan, who remarked to Yang Tong, "If I die in the morning, Your Imperial Majesty will die in the evening." Yang Tong wept, but still sent Yuan to Wang, who executed Yuan. Wang then met Yang Tong and pledged his loyalty, swearing that all he intended was to save himself and save the empire. Yang Tong took Wang inside the palace to meet Yang Tong's mother Empress Dowager Liu, and Wang swore before her as well. Nevertheless, from this point, all power was in Wang's hands, and Yang Tong himself was powerless. Guo and Zhao were also seized and executed. However, initially Wang continued to be outwardly respectful to the young emperor, while he flattered Empress Dowager Liu by offering to be her adopted son and honoring her with the title of "Empress Dowager Shenggan" ().
As Sui regent Upon hearing of Yuan Wendu's and Lu Chu's deaths, Li Mi broke off of peaceful relations with Yang Tong's regime. However, Li had a low opinion of Wang Shichong, and therefore took few precautions against an attack from Wang. At that time, Li's army lacked clothes, while Wang's army lacked food. Against his initial judgment, Li was persuaded by his secretary Bing Yuanzhen (), who could benefit from the transactions, to trade food to Wang for clothes. As a result, the people of Luoyang stopped surrendering to Li, and while Li then stopped the transactions, the damage was done. Meanwhile, Li's army was worn out and heavily damaged by wars with Yuwen Huaji's Xiaoguo Army as well. While he had earlier received the submission of Wang's family members—including Wang's brother Wang Shiwei () and sons Wang Xuanying (), Wang Xuanshu (), and Wang Xuanqiong () -- he did not take particular use of them, but only detained them at the city of Yanshi (, in modern Luoyang) with hopes to use them in the future to get Wang Shichong to surrender.
Wang took this opportunity to launch a major attack on Li in fall 618. He first defeated Li himself at the Battle of Yanshi (after convincing his army that the spirit of the Duke of Zhou had predicted a victory) and, finding someone whose appearance was similar to Li, used him to declare that Li had been captured, further raising his army's morale. He then attacked and captured Yanshi, not only taking his family members but also the family members of many of Li's generals. He then made another assault on Li—which Li reacted slowly to and could not counter. Bing and Shan Xiongxin surrendered to Wang. Li, after initially considering fleeing to join forces with his general Xu Shiji—a friend of Zhai Rang's, ultimately decided to flee west instead to Tang territory to submit to Emperor Gaozu of Tang. After Li left the region, most of Li's territory surrendered to Yang Tong's regime, as did the major rebel general Zhu Can. (Xu, however, did not, and the area under his control submitted to Tang as well.) The major rebel leader Dou Jiande, who had claimed the title of Prince of Xia, also nominally submitted to Yang Tong.