Biography
Family Background and Early Life
Wang Gui came from a prominent aristocratic lineage of the Northern and Southern Dynasties period. His family traced its ancestry to the Wang clan of Taiyuan and later became known as the Wuwan branch of the Wang clan after his ancestor Wang Shennian served in Northern Wei as a military officer charged with protecting the Wuwan and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Guangyang. His great-grandfather Wang Shennian served Southern Liang as General of the Right Guard, while his grandfather Wang Sengbian became Grand Commandant and Director of the Department of State Affairs and was a major political figure in the final years of Liang. His father Wang Yi served Northern Qi as administrator of Leling Commandery. Wang Gui's mother, Lady Li, came from the Du clan of Jingzhao and was an eleventh-generation descendant of Du Yu, the Western Jin General Who Pacifies the South. This family background provided Wang Gui with a strong cultural education from childhood.
As a young man, Wang Gui was calm and reserved, had deep ambitions, cared little for fame or profit, and did not casually form friendships. His uncle Wang Gui was a noted scholar of the time with a reputation for judging talent and held him in particularly high regard, predicting that he would achieve great things. In 593, the thirteenth year of the Sui Kaihuang era, the twenty-two-year-old Wang Gui was summoned into the Palace Library administration and appointed an official responsible for ritual under the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, where he participated in collating books and texts. This marked the beginning of his official career.
Flight and Seclusion
In 604, the fourth year of the Renshou era, the Sui court entered a period of political upheaval. Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, died and Emperor Yang of Sui, Yang Guang, succeeded him. Wang Gui's uncle Wang Gui joined Yang Liang, Prince of Han and governor-general of Bingzhou, in rising against Yang Guang. After their defeat, Wang Gui's uncle was killed. Under Sui law, Wang Gui, as his nephew, was liable to collective punishment. To escape danger, he abandoned office and fled into hiding in the Zhongnan Mountains, where he remained for more than ten years.
During his seclusion, Wang Gui became close to Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui. His mother, Lady Li, once quietly observed the two men when they came to visit. Seeing their extraordinary bearing, she concluded that both would someday become chancellors and was deeply pleased that her son associated with men of such promise. This period not only preserved Wang Gui's life but also forged close ties with two men who would later become leading chancellors of the Tang.
Service under the Tang and Former Eastern Palace Official
In 617, the thirteenth year of the Sui Daye era, Li Yuan entered the Guanzhong region, enthroned the Prince of Dai, Yang You, as emperor, assumed the title Prince of Tang, and designated his eldest son Li Jiancheng as heir. On the recommendation of Li Gang, an official of the chancellor's administration, Wang Gui became an advisory military officer in Li Jiancheng's household. The following year, Li Yuan accepted the abdication of the Sui ruler, proclaimed himself emperor, and founded the Tang dynasty. Li Jiancheng was made crown prince. Wang Gui was appointed to the Eastern Palace, first as a palace official and later as Crown Prince's Central Secretary, becoming one of Li Jiancheng's important subordinates.
The conflict between Crown Prince Li Jiancheng and Prince of Qin Li Shimin intensified. In 624, the seventh year of the Wude era, Yang Wengan, governor of Qingzhou, rebelled in an affair that implicated Li Jiancheng. Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Li Yuan, held that Wang Gui, as an Eastern Palace official, had failed to remonstrate with the crown prince and thereby allowed discord between the brothers to deepen. Wang Gui was consequently exiled to Xizhou, in present-day Xichang, Sichuan.
Prominent Chancellor of the Zhenguan Era
In 626, the ninth year of the Wude era, Li Shimin launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident, killing Crown Prince Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, Prince of Qi, and soon afterward ascended the throne as Emperor Taizong of Tang. Knowing Wang Gui's ability and setting aside their past political alignment, Li Shimin recalled Wang Gui together with Wei Zheng and appointed him Grand Master of Remonstrance. In the tenth month of that year, Taizong posthumously made Li Jiancheng Prince Xi and ordered a proper reburial. Wang Gui, Wei Zheng, and other former Eastern Palace officials jointly requested permission to accompany the funeral procession to the tomb, which Taizong granted. The action showed both Wang Gui's continued loyalty to his former master and his openness of character.
In 627, the first year of the Zhenguan era, Emperor Taizong discussed with his ministers the relationship between ruler and officials and expressed the hope that they would remonstrate frankly. Wang Gui replied, “If Your Majesty opens wide the channels for speech and accepts remonstrance, I will devote all my strength.” Taizong then allowed remonstrance officials to enter the palace and deliberate on affairs together with the chancellors. Thereafter Wang Gui repeatedly offered criticism and enjoyed the emperor's trust. He was appointed Vice Director of the Chancellery, concurrently Right Assistant to the Crown Prince, and granted the title Baron of Yongning County.
In 628, the second year of the Zhenguan era, Wang Gui succeeded Gao Shilian as acting Palace Attendant and was promoted to Duke of Yongning. In 630, Taizong formally appointed him Palace Attendant, placing him among the chancellors. As chancellor he became known for forthright counsel. He once urged Taizong to release a concubine formerly belonging to Li Yuan, Prince of Lujiang, arguing that the emperor knew Li Yuan had fallen because he killed a man and seized the man's wife, yet had kept the beautiful woman for himself, thus knowingly repeating the same wrongdoing. Taizong accepted the rebuke and immediately released her. Wang Gui also joined Wen Yanbo in defending Zu Xiaosun, a vice minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and held to his position even when the emperor became angry.
In 633, the seventh year of the Zhenguan era, Wang Gui was demoted to governor of Tongzhou for revealing confidential discussions from within the palace. The next year Taizong recalled him and appointed him Minister of the Ministry of Rites, instructing him to participate in the revision of the *Five Rites*. In 637, the eleventh year of Zhenguan, Wang Gui was also appointed tutor to Li Tai, Prince of Wei. He treated himself as a teacher and calmly accepted Li Tai's formal obeisance. When Li Tai asked him about loyalty and filial piety, Wang Gui instructed him in the proper way to fulfill both and cited the saying of Liu Cang, Prince Xian of Dongping, that “doing good is the greatest joy.” Taizong was delighted when he learned of this and told Li Tai: “Treat Wang Gui as you would treat me, and you will avoid wrongdoing.”
In 638, the twelfth year of the Zhenguan era, Wang Gui submitted a memorial arguing that it was contrary to ritual for officials of the third rank and above to dismount and salute whenever they encountered princes of the imperial house. Taizong was initially displeased, believing that his officials were belittling his sons. Wang Gui and Wei Zheng strongly remonstrated, arguing that since the Zhou dynasty succession had passed from father to son rather than among brothers and that the power of princes should therefore be reduced to eliminate potential sources of disorder. Taizong ultimately accepted their advice.
Later Years and Posthumous Honors
In his later years Wang Gui continued to devote himself to the construction of ritual institutions. He revived the custom, long fallen out of use, by which an imperial princess paid formal respects to her parents-in-law. When Princess Nanping married his son Wang Jingzhi, Wang Gui and his wife sat in the place of honor and required the princess to bow to them. He explained: “The present sovereign is discerning and enlightened and follows established institutions in every action. My receiving the princess's obeisance is not for my own honor, but to perfect the state's ritual order.” Thereafter, when a princess married and her parents-in-law were still living, she was expected to perform the rites of a daughter-in-law.
In 639, the thirteenth year of the Zhenguan era, Wang Gui fell ill. Emperor Taizong sent his daughter Princess Nanping to visit him and dispatched Tang Jian, Minister of Revenue, to supervise his medicines and diet. Wang Gui died soon afterward at the age of sixty-nine. Taizong put on mourning clothes, ordered Li Tai, Prince of Wei, to lead the officials in the funeral procession, posthumously granted Wang Gui the office of Minister of Personnel, and gave him the posthumous name Yi.