Wang Ji'en王继恩

Where the histories differ

Discrepancy in the time and circumstances of his recall from Shu

• histories differThe Basic Annals record that he was replaced and recalled in the fifth year of Chunhua, while the biography states that he was not recalled until the spring of the second year of Zhidao after pacifying Shu.

  In the History of Song, 'Basic Annals of Emperor Taizong II', it is recorded that in the eleventh month of the fifth year of Chunhua, he was replaced and recalled: 'In this month, Fengzhou Military Governor Shangguan Zheng and Right Remonstrant Lei Youzhong were jointly appointed as Pacification Commissioners for Xichuan, and Wang Jien was recalled to the capital.' In the History of Song, 'Biographies of Eunuchs I', it is recorded that he remained in Shu to suppress rebels and was not recalled until the spring of the second year of Zhidao: 'He then used them as guides to attack the bandits and completely pacified them. In the spring of the second year of Zhidao, a commoner named Han Gongchen went to the court and submitted a memorial saying: "Jien has great merit in pacifying the rebels, and should be entrusted with important affairs. Now he has only been given the post of Defense Commissioner, which is too meager a reward and cannot satisfy the expectations of the court and the public." The emperor was furious, and because Gongchen had misled the public, he was caned, tattooed on the face, and exiled to Yazhou. Shortly thereafter, Jien was recalled.'