Wang Yucheng王禹偁

Where the histories differ

Contradiction in the Biography of Bi Shian regarding the order of his disciple Wang Yucheng's passing the imperial examination

• histories differThe Biography of Bi Shian clearly states in the front that Bi Shian passed the jinshi examination in the fourth year of Qiande, but later when mentioning his disciple Wang Yucheng, it says that Wang 'passed the examination and was promoted, even before Shian', creating an obvious contradiction in the order of passing the examination.

  In the History of Song, volume 281, Biography of Bi Shian, when recording Bi Shian's life, the beginning of the biography clearly states that he passed the jinshi examination in the fourth year of Qiande (966). Later, when mentioning his disciple Wang Yucheng, it says that Bi Shian appreciated and taught the young Wang Yucheng, and that 'later passed the examination and was promoted, even before Shian'. However, according to historical records, Wang Yucheng actually passed the jinshi examination in the eighth year of Taiping Xingguo (983), seventeen years later than Bi Shian. The statement here that Wang Yucheng 'passed the examination... even before Shian' contradicts the year of Bi Shian's own examination as stated at the beginning of the biography.