生平

宪宗时期

徐州监军

王守澄来历不详，生年、双亲、籍贯皆不可考。最早的相关记载，是在宪宗元和末年时担任武宁军（一名感化军，领徐、濠、宿三州）节度使李诉的监军。经由李诉引荐，王守澄认识了精通医术、善于论辩的郑注，两人言谈投机，相见恨晚，旋即成为好友。监军任期告一段落后，王守澄返回京城，郑注亦陪同。

拥立穆宗

王守澄起初侍奉太子李恒。当时宪宗身患重疾，病情开始有好转的迹象，不料宦官陈弘庆（一作陈弘志）突然发难，于大明宫中和殿杀害了宪宗，据说王守澄也参与其中，随后对外宣称是皇帝无法承受药力而暴毙。宪宗驾崩后，立即面临继位人选的问题，宪宗长子惠昭太子早于元和七年（812年）逝世，而三子李恒是宪宗属意的继承人，已立为太子，但其上尚有兄长澧王李恽，为求根绝后患，王守澄便与神策中尉梁守谦等合谋，派兵诛杀了澧王与拥护澧王的宦官吐突承璀。元和十五年（820年）闰二月，太子在王守澄等人的支持下顺利即位，是为穆宗。

穆宗时期

与李逢吉结盟

王守澄因功被封为枢密使，担任皇帝与朝臣之间的沟通桥梁，得以参与机密，干预国政，拥有很大的权力，顺便也将郑注介绍给穆宗认识，颇受到青睐。当时朋党领袖之一的李逢吉以重金贿赂王守澄，拉拢其为己用，两人于是合作，朝廷无任何势力能与之抗衡。穆宗仅在位四年便病逝，长子敬宗即位。

敬宗时期

排抑李绅

李逢吉与翰林学士李绅素来交恶，李绅利用职务之便，经常当著皇帝的面批判李逢吉的奏章，让他相当恼怒。恰巧李绅因故得罪了族子李虞，李虞便投靠逢吉一党，并对外散布不利于李绅的谣言，另一方面，王守澄亦不时向皇帝进谗言，谎称当年穆宗驾崩后，李绅等人本欲立深王李悰为帝，年轻的敬宗不察是非，一气之下贬其为端州司马，但不久之后敬宗发现了穆宗的遗书，有一份李绅、杜元颖等人劝敬宗即位的奏章，于是误会冰释，化解了一场风波。

昭义节度使继位事件

素来跋扈的昭义军节度使刘悟，临终之前上书皇帝，要求让其子刘从谏继任节度使，朝廷对此有两种不同的意见，反对派认为昭义军地近京城，节度使人选应该朝廷指派为宜，而对藩镇向来持姑息态度的李逢吉、王守澄一党不想得罪对方，加上事先已收受刘悟的赂款，于是利用他们的影响力，迫使皇帝答应刘悟的请求。

拥立江王

敬宗平时喜欢畋猎和打球，尤好在夜间捕捉狐狸，称之为「打夜狐」。某日夜猎回宫，与宦官刘克明、击球将苏佐明等二十八人饮酒作乐，克明等人趁敬宗饮酒过量入内室更衣时，暗杀了敬宗，并矫诏让绛王李悟暂时代理国事。刘克明欲进一步取代王守澄等人的地位，但王守澄和梁守谦等人却抓准时机先发制人，先是前往十六宅迎来江王李涵，再派出神策军和飞龙兵，将包含绛王及刘克明在内的一干人全数诛杀殆尽。立江王为帝，是为文宗。文宗即位后，梁守谦请求致仕，于是王守澄顺理成章接任右神策中尉的职务，握有神策军的控制权，一人兼掌军政二权，确立王守澄在朝廷不可动摇的地位。

文宗时期

宋申锡事件

文宗因见以王守澄为首的宦官日益跋扈，亟思除去心腹大患，决定与耿直忠厚的大臣宋申锡、宇文鼎等人合作。宋申锡旋即被拔擢为宰相，又起用了一批志同道合的大臣，他任命王璠为京兆尹，没想到王璠临阵倒戈，将此事泄密给王守澄的亲信郑注。郑注于是先下手为强，先命令神策都虞候豆卢著持状向文宗诬告，声称宋申锡欲与人望甚高的漳王李凑谋反，文宗早对漳王心存芥蒂，盛怒之下立刻命王守澄将宋申锡及其亲信囚禁于神策军的牢狱之中。然后文宗再召集大臣共商此事，文宗一心想处死申锡，但绝大多数大臣皆认为不可，建议应该将宋申锡和豆卢著交付司法审议，厘清真相再作定夺，郑注认为此举可能让诬谄之计东窗事发，王守澄便听从郑注之言，说服皇帝以贬谪取代死刑，结果漳王与申锡分别被贬为巢县公与开州司马，申锡以下人等依旧处死。不久李凑与申锡也先后忧愤而死。

训、注联手背叛

文宗在位期间，李德裕一党得势，李逢吉被贬为东都留守。在东都一段时间后，李逢吉一心想恢复相位，便让族子李仲言（即李训）携带黄金百万前往贿赂郑注，让郑注代为向王守澄说项，再由王守澄引介给皇帝。没想到训、注一见如故，两人理念有许多共通之处，又不久前郑注才因药术受到皇帝宠信，此时李训亦以长于解释易理得到皇帝的青睐，两人很快成为皇帝跟前的红人。两人与皇帝相处日久，知道文宗早有除去宦官的想法，而文宗认为两人本由宦官提拔，与之合作不至于遭到怀疑，三人遂达成共识。

为了赢得王守澄的信赖，训、注两人先后贬谪了左神策中尉韦元素，枢密使杨承和及王践言，但随即发觉如此一来等于让王守澄独揽所有军政大权，随后又让素与守澄有嫌隙的宦官仇士良担任左神策中尉，以分化其权，王守澄对此颇为不满。不久李训封相，任命王守澄为左右神策军观军容使，名义上这是神策军中的最高职衔，但只是个没有任何实权的名誉职，王守澄被澈底剥夺了兵权，有了神策军作为后盾的文宗，遂于大和九年（835年）十月，命令宦官李好古带著毒酒前往王守澄宅第，秘密酖杀了他。赠扬州大都督。不久其弟王守涓亦被文宗派出的人马所杀。王守澄死后仅一个月，便爆发了著名的「甘露之变」。

掌权期间贿赂风气盛行

从元和末至大和末年，王守澄掌控大权达十五年之久，期间公然收受贿赂，擅自卖官鬻爵，由郑注居中牵线，位于善和里的郑注宅邸终年门庭若市，人潮络绎不绝，如王涯因贿赂而成为宰相；王播买得盐铁转运使之职；郑权也因贿赂得到广州节度使之位。

与诗人王建的关系

诗人王建善写宫廷闺怨诗，有《宫词》百首传世，因与王守澄同宗，故两人时有往来，王守澄略长于王建，称其为弟。王建诗中述及皇宫内的生活情形，多由深谙其事的王守澄所提供。某日王建酒后失言，骂了汉朝宦官造成党锢之祸，因此影射，得罪了王守澄，事后感到很后悔，于是作了一首《赠王枢密》向王守澄陪罪，诗云「三朝行坐镇相随，今上春宫见小时。脱下御衣先赐著，进来龙马每教骑。长承密旨归家少，独奏边机出殿迟。自是姓同亲向说，九重争得外人知。」消弭一场事端。

During Emperor Xianzongs reign

Both Wang Shoucheng's birthdate and geographic origins have been lost to history. The earliest historical records of his activities indicated that during the reign of Emperor Xianzong, when the general Li Su served as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Wuning Circuit (武宁, headquartered in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu), Wang served as the eunuch monitor of the Wuning army. While both Wang and Li were at Wuning, one of Li's subordinates introduced Li to the physician Zheng Zhu, as Li was frequently ill. Li was helped by Zheng's medicines, and subsequently, Zheng took substantial power at the Wuning headquarters. At the other officers' requests, Wang requested that Li remove Zheng. Li admitted that Zheng was frivolous, but indicated that Zheng was witty and engaging in talk. At Li's insistence, Wang met Zheng, and soon was also impressed by Zheng's wit; he was also helped by Zheng's medicines as well. Zheng thereafter became a close associate of Wang's.

By 820, Wang was back in the capital Chang'an and serving in the palace. That spring, Emperor Xianzong died suddenly — traditionally believed to be in an assassination by the eunuch Chen Hongzhi (陈弘志), although Wang's biography in the New Book of Tang indicated that Wang was also involved in the assassination. In the aftermaths of Emperor Xianzong's death, the powerful eunuch Tutu Chengcui tried to support Emperor Xianzong's oldest surviving son Li Yun (李恽) the Prince of Li as emperor, but other eunuchs, including Wang, Liang Shouqian (梁守谦), Ma Jintan (马进潭), Liu Chengjie (刘承偕), and Wei Yuansu (韦元素) supported another son of Emperor Xianzong's, the Crown Prince Li Heng, and they killed Tutu and Li Yun. Li Heng subsequently took the throne (as Emperor Muzong).

During Emperor Muzongs reign

During Emperor Muzong's reign, Wang Shoucheng became one of the two palace secretaries general (Shumishi). He was said to be very powerful and involved in affairs of state, such that in 823, the official Zheng Quan (郑权) was able to beg Wang through Zheng Zhu and be made the military governor of Lingnan Circuit (岭南, headquartered in modern Guangzhou, Guangdong). Wang was also in an alliance with the chancellor Li Fengji.

During Emperor Jingzongs reign

In 824, Emperor Muzong died and was succeeded by his son Emperor Jingzong. Li Fengji subsequently had Wang Shoucheng report to Emperor Jingzong that their political enemy, the imperial scholar Li Shen (李绅), had wanted to support Emperor Muzong's younger brother Li Cong (李悰) the Prince of Shen instead of Emperor Jingzong. As a result, Li Shen was exiled.

During Emperor Jingzong's reign, Wang remained highly influential in policy decisions. For example, in 825, it was said that it was at the decision of Li Fengji and Wang that, after the death of Liu Wu the military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭义, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi) that Liu Wu's son Liu Congjian was allowed to inherit Zhaoyi Circuit.

In 826, Emperor Jingzong was assassinated by his polo player Su Zuoming (苏佐明). The eunuch Liu Keming (刘克明) supported Emperor Muzong's younger brother Li Wu the Prince of Jiàng, and at one point, Li Wu was meeting with the officials and acting as if he would be the next emperor. However, Wang and other powerful eunuchs, including Yang Chenghe (杨承和), Wei Congjian (魏从简), and Liang Shouqian, soon mobilized their troops and attacked Liu's party. Liu committed suicide, while Li Wu was killed. They supported Emperor Jingzong's younger brother Li Han the Prince of Jiāng (note different tone), who changed his name to Li Ang, as emperor (as Emperor Wenzong). It was Wang who consulted with the imperial scholar Wei Chuhou to deal with the ceremony of Emperor Wenzong's enthronement after the coup.

During Emperor Wenzongs reign

After Emperor Wenzong's enthronement, Wang Shoucheng was given the honorific title of Piaoqi Dajiangjun (骠骑大将军) and made the commander of the Right Shence Army (右神策军). As time went by, Emperor Wenzong came to be apprehensive that those he believed to be involved in Emperors Xianzong's and Jingzong's death were still in the palace, and, in particular, he became displeased at Wang's hold on politics and open receptions of bribery. He began to discuss a way to counteract Wang with the imperial scholar Song Shenxi, and in 830 made Song chancellor. After Song involved Wang Fan (王翻) the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the Chang'an region) in 831, however, Wang Fan leaked the plan, and Wang Shoucheng and Zheng Zhu came to know about the plan. Zheng reacted by ordering the Shence Army officer Doulu Zhu (豆卢著) to falsely accuse Song of plotting treason to put Emperor Wenzong's younger brother Li Cou the Prince of Zhang on the throne. When Wang Shoucheng relayed the accusation to Emperor Wenzong, Emperor Wenzong believed it and was angry. Wang Shoucheng initially wanted to take this opportunity to massacre Song's household, but was stopped by another powerful eunuch, Ma Cunliang (马存亮). However, during the subsequent investigations by Shence Army officers, after an attendant official to the imperial princes, Yan Jingze (晏敬则), and Song's associate Wang Shiwen (王师文) were tortured and confessed to serving as conduits for messages between Song and Li Cou, Song was found to be guilty and was set to be executed. The advisorial officials Cui Xuanliang (崔玄亮), Li Guyan, Wang Zhi (王质), Lu Jun (卢均), Shu Yuanbao (舒元褒), Jiang Xi (蒋系), Pei Xiu (裴休), and Wei Wen (韦温) urged caution, however, believed there were substantial questions in the matter and urged a reinvestigation by imperial government officials. The chancellor Niu Sengru also took the same view. Zheng, fearing that a reinvestigation would lead to discovery of the truth, suggested to Wang Shoucheng that he recommend to Emperor Wenzong that neither Song nor Li Cou be executed. Li Cou was thus demoted to the title of Duke of Chao County (巢县, in modern Chaohu, Anhui) while Song was demoted to be the military advisor to the prefect of Kai Prefecture (开州, in modern Chongqing).

Emperor Wenzong was, by this point, finding Wang Shoucheng's and Zheng's relationship to be distasteful, but after Emperor Wenzong suffered a stroke in 833, Wang recommended Zheng for his medical abilities, and after Emperor Wenzong was helped by Zheng's medicines, he began to favor Zheng as well. Around the same time, Zheng also introduced Li Zhongyan to Wang and Emperor Wenzong. Both became close associates of Emperor Wenzong's, and Li Zhongyan was made an imperial scholar over the objection of the chancellor Li Deyu, who was subsequently demoted out of the capital.

In 835, Emperor Wenzong was again discussing the matter of killing powerful eunuchs, this time with Zheng and Li Zhongyan — as he believed that, since Zheng and Li Zhongyan were recommended by Wang, they would not draw the suspicions from the eunuchs. At their suggestion, Emperor Wenzong first diverted some of Wang's authority by giving the command of the Left Shence Army (左神策军) to Wang's rival among the eunuchs, Qiu Shiliang, displacing Wang's ally Wei Yuansu, in 835. Subsequently, Zheng and Li Zhongyan (whose name had been changed to Li Xun by this point) had Wei, Yang Chenghe, and another eunuch, Wang Jianyan (王践言), sent out of Chang'an to serve as army monitors, and also had two other chancellors, Lu Sui and Li Zongmin, demoted. Later that year, Wang Shoucheng was given the high title of the supreme monitor of the Left and Right Shence Armies and supreme commander of the 12 imperial guard corps — in order for Emperor Wenzong to strip him of the command of the Right Shence Army. Soon thereafter, at Zheng's and Li Xun's suggestion, Emperor Wenzong sent the eunuch Li Haogu (李好古) to Wang's mansion with poison, ordering Wang to commit suicide. However, publicly, Emperor Wenzong did not allow the details be known, and posthumously honored Wang. Zheng and Li Xun thereafter planned to use Wang's funeral as the occasion to trap the eunuchs and massacre them, but Li Xun, wanting all the credit by himself, preempted the plan, but failed, in what later became known as the Ganlu Incident, leading to the eunuchs' massacre of four chancellors (in addition to Li Xun, who was chancellor by this point, Wang Ya, Jia Su, and Shu Yuanyu) and governmental officials.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 184.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 208.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 241, 243, 244, 245.