Service under Yang Xingmi

It is not known when Wang Maozhang was born, but it is known that he was from Hefei and that, in his youth, he followed Yang Xingmi in Yang's campaigns to take control of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu). It was said that Wang was brave in battle but lacked an impressive presence on the battlefield. However, once in battle, he always fought alongside his soldiers and earned their respect, as well as Yang's.

Campaign aiding Wang Shifan

In 903, when Wang Shifan the military governor (Jiedushi) of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Weifang, Shandong) was under attack by Yang's archenemy Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), Wang Shifan sought aid from Yang. Yang sent Wang Maozhang, with 7,000 men, to aid Wang Shifan. Wang Maozhang first rendezvoused with Wang Shifan's brother Wang Shihui (王師誨) and captured Mi Prefecture. Meanwhile, the Xuanwu forces under Zhu's nephew Zhu Youning (朱友寧) was attacking Pinglu's capital Qing Prefecture (青州). In response, Wang Shifan had sent the soldiers from Deng (登州) and Lai (萊州) Prefectures (both in modern Yantai, Shandong) to set up two defensive encampments. Zhu Youning attacked the Deng camp bitterly, with Wang Maozhang standing by and not trying to relieve the Deng camp, so Zhu Youning captured it. He then attacked the Lai camp, but by that point, his soldiers, as Wang Maozhang anticipated, had been worn out. Wang Maozhang then counterattacked with Wang Shifan, and they defeated the Xuanwu troops, killing Zhu Youning and delivering his head to Huainan.

Hearing of Zhu Youning's death, Zhu Quanzhong himself headed to the Pinglu front, and, after he arrived about a month later, he initially defeated Wang Shifan's troops. When he then engaged Wang Maozhang, however, Wang Maozhang was able to battle him to a stalemate — while holding a feast in the middle of the battle, impressing Zhu with his fortitude. However, believing that he would be unable to defeat the Xuanwu troops with their numerical advantage, Wang Maozhang withdrew back to Huainan territory with relatively few casualties. (Zhu was subsequently able to force Wang Shifan to submit to him.)

Campaign against An Renyi and Tian Jun

Later in the year, Yang Xingmi's subordinates Tian Jun the military governor of Ningguo Circuit (寧國, headquartered in modern Xuancheng, Anhui) and An Renyi (安仁義) the military prefect of Run Prefecture (潤州, in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu) rebelled against him. Yang sent Wang Maozhang to attack An, but initially he could not achieve success against An in sieging Run Prefecture. Yang thus recalled him and sent him to aid Tai Meng (臺濛) in attacking Ningguo's capital Xuan Prefecture (宣州). After a battle in which Tai defeated Tian, who had advanced to engage him, and forced Tian to retreat back to Xuan Prefecture, though, Yang diverted Wang back to Run Prefecture against An.

The siege of Run was unable to succeed, however, for more than a year, as An was one of Huainan's most capable officers. Yang thus sought, in vain, to persuade An to submit to him again. By spring 905, however, Wang was able to penetrate Run's defenses by digging tunnels under the city walls. An personally took position up in a tower, and initially the Huainan troops were still hesitant to attack him there. As the officer Li Decheng continued to be polite to An during the siege, however, An surrendered to Li Decheng and was subsequently executed.

Flight to Qian Liu

Later in 905, Yang Xingmi fell deathly ill. He recalled his oldest son Yang Wo, who was then serving as the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Xuan Prefecture, from Xuan, intending to pass his authorities to Yang Wo. He sent Wang Maozhang to Xuan to serve as governor, succeeding Yang Wo. As Yang Wo was set to depart Xuan Prefecture, he wanted to take the tents and the headquarters guards with him, but Wang refused to let him do so, drawing his ire. After Yang Xingmi died later in the year and was succeeded by Yang Wo, Yang Wo thus sent Li Jian (李簡) to attack Wang. When Li's forces reached Xuan in spring 906, Wang, judging himself to be unable to withstand an attack, fled with the soldiers directly under him to the territory of Qian Liu the military governor of Zhenhai (鎮海, headquartered in modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang) and Zhendong (鎮東, headquartered in modern Shaoxing, Zhejiang) Circuits. Qian made Wang his deputy military governor for Zhendong. He later gave Wang the title of military governor of Ningguo — even though Ningguo remained under Yang Wo's control.

As Later Liang general

During Emperor Taizus reign

As Zhu Quanzhong — who had forced Tang Dynasty's final emperor Emperor Ai to yield the throne to him, ending Tang and establishing a new Later Liang as its Emperor Taizu — was impressed with Wang Maozhang, he wanted to summon Wang to him. Qian Liu, who was a vassal of Later Liang and whom Emperor Taizu the Prince of Wuyue, also wanted Wang to persuade Emperor Taizu to attack Hongnong (i.e., formerly Huainan, now ruled by Yang Wo's brother and successor Yang Longyan). In 908, Qian thus sent Wang — whose name had been changed to Wang Jingren by this point to observe naming taboo since Emperor Taizu's great-grandfather was named Zhu Maolin (朱茂琳) — to Later Liang's capital Luoyang to submit strategies on how to conquer Hongnong. Emperor Taizu let Wang retain his title of military governor of Ningguo and further bestowed the chancellor title Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事) on him — apparently initially honorary, but eventually having him join the chancellors in policy discussions.

In 910, Emperor Taizu commissioned Wang the commander of the Later Liang armies to the north, posturing to attack Later Liang's enemy to the north, Jin. What Emperor Taizu secretly intended, however, was for Wang to prepare to attack Wang Rong the military governor of Wushun Circuit (武順, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei) (whose territory was also known as Zhao) and Wang Chuzhi the military governor of Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding, Hebei) — who were formally Later Liang vassals but whose loyalty Emperor Taizu had suspected. The generals Han Qing (韓勍) and Li Si'an (李思安) served as Wang's deputy commander and forward commander, respectively, and Wang initially took up position at Wei Prefecture (魏州, in modern Handan, Hebei). Later in the year, after the Later Liang officers Du Tingyin (杜廷隱) and Ding Yanhui (丁延徽) took over Zhao's Shen (深州) and Ji (冀州) Prefectures (both in modern Hengshui, Hebei) by trick, Wang was set to attack Zhao and conquer it — but Emperor Taizu, believing the warnings by his astrologers that launching an army at that time would bring disaster, recalled Wang to Luoyang, allowing Zhao time to ally itself with Jin and Yiwu and receive aid troops from Jin's prince Li Cunxu. Only after receiving news of a formal Zhao/Jin alliance did Emperor Taizu order Wang to advance north to attack Zhao. Wang thus advanced to Boxiang (柏鄉, in modern Xingtai, Hebei).

With the Later Liang forces under Wang and the Jin/Zhao forces under Li Cunxu initially separated only by a river, and with the Later Liang forces both having numerical and geographic advantage (as, at that time, as Li Cunxu's general Zhou Dewei pointed out, the Jin advantage in cavalry mobility was completely negated by the terrain), Wang was quickly building temporary bridges to try to cross the river quickly to attack the Jin/Zhao army, but Li Cunxu, realizing this, withdrew to Gaoyi (高邑, in modern Shijiazhuang), while sending cavalry raiders to cut off the Later Liang army's supply route and prevent them from cutting grass to feed their horses, causing many deaths to Later Liang's horses. In spring 911, after more than a month of stalemate, Li Cunxu sent Zhou to provoke Wang and Han into engaging his troops and crossing the river. They fought for a morning, and the Later Liang army began to tire. Wang's own troops withdrew slightly, when Zhou declared to the other Later Liang troops that Wang was fleeing since he had been defeated — causing a general panic in the Later Liang army and its collapse. Wang, Han, and Li Si'an were able to flee with small groups of soldiers protecting them, but most of the Later Liang army was slaughtered by the Jin/Zhao troops.

In the aftermaths of the defeat, Emperor Taizu removed from Wang the titles of commander of the armies to the north and Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi, and put him under house arrest. However, when he later met with Wang, he stated to Wang that he knew that Wang's command was hindered by the fact that he was a foreigner to the Later Liang troops and that Han and Li Si'an were not fully following his orders; several months later, he restored Wang's offices.

During Zhu Zhens reign

In 913 — by which time Emperor Taizu's son Zhu Zhen was Later Liang's emperor — Zhu Zhen sent Wang Jingren to attack Wu (i.e., Hongnong, with Yang Longyan carrying the title of Prince of Wu by this point); Wang headed for Wu's Lu (廬州, in modern Hefei) and Shou (壽州, in modern Lu'an, Anhui) Prefectures. The Wu generals Xu Wen and Zhu Jin led troops to resist Wang. Wang initially had success against Xu, nearly trapping and killing him at Zhaobu (趙步, in modern Lu'an), but Xu was able to escape. The Wu troops then regrouped and engaged Wang's troops at Huoqiu (霍丘, in modern Lu'an). Wang withdrew, and with him personally guarding the rear during the withdrawal, the Wu troops were not daring to chase after him, so initially the losses were minimal. However, trouble came when the Later Liang army was crossing the Huai River. When Wang advanced south, he had initially marked the low-water spots of the river with wooden markers to allow the army to cross the river safely. By the time that he was withdrawing, the Wu defender of Huoqiu, Zhu Jing (朱景), had moved the markers to deep water spots, such that when the Later Liang army was withdrawing, they were crossing at the wrong spots, and many of them drowned. After Wang returned to Daliang (which Zhu Zhen had made his capital), he died due to illness. He was given posthumous honors.

效力楊行密

王茂章是合肥人，生年不詳。年輕時隨楊行密征戰並奪取淮南，常侍楊行密左右為親校。他身材魁梧，在戰場上驍勇，善用槊，卻沒有威儀，作戰身先士卒，為楊行密所壯。累官都指揮使。

援助王師範

天複三年（903年），平盧節度使王師範為楊行密大敵宣武軍節度使朱全忠所攻，求援于楊行密。四月，楊行密派王茂章率七千人赴援。五月，王茂章先會合王師範弟王師誨，以二萬兵克密州，斬刺史劉康乂，以淮海都游奕使張訓為刺史。同時，朱全忠侄朱友寧率宣武軍攻平盧軍部青州。六月，王師範派登州和萊州的軍隊設兩個寨柵防禦。朱友寧夜攻登州柵，登州柵告急，王師範催促王茂章出戰，王茂章按兵不動。朱友寧破登州柵，進攻萊州柵，但如王茂章所料，天亮之際他的士兵已經疲憊，王茂章與王師範反攻，敗宣武軍，殺朱友寧，傳首淮南。王茂章與王師範追殺至米河，俘斬萬計，魏博軍覆滅。

聞朱友寧死，朱全忠親自率軍二十萬前往平盧前線，大約一月後，起初打敗王師範軍。但隨後遭遇王茂章時，王茂章卻與他殭持，閉壘不出示弱，多次等宣武軍士氣稍懈就毀柵突襲，甚至在戰鬥中飲宴，飲宴完再戰，更一度取勝，其膽略令登高望見的朱全忠動容，朱全忠問青州投降者，得知是王茂章，稱如果得此人為將，可以平定天下。但王茂章自認為不能擊敗數量占優的宣武軍，遂撤回淮南，宣武軍追急，王茂章遣裨將先鋒指揮使李虔裕對敵，解鞍睡覺，要和李虔裕一起對敵。李虔裕說要以死抗敵，再三請求，王茂章才離去，朱全忠派曹州刺史楊師厚追殺到輔唐縣，殺千人，斬數百級，李虔裕戰死，卻保証王茂章全軍撤回淮南。張訓聞王茂章撤，也撤軍。朱全忠迫使王師範歸降。

討伐安仁義和田頵

八月，楊行密下屬寧國軍節度使田頵和潤州團練使安仁義反叛。楊行密派王茂章為潤州行營招討使攻打安仁義，但王茂章圍潤州卻未能攻克，且因安仁義善射，不敢與戰。楊行密遣右衙指揮使徐溫率兵與王茂章會合，徐溫將軍隊衣服旗幟改換如王茂章軍，安仁義不知，又增兵出戰，被徐溫奮擊大破。楊行密召回王茂章，派他會合漣水制置使臺濛攻寧國軍軍部宣州。十月，台濛在廣德迎戰田頵並擊敗之，迫其撤回宣州，楊行密又派王茂章回潤州攻安仁義。

然而安仁義勇敢有決斷得軍心，潤州被王茂章攻打一年有餘仍未克。楊行密因而勸其複歸，無果。天祐二年（905年）正月，王茂章趁安仁義懈怠，挖地道入城。安仁義登樓，淮南軍不敢進逼。當時淮南諸將只有李德誠在圍城時不罵安仁義，安仁義向李德誠投降，被誅。王茂章被任為潤州團練使，後又加檢校司徒。之前，他還曾守舒州刺史。

逃奔錢鏐

楊行密曾登城，看見王茂章的營寨府第，說：「天下未定，而茂章居寢煩惱，他肯為我忘身嗎？」

九月，楊行密病重，召長子宣歙觀察使楊渥，意在交權，派王茂章為宣州都團練觀察處置等使（宣歙觀察使）以代楊渥。楊渥將要離開宣州，想帶走帳幕和親兵（一說繼位後欲索求宣州舊物），王茂章謾罵而不肯，楊渥怒。十一月，楊行密薨，臨死前對楊渥說：「左衙都將張顥、王茂章、李遇都是怙亂之徒，我不能為我兒除之了。」楊渥繼位，因懷恨且忌憚王茂章勇悍，十二月，派馬步都指揮使李簡等攻王茂章。三年（906年）正月，李簡兵臨宣州，王茂章自認為守不住，率心腹百人奔鎮海和鎮東節度使錢鏐。帳下刁彥能使家人扶其母在路上等候，抱著母親泣告王茂章說不能捨棄老母，不能跟隨王茂章出奔，請死，王茂章憐憫而准他留在宣州。當時淮南招討使陶雅剛攻占睦州，怕被王茂章斷歸路，率兵回歙州，錢鏐複奪睦州。錢鏐闢王茂章為兩府行軍司馬，任為鎮東節度副使。為避太祖曾祖父朱茂琳諱，錢鏐為王茂章改名王景仁。錢鏐又表他遙領寧國軍節度使（實際在楊渥治下）。十二月，奏授金紫光祿大夫、檢校太保、兼御史大夫，贊為「淮南第一都將」。

因田頵、王茂章和後來的宣州團練使李遇相繼叛亂，後來的宣州長官不敢完善城牆，器械也不完備，直到南唐保大十四年（956年）柴克宏任宣州巡檢使才將城防修繕完備。

為後梁將

太祖年間

朱全忠迫使唐哀帝禪位，代唐建立後梁，為太祖皇帝。任王景仁為檢校太傅、同平章事，又因素聞其名，想召他來。錢鏐時為後梁封臣、吳越王，也想王景仁說服太祖攻打楊渥的弟弟和繼承人楊隆演治下的弘農（即淮南）。開平二年（908年）八月，錢鏐派王景仁奉表前去大梁陳說取淮南之策。王景仁途經撫州刺史危全諷地界，聽聞危全諷正要起兵對抗楊隆演，請求閱軍，危全諷召來十萬軍邀王景仁觀閱，王景仁說：「揚州有士三等，公的軍隊正是下等，為什麼不再增兵十萬？」危全諷不能答，也不聽，後來果然在次年（909年）兵敗被楊隆演吞併。人們都稱王景仁知兵。

太祖異禮待王景仁，頒賜很優厚，看著他說：「等我平了代北賊寇，當盡以王師給你向南征討。」于是仍以為寧國軍節度使，加同中書門下平章事榮銜，使其與宰相同班參政奉朝請。忠武軍節度使劉知俊叛歸岐王李茂貞，王景仁隨駕至陝州，幫助西路行營招討使山南東道節度使楊師厚西入關中，克雍州、華州，降岐將王建、叛將張君練，多參戰且有功，太祖嘉獎他。

四年（910年）十一月，太祖以王景仁充北面行營都指揮招討使，率步騎十萬，作勢攻北面敵國晉國，實際上秘密要王景仁準備攻打名義上為後梁封臣但忠誠卻受到太祖懷疑的武順軍節度使王鎔（其領地又叫趙國）和義武軍節度使王處直。太祖以潞州副招討使韓勍為副招討使，相州刺史李思安為先鋒將，進軍潞州，又派王景仁等率魏、滑、汴、宋等軍屯魏州。梁供奉官杜廷隱、丁延徽詐取深州、冀州後，王景仁受命攻取趙國。但因欽天監仇殷稱有月食，天象不利軍隊深入，太祖召還王景仁，使趙國有時間與晉國和義武軍結盟，並得到晉王李存勖援軍。十二月得知趙晉聯盟後，太祖才命王景仁北上攻趙。王景仁等從河陽渡河，會合魏博節度使羅周翰軍，合計四萬，再會合閻寶、王彥章所率二千騎，屯于邢州、洺州。太祖又想到仇殷所言，派使者馳告王景仁停駐魏州，王景仁不聽，進軍柏鄉。

晉昭德軍使史建瑭與振武節度使周德威先以先鋒兵出井陘屯趙州，李存勖親征，從贊皇縣東下。王景仁所領梁軍和李存勖所領晉趙聯軍僅隔一條河，梁軍數量占優，也有地利，如周德威所言，晉軍的騎兵機動力優勢在當地完全不能展現。王景仁趕造浮橋，意在渡河急攻。李存勖意識到後，退到高邑，派騎兵游軍斷梁軍補給道路，不讓他們割草喂馬，導致梁軍馬多死。乾化元年（911年）正月，在殭持一月有餘後，李存勖派周德威激王景仁、韓勍渡河迎戰，周德威與之轉戰到高邑南，梁軍列陣，橫亙六七里，而晉軍未成列，周德威率騎兵在河上列陣，梁軍以五百人爭橋，趙軍和義武軍與其血戰，梁軍四次敗而複整，趙軍和義武軍支撐不住，晉匡衛都指揮使李建及選卒二百持槍大呼，力戰打退梁軍。李存勖與監軍張承業登高觀望，梁軍戈矛如束，申令之後動聲如雷，而晉軍進退有序，步騎嚴整，寂然無聲，就自稱必勝。梁龍驤、神威、拱宸等軍都是武勇之士，每人的鎧仗都耗費數十萬，以組繡、金銀裝飾，令人望而生畏。激戰一上午，梁軍開始疲憊。王景仁部東陣魏、滑州兵稍有退卻，李嗣源對西陣梁軍大呼東陣敗走了，周德威又對東陣梁軍大呼梁軍敗走，梁軍驚怖逃跑，陣型混亂不可複整，于是潰敗。李存勖與史建瑭、安金全等夾攻，史建瑭督部落精騎陷陣，夾攻魏、滑軍之間，長驅追擊，夜間更俘斬數以千計，王景仁、韓勍、李思安在潞州東北面行營招討使王檀接應下僅率數十騎乘夜逃脫。晉左廂馬軍都將李嗣恩此戰亦有功。梁軍龍驤、神捷等精兵被晉趙聯軍殺得橫尸數十里。晉趙聯軍追殺到柏鄉，斬首二萬級，獲馬三千匹，鎧甲兵仗七萬，輜車鍋幕不可勝計，擒梁將陳思權以下二百八十五人。李嗣源追殺到邢州，河朔大震。趙國和義武軍從此背梁向晉。梁晉之爭數十戰，梁軍從未有此大敗。當日崇政使敬翔對太祖說戰事可憂，太祖也為此沒有按時吃飯。周德威、史建瑭等略地邢、洺，以此勝檄諭邢、洺、博、衛、滑諸郡縣。李存勖亦作《曉諭梁將王檀書》引柏鄉之敗，意欲招降王檀。梁敗軍皆歸平盧、武寧、泰寧、天平諸道本鎮，太祖遣楊師厚于河陽招聚之，十多天後才招到一萬人。

因此敗，太祖很憤怒，罷王景仁招討使、同平章事，軟禁家中。但終因王景仁是錢鏐所推薦，沒有重罰，後來又對王景仁說：「我也知道，是韓勍、李思安輕視你為客將，不從你節度。」數月後就全部恢復王景仁官爵。

朱瑱年間

太祖子朱瑱繼位為帝後，乾化三年（913年）十一月，時楊隆演已稱吳王，弘農複稱吳國，朱瑱以王景仁為淮南西北行營招討應接使，率兵萬餘侵吳國的廬州、壽州，擒吳將袁叢、王彥威、王璠等送京師。梁軍過獨山，山上有楊行密祠，王景仁再拜號泣而去。十二月，吳鎮海節度使徐溫、平盧節度使朱瑾率軍相抗，相遇于趙步，王景仁先敗徐溫所領四千人，幾乎困殺徐溫，但徐溫逃脫。吳軍重新集結，在霍丘再戰，梁軍被吳國右都押牙米志誠等大敗，王景仁親自以數騎斷後，朱瑾等吳軍不敢近逼，故梁軍當時未大損。王景仁南下時，在淮河水淺處用木頭標記，但霍丘守將朱景卻將標記移到深水區，梁軍撤退渡河時溺死大半，吳人在霍丘以梁軍尸體作京觀。王景仁回大梁後，患疽而死。詔贈太尉。

評價

• 《舊五代史》史臣曰：……景仁以貞純許國，較其器業，皆名將也。然雖有善戰之勞，亦有敗軍之咎，則知兵無常勝，豈虛言哉！

• 《十國春秋》論曰：王茂章有專閫才而不竟其用，畏禍出亡，事非得已。

注釋及參考文獻