Wang Chongrong (王重榮; died July 6, 887[1][2]), formally the Prince of Langye (瑯琊王), was a warlord of the late Chinese Tang dynasty who controlled Hezhong Circuit (河中, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi).
He was instrumental in Tang's eventual defeat of the agrarian rebel Huang Chao, but at times had an adversarial relationship with the court of Emperor Xizong and the powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi.
[4] His father Wang Zong (王縱) was a successful military officer who reached the position of prefect of Yan Prefecture (鹽州, in modern Yulin, Shaanxi).
Wang, however, objected to the numerous demands for material supplies from Huang, and forced Li Du to yield power to him; Wang then claimed the position of acting military governor, killed the Qi emissaries, and sent Li Du on his way to Chengdu to pay homage to Emperor Xizong.
In spring 882, Zhu captured Tong Prefecture (同州, in modern Weinan) and then attacked Hezhong, but Wang Chongrong was able to repel him.
Meanwhile, late in 882, Emperor Xizong bestowed on Wang Chongrong the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事).
[6] For Wang Chongrong's contributions during the campaign, he was given the title of acting Taiwei (太尉, one of the Three Excellencies) and created the Prince of Langye.
Wang Chucun also submitted a petition on his behalf, and, when the order was not rescinded, made only a token attempt to head to Hezhong before returning to Yiwu.
Tian aligned with Zhu Mei the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi) and Li Changfu the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), while Wang Chongrong sought aid from Li Keyong.
Around the new year 886, the armies engaged in battle, and Wang Chongrong's and Li Keyong's forces defeated those of Tian and his allies.
Li Keyong approached Chang'an, and Tian took Emperor Xizong and fled to Xingyuan (興元, in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi).
Li Keyong and Wang Chongrong withdrew their forces to Hezhong and submitted petitions demanding Tian's death.
[7] Meanwhile, by this point, Tian Lingzi, knowing that the entire empire hated him, had resigned and gone to Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu), where his brother Chen Jingxuan was military governor.