Wang Jin (Chinese: 王縉, 700 – December 31, 781), courtesy name Xiaqing (夏卿), served as a chancellor of the Tang dynasty during the reign of Emperor Daizong.
[2] Sometime thereafter, Wang Jin was recalled to the capital Chang'an to serve as the principal of the imperial university (國子祭酒, Guozi Jijiu).
He later successively served as the mayor of Fengxiang Municipality (鳳翔, in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), the deputy minister of public works (工部侍郎, Gongbu Shilang), and Zuo Sanqi Changshi (左散騎常侍), a high-level consultant at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng).
In 764, when the chancellors Liu Yan and Li Xian were removed, Wang and Du Hongjian replaced them — with Wang given the post of Huangmen Shilang (黃門侍郎), the deputy head of the examination bureau (門下省, Menxia Sheng); director of Taiwei Palace (太微宮); and imperial scholar at Hongwen (弘文館) and Chongxian (崇賢館) Pavilions, in addition to the de facto chancellor designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事).
It appeared that he soon returned to Chang'an, however, as he was in Chang'an in 766 when the powerful eunuch Yu Chao'en, then the principal of the imperial university, tried to provoke Wang and his fellow chancellor Yuan Zai by, during a lecture about the I Ching, talking about how a ding (a large cooking vessel often used to symbolize chancellorship) would overturn if imbalanced.
Wang, knowing that he would be unable to wrest control of the circuit from Zhu Xicai, stayed in Lulong only a few days before returning to the Tang capital Chang'an.
In 769, Wang offered to yield his post as deputy supreme commander and associated military titles, and Emperor Daizong agreed.
Meanwhile, while he was at Hedong, the officers Wang Wuzong (王無縱) and Zhang Fengzhang (張奉璋) both believed that since he was a civilian, they could disobey him without consequence.
At that time, the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆), which encompassed Chang'an, was Li Gan (黎幹), who was willing to criticize Yuan's governance.
In 779, Wang Jin was given the honorary position of staff member for Emperor Daizong's crown prince Li Kuo, but was not allowed to return to Chang'an; rather, he was ordered to settle in at Luoyang.