As Emperor Wuzong and the lead chancellor Li Deyu were concerned that Wang, along with his neighbors He Hongjing the military governor of Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei) and Zhang Zhongwu the military governor of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing)—whose three circuits traditionally determined their own military governors and resisted the imperial government from ruling over them—would militarily support Liu Zhen, Emperor Wuzong had Li Deyu draft an edict for him explicitly stating to Wang and He Hongjing that the situation with Zhaoyi was different and that he had no intent to get involved in the succession of military governors of Chengde or Weibo.
[7] Subsequently, Emperor Wuzong put Wang and He Hongjing in charge of capturing the three Zhaoyi prefectures east of the Taihang Mountains.
It was said that the day that Wang received the imperial edict, he immediately mobilized and took his forces to Zhao Prefecture (趙州, in modern Shijiazhuang) to ready for attack.
Emperor Wuzong also bestowed the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事) on Wang Yuankui.
[7] In spring 844, the Hedong officer Yang Bian (楊弁) mutinied, expelling then-military governor Li Shi, in cooperation with Liu Zhen.
)[8] After the end of the campaign, Emperor Wuzong rewarded Wang by bestowing on him the honorific title of Taifu (太傅) and creating him the Duke of Taiyuan.