While this system is no longer used, Wang was the first to formally suggest the adoption of a national language for China based on Mandarin.
During the 1880 Reform, he wanted to submit a letter to advise the Guangxu Emperor to honour Empress Dowager Cixi "to travel to China and foreign countries".
After the Emperor Guangxu read the book, he ordered the six officials of the Ministry of Rites to be dismissed, who had obstructed the letter.
During this time, Wang took his primary inspiration for the design of the Mandarin Alphabet from the Subtle Explorations of Phonology (音韻闡微; Yīnyùn chǎnwēi), a rime dictionary commissioned by the Kangxi Emperor and published in 1726.
[5][6] After Puyi ascended to the throne, the Pinyin Mandarin Newspaper violated the taboo of the Regent Prince Zaifeng.
Then, as tempers flared, Wang Rongbao, one of the leaders of the Southern faction, happened to use the colloquial Shanghai expression for "ricksha," wangbo ts'o.
Wang Zhao misheard it for the Mandarin curse wángba dàn, "son of a bitch [literally turtle’s egg]," and flew into a rage.
Wang Zhao’s suggestion to change the voting procedure was adopted, and after three months of bitter struggling, the Mandarin faction had its way.