Wang Xuan (minister)
Wang Xuan (王璿) was an official during Wu Zetian’s Zhou dynasty in China. He briefly served as a chancellor, but little is known about his life, and he does not have a biography in the standard histories Old Book of Tang or New Book of Tang.
He came from a prominent family in Langye Commandery (modern Linyi, Shandong) with ancestors who served in many dynasties. One ancestor, Wang Meng, was a provincial governor under Chen and held the title Duke of Yingyang. His grandfather Wang Kuang was a Tang-era prefect, and his father Wang Dejian was an imperial censor who was made Baron of Guiren.
In 692, Wang Xuan was the minister of construction. Wu Zetian promoted him to the minister of defense and gave him the designation Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi, making him a de facto chancellor. About a month later, he and several other chancellors were falsely accused of crimes by Wu Zetian’s secret police official Wang Hongyi. They were removed from their posts and exiled to Lingnan. This is the last historical record of Wang Xuan, and his death date is unknown.
His sons later served as officials.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:49 (CET).