Wang Jihua

Civil service and examinations

In 1745, the tenth year of the Qianlong reign, he passed the jinshi examination third in the first rank (the tanhua) and was appointed a Compiler in the Hanlin Academy; in 1748, the thirteenth year, he was promoted to Shidu xueshi and served in the Upper Study.

In 1750, Guangdong established two educational-supervision posts; Wang was ordered, together with the Hanlin reader Cheng Yan, to supervise the Zhaogao and Guangshao jurisdictions. The year of this appointment is also given as 1751. The two posts were soon merged, and Wang returned home on mourning leave.

After completing his mourning in 1754, he was appointed Zhanshi (詹事), served as Rijiang Qijuzhu Guan (日講起居注官), and rose to Academician of the Grand Secretariat (內閣學士). He successively served as vice-minister in the Ministries of Works, Punishments, War, Revenue, and Personnel; while at the Ministry of War, he proposed tightening the order of the military provincial and metropolitan examinations.

His examination appointments included a post as co-examiner in the Shuntian Prefecture examination in 1747, another co-examiner appointment in 1748, examiner for the Hubei provincial examination in 1750, examiner for the Jiangxi provincial examination in 1760, examiner in the metropolitan examination in 1763, and examiner for the Jiangnan Circuit provincial examination in 1768.

In 1769 he became Minister of Rites; in 1773 he was additionally appointed Junior Tutor to the Heir Apparent and transferred to the post of Minister of Revenue. He died in office in 1776, was posthumously granted the rank of Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent, and received the posthumous title Wenzhuang.