Wang Qiao

Family and examinations

His father was Wang Nie (王臬, 1477–1553); his grandfather was Wang Han (王瀚), his great-grandfather Wang Zhen (王鎮), and his mother was from the Yu family (于氏). He had eight elder brothers—王黯, 王然, 王燾, 王點, 王烋, 王熙, 王烝, and 王傑. He had four younger brothers—王維熊, 王維羆, 王夢羔, and 王夢魚; his wife was 虞氏, and his son was Wang Kentang (王肯堂), born in 1552. He placed 67th in the Yingtian prefectural examination. In 1547, he ranked 224th in the Dingwei metropolitan examination and took fifteenth place in the third class of the jinshi.

Official career

He entered government service as an official of the Bureau of Travelers (行人司行人) and later served as an assistant director in the Ministry of Justice, specifically the Yunnan Office. He also became a vice commissioner in Shandong, but returned home because of illness. At the beginning of the Wanli reign, Zhang Juzheng, then chief grand secretary, recognized his ability, recommended him for appointment as vice commissioner in Zhejiang, and promoted him to vice director and director of the Office of the Imperial Seals. Because Qiao asked that the officials who opposed Zhang's return to office during mourning not be punished, he fell out with Zhang, was sent to serve as libationer of the Nanjing Court of State Ceremonial, and was soon dismissed. He later returned to office: in Wanli 20 he became president of the Nanjing Judicial Court, in Wanli 21 vice minister of the Nanjing Ministry of Justice, and in Wanli 23 vice censor-in-chief. The censor Lu Dazhong impeached him as aged, and the Wanli emperor ordered his retirement. After his death, he was posthumously granted the rank of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent and the posthumous name Gongjian.

Classical learning and works

Wang Qiao was a scholar of the classics, particularly of Spring and Autumn learning. While serving in the Ministry of Justice, he wrote *Notes on Private Annotations to the Statutes* (《讀律私箋》), described as precise and rigorous. His works included *Fanglu Jushi ji* (《方麓居士集》). Other titles attributed to him were *Shangshu riji*, sixteen juan, and *Chunqiu jizhuan*, thirteen juan, together with a one-juan *Zongzhi* and a two-juan *Fanli*; *Fanglu ji* is also listed among titles associated with his writings. His literary activities included writing a biography of Yang Jisheng and a preface to a book by Chen Hou.