The Breakdown and Reconciliation of Ouyang Jingwu and Wang Enyang, 1940–1942: An Analysis Based on Newly Discovered Correspondence

Wang Enyang, together with Lv Cheng, was long regarded as one of Ouyang Jingwu’s closest disciples, often described as his “right- and left-hand man.” Scholarly consensus has generally assumed that their teacher–disciple relationship remained harmonious throughout Ouyang’s lifetime. However, newly published correspondence from Chen Mingshu’s Correspondence with Friends and Colleagues on Scholarly Matters reveals that after 1940 their relationship grew increasingly strained, culminating in a near-complete rupture. Although Wang, under the persuasion of Ouyang, Chen, and Lv, later expressed contrition and sought reconciliation, the rift was never fully repaired. Even at the time of Ouyang’s death, their once intimate bond had not been restored.