Wang Chuzhi
It is not known exactly when Wang Du was born—although subsequent events cast a timeframe as to when his birth might have been, and it was clearly late in the Tang Dynasty. He was initially born in a household in Xingyi (陘邑, in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei), with the name of Liu Yunlang. At one point, he was taken by the sorcerer Li Yingzhi () and raised by Li as his child. At one point, Li became acquainted with Wang Chuzhi—although it is not known whether Wang Chuzhi was then still an officer under his brother Wang Chucun or Wang Chucun's son and successor Wang Gao, or whether he was already military governor after succeeding Wang Gao—and healed Wang Chuzhi of an illness. As a result, Wang Chuzhi believed that Li had supernatural powers and came to trust him. At that time, Wang Chuzhi did not yet have a son, and Li gave Liu Yunlang to him to be his child, stating to him, "This boy has an honored appearance." Wang agreed to take the boy as a son, renaming him Wang Du.