[
In 919, a Chu army attacked Jingnan. Gao sought aid from Wu. Wu sent the general Liu Xin () to head toward the Chu capital Tan Prefecture (in modern ]Changsha
Changsha (; ; ; Changshanese pronunciation: (), Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is the capital and the largest city of Hunan Province of China. Changsha is the 17th most populous city in China with a population of over 10 million, an ...
, Hunan
Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to ...
) while the general Li Jian () attacked Fu Prefecture (復州, in modern Tianmen
Tianmen () is a sub-prefecture-level city (sometimes considered a county-level city) in central Hubei Province, China.
It is on the Jianghan Plain, on the west side of Wuhan (the biggest city of Central China, as well as the capital of Hubei) a ...
, Hubei
Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
). With Liu heading toward Tan Prefecture, the Chu army attacking Jingnan withdrew, but Li Jian still was able to capture Fu Prefecture.[''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 270.]
In 921, Gao ordered Ni, whose son Ni Zhijin () had married a daughter of Gao's by this point, to oversee a project to repair Jiangling's outer walls. When Gao himself went to review the project, he blamed Ni Kefu for the project's slow pace and publicly caned him. However, he stated to his daughter, "Go back to your home and tell your father-in-law: all I wanted to do was to display my authority in front of the people." He also secretly gave her a large amount of platinum for her to give to Ni Kefu.[''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 271.]
During Later Tang
During Emperor Zhuangzong's reign
In 923, Li Cunxu
Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang (), personal name Li Cunxu (), nickname Yazi (), stage name Li Tianxia (), was the ruling prince of the Former Jin dynasty (r. 908–923) and later became the founding emperor of the Later Tang dynasty (r. 923 ...
the Prince of Jin declared himself emperor of a new Later Tang
Tang, known in historiography as the Later Tang, was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China and the second of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Chinese history.
The first three of the Later Tang's four e ...
(as Emperor Zhuangzong). Shortly after, he made a surprise attack on the Later Liang capital Daliang, catching the city defenseless. Zhu Zhen committed suicide, ending Later Liang. The Later Liang-commissioned military governors, including Gao Jichang subsequently all submitted petitions to him pledging loyalty. Gao further changed his name to Gao Jixing to observe naming taboo
A naming taboo is a cultural taboo against speaking or writing the given names of exalted persons, notably in China and within the Chinese cultural sphere. It was enforced by several laws throughout Imperial China, but its cultural and possibly r ...
(as Emperor Zhuangzong's grandfather was Li Guochang). To show his faithfulness to the new Later Tang emperor, he further wanted to go to Daliang to pay homage to the new emperor. Liang Zhen tried to stop him, stating:[''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 272.]
When Gao arrived at Daliang, Emperor Zhuangzong bestowed the greater honorary chancellor title of acting ''Zhongshu Ling'' () on him. On one occasion, the emperor asked him, "We would like to attack Wu and Shu. Which one should be first?" Gao, not actually wanting Emperor Zhuangzong to succeed and believing that Former Shu would be more difficult to conquer due to the geographical barriers, responded, "Wu has infertile lands and poor people; conquering it would do no good. Shu should be attacked first. Its lands are rich; its ruler Wang Jian's son and successor Wang Zongyan) is frivolous; and its people are discontented. You will surely be able to conquer it if you attack it. After conquering it, go down the river [(i.e., the Yangtze)], and it would be easy to conquer Wu." Emperor Zhuangzong was pleased with his suggestion.[
Shortly after, Emperor Zhuangzong set his capital at Luoyang, and Gao followed him there. Gao soon became disenchanted that Emperor Zhuangzong's favorite performers and eunuchs were demanding gifts from him, and wanted to return to Jingnan. Emperor Zhuangzong, however, was considering detaining Gao at Luoyang. The emperor's chief of staff ]Guo Chongtao Guo Chongtao () (died February 20, 926''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 274.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), courtesy name Anshi (), formally the Duke of Zhao Commandery (), was a Chinese military general and politician of the Chinese ...
urged against it, pointing out that the other military governors, at most, had only sent sons, brothers, or staff members to pay homage, and that only Gao had come himself; Guo believed that detaining Gao would send the wrong message. Emperor Zhuangzong therefore allowed him to leave. When Gao reached Xu Prefecture (許州, in modern Xuchang
Xuchang (; postal: Hsuchang) is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province of China, province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the s ...
, Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
), he commented, "This trip contained two mistake: The first mistake was that I came; the second mistake was that he let me leave." When he went through Xiang Prefecture, Kong Qing held a feast for him, but at night, Gao cut open the lock on the city gate and escaped. When he reached Jiangling, he held Liang Zhen's hands and said, "I did not accept your suggestion, and I was almost caught in a tiger's mouth." He further spoke with his staff members and criticized Emperor Zhuangzong:[
Gao then further built up the city's defenses and food storage, and he welcomed old Later Liang soldiers into his army, preparing for an eventual defensive war.][
In 924, Emperor Zhuangzong bestowed the even greater honorary chancellor title of ''Shangshu Ling'' () on Gao and created him the Prince of Nanping.][
In fall 925, Emperor Zhuangzong launched a major attack on Former Shu, intending to destroy it. He made his son ]Li Jiji
Li Jiji (李繼岌) (died May 28, 926''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 275.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), formally the Prince of Wei (魏王), nickname Hege (和哥), was an imperial prince of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten King ...
the Prince of Wei the titular commander of the operations, with Guo as Li Jiji's deputy and the one in actual charge of the military operations. As part of the division of responsibilities among Later Tang vassals, Emperor Zhuangzong gave Gao the title of commander of southeastern operations and ordered him to attack and take Kui, Zhong, and Wan Prefectures to add to his own territory. Gao left his son Gao Conghui in charge of Jiangling and headed west on the Yangtze. He thereafter was hampered by a large iron chain that the Former Shu general Zhang Wu () set up to defend the Three Gorges. He tried to send soldiers to destroy the chain, but Zhang attacked and defeated him, forcing him to retreat back to Jiangling. However, soon thereafter, Zhang heard news that Li Jiji and Guo had crushed the main Former Shu resistance force, and so send messengers to submit to Li Jiji.[ When, soon thereafter, Gao heard news that Wang Yan surrendered to Li Jiji, he, who was eating at that time, dropped his chopsticks, stating, "This is the fault of this old man." Liang Zhen instead stated, "You need not worry. The ruler of Tang, after receiving Shu lands, would surely become even more arrogant and soon be destroyed. How do you know that this would not be to our benefit?"][''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 274.]
Subsequently, after Emperor Zhuangzong, believing in false rumors of their planning to rebel against him, had Guo and another major general, , killed, many rebellions started against him.[ By summer 926, even the army at Luoyang mutinied, and he was killed in the mutiny. When Gao received this news, he became even more respectful of Liang.][''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 275.]
During Emperor Mingzong's reign
In the aftermaths of Emperor Zhuangzong's death, Emperor Zhuangzong's adoptive brother Li Siyuan
Li Siyuan (李嗣源, later changed to Li Dan (李亶)) (10 October 867 – 15 December 933), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Mingzong of Later Tang (後唐明宗), was the second emperor of the Later Tang dynasty of China, reignin ...
claimed imperial title (as Emperor Mingzong). Meanwhile, Gao Jixing prepared his fleet and wanted to attack Chu. His official Sun Guangxian
Sun Guangxian (; died 968'' History of Song'', vol. 483.The Chinese Wikipedia article for Sun Guangxian gave his birth year as 900, but did not cite a source.), courtesy name Mengwen (), self-styled Baoguangzi (), was an official of the Chinese F ...
, whom Liang Zhen had recommended to him to be his scribe, pointed out that Jingnan had barely recovered from the wars, and if it were engaged in a war with Chu, other states might take advantage and attack Jingnan. Gao agreed and stopped his plans to attack Chu. Meanwhile, he requested that Jingnan be given control of Kui, Zhong, and Wan Prefectures; Emperor Mingzong agreed.[
However, soon thereafter Gao began a series of actions that provoked Emperor Mingzong's administration. He had requested, after Emperor Mingzong gave him Kui, Zhong, and Wan Prefectures, that the imperial government not commission prefects for those prefectures, but allow him to commission his own family members; Emperor Mingzong refused. Soon thereafter, when Pan Kang (a former Former Shu official) left his post as prefect of Kui, Gao sent an army to Kui, killed the soldiers already stationed there, and took direct control, and when Emperor Mingzong subsequently commissioned the officer Xifang Ye () to be the prefect, Gao refused to allow Xifang to take office. He also launched a surprise attack on Fu Prefecture, but was unable to capture it. Further, when Han Gong (), an officer that Li Jiji (who committed suicide after his own soldiers refused to follow his orders after Emperor Zhuangzong's death) had sent to escort Former Shu treasures down the Yangtze to Luoyang, went through the Three Gorges, Gao sent an army to surprise and kill Han, and he took over the treasures. When Emperor Mingzong sent an emissary to question Gao about what happened to Han, Gao responded: "Han Gong and the others took ships down the Gorges and had to go thousands of ''li''. If you want to know why their ships overturned and they drowned, you should question the river god." In anger, Emperor Mingzong stripped Gao of his titles and commissioned Liu Xun () the military governor of Shannan East to attack Gao from the north, with Xia Luqi () the military governor of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang) as Liu's deputy; ]Dong Zhang Dong Zhang () (died June 10, 932''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 277.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter) was a Chinese military general and politician of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period Later Liang and Later Tang state ...
the military governor of Dongchuan Circuit (東川, headquartered in modern Mianyang
Mianyang (; formerly known as Mienchow) is the second largest prefecture-level city of Sichuan province in Southwest China. Located in north-central Sichuan covering an area of consisting of Jiangyou, a county-level city, five counties, and thre ...
, Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
) to attack him from the west, with Xifang as Dong's deputy; and Ma Yin to attack from the south.[
Liu quickly put Jiangling under siege, but as Jiangling was humid, and it happened to be rainy season, the siege was hampered, with many of Liu's soldiers and Liu himself becoming ill. Emperor Mingzong sent Kong Xun, who had become his chief of staff, to Jiangling to oversee the siege. Kong, who was also unable to capture Jiangling, sent emissaries into the city to try to persuade Gao to submit. Gao not only refused to do so, but was rude to Kong's emissaries. Meanwhile, despite Emperor Mingzong's sending much gifts to Ma, Ma found excuses not to attack Jiangling. With the siege unsuccessful, Emperor Mingzong ordered Liu to withdraw. However, Xifang was able to defeat Jingnan forces stationed at Kui, Zhong, and Wan, and recapture those three prefectures for the Later Tang imperial government. Emperor Mingzong created a Ningjiang Circuit (), with its headquarters at Kui, and made Xifang its military governor.][ Despite Xifang's victory, Emperor Mingzong blamed the approval of Gao's petition to take the three prefectures on the former chancellors ]Doulu Ge Doulu Ge (豆盧革) (died August 24, 927?''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 276.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter) was an official of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms state Later Tang (and, briefly, Later Tang's predecessor st ...
and Wei Yue Wei Yue (韋說) (died August 24, 927?''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 276.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter) was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, and Tang's successor states Later Liang and Later Tang of the Five Dynasties and ...
, and ordered them to commit suicide.[ Around the same time, Gao intercepted and captured Ma's tributary emissary to Emperor Mingzong, Shi Guangxian (), as well as the awards that Emperor Mingzong was sending Ma via Shi. He thereafter submitted a petition requesting to be a Wu vassal. However, the Wu regent ]Xu Wen
Xu Wen () (862''New History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 61. – November 20, 927''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 276.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), courtesy name Dunmei (), formally Prince Zhongwu of Qi (), later further ...
believed that it would be ill-advised for Wu to accept Gao as a vassal, pointing out that Jiangling was much closer to the Later Tang capital Luoyang than to Wu's capital Guangling (廣陵, in modern Yangzhou
Yangzhou, postal romanization Yangchow, is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province (Suzhong), East China. Sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, it borders the provincial capital Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yan ...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...
) and therefore it would be difficult Wu to aid Jingnan if Later Tang attacked again; he therefore accepted Gao's tributes but refused to accept him as a vassal.[
In spring 928, Xifang captured Jingnan's Gui Prefecture (歸州, in modern ]Yichang
Yichang (), alternatively romanized as Ichang, is a prefecture-level city located in western Hubei province, China. It is the third largest city in the province after the capital, Wuhan and the prefecture-level city Xiangyang, by urban populati ...
, Hubei
Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
), but soon Jingnan forces recaptured it.[
Also in spring 928, Ma sent Yuan Quan (), Wang Huan (), and his son Ma Xizhan () to attack Jingnan. Gao himself engaged the Chu forces, but Ma Xizhan was able to lay a trap for him at Liulang Ford (劉郎袱, in modern Jingzhou) and defeat him. The Chu forces then approached Jiangling. In fear, Gao sued for peace and returned Shi to Chu. (When Ma Yin subsequently questioned Wang why the Chu army did not go ahead and try to capture Jiangling, Wang pointed out that Jingnan served as a buffer zone between Chu and Later Tang, Wu, and the Shu region. Ma understood Wang's point and did not question him further.)][
In summer 928, the Wu generals Miao Lin () and Wang Yanzhang () were attacking Chu's Yue Prefecture, and they were set to rendezvous with Jingnan forces. Xu Dexun defeated and captured them, however, and it is not clear whether Jingnan forces actually participated in the battle.][
Soon thereafter, Gao again requested to be a Wu vassal. With Xu Wen's having died and his adoptive son Xu Zhigao now regent, Wu agreed to accept Gao as a vassal and created him the Prince of Qin. Emperor Mingzong thereafter ordered Ma Yin to attack Gao. Ma sent Xu and his son Ma Xifan to advance to Shatou (沙頭, in modern Jingzhou). When the armies engaged, Gao's nephew Gao Congsi () challenged Ma Xifan to a one-on-one combat, but the Chu officer Liao Kuangqi () instead took the challenge and killed Gao Congsi in the one-on-one combat. Gao Jixing then sued for peace, and Ma Yin agreed, recalling Xu and Ma Xifan.][
In fall 928, Emperor Mingzong commissioned the general Fang Zhiwen () to attack Jingnan, and he summoned the troops from many circuits to converge at Xiang Prefecture to prepare to attack Jiangling. However, before the Later Tang forces could converge and attack, Gao himself died around the new year 929. The Wu emperor ]Yang Pu
Yang Pu ( zh, 楊溥; 900 – January 21, 939), formally Emperor Rui of Wu (), was the last ruler of Wu, and the only one that claimed the title of emperor. During his reign, the state was in effective control of the regents Xu Wen and Xu Wen' ...
commissioned Gao Conghui as the new military governor of Jingnan. Subsequently, Gao Conghui, who had not been supportive of Gao Jixing's resistance against Later Tang, submitted a petition to Later Tang's Emperor Mingzong, asking to again be a vassal of Later Tang. In spring 929, Emperor Mingzong agreed and ended the campaign against Jingnan.[ Emperor Mingzong subsequently posthumously created Gao Jixing the Prince of Chu.][
]
Personal information
* Wife?/Concubine?
** Lady Zhang, mother of Gao Conghui
* Children
** Gao Conghui
Gao Conghui () (891 – December 1, 948; might have been born with or used the name Zhu Conghui (), formally Prince Wenxian of Nanping (), courtesy name Zunsheng () was the ruler of the History of China, Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Peri ...
(), later Prince Wenxian
** Gao Congxu ()
** Gao Congshen ()
** Gao Congrang ()
** Gao Congqian ()
** Four other sons
** Daughter, wife of Ni Zhijin (), son of the general Ni Kefu ()
** Five other daughters
Notes and references
*
* '' History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 133.
* ''New History of the Five Dynasties
The ''Historical Records of the Five Dynasties'' (''Wudai Shiji'') is a Chinese history book on the Five Dynasties period (907–960), written by the Song dynasty official Ouyang Xiu in private. It was drafted during Ouyang's exile from 1036 to ...
'', vol. 69.
* ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms
The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese title ''Shiguo Chunqiu'' (), is a history of the Ten Kingdoms that existed in southern China after the fall of the Tang Dynasty and before the reunification of China ...
''
vol. 100
* ''Zizhi Tongjian
''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...
'', vols. 263
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, 265
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, 266
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, 267, 268
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, 269
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, 270, 271
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gao, Jixing
858 births
929 deaths
Later Liang (Five Dynasties) jiedushi of Jingnan Circuit
Jingnan rulers
10th-century Chinese monarchs
Chinese princes
Yang Wu jiedushi of Jingnan Circuit
Later Tang jiedushi of Jingnan Circuit
Politicians from Sanmenxia
Generals from Henan
Later Liang (Five Dynasties) people born during Tang
Founding monarchs