Academia Sinica
Academia Sinica (AS, la, 1=Academia Sinica, 3=Chinese Academy; ), headquartered in Nangang, Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. Founded in Nanking, the academy supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from ...
courtesy name
A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...
Dexiang (), was a Chinese military general, politician, and singer of the
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period
The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen conc ...
dynasty
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 ...
and Later Tang's predecessor state Jin. He was an adoptive son of Jin's first prince
Li Keyong
Li Keyong () (October 24, 856 – February 24, 908) was a Chinese military general and politician of Shatuo ethnicity, and from January 896 a Prince of Jin (, ''Jin Wang''), which would become an independent state after the fall of the Tang dyn ...
and later served in a number of major campaigns under the reign of Li Keyong's son (Li Cunshen's adoptive brother)
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 ...
, helping Li Cunxu to establish Later Tang as its Emperor Zhuangzong.
Background
Fu Cun was born in 862, during the reign of
Emperor Yizong of Tang
Emperor Yizong of Tang (December 28, 833 – August 15, 873), né Li Wen, later changed to Li Cui (), was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 859 to 873. Yizong was the eldest son of Emperor Xuanzong. After Emperor Xuanzo ...
. His family was from Wanqiu (宛丘, in modern
Zhoukou
Zhoukou (; Postal romanization, postal: Chowkow) is a prefecture-level city in eastern Henan province of China, province, China. It borders Zhumadian to the southwest, Xuchang and Luohe to the west, Kaifeng to the northwest, Shangqiu to the north ...
,
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 ...
), and his father Fu Chu () was an officer for the army of Chen Prefecture (陳州, in modern
Zhumadian
Zhumadian (; postal: Chumatien) is a prefecture-level city in southern Henan province, China. It borders Xinyang to the south, Nanyang to the west, Pingdingshan to the northwest, Luohe to the north, Zhoukou to the northeast, and the province of An ...
,
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 ...
), which Wanqiu was a part of. When he was young, there was an occasion when he was to be executed for an offense, and he asked to be buried under a part of the city wall that had tilted, so that his body would not be uncovered. The executioner agreed and was set to move his execution to just next to the city wall to facilitate the burial. However, at that time, a high-level officer was holding a feast and sitting with his favorite servant girl; the officer wanted someone to sing for them during the feast, and the servant girl, who was acquainted with Fu, stated, "Fu Cun often sang for me, and he sang well." The officer sent a messenger to summon Fu, and Fu, with the execution having been moved, was not yet executed. Fu sang well at the feast, and was spared.''
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 ...
Fu Cun was said to be magnanimous and just in his youth, and was capable of military strategies. Late in the ''Qianfu'' era (874-879) of Emperor Yizong's son and successor Emperor Xizong, the Tang realm was overrun by agrarian rebels, and Fu led a group of locals in defending the prefecture. Later, when
Li Hanzhi Li Hanzhi (; 842''New Book of Tang'', vol. 187.'' History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 15.''New History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 42. – July 26, 899Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 261.), formal ...
, who was also from Chen Prefecture and who had been an agrarian rebel, became a Tang general and was made the prefect of Guang Prefecture (光州, in modern
Xinyang
Xinyang (; postal: Sinyang) is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Henan province, People's Republic of China, the southernmost administrative division in the province. Its total population was 6,234,401 according to the 2020 census. As of t ...
,
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 ...
), Fu went to join Li Hanzhi's army. Later, when Li Hanzhi was pressured by the renegade general
Qin Zongquan
Qin Zongquan (; died April 1, 889) was a Chinese military general, monarch, politician, rebel, and warlord during the Tang Dynasty. He was later a claimant to the imperial throne, in competition with Emperor Xizong of Tang and, later, Emperor Xiz ...
, who had declared himself emperor of a new state centered around nearby Cai Prefecture (蔡州, in modern Zhumadian), Li Hanzhi abandoned Guang Prefecture and joined the army of
Zhuge Shuang Zhuge Shuang () (d. 886) was a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, who controlled Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern Jiaozuo, Henan) for some time and who vacillated between allegiance to Tang and to the Qi state of the agrarian rebel ...
the military governor (''
Jiedushi
The ''jiedushi'' (), or jiedu, was a title for regional military governors in China which was established in the Tang dynasty and abolished in the Yuan dynasty. The post of ''jiedushi'' has been translated as "military commissioner", "legate", ...
'') of Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern
Jiaozuo
Jiaozuo ( ; postal: Tsiaotso) is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Henan province, China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the south, Xinxiang to the east, Jiyuan to the ...
,
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 ...
), and Fu followed him to serve as a minor officer at Heyang; Fu subsequently distinguished himself in battles against Qin's army. After Zhuge's death, Li Hanzhi was forced by Zhuge's other subordinates to become the defender of Huai Prefecture (懷州, in modern
Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...
,
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 ...
) and Li Hanzhi's soldiers were distributed. Fu thereafter went to the domain of
Li Keyong
Li Keyong () (October 24, 856 – February 24, 908) was a Chinese military general and politician of Shatuo ethnicity, and from January 896 a Prince of Jin (, ''Jin Wang''), which would become an independent state after the fall of the Tang dyn ...
the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern
Taiyuan
Taiyuan (; ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; also known as (), ()) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. ...
,
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
) instead. Li Keyong adopted him as a son and changed his name to Li Cunshen; he became a commander of the wing of Li Keyong's army that Li Keyong put his adoptive sons in charge of.
Service under Li Keyong
As Li Cunshen served under Li Keyong, he was said to draw more and more of Li Keyong's favor due to his bravery in battle and his careful speaking. He often accompanied Li Keyong on his campaigns and distinguished himself during them. During the campaign against
Helian Duo Helian Duo (赫連鐸) (died 894) was an ethnically-Tuyuhun warlord in late Tang Dynasty. He had a long-running enmity with the Shatuo chieftain Li Keyong, and was killed by Li Keyong in 894.
Background and initial campaign against Li Keyong
Lit ...
, for example, he fought hard and suffered a number of wounds, which Li Keyong personally attended to.
During Li Keyong's 894 campaign against
Li Kuangchou
Li, li, or LI may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Landscape Institute, a British professional body for landscape architects
* Leadership Institute, a non-profit organization located in Arlington, Virginia, US, that teaches "political tec ...
the military governor of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
), Li Keyong deployed the tactic of facing Li Kuangchou's army headfirst himself, while having Li Cunshen circle around and attack Li Kuangchou's army in the back, leading to a rout of Li Kuangchou's army and Li Kuangchou's subsequent flight and death.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 259.
In 895, when Li Keyong, under the directives of Emperor Xizong's brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong, attacked
Wang Xingyu Wang Xingyu () (d. 895) was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who controlled Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi) from 887 to his death in 895. At his prime, he and his ally Li Maozhen the military go ...
the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern
Xianyang
Xianyang () is a prefecture-level city in central Shaanxi province, situated on the Wei River a few kilometers upstream (west) from the provincial capital of Xi'an. Once the capital of the Qin dynasty, it is now integrated into the Xi'an metrop ...
,
Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see #Name, § Name) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichu ...
),''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 260. Li Cunshen was instrumental in defeating Jingnan's elite troops and capturing Longquan (龍泉寨, in modern
Weinan
Weinan () is a prefecture-level city in the east central Shaanxi province, China. The city lies on the lower section of the Wei River confluence into the Yellow River, about east of the provincial capital Xi'an, and borders the provinces of Shan ...
,
Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see #Name, § Name) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichu ...
), leading to Wang's subsequent defeat and death. After the battle, Li Cunshen was given the honorary title of acting ''Zuo Pushe'' (). In a subsequent campaign between Li Keyong and Li Keyong's archrival
Zhu Quanzhong
Emperor Taizu of Later Liang (), personal name Zhu Quanzhong () (December 5, 852 – July 18, 912), né Zhu Wen (), name later changed to Zhu Huang (), nickname Zhu San (朱三, literally, "the third Zhu"), was a Chinese military general, mona ...
the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern
Kaifeng
Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the Nort ...
,
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 ...
) (after Li Hanzhi, who was by that point serving under Li Keyong as well, had seized Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern
Changzhi
Changzhi () is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Shanxi Province, China, bordering the provinces of Hebei and Henan to the northeast and east, respectively. Historically, the city was one of the 36 administrative areas (see Administrat ...
,
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
), turned against Li Keyong, and submitted to Zhu), Li Cunshen defeated the Xuanwu general He Delun ().''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 261.
In 901, when Zhu launched a major attack on Li Keyong and nearly captured Hedong's capital
Taiyuan
Taiyuan (; ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; also known as (), ()) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. ...
Municipality, Li Keyong's subordinate Li Tang () the prefect of Fen Prefecture (汾州, in modern
Lüliang
Lüliang or Lyuliang () is a prefecture-level city in the west of Shanxi province, People's Republic of China, bordering Shaanxi province across the Yellow River to the west, Jinzhong and the provincial capital of Taiyuan to the east, Linfen t ...
,
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
) surrendered Fen Prefecture to Zhu; after Zhu's subsequent withdrawal, Li Keyong sent Li Cunshen to attack Li Tang; Li Cunshen took Fen in three days, capturing and executing Li Tang.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 262. He was then made the commander of Li Keyong's infantry guards.
In 903, when Wang Jinghui (), an officer at Yun Prefecture (雲州, in modern
Datong
Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province in the People's Republic of China. It is located in the Datong Basin at an elevation of and borders Inner Mongolia to the north and west and Hebei to the east. As of the 2020 cens ...
,
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
), killed Yun's prefect Liu Zaili () and submitted to
Liu Rengong Liu Rengong () (died 914) was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who controlled Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing) from 895 (when his one-time lord Li Keyong conquered Lulong and left him in charge of it) to 907 ...
the military governor of Lulong (who had been a vassal of Li Keyong's but who had by that point turned against Li Keyong), Li Keyong sent his nephew
and Li Cunshen to attack Wang. When Liu subsequently came to Wang's aid, however, Wang was able to escape; angry over Wang's escape. Li Keyong caned both Li Sizhao and Li Cunshen and stripped them of their posts.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 264. However, the posts appeared to have been subsequently restored, as in 906, Li Sizhao and Li Cunshen were the ones attacking Zhaoyi (which had been taken by Zhu's subordinate Ding Hui) and who accepted Ding's surrender (as Ding had by that point become disaffected with Zhu due to Zhu's assassination of Emperor Zhaozong in 905) — by this point, Li Cunshen was apparently the deputy commander of all Han and non-Han cavalry and infantry forces directly under Li Keyong, with Li Sizhao serving as the commander of all Han and non-Han cavalry and infantry forces.
In 907, Zhu forced Emperor Zhaozong's son and successor Emperor Ai to yield the throne to him, ending Tang and starting a new Later Liang with him as its Emperor Taizu. Li Keyong, who carried the Tang-bestowed title of Prince of Jin, refused to recognize the new Later Liang emperor (as did several other major warlords —
Yang Wo
Yang Wo () (886 – June 9, 908), courtesy name Chengtian (), formally Prince Wei of Hongnong (), later further posthumously honored King Jing of Wu () and then as Emperor Jing of Wu () with the temple name Liezu (), was the first independent ruler ...
the Prince of Hongnong,
Li Maozhen
Li Maozhen (; 856 – May 17, 924), born Song Wentong (), courtesy name Zhengchen (), formally Prince Zhongjing of Qin (), was the only ruler of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Qi (901–924). He had become a powerful wa ...
the Prince of Qi, and Wang Jian the Prince of Shu) and continued to use the Tang
era name
A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin ''regnum'' meaning kingdom, rule. Regnal years considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year o ...
''Tianyou''. In effect, however, he was the ruler of his own state of Jin by this point. In 908, Li Keyong died and was succeeded by his son
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 ...
as the Prince of Jin.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 266. Li Cunshen continued to serve under Li Cunxu.
Service under Li Cunxu
During Jin
One of the first crises that Li Cunxu had to deal with was the siege that Later Liang forces were conducting against Zhaoyi's capital Lu Prefecture (), defended by Li Sizhao. Li Cunxu himself and
commanded the subsequent successful relief mission to Lu, and Li Cunshen served under Zhou during the battle. After the battle, he was given the honorary title of acting ''Situ'' (司徒, one of the
Three Excellencies
The Three Ducal Ministers (), also translated as the Three Dukes, Three Excellencies, or the Three Lords, was the collective name for the three highest officials in Ancient China and Imperial China. These posts were abolished by Cao Cao in 208 AD a ...
), and made the prefect of Xin Prefecture (忻州, in modern
Xinzhou
Xinzhou, ancient name Xiurong (秀荣), is a prefecture-level city occupying the north-central section of Shanxi Province in the People's Republic of China, bordering Hebei to the east, Shaanxi to the west, and Inner Mongolia to the northwest ...
,
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
) and the commander of all Han and non-Han cavalry and infantry forces. In 910, he was made acting ''Taibao'' () and the deputy overseer of all Han and non-Han. That year, when Li Cunxu himself went to the rescue of the former Later Liang vassal Wang Rong the Prince of Zhao, who was under attack by Later Liang forces, he put Li Cunshen in charge of Taiyuan.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 267. After defeating Later Liang forces, Li Cunxu put Li Cunshen in charge of the defense of the new southeastern border between Jin/Zhao and Later Liang, stationed at Zhao Prefecture (趙州, in modern
Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang (; ; Mandarin: ), formerly known as Shimen and romanized as Shihkiachwang, is the capital and most populous city of China’s North China's Hebei Province. Administratively a prefecture-level city, it is about southwest of Beijin ...
,
Hebei
Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...
).
In 912, when Li Cunxu sent Zhou to attack Liu Rengong's son and successor
Liu Shouguang
Liu Shouguang () (died February 16, 914) was a warlord early in the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period who controlled Lulong (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing) and Yichang (義昌, headquartered in modern Cangzhou, Hebei) Circui ...
— who had declared himself the emperor of a new state of
Yan
Yan may refer to:
Chinese states
* Yan (state) (11th century – 222 BC), a major state in northern China during the Zhou dynasty
* Yan (Han dynasty kingdom), first appearing in 206 BC
* Yan (Three Kingdoms kingdom), officially claimed inde ...
— Later Liang's Emperor Taizu decided to try to come to Liu Shouguang's rescue by attacking Jin and Zhao from the south. Li Cunshen, whose forces were far outnumbered by Later Liang forces under Emperor Taizu himself and his general
Yang Shihou
Yang Shihou () (died April 23, 915Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), formally the Prince of Ye (), was a major general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Later Liang, serving as the main obstacle to th ...
, tricked the Later Liang forces by dividing his troops into multiple groups, commanded by himself, Shi Jiantang (), and Li Sigong (李嗣肱, another adoptive son of Li Keyong's), eventually misleading Emperor Taizu into believing Li Cunxu and the main Jin forces were at the front and that he was nearing defeat, causing him to withdraw in a panic and ending his attempt to save Yan.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 268. As a result of this victory, Li Cunshen was made the military prefect (團練使, ''Tuanlianshi'') of Xin (邢州, in modern
Xingtai
Xingtai (), formerly known as Xingzhou and Shunde, is a prefecture-level city in southern Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It has a total area of and administers 4 districts, 2 county-level cities and 12 counties. At the 2020 censu ...
,
Hebei
Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...
), Ming (洺州, in modern
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Hebei province, China. The southernmost prefecture-level city of the province, it borders Xingtai on the north, and the provinces of Shanxi on the west, Henan on the south and Shando ...
,
Hebei
Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...
), and Ci (磁州, also in modern Handan) Prefectures (which were not yet under Jin control at that time). Later, at Li Cunxu's direction, Li Cunshen took his ethnic
Tuyuhun
Tuyuhun (; LHC: *''tʰɑʔ-jok-guənʔ''; Wade-Giles: ''T'u-yühun''), also known as Henan () and Azha (; ), was a dynastic kingdom established by the nomadic peoples related to the Xianbei in the Qilian Mountains and upper Yellow River valley ...
and Qibi () cavalry soldiers to reinforce Zhou's troops. (Without Later Liang aid, Yan eventually fell in 913.)
Late in 912, Later Liang's Emperor Taizu was assassinated by his son
Zhu Yougui
Zhu Yougui () (c. 888? – March 27, 913), nickname Yaoxi (), often known by his princely title Prince of Ying (), was briefly an emperor of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Later Liang. He became emperor after assa ...
the Prince of Ying, and Zhu Yougui took over the throne (after claiming that instead, it was his adoptive brother
Zhu Youwen
Zhu Youwen (; died 912), né Kang Qin (康勤), courtesy name Deming (德明), formally the Prince of Bo (博王), was an imperial prince of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Later Liang. He was an adoptive son of the foun ...
the Prince of Bo who had carried out the assassination but who had been executed). The Later Liang military governor of Huguo Circuit (護國, headquartered in modern
Yuncheng
Yuncheng is the southernmost prefecture-level city in Shanxi province, People's Republic of China. It borders Linfen and Jincheng municipalities to the north and east, and Henan (Luoyang and Jiyuan to the east, Sanmenxia to the south) and Shaan ...
,
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
, did not believe Zhu Yougui and resisted Zhu Yougui's subsequent summons to the capital
Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...
. When Zhu Yougui subsequently sent the generals Kang Huaizhen () and Niu Cunjie () to attack Zhu Youqian, Zhu Youqian submitted to Jin and requested immediate aid. Li Cunxu sent Li Cunshen, Li Sigong, and Li Si'en (李嗣恩, another adoptive son of Li Keyong's) to aid Zhu Youqian; they had some victories over Later Liang forces, and after Li Cunxu himself joined them, Later Liang forces withdrew from Huguo.
In 915, by which time Zhu Yougui had been killed and replaced by his brother Zhu Zhen, Yang, who had been the military governor of the powerful Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered in modern Handan, also known as Weibo (), died. Zhu Zhen, believing that the Weibo army was difficult to control and needed to have its influence reduced, divided Tianxiong into two circuits, with three of its six prefectures, including Tianxiong's capital Wei Prefecture (), governed by He Delun, and with the other prefectures made into a new Zhaode Circuit (), headquartered at Xiang Prefecture (相州, in modern
Anyang
Anyang (; ) is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi and Hebei to its west and north respectively.
It had a ...
,
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 ...
), with Zhang Yun () as its military governor. The Tianxiong forces did not want to be divided, and they mutinied under the leadership of Zhang Yan (), kidnapping He Delun and forcing him to submit to Jin. Hearing of what happened at Tianxiong, Li Cunxu proceeded quickly toward Wei Prefecture, joining forces with Li Cunshen to Linqing (臨清, in modern Lintai). Li Cunxu subsequently entered Wei Prefecture and took over the military governorship of Tianxiong himself. Li Cunshen engaged in several subsequent major battles with the Later Liang general Liu Xun, who was trying to recapture Tianxiong, defeating Liu (along with
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 ...
and Li Cunxu himself). After the Yan Bao (), the Later Liang military governor of Baoyi Circuit (保義, headquartered at Xing Prefecture) subsequently surrendered the circuit, Li Cunxu made Li Cunshen the military governor of a new Anguo Circuit, headquartered at Xing Prefecture. After the Later Liang military governor of Shunhua Circuit (順化, headquartered in modern
Cangzhou
Cangzhou () is a prefecture-level city in eastern Hebei province, People's Republic of China. At the 2020 census, Cangzhou's built-up (''or metro'') area made of Yunhe, Xinhua districts and Cang County largely being conurbated had a populatio ...
,
Hebei
Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...
),
Dai Siyuan Dai Siyuan (戴思遠) (died 935) was a Chinese military general and politician of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period Later Liang state, serving for several years as the supreme commander of the Later Liang forces against its archri ...
subsequently abandoned Shunhua, Li Cunxu made Li Cunshen the military governor of Henghai Circuit (橫海, i.e., Shunhua, which was originally named Henghai during Tang times). By this point, Jin had taken all of Later Liang territory north of the
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Standard Beijing Mandarin, Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the List of rivers by length, sixth-longest river system in the world at th ...
except for the city of Liyang (黎陽, in modern
Hebi
Hebi ( ; postal: Hopi) is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, China. Situated in mountainous terrain at the edge of the Shanxi plateau, Hebi is about south of Anyang, northeast of Xinxiang and north of Kaifeng.
As of the 202 ...
,
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 ...
).''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 269. Li Cunxu subsequently bestowed the honorary
chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
designation of ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'' () on Li Cunshen.
The Jin victories were then tempered by the news, in 917, that Khitan's Emperor Taizu (Yelü Abaoji) had launched a major attack on Lulong's capital You Prefecture (), putting Zhou under siege inside the city. Li Cunxu originally hesitated at launching an army to save Zhou, given that the Yellow River border with Later Liang was a new one and Later Liang forces were still in the vicinity. It was at the urging of Li Cunshen, Li Siyuan, and Yan that he decided to send them north to confront Khitan forces. They defeated Khitan forces near You Prefecture and forced them to flee, lifting the siege on You Prefecture. (Still, it was said that this Khitan incursion dealt a heavy blow to Lulong Circuit, which from this point on was periodically subject to damaging Khitan incursions.)''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 270.
In late 918, Li Cunxu decided to, against Zhou's advice, launch a major attack across the Yellow River against Later Liang's capital Daliang itself. In a subsequent battle at Huliu Slope (胡柳陂, in modern
Heze
Heze, formerly known as Caozhou, is the westernmost prefecture-level city in Shandong province, China, it borders Jining to the east and the provinces of Henan and Anhui to the west and south respectively.
History
Caozhou was at the center ...
,
Shandong
Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region.
Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...
), Jin forces were initially routed and suffered heavy damage (with Zhou killed in the battle), although it subsequently recovered somewhat and dealt heavy damage to Later Liang forces as well, avoiding a complete disaster. After Zhou's death, Li Cunxu transferred Zhou's title as the overseer of all Han and non-Han to Li Cunshen.
In 920, when Liu Xun was attacking Huguo, Li Cunxu sent Li Cunshen, Li Sizhao, Li Jianji (), and Li Cunxian (李存賢, another adoptive son of Li Keyong's)While the ''Zizhi Tongjian'' called this individual Li Cunzhi, the real Li Cunzhi was already dead in 908. The description of Cizhou prefect (慈州刺史) matches that of another adopted son, Li Cunxian, perfectly. to aid Zhu Youqian. They were successful in repelling Liu. (On this mission, Li Cunshen made an incursion into Later Liang territory as far as the
Guanzhong
Guanzhong (, formerly romanised as Kwanchung) region, also known as the Guanzhong Basin, Wei River Basin, or uncommonly as the Shaanzhong region, is a historical region of China corresponding to the crescentic graben basin within present-day ce ...
region and offered tributes to the tombs of the Tang emperors before withdrawing.)''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 271.
In 921, Wang Rong was assassinated by his adoptive son Wang Deming, who took over the Zhao realms, changed his name back to the original name of Zhang Wenli, and slaughtered the Wang clan. Li Cunxu subsequently prepared for a campaign against Zhang Wenli (who soon died and was succeeded by his son
Zhang Chujin Zhang Chujin () (died 922) was a ruler of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei, also known as Zhao) early in the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. His father Zhang Wenli had taken over the circuit after ...
). As part of his preparation, he had Li Cunshen and Li Siyuan stationed at Desheng (德勝, in modern
Puyang
Puyang is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Henan province, People's Republic of China. Located on the northern shore of the Yellow River, it borders Anyang in the west, Xinxiang in the southwest, and the provinces of Shandong and Hebei ...
,
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 ...
) and Qicheng (戚城, in modern Puyang as well) respectively and then pretended to withdraw to lure Later Liang forces under Dai. When Dai attacked, Li Cunxu himself (along with Li Siyuan and Li Cunshen) defeated him. This victory allowed Li Cunxu himself to leave the front and go to the Zhao front himself. In 922, Dai, hearing that Li Cunxu had left to siege Zhao's capital Zhen Prefecture (), launched another major attack on Desheng. Li Cunshen defended the city, and Dai was unable to capture it. Li Cunxu subsequently came to his aid, and Dai withdrew.
Zhang Chujin's mutineers turned out to be much more challenging to defeat than Li Cunxu anticipated, with several successive Jin commanders of the siege (Yan, Li Sizhao, and
Li Cunjin
Li Cunjin (李存進) (855 – 24 September 922), originally Sun Chongjin (孫重進), was a military general in imperial China's Tang Dynasty, and later the Jin territory in the ensuing Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period after Tang's coll ...
(another adoptive son of Li Keyong's)) either defeated or killed in battle during the siege. In fall 922, Li Cunxu made Li Cunshen the overall commander of the Zhen operations. Zhang Chujin's officer Li Zaifeng () opened the city gates and welcomed Jin forces in, allowing Li Cunshen to capture it, putting Zhang Chujin and his brothers to death. For this victory, Li Cunshen received the greater honorary chancellor title of ''Shizhong'' ().
In 923, when Khitan was again attacking You Prefecture, Li Cunxu, at the suggestion of his 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 ...
, despite the fact that Li Cunshen was ill at the time, made Li Cunshen the military governor of Lulong.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 272.
During Later Tang
Shortly after Li Cunshen was commissioned as the military governor of Lulong, Li Cunxu declared himself emperor, as the successor to Tang, establishing
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 its Emperor Zhuangzong. He gave Li Cunshen the honorary chancellor title of ''Zhongshu Ling'' (). Later in the year, he launched a surprise attack on Daliang after defeating and capturing the Later Liang general
Wang Yanzhang
Wang Yanzhang (王彥章) (863-November 15, 923),'' History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 21.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 272.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter courtesy name Xianming (賢明) or Ziming (子明), nicknamed Wang T ...
, whose defeat left Daliang defenseless. Zhu Zhen committed suicide, ending Later Liang and allowing Later Tang to take over the rest of Later Liang territory.
Meanwhile, Li Cunshen was distressed that, despite being the most senior among Later Tang generals, he was the only main one who did not participate in the conquest of the Later Liang capital. He repeatedly requested to get a chance to pay homage to Emperor Zhuangzong again, including making the requests through his wife Lady Guo, but Guo Chongtao, who was jealous of Li Cunshen, repeatedly had the requests suppressed. Only in spring 924, when Li Cunshen was seriously ill, was the request approved, along with a new commission as the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit. Before Li Cunshen could leave Lulong, however, his illness grew worse, and he died at You Prefecture. Emperor Zhuangzong gave him posthumous honors and, per his dying request, had him buried at Taiyuan.
It was said that Li Cunshen often warned his sons not to take their high status for granted, pointing out to them that he grew up in a low social station and had to fight his way to the top, stating that arrows had to be removed from his body more than 100 times — and showing them the arrowheads, which he had preserved, as proof. Several of his sons became important generals, including
Fu Yanqing
Fu Yanqing () (898'' History of Song'', vol. 251.-July 31, 975''Xu Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 8.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), né Li Yanqing (), courtesy name Guanhou (), formally the Prince of Wei (), nicknamed Fu Disi ( ...
, whose honored status persisted to the early
Song Dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
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 ...
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 ...
261
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262
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264
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267
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269
Year 269 ( CCLXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Claudius and Paternus (or, less frequently, year 1022 ''Ab urbe con ...
271
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Year 271 ( CCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelianus and Bassus (or, less frequently, year 1024 '' ...