Sang Weihan (桑維翰) (898
['']Old History of the Five Dynasties
The ''Old History of the Five Dynasties'' (''Jiù Wǔdài Shǐ'') was an official history mainly focus on Five Dynasties era (907–960), which controlled much of northern China. And it also includes some history of other south states during the ...
'', vol. 89. – January 12, 947
['']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 ...
'', vol. 285.[Academia Sinica Chinese-Western Calendar Converter]
),
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 ...
Guoqiao (國僑), formally the Duke of Wei (魏公), was a Chinese historian, military general, poet, and politician of the
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 ...
state
Later Jin Later Jin may refer to two states in imperial China:
* Later Jin (Five Dynasties) (後晉; 936–947), one of the Five Dynasties
* Later Jin (1616–1636) (後金; 1616–1636), precursor to the Qing dynasty
See also
* Jin (disambiguation)
Jin ...
, serving as chief of staff (''
Shumishi
Shumishi (), or shumi, was an official title in history of China, imperial China important in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the Liao dynasty, the Song dynasty and the Jin dynasty (1115–1234). ''Shumishi'' managed the Bureau of Mili ...
'') during the reigns of both of Later Jin's emperors,
Shi Jingtang
Shi Jingtang ( zh, 石敬瑭; 30 March 892 – 28 July 942''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 283.), also known by his temple name Gaozu (), was the founding emperor of imperial China's short-lived Later Jin during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms pe ...
and
Shi Chonggui
Shi Chonggui () (914–974), known in traditional Chinese historical sources as Emperor Chu of Later Jin (後晉出帝, "the exiled emperor") or Emperor Shao of Later Jin (後晉少帝, "the young emperor"), posthumously known in the Liao dynasty a ...
. While not a soldier by training, he was said to be capable and respected as the overseer of the armies of the realm.
Background
Sang Weihan was born in 898, during the reign of
Emperor Zhaozong of Tang
Emperor Zhaozong of Tang (March 31, 867 – September 22, 904), né Li Jie, name later changed to Li Min and again to Li Ye, was the penultimate emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 888 to 904 (although he was briefly deposed ...
. He was from the
Tang Dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
eastern 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 ...
— as his father Sang Gong () was a "guest general" (客將, ''kejiang'') under
Zhang Quanyi Zhang Quanyi () (852'' History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 63. – April 29, 926Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 274.), né Zhang Juyan () or Zhang Yan (), known as Zhang Zongshi () during Later Liang ...
, the mayor of Henan Municipality (河南, i.e., the Luoyang region). (The fact that Sang Gong was described as a "guest general" suggests that Sang Gong himself was not from Luoyang or vicinity, but later joined Zhang's army after first having served under another warlord.)
[
Sang Weihan was said to have an unusual, repulsive appearance — short in stature, with a very long face. However, it was said that he considered his appearance to be a reason to have great ambition.][ When he submitted himself for ]imperial examination
The imperial examination (; lit. "subject recommendation") refers to a civil-service examination system in Imperial China, administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureaucrats by ...
s, however, the chief examiners initially did not want to pass him, because they disliked his surname Sang (a homophone of 喪, "funeral"). When others, hearing of this, tried to dissuade him from submitting for the imperial examinations, he was lamenting and yet not discouraged, and wrote a poem entitled, "Ode to the Sun Rising from Fusang
Fusang () refers to various entities, most frequently a mythical tree or location east of China, described in ancient Chinese literature.
In the ''Classic of Mountains and Seas'' and several contemporary texts, the term refers to a mythological ...
" to declare his ambition.['']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. 29. He eventually passed the imperial examinations during the ''Tongguang'' era (923-926) of 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 ...
's emperor 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 ...
.[
]
Service under Shi Jingtang during Later Tang
During the subsequent reign of Li Cunxu's adoptive brother and successor 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 ...
, Li Siyuan's son-in-law Shi Jingtang
Shi Jingtang ( zh, 石敬瑭; 30 March 892 – 28 July 942''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 283.), also known by his temple name Gaozu (), was the founding emperor of imperial China's short-lived Later Jin during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms pe ...
served as 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 ...
). He invited Sang Weihan to serve as his secretary in charge of communications.[ When Shi was subsequently transferred to 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 ...
) in 932, Sang followed him to Hedong.[
In 936, then-emperor ]Li Congke
Li Congke () (11 February 885 – 11 January 937), also known in historiography as the Last Emperor of Later Tang (), Deposed Emperor of Later Tang (), Wang Congke () (particularly during the succeeding Later Jin dynasty, which did not recogni ...
(Li Siyuan's adoptive son), suspicious of Shi, issued an edict transferring Shi to Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an
Tai'an () is a prefecture-level city in Western Shandong Province of the People's Republic of China. Centered on Mount Tai, the city borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Zibo to the east, Linyi to the southeast, Liaocheng to ...
, 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 ...
). Shi, fearful of the consequences, convened his chief staff members to discuss how to react to it. Most of them advised that he resist the order. However, it was Sang who pointed out that Li Congke, as an adoptive son of Li Siyuan's, lacked legitimacy and popular support, and that if Shi had the support of Later Tang's northern rival Khitan Empire
The Liao dynasty (; Khitan: ''Mos Jælud''; ), also known as the Khitan Empire (Khitan: ''Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur''), officially the Great Liao (), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed between 916 and 1125, ruled by the Yelü ...
, he had chance to overthrow Li Congke. Shi thus resolved to rebel against Later Tang. He had Sang draft for him a petition to Khitan's Emperor Taizong, offering, in exchange for military support, to submit as subject and son, as well as cede 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 ...
) as well as other Later Tang territory north of the Yanmen Pass
Yanmen Pass, also known by its Chinese name Yanmenguan and as Xixingguan, is a mountain pass which includes three fortified gatehouses along the Great Wall of China. The area was a strategic choke point in ancient and medieval China, contro ...
to the Khitan, despite the misgivings of the general Liu Zhiyuan
Liu Zhiyuan () (March 4, 895 – March 10, 948), later changed to Liu Gao (), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Gaozu of Later Han (), was the founding emperor of the Shatuo-led Later Han dynasty, the fourth of the Five Dynasties du ...
. Shi's offer enticed Emperor Taizong, and he agreed to launch troops.[''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 280.]
The Later Tang general soon put 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. ...
under siege, but was unable to capture it quickly. Emperor Taizong then arrived with Khitan troops, and the joint Khitan/Hedong troops crushed Zhang's troops and then put the remnants of his army under siege at Jin'an Base (晉安寨, near Taiyuan). Meanwhile, Emperor Taizong declared Shi the emperor of China (as the emperor of a new state of Later Jin Later Jin may refer to two states in imperial China:
* Later Jin (Five Dynasties) (後晉; 936–947), one of the Five Dynasties
* Later Jin (1616–1636) (後金; 1616–1636), precursor to the Qing dynasty
See also
* Jin (disambiguation)
Jin ...
).[
]
During Later Jin
During Shi Jingtang's reign
During Shi's takeover of Later Tang territory
Upon Emperor Taizong's declaration of him as emperor, Shi Jingtang formed his imperial government. He made Sang Weihan imperial scholar (翰林學士, ''Hanlin Xueshi'') and deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, ''Libu Shilang''), acting as chief of staff.[
However, despite the Khitan/Hedong victory over Zhang Jingda, the remnants of Zhang's army held out at Jin'an for some time, and a relief army under the command of the Later Tang general ]Zhao Dejun Zhao Dejun () (died 937), né Zhao Xingshi (), known as Li Shaobin () during the reign of Li Cunxu, formally the Prince of Beiping (), was a general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Later Tang (and Later Tang's predecesso ...
was approaching, causing apprehensions in Emperor Taizong's mind. Zhao, however, was disloyal to Later Tang, and made secret overtures to Emperor Taizong that if Emperor Taizong supported ''him'' to be emperor of China instead, he would ally with the Khitan to destroy Later Tang and further promise that Shi could retain Hedong. Emperor Taizong was enticed. When Shi heard this, he became fearful, and he sent Sang to the Khitan camp to dissuade Emperor Taizong. Sang pointed out that Shi would serve Khitan interests loyally as emperor of China and that the treacherous Zhao could not be trusted. He also knelt in front of Emperor Taizong's tent for an entire day, pleading his case. Emperor Taizong was touched, and responded to Zhao's emissary, pointing to a rock, "I have already made my promise to Master Shi. Only if this rock rots would I change my mind." He also stated to Shi, "Sang Weihan is faithful to you. He should be 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 ...
."[
Meanwhile, with no army coming to its aid, Zhang's army fell into desperate shape at Jin'an. Zhang's deputy ]Yang Guangyuan Yang Guangyuan () (died January 21, 945''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 284.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), né Atan (), later known as Yang Tang () before changing his name to Guangyuan, courtesy name Deming (), formally the Prince ...
assassinated him and surrendered the army to the combined Khitan/Later Jin army. The Khitan/Later Jin army then prepared to head toward Zhao's army, and then to the Later Tang capital Luoyang. Apparently pursuant to Emperor Taizong's suggestion, Shi commissioned Sang and fellow staff member Zhao Ying chancellors (同中書門下平章事, ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi''), with Sang also receiving the additional title of ''Zhongshu Shilang'' () and Zhao Ying ''Menxia Shilang'' (); Sang also continued to act as chief of staff. The Khitan/Later Jin army then crushed Zhao Dejun's army, forcing him and his adoptive son Zhao Yanshou Zhao Yanshou () (died November 10, 948'' History of Liao'', vol. 5.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), né Liu Yanshou (), formally the Prince of Wei (), was a Chinese military general, monarch, poet, and politician. He served as ...
to surrender. (Emperor Taizong subsequently took Zhao Dejun and Zhao Yanshou captive and had them taken to Khitan proper.) Emperor Taizong then decided to let Shi and his Later Jin army head toward Luoyang without the Khitan army (other than a small contingent), not wanting to disturb the Han Chinese
The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive va ...
of the region. As they parted each other, Emperor Taizong stated to Shi, "Liu Zhiyuan, Zhao Ying, and Sang Weihan are all great contributors to your establishment of the empire. Do not abandon them unless they had major faults." As Shi approached Luoyang, Li Congke, finding the situation hopeless, committed suicide with his family, ending Later Tang and allowing Later Jin to take over its territory.[
]
After Shi's takeover of Later Tang territory
In spring 937, Shi Jingtang formally made Sang Weihan chief of staff, along with Li Song. It was said that at that time, Shi had just taken over Later Tang territory, and a number of military governors were either not following his orders, or were not fully faithful to him. (Indeed, there would be several rebellions against Later Jin in 937.) In the midst of all the military campaigns, the treasury was drained, and the people were poor. Further, the Khitan were repeatedly demanding tributes. Sang advised Shi to comfort the military governors and not bear grudges, humbly serve the Khitan and offer tributes, train the army and firm up the defenses, and encourage farming and trade. It was said that within several years, the realm became more secured.[''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 281.]
Also in spring 937, Shi was considering moving the capital from Luoyang to Daliang. Sang encouraged the idea, pointing out that at that time, Fan Yanguang
Fan Yanguang () (died September 30, 940),''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 282. courtesy name Zihuan () (per the '' History of the Five Dynasties'')'' History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 97. or Zigui () (per the ''New History of the Five Dynasties'') ...
the military governor of Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered 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 ...
) was apparently planning to rebel, and that a move to Daliang, being far closer to Tianxiong's capital Wei Prefecture () than Luoyang was, would allow quicker reaction against a potential Fan rebellion. Shi agreed and moved the capital to Daliang.[
Fan did, indeed, rebel shortly after, and also persuaded the general Zhang Congbin () to also rise at Luoyang. Zhang took over Luoyang and killed Shi's sons Shi Chongxin () the military governor of Heyang and Shi Chong'ai () the defender of Luoyang. It was said that at that time nearly every imperial official at Daliang was panicking over this turn of events, but Sang, as he was directing the campaigns against these rebels from the Office of Chief of Staff, was not shaken and continued to handle the situation calmly, thus calming the hearts of others who saw him as well. When Shi, with Zhang's army approaching Daliang, considered fleeing to Taiyuan, Sang urged him earnestly not to do so, and he changed his mind and remained at Daliang. Soon thereafter, the Later Jin forces were able to kill Zhang, and Fan, believing the situation to be hopeless, surrendered to Yang Guangyuan, whom Shi commissioned as the military governor of Tianxiong to replace Fan.][
The victory over Fan left Yang being the most powerful general of the realm. This caused clashes between him and Sang, as he often made requests that were not in compliance with regulations, and Sang therefore rejected them. Shi's close associate Liu Churang also disliked the power that Sang and Li wielded as chiefs of staff. He thus encouraged Yang to express his displeasure to Shi. Shi felt compelled to remove Sang and Li as chiefs of staff, replacing them with Liu. Sang and Li remained chancellors, and Sang was given the additional post of minister of defense (兵部尚書, ''Bingbu Shangshu''). However, subsequently, per Sang's suggestion (who believed Yang himself and the Tianxiong command to be too powerful), Shi moved Yang from Tianxiong to Heyang, and divided the Tianxiong command in three — converting Wei Prefecture to a standalone Yedu Municipality (), while diving the rest of Tianxiong into Zhangde (彰德, headquartered 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 ...
) and Yongqing (永清, headquartered 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 ...
), to weaken the command.[
The power struggle between Yang and Sang continued, however. In 939, Yang accused Sang of being partial in his commissioning of officials; overly enriching himself with mansions in both Daliang and Luoyang; and making personal fortunes in competition with the people. Shi felt compelled to remove Sang as chancellor, sending him to Zhangde to serve as its military governor. Shi did give Sang the greater chancellor title of ''Shizhong'' () as an honorary title.][''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 282.] When he got to Zhangde, he found out that there was a longstanding regulation there that any person captured for banditry within the circuit would have their entire family's assets confiscated. Sang, pointing out that there was actually no law allowing such confiscation, reported this to Shi, urging its abolition. Shi agreed, and issued an edict generally abolishing such confiscations throughout the realm, not just as applied to Zhangde. After about a year, Sang was moved to Taining Circuit (泰寧, headquartered in modern Jining
Jining () is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Shandong province. It borders Heze to the southwest, Zaozhuang to the southeast, Tai'an to the northeast, and the provinces of Henan and Jiangsu to the northwest and south respectively. Jining ...
, 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 ...
).[
At that time, Shi was also faced with the prospect that ]An Chongrong An Chongrong () (died January 21, 942''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 283.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), nickname Tiehu (), was a major general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Later Jin. Late in the re ...
the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered 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 ...
), who was antagonistic toward the Khitan (whose state had been renamed Liao by that point), was repeatedly trying to provoke Emperor Taizong, including aligning with the 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 ...
tribesmen within Liao territory (that was ceded to Liao as part of Shi's agreement to cede the northern territories to Liao). An, in his rhetoric, was also rebuking Shi for being overly groveling to Liao and urging him to turn against Liao. Shi was initially hesitant to take action, because of An's military strength. Sang, hearing this, submitted a secret petition to Shi pointing out that it had been Khitan military strength that allowed him to establish his state, and he therefore should not turn against Liao — and further pointed out that An could be defeated if he rebelled. He encouraged Shi to temporarily move his court to Yedu, so that he could react against An quickly. Shi agreed and thanked Sang for his advice. When An subsequently rebelled, Shi, at Yedu, was able to send his brother-in-law Du Chongwei Du Chongwei () (died March 13, 948''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 287. Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), known as Du Wei () during the reign of Shi Chonggui, was a Chinese military general and politician of the Five Dynasties and Ten ...
to crush An's rebellion quickly.[''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 283.] After An's defeat, Sang went to Yedu to pay homage to Shi, and was thereafter made the military governor of Jinchang Circuit (晉昌, headquartered in modern Xi'an
Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by #Name, other names, is the list of capitals in China, capital of Shaanxi, Shaanxi Province. A Sub-provincial division#Sub-provincial municipalities, sub-provincial city o ...
, 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 ...
).[
]
During Shi Chonggui's reign
In 942, Shi Jingtang fell seriously ill. He initially entrusted his young (and only surviving) son Shi Chongrui () to the chancellor , intending to have Shi Chongrui succeed him. After Shi Jingtang's death, Feng, in consultation with the imperial guard general Jing Yanguang Jing Yanguang () (892''Old History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 88.-January 28, 947''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 286.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), courtesy name Hangchuan (), was a general and official of the Chinese Five Dyn ...
, decided to declare Shi Jingtang's adoptive son and biological nephew Shi Chonggui
Shi Chonggui () (914–974), known in traditional Chinese historical sources as Emperor Chu of Later Jin (後晉出帝, "the exiled emperor") or Emperor Shao of Later Jin (後晉少帝, "the young emperor"), posthumously known in the Liao dynasty a ...
the Prince of Qi as emperor, because they believed that the state needed an older emperor. In 942, Shi Chonggui recalled Sang Weihan from Jinchang to again be chancellor, with the title of ''Shizhong''.[ Sang was also put in charge of editing the imperial history.][
Because of his being instrumental in Shi Chonggui's becoming emperor, Jing was very powerful early in Shi Chonggui's reign as both chancellor and the commander of the imperial guards, and under his advocacy, Shi Chonggui turned away from Shi Jingtang's submissive posture toward Liao, and took a confrontational stance, taking the position that while personally, he was grandson to Emperor Taizong (because Shi Jingtang was son to Emperor Taizong), he and his state were not Liao subjects. Further, in 943, under Jing's advice, Shi Chonggui arrested the Liao trade emissary Qiao Rong () and confiscated the goods that he was trading on Liao's behalf at Kaifeng. Sang repeatedly advised Shi Chonggui against taking provocative positions against Liao, to no avail, as he was opposed by Jing.][
The Later Jin/Liao enmity led to a major Liao incursion, when Yang Guangyuan rebelled in spring 944, as Emperor Taizong wanted to support Yang's rebellion.][''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 284.] The Later Jin army was able to defeat Yang and repel the Liao incursion, but by this point, the officials and generals resented Jing for his hold on power, and even Shi believed that Jing was difficult to control. Under Sang's advice, Shi sent Jing out of the capital to serve as Luoyang's defender, putting Gao Xingzhou in command of the imperial guards to replace him. Subsequently, believing that only Sang was capable of defending the state against Liao, Shi reestablished the office of chief of staff (which Shi Jingtang had abolished) and made Sang the chief of staff, in addition to chancellor (now with the title ''Zhongshu Ling'').[ He also created Sang the Duke of Wei.][ He entrusted the affairs of the state to Sang, and it was said that within several months, the administration was in much better order. As described in the '']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 ...
'':[
Further, it was said that Sang reacted to things quickly and made quick decisions that people often initially questioned, but then after deeper thought would understand his rationale and obey. However, it was said that he also made his decisions colored by his likes and dislikes, such that people who had helped him before would be repaid, and the people who had hurt him would be damaged, and that his reputation suffered as a result.][
By 945, however, Shi Chonggui himself was suspicious of Sang, because his close associates ]Feng Yu
Feng Yu () (died 952/953?), courtesy name Jingchen (), was a Chinese politician of the Later Tang, Later Jin, and the Liao dynasties of China. He was powerful during the reign of Later Jin's second emperor Shi Chonggui, as Shi's Empress Feng w ...
(the brother of his wife Empress Feng) and Li Yantao () both disliked Sang and often accused Sang of misdeeds. Shi considered removing Sang from the chancellorship, but did not do so at the urging of fellow chancellors Li Song and Liu Xu
Liu Xu (; 888–947),'' History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 89. courtesy name Yaoyuan (), formally the Duke of Qiao (), was a Chinese historian and politician of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period states Later Tang and Later Ji ...
. To try to divert the criticism, Sang requested that Feng Yu be made the deputy chief of staff, but the request only made Feng Yu more displeased. Shi eventually commissioned Feng Yu as a chief of staff as well, to divide Sang's responsibility.[
Later in 945, there was an incident where Du Chongwei (whose name had been changed to Du Wei by this point 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 ...
for Shi Chonggui), who was then the military governor of Shunguo Circuit (順國, i.e., Chengde, the name of which was changed to Shunguo after the defeat of An Chongrong's rebellion), fearing a mutiny, left Shunguo against imperial orders and headed for Kaifeng, initially causing much apprehension in the capital. Sang advocated forcing Du into retirement in light of this incident, but Shi Chonggui, citing the fact that Du was an uncle, declined, and was much displeased at Sang for suggesting it. Indeed, at the request of Du's wife the Princess of Song (Shi's aunt), Shi then made Du the military governor of Tianxiong. It was said that Sang did not dare to make major policy suggestions after this point and requested retirement, citing a foot injury. However, it was also said that shortly thereafter, at Sang's suggestion, Shi sent the emissary Zhang Hui () to the Liao court, apologizing and requesting peaceful relations again. Emperor Taizong responded that he wanted to have Sang and Jing Yanguang sent to see him[ (under the rationale that it was Sang who initially negotiated the alliance, and that it was Jing who broke it)][ and that Shunguo and Yiwu (義武, headquartered in modern ]Baoding
Baoding (), formerly known as Baozhou and Qingyuan, is a prefecture-level city in central Hebei province, approximately southwest of Beijing. As of the 2010 census, Baoding City had 11,194,382 inhabitants out of which 2,176,857 lived in the b ...
, 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 ...
) Circuits be ceded to Liao, and then a peace could be reentered. Shi found the demand insulting, and cut off further negotiations.[
At one point in 945, Shi fell seriously ill. During that time, there happened to be an occasion where Sang had sent a maidservant to greet Shi Jingtang's wife Empress Dowager Li, and part of the greeting stated, "Has the Emperor's younger brother, Chongrui, been studying well?" Shi Chonggui heard of this and discussed this with Feng Yu, and Feng Yu thereafter accused Sang of considering deposing Shi Chonggui and replacing him with Shi Chongrui. As the imperial general ]Li Shouzhen
Li Shouzhen (; died August 17, 949''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 288. Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter) was a Chinese military general, monarch, and politician of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period states Later Jin ...
also disliked Sang, he, Feng Yu, and Li Yantao thereafter suggested that Shi Chonggui remove Sang. Shi Chonggui agreed, and not long after, Sang was removed from his posts as chancellor and chief of staff, and made the mayor of Kaifeng. Zhao Ying, who was then the mayor of Kaifeng, was made chancellor, and Li Song was made chief of staff, to replace him. Thereafter, Sang, claiming his foot to be still injured, made very few attempts to see the emperor, and also did not see guests, to try to avoid suspicion. (When Feng Yu's associates tried to argue to him that being mayor of the capital, with many minute responsibilities, was an inappropriate post for someone with Sang's accomplishments and that he should be given a military governorship, Feng stated that he was fearful that Sang might rebel. When they pointed out that Sang was a civilian and could not rebel, Feng stated, "Even if he did not rebel himself, he might encourage someone else to do so," alluding to Sang's having encouraged Shi Jingtang to rebel.)[
In 946, Emperor Taizong decided to create a trap for Later Jin. He spread false news that Zhao Yanshou was intending to defect to Later Jin, rumors that were believed by Feng and Li Song. They had Du Chongwei (whose name had been changed to Du Wei by that point due to ]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 ...
for Shi Chonggui's name), who was then the military governor of Tianxiong, write a secret letter to Zhao, to see if Zhao intended to defect. Zhao, who was part of Emperor Taizong's plan, wrote back and indicated that, indeed, he wanted to defect, along with his Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in 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 ...
— which had previously been Later Tang territory but which Shi Jingtang, as part of the agreement in which Emperor Taizong aided him to become emperor, ceded to Emperor Taizong); in his letter, he asked for a major Later Jin army to be launched to support his defection. After discussions between Shi Chonggui, Feng, and Li Song, it was agreed that a large army would be launched, commanded by Du, with Li Shouzhen
Li Shouzhen (; died August 17, 949''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 288. Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter) was a Chinese military general, monarch, and politician of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period states Later Jin ...
serving as his deputy. (This was opposed by Zhao Ying, who believed that Du was untrustworthy due to his unthankful nature, but Zhao Ying was not listened to.)[
Du's army was soon launched, but as it approached Liao territory, was met by a large, highly mobile Liao army commanded by Emperor Taizong himself. It tried to retreat, but became encircled by the Liao army at Zhongdu Bridge (中度橋, in modern ]Baoding
Baoding (), formerly known as Baozhou and Qingyuan, is a prefecture-level city in central Hebei province, approximately southwest of Beijing. As of the 2010 census, Baoding City had 11,194,382 inhabitants out of which 2,176,857 lived in the b ...
, 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 ...
). After Emperor Taizong made a promise (which he would eventually repudiate) to have Du made emperor, Du and Li Shouzhen surrendered with their army. As virtually the entire Later Jin imperial army was under Du's command, Kaifeng was left defenseless, and the Liao army advanced quickly toward it. Even before the news reached Kaifeng, knowing the seriousness of the situation, Sang went to the palace to try to see Shi, but Shi, who was preparing a hunt at that point and not yet fully aware of the implications, refused to see him. When he went to see the chancellors, the chancellors believed that he was being overly alarmist. As he left, Sang lamented to his close associates, "The worship of the Jin ancestors is about to end." As the Liao army approached (with its forward corps commanded by the former Later Jin general Zhang Yanze
Zhang Yanze () (died January 27, 947''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 286. Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter) was an ethnic Göktürk general of the Later Tang, Later Jin, and Liao dynasties of China. He was reviled in traditional sou ...
), Shi Chonggui surrendered, ending Later Jin.[
]
Death
Emperor Taizong had stated, in his communications to Shi Chonggui accepting the surrender that he wanted to see Sang Weihan and Jing Yanguang. As Zhang Yanze approached Kaifeng, Sang's associates suggested that he flee. Sang's response is, "I am a prominent official. Where can I flee?" He remained at his headquarters and waited for orders. Zhang, thereafter, in the name of Shi Chonggui, summoned him. As Sang was walking toward Zhang's headquarters, he ran into Li Song on the road and began conversing with Li. While they were conversing, Zhang sent soldiers, who were respectful to Sang but nevertheless insisted on him heading to Zhang's headquarters. Sang, knowing what his fate would be, turned to Li and stated, "You, chancellor, were responsible for the state. Now the state is falling, but how is it that, instead, Sang Weihan would be dying for the state?" Li was ashamed and could not respond.[
When Sang arrived at Zhang's headquarters, Zhang was initially arrogant toward him, sitting high in his seat. Sang rebuked him and stated, "Last year, it was I who promoted you from the ranks of the guilty Zhang had been accused of wrongly killing a staff member as well as misruling his circuit) You received a large circuit and a key command. How is it that you are turning against me like this?" Zhang could not respond, and put him under guard. Shortly after, Zhang killed Sang by strangulation, but put a belt around his neck and claimed to Emperor Taizong that Sang committed suicide. Emperor Taizong exclaimed, "I had no desire to kill Sang Weihan. How did this happen?" He ordered that Sang's family members be comforted.][ (The traditional histories '']Old History of the Five Dynasties
The ''Old History of the Five Dynasties'' (''Jiù Wǔdài Shǐ'') was an official history mainly focus on Five Dynasties era (907–960), which controlled much of northern China. And it also includes some history of other south states during the ...
'' and ''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 ...
'' attributed Zhang's actions to a request by Shi to Zhang, as Shi was apprehensive that if Emperor Taizong got to meet Sang, Sang would reveal the details behind Shi's turning against Liao,[ but ]Sima Guang
Sima Guang (17 November 1019 – 11 October 1086), courtesy name Junshi, was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer. He was a high-ranking Song dynasty scholar-official who authored the monumental history book ''Zizhi Tongjian''. Sima was ...
, the lead author of the ''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 ...
'', found the account lacking in credibility as Zhang was acting arrogantly toward the Shi imperial household at the time such that he found it implausible that Zhang would follow any orders from Shi by that point, let alone killing Sang, and therefore concluded that Zhang killed Sang out of personal grudge.)['']Hu Sanxing
Hu Sanxing (; 1230–1302), born Hu Mansun (胡滿孫), courtesy names Shenzhi (身之), Meijian (梅澗), and Jingcan (景參), was a Chinese historian and commentator who lived during the late Song dynasty and early Yuan dynasty.
Hu was born in ...
's Commentaries to the Zizhi Tongjian'', citing Sima Guang's ''Kaoyi'' (考異
/ref>
Notes and references
* ''Old History of the Five Dynasties
The ''Old History of the Five Dynasties'' (''Jiù Wǔdài Shǐ'') was an official history mainly focus on Five Dynasties era (907–960), which controlled much of northern China. And it also includes some history of other south states during the ...
'', vol. 89.
* ''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. 29.
* ''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. :zh:s:資治通鑑/卷280, 280, 281, 282
Year 282 (Roman numerals, CCLXXXII) 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 Probus and Victorinus (or, less frequently, year 1 ...
, 283
Year 283 ( CCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Carus and Carinus (or, less frequently, year 1036 ''Ab urbe cond ...
, 284, 285
The year 285 ( CCLXXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the "Year of the Consulship of Carinus and Aurelius" (or, less frequently, "year ...
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sang, Weihan
898 births
947 deaths
10th-century Chinese historians
Executed Later Jin (Five Dynasties) people
Executed people from Henan
Generals from Henan
Later Jin (Five Dynasties) chancellors
Later Jin (Five Dynasties) historians
Later Jin (Five Dynasties) jiedushi of Jinchang Circuit
Later Jin (Five Dynasties) jiedushi of Taining Circuit
Later Jin (Five Dynasties) jiedushi of Zhangde Circuit
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Historians from Henan
Later Liang (Five Dynasties) people born during Tang
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People executed by ligature strangulation
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