Zhang Yanlang () (died January 14, 937?
['']Zizhi Tongjian
''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song (960–1127), Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959&n ...
'', vol. 280.[ Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter]
) was an official 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 ...
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 ...
states
Later Liang and
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 ...
. He had his most powerful positions during the reign of Later Tang's last 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 ...
, as both
chancellor and the director of the three financial agencies (taxation, treasury, and salt and iron monopolies). After Li Congke was overthrown by his brother-in-law
Shi Jingtang, who established his own
Later Jin, Shi ordered Zhang be put to death.
Background and service during Later Liang
It is not known when Zhang Yanlang was born, but it is known that he was from
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 No ...
. During
Later Liang, he served as an administrator under the director of material pricing, later becoming the material pricing adjustor at Yun Prefecture (鄆州, 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).
['' History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 69.]
During Later Tang
During Li Cunxu's reign
In 923,
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, reigni ...
, a major general for Later Liang's archrival
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 ...
, which was then ruled by Li Siyuan'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 ...
, captured Yun Prefecture in a surprise attack, and was subsequently commissioned by Li Cunxu 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 Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered at Yun). Zhang Yanlang came under his command, and he had Zhang continue to serve as the material pricing adjustor.
[ Later (after Later Tang destroyed Later Liang later in 923), when as Li Suyuan was moved to Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered at Kaifeng) (in 924) and later Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, ]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, and 0 ...
) (in 925),[''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 273.] Zhang followed him to those assignments and served as the circuit treasurer.[ At some point, Zhang fostered his relationship with Li Siyuan's chief strategist ]An Chonghui
An Chonghui (d. June 25, 931?'' Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 277.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter) (, fl. 10th century) was the chief of staff (''Shumishi'') and chief advisor to Li Siyuan (Emperor Mingzong) (r. 926–933) of the Chi ...
by giving a daughter in marriage to An's son.[''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 275.]
During Li Siyuan's reign
In 926, Li Cunxu was killed in a mutiny at the capital Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of 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 southeast, Nanyang ...
. Li Siyuan claimed the throne thereafter. He made An Chonghui his chief of staff, and An, on account of the marital relationship between his son and Zhang Yanlang's daughter, had Zhang made the deputy chief of staff.[
Meanwhile, Li Siyuan had executed Li Cunxu's director of material pricing, ]Kong Qian Kong Qian () (died May 28, 926''Zizhi Tongjian'', :zh:s:資治通鑑/卷275, vol. 275.Academia Sinica]Chinese-Western Calendar Converter) was a Chinese economist and politician of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Later Tang (and Late ...
, under the rationale that Kong's harsh taxes had driven the people against Li Cunxu.[ The directorate of material pricing — which Later Liang had established to replace Tang's three financial agencies (taxation, treasury, and salt and iron monopolies) and merge them into one — was abolished. Rather, the three agencies were reestablished, at least in name, as separate agencies, and typically placed under the command of a chancellor.]['']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. 26. In 927, Zhang, who was then also carrying the title of director of palace affairs (宣徽使, ''Xuanhuishi''), was made the acting director of the three agencies, but continued to also serve as the director of palace affairs.[ He was also apparently, at the same time, serving as the military governor of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern ]Xuchang
Xuchang (; postal: Hsuchang) is a prefecture-level city in central Henan 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 southeast, and Pi ...
, 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 ...
).[ In 928, when Li Siyuan was preparing to launch a general campaign against the warlord ]Wang Du
Wang Du () (died March 26, 929''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 276.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter/ref>), né Liu Yunlang (), was a warlord during the early Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of China as the military governor ('' ...
the military governor of Yiwu Circuit (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, and 0 ...
) after Wang Du had tried to, but failed to, assassinate the imperial general Wang Yanqiu
Wang Yanqiu () (869?''New History of the Five Dynasties'', :zh:s:新五代史/卷46, vol. 46./873?''Old History of the Five Dynasties, History of the Five Dynasties'', :zh:s:舊五代史/卷64, vol. 64.-930?/932?Wang Yanqiu's biography in the ''His ...
, it was Zhang that Li Siyuan sent to the front to consult with Wang Yanqiu and the other generals stationed nearby to determine the strategy. Later, when the 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 ...
sent an army to try to aid Wang Du, Zhang and Wang Yanqiu both commanded armies in defeating the joint Yiwu/Khitan army.[''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 276.]
In 930, Zhang Yanlang was given the titles of acting minister of public works (工部尚書, ''Gongbu Shangshu'') and director of the three agencies (三司使, ''Sansishi''). This was the first time that anyone was given the title of ''Sansishi''.[''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 277.] (He was later, though, made the military governor of 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. Jinin ...
, Shandong), and then of Xiongwu Circuit (雄武, headquartered in modern Tianshui
Tianshui is the second-largest city in Gansu Province, China. The city is located in the southeast of the province, along the upper reaches of the Wei River and at the boundary of the Loess Plateau and the Qinling Mountains. As of the 2020 ce ...
, Gansu), although it was unclear whether these assignments were made during or after Li Siyuan's reign.)[
]
During Li Congke's reign
In 934 — by which time Li Siyuan's adoptive son 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 ...
was emperor — Zhang Yanlang was serving as the military governor of Xiongwu. That year, the commander of the army at Wen Prefecture (文州, in modern Longnan, Gansu), Cheng Yangui (), surrendered the prefecture to Later Shu. Zhang launched his army and put Wen Prefecture under siege. When the Later Shu general Li Yanhou () sent a relief force, however, Zhang lifted the siege and withdrew, allowing Later Shu to retain Wen. Shortly after, Li Congke recalled him from Xiongwu, made him ''Zhongshu Shilang'' (中書侍郎, the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (中書省, ''Zhongshu Sheng'')), and made him a chancellor with the designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'' (), as well as acting director of the three financial agencies.[''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 279.]
In early 936, Li Congke, concerned that his brother-in-law (the husband of Li Siyuan's biological daughter the Princess of Jin), Shi Jingtang the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), would rebel, consulted a number of imperial officials on what to do to ward off a Hedong rebellion. Lü Qi () advocated entering into an alliance with the Khitan by submitting a large financial gift to the Khitan. Zhang was very supportive of Lü's proposal, believing that not only would it ward off a Hedong rebellion, but it would create great savings in border defenses. He and Lü therefore drafted a proposed communique to the Khitan. However, when Li Congke consulted the imperial scholar Xue Wenyu (), Xue not only opposed, but persuaded Li Congke that it would be humiliating, particularly because the Khitan Emperor Taizong may insist on marrying Li Congke's daughter (or have a Khitan prince do so) under the Heqin
''Heqin'', also known as marriage alliance, refers to the historical practice of Chinese monarchs marrying princesses—usually members of minor branches of the ruling family—to rulers of neighboring states. It was often adopted as an appeaseme ...
system. Li Congke thus rejected the proposal. Meanwhile, over the years he served as Li Congke's acting director of the three agencies, Zhang, apprehensive of a possible Hedong rebellion, tried to reduce the amount of revenues Shi had access to by strictly examining the tax revenues from Hedong, allowing the circuit to retain only the amount of revenues it was entitled to keep legally and requiring it to submit all other tax revenue to the imperial government, drawing Shi's resentment.[
Later in the year, when Li Congke tried to test Shi's loyalty by transferring him to Tianping, Shi rebelled and, with a Khitan force commanded by Emperor Taizong himself aiding him, defeated the Later Tang force Li Congke sent against him, commanded by . The remnants of Zhang Jingda's army was surrounded by the Hedong/Khitan forces at Jin'an Base (晉安寨, near Taiyuan). Upon Zhang Jingda's defeat, Li Congke's young son ]Li Chongmei Li Chongmei () (died January 11, 937'' Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 280.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), formally the Prince of Yong (), was an imperial prince of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Later Tang, ...
the Prince of Yong volunteered to command another Later Tang army against the combined Hedong/Khitan forces, and initially Li Congke was inclined to agree. However, Zhang Yanlang, Liu Yanlang (), and Li Congke's brother-in-law Liu Yanhao Liu Yanhao () (died 937''Zizhi Tongjian'', :zh:s:資治通鑑/卷280, vol. 280.Academia Sinica]Chinese-Western Calendar Converter) was an official and general of the History of China, Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Later Tang, ...
(brother of Li Congke's wife Empress Liu (Li Congke's wife), Empress Liu), all advocated that Li Congke himself command the army, despite Li Congke's own lack of desire to do so. Li Congke felt compelled to do so. Zhang, not trusting Li Congke's chief of staff 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 ...
, also had Zhao removed from the scene by supporting fellow chancellor Lu Wenji Lu Wenji (盧文紀) (876'' Old History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 127.-June 7, 951 Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), courtesy name Zichi (子持), was an official of each of the "Five Dynasties" of the Chinese Five Dynastie ...
's proposal to have Li Congke send Zhao north to rendezvous with Zhao's father 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 ...
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 ...
) to jointly face the Hedong/Khitan army, and Li Congke did so. Meanwhile, also under Zhang Yanlang's suggestion, Li Congke issued a general conscription order, requiring a collection of the people's horses, as well as the requirement to have one man enter the military for every seven households. The result of the conscription order only yielded 5,000 soldiers and 2,000 horses, creating no real help for the imperial army but causing the people much alarm.[
Subsequently, Zhang Jingda's army, which was then facing starvation, surrendered after Zhang Jingda'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 ...
killed him. The Later Jin/Khitan army (Shi having been created the emperor of a new Later Jin by Emperor Taizong by this point) also defeated Zhao Dejun and Zhao Yanshou's army, and was heading for Luoyang. Li Congke, believing the situation to be hopeless, committed suicide with his family by fire, ending Later Tang. Shi subsequently entered Luoyang.[
]
Death
Shi Jingtang summoned the Later Tang officials to an imperial gathering. At the gathering, he declared a general pardon for all present — except for Zhang Yanlang, whom he arrested and put into jail. He subsequently issued an edict, reaffirming the pardon, but excepting Zhang, Liu Yanlang, and Liu Yanhao from the pardon. Zhang was then executed. It was said, though, that later when Shi was trying to find a suitable person to head the three financial agencies but could not find one, he regretted killing Zhang.[
]
Notes and references
* '' History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 69.
* ''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. 26.
* ''Zizhi Tongjian
''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song (960–1127), Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959&n ...
'', vols. 275
__NOTOC__
Year 275 ( CCLXXV) 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 Aurelianus and Marcellinus (or, less frequently, year 10 ...
, 276
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Year 276 ( CCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Tacitus and Aemilianus (or, less frequently, year 1029 ...
, 277
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Year 277 ( CCLXXVII) 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 Probus and Paulinus (or, less frequently, year 1030 ''A ...
, 279, 280
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Year 280 ( CCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Messalla and Gratus (or, less frequently, year 1033 '' ...
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhang, Yanlang
937 deaths
Politicians from Kaifeng
Generals from Henan
Executed people from Henan
Executed Later Jin (Five Dynasties) people
People executed by Later Jin (Five Dynasties)
People executed by a Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms state by decapitation
Later Liang (Five Dynasties) government officials
Later Tang chancellors
Later Tang jiedushi
Taining jiedushi
Zhongwu jiedushi
Year of birth unknown