An Congjin
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An Congjin (; died 942) was a general 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 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 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 ...
. In 941, he rebelled against the rule of Later Jin's founding emperor
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 ...
, but was defeated, and he then committed suicide.


Background and service under Li Cunxu

It is not known when An Congjin was born. He was said to be of Sogdian stock, but his family had settled at
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 ...
's Zhenwu Circuit (振武, headquartered in
Hohhot Hohhot,; abbreviated zh, c=呼市, p=Hūshì, labels=no formerly known as Kweisui, is the capital of Inner Mongolia in the north of the People's Republic of China, serving as the region's administrative, economic and cultural center.''The Ne ...
,
Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...
). Both his grandfather and father (whose names were not recorded in history) were cavalry officers during Tang. At some point, An became an officer under
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 ...
,
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 ...
's founding emperor, although it is not known whether that was after Li Cunxu's founding of Later Tang or prior, perhaps during Li Cunxu's rule as the prince of Later Tang's predecessor state Jin. While serving under Li Cunxu, he reached the positions of commander of Li Cunxu's cavalry guards, as well as prefect of Gui Prefecture (貴州, in modern
Guigang Guigang (; Zhuang: ''Gveigangj'') is a prefecture-level city in eastern Guangxi in the People's Republic of China. Prior to 1988, it was known as Gui County or Guixian (). Geography and climate Guigang is located in eastern Guangxi. It is locat ...
,
Guangxi Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the People's Republic ...
). (The latter position was a completely honorary position, as Gui Prefecture was then under the rule of
Southern Han Southern Han (; 917–971), officially Han (), originally Yue (), was one of the ten kingdoms that existed during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It was located on China's southern coast, controlling modern Guangdong and Guangxi. The ...
.)''
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. 51.


During Li Siyuan's reign

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 ...
, An Congjin successively 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 Baoyi (保義, headquartered in modern
Sanmenxia Sanmenxia (; postal: Sanmenhsia) is a prefecture-level city in the west of Henan Province, China. The westernmost prefecture-level city in Henan, Sanmenxia borders Luoyang to the east, Nanyang to the southeast, Shaanxi Province to the west and Sh ...
,
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 Zhangwu (彰武, headquartered in modern
Yan'an Yan'an (; ), alternatively spelled as Yenan is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanbei region of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Shanxi to the east and Gansu to the west. It administers several counties, including Zhidan (formerly Bao'an ...
,
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 ...
) Circuits, but it was said that during those terms he did not conduct any campaigns. In 933,
Li Renfu Li Renfu (李仁福) (died March 10, 933''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 278. Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), possibly né Tuoba Renfu (拓拔仁福), formally the Prince of Guo (虢王), was an ethnic Dangxiang (Tangut) warlord duri ...
, the military governor of Zhangwu's neighboring circuit, the ''de facto'' independent Dingnan Circuit (定難, headquartered in modern Yulin,
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 ...
), died. Li Renfu's son
Li Yichao Li Yichao () (died 935) was an ethnically- Dangxiang warlord of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Later Tang, ruling Dingnan Circuit (定難, headquartered in modern Yulin, Shaanxi) from 933 to his death in 935, as its milit ...
claimed the title of acting military governor. As the Later Tang imperial government had long suspected Li Renfu of being in secret communications with 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 ...
, Li Siyuan wanted to use this chance to dislodge Li Renfu's family from Dingnan. He issued an edict commissioning Li Yichao as the acting military governor of Zhangwu and An the acting military governor of Dingnan, and had Yao Yanchou () 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 ...
) command 50,000 to try to escort An to Dingnan. Li Yichao resisted the imperial edict, however, and while the Later Tang army put Dingnan's capital Xia Prefecture () under siege, the siege was unsuccessful. Eventually, after Li Yichao and his brothers begged An to relay their articulated desire to hold on to their ancestral circuit, Li Siyuan ordered An to withdraw, presumably returning him to Zhangwu.''
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. 278.


During Li Conghou's and Li Congke's reign

Li Siyuan died in 933 and was succeeded by his biological son
Li Conghou Li Conghou () (914–934), posthumous name Emperor Min of Later Tang (), childhood name Pusanu (菩薩奴, "slave of a Bodhisattva"), was an emperor of the Later Tang dynasty of China, ruling between 933 and 934. He was overthrown by his adopted ...
the Prince of Song. An Congjin was recalled 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 ...
to serve as the commander of the cavalry guards, and also given the title of military governor of Shunhua Circuit (順化, headquartered in modern
Huai'an Huai'an (), formerly called Huaiyin () until 2001, is a prefecture-level city in the central part of Jiangsu province in Eastern China. Huai'an is situated almost directly south of Lianyungang, southeast of Suqian, northwest of Yancheng, almos ...
,
Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...
). (That latter title was honorary, as Shunhua was part of Wu territory at that time.) Li Conghou's court scene was dominated by his chiefs 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 ...
'')
Zhu Hongzhao Zhu Hongzhao () (died May 14, 934''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 279.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter) was a general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Later Tang. He was a close associate of its second empe ...
and Feng Yun. The two distrusted 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 ...
the Prince of Lu, who was then the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern
Baoji () is a prefecture-level city in western Shaanxi province, People's Republic of China. Since the early 1990s, Baoji has been the second largest city in Shaanxi. Geography The prefecture-level city of Baoji had a population of 3,321,853 accordin ...
,
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 ...
), and 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 ...
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 ...
). In early 934, they tried to dislodge Shi and Li Congke by issuing orders transferring Li Congke from Fengxiang to Hedong, Shi from Hedong to 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 ...
), and
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'') ...
from Chengde to 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 ...
). Li Congke, believing that these moves were intended to target him, rebelled, and after the imperial army commanded by
Wang Sitong Wang Sitong () (892''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 266.'' History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 65.-May 9, 934''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 279. Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter) was a general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...
largely mutinied against Wang and surrendered to Li Congke. Li Congke then advanced toward Luoyang. Li Conghou, panicking, considered surrendering to Li Congke, but the imperial general Kang Yicheng () opposed and volunteered to command the remaining imperial troops against Li Congke. Li Conghou agreed, and prepared for a defense of Luoyang. As part of the defense arrangement, An was put in charge of the general patrol at Luoyang itself, but it was said that at that time, he had already received a letter from Li Congke, and was planning to submit to Li Congke; he thus assigned his close associates to positions that would allow him to act quickly in doing so. When Kang shortly after surrendered to Li Congke without a fight, Zhu committed suicide. Hearing of Zhu's death, An acted, sending his troops to Feng's mansion and slaughtered his clan. He had Zhu's and Feng's heads delivered to Li Congke. Li Conghou fled Luoyang shortly after, and at An's urging, the chancellors
Feng Dao Feng Dao () (882'' History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 126.-May 21, 954Chinese-Western Calendar Converter ...
,
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 ...
, and Li Yu led the officials in welcoming Li Congke into Luoyang. Li Siyuan's wife
Empress Cao An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
shortly after declared Li Congke the new emperor. (Li Conghou was subsequently killed by emissaries sent by Li Congke.)''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 279. Subsequently, in the middle of Li Congke's ''Qingtai'' era (934-937), An was commissioned the military governor of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern
Xiangyang Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei province, China and the second largest city in Hubei by population. It was known as Xiangfan from 1950 to 2010. The Han River runs through Xiangyang's centre and divides the city no ...
,
Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
).


During Later Jin

In 936, Shi Jingtang, with aid from Khitan's Emperor Taizong, rebelled against Li Congke, and after the Later Tang forces were defeated by joint forces of Khitan and Shi's newly established
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 ...
, Li Congke committed suicide, ending Later Tang and allowing Later Jin to take over its territory.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 280. Shi allowed An Congjin to remain at Shannan East, and bestowed on him the honorary chancellor designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'' (). It was said that because Shi took imperial title with Khitan aid, he himself was humiliated and therefore did not dare to act against various warlords. In addition, among the warlords themselves, some were fearful of Shi, and some believed that they, like Shi, could launch successful rebellions. After Fan Yanguang rebelled in 937, Wang Hui (), an officer at Anyuan Circuit (安遠, headquartered in modern
Xiaogan Xiaogan () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Hubei province, People's Republic of China, some northwest of the provincial capital of Wuhan. According to the 2020 census, its population totaled 4,270,371, of whom 988,479 lived in the built ...
,
Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
), assassinated Anyuan's military governor Zhou Gui (), intending to support Fan's rebellion. When Shi subsequently sent the general Li Anquan () against Wang, Wang pillaged Anyuan's capital An Prefecture () and prepared to flee to Wu. An Congjin sent his officer Zhang Fei () to try to intercept Wang, but Wang was then killed by his own subordinate Hu Jin (). (The Later Jin troops subsequently put Fan under siege, and after the siege was prolonged with both sides worn out, Shi accepted Fan's surrender.)''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 281. It was said that after Fan's rebellion, An began to also consider rebelling. He often intercepted the tributes sent by Later Jin's vassal state Chu; he also received many desperate people to increase the number of his troops. His officers Wang Lingqian () and Pan Zhilin () both tried to dissuade him, and he killed them. Shi wanted to move him away from Shannan East but did not dare to forcibly issue an order. When, in 940, Shi moved Wang Jianli from Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern
Weifang Weifang () is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The city borders Dongying to the northwest, Zibo to the west, Linyi to the southwest, Rizhao to the south, Qingdao to the east, and looks out to the L ...
,
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 ...
) to 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 ...
), he considered moving An from Shannan East to Pinglu. He sent a messenger to Shannan East to inquire of An, "We are leaving the post at Qing Prefecture 青州, Pinglu's capital)open for you, sir. If you are willing, I will issue an edict." An irreverently responded, "Move Qing Prefecture to south of the Han River, and I, your subject, will report to it." Shi did not dare to rebuke him. Meanwhile, An also tried to communicate with
Meng Chang Meng Chang (孟昶) (919–965), originally Meng Renzan (孟仁贊), courtesy name Baoyuan (保元), formally Prince Gongxiao of Chu (楚恭孝王) (as posthumously honored by Emperor Taizu of Song), was the second emperor of Later Shu during i ...
, the emperor of Later Jin's southwestern rival
Later Shu Shu (referred to as Later Shu () to differentiate it from Former Shu, other states named Shu in Chinese history), also known as Meng Shu (), was one of the Ten Kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in China. It was located ...
, and Gao Conghui, the ruler of Later Jin's vassal state
Jingnan Jingnan (), also known as Nanping (南平; alternatively written as Southern Ping) and Northern Chu () in historiography, was one of the Ten Kingdoms in south-central China created in 924, marking the beginning of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...
, trying to get support from both. Meng declined to support him, on account of the distance between Shannan East and Later Shu proper, while Gao tried to dissuade him from a rebellion. Instead, An, in anger, falsely reported to Shi that ''Gao'' was considering a rebellion. Gao, at the suggestion of his general Wang Baoyi (), reported the contents of An's communications with him to Shi, and offered to support the Later Jin imperial government in any action against An.
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, who was also considering a rebellion, however, entered into an alliance with him, as both prepared for rebellion.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 282. In winter 941, both An Congjin and An Chongrong were preparing to launch their rebellions. Believing An Chongrong to be the greater threat, Shi prepared to take an army north from then-capital
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 ...
, preparing to engage An Chongrong as soon as he rebelled, leaving his 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 Zheng in charge at Kaifeng. As he departed Kaifeng, the chancellor
He Ning He Ning (和凝) (898''Old History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 127. – July 23, 955''Old History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 115.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), courtesy name Chengji (成績), formally the Duke of ...
pointed out that An Congjin was also about to rebel. At He's suggestion, Shi Jingtang secretly left a number of blank, but pre-signed, edicts with Shi Chonggui, to allow Shi Chonggui to commission generals against An Congjin as soon as An Congjin launched his rebellion. An Congjin, unaware of this development, launched his rebellion shortly after, and he first attacked neighboring Weisheng Circuit (威勝, headquartered in modern
Nanyang Nanyang is the romanization of two common Chinese place names. It may refer to: Written as 南洋 (Southern Ocean) * Nanyang (region), a Chinese term denoting the Southeast Asian lands surrounding the South China Sea ;China * Nanyang Fleet, Qing ...
,
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 ...
). Shi Chonggui quickly sent the imperial guard generals Zhang Cong'en (), Jiao Jixun (), Guo Jinhai (), and Chen Sirang () to command imperial guard troops toward Weisheng's capital Deng Prefecture () to intercept An. Shortly after, he also prepared a larger army with senior general Gao Xingzhou in command, and Song Yanyun () serving as Gao's deputy. Before the imperial guard generals could arrive at Deng, An, unable to capture Deng quickly, was already withdrawing toward Shannan East's capital Xiang Prefecture (). Zhang intercepted him at Mount Hua (花山, 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 ...
), catching him by surprise. Zhang defeated him in battle and captured his son An Hongyi (). An Congjin fled back to Xiang and prepared to defend the city. He also sent his brother An Conggui () to attack Cai Xingyu () the prefect of Jun Prefecture (均州, in modern
Shiyan Shiyan () is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei, China, bordering Henan to the northeast, Chongqing to the southwest, and Shaanxi to the north and west. At the 2020 census, its population was 3,209,004 of whom 1,033,407 lived in the b ...
,
Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
). Jiao, however, intercepted and defeated An Conggui; An Conggui was captured, but Jiao cut off his feet and then released him back to Xiang, apparently to terrorize An's army. Gao Xingzhou put Xiang Prefecture under siege for several months, until his food supplies ran out. Gao's officers Wang Qing () and Liu Ci () then led the soldiers in scaling the walls, causing the city to fall. An committed suicide with his family by fire.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 283.


Notes and references

* '' History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 98. * ''
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. 51. * ''
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. 278,
279 __NOTOC__ Year 279 ( CCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (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 Paternus (or, less frequently, year 1032 ...
, 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 ...
. {{DEFAULTSORT:An, Congjin 942 deaths People from North China Later Tang jiedushi of Baoyi Circuit Later Tang jiedushi of Zhangwu Circuit Later Tang jiedushi of Shunhua Circuit Later Tang jiedushi of Shannan East Circuit Later Jin (Five Dynasties) jiedushi of Shannan East Circuit Suicides in Later Jin (Five Dynasties) Suicides by self-immolation Political office-holders in Guangxi Year of birth unknown Sogdian people