Liang, known in historiography as the Later Liang or the Zhu Liang, was an imperial dynasty of China and the first of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It was founded by Zhu Wen, after he forced the last emperor of the Tang dynasty to abdicate in his favour. The Later Liang would last until 923 when it was destroyed by the Later Tang dynasty.
Emperor Taizu of Later Liang (後梁太祖), personal name Zhu Quanzhong (朱全忠), né Zhu Wen (朱溫), name later changed to Zhu Huang (朱晃), nickname Zhu San, was a Chinese military general, monarch, and politician. He was a Jiedushi and warlord who in 907 overthrew the Tang dynasty and established the Later Liang as its emperor, ushering in the era of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. The last two Tang emperors, Emperor Zhaozong of Tang and Emperor Ai of Tang, who "ruled" as his puppets from 903 to 907, were both murdered by him.
Li Keyong was a Chinese military general and politician of Shatuo ethnicity, and from January 896 a Prince of Jin, which would become an independent state after the fall of the Tang dynasty in 907 to its general Zhu Wen, founder of the Later Liang dynasty. Li served as a Jiedushi provincial military governor during the late Tang period and was an instrumental figure in the development of a Shatuo base of power in what is today's Shanxi Province of China. His son Li Cunxu, a child of his Chinese concubine Lady Cao, would succeed him as Prince of Jin and eventually become the founder of the Later Tang dynasty in 923.
The Old History of the Five Dynasties 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 era. It was compiled by the Song Dynasty official-scholar Xue Juzheng in the first two decades of the Song Dynasty, which was founded in 960. It is one of the Twenty-Four Histories recognized through Chinese history.
Zhang Jun (張濬), courtesy name Yuchuan (禹川), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Xizong and Emperor Xizong's brother Emperor Zhaozong. Early in Emperor Zhaozong's reign, Zhang was a major advocate for the imperial campaign to regain power from the regional warlords, but was removed after commanding a disastrous campaign against Li Keyong and forced into retirement. Late in Emperor Zhaozong's reign, with Emperor Zhaozong physically controlled by another warlord, Zhu Quanzhong, who had designs on taking over the throne as emperor, Zhu, while formerly an ally of Zhang's, was concerned that Zhang would encourage other warlords into a coordinated campaign against Zhu to stop his takeover, and so had his ally Zhang Quanyi slaughter Zhang Jun and his household.
Consort Dowager Liu was the wife of Li Keyong, the founder of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Jin. However, despite this status, after Li Keyong's son Li Cunxu later defeated Jin's rival Later Liang and established Later Tang as its Emperor Zhuangzong, she was not honored as empress dowager, but only given the lesser title of consort dowager.
Wang Rong, was a warlord in the final years of the Tang dynasty who later became the only ruler of the state of Zhao during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Late in Tang, he initially tried to chart an independent course between the more powerful warlords Zhu Quanzhong and Li Keyong, but later was forced to become Zhu's vassal, although he continued to govern his domain without much interference from Zhu. After Zhu declared himself the emperor of a new dynasty of Later Liang, Wang continued to serve as a vassal and was created the Prince of Zhao. Later, though, when the Later Liang emperor tried to seize the Zhao domain by force, Wang broke away from Later Liang and realigned with Li Keyong's son and successor Li Cunxu the Prince of Jin instead. In 921, Wang was overthrown and killed in a coup led by his adoptive son Wang Deming, who subsequently took over his domain and changed back to the birth name of Zhang Wenli, before dying later in the year; Li Cunxu then defeated and killed Zhang's son and successor Zhang Chujin, incorporating Zhao into his Jin state.
Li Hanzhi, formally the Prince of Longxi (隴西王), nickname Li Moyun (李摩雲), was a Chinese Buddhist monk, military general, politician, and warlord of the late medieval Tang dynasty. He was initially a follower of the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao, and later became a Tang general, mostly known for his service under Li Keyong. He was known for ferocity in carrying out raids.
Li Cunxiao (李存孝), né An Jingsi (安敬思), was an adoptive son of the late-Tang Dynasty warlord Li Keyong who contributed much to Li Keyong's campaigns, but who later rebelled against his adoptive father. He subsequently was defeated by Li Keyong and executed by dismemberment after he surrendered, although Li Keyong soon regretted his death.
Zhang Quanyi, né Zhang Juyan (張居言) or Zhang Yan (張言), known as Zhang Zongshi (張宗奭) during Later Liang, courtesy name Guowei (國維), formally Prince Zhongsu of Qi (齊忠肅王), was a late Tang Dynasty warlord who later was a senior official during the succeeding Later Liang and Later Tang. He was credited for rebuilding the city of Luoyang from utter destruction from the warfares in the late Tang period into a prosperous city.
Li Cunshen (李存審), né Fu Cun (符存), often referred to in historical sources as Fu Cunshen (符存審), courtesy name Dexiang (德詳), was a major general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period dynasty Later Tang and Later Tang's predecessor state Jin. He was an adoptive son of Jin's first prince Li Keyong and later served in a number of major campaigns under the reign of Li Keyong's son Li Cunxu, helping Li Cunxu to establish Later Tang as its Emperor Zhuangzong.
Li Sizhao, né Han (韓), known at one point as Li Jintong (李進通), courtesy name Yiguang (益光), formally the Prince of Longxi (隴西王), was a major general under Li Keyong and Li Keyong's son and successor Li Cunxu, the princes of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Jin. He was an adoptive nephew of Li Keyong's, and served Li Keyong both before and after the destruction of Tang Dynasty.
Liu Xun was a major general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Later Liang. He was a key commander of Later Liang forces in its struggle with its archenemy Jin, but, after repeated defeats by the Jin prince Li Cunxu, Liu sought retirement, and was subsequently poisoned to death by the Later Liang emperor Zhu Zhen, who doubted his loyalty.
Li Kening (李克寧) was a younger brother of the late Chinese Tang Dynasty warlord Li Keyong the Prince of Jin. After Li Keyong's death, Li Kening initially served as a key advisor to Li Keyong's son and successor Li Cunxu, but soon was persuaded by his wife Lady Meng to try to take over from Li Cunxu. His plot was discovered, and Li Cunxu put him to death.
Guo Chongtao (郭崇韜), courtesy name Anshi (安時), formally the Duke of Zhao Commandery (趙郡公), was a major general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Later Tang. He served as the chief of staff for Later Tang's founding emperor Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang from before the time of Later Tang's establishment and was instrumental in Later Tang's destruction of its rivals Later Liang and Former Shu, but came under suspicion after Former Shu's destruction. Despite that suspicion, Emperor Zhuangzong did not initially intend to kill him, but Emperor Zhuangzong's wife Empress Liu issued an order herself and had him executed.
Ren Huan was a general and official of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Later Tang. He served as a chancellor during the reign of Later Tang's second emperor Li Siyuan, but became embroiled in a power struggle with Li Siyuan's powerful chief of staff An Chonghui. He eventually was forced into retirement, but An eventually had Li Siyuan order him to commit suicide.
Li Cunxin (李存信) (862–902), originally Zhang Wuluo (張污落), was a military general in imperial China's Tang Dynasty, serving the Shatuo military leader Li Keyong, who adopted him as a son.
Shi Jingcun (史敬存), known as Shi Jingsi (史敬思) in Chinese historiography likely for naming taboo reasons, was a minor general in imperial China under the Shatuo military leader Li Keyong near the end of the Tang Dynasty. He sacrificed his life to help his inebriated lord escape an assassination attempt by Zhu Wen in Zhu's territory.
Li Cunzhang (李存璋) was a military general in imperial China's Tang dynasty, and later the Jin territory in the ensuing Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period after Tang's collapse. He served the Shatuo leaders Li Keyong — who adopted him as a son — and Li Keyong's biological son and successor Li Cunxu.
Kang Junli (847–894) was a military general in imperial China's Tang Dynasty, serving the Shatuo leader Li Keyong.
