As military governor of Baoyi
Wang Chongying died in 895. Wang Gong, who was referred to by that point as the military governor of Baoyi (as Shanguo had been renamed to Baoyi), coveted Huguo. However, the Huguo soldiers supported his cousin Wang Ke — a biological son of his uncle Wang Chongjian (王重簡) who had been adopted as a son by Wang Chongrong — to succeed Wang Chongying. Both Wang Gong and his brother Wang Yao (王瑤) the prefect of Jiang Prefecture (絳州, in modern Yuncheng) objected and attacked Wang Ke. They also wrote the major warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), claiming that Wang Ke was not actually biologically a member of the Wang family, while Wang Ke's father-in-law Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), who was the main rival to Zhu, supported Wang Ke. [2]
Emperor Taizu of Later Liang (後梁太祖), personal name Zhu Quanzhong (朱全忠) (852–912), né Zhu Wen (朱溫), name later changed to Zhu Huang (朱晃), nickname Zhu San, 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.
Kaifeng, known previously by several names, is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, for being the capital seven times in history, and is most famous for being the capital of China in the Northern Song dynasty.
Li Keyong was a Shatuo military governor (Jiedushi) during the late Tang Dynasty and was key to developing a base of power for the Shatuo in what is today Shanxi Province in China. His son, Li Cunxu would eventually become the founder of the Later Tang, arguably the first of many Conquest Dynasties in China.
Then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong (Emperor Xizong's brother and successor) tried to send imperial eunuchs to mediate, but the mediation was not successful. Wang Gong and Wang Yao, unable to prevail over Wang Ke, then requested that Emperor Zhaozong send an alternative military governor for Huguo, and Emperor Zhaozong initially commissioned the chancellor Cui Yin to be the military governor of Huguo. However, at Li Keyong's insistence, Emperor Zhaozong then commissioned Wang Ke as military governor of Huguo. When Wang Gong subsequently sent gifts to and persuaded three other warlords — Wang Xingyu the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi), Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), and Han Jian the military governor of Zhenguo Circuit (鎮國, headquartered in modern Weinan, Shaanxi) — to propose an alternative, that Wang Gong be given Huguo and Wang Ke be given Baoyi instead, Emperor Zhaozong rejected the proposal based on the fact that he had already granted Li Keyong's request. Subsequently, Wang Xingyu, Li Maozhen, and Han, embarrassed that their request was rejected, marched on to the capital Chang'an to threaten Emperor Zhaozong, and while they were there, they executed two former chancellors whom they perceived to be against them, Wei Zhaodu and Li Xi. Under duress, Emperor Zhaozong was forced to issue an edict making Wang Gong the military governor of Huguo, Wang Xingyu's brother Wang Xingyue (王行約) the military governor of Baoyi, and Wang Ke the military governor of Kuangguo Circuit (匡國, also in modern Weinan, which Wang Xingyue had governed). [2]
Emperor Zhaozong of Tang, 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. Zhaozong was the seventh son of Emperor Yizong of Tang and younger brother of Emperor Xizong of Tang.
Cui Yin (崔胤), courtesy name Chuixiu (垂休), nickname Zilang (緇郎), formally the Duke of Wei (魏公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong. He was one of the controversial figures in the late Tang period, who ruthlessly tried to destroy the powerful eunuchs at court and whose actions in that regard had traditionally made him regarded as one of the persons causing the demise of the dynasty at the hands of the warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit.
Wang Xingyu (王行瑜) was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who controlled Jingnan Circuit from 887 to his death in 895. At his prime, he and his ally Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit had a stranglehold on the court of then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong, and were able to put two former chancellors that they disliked—Li Xi and Wei Zhaodu—to death over Emperor Zhaozong's objections. However, Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit then attacked them and defeated Wang. Wang fled and was killed in flight by his own subordinates.
The three warlords' actions drew a serious reaction from Li Keyong, who marched south from Hedong and prepared to attack them. When Li Keyong reached Jiang Prefecture, Wang Yao resisted him. Li Keyong quickly defeated and executed Wang Yao, and then marched on to the capital, eventually defeating Wang Xingyu, who fled but was killed in flight, and forcing Li Maozhen and Han into (temporary) submission to Emperor Zhaozong. In the aftermaths of this war, Wang Gong appeared to escape major repercussions, but was also unable to achieve his goal of taking over Huguo; rather, he remained at Baoyi. [2]
In 897, Wang Gong launched another attack on Huguo, and this time he had the assistance from Zhu's generals Zhang Cunjing (張存敬) and Yang Shihou. They initially defeated Wang Ke just south of Yishi (猗氏, in modern Yuncheng), but Li Keyong's nephew Li Sizhao then defeated them, forcing them to stop the siege against Huguo. In 898, Baoyi and Xuanwu forces against attacked Huguo, and Li Keyong again sent Li Sizhao to help Wang Ke repel the attack. [3]
Yang Shihou (楊師厚), formally the Prince of Ye (鄴王), was a major general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Later Liang, serving as the main obstacle to the expansion of Later Liang's archenemy Jin during latter parts of the reign of Emperor Taizu and the early parts of the reign of Emperor Taizu's son Zhu Zhen.
Li Sizhao (李嗣昭), 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.
Meanwhile, Wang Gong's rule of Baoyi was said to be violent, and imperial officials who went through Baoyi and who managed to offend him somehow where often arrested and killed. [4] For example, in 898, when Emperor Zhaozong summoned the retired official Wang Zhu (王柷) to Chang'an, it was commonly speculated that Wang Zhu would next be made a chancellor. When Wang Zhu went through Baoyi on his way to Chang'an, Wang Gong initially accorded him great honor and wanted to meet him under ceremony that would make Wang Gong be like a son or nephew to him. When Wang Zhu refused, Wang Gong, in anger, killed Wang Zhu and his families and threw their bodies into the Yellow River, and then claimed to the imperial government that they had drowned when their ship capsized. The seriously weakened imperial government did not dare to investigate. By 899, it was said that Wang Gong had become so violent and paranoid that not even his wife and children could be secure that they could escape his wrath. Thereafter, he was killed in a mutiny, and the soldiers supported the officer Li Fan (李璠) to succeed him. Several months later, Li Fan was himself killed in a mutiny, and the officer Zhu Jian took over. [3]
Li Maozhen, born Song Wentong (宋文通), courtesy name Zhengchen (正臣), formally Prince Zhongjing of Qin (秦忠敬王), was the only ruler of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Qi (901–924). He had become a powerful warlord during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang, the penultimate emperor of the preceding Tang Dynasty, with his power centered on his capital Fengxiang, and at times had effective control of Emperor Zhaozong. However, his power gradually waned due to defeats at the hands of fellow warlords Wang Jian and Zhu Quanzhong. After Zhu usurped the Tang throne and established Later Liang, Li Maozhen refused to submit and continued to use the Tang-bestowed title of Prince of Qi as well as maintain the Tang era name, but his territory became even more reduced due to wars with Former Shu and Later Liang. After Later Liang was conquered by Later Tang, whose Emperor Zhuangzong claimed to be a legitimate successor of Tang, Li Maozhen submitted as a subject and was created the Prince of Qin in 924. He died soon thereafter, and was succeeded as by his son Li Jiyan as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Fengxiang, but as Li Jiyan was not made the Prince of Qi or Qin at that point, this was typically viewed as the end of Qi as an independent state.
Yang Fugong (楊復恭), courtesy name Zike (子恪), formally the Duke of Wei (魏公), was an eunuch official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, playing key roles in the imperial administrations of Emperor Xizong and Emperor Xizong's brother Emperor Zhaozong. He was later suspected by Emperor Zhaozong of power-grabbing and removed, and afterwards encouraged his adopted sons/nephews Yang Shouliang, Yang Shouxin (楊守信), Yang Shouzhen (楊守貞), and Yang Shouzhong (楊守忠) into resisting the imperial government together. They were, however, defeated by the general Li Maozhen and captured while in flight; they were then delivered to the capital Chang'an and executed.
Du Rangneng (杜讓能) (841–893), courtesy name Qunyi (群懿), formally the Duke of Jin (晉公), was an official of the late 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, against Du's recommendations, Emperor Zhaozong planned a campaign against the warlord Li Maozhen and put Du in charge of the campaign. After Li subsequently defeated the imperial forces, he marched on the capital Chang'an and demanded Du's death, and Emperor Zhaozong was forced to order Du to commit suicide.
Han Jian (韓建), courtesy name Zuoshi (佐時), was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who eventually became a subject of the succeeding Later Liang. He is most well known for having had Emperor Zhaozong of Tang under his control at his power base at Hua Prefecture from 896 to 898 and slaughtering the imperial princes while Emperor Zhaozong was there.
Li Hanzhi (李罕之), formally the Prince of Longxi (隴西王), nickname Li Moyun (李摩雲), was a warlord of the late 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 Changfu (李昌符) was a warlord of the late Tang dynasty, who ruled Fengxiang Circuit from 884 to 887. In 887, his troops got into a conflict with imperial troops escorting then-reigning Emperor Xizong, and he was defeated by the imperial general Li Maozhen and subsequently executed by his own subordinate Xue Zhichou (薛知籌).
Yang Shouliang (楊守亮), né Zi Liang (訾亮), was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Shannan West Circuit from 887 to 892. He was initially an agrarian rebel under Wang Xianzhi, but later came to serve under the imperial eunuch general Yang Fuguang, becoming Yang Fuguang's adoptive son. He was gradually promoted in the imperial guard ranks, and was eventually made the military governor (Jiedushi) of Shannan West by Emperor Xizong. After his adoptive uncle Yang Fugong broke with Emperor Xizong's brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong in 891, however, Yang Shouliang followed Yang Fugong's lead and resisted the imperial government. He was subsequently defeated by the warlord Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit and executed.
Liu Chongwang (劉崇望), courtesy name Xitu (希徒), formally the Baron of Pengcheng (彭城男), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong.
Cui Zhaowei (崔昭緯), courtesy name Yunyao (蘊曜), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong. According to traditional histories, he was disloyal to Emperor Zhaozong and manipulated the court scene by conspiring with the eunuchs and the warlords Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit and Wang Xingyu the military governor of Jingnan Circuit. After Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit defeated Wang and forced LI Maozhen into submission, Emperor Zhaozong exiled Cui and later had him executed.
Li Xi or Li Qi, courtesy name Jingwang (景望), nicknamed Li Shulou (李書樓), was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, serving briefly as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong. With imperial power dwindling, Li Xi's fellow chancellor Cui Zhaowei, who associated with the warlords Li Maozhen, Wang Xingyu, and Han Jian, encouraged Li Maozhen, Wang, and Han to march on the capital Chang'an. Once the three warlords arrived in Chang'an, they put Li Xi and his fellow chancellor Wei Zhaodu to death.
Wang Ke (王珂) was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who ruled Huguo Circuit as its military governor (Jiedushi) from 895 to 900.
Gai Yu (蓋寓), formally the Duke of Chengyang (成陽公), was a key strategist of Li Keyong, a major warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty.
Li Jihui (李繼徽), né Yang Chongben (楊崇本), was a warlord in the late Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and early Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Qi, who ruled Jingnan Circuit as its military governor (Jiedushi).
Zhu Youqian (朱友謙), né Zhu Jian (朱簡), known as Li Jilin (李繼麟) from 923 to 926, courtesy name Deguang (德光), formally the Prince of Xiping (西平王), was a warlord of the late Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and the first two dynasties of the subsequent Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Later Liang and Later Tang, ruling Huguo Circuit during most of that time. Both he and his family were extremely honored by Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang, but later, he was falsely accused of plotting a rebellion, and Emperor Zhuangzong put him and his entire family to death.
