Chen Jingxuan

Chen Jingxuan (陳敬瑄) (d. April 26, 893 ) was a general of the Tang dynasty of China, who came to control Xichuan Circuit (西川), headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan by virtue of his being an older brother of the eunuch Tian Lingzi, who controlled the court of Emperor Xizong during most of Emperor Xizong's reign. Later, when Emperor Xizong's brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong tried to recall Chen, Chen refused, leading to a general campaign against him. He was eventually defeated and killed by Wang Jian, who took over his territory and later founded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Former Shu.

Background and early career It is not known when Chen Jingxuan was born. According to the Zizhi Tongjian, his family was from Xu Prefecture (許州, in modern Xuchang, Henan). He had at least two younger brothers, Chen Jingxun (陳敬珣) and one other who later became known as Tian Lingzi—as that younger brother became a eunuch in his young age and was adopted by a eunuch named Tian. He probably had two older brothers, as, at one point, Tian Lingzi referred to him as the third brother.

As of the start of the reign of Emperor Xizong (r. 873–888), Tian Lingzi became extremely powerful due to his close personal association with Emperor Xizong, such that Emperor Xizong even referred to him as "Father." Tian tried to intercede on Chen Jingxuan's behalf with Cui Anqian the military governor of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered at Xu Prefecture) to have Chen made an officer under Cui, but Cui refused. Tian, therefore, had Chen come to the imperial capital Chang'an and made him an officer in the eunuch-commanded Left Shence Army (左神策軍), promoting him all the way to being a major general within a span of a few years. When Chen received report of Emperor Xizong's flight, he summoned the eunuch monitor Liang Chuhou (梁處厚) and tearfully began the plans to welcome Emperor Xizong to Xichuan's capital Chengdu Municipality, including repairing an old palace for Emperor Xizong.

In winter 882, as the Qian rebellion had by that point grown and entered Shu Prefecture (蜀州, in modern Chengdu), Chen replaced Yang with Gao Renhou. Gao publicized his appeal that those who followed Qian would be pardoned entirely if they surrendered, and Qian's forces collapsed. Gao captured Qian and executed him and four other rebel leaders, as well as Qian's chief strategist Zhang Rong (張榮), but otherwise did not carry out any reprisals, a decision that Chen agreed with. Chen further made Gao the defender of Mei Prefecture (眉州, in modern Meishan, Sichuan).

After Emperor Xizong's departure from Chengdu After Emperor Xizong returned to Chang'an, Tian Lingzi continued to be in control of the imperial government, and he had Chen Jingxuan be officially made the overall overseer of not only Xichuan, but of also Dongchuan, Shannan West, and the Three Gorges region.

Emperor Xizong died in spring 888 and was succeeded by his brother Emperor Zhaozong, who had long hated Tian. Meanwhile, Wang was still unable to capture Chengdu, and therefore submitted a petition to Emperor Zhaozong that the imperial government send a new military governor of Xichuan, offering to serve under that new military governor. Gu Yanlang submitted a petition with a similar proposal as well. Emperor Zhaozong therefore made the chancellor Wei Zhaodu the new military governor of Xichuan and issued an order recalling Chen to serve as a major general of the Shence Armies. Chen, however, refused the order and prepared for battle against Wei. Emperor Zhaozong thus stripped him of all titles. (It was said that, however, after this point, Tian became effectively in control of Xichuan, making all key decisions.) Emperor Zhaozong commissioned Wei as the overall commander against Chen, with Yang Shouliang the military governor of Shannan West, Gu Yanlang, and Wang assisting, and carved out four prefectures of Xichuan to establish a new Yongping Circuit (永平, headquartered at Qiong Prefecture), making Wang the military governor of Yongping.

Resistance against the imperial government In spring 890, Wang Jian started a siege of Qiong Prefecture, intending to take it as his base of operations. All attempts that Chen Jingxuan made to relieve the siege of Qiong were defeated by Wang. Qiong fell to Wang in fall 890. Wang left his assistant Zhang Lin (張琳) in control at Qiong and returned to Chengdu, resuming the siege there. It was said that, in light of the resistance war that he was waging against the imperial government, Chen increased the tax burden greatly and imposed cruel punishments for those who hid assets, causing the people much grief.

By spring 891, however, given Wei's failure to capture Chengdu by this point and given the imperial government's recent defeat in a campaign against Li Keyong, Emperor Zhaozong decided to end the campaign. He restored Chen's titles and recalled Wei, while ordering Gu Yanlang and Wang to return to their circuits. By this point, though, Chengdu, under siege, was suffering from a serious famine that caused people of the city to resort to cannibalism, and Wang was unwilling to give up the campaign. He initially tried to persuade Wei to continue the campaign despite Emperor Zhaozong's order and, when Wei was unwilling to do so, intimidated Wei (by killing Wei's associate Luo Bao (駱保)) into giving him command of the imperial forces and returning to Chang'an by himself. Wang then resumed the siege against Chengdu.

By fall 891, Chengdu's situation was even more desperate, as Wang cut off the only remaining supply route that it had, from Weirong Circuit (威戎, headquartered in modern Chengdu), whose military governor Yang Sheng (楊晟) was a follower of Tian's. When Chen met with his army to try to encourage them to continue to resist, the soldiers stopped responding to him. Tian personally visited Wang at his camp and offered to surrender, and Wang accepted. Wang, who was then made the military governor of Xichuan, offered to continue to support Tian like a father, while making Chen's son Chen Tao (陳陶) the prefect of Ya Prefecture, having Chen Jingxuan go to Ya Prefecture as well to be with Chen Tao.

Death In 892, Wang Jian removed Chen Tao of his post as prefect of Ya Prefecture. Wang instead settled Chen Jingxuan at Xinjin (新津, in modern Chengdu), and supported Chen's household with the tax revenues of Xinjin County. However, he was continuously submitting petitions to Emperor Zhaozong requesting the executions of Chen and Tian Lingzi. Emperor Zhaozong never approved his petitions, and he decided to take initiative on his own. In summer 893, he falsely accused Chen and Tian of plotting treason, and he had Chen executed at Xinjin. Chen had long suspected that Wang would have him killed, and therefore carried poison in his belt so that he could commit suicide before an execution could occur, but as he was being arrested, he checked his belt, and the poison was no longer there. He was thereafter beheaded.

Notes and references

New Book of Tang, vol. 224, part 2. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259.