Jing Yanguang

Jing Yanguang (892 -January 28, 947 ), courtesy name Hangchuan , was a general and official of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period Later Jin state. He was instrumental in the enthronement of Later Jin's second emperor Shi Chonggui, and therefore became a powerful chancellor early in Shi Chonggui's reign. Under his advocacy, Shi Chonggui turned away from the peaceful, submissive relationship that Later Jin had with its northern neighbor Liao (whose Emperor Taizong's support had been essential in the establishment of Later Jin by Shi Chonggui's uncle and predecessor Shi Jingtang) and became confrontational against Liao. The adversarial relationship continued even after Jing's removal as chancellor, such that Later Jin was eventually destroyed by a Liao invasion. Emperor Taizong took Jing captive, intending to deliver him to Liao proper, but Jing committed suicide.

Background Jing Yanguang was born in 892, during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang. His family was from Shan Prefecture (陝州, in modern Sanmenxia, Henan), but all that is said about his family in traditional sources is that his father Jing Jian was a capable archer and trained Jing Yanguang to be one as well.

During Later Liang During the time of Tang's successor state Later Liang, Zhu Youhui the Prince of Shao, a nephew to Later Liang's founding emperor Zhu Quanzhong, served as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Zhenguo Circuit (鎮國, headquartered at Shan Prefecture). He took Jing to be an officer under him. Many of Zhu's officers, including Jing, were set to be executed. These executions were set to be carried out by Li Siyuan's son-in-law Shi Jingtang. When Shi saw Jing, however, he took pity on Jing, and secretly released him and told him to flee. Later, apparently after Shi became the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), Jing came to serve under him as a "guest general" (客將, kejiang). Jing participated in the city's defense and had much accomplishment during the siege,

During Shi Chonggui's reign

Chancellorship It was said that Jing Yanguang considered Shi Chonggui's ascension to the throne to be his doing, and used that to become involved in the key decisions in Shi's administration. Shortly after Shi took the throne, he was made the commander of the imperial guards, as well as chancellor (with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi .

After chancellorship It was said that the demotion from chancellorship depressed Jing Yanguang, who was also beginning to realize that Liao's strength would eventually endanger both himself and the state. He began drinking heavily. Meanwhile, as the campaign that repelled Liao drained the imperial treasury, Shi Chonggui sent out 36 emissaries to the various regions of his realm to have the local governments extract wealth from the people forcibly. Jing's Henan Municipality (河南, i.e., the Luoyang region) was to submit 200,000 coins. Jing, wanting to extract more, offered 370,000 coins, but his assistant Lu Yi rebuked him for benefitting himself at the people's expense, and he stopped.

After Later Jin's destruction Even before Emperor Taizong could arrive at Daliang to accept Shi Chonggui's surrender, he notified Shi, again, that he wanted to see Sang Weihan and Jing Yanguang. When he reached Xiang Prefecture (相州, in modern Anyang), he sent soldiers to Heyang to arrest Jing. Jing was surprised by this move and believed that he could not flee, so he went to see Emperor Taizong, meeting the Liao emperor at Fengqiu (封丘, in modern Xinxiang, Henan). Emperor Taizong rebuked him, "Your actions were what led to the discord between the two emperors. Where are your 100,000 sharpened swords?" Emperor Taizong also summoned Qiao Rong to list 10 things that Jing did that he believed led to the enmity between the states. Jing initially denied them, but once Qiao showed the papers that his secretary had written, he admitted to them. Emperor Taizong read off the things he was accused of, and gave him one ivory chip as each one was read. When the eighth ivory chip was given, Jing fell prostrate and begged for death. Emperor Taizong then had him locked up in chains.

Emperor Taizong then prepared to have Jing delivered back to Liao proper. As the jailers and he stopped at Chenqiao (陳橋, in modern Xinxiang) one night, he found a time when the jailers were not watching him. He then strangled himself to death with his hands. After Liao eventually withdrew from Later Jin's former territory, and the territory was taken over by a new state of Later Han founded by the former Later Jin general Liu Zhiyuan, Jing was given posthumous honors.

Notes and references

Old History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 88. New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 29. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 280, 283, 284, 285, 286.