Li Changfu

Li Changfu (李昌符) (d. July 24, 887 ) was a warlord of the late Tang dynasty, who ruled Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi) 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).

Background and takeover of Fengxiang Little is known about Li Changfu's background, as neither of the official histories of Tang Dynasty (the Old Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang) contained a biography for him. The first historical reference to him was in 884, when his older brother Li Changyan, then the military governor (Jiedushi) of Fengxiang Circuit, became ill and made Li Changfu the acting military governor. Then-reigning Emperor Xizong thereafter made Li Changfu full military governor.

Alliance with and later turning against Zhu Mei In 885, Li Changfu became involved in a power struggle that initially started as a confrontation between the powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi and Wang Chongrong the military governor of Huguo Circuit (護國, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), over control of salt ponds at Huguo Circuit. Tian tried to remove Wang Chongrong from the scene by having Emperor Xizong issuing an edict transferring him to Taining Circuit (泰寧, headquartered in modern Jining, Shandong), Qi Kerang the military governor of Taining to Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding, Hebei), and Wang Chucun the military governor of Yiwu to Huguo. Wang Chongrong refused the order and prepared for confrontation with Tian, along with his ally Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), while Tian allied with Li Changfu and Zhu Mei the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi). Around the new year, Li Keyong's and Wang Chongrong's troops engaged Tian's, Li Changfu's, and Zhu's troops at Shawan (沙苑, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi) and defeated them. As Li Keyong then approached the capital Chang'an, Tian took Emperor Xizong and fled to Fengxiang, and then to Xingyuan (興元, in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi).

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