Li Congyan

Li Congyan (898 – November 26, 946 ), né Li Jiyan (name changed 926), formally the Prince of Qi , was a son and the heir of Li Maozhen, the only ruler of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Qi. After Li Maozhen submitted to Later Tang and died shortly after, he continued to control the former Qi territory, as a Later Tang vassal, and subsequently served as a general for both Later Tang and its successor state Later Jin.

Background Li Jiyan was born in 898, during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang. He was the oldest son of both his father Li Maozhen On account of his birth, even before he went through the rite of passage, he received the titles of deputy commander of the army at Peng Prefecture (彭州, in modern Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan) and commander of the guard corps at his father's Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi). In the middle of Emperor Zhaozong's Tianfu era (901–904), he was made the acting military governor of Zhangyi Circuit (彰義, headquartered in modern Pingliang, Gansu). gave Li Jiyan the honorary title of Kaifu Yitong Sansi , acting Taiwei , and military governor of Zhangyi, as well as of the troops originating from the Western Regions (Xiyu); he also gave Li Jiyan the honorary chancellor designation of Shizhong . In his youth, he was said to be intelligent, good at penmanship, soft in disposition, but lacking in integrity. Li Maozhen became fearful that he would become Li Cunxu's next target, and therefore, in 924, sent Li Jiyan to Luoyang to pay homage to Li Cunxu, and this time formally submitted as a subject. Li Cunxu welcomed Li Jiyan and treated him well, and while he accepted Li Maozhen's submission as a subject, he was respectful in his edicts to Li Maozhen, referring Li Maozhen only as the Prince of Qi and not by name. Li Jiyan, while at Luoyang, offered many gifts to Li Cunxu's favorite concubine (soon to be empress, but not yet at that time), Lady Liu, and the popular opinion at that time blamed him for wickedness.

During Li Siyuan's reign Meanwhile, though, Guo Chongtao had been killed on Empress Liu's orders, and soon later so was Guo's ally, Li Jilin, because Empress Liu and Li Cunxu suspected them of acting in concert against the emperor. This caused the collapse of the army morale and the rise of many mutinies. As Chai, in his brief time in control of the circuit, did not cause any harm to the people or the army of the circuit, however, Li Jiyan submitted a petition asking that Chai's life be spared. While this petition was not granted, popular opinion at the time much praised him. In 933, he again went to pay homage to Li Siyuan, and was thereafter made the military governor of Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong). Not wanting Shi to stay at Hedong for too long, in spring 934, they issued a series of transfer orders — transferring Fan Yanguang the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei) to Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei), Shi from Hedong to Chengde, and Li Congke from Fengxiang to Hedong. Li Congke viewed these moves as aimed at him, however, and rebelled. To finance his rebellion, he seized the assets that Li Congyan still had at Fengxiang, to supply his army. He soon defeated the imperial army sent against him, and aimed toward Luoyang. As he was set to depart from Fengxiang, the people of the circuit gathered around him and requested that he return Li Congyan to Fengxiang, and he promised that he would. When soon thereafter he entered Luoyang and Li Conghou was then killed in flight, he became emperor. He then transferred Li Congyan from Tianping back to Fengxiang. He also created Li Congyan the Duke of Qin. Li Congyan continued to serve as the military governor of Fengxiang under Shi, and Shi created him the Prince of Qin, and then the Prince of Qi.

After Shi Jingtang's death and succession by his nephew Shi Chonggui, Li Congyan received the additional honorary title of acting Taibao . He died in 946, while still serving as the military governor of Fengxiang.

Notes and references

History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 132. New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 40. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 273, 274, 275, 277, 279, 281.