Li Maozhen

Li Maozhen (; 856 – May 17, 924), born Song Wentong , courtesy name Zhengchen , formally Prince Zhongjing of Qin , 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 (鳳翔, in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), 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 (who would later found Former Shu) and Zhu Quanzhong (who would later found Later Liang). 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 (although he would receive both of those titles later in his life), this was typically viewed as the end of Qi as an independent state.

Background Song Wentong was born in 856, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong of Tang. Song Wentong's grandfather was named Song Duo ; his grandmother was a Lady Zhang; his father was named Song Duan ; his mother was a Lady Lu, who later received the title of Lady Dowager of Yan.

In 886, Emperor Xizong, who had returned to Chang'an after Huang's defeat, was again forced to flee Chang'an, to Xingyuan (興元, in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi) after his trusted eunuch advisor Tian Lingzi got into a confrontation with the warlords Wang Chongrong the military governor of Huguo Circuit (護國, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi) and Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi) and was subsequently defeated by Wang Chongrong and Li Keyong. Two other warlords, Zhu Mei the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang) and Li Changfu the military governor of Fengxiang, who had previously been allied with Tian, turned against Emperor Xizong as well and supported his distant relative Li Yun the Prince of Xiang as a rival emperor at Chang'an. Zhu subsequently sent his general Wang Xingyu to advance on Xingyuan to try to capture Emperor Xizong, and Wang Xingyu initially defeated the imperial guard general Yang Sheng . In response, Emperor Xizong sent Song, Li Chan , and Chen Pei to station themselves at Mount Datang (大唐峰, in modern Hanzhong) to defend against Wang Xingyu. Wang Xingyu was unable to advance and later, after enticement by Tian's successor and the leading eunuch Yang Fugong, turned against Zhu and killed him. Li Yun fled to Wang Chongrong's territory but was killed by Wang Chongrong. For Song's accomplishments, Emperor Xizong bestowed the imperial surname of Li on him and gave him a new personal name of Maozhen ("prosperous and faithful") as well as a courtesy name of Zhengchen ("rightful subject").

During reign of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang

Initial expansion of power In 888, Emperor Xizong died. His younger brother Li Jie the Prince of Shou, supported by Yang Fugong, became emperor (as Emperor Zhaozong). Emperor Zhaozong bestowed a number of honors on military governors, including the greater honorary chancellor title of Shizhong on Li Maozhen. In spring 892, Li Maozhen reacted by submitting a joint petition with his older brother Li Maozhuang the military governor of Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered in modern Tianshui, Gansu) and allies Wang Xingyu (who had been made the military governor of Jingnan), Han Jian the military governor of Zhenguo Circuit (鎮國, headquartered in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), and Wang Xingyu's brother Wang Xingyue the military governor of Kuangguo Circuit (匡國, headquartered in modern Weinan as well), requesting that a campaign be launched against the Yangs and that Li Maozhen be made the commander of the operations. Emperor Zhaozong, concerned that if Li Maozhen defeated the Yangs, he would be even more difficult to control, initially ordered that the sides negotiate. However, Li Maozhen and Wang Xingyu, ignoring the edict, launched the campaign, and Li Maozhen wrote disrespectful letters to the chancellor Du Rangneng and the leading eunuch Ximen Junsui . Emperor Zhaozong, concerned that Li Maozhen may slaughter the people of Shannan West without imperial sanction, made Li Maozhen the commander of the operations against the Yangs. Subsequently, when Emperor Zhaozong killed the imperial guard officer Li Shunjie — who had previously been an adoptive son of Yang Fugong's but who had revealed much of Yang Fugong's secrets to Emperor Zhaozong — and Li Shunjie's ally Jia Desheng , Jia's troops fled to Fengxiang and joined Li Maozhen, greatly strengthening Li Maozhen's army.

In fall 892, Li Maozhen captured Feng Prefecture (鳳州, in modern Baoji), forcing Yang Fugong's follower Man Cun the military governor of Ganyi Circuit (感義, headquartered at Feng Prefecture) to flee to Xingyuan. Li Maozhen then also captured Xing and Yang Prefectures (both in modern Hanzhong), and had his relatives take over as prefects of those prefectures. Soon thereafter, he captured Xingyuan, forcing Yang Fugong, Yang Shouliang, Yang Shouxin, Yang Shouzhen, Yang Shouzhong, and Man to flee to Lang Prefecture (閬州, in modern Nanchong, Sichuan). He had his adoptive son Li Jimi take over as the acting mayor of Xingyuan. Meanwhile, seeing an opening to further expand his influence when Wang Jian the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan) and Gu Yanhui the acting military governor of Dongchuan Circuit (東川, headquartered in modern Mianyang), who were previously allies, had a break (over Wang's apparent attempt to take over Dongchuan), Li Maozhen also recommended to Emperor Zhaozong that Gu be made full military governor; Emperor Zhaozong followed that recommendation. Thereafter, he sent Li Jimi to try to aid Gu, but after Xichuan troops defeated the joint Dongchuan/Fengxiang troops at Li Prefecture (利州, in modern Guangyuan, Sichuan), Gu sought peace with Wang under the term that he agreed to cut off relations with Li Maozhen; Wang agreed.

Later in the year, however, another flareup would occur in the relationship between the imperial government and the Li Maozhen/Wang Xingyu/Han alliance. After the recent death of Wang Chongying (Wang Chongrong's brother and successor) the military governor of Huguo Circuit, the Huguo soldiers had supported Wang Chongying's nephew Wang Ke (the son of his brother Wang Chongjian , but who had been adopted by Wang Chongrong) as Wang Chongying's successor, but Wang Chongying's son Wang Gong the military governor of Baoyi Circuit (保義, headquartered in modern Sanmenxia, Henan), who had coveted Huguo, persuaded Wang Xingyu, Li Maozhen, and Han to submit a petition recommending that Wang Gong be given Huguo and Wang Ke be given Baoyi. Emperor Zhaozong, citing Li Keyong's support for Wang Ke's succession (as Wang Ke was his son-in-law), refused. Thereafter, Li Maozhen, Wang Xingyu, and Han marched on the capital and put, against Emperor Zhaozong's orders, Li Xi and Wei to death. They then considered deposing Emperor Zhaozong and replacing him with his brother Li Bao the Prince of Ji. However, at this point, they heard that Li Keyong had mobilized his army and was preparing to march against them, so they, after leaving 2,000 soldiers each at Chang'an to watch over the emperor, returned to their circuits to prepare to defend against Li Keyong.

Later in the year, Emperor Zhaozong made another attempt to take back Fengxiang. Li Maozhen had submitted a petition accusing Wang Jian of attacking Dongchuan against imperial orders. Emperor Zhaozong reacted by issuing an edict demoting Wang to be the prefect of Nan Prefecture (南州, in modern Chongqing), making Li Maozhen the military governor of Xichuan to replace Wang, and making Li Sizhou the military governor of Fengxiang to replace Li Maozhen. Both Wang and Li Maozhen refused to follow the edict, and Li Maozhen further refused to let Li Sizhou to reach Fengxiang by putting Li Sizhou under siege at Fengtian. Only after Han wrote Li Maozhen did Li Maozhen lift the siege on Fengtian to allow Li Sizhou to return to Hua. (Li Sizhou — and 10 other princes — however, did not escape death. Soon after Li Sizhou's return to Hua, Li Jiepi returned from Hedong, thus exposing the fact that Li Keyong was in no shape to aid the emperor. With that possibility gone, Han slaughtered the imperial princes, including Li Sizhou, Li Jiepi, and Emperor Zhaozong's uncle Li Zi the Prince of Tong, and then claimed to Emperor Zhaozong that they were plotting treason.) Emperor Zhaozong did make Zhang Lian the military governor of Zhangyi Circuit (彰義, headquartered in modern Pingliang, Gansu) the commander of the operations against Li Maozhen, but it appeared that Zhang was either unable or unwilling to attack Li Maozhen, for there was no further record of what Zhang did in the campaign. Emperor Zhaozong also stripped Li Maozhen of his titles and his imperially-bestowed name of Li Maozhen, referring to him as Song Wentong again. (After Emperor Zhaozong's declaration of the campaign against Li Maozhen, Li Jitang abandoned Kuangguo and fled back to Fengxiang; Han thereafter took over Kuangguo as well.)

Zhu subsequently approached Fengxiang again. In summer 902, Li Maozhen tried to take back the initiative by gathering his own troops and exiting the city, to engage Zhu at Guo County (虢縣, in modern Baoji), but was defeated at the loss of thousands of his men. Zhu, after having his officer Kong Qing capture Feng Prefecture, arrived at Fengxiang. He built five camps and had Fengxiang surrounded. Li Maozhen's cousin Li Maoxun , who was then the military governor of Baoda Circuit (保大, headquartered in modern Yan'an, Shaanxi) tried to aid Fengxiang, but was defeated by Kong and another Xuanwu officer, Kang Huaizhen , and forced to withdraw. Meanwhile, Li Jimi, under attack by Xichuan forces, was forced to surrender to Wang Jian, and Shannan West and Wuding (which surrendered soon thereafter) became Wang's territory.

During reign of Emperor Ai of Tang In 906, Li Maozhen sent Li Jikan to Xichuan as a hostage. Wang Jian made Li Jikan the prefect of Peng Prefecture (彭州, in modern Chengdu).

Meanwhile, with Yang Wo having been assassinated by his officers Zhang Hao and Xu Wen in 908 and replaced by his brother Yang Longyan, Yang Longyan sent the officer Wan Quangan to Jin and Qi to inform them of the succession. Li Maozhen, thereafter, acting as the representative of the Tang emperor, bestowed on Yang Longyan the titles of Zhongshu Ling and Prince of Wu (a title previously held by Yang Wo's and Yang Longyan's father Yang Xingmi). Over the next few years, continued battles were waged between Former Shu and Qi, with Former Shu repeatedly having success and gradually gaining Qi territory.

In 914, Li Jihui was poisoned to death by his son Li Yanlu, who claimed the title of acting military governor. Subsequently, in 915, Li Jihui's adoptive son Li Baoheng killed Li Yanlu and surrendered Jingnan Circuit to Later Liang. Later Liang's emperor Zhu Zhen (Emperor Taizu's son and successor) thereafter transferred Li Baoheng away and made his general Huo Yanwei the new military governor of Jingnan; Qi was unable to regain Jingnan thereafter, as an attempt by Liu to recapture it initially resulted in a stalemate. Subsequently, when the Former Shu general Wang Zonghan attacked Qin Prefecture, Li Jichong surrendered; Liu, hearing that Tianxiong had fallen, and that his family had been taken to Chengdu, lifted the siege on Bin Prefecture and fled to Former Shu. Meanwhile, Qi's military governor of Yisheng Circuit (義勝, headquartered in modern Tongchuan, Shaanxi), Li Yantao, seeing Qi's weakened state, also surrendered to Later Liang; Zhu Zhen had him restored to his birth family name of Wen and gave him a new name of Zhaotu.

In 920, Former Shu launched another attack on Qi and initially achieved victories. However, when the Former Shu army's food supplies ran out, it withdrew.

Submission to Later Tang In 923, Li Cunxu, who by that point had claimed to be the legitimate successor to Tang and declared a new Later Tang as its Emperor Zhuangzong, finally achieved total victory against Later Liang, capturing its capital Daliang; Zhu Zhen committed suicide before Later Tang forces could capture him, ending Later Liang. Upon hearing the news, Li Maozhen sent emissaries to congratulate Emperor Zhuangzong, but in the letter used an arrogant tone, considering himself an uncle. (That was because when both Li Maozhen and Li Keyong were granted the Tang imperial clan name of Li, they were both adopted into Tang imperial prince heritages in the same generation, and therefore were technically cousins.) However, after Emperor Zhuangzong subsequently entered Luoyang and made it his capital, Li Maozhen became apprehensive that he might become the Later Tang emperor's next target. In spring 924, he thus sent his son Li Jiyan to submit tributes to Emperor Zhuangzong and to submit a petition in which he referred to himself as a Later Tang subject. Emperor Zhuangzong received Li Jiyan warmly and granted the title of Zhongshu Ling on him, while he honored Li Maozhen by referring him only by his formal title of Prince of Qi, not by his name, in edicts. After Li Jiyan returned to Fengxiang, he relayed to Li Maozhen what he saw — that the Later Tang army was great in its strength. Li Maozhen, in fear, submitted another petition in which he requested that he be allowed to be a simple subject — in other words, that Emperor Zhuangzong no longer omit his name in edicts. Emperor Zhuangzong declined. He subsequently created Li Maozhen the Prince of Qin, still not referring to him by name and still not requiring him to bow to the imperial emissaries sent to declare this new creation.

Later in the year, Li Maozhen died. In his final petition to Emperor Zhuangzong, he requested that Li Jiyan be allowed to retain Fengxiang. Emperor Zhuangzong subsequently confirmed Li Jiyan as the military governor of Fengxiang. mother of Li Jiyan, Li Jichang, Li Jizhao, Li Jiwei, and three daughters, later known as Lady Dowager Xiande of Qin Children One other son Four daughters Adoptive children Li Jizhen Li Jimi , né Wang Wanhong , surrendered to Wang Jian 902 and changed name back to Wang Wanhong, later committed suicide Li Jipeng , né Yan Gui , executed by Li Maozhen 895 Li Jiyóng (李繼顒, note different tone than his adoptive brother), killed by Wang Zongkan 895 Li Jiyōng (李繼雍, note different tone than his adoptive brother) Li Jihui , né Yang Chongben , surrendered to Zhu Quanzhong 901 and changed name back to Yang Chongben, changed name back to Li Jihui and resubmitted to Li Maozhen 904, poisoned to death in 914 by his son Li Yanlu Li Jizhao , né Fu Daozhao (apparently different than biological son Li Congzhao), surrendered to Zhu Quanzhong 902 Li Jitang Li Jining , captured by Wang Jian 897 Li Jipo , surrendered to Wang Jian 897 Li Jiyun , executed by Li Maozhen 903 Li Jizhong Li Jiliao , captured by Zhu Quanzhong 902 Li Jiqin Li Jizhi , killed by Han Xun 909 Li Jikui Li Jiji , né Sang Hongzhi , surrendered to Wang Jian 916 and changed name back to Sang Hongzhi Li Jizhi

Notes and references

History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 132. New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 40. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273.