Liu Congjian

Liu Congjian (803–843 ), formally the Duke of Pei , was a Chinese military general and politician of the Tang dynasty who is most known for his term as the military governor (jiedushi) of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), during which he was viewed as a warlord who maintained a tight hold on the circuit but also as someone who served as a counterbalance to the eunuchs who controlled the imperial government.

Background and early career Liu Congjian was born in 803, during the reign of Emperor Dezong. His father Liu Wu was then serving as an officer under Li Shigu the military governor of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong), who ruled the circuit in de facto independence from the imperial government.

As of 819, Li Shigu's brother and successor Li Shidao was in a war against the imperial government, then under the rule of Emperor Dezong's grandson Emperor Xianzong, and the imperial forces were converging on Pinglu. He commissioned Liu Wu to command troops to resist the forces commanded by Tian Hongzheng, the military governor of Weibo Circuit (魏博, in modern Handan, Hebei). To endear himself to Liu Wu, he had Liu Congjian made a junior officer at his headquarters. However, Liu Wu was repeatedly losing battles to Tian, and Li became suspicious of Liu Wu's intentions. At one point, Li decided to have Liu Wu executed, so he recalled Liu Wu from Yanggu (陽穀, in modern Liaocheng, Shandong), where his troops were stationed, under the guise of consultation, intending to execute Liu Wu when he got to the circuit capital Yun Prefecture . Once Liu Wu arrived, however, Li, being counseled by some that executing Liu Wu without evidence of treachery so would destroy morale, changed his mind, and he sent Liu Wu back to Yanggu and gave Liu Wu much treasure. Meanwhile, Liu Congjian, who spent much time with Li's servants, was able to learn what had happened, and informed all of it to his father.

Soon thereafter, Li became resolved to kill Liu Wu. He sent two messengers to Liu's deputy Zhang Xian , ordering Zhang to execute Liu and take over the army. When the messengers informed Zhang, Zhang, who was friendly with Liu, secretly informed Liu, who immediately put the two messengers to death. Liu then called a meeting with all of his officers, declaring that he was set to turn against Li Shidao and follow imperial orders. When some officers hesitated, he executed them, as well as a number of others that soldiers had resented. The other officers were intimidated into submission. At night, they launched a surprise attack on Yun Prefecture, and the Yun Prefecture defenders, believing that Liu was returning on Li Shidao's orders, allowed them in. Liu Wu controlled the city and arrested Li and his two sons, putting them to death. He then sent messengers to surrender to Tian. To reward Liu for his actions, Emperor Xianzong made Liu the military governor of Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan).

Liu Wu died suddenly in 825. Liu Congjian initially did not announce his death except to the 2,000 soldiers that Liu Wu had brought from Pinglu Circuit initially and, after consulting with the officer Liu Wude , submitted a petition in Liu Wu's name requesting that Liu Congjian be allowed to succeed him. Jia, however, rebuked Liu Congjian and pointed out that it was improper for him not to publicly mourn his father. Liu Congjian had no response, and so publicly declared Liu Wu's death. When the imperial government, then ruled by Emperor Muzong's son Emperor Jingzong, received the petition in Liu Wu's name, there was much debate among the imperial officials. The former chancellor Li Jiang advocated that the request be denied, and that Liu Congjian be placated by making him a prefect. However, the chancellor Li Fengji and the powerful eunuch Wang Shoucheng, who opined otherwise, prevailed, and Emperor Jingzong made Liu Congjian the acting military governor, and soon thereafter made him military governor. It was said that while Liu Wu was tedious and harsh, Liu Congjian was lenient and graceful toward the soldiers, and the soldiers supported him.

As military governor In 829, when Shi Xiancheng the military governor of Weibo, who had governed his circuit in de facto independence from the imperial government, offered to surrender control of Weibo, the imperial government commissioned Li Ting as the new military governor of Weibo. However, Shi's soldiers opposed, and they mutinied, killing Shi. When Li Ting subsequently arrived, the Weibo soldiers, under the leadership of He Jintao, launched a surprise attack on him, inflicting much casualties and forcing him to flee. Liu Congjian launched an army and saved Li Ting. For this achievement, Liu was created the Duke of Pei.

In 839, in the midst of a controversy as to which of two claimants, Xiao Ben and Xiao Hong , if either at all, was the true long-lost brother of Emperor Wenzong's mother Empress Dowager Xiao, after Xiao Ben was judged to be Empress Dowager Xiao's brother, Xiao Hong fled to Zhaoyi and requested help from Liu. Liu submitted a petition on Xiao Hong's behalf. Emperor Wenzong ordered a new investigation, which concluded that neither Xiao Ben nor Xiao Hong was Empress Dowager Xiao's brother; both were exiled. Meanwhile, Liu continued to accuse Qiu of crimes, while Qiu accused Liu of having designs against the imperial government. After Emperor Wenzong died in 840 and was succeeded by his brother Emperor Wuzong, Liu offered a large horse to Emperor Wuzong, who declined the tribute. Liu believed that Qiu was the one who persuaded Emperor Wenzong not to accept the tribute and, in anger, killed the horse, and this act drew further suspicions from the imperial government. It was further said that Liu armed his circuit and conducted commerce to gather wealth such that the neighboring circuits were jealous of and suspicious of him. Liu Congjian's body was disinterred, exposed in the street for three days, and then cut into pieces.

Notes and references

Old Book of Tang, vol. 161. New Book of Tang, vol. 214. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248.