Liu Xun

Liu Xun (858 -June 10, 921 ) was a general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Later Liang. He was a key commander of Later Liang forces in its struggle with its archenemy Jin, but, after repeated defeats by the Jin prince Li Cunxu, Liu sought retirement, and was subsequently poisoned to death by the Later Liang emperor Zhu Zhen, who doubted his loyalty.

During Tang Dynasty

Background Liu Xun was born in 858, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong of Tang. His family was from Anqiu (安丘, in modern Weifang, Shandong). His grandfather Liu Shou served as a census administrator for the prefectural government of Mi Prefecture, which Anqiu belonged to, and his father Liu Rong served as the Anqiu County magistrate. It was said that Liu Xun was ambitious in his youth, favored the study of military strategies, and studied histories and biographies. Sometime during the Zhonghe era (881-885) era of Emperor Xuānzong's grandson Emperor Xizong, Liu became a low-level officer under Wang Jingwu the military governor of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Weifang).

In 901, the powerful eunuchs led by Han Quanhui, fearing that Emperor Zhaozong and the chancellor Cui Yin were about to slaughter them, forcibly seized Emperor Zhaozong and took him to Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), then ruled by the eunuchs' ally Li Maozhen. Cui summoned his ally, the warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) to attack Fengxiang. Zhu put Fengxiang's capital Fengxiang Municipality under siege, and by 903, the city was in desperate straits, with the people resorting to cannibalism. Han had Emperor Zhaozong issue an edict ordering all the regional governors throughout the empire to attack Zhu. When Wang, who had been a long-time vassal of Zhu Quanzhong's, received the edict, he wept, and with the retired chancellor Zhang Jun also writing him to urge him to act, he decided to send his officers to various cities throughout Zhu's territory to try to simultaneously rise and try to take control of the cities. However, most of the officers he sent failed in their surprise risings and were captured, except Liu, who was able to first send his soldiers disguised as oil merchants into Yan Prefecture (兗州, in modern Jining, Shandong), the capital of Taining Circuit , to survey the situation, and then made a night time attack, seizing the city. At that time, Taining's military governor Ge Congzhou, a general under Zhu, was stationed at Xing Prefecture (邢州, in modern Xingtai, Hebei). Liu, after he took over the city, went to greet Ge's mother and treated her, as well as Ge's wife and other family members, with respect.

Service under Zhu Quanzhong Ge Congzhou held a feast for Liu Xun for him to be prepared to be sent to Xuanwu's capital Bian Prefecture , and prepared good clothes for Liu. However, Liu, believing that he needed to show humility before Zhu Quanzhong, opted to wear clothes fit for those waiting for punishment and to ride a donkey. When he met Zhu, Zhu gave him good clothes (which he again declined) and invited him to drink. When Liu stated that he did not have the capacity (for alcohol), Zhu responded, "But when you captured Yan Prefecture, what great capacity you showed!" He made Liu the commander of the Yuancong Corps of the Xuanwu army — commanding some officers who had followed Zhu for a long time. Liu accepted this post without hesitation, and this impressed Zhu further. Soon thereafter, Zhu made him the acting military governor of Baoda Circuit (保大, headquartered in modern Yan'an, Shaanxi). In 905, Liu was made a general of the imperial guards and the commander of the police of then-capital Luoyang (as Zhu had forced Emperor Zhaozong to move the capital from Chang'an there). In 908, when the general Liu Zhijun, then stationed at Tong Prefecture, rebelled against Emperor Taizu and aligned himself with Qi (i.e., Li Maozhen's state) and Jin (then ruled by Li Cunxu), Liu Zhijun induced Qi forces to seize Chang'an while he himself quickly seized Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan) and Tong Pass. Emperor Taizu commissioned the general Yang Shihou to attack Liu Zhijun, and Liu Xun served under Yang in this campaign. When Liu Xun reached the east side of Tong Pass, he captured Liu Zhijun's sentry soldiers but let them stay free to serve as his guides, and then had them approach Tong Pass. The soldiers Liu Zhijun sent to defend Tong Pass did not know that the sentry soldiers had turned against them, and opened the pass to welcome them. Liu Xun followed and entered, capturing the pass and taking Liu Zhijun's brother Liu Zhiwan captive. With Later Liang forces converging on him, Liu Zhijun fled to Qi, and Yang subsequently recaptured Chang'an. Emperor Taizu made Liu Xun the acting military governor of Youguo Circuit (佑國, headquartered at Chang'an). Soon thereafter, Emperor Taizu renamed the circuit to Yong'an Circuit and made Liu Xun its military governor, as well as the mayor of Da'an Municipality (大安, i.e., Chang'an) and the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Jin Prefecture (金州, in modern Ankang, Shaanxi); he also bestowed the title of acting Situ (司徒, one of the Three Excellencies) on Liu Xun. In 910, Emperor Taizong bestowed the honorary chancellor designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi and the title of acting Taibao on him. Zhu Yougui bestowed the title of acting Taifu on Liu Xun. When Liu's mother died in spring 913 and Liu left governmental service briefly to observe a mourning period for her, Zhu Yougui recalled him back to governmental service.

As commander of the Later Liang army against Jin In 915, Yang Shihou died. At the time of Yang's death, he was the military governor of Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei), which had a powerful army and which had thus allowed it to be largely de facto independent of the Tang imperial government for about two centuries. Zhu Zhen's brother-in-law Zhao Yan and secretary Shao Zan thus suggested to him that he divide Tianxiong's six prefectures into two circuits to weaken it, to prevent it slipping out of imperial control again in the future. Zhu Zhen agreed, and he transferred He Delun the military governor of Pinglu to Tianxiong, but created a new Zhaode Circuit to be headquartered at Tianxiong's Xiang Prefecture (相州, in modern Anyang, Henan), to include Xiang, Chan (澶州, in modern Anyang), and Wei (衛州, in modern Xinxiang, Henan) Prefectures, with the official Zhang Yun as its military governor. He further ordered that Tianxiong's army be divided in half, with half of the army and half of the circuit treasury be transferred to Zhaode. In order to try to intimidate the Tianxiong army into complying, he also sent Liu Xun with 60,000 men north of the Yellow River, while claiming that Liu's mission was to attack Jin's allies Zhao and Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding, Hebei). made him the military governor of Xuanyi Circuit (宣義, headquartered at Hua Prefecture), stationing him at Liyang (黎陽, in modern Anyang). When Li Cunxu attacked Liyang in spring 917, Liu resisted him, and after several days of attacks, Li Cunxu withdrew.

Restoration, retirement, and death In fall 918, Later Liang's military governor of Taining Circuit, Zhang Wanjin , believing that Jin army was about to attack south of the Yellow River, defected from Later Liang and submitted to Jin. Zhu Zhen sent Liu Xun to attack Zhang. (A slightly different version of the account indicates that Zhang forced Liu to commit suicide. ) Despite this, Zhu Zhen still gave Liu posthumous honors. Liu Xun's concubine Lady Wang later became a favorite consort of Li Siyuan's after Li Siyuan became emperor (as Emperor Mingzong) of Later Tang (which Li Cunxu would found in 923 as its Emperor Zhuangzong), and therefore, Liu Xun's sons Liu Suining and Liu Suiyong continued to gain the Later Tang emperor's favor.

Notes and references

Old History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 23. New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 22. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 258, 263, 264, 265, 267, 269, 270, 271.