Shi Chonggui

Background Shi Chonggui was born in 914, at the Fenyang Neighborhood of Taiyuan, during the rule of Li Cunxu the Prince of Jin. His father was Shi Jingru , and his mother was Lady An, likely Shi Jingru's wife. Shi Jingru served as a cavalry officer under Li Cunxu, but died early, so Shi Jingru's brother Shi Jingtang, a son-in-law of Li Cunxu's adoptive brother and major general Li Siyuan, adopted Shi Chonggui as a son. During later times when Shi Jingtang served as a military governor (Jiedushi) of a number of circuits during the time of Jin's successor state Later Tang, Shi Jingtang took him to the various circuits and gave him responsibilities. Other than Shi Chonggui, Shi Jingtang had six other sons, five of whom were biological.

After Shi Jingtang received the command of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered at Taiyuan) in 932, late in the reign of Li Siyuan as Later Tang's emperor, he had one Wang Zhen teach Shi Chonggui about the Book of Rites, but Shi Chonggui was unable to understand it, stating to Wang, "This is not relevant to my family's business." (Lady Zhang would pass away sometime before Shi Chonggui eventually became emperor, but it is not otherwise clear when.) As another son of Shi Jingtang's, Shi Chonggao , had died in childhood, all that were left of Shi Jingtang's sons at this point, other than Shi Chonggui, was Shi Chongrui . Both An Chongrong and An Congjin were subsequently defeated; An Chongrong was killed by his subordinates, while An Congjin committed suicide.

In late 944, Liao again made a major invasion, advancing all the way to the Yedu region, but soon withdrew again. Shi decided to have his uncle by marriage, Du Wei (husband of Shi Jingtang's and Shi Jingru's sister), then the military governor of Shunguo Circuit (順國, i.e., formerly Chengde), lead a punitive counterattack, with Li Shouzhen as Du's deputy. They crossed into Liao territory and captured Qi and Tai (both in modern Baoding), but soon received news that the Liao army had turned around and was heading for them. They tried to withdraw, but became surrounded near Yangcheng (陽城, in modern Baoding). Du panicked and was reluctant to engage the Liao army, but at Fu's advocacy, Fu, Zhang Yanze, Yao Yuanfu , and Huangfu Yu , attacked the Liao army fiercely, causing the Liao army to panic and flee. and that Shunguo and Yiwu (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding, Hebei) Circuits be ceded to Liao, and then a peace could be reentered. Shi found the demand insulting, and cut off further negotiations. Believing that the victory at Yangcheng affirmed his empire's military strength, he became increasingly arrogant and extravagant in collecting expensive items and building palace halls, as well as awarding his favored opera performers, despite Sang's attempts to discourage him.

In 946, there were rumors that Zhao Yanshou was planning on defecting to Later Jin. This rumor was believed by Li Song and Feng. They had Du write a letter to Zhao, encouraging him to do so, with the officer Zhao Xingshi , who had previously served under Zhao Yanshou, delivering the letter. Zhao Yanshou wrote back (to try to lead Later Jin forces into a trap), stating, "I have long been in a foreign land, and I want to return to China. Please launch a major army to support me, so that I can pull myself out and return with it." Subsequently, under Emperor Taizong's orders, Liao's prefect of Ying Prefecture (瀛州, in modern Cangzhou, Hebei), Liu Yanzuo , also offered to defect to Later Jin. Shi thus put Du and Li Shouzhen in command of an army to attack north, with the stated objectives being to first recapture the prefectures Shi Jingtang previously ceded to Liao (the Sixteen Prefectures), and then to destroy Liao. (Zhao Ying, however, had reservations, pointing out that Du, despite his honored position, was still often dissatisfied with his station, and therefore suggested to Li Song and Feng that Li Shouzhen be put in command by himself; Zhao Ying's suggestions were not listened to, however.) When Du and Li Shouzhen advanced, though, they were met by a large army that Emperor Taizong personally commanded. The Liao army eventually surrounded the Later Jin army at Zhongdu Bridge (中度橋, in modern Baoding). After Emperor Taizong made the promise to Du to make him emperor if he surrendered, Du and Li Shouzhen surrendered their army. Emperor Taizong then prepared to advance south. With virtually the entire Later Jin army having been given to Du and Li Shouzhen for this northern campaign, Kaifeng was left essentially defenseless, and Shi Chonggui, after initially considering suicide by fire but was stopped by the general Xue Chao , felt compelled to surrender, ending Later Jin. Emperor Taizong subsequently entered Daliang. Shi's surrender petition, as drafted by the imperial scholar Fan Zhi, stated:

Once Shi Chonggui's train entered into Liao proper, they received no further supplies from the Liao army escorting them, such that their attendants and ladies in waiting had to forage fruits and leaves for food. When they reached Jin Prefecture (錦州, in modern Jinzhou, Liaoning), they were forced to bow at the tomb of Emperor Taizong's father Emperor Taizu. Shi Chonggui was so humiliated that he stated in tears, "Xue Chao ruined me!" Empress Feng tried to obtain poison so that they could commit suicide together, but was unable to. Emperor Shizong had Shi's train redirected to Liaoyang (遼陽, in modern Liaoyang, Liaoning) to be settled there. When Shi then submitted a petition to him to congratulate him on his victory, his household again began to be supplied again.

In 948, Emperor Shizong visited Liaoyang, on the way up the mountains for the summer. Shi Chonggui and his household went to pay homage to him. Emperor Shizong comforted Shi Chonggui, but, as Emperor Shizong was leaving Liaoyang, took 15 of Shi Chonggui's eunuchs and 15 of his attending officials, as well as his adoptive son Shi Yanxu . When Emperor Shizong's brother-in-law Xiao Channu indicated that he wanted Shi Chonggui's daughter but Shi Chonggui did not want to surrender her, Emperor Shizong seized her and gave her to Xiao. In the fall, as Emperor Shizong was returning to his capital Linhuang (臨潢, in modern Chifeng, Inner Mongolia), Empress Dowager Li decided to intercept him before he went back to Linhuang, and requested that he resettle their household near a Han city and give them land for agriculture. Emperor Shizong agreed, and sent her back to Chaoyang with Shi Yanxu. He later resettled them at Jian Prefecture (建州, in modern Chaoyang, Liaoning). (Consort Dowager An died on the way from Chaoyang to Jian Prefecture.) The military governor at Jian Prefecture, Zhao Yanhui , yielded his headquarters for them to live in. Shi Chonggui had his followers till the land and establish an agricultural settlement. Soon thereafter, though, Emperor Shizong's cousin Yelü Jing seized Shi Chonggui's favorite concubines Consorts Zhao and Nie and made them his own.

Empress Dowager Li fell ill in 950. There was no physician or medication available at Jian Prefecture, and her conditions grew worse. As she fell extremely ill, she held Shi Chonggui's hands and cursed Du Wei and Du's deputy Li Shouzhen, stating, "Even after I die I will not spare you!" She died shortly after. That was last traditional Chinese historical reference to Shi Chonggui, other than a reference that during Later Zhou's Xiande era (954-962), there were people coming from Liao lands who reported that Shi and Empress Feng were still living in fairly good condition, but that over half of his attendants had escaped or died.

The only things known about the remainder of Shi Chonggui's life came from the discoveries of the tombstones of himself and of Shi Yanxu, which were received by the Chaoyang City Museum in 2000 and 1998 respectively. According to his tombstone, he died in 974, during the reign of Emperor Muzong's successor (Emperor Shizong's son) Emperor Jingzong. The tombstone mentioned that he was buried with Empress Feng, implying that she was no longer alive at the time of his death. Apparently, by the time of his death, he was much honored by the Liao court, with the title of Prince of Jin, and there was official mourning held for him at the court at the time of his death.

Family Biological father Shi Jingru Biological mother Lady An (honored as Consort Dowager 943) Adoptive father Shi Jingtang, biological uncle Adoptive mother Empress Li Wives Lady Zhang, posthumously honored empress 943 Empress Feng (married 942, created 943) Major Concubines Consort Zhao Consort Nie Children One daughter Shi Yanxu , adoptive son, biological grandson of Shi Jingtang's Shi Yanbao , adoptive son, biological grandson of Shi Jingtang's

Notes and references

Old History of the Five Dynasties, vols. 81, 82, 83, 84, 85. New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 9. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 288, 289.