Tang Daoxi

Tang Daoxi (唐道襲) (died August 21, 913 ) was an official and general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Former Shu. He was a close associate of Former Shu's founding emperor Wang Jian and held great power during Wang Jian's reign. This brought him into conflict with Wang Jian's son and crown prince Wang Yuanying. In 913, with both he and Wang Yuanying suspecting the other of being ready to launch a mutiny, their forces engaged in a battle at the Former Shu capital Chengdu. He was defeated by Wang Yuanying and killed in battle.

During Tang Dynasty It is not known when Tang Daoxi was born, but it is known that he was from Lang Prefecture (閬州, in modern Nanchong, Sichuan). His father Tang Feng was a merchant. It is not clear when he first became a follower of Wang Jian, but it was said that he was initially a dancer boy for Wang and became favored by Wang for his handsomeness, but later became even more trusted by Wang due to his ability to plan and carry out plots. As of 902, by which time Wang was the military governor (Jiedushi) of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan) and controlled several other nearby circuits, Tang was serving as the commander of Wang's cavalry guards. That year, when Wang Jian became suspicious of his officer and adoptive son Wang Zongdi, it was Tang whom Wang Jian ordered to get Wang Zongdi drunk and then strangle Wang Zongdi. At some point, Tang became the defender (防禦使, Fangyushi) of his home prefecture Lang Prefecture.

During Former Shu In 907, Tang Dynasty's last emperor Emperor Ai was forced to yield the throne to the major warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), ending Tang and starting a new Later Liang with Zhu as its Emperor Taizu. Wang Jian, along with several other regional warlords (Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), and Yang Wo the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu)) refused to recognize the new Later Liang emperor, and Wang Jian and Yang issued a declaration urging the people to rise against Later Liang. However, when they did not receive a positive response from other regional governors, Wang Jian decided to declare himself emperor of a new state of Former Shu. As part of a series of personnel commissions after he declared himself emperor, Wang recalled Tang Daoxi from Lang Prefecture to serve as the director of palace communications (Shumishi). you should entrust the matters of the military to your subject. I urge that you establish a headquarters for the supreme commander, with seals to command the six armies, and put your subject in charge of giving marching orders to the armies. The Crown Prince can attend to your meals in the morning and the evening, while your subject can command the soldiers to protect you. This is important for your eternal realm. May Your Imperial Majesty rule on this.

Wang Jian was incensed, but did not initially publicly express displeasure. When he discussed the matter with Tang, Tang, in order to inflame him more, stated, "Zongji's reputation is so grand such that both people inside and outside the palace fear him. He would be a suitable commander." This caused Wang Jian to be further suspicious of Wang Zongji. Soon thereafter, on an occasion Wang Zongji was in the palace to greet Wang Jian, Wang Zongji spoke arrogantly. When Wang Jian rebuked him, he refused to yield. Wang Jian, in anger, ordered the guards to batter him to death.

In spring 911, angry that Li Maozhen's state of Qi had gathered troops near its borders with Former Shu, Wang Jian decided to launch an attack on Qi. He commissioned his adoptive son Wang Zongkan as the overall commander of the operations, and made Tang one of the three commanders under Wang Zongkan, along with his adoptive sons Wang Zongyou and Wang Zonghe . Meanwhile, in summer 911, Qi forces made an exploratory attack on Xingyuan Municipality , the capital for Shannan West (by this point known simply as Shannan); Tang repelled them. However, in fall 911, Li Maozhen sent the general Liu Zhijun and his nephew Li Jichong to attack Former Shu, engaging the Former Shu force commanded by Wang Zongkan at Qingni Height (青泥嶺, in modern Hanzhong) and defeating them. Tang fled back to Xingyuan, while Wang Zongkan and Wang Zonghe fled to Anyuan Base (安遠軍, in modern Hanzhong). Liu and Li Jichong put Anyuan and Xingyuan under siege, and Tang's staff advised him to abandon Xingyuan. Tang, pointing out that abandoning Xingyuan would cause Anyuan and Li Prefecture (利州, in modern Guangyuan, Sichuan) to fall as well, vowed to defend Xingyuan to his death. Wang Jian, hearing of the defeat at Qingni Height, sent his nephew Wang Zonghui and adoptive son Wang Zongbo to aid Anyuan Base. Subsequently, they, along with Tang, counterattacked and defeated Qi forces. When Wang Jian himself subsequently arrived with a relief force as well, Qi forces withdrew.

In 913, Tang was recalled from Shannan and again assumed the position of director of palace communications. This drew a vehement opposition from Wang Zongyi (who had been renamed Wang Yuanying), who accused him of crimes. Wang Jian was displeased with Wang Yuanying's accusations, but still relieved Tang from his position and made him Taizi Shaobao , a senior advisor to Wang Yuanying.

In fall 913, Wang Jian planned a vacation away from Chengdu for the Qixi Festival (on August 11 that year). The night before (August 10), Wang Yuanying held a feast for the imperial princes and high-level officials, but three invitees — Wang Jian's adoptive son Wang Zonghan the Prince of Ji, and the officials Pan Qiao (who succeeded Tang Daoxi as the director of palace communications) and Mao Wenxi (the chief imperial scholar) — did not attend. Wang Yuanying, in anger, accused Pan and Mao in absentia of alienating his brothers from him. Meanwhile, Wang Yuanying's trusted officers Xu Yao and Chang Qian were gazing at Tang. Tang, in fear, fled from the feast.

The morning next day (August 11, the date of the Qixi Festival), Wang Yuanying went to see his father Wang Jian and accused Pan and Mao of alienating him from his brothers. Wang Jian, believing the accusations, ordered Pan and Mao demoted, making Pan Kang the new director of palace communications. However, after Wang Yuanying then left the palace, Tang arrived, and Tang made the counteraccusation that Wang Yuanying was planning to rebel, and, as part of his planning, was planning to put the princes and the officials under arrest. Wang Jian, with his suspicions aroused, cancelled the Qixi vacation plans. Further, he agreed to Tang's request to mobilize the regular troops to defend the palace (rather than the imperial guards, who were formally under Wang Yuanying's command). Upon hearing that the regular troops had been mobilized, Wang Yuanying mobilized his own Tianwu Army . He arrested Pan Qiao and Mao and almost battered them to death, in addition to arresting Pan Jiao the mayor of Chengdu.

The next day (August 12), Xu, Chang, and Yan Lin , under Wang Yuanying's direction, attacked Tang's forces. Tang initially resisted, but tried to retreat when an arrow hit him. The crown prince's troops then routed his, killing him, and many of the troops under Tang were killed. However, subsequently, the imperial guards defeated Wang Yuanying's troops, and he fled and went into hiding. He was eventually killed in hiding and reduced to commoner rank posthumously, while Tang was posthumously honored Taishi and given the posthumous name Zhongzhuang (忠壯, "faithful and died on the field").

Notes and references

Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms , vol. 46. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 263, 266, 267, 268.