Zhao Kuangning

Zhao Kuangning (趙匡凝), courtesy name Guangyi (光儀), formally the Prince of Chu (楚王), was a warlord late in the Chinese Tang dynasty, who ruled Zhongyi Circuit (忠義, headquartered in modern Xiangyang, Hubei) as its military governor (jiedushi) from 892 until his defeat in 905 by Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan).

Background It is not known when Zhao Kuangning was born. His father Zhao Deyin had been a general under Qin Zongquan, who was a Tang military governor of Fengguo Circuit (奉國, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan) but who later submitted to the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao and Huang's state of Qi, and, after Huang's defeat, had declared himself emperor of a new state. As part of Zhao Deyin's service under Qin, he captured Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, the later Zhongyi Circuit). Later, knowing that Qin was on the verge of defeat, he submitted to Tang and allied himself with Zhu Quanzhong the Tang military governor of Xuanwu Circuit. At Zhu's recommendation, Zhao Deyin was allowed to remain as military governor of the circuit, which was then renamed Zhongyi. He later participated in the campaigns that led to Qin's destruction.

While Zhao Deyin was the military governor of Zhongyi, Zhao Kuangning was made the prefect of one of Zhongyi's prefectures, Tang Prefecture (唐州, in modern Nanyang, Henan). Zhao Kuangning declared himself the acting military governor of Zhongyi. Then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong subsequently commissioned him as the full military governor. Zhao secretly entered into an alliance with Yang, Cui Hong the military governor of Fengguo, and Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), against Zhu Quanzhong. Zhu discovered this when Zhao's officer Du Zhen (度軫) defected to Zhu and revealed the alliance. Zhu wrote Zhao to rebuke him,

In 904, Zhao sent an army to head upstream on the Yangtze River to attack Kui Prefecture (夔州, in modern Chongqing), then belonging to Wang Jian the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan). His attack was repelled by Wang's adoptive son Wang Zongruan (王宗阮), and Wang's general Zhang Wu (張武) subsequently built a large iron chain across the Yangtze, apparently to ward off another attack by Zhao. Also in 904, Emperor Zhaozong, who had by that point been forcibly moved by Zhu from the imperial capital Chang'an to Luoyang, created Zhao the Prince of Chu. Zhu thus sent his general Yang Shihou to attack Zhao Kuangning, and then followed Yang himself with a larger army. After Yang defeated Zhao on the banks of the Han River, Zhao set fire to his capital Xiang Prefecture (襄州) and fled to Yang Xingmi's domain. (His brother Zhao Kuangming also subsequently abandoned Jiangling and fled to Wang's domain.)

After defeat When Zhao Kuangning reached Huainan's capital Yang Prefecture (揚州), Yang Xingmi welcomed him, but joked with him, stating, "When you were at your circuit, you yearly delivered gold and silk to Zhu Quanzhong. Is it that now that you come to me only after defeat?" Zhao responded:

Yang treated him with great respect, as a result. After Yang died later in the year, it was said that Yang's son and successor Yang Wo did not pay as much respect to Zhao. At a feast, Yang Wo happened to be eating quite a bit of green Chinese plums. Zhao commented, "Do not overeat, or otherwise you will get pediatric fevers." The other officers, hearing this, considered Zhao disrespectful. He was thereafter moved to Hailing (海陵, in modern Taizhou, Jiangsu), and was later executed by Yang Wo's officer Xu Wen.

Notes and references

New Book of Tang, vol. 186. History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 17. New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 41. Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms (十國春秋), vol. 8. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 259, 261, 264, 265.