Zhu Youwen

Zhu Youwen (; died 912), né Kang Qin (康勤), courtesy name Deming (德明), formally the Prince of Bo (博王), was an imperial prince of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Later Liang. He was an adoptive son of the founding emperor Emperor Taizu (Zhu Quanzhong) and was considered a potential heir to the throne. However, in 912, his older brother (Emperor Taizu's biological son) Zhu Yougui assassinated Emperor Taizu and had him put to death.

Background It is not known when Kang Qin was born, and it is also not know the exact circumstances under which he became an adoptive son of Zhu Quanzhong's. However, it is said that in his youth, he was handsome, studious, good at speaking, and good at writing poetry. He eventually became an adoptive son of Zhu Quanzhong's and changed his name to Zhu Youwen, apparently before Zhu Quanzhong became the military governor (jiedushi) for four circuits (i.e., in addition to his main territory Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan, the circuits of Xuanyi (宣義, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan), Tianping (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong), and Huguo (護國, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shaanxi) in 901 because, after Zhu Quanzhong became the military governor for the four circuits, he commissioned Zhu Youwen as the overseer for budget matters, as well as for salt and iron monopolies. During Zhu Quanzhong's campaigns to conquer the surrounding circuits, Zhu Youwen collected taxes and managed the finances to supply his army. After Emperor Taizu formally made Luoyang his capital in 903, he also made Kaifeng the eastern capital and Zhu Youwen its defender. It was said that, after this point, Zhu Youwen often spent time in drinking and was not as attentive to his responsibilities as before.

In 911, after Emperor Taizu summoned Zhang Shensi the prefect of Cai Prefecture (蔡州, in modern Zhumadian, Henan) to Luoyang, the Cai Prefecture officer Liu Xingcong mutinied and prepared to lead the soldiers to flee to Later Liang's rival Hongnong. Another officer, Wang Cunyan , killed Zhang and claimed the title of prefect. Zhu Youwen, displeased that Wang was claiming such authority without first receiving imperial commission, sent an army to attack Wang, but when Emperor Taizu heard this, he pointed out that doing so would force Wang into fleeing to Hongnong, and therefore sent messengers to stop Zhu Youwen from attacking Wang. (Emperor Taizu later made Wang the prefect of Cai.) Emperor Taizu also had his chief of staff Jing Xiang issue an order making Zhu Yougui the prefect of Lai Prefecture and decreeing that he report there immediately. This further made Zhu Yougui believe that the next order would be to kill him — for, around that time, it was customary to first exile an official before executing him.

On July 18, Zhu Yougui secretly met with the imperial guard general Han Qing , who was also fearful of Emperor Taizu's frequent executions of senior officials and generals, and therefore agreed to participate in a conspiracy with Zhu Yougui. That night, they took their troops into the palace and assassinated Emperor Taizu, but pretending that Emperor Taizu was still alive, Zhu Yougui sent an order in Emperor Taizu's name, delivered by the palace attendant Ding Zhaopu to Zhu Youzhen, who was then the commander of the imperial guards at Daliang, ordering Zhu Youzhen to kill Zhu Youwen. Zhu Youzhen subsequently carried out the order. Zhu Yougui then blamed the assassination on Zhu Youwen and took the throne. After Zhu Youzhen rose against Zhu Yougui in 913 and took the throne (after Zhu Yougui, believing the situation to be hopeless, committed suicide), he publicly rehabilitated Zhu Youwen and restored Zhu Youwen's titles.

Notes and references

History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 12. New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 13. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 266, 267, 268.