Li Kuangchou
Encyclopedia
Li Kuangchou (d. January 25, 895?) was a warlord late in the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
, ruling Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing
) from 893
, when he overthrew his older brother Li Kuangwei
, to his own defeat in late 894
/early 895
, as its military governor (Jiedushi
).
. His father Li Quanzhong
had overthrown then-military governor of Lulong, Li Keju
, in 885
and taken over as military governor; after Li Quanzhong's death in 886
, Li Kuangchou's older brother Li Kuangwei
took over the circuit and was then made military governor.
Not much is known about Li Kuangchou's activities during Li Kuangwei's governance, but it is known that he married a Lady Zhang, who was said to be of extremely rare beauty. In 893
, as Li Keyong
the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
, Shanxi
) was attacking Li Kuangwei's ally Wang Rong
the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang
, Hebei
), Li Kuangwei prepared to lead his army to aid Wang. At a feast that family members held for him to send him off, Li Kuangwei, while drunk, raped Lady Zhang, causing resentment by Li Kuangchou. As Li Kuangwei's army was returning from Chengde after being successful in forcing Li Keyong's withdrawal, Li Kuangchou took over the circuit headquarters, claimed the title of acting military governor, and issued orders for soldiers to report back to the headquarters. Li Kuangwei's soldiers largely abandoned him and fled to Li Kuangchou, allowing Li Kuangchou to take over without further military action by Li Kuangwei. (Li Kuangwei then remarked that Li Kuangchou lacked talent and, while he was not mourning because the control of the circuit remained in the family, he would be surprised if Li Kuangchou could hold on to the circuit for even two years.)
Subsequently, Wang welcomed Li Kuangwei to Chengde Circuit and, out of gratitude, honored him like a father (as Wang was himself only 19-years-old), but Li Kuangwei then tried to seize the circuit from Wang, and was killed by soldiers loyal to Wang. Hearing of Li Kuangwei's death, Li Kuangchou submitted a petition to then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong
, requesting permission to attack Chengde to avenge Li Kuangwei; Emperor Zhaozong refused to grant such permission. Meanwhile, the officer Liu Rengong
, whose soldiers had long been stationed at Wei Prefecture (蔚州, in modern Zhangjiakou
, Hebei
) and who had wanted to return to You Prefecture (幽州, i.e., Fanyang), led his soldiers to attack Li Kuangchou. Li Kuangchou's army, however, defeated Liu's at Juyong Pass, and Liu fled to Li Keyong's Hedong Circuit. Later in the year, even without Emperor Zhaozong's authorization, Li Kuangchou attacked Chengde cities Leshou (樂壽, in modern Cangzhou
, Hebei
) and Wuqiang (武強, in modern Hengshui
, Hebei
), ostensibly to avenge Li Kuangwei. In spring 894
, Emperor Zhaozong officially commissioned him as military governor.
, submitted a request for Li Keyong to give him 10,000 men so that he could capture Lulong. Li Keyong agreed with the plan, but initially only had a few thousand men to give Liu. The initial attacks therefore failed. This led to Li Kuangchou's misjudging of the situation and believing that he could defeat Hedong forces, so he made frequent incursions into Hedong territory. In anger, Li Keyong himself commanded a major attack against Lulong in winter 894. He quickly captured Wu Prefecture (武州, in modern Zhangjiakou) and put Xin Prefecture (新洲, in modern Zhangjiakou as well) under siege. After a relief force Li Kuangchou sent was defeated by Li Keyong at nearby Duanzhuang (段莊), Xin Prefecture surrendered to Li Keyong. Another army of Li Kuangchou's was then defeated by Li Keyong and his adoptive son Li Cunshen
. Li Kuangchou took his family members and fled to Cang Prefecture (滄州, in modern Cangzhou), the capital of neighboring Yichang Circuit (義昌). Yichang's military governor Lu Yanwei
, however, was enticed by the wealth and concubines that Li Kuangchou was bringing with him, so he sent an army to ambush Li Kuangchou, killing him and taking the others in his party captive. You Prefecture then surrendered to Li Keyong, who gave control of the circuit to Liu Rengong. (Lady Zhang, who was then nursing an infant, was unable to flee. Liu captured her and gave her to Li Keyong, who took her as a concubine; she later became his favorite.)
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, ruling Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
) from 893
893
Year 893 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Council of Preslav: Simeon I succeeds Vladimir as prince of Bulgaria; the capital is moved from Pliska to Preslav....
, when he overthrew his older brother Li Kuangwei
Li Kuangwei
Li Kuangwei was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Lulong Circuit after inherited it from his father Li Quanzhong in 886, until he was overthrown by his brother Li Kuangchou in 893...
, to his own defeat in late 894
894
Year 894 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Northumbrians and East Angles swear allegiance to Alfred the Great, but promptly break their truce by attacking the south-west of England.* Mojmír II becomes King of Great Moravia after the death of his father...
/early 895
895
Year 895 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The seven tribes of the Magyars settle in the Carpathian Basin under the leadership of Árpád...
, as its military governor (Jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
).
Background and takeover of Lulong Circuit
It is not known when Li Kuangchou was born, but it is known that his family was from Lulong Circuit's capital FanyangFanyang
Yanjing for administrative purposes was an ancient city and capital of the State of Yan in northern China. It was located in modern Beijing.- History :...
. His father Li Quanzhong
Li Quanzhong
Li Quanzhong was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Lulong Circuit from 885, when he overthrew the prior military governor Li Keju, to his death in 886...
had overthrown then-military governor of Lulong, Li Keju
Li Keju
Li Keju was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Lulong Circuit from 876 to 885.- Background :...
, in 885
885
Year 885 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The Vikings besiege Paris.* Godfrith, the Sea King is killed in Lobith...
and taken over as military governor; after Li Quanzhong's death in 886
886
Year 886 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :...
, Li Kuangchou's older brother Li Kuangwei
Li Kuangwei
Li Kuangwei was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Lulong Circuit after inherited it from his father Li Quanzhong in 886, until he was overthrown by his brother Li Kuangchou in 893...
took over the circuit and was then made military governor.
Not much is known about Li Kuangchou's activities during Li Kuangwei's governance, but it is known that he married a Lady Zhang, who was said to be of extremely rare beauty. In 893
893
Year 893 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Council of Preslav: Simeon I succeeds Vladimir as prince of Bulgaria; the capital is moved from Pliska to Preslav....
, as Li Keyong
Li Keyong
Li Keyong was a Shatuo military governor during the late Tang Dynasty and was key to developing a base of power for the Shatuo in what is today Shanxi Province in China...
the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
) was attacking Li Kuangwei's ally Wang Rong
Wang Rong
Wang Rong , style name Junchong , was a politician of the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history.Wang Rong served under Jin as the 3rd East General. Wang Rong participated during the final conquest of Eastern Wu, where he led his army as far as to that of Wuchang...
the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang is the capital and largest city of North China's Hebei province. Administratively a prefecture-level city, it is about south of Beijing...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
), Li Kuangwei prepared to lead his army to aid Wang. At a feast that family members held for him to send him off, Li Kuangwei, while drunk, raped Lady Zhang, causing resentment by Li Kuangchou. As Li Kuangwei's army was returning from Chengde after being successful in forcing Li Keyong's withdrawal, Li Kuangchou took over the circuit headquarters, claimed the title of acting military governor, and issued orders for soldiers to report back to the headquarters. Li Kuangwei's soldiers largely abandoned him and fled to Li Kuangchou, allowing Li Kuangchou to take over without further military action by Li Kuangwei. (Li Kuangwei then remarked that Li Kuangchou lacked talent and, while he was not mourning because the control of the circuit remained in the family, he would be surprised if Li Kuangchou could hold on to the circuit for even two years.)
Subsequently, Wang welcomed Li Kuangwei to Chengde Circuit and, out of gratitude, honored him like a father (as Wang was himself only 19-years-old), but Li Kuangwei then tried to seize the circuit from Wang, and was killed by soldiers loyal to Wang. Hearing of Li Kuangwei's death, Li Kuangchou submitted a petition to then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong
Emperor Zhaozong of Tang
Emperor Zhaozong of Tang , né Li Jie , name later changed to Li Min , yet later name changed to Li Ye , was the penultimate emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 888 to 904...
, requesting permission to attack Chengde to avenge Li Kuangwei; Emperor Zhaozong refused to grant such permission. Meanwhile, the officer Liu Rengong
Liu Rengong
Liu Rengong was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who controlled Lulong Circuit from 895 to 907...
, whose soldiers had long been stationed at Wei Prefecture (蔚州, in modern Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou, also known also by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province of North China, adjacent to Beijing to the southeast. Its administrative area has a population of 4.35 million, and covers...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
) and who had wanted to return to You Prefecture (幽州, i.e., Fanyang), led his soldiers to attack Li Kuangchou. Li Kuangchou's army, however, defeated Liu's at Juyong Pass, and Liu fled to Li Keyong's Hedong Circuit. Later in the year, even without Emperor Zhaozong's authorization, Li Kuangchou attacked Chengde cities Leshou (樂壽, in modern Cangzhou
Cangzhou
Cangzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. Cangzhou's urban center has a population of approximately 514,074 at the 2010 census which correspond to the built up area), while the prefecture-level administrative region in total has a population of 7,134,053...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
) and Wuqiang (武強, in modern Hengshui
Hengshui
Hengshui is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, China. It has an urban population of 460,240 in the built up area and a population of 4,340,373 at the 2010 census in its administrative area...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
), ostensibly to avenge Li Kuangwei. In spring 894
894
Year 894 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Northumbrians and East Angles swear allegiance to Alfred the Great, but promptly break their truce by attacking the south-west of England.* Mojmír II becomes King of Great Moravia after the death of his father...
, Emperor Zhaozong officially commissioned him as military governor.
Defeat and death
After Liu Rengong's arrival in Hedong, he was treated kindly by Li Keyong. Liu then, through Li Keyong's chief strategist Gai YuGai Yu
Gai Yu , formally the Duke of Chengyang , was a key strategist of Li Keyong, a major warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty.- Background :...
, submitted a request for Li Keyong to give him 10,000 men so that he could capture Lulong. Li Keyong agreed with the plan, but initially only had a few thousand men to give Liu. The initial attacks therefore failed. This led to Li Kuangchou's misjudging of the situation and believing that he could defeat Hedong forces, so he made frequent incursions into Hedong territory. In anger, Li Keyong himself commanded a major attack against Lulong in winter 894. He quickly captured Wu Prefecture (武州, in modern Zhangjiakou) and put Xin Prefecture (新洲, in modern Zhangjiakou as well) under siege. After a relief force Li Kuangchou sent was defeated by Li Keyong at nearby Duanzhuang (段莊), Xin Prefecture surrendered to Li Keyong. Another army of Li Kuangchou's was then defeated by Li Keyong and his adoptive son Li Cunshen
Li Cunshen
Li Cunshen , né Fu Cun , often referred to in historical sources as Fu Cunshen , courtesy name Dexiang , was a major general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period dynasty Later Tang Dynasty and Later Tang's predecessor state Jin...
. Li Kuangchou took his family members and fled to Cang Prefecture (滄州, in modern Cangzhou), the capital of neighboring Yichang Circuit (義昌). Yichang's military governor Lu Yanwei
Lu Yanwei
Lu Yanwei was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Yichang Circuit from 885 to 898, most of that time as its military governor ....
, however, was enticed by the wealth and concubines that Li Kuangchou was bringing with him, so he sent an army to ambush Li Kuangchou, killing him and taking the others in his party captive. You Prefecture then surrendered to Li Keyong, who gave control of the circuit to Liu Rengong. (Lady Zhang, who was then nursing an infant, was unable to flee. Liu captured her and gave her to Li Keyong, who took her as a concubine; she later became his favorite.)