Cheng Rui
Encyclopedia
Cheng Rui (d. June 10, 903), adoptive name Guo Yu (郭禹) (used until ~888), formally the Prince of Shanggu (上谷王), was a warlord late in the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
who ruled Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou
, Hubei
) from 888 to 903, when he was defeated in battle and committed suicide. He was known to be a capable administrator who had a reputation for treating his people well.
, Shandong
). In his youth, he had once killed another person when drunk, and thereafter fled from his home prefecture in order to avoid vengeance. He became a Buddhist monk for a while, but later joined as a soldier under Tang rebel general Qin Zongquan at Cai Prefecture (蔡州, in modern Zhumadian
, Henan
). He was adopted by one of Qin's generals and thereafter changed his name to Guo Yu.
At a later point, Guo Yu left Qin's army and became a bandit in Huomen Mountain (火門山, in modern Tianmen
, Hubei
). He eventually surrendered to Chen Ru
the military governor of Jingnan Circuit and became an officer there.
In 885, Chen was overthrown by Zhang Gui
, who took over the circuit and put Chen under arrest. Zhang was apprehensive of Guo's ferocity and wanted to kill him. When Guo realized this, he took some 1,000 men and fled from Jingnan's capital Jiangling. He attacked and captured Gui Prefecture (歸州, in modern Yichang
, Hubei
), claiming the title of prefect.
In 887, Qin's general Zhao Deyin
attacked and captured Jingnan Circuit, executing Zhang. He left his officer Wang Jianzhao
at Jiangling to defend it. In summer 888, Guo attacked Jiangling and expelled Wang, who fled to Qian Prefecture (黔州, in modern Chongqing
). Then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong
commissioned Guo as acting military governor and later full military governor. At Guo's request, Emperor Zhaozong also allowed him to change his name back Cheng Rui.
the prefect of Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan
, Shaanxi
), and they were referred to in the people's praises as "Han to the north and Guo to the south.") In 892
, Emperor Zhaozong bestowed the honorary chancellor designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事) on him.
and attacked Wang Jianzhao, whom Emperor Zhaozong had made the military governor of Wutai Circuit (武泰, headquartered at Qian Prefecture). He quickly defeated Wang, who abandoned Qian Prefecture and retreated to Fengdu (豐都, in modern Chongqing). Xu subsequently captured Yu (渝州) and Fu (涪州) Prefectures (both in modern Chongqing) as well. However, Cheng made another officer, Zhao Wu (趙武), the acting military governor of Wutai, while only making Xu the prefect of Wan Prefecture (萬州, in modern Chongqing). Later, believing that Xu was planning to rebel, Cheng sent an army to attack him; Xu fled to Chengdu
and submitted to Wang Jian the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu
, Sichuan
).
As the result of the Wutai campaign, Cheng seized control of the Yun'an salt mines (which, in peaceful times, would have been under the control of the imperial government's directorate of salt and iron monopolies). He was therefore able to enrich his circuit and build up an army of 50,000 men. In 897, Emperor Zhaozong bestowed the honorary chancellor title of Shizhong (侍中) on Cheng, and in 899 bestowed the honorary chancellor title of Zhongshu Ling (中書令) on Cheng. Eventually, the imperial government also bestowed him with the titles of acting Taiwei (太尉, one of the Three Excellencies
) and Prince of Shanggu. However, it was said that much of Cheng's excellence in governance was driven by his advisor He Yin (賀隱). He Yin was later replaced by Cheng's father-in-law, who was said to be pernicious and who even falsely accused Cheng's own sons, each of whom was killed by Cheng himself, leading to Cheng's not having any descendants. At some point, Cheng complained to the imperial government that the warlord Lei Man
was occupying Li (澧州) and Lang (朗州) Prefectures (both in modern Changde
, Hunan
), both of which formerly belonged to Jingnan, and requested that those prefectures, which had been made into a separate Wuzhen Circuit (武貞) to accommodate Lei, be returned to Jingnan. The chancellor Xu Yanruo
refused. When Xu was removed from his chancellor position in 900 and made the military governor of Qinghai Circuit (清海, headquartered in modern Guangzhou
, Guangdong
) and went through Jiangling to his post, Cheng held a feast for him but again brought up the Lei matter at the feast. Xu responded that as Cheng viewed himself as comparable to Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin
, he should have taken care of Lei himself rather than complain to the imperial government, and this embarrassed Cheng.
the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
) sent his general Li Shenfu (李神福) to attack Du Hong
the military governor of Wuchang Circuit (武昌, headquartered in modern Wuhan
, Hubei
). Du sought aid from Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
, Henan
), who was then the most powerful warlord in the Tang realm. Zhu sent his officer Han Qing (韓勍) to try to aid Du, but apparently judging his army to be insufficient, also sent emissaries to Cheng, Ma Yin
the military governor of Wu'an Circuit (武安, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan
), and Lei Man's son and successor Lei Yanwei, asking them to save Du. Cheng, who was both apprehensive of Zhu's strength and wanting to expand his own territory, put together a huge fleet of some 10,000 men and headed east on the Yangtze. His secretary Li Ting (李珽), who pointed out that the fleet, while massive, was not maneuverable and would not fight well against the more mobile Huainan fleet, opposed. Li also warned that if Cheng tried to take the fleet to save Du, Ma and Lei would attack. Instead, Li advised that Cheng send a smaller army to Baling (巴陵, in modern Yueyang
, Hunan
) to try to intimidate the Huainan forces into withdrawing, without committing the main fleet. Cheng did not listen to Li.
As Cheng's fleet progressed, Ma's officer Xu Dexun and Lei's officer Ouyang Si (歐陽思) jointly launched a surprise attack on Jiangling, capturing it. They pillaged the city of its population and wealth before withdrawing. When the news of Jiangling's being plundered reached Cheng's fleet, the soldiers, most of whom lost their families and homes, lost their morale. Meanwhile, Li Shenfu, hearing of Cheng's impending arrival, took initiative and attacked Cheng's fleet first. The Jingnan fleet collapsed, and Cheng committed suicide by jumping into the river. In 906, at Zhu's request, Emperor Zhaozong allowed Zhu to build temples dedicated to Cheng and Du (who was, after Cheng's defeat, captured and executed by Yang).
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...
who ruled Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou
Jingzhou
Jingzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. The city is located on the banks of the Yangtze River.Its population is 5,691,707 at the 2010 census whom 1,154,086 in the built up area made of 3 urban districts.-Geography:Jingzhou occupies an area of...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
) from 888 to 903, when he was defeated in battle and committed suicide. He was known to be a capable administrator who had a reputation for treating his people well.
Background
It is not known when Cheng Rui was born, but it is known that he was from Qing Prefecture (青州, in modern WeifangWeifang
Weifang is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Dongying to the northwest, Zibo to the west, Linyi to the southwest, Rizhao to the south, Qingdao to the east, and looks out to the Laizhou Bay to the north.-History:Weifang is a historical city...
, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
). In his youth, he had once killed another person when drunk, and thereafter fled from his home prefecture in order to avoid vengeance. He became a Buddhist monk for a while, but later joined as a soldier under Tang rebel general Qin Zongquan at Cai Prefecture (蔡州, in modern Zhumadian
Zhumadian
Zhumadian is a prefecture-level city in southern Henan province, People's Republic of China. It borders Xinyang to the south, Nanyang to the west, Pingdingshan to the northwest, Luohe to the north, Zhoukou to the northeast, and the province of Anhui to the east.Its population is 7,230,744 at the...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
). He was adopted by one of Qin's generals and thereafter changed his name to Guo Yu.
At a later point, Guo Yu left Qin's army and became a bandit in Huomen Mountain (火門山, in modern Tianmen
Tianmen
Tianmen is a sub-prefecture-level city in central Hubei Province, Central China.It is on the west of Wuhan and east of Jingzhou. Formerly known as Jingling , it was renamed to Tianmen in 1726 during Qing Dynasty....
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
). He eventually surrendered to Chen Ru
Chen Ru
Chen Ru was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who ruled Jingnan Circuit from 882 to 885, most of that time as its military governor...
the military governor of Jingnan Circuit and became an officer there.
In 885, Chen was overthrown by Zhang Gui
Zhang Gui (Tang Dynasty)
Zhang Gui was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who controlled Jingnan Circuit from 885 to 888.- Background :...
, who took over the circuit and put Chen under arrest. Zhang was apprehensive of Guo's ferocity and wanted to kill him. When Guo realized this, he took some 1,000 men and fled from Jingnan's capital Jiangling. He attacked and captured Gui Prefecture (歸州, in modern Yichang
Yichang
Yichang is a prefecture-level city located in Hubei province of the People's Republic of China. It is the second largest city in Hubei province after the province capital, Wuhan. The Three Gorges Dam is located within its administrative area, in Yiling District.-History:In ancient times Yichang...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
), claiming the title of prefect.
In 887, Qin's general Zhao Deyin
Zhao Deyin
Zhao Deyin , formally the Prince of Huai'an , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who initially served as a general under the pretender emperor Qin Zongquan...
attacked and captured Jingnan Circuit, executing Zhang. He left his officer Wang Jianzhao
Wang Jianzhao
Wang Jianzhao was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Jingnan Circuit from 887 to 888, and then Wutai Circuit from 888 to 896, when he surrendered to Wang Jian.- Background and control of Jingnan :Little is known about Wang Jianzhao's background, as there was no...
at Jiangling to defend it. In summer 888, Guo attacked Jiangling and expelled Wang, who fled to Qian Prefecture (黔州, in modern Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
). 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...
commissioned Guo as acting military governor and later full military governor. At Guo's request, Emperor Zhaozong also allowed him to change his name back Cheng Rui.
Early rule
It was said that at that time, after all the warfare and disturbances, there were only 17 households left in the once-prosperous city of Jiangling. Cheng ruled diligently, gathering the refugees back, encouraged them to farm and conduct business. As of a later point of his rule, the city had grown to having 10,000 households. (In this endeavor, he was compared to another warlord, Han JianHan Jian (Tang Dynasty)
Han Jian , courtesy name Zuoshi , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who eventually became a subject of the succeeding Later Liang Dynasty...
the prefect of Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan
Weinan
Weinan is a Municipality in the province of Shaanxi, PRC. The Grand Historian Sima Qian was born in Weinan.-Administration:...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), and they were referred to in the people's praises as "Han to the north and Guo to the south.") In 892
892
Year 892 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Poppo of Thuringia, count of the march in Thuringia, is deposed by the German Carolingian king Arnulf of Carinthia....
, Emperor Zhaozong bestowed the honorary chancellor designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事) on him.
Late rule
In 896, Cheng Rui and his officer Xu Cun (許存) headed upstream (west) on the Yangtze RiverYangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
and attacked Wang Jianzhao, whom Emperor Zhaozong had made the military governor of Wutai Circuit (武泰, headquartered at Qian Prefecture). He quickly defeated Wang, who abandoned Qian Prefecture and retreated to Fengdu (豐都, in modern Chongqing). Xu subsequently captured Yu (渝州) and Fu (涪州) Prefectures (both in modern Chongqing) as well. However, Cheng made another officer, Zhao Wu (趙武), the acting military governor of Wutai, while only making Xu the prefect of Wan Prefecture (萬州, in modern Chongqing). Later, believing that Xu was planning to rebel, Cheng sent an army to attack him; Xu fled to Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
and submitted to Wang Jian the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
).
As the result of the Wutai campaign, Cheng seized control of the Yun'an salt mines (which, in peaceful times, would have been under the control of the imperial government's directorate of salt and iron monopolies). He was therefore able to enrich his circuit and build up an army of 50,000 men. In 897, Emperor Zhaozong bestowed the honorary chancellor title of Shizhong (侍中) on Cheng, and in 899 bestowed the honorary chancellor title of Zhongshu Ling (中書令) on Cheng. Eventually, the imperial government also bestowed him with the titles of acting Taiwei (太尉, one of the Three Excellencies
Three Excellencies
The Three Ducal Ministers , also translated as the Three Dukes, Three Excellencies, or the Three Lords, was the collective name for the three highest officials in ancient China...
) and Prince of Shanggu. However, it was said that much of Cheng's excellence in governance was driven by his advisor He Yin (賀隱). He Yin was later replaced by Cheng's father-in-law, who was said to be pernicious and who even falsely accused Cheng's own sons, each of whom was killed by Cheng himself, leading to Cheng's not having any descendants. At some point, Cheng complained to the imperial government that the warlord Lei Man
Lei Man
Lei Man , courtesy name Bingren , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who seized control of Lang Prefecture in 881 and controlled it and the surrounding region to accommodate him, who was made military governor until his death in 901...
was occupying Li (澧州) and Lang (朗州) Prefectures (both in modern Changde
Changde
Changde is a city in the north of Hunan Province, China, with a population of 5,717,218 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,232,182 in the built up area made of 2 urban districts .-History:...
, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
), both of which formerly belonged to Jingnan, and requested that those prefectures, which had been made into a separate Wuzhen Circuit (武貞) to accommodate Lei, be returned to Jingnan. The chancellor Xu Yanruo
Xu Yanruo
Xu Yanruo , courtesy name Yuzhi , formally the Duke of Qi , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong.- Background and early career :...
refused. When Xu was removed from his chancellor position in 900 and made the military governor of Qinghai Circuit (清海, headquartered in modern Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
) and went through Jiangling to his post, Cheng held a feast for him but again brought up the Lei matter at the feast. Xu responded that as Cheng viewed himself as comparable to Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin
Duke Wen of Jin
Duke Jin Wen led the state of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history from 636 BC to 628 BC. His ancestral name is Ji,clan name is Jin Duke Jin Wen (晋文公) (697 BC - 628 BC) led the state of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period of Chinese history from 636 BC to 628 BC. His ancestral...
, he should have taken care of Lei himself rather than complain to the imperial government, and this embarrassed Cheng.
Defeat and death
In 903, Yang XingmiYang Xingmi
Yang Xingmi , né Yang Xingmin , courtesy name Huayuan , formally Prince Wuzhong of Wu , later posthumously honored King Xiaowu of Wu then Emperor Wu of Wu with the temple name of Taizu , was a military governor of...
the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
) sent his general Li Shenfu (李神福) to attack Du Hong
Du Hong
Du Hong was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Wuchang Circuit from 886 to 905...
the military governor of Wuchang Circuit (武昌, headquartered in modern Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
). Du sought aid from Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
), who was then the most powerful warlord in the Tang realm. Zhu sent his officer Han Qing (韓勍) to try to aid Du, but apparently judging his army to be insufficient, also sent emissaries to Cheng, Ma Yin
Ma Yin
Ma Yin , courtesy name Batu , formally King Wumu of Chu , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who became the first ruler of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Chu and the only one who carried the title of "king." He initially took control of the Changsha region in...
the military governor of Wu'an Circuit (武安, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
), and Lei Man's son and successor Lei Yanwei, asking them to save Du. Cheng, who was both apprehensive of Zhu's strength and wanting to expand his own territory, put together a huge fleet of some 10,000 men and headed east on the Yangtze. His secretary Li Ting (李珽), who pointed out that the fleet, while massive, was not maneuverable and would not fight well against the more mobile Huainan fleet, opposed. Li also warned that if Cheng tried to take the fleet to save Du, Ma and Lei would attack. Instead, Li advised that Cheng send a smaller army to Baling (巴陵, in modern Yueyang
Yueyang
Yueyang is a prefecture-level city at the northeastern corner of Hunan province, South Central China, on the southern shores of Dongting Lake.The Yueyang metropolitan area occupies 14,896 km². and the city proper occupies 304 km²...
, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
) to try to intimidate the Huainan forces into withdrawing, without committing the main fleet. Cheng did not listen to Li.
As Cheng's fleet progressed, Ma's officer Xu Dexun and Lei's officer Ouyang Si (歐陽思) jointly launched a surprise attack on Jiangling, capturing it. They pillaged the city of its population and wealth before withdrawing. When the news of Jiangling's being plundered reached Cheng's fleet, the soldiers, most of whom lost their families and homes, lost their morale. Meanwhile, Li Shenfu, hearing of Cheng's impending arrival, took initiative and attacked Cheng's fleet first. The Jingnan fleet collapsed, and Cheng committed suicide by jumping into the river. In 906, at Zhu's request, Emperor Zhaozong allowed Zhu to build temples dedicated to Cheng and Du (who was, after Cheng's defeat, captured and executed by Yang).