Feng Xingxi
Encyclopedia
Feng Xingxi (d. July 31, 910), courtesy name Zhengchen (正臣), formally Prince Zhongjing of Changle (長樂忠敬王), was a warlord late in the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
who later became a subject of the succeeding Later Liang Dynasty
.
, Hubei
), and that he was known in his home territory for his strategies and his bravery. At one point, he became an officer at Jun Prefecture (均州), which Wudang was part of. In or shortly before 884
, there was an incident where the agrarian rebel leader Sun Xi (孫喜) gathered several thousand people and prepared to attack Jun Prefecture. The prefect Lü Ye (呂燁) was panicking, but Feng reacted by hiding the troops and then personally, without escort, going to see Sun, to state to him:
Sun was pleased and did not suspect Feng. Once Sun crossed the river, the Jun Prefecture soldiers all went to Sun, ostensibly to show respect. The soldiers that Feng had hidden then ambushed Sun, and Feng himself killed Sun and the few followers he had with him. His army, left north of the Han River, collapsed and fled. When Liu Jurong (劉巨容) the military governor (Jiedushi
) of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangyang
, Hubei
), which Jun Prefecture belonged to, reported this to then-reigning Emperor Xizong
, who was then at Chengdu
(the imperial capital Chang'an
having fallen to the agrarian rebel Huang Chao
at that time), Feng was commissioned as the prefect of Jun. Meanwhile, there were bandits to the west of Jun who frequently intercepted the tributes that the eastern circuits were submitting to Emperor Xizong at Chengdu. Feng attacked and killed them, to ensure that the tributes would properly reach Emperor Xizong. At one subsequent point, when Li Maozhen
the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji
, Shaanxi
) sent his adoptive son Li Jizhen (李繼臻) to occupy Jin Prefecture (金州, in modern Ankang
, Shaanxi
), Feng attacked Li Jizhen and took over Jin. The emperor (either Emperor Xizong or his brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong
) thereafter made the defender (防禦使, Fangyushi) of a new Zhaoxin Circuit (昭信) with its capital at Jin Prefecture.
, by which time the powerful eunuch Yang Fugong
(who had helped Emperor Zhaozong become emperor after Emperor Xizong's death in 888) had a fall out with Emperor Zhaozong and started a rebellion against Emperor Zhaozong with his adoptive sons and nephews Yang Shouliang
, Yang Shouzhong (楊守忠), Yang Shouzhen (楊守貞), and Yang Shouhou (楊守厚), Yang Shouliang wanted to try to attack Chang'an (where Emperor Zhaozong was at) through Feng Xingxi's territory, but Feng repelled his attack. (The Yangs were subsequently defeated by Li Maozhen.)
In 898
, the status of Zhaoxin Circuit was upgrade, as Feng was made a military governor.
in 901
, after a plan by Emperor Zhaozong and the chancellor Cui Yin
to slaughter the eunuchs was discovered, the eunuch Han Quanhui
forcibly took Emperor Zhaozong to Li Maozhen's Fengxiang Circuit. Cui summoned the powerful warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
, Henan
) to Chang'an, and Zhu subsequently put Fengxiang's capital Fengxiang Municipality under siege. During the siege, Han sent some 20 eunuchs through Jin Prefecture, intending to have them head to the southeastern circuits to order the military governors there to attack Zhu. By this point, though, Feng (whose circuit had been renamed Rongzhao Circuit (戎昭)) had already sent his deputy military governor Lu Chongju (魯崇矩) to Zhu to submit to him, and when the eunuchs got to Jin Prefecture, Feng executed them and delivered the edicts that Han issued in Emperor Zhaozong's name that the eunuchs were carrying to Zhu.
In 905
, Wang Jian the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu
, Sichuan
) sent his adoptive son Wang Zonghe (王宗賀) to attack Rongzhao, and after Wang Zonghe achieved repeated victories against him, Feng abandoned Jin Prefecture and fled back to Jun Prefecture. Feng's officer Quan Shilang (全師朗) surrendered Jin to Wang Zonghe. (Wang Jian subsequently made Quan the defender of Jin and adopted him, changing his name to Wang Zonglang (王宗朗).) However, later in the year, after Wang Zonglang came to believe that he could not hold Jin, he burned the city and fled to Wang Jian's capital Chengdu. Feng retook it, but, finding it too damaged to serve as headquarters, received permission (probably from Zhu, as Emperor Zhaozong was well within Zhu's control by that point) to move the capital of the circuit to Jun Prefecture. He was also given the title of military governor of Wuding Circuit (武定, headquartered in modern Hanzhong
, Shaanxi
).
In 906
, Rongzhao Circuit was abolished by Zhu's order (as Zhu believed that the people of Jin Prefecture did not like Feng as their governor); its prefectures were merged into Zhongyi Circuit (忠義, i.e., Shannan East). Feng himself was transferred to be the military governor of Kuangguo Circuit (匡國, headquartered in modern Xuchang
, Henan
).
, ending Tang and starting a new Later Liang Dynasty
as its Emperor Taizu, Feng Xingxi continued to serve under Later Liang. When Emperor Taizu was set to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth as an emperor, Feng offered to attend to him during the ceremony, and offered a large amount of tribute; in response, Emperor Taizu treated him with great respect. Emperor Taizu also created him the Prince of Changle.
In 910
, Feng fell gravely ill. Apparently fearing that Feng's soldiers (many of whom previously served under the major Tang rebel Qin Zongquan) or Feng's own family might try to seize control of Kuangguo Circuit, which was very close to the Later Liang capital Kaifeng, Emperor Taizu sent the imperial scholar Li Ting (李珽) to Kuangguo's capital Xu Prefecture to effectively take control of the circuit. Feng transferred his authorities to Li, and soon thereafter died.
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 later became a subject of the succeeding Later Liang Dynasty
Later Liang Dynasty
The Later Liang was one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. It was founded by Zhu Wen, posthumously known as Taizu of Later Liang, after he forced the last emperor of the Tang dynasty to abdicate in his favour...
.
Background
It is not known when Feng Xingxi was born, but it is known that he was from Wudang (武當, in modern ShiyanShiyan
Shiyan is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei province, People's Republic of China.-Geography:The Wudang Mountains run approximately east-west through the territory of the "Prefecture-level city" of Shiyan, crossing several of its county-level divisions...
, 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...
), and that he was known in his home territory for his strategies and his bravery. At one point, he became an officer at Jun Prefecture (均州), which Wudang was part of. In or shortly before 884
884
Year 884 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* March 1 – Diego Rodríguez Porcelos founds and repopulates Burgos....
, there was an incident where the agrarian rebel leader Sun Xi (孫喜) gathered several thousand people and prepared to attack Jun Prefecture. The prefect Lü Ye (呂燁) was panicking, but Feng reacted by hiding the troops and then personally, without escort, going to see Sun, to state to him:
Sun was pleased and did not suspect Feng. Once Sun crossed the river, the Jun Prefecture soldiers all went to Sun, ostensibly to show respect. The soldiers that Feng had hidden then ambushed Sun, and Feng himself killed Sun and the few followers he had with him. His army, left north of the Han River, collapsed and fled. When Liu Jurong (劉巨容) the 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...
) of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangyang
Xiangyang
Xiangzhou District is a district of Xiangyang, Hubei, China. The district itself was formerly known as Xiangyang. It was a city famous for the Siege of Xiangyang by invading forces of the Mongol-founded Yuan 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...
), which Jun Prefecture belonged to, reported this to then-reigning Emperor Xizong
Emperor Xizong of Tang
Emperor Xizong of Tang , né Li Yan , later name changed to Li Xuan , was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 873 to 888. He was the fifth son of his predecessor Emperor Yizong and was the elder brother of his successor Emperor Zhaozong...
, who was then at Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
(the imperial capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
having fallen to the agrarian rebel Huang Chao
Huang Chao
Huang Chao was the leader of the Huang Chao Rebellion , known in mainland China as the Huang Chao Revolution in China that seriously weakened the once mighty Tang Dynasty of China...
at that time), Feng was commissioned as the prefect of Jun. Meanwhile, there were bandits to the west of Jun who frequently intercepted the tributes that the eastern circuits were submitting to Emperor Xizong at Chengdu. Feng attacked and killed them, to ensure that the tributes would properly reach Emperor Xizong. At one subsequent point, when Li Maozhen
Li Maozhen
Li Maozhen , né Song Wentong , courtesy name Zhengchen , formally Prince Zhongjing of Qin , was the only ruler of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Qi...
the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji
Baoji
Baoji is a prefecture-level city in Shaanxi province, China.-Geography:The prefecture-level city of Baoji has a population of 3,716,731 according to the 2010 Chinese census, inhabiting an area of . The city itself has a population of approximately 800,000. Surrounded on three sides by hills,...
, 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...
) sent his adoptive son Li Jizhen (李繼臻) to occupy Jin Prefecture (金州, in modern Ankang
Ankang
Ankang is a city in Shaanxi province, China.- Geography :Ankang is geographically considered to be part of southern China. However, on administrative terms, as Shaanxi is officially part of Northwestern China, it is considered to be part of the Northwest....
, 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...
), Feng attacked Li Jizhen and took over Jin. The emperor (either Emperor Xizong or his brother and successor 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...
) thereafter made the defender (防禦使, Fangyushi) of a new Zhaoxin Circuit (昭信) with its capital at Jin Prefecture.
As warlord in late Tang Dynasty
In 891891
Year 891 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Arnulf of Carinthia defeats the Normans at the Battle of Leuven....
, by which time the powerful eunuch Yang Fugong
Yang Fugong
Yang Fugong , courtesy name Zike , formally the Duke of Wei , was an eunuch official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, playing key roles in the imperial administrations of Emperor Xizong and Emperor Xizong's brother Emperor Zhaozong...
(who had helped Emperor Zhaozong become emperor after Emperor Xizong's death in 888) had a fall out with Emperor Zhaozong and started a rebellion against Emperor Zhaozong with his adoptive sons and nephews Yang Shouliang
Yang Shouliang
Yang Shouliang , né Zi Liang , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Shannan West Circuit from 887 to 892. He was initially an agrarian rebel under Wang Xianzhi, but later came to serve under the imperial eunuch general Yang Fuguang, becoming Yang Fuguang's...
, Yang Shouzhong (楊守忠), Yang Shouzhen (楊守貞), and Yang Shouhou (楊守厚), Yang Shouliang wanted to try to attack Chang'an (where Emperor Zhaozong was at) through Feng Xingxi's territory, but Feng repelled his attack. (The Yangs were subsequently defeated by Li Maozhen.)
In 898
898
Year 898 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* A Magyar army headed by Álmos besieges Kiev.* Magyar tribes found the state of Szekesfehervar in Hungary....
, the status of Zhaoxin Circuit was upgrade, as Feng was made a military governor.
in 901
901
Year 901 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Africa :* Abu 'Abdullah al-Shi'i leads the rebellion of the Kutama Berbers against the Aghlabid emirate in Ifriqiya ....
, after a plan by Emperor Zhaozong and the chancellor Cui Yin
Cui Yin
Cui Yin , courtesy name Chuixiu , nickname Zilang , formally the Duke of Wei , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong...
to slaughter the eunuchs was discovered, the eunuch Han Quanhui
Han Quanhui
Han Quanhui was an eunuch late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. The struggles by the eunuchs, led by him, against the chancellor Cui Yin, who wanted to eliminate the powerful eunuchs, led to the eunuchs' kidnapping of Emperor Zhaozong and then a major military confrontation between two...
forcibly took Emperor Zhaozong to Li Maozhen's Fengxiang Circuit. Cui summoned the powerful warlord 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...
) to Chang'an, and Zhu subsequently put Fengxiang's capital Fengxiang Municipality under siege. During the siege, Han sent some 20 eunuchs through Jin Prefecture, intending to have them head to the southeastern circuits to order the military governors there to attack Zhu. By this point, though, Feng (whose circuit had been renamed Rongzhao Circuit (戎昭)) had already sent his deputy military governor Lu Chongju (魯崇矩) to Zhu to submit to him, and when the eunuchs got to Jin Prefecture, Feng executed them and delivered the edicts that Han issued in Emperor Zhaozong's name that the eunuchs were carrying to Zhu.
In 905
905
Year 905 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Africa :* The Abbasid Caliphate re-establishes control of Egypt from the Tulunids.- Asia :...
, 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...
) sent his adoptive son Wang Zonghe (王宗賀) to attack Rongzhao, and after Wang Zonghe achieved repeated victories against him, Feng abandoned Jin Prefecture and fled back to Jun Prefecture. Feng's officer Quan Shilang (全師朗) surrendered Jin to Wang Zonghe. (Wang Jian subsequently made Quan the defender of Jin and adopted him, changing his name to Wang Zonglang (王宗朗).) However, later in the year, after Wang Zonglang came to believe that he could not hold Jin, he burned the city and fled to Wang Jian's capital Chengdu. Feng retook it, but, finding it too damaged to serve as headquarters, received permission (probably from Zhu, as Emperor Zhaozong was well within Zhu's control by that point) to move the capital of the circuit to Jun Prefecture. He was also given the title of military governor of Wuding Circuit (武定, headquartered in modern Hanzhong
Hanzhong
Hanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...
, 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...
).
In 906
906
Year 906 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Battle of Fritzlar: The Conradines defeat the Babenberg counts to establish themselves as dukes of Franconia. Conrad the Elder is killed in the battle...
, Rongzhao Circuit was abolished by Zhu's order (as Zhu believed that the people of Jin Prefecture did not like Feng as their governor); its prefectures were merged into Zhongyi Circuit (忠義, i.e., Shannan East). Feng himself was transferred to be the military governor of Kuangguo Circuit (匡國, headquartered in modern Xuchang
Xuchang
Xuchang is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest....
, 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...
).
During Later Liang Dynasty
After Zhu Quanzhong seized the throne in 907907
Year 907 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Oleg leads the Kievan Rus' in a campaign against Constantinople ....
, ending Tang and starting a new Later Liang Dynasty
Later Liang Dynasty
The Later Liang was one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. It was founded by Zhu Wen, posthumously known as Taizu of Later Liang, after he forced the last emperor of the Tang dynasty to abdicate in his favour...
as its Emperor Taizu, Feng Xingxi continued to serve under Later Liang. When Emperor Taizu was set to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth as an emperor, Feng offered to attend to him during the ceremony, and offered a large amount of tribute; in response, Emperor Taizu treated him with great respect. Emperor Taizu also created him the Prince of Changle.
In 910
910
Year 910 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* August 5 – The allied forces of Mercia and Wessex defeat an army of Northumbrian Vikings in the Battle of Tettenhall...
, Feng fell gravely ill. Apparently fearing that Feng's soldiers (many of whom previously served under the major Tang rebel Qin Zongquan) or Feng's own family might try to seize control of Kuangguo Circuit, which was very close to the Later Liang capital Kaifeng, Emperor Taizu sent the imperial scholar Li Ting (李珽) to Kuangguo's capital Xu Prefecture to effectively take control of the circuit. Feng transferred his authorities to Li, and soon thereafter died.