Luo Hongxin
Encyclopedia
Luo Hongxin (836-898), courtesy name Defu (德孚), formally Prince Zhuangsu of Beiping (北平莊肅王), was a warlord in the late Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
, who controlled Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan
, Hebei
) as its military governor (Jiedushi
) after seizing control in 888 after taking advantage of the soldiers' discontent with the prior military governor Le Yanzhen
and Le's son Le Congxun (樂從訓). He started a three-generation control by his family over Weibo (with his son Luo Shaowei and grandson Luo Zhouhan), spanning into the post-Tang Later Liang Dynasty
.
and Le Yanzhen
.
, a tension had developed between the elite headquarter guard corps and Le Yanzhen, over attempts by Le Yanzhen's son Le Congxun to recruit troops to replace the critical role that the headquarter guards played in Weibo's military. At one point, Le Congxun became so fearful of the headquarter guards that he fled from Wei Prefecture; Le Yanzhen subsequently made him the prefect of nearby Xiang Prefecture (in modern Handan) and allowed him to retrieve armors and weapons from Wei Prefecture to equip his own army, which made the headquarter guards even more apprehensive.
Le Yanzhen, sensing the tension and fearing that the headquarter guards were about to mutiny, tried to avoid the mutiny by resigning and becoming a Buddhist monk. The headquarter guards supported the officer Zhao Wenbian (趙文㺹) as acting military governor. Le Congxun, however, had amassed 30,000 troops by this point and tried to contest this succession by marching on Wei Prefecture. Zhao refused to engage Le Congxun in battle, and the soldiers killed him. With there having been a rumor spread around that a god had foretold that Luo would be the new military governor, Luo stepped forward to take the leadership role. He engaged Le Congxun and defeated Le Congxun. Le Congxun withdrew to Neihuang (內黃, in modern Anyang
, Henan
). Luo put Neihuang under siege.
Le Yanzhen and nearby warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
, Henan
) had been friendly with each other, however, and during the disturbance the Weibo soldiers killed Zhu's emissary Lei Ye (雷鄴). Le Congxun thus sought aid from Zhu. Zhu sent his officer Zhu Zhen (朱珍) north, capturing three Weibo cities and advancing to Neihuang, where he initially defeated Weibo forces. However, when Le Congxun subsequently tried to fight out of the siege, Luo's officer Cheng Gongxin (程公信) attacked and killed him. Subsequently, Le Yanzhen was also executed, and both his head and his son's were publicly displayed on the gate to the Weibo camp. Luo subsequently sent messengers to apologize to Zhu Quanzhong and offer him gifts, so Zhu Quanzhong withdrew his forces, allowing Luo to take over Weibo without further opposition. Then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong
issued an edict making Luo acting military governor.
) and chancellor (同中書門下平章事, Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi).
At that time, Luo's Weibo Circuit sat between the regions of control by the major warlords Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
, Henan
) and Li Keyong
the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
, Shanxi
), who had a heated rivalry with each other. Luo appeared to initially try to stay out of the fray in the rivalry between Zhu and Li. For example, in 889, when Li attacked Meng Fangli
the military governor of the eastern half of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義), who was then at Xing Prefecture (邢州, in modern Xingtai
, Hebei
), causing Meng to commit suicide in distress, Meng's brother and temporary successor Meng Qian (孟遷) sought aid from Zhu. When Zhu sought permission to send relief troops through Weibo territory, however, Luo denied permission, causing Zhu to be able to send only a small contingent to aid Meng Qian; Meng Qian eventually was forced to surrender to Li. However, in 890, after Luo again denied Zhu permission to mount an offensive against Hedong through his territory, Zhu attacked Weibo, and after five defeats at Zhu's hand in spring 891
, Luo sued for peace, and thereafter he was submissive to Zhu.
the military governor of Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an
, Shandong
) and Zhu Xuan's cousin Zhu Jin
the military governor of Taining Circuit (泰寧, headquartered in modern Jining
, Shandong
) were under Xuanwu attack and sought aid from Li, Li obtained permission from Luo to send relief troops through Weibo (commanded by his officer An Fushun (安福順)) and again did so in 895
(commanded by his officers Li Chengsi (李承嗣) and Shi Yan (史儼)).
In 896, Li Keyong again sent relief troops for Tianping and Taining through Weibo, commanded by his adoptive son Li Cunxin (李存信), initially with Luo's permission. However, Zhu Quanzhong wrote Luo to warn him that Li Keyong had the ambition of ruling all of the territory north of the Yellow River
and that he believed that Li Cunxin was intending an attack once the Tianping/Taining campaign was over. Further, Li Cunxin aggravated Luo by pillaging Weibo's countryside. Luo, in anger, ambushed Li Cunxin's troops in the night, forcing him to flee. (This was considered the turning point in Zhu Quanzhong's campaign against Zhu Xuan and Zhu Jin, as from this point Li Keyong was no longer able to aid Zhu Xuan and Zhu Jin through Weibo territory. Zhu Quanzhong further cemented his relationship with Luo by respectfully referring to Luo, as if he were an older brother.)
Later in 896, Li Keyong launched a major attack on Weibo and was initially successful in defeating Weibo troops and reaching Wei Prefecture. However, Zhu Quanzhong sent his general Ge Congzhou
to aid Weibo, and defeated Li Keyong in battle, capturing Li Keyong's son Li Luoluo (李落落) and nearly capturing Li Keyong himself. When Li Keyong sought to ransom Li Luoluo from Zhu Quanzhong, Zhu Quanzhong instead gave Li Luoluo to Luo and had Luo execute Li Luoluo, to further complete the break between Weibo and Hedong. After Li Luoluo's death, Li Keyong withdrew. Another subsequent attack by Li Keyong in winter 896 also ended in failure, with Luo aided by Zhu Quanzhong, and Li Keyong ended all attempts to go through Weibo territory after Tianping and Taining fell to Xuanwu troops in spring 897.
In 898, Zhu Quanzhong, with aid from Weibo, attacked the three prefectures of Zhaoyi Circuit east of the Taihang Mountains
that Li Keyong still held. The Xuanwu/Weibo troops quickly achieved victory and captured those prefectures, removing Li Keyong's remaining military presence east of the Taihang. At some point, Luo was created the Prince of Linqing.
Later in 898, Luo died. The Weibo soldiers supported his son Luo Shaowei as acting military governor, and this was later confirmed by Emperor Zhaozong. Luo Hongxin was posthumously honored and created the Prince of Beiping.
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 controlled Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwestern part of Hebei Province of China.- History :Handan was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period , after the capital moved from Zhongmu. The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of...
, 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...
) 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...
) after seizing control in 888 after taking advantage of the soldiers' discontent with the prior military governor Le Yanzhen
Le Yanzhen
Le Yanzhen , né Le Xingda , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who ruled Weibo Circuit as its military governor from 883 to 888.- Background :...
and Le's son Le Congxun (樂從訓). He started a three-generation control by his family over Weibo (with his son Luo Shaowei and grandson Luo Zhouhan), spanning into the post-Tang 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
Luo Hongxin was from Guixiang (貴鄉), one of the two counties making up the main city of Weibo Circuit's capital Wei Prefecture (魏州). His great-grandfather Luo Xiu (羅秀), grandfather Luo Zhen (羅珍), and father Luo Rang (羅讓) all served as officers at Weibo Circuit. Luo Hongxin himself did so as well from his youth, and he successively served under the military governors Han JianHan Jian (Weibo)
Han Jian , formally the Prince of Changli or Prince of Wei Commandery , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Weibo Circuit...
and Le Yanzhen
Le Yanzhen
Le Yanzhen , né Le Xingda , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who ruled Weibo Circuit as its military governor from 883 to 888.- Background :...
.
Takeover of Weibo Circuit
As of spring 888888
Year 888 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* January 13 – With the death of Charles the Fat, the Frankish kingdom is split again, and this time permanently...
, a tension had developed between the elite headquarter guard corps and Le Yanzhen, over attempts by Le Yanzhen's son Le Congxun to recruit troops to replace the critical role that the headquarter guards played in Weibo's military. At one point, Le Congxun became so fearful of the headquarter guards that he fled from Wei Prefecture; Le Yanzhen subsequently made him the prefect of nearby Xiang Prefecture (in modern Handan) and allowed him to retrieve armors and weapons from Wei Prefecture to equip his own army, which made the headquarter guards even more apprehensive.
Le Yanzhen, sensing the tension and fearing that the headquarter guards were about to mutiny, tried to avoid the mutiny by resigning and becoming a Buddhist monk. The headquarter guards supported the officer Zhao Wenbian (趙文㺹) as acting military governor. Le Congxun, however, had amassed 30,000 troops by this point and tried to contest this succession by marching on Wei Prefecture. Zhao refused to engage Le Congxun in battle, and the soldiers killed him. With there having been a rumor spread around that a god had foretold that Luo would be the new military governor, Luo stepped forward to take the leadership role. He engaged Le Congxun and defeated Le Congxun. Le Congxun withdrew to Neihuang (內黃, in modern Anyang
Anyang
Anyang is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, People's Republic of China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi and Hebei to its west and north respectively....
, 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...
). Luo put Neihuang under siege.
Le Yanzhen and nearby 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...
) had been friendly with each other, however, and during the disturbance the Weibo soldiers killed Zhu's emissary Lei Ye (雷鄴). Le Congxun thus sought aid from Zhu. Zhu sent his officer Zhu Zhen (朱珍) north, capturing three Weibo cities and advancing to Neihuang, where he initially defeated Weibo forces. However, when Le Congxun subsequently tried to fight out of the siege, Luo's officer Cheng Gongxin (程公信) attacked and killed him. Subsequently, Le Yanzhen was also executed, and both his head and his son's were publicly displayed on the gate to the Weibo camp. Luo subsequently sent messengers to apologize to Zhu Quanzhong and offer him gifts, so Zhu Quanzhong withdrew his forces, allowing Luo to take over Weibo without further opposition. 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...
issued an edict making Luo acting military governor.
Early rule
Later in 888, Emperor Zhaozong made Luo Hongxin full military governor of Weibo, and created him the Duke of Yuzhang in 889. Emperor Zhaozong also bestowed on him the honorary titles of acting Sikong (司空, one of the Three ExcellenciesThree 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 chancellor (同中書門下平章事, Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi).
At that time, Luo's Weibo Circuit sat between the regions of control by the major warlords 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...
) and 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....
), who had a heated rivalry with each other. Luo appeared to initially try to stay out of the fray in the rivalry between Zhu and Li. For example, in 889, when Li attacked Meng Fangli
Meng Fangli
Meng Fangli was a warlord in the late Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who, from 881 to 889, controlled all or part of Zhaoyi Circuit — the headquarters of which he moved from Lu Prefecture to his home Xing Prefecture — as its military governor...
the military governor of the eastern half of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義), who was then at Xing Prefecture (邢州, in modern Xingtai
Xingtai
Xingtai is a city in southern Hebei province, North China. The prefecture-level city of Xingtai, with a total area of , administers 2 districts, 2 county-level cities and 15 counties. In 2004 it had an urban population of 561,400 and a total population of 6.73 million...
, 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...
), causing Meng to commit suicide in distress, Meng's brother and temporary successor Meng Qian (孟遷) sought aid from Zhu. When Zhu sought permission to send relief troops through Weibo territory, however, Luo denied permission, causing Zhu to be able to send only a small contingent to aid Meng Qian; Meng Qian eventually was forced to surrender to Li. However, in 890, after Luo again denied Zhu permission to mount an offensive against Hedong through his territory, Zhu attacked Weibo, and after five defeats at Zhu's hand in spring 891
891
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....
, Luo sued for peace, and thereafter he was submissive to Zhu.
Late rule
However, Luo Hongxin, even though he submitted to Xuanwu, did not break off his relations with Hedong initially. For example, in 894, when Li Keyong's allies Zhu XuanZhu Xuan
Zhu Xuan was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who, from 882 to 897, controlled Tianping Circuit as its military governor...
the military governor of Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an
Tai'an
Tai'an is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People's Republic of China.Centered around Mount Tai, the city borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Laiwu to the northeast, Zibo to the east, Linyi to the southeast, Liaocheng to the extreme west and Jining to the south...
, 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...
) and Zhu Xuan's cousin Zhu Jin
Zhu Jin
Zhu Jin was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who would later be a major general of the Wu state during the subsequent Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period...
the military governor of Taining Circuit (泰寧, headquartered in modern Jining
Jining
Jining is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Heze to the southwest, Zaozhuang to the southeast, Tai'an to the northeast, and the provinces of Henan and Jiangsu to the northwest and south respectively...
, 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...
) were under Xuanwu attack and sought aid from Li, Li obtained permission from Luo to send relief troops through Weibo (commanded by his officer An Fushun (安福順)) and again did so in 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...
(commanded by his officers Li Chengsi (李承嗣) and Shi Yan (史儼)).
In 896, Li Keyong again sent relief troops for Tianping and Taining through Weibo, commanded by his adoptive son Li Cunxin (李存信), initially with Luo's permission. However, Zhu Quanzhong wrote Luo to warn him that Li Keyong had the ambition of ruling all of the territory north of the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
and that he believed that Li Cunxin was intending an attack once the Tianping/Taining campaign was over. Further, Li Cunxin aggravated Luo by pillaging Weibo's countryside. Luo, in anger, ambushed Li Cunxin's troops in the night, forcing him to flee. (This was considered the turning point in Zhu Quanzhong's campaign against Zhu Xuan and Zhu Jin, as from this point Li Keyong was no longer able to aid Zhu Xuan and Zhu Jin through Weibo territory. Zhu Quanzhong further cemented his relationship with Luo by respectfully referring to Luo, as if he were an older brother.)
Later in 896, Li Keyong launched a major attack on Weibo and was initially successful in defeating Weibo troops and reaching Wei Prefecture. However, Zhu Quanzhong sent his general Ge Congzhou
Ge Congzhou
Ge Congzhou , courtesy name Tongmei , formally the Prince of Chenliu , was a general serving under Emperor Taizu of Later Liang while Zhu Quanzhong was a warlord late in the Tang Dynasty...
to aid Weibo, and defeated Li Keyong in battle, capturing Li Keyong's son Li Luoluo (李落落) and nearly capturing Li Keyong himself. When Li Keyong sought to ransom Li Luoluo from Zhu Quanzhong, Zhu Quanzhong instead gave Li Luoluo to Luo and had Luo execute Li Luoluo, to further complete the break between Weibo and Hedong. After Li Luoluo's death, Li Keyong withdrew. Another subsequent attack by Li Keyong in winter 896 also ended in failure, with Luo aided by Zhu Quanzhong, and Li Keyong ended all attempts to go through Weibo territory after Tianping and Taining fell to Xuanwu troops in spring 897.
In 898, Zhu Quanzhong, with aid from Weibo, attacked the three prefectures of Zhaoyi Circuit east of the Taihang Mountains
Taihang Mountains
The Taihang Mountains are a Chinese mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Henan, Shanxi and Hebei provinces. The range extends over 400 km from north to south and has an average elevation of 1,500 to 2,000 meters. The principal peak is Xiao Wutaishan...
that Li Keyong still held. The Xuanwu/Weibo troops quickly achieved victory and captured those prefectures, removing Li Keyong's remaining military presence east of the Taihang. At some point, Luo was created the Prince of Linqing.
Later in 898, Luo died. The Weibo soldiers supported his son Luo Shaowei as acting military governor, and this was later confirmed by Emperor Zhaozong. Luo Hongxin was posthumously honored and created the Prince of Beiping.