Shang Rang
Encyclopedia
Shang Rang was a major follower of Huang Chao
, an agrarian rebel leader against the rule of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
, and carried prominent titles after Huang declared himself the emperor of a new state of Qi. As Huang neared defeat in 884
, Shang turned against him and submitted to the Tang general Shi Pu
, and participated in the final destruction of Huang's army. Shang himself was later killed by Shi.
, rose in rebellion against Tang Dynasty
in 874
at Changyuan (長垣, in modern Xinxiang
, Henan
). Shang Rang probably followed his brother in this rebellion, and he, either at that time or subsequently, became a follower of Wang's as well.
, Shang Rang was a major agrarian rebel commander, as it is known that that year, Yang Fuguang
the eunuch monitor of the army Emperor Xizong
sent against Wang Xianzhi, reported that Shang Rang had occupied Mount Chaya (查牙山, in modern Zhumadian
, Henan
), forcing the imperial forces sent against him to withdraw to Deng Prefecture (鄧州, in modern Nanyang
, Henan
).
Late in 876, Wang, through the Tang official Wang Liao (王鐐), the cousin or brother of the chancellor Wang Duo
, and Pei Wo (裴偓) the prefect of Qi Prefecture (蘄州, in modern Huanggang
, Hubei
), was negotiating a peaceful submission to Tang authority. Under Wang Duo's insistence, Emperor Xizong commissioned Wang Xianzhi an officer of the imperial Left Shence Army (左神策軍) and delivered the commission to Qi Prefecture. However, Wang Xianzhi's ally Huang Chao
angrily objected, causing the rebel army to turn against the peace agreement. Wang Xianzhi, fearing the wrath of his own army, turned against Pei and pillaged Qi Prefecture. However, afterwards, the rebel army broke up into two groups, with one group following Wang Xianzhi and Shang Junzhang, and one group following Huang. Presumably, Shang Rang continued to follow Wang Xianzhi and his brother Shang Junzhang at this point, although soon thereafter, Shang Rang joined forces with Huang at Mount Chaya.
Yang, however, continued to negotiate with Wang Xianzhi, and in late 877
, the talks had progressed to such a point that Wang Xianzhi sent Shang Junzhang to Yang's camp to negotiate further. However, the Tang general Song Wei (宋威), who was against the negotiations, ambushed Shang Junzhang's party and took him and the other rebels on the way to Yang's camp captive. He then submitted a report to Emperor Xizong claiming to have captured Shang Junzhang and the others in battle. Despite Yang's petition contradicting Song's claims and clarifying that Shang Junzhang and the others were negotiating, Emperor Xizong executed Shang Junzhang and the others, causing Wang Xianzhi to break off the negotiations.
In spring 878
, the Tang general Zeng Yuanyu (曾元裕) defeated Wang Xianzhi and killed him in battle. Shang Rang took Wang Xianzhi's remnants and joined forces with Huang, serving under Huang thereafter.
, Anhui
). Shang supported Huang as the leader of the movement, and Huang subsequently claimed the title of Chongtian Dajiangjun (衝天大將軍, "Generalissimo Who Charges to the Heavens") and changed the era name to Wangba, to show independence from the Tang regime.
Shang subsequently followed Huang in his marauding south to modern Guangdong
and then return north in 879
. He participated in Huang's battle against the Tang general Li Xi (李係) at Tan Prefecture (潭州, in modern Changsha, Hunan
), in which Huang crushed Li Xi's troops. Shang subsequently, with an army that claimed to be 500,000 strong, attacked Jiangling, causing Wang Duo, then overseeing the operations against Huang, to flee Jiangling. (After Wang's departure from Jiangling, Wang's officer Liu Hanhong
pillaged Jiangling and started his own independent rebel campaign as well.) Subsequently, Huang and Shang attacked Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan
, Hubei
), but were defeated by the Tang military governor (Jiedushi
) of Shannan East, Liu Jurong (劉巨容) and another Tang general, Cao Quanzhen (曹全晸). Huang and Shang fled, but Liu and Cao failed to give chase, allowing Huang and Shang to regroup.
By late 880
, Huang had crushed all Tang defense on his path to the Tang capital Chang'an
, causing Emperor Xizong to flee to Chengdu
. When Huang entered Chang'an, Shang declared to the people of Chang'an:
Despite Shang's declaration, Huang's rebel soldiers often pillaged the city, and neither Huang nor Shang was able to stop them. Soon thereafter, Huang claimed imperial title and declared a new state of Qi. He gave Shang the titles of Taiwei (太尉, one of the Three Excellencies
) and Zhongshu Ling (中書令, i.e., head of the legislative bureau of government (中書省), one of the chancellors).
continued to resist Qi at the nearby Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji
, Shaanxi
), in spring 881
, Huang Chao sent Shang Rang and Wang Bo (王播), with 50,000 troops, to attack Zheng. The Qi forces took Zheng lightly, considering Zheng (who was formerly a Tang chancellor) a civilian who did not know military matters, and Zheng, along with Tang Hongfu (唐弘夫), laid a trap for Qi troops at Longwei Slope (龍尾陂, in modern Baoji), crushing them there.
Meanwhile, at Chang'an, an anonymous person wrote poems satirizing the Qi officials at the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng). Shang, in anger, gouged out the eyes of the government workers who were on duty and hung them upside down, while arresting all in the city who were capable of writing poetry, putting some 3,000 of them to death.
Soon thereafter, Tang forces under the commands of Tang Hongfu, Wang Chongrong
, Wang Chucun
, Tuoba Sigong
, and Zheng surrounded Chang'an, and Huang briefly withdrew from Chang'an. However, once Tang forces entered Chang'an, they began pillaging the city and were bogged down in their progress. Huang thus counterattacked and retook the city, dealing Tang forces heavy losses. Subsequently, Tang and Qi forces repeatedly engaged in battles outside the city with indecisive results. In one of those battles in fall 881, Shang joined forces with Zhu Wen to repel the Tang generals Li Xiaochang (李孝昌) and Tuoba at the East Wei River
Bridge, near Chang'an. However, when Shang attacked Yijun Camp (宜君寨, in modern Tongchuan, Shaanxi
) in fall 882
, he encountered a serious snowstorm, causing some 20-30% of his army to freeze to death.
By spring 883
, Tang forces, with the Shatuo
chieftain Li Keyong
joining the Tang cause, were again pressuring the Qi forces at Chang'an. Shang commanded some 150,000 Qi soldiers and engaged the forces of Li Keyong, Wang Chongrong, Wang Chucun, and Yang Fuguang
. The Qi forces were crushed. Meanwhile, the Qi generals Wang Fan (王璠) and Huang Kui (黃揆, Huang Chao's brother) recaptured Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan
, Shaanxi
), but Li Keyong then put it under siege. Huang Chao thus sent Shang to Hua Prefecture, trying to lift the siege. Soon thereafter, however, Huang Chao abandoned the Chang'an region entirely and fled east, and it appeared that Shang followed him.
As Huang Chao marched east, he put Chen Prefecture (陳州, in modern Zhoukou
, Henan
) under siege. Shang was by this point stationing his troops at Taikang (太康, in modern Zhoukou). Huang had Chen Prefecture under siege for 10 months, but was unable to capture it. Meanwhile, Li Keyong arrived with several other circuits' troops and attacked Shang, capturing Taikang, as well as Xihua (西華, in modern Zhoukou as well), defended by Huang's brother Huang Siye (黃思鄴), forcing Shang and Huang Siye to flee. Only then did Huang Chao become apprehensive and abandon the siege on Chen Prefecture.
Huang Chao then changed target, deciding to attack Bian Prefecture (汴州, in modern Kaifeng
, Henan
), where Zhu Wen — who had by this point submitted to Tang and was serving as Tang's military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered at Bian Prefecture), and had changed his name to Zhu Quanzhong — was. Shang took 5,000 cavalry soldiers and made the initial attack on Bian Prefecture, but he was fought off by Zhu's officers Zhu Zhen (朱珍) and Pang Shigu (龐師古). Li Keyong, hearing that Huang was attacking Bian Prefecture, quickly followed, and crushed the Qi forces as they were crossing the Yellow River
north. Shang surrendered to Shi Pu
the military governor of Ganhua Circuit (感化, headquartered in modern Xuzhou
, Jiangsu
), one of the Tang generals participating in the campaign.
, Shandong
) and crushed his forces. Nearly all of Huang's forces were eliminated by this point, and he fled into Langhu Valley (狼虎谷, in modern Laiwu
, Shandong
). Huang's nephew Lin Yan (林言) then killed Huang, his brothers, his wife, and his children, and tried to surrender with their heads, but were on the way killed by Tang soldiers, who presented his, as well as their, heads to Shi.
What happened to Shang thereafter was not clearly stated in historical resources, but at some point, it was said that Shi killed him, and his wife Lady Liu became a concubine of Shi's — yet later becoming Zhu Quanzhong's concubine, and then the wife of Zhu's trusted subordinate Jing Xiang
.
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...
, an agrarian rebel leader against the rule of the Chinese
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...
, and carried prominent titles after Huang declared himself the emperor of a new state of Qi. As Huang neared defeat in 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....
, Shang turned against him and submitted to the Tang general Shi Pu
Shi Pu
Shi Pu , formally the Prince of Julu , was a warlord of the late Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Ganhua Circuit as its military governor...
, and participated in the final destruction of Huang's army. Shang himself was later killed by Shi.
Background
It is not known when Shang Rang was born. He had at least one older brother, Shang Junzhang (尚君長), who, along with Wang XianzhiWang Xianzhi
Wang Xianzhi , courtesy name Zijing , was a famous Chinese calligrapher of the Eastern Jin.He was the seventh and youngest son of the famed Wang Xizhi. Wang inherited his father's talent for the art, although his siblings were all notable calligraphers. His style is more fluid than his father's,...
, rose in rebellion against 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...
in 874
874
Year 874 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Ingólfur Arnarson arrives as the first permanent Viking settler in Iceland, settling in Reykjavík ....
at Changyuan (長垣, in modern Xinxiang
Xinxiang
Xinxiang is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to its southwest, Kaifeng to its southeast, Hebi and Anyang to its north, Jiaozuo to its west, and the provinces of Shanxi and Shandong to its northwest and...
, 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...
). Shang Rang probably followed his brother in this rebellion, and he, either at that time or subsequently, became a follower of Wang's as well.
Service under Wang Xianzhi
As of 876876
Year 876 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Births :* Henry the Fowler, the duke of Saxony from 912 and king of the Germans from 919 until his death...
, Shang Rang was a major agrarian rebel commander, as it is known that that year, Yang Fuguang
Yang Fuguang
Yang Fuguang , formally Duke Zhongsu of Hongnong , was an eunuch general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who was considered a major contributor to the Tang cause in finally defeating Huang Chao's rebellion.- Background :...
the eunuch monitor of the army 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...
sent against Wang Xianzhi, reported that Shang Rang had occupied Mount Chaya (查牙山, 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...
), forcing the imperial forces sent against him to withdraw to Deng Prefecture (鄧州, in modern Nanyang
Nanyang, Henan
Nanyang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Henan province, People's Republic of China. The city with the largest administrative area in Henan, Nanyang borders Xinyang to the southeast, Zhumadian to the east, Pingdingshan to the northeast, Luoyang to the north, Sanmenxia to 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...
).
Late in 876, Wang, through the Tang official Wang Liao (王鐐), the cousin or brother of the chancellor Wang Duo
Wang Duo
Wang Duo , is a Chinese calligrapher, painter, and poet in Ming Dynasty.Wang was born in Mengjin in the Henan province. His style name was 'Juesi' or 'Juezhi' and his sobriquets were 'Songqiao', 'Chi'an', or 'Yantan Yusou'...
, and Pei Wo (裴偓) the prefect of Qi Prefecture (蘄州, in modern Huanggang
Huanggang
Huanggang is a city in Hubei, China.Huanggang may also refer to:* Huanggang, Shenzhen, area in Shenzhen, China* Huanggang, Funan County, town in Anhui, China...
, 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...
), was negotiating a peaceful submission to Tang authority. Under Wang Duo's insistence, Emperor Xizong commissioned Wang Xianzhi an officer of the imperial Left Shence Army (左神策軍) and delivered the commission to Qi Prefecture. However, Wang Xianzhi's ally 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...
angrily objected, causing the rebel army to turn against the peace agreement. Wang Xianzhi, fearing the wrath of his own army, turned against Pei and pillaged Qi Prefecture. However, afterwards, the rebel army broke up into two groups, with one group following Wang Xianzhi and Shang Junzhang, and one group following Huang. Presumably, Shang Rang continued to follow Wang Xianzhi and his brother Shang Junzhang at this point, although soon thereafter, Shang Rang joined forces with Huang at Mount Chaya.
Yang, however, continued to negotiate with Wang Xianzhi, and in late 877
877
Year 877 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The Danes take Exeter, England.* A flotilla of 120 Danish ships is lost in a storm off Swanage....
, the talks had progressed to such a point that Wang Xianzhi sent Shang Junzhang to Yang's camp to negotiate further. However, the Tang general Song Wei (宋威), who was against the negotiations, ambushed Shang Junzhang's party and took him and the other rebels on the way to Yang's camp captive. He then submitted a report to Emperor Xizong claiming to have captured Shang Junzhang and the others in battle. Despite Yang's petition contradicting Song's claims and clarifying that Shang Junzhang and the others were negotiating, Emperor Xizong executed Shang Junzhang and the others, causing Wang Xianzhi to break off the negotiations.
In spring 878
878
Year 878 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :...
, the Tang general Zeng Yuanyu (曾元裕) defeated Wang Xianzhi and killed him in battle. Shang Rang took Wang Xianzhi's remnants and joined forces with Huang, serving under Huang thereafter.
Before Huang's claim of imperial title
At the time that Shang Rang joined Huang Chao, Huang Chao was sieging Bo Prefecture (亳州, in modern BozhouBozhou
Bozhou is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Anhui province, People's Republic of China. It borders Huaibei to the northeast, Bengbu to the southeast, Huainan to the south, Fuyang to the southwest, and the province of Henan to the north.-Administration:...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
). Shang supported Huang as the leader of the movement, and Huang subsequently claimed the title of Chongtian Dajiangjun (衝天大將軍, "Generalissimo Who Charges to the Heavens") and changed the era name to Wangba, to show independence from the Tang regime.
Shang subsequently followed Huang in his marauding south to modern 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 then return north in 879
879
Year 879 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Pope John VIII recognizes the Duchy of Croatia as an independent state....
. He participated in Huang's battle against the Tang general Li Xi (李係) at Tan Prefecture (潭州, 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...
), in which Huang crushed Li Xi's troops. Shang subsequently, with an army that claimed to be 500,000 strong, attacked Jiangling, causing Wang Duo, then overseeing the operations against Huang, to flee Jiangling. (After Wang's departure from Jiangling, Wang's officer Liu Hanhong
Liu Hanhong
Liu Hanhong was a warlord of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who initially was a rebel against Tang but later accepted Tang titles and controlled Yisheng Circuit...
pillaged Jiangling and started his own independent rebel campaign as well.) Subsequently, Huang and Shang attacked Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan
Xiangfan
Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province of the People's Republic of China. It was formed from two famous ancient cities, Xiangyang and Fancheng...
, 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...
), but were defeated by the Tang 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, Liu Jurong (劉巨容) and another Tang general, Cao Quanzhen (曹全晸). Huang and Shang fled, but Liu and Cao failed to give chase, allowing Huang and Shang to regroup.
By late 880
880
Year 880 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Religion :* Pope John VIII issues the bull Industriae Tuae, creating an independent ecclesiastical province in Great Moravia with Archbishop Saint Methodius as its head...
, Huang had crushed all Tang defense on his path to the Tang 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...
, causing Emperor Xizong to flee to Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
. When Huang entered Chang'an, Shang declared to the people of Chang'an:
Despite Shang's declaration, Huang's rebel soldiers often pillaged the city, and neither Huang nor Shang was able to stop them. Soon thereafter, Huang claimed imperial title and declared a new state of Qi. He gave Shang the titles of 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 Zhongshu Ling (中書令, i.e., head of the legislative bureau of government (中書省), one of the chancellors).
During Huang's state of Qi
As the Tang general Zheng TianZheng Tian
Zheng Tian , courtesy name Taiwen , formally Duke Wenzhao of Xingyang , was a chancellor of late Tang Dynasty, serving two terms as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xizong...
continued to resist Qi at the nearby 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...
), in spring 881
881
Year 881 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Charles the Fat is crowned Western Emperor.* Battle of Saucourt-en-Vimeu: Louis III of France routs Norman pirates....
, Huang Chao sent Shang Rang and Wang Bo (王播), with 50,000 troops, to attack Zheng. The Qi forces took Zheng lightly, considering Zheng (who was formerly a Tang chancellor) a civilian who did not know military matters, and Zheng, along with Tang Hongfu (唐弘夫), laid a trap for Qi troops at Longwei Slope (龍尾陂, in modern Baoji), crushing them there.
Meanwhile, at Chang'an, an anonymous person wrote poems satirizing the Qi officials at the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng). Shang, in anger, gouged out the eyes of the government workers who were on duty and hung them upside down, while arresting all in the city who were capable of writing poetry, putting some 3,000 of them to death.
Soon thereafter, Tang forces under the commands of Tang Hongfu, Wang Chongrong
Wang Chongrong
Wang Chongrong , formally the Prince of Langye , was a warlord of the late Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who controlled Hezhong Circuit...
, Wang Chucun
Wang Chucun
Wang Chucun was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Yiwu Circuit in late Tang. He was one of the main contributors in Tang's eventual defeat of the agrarian rebel Huang Chao....
, Tuoba Sigong
Li Sigong
Li Sigong , né Tuoba Sigong , formally the Duke of Xia , was an ethnically-Dangxiang warlord of the late Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who, for his contributions against the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao, was allowed to retain Dingnan Circuit as its military governor...
, and Zheng surrounded Chang'an, and Huang briefly withdrew from Chang'an. However, once Tang forces entered Chang'an, they began pillaging the city and were bogged down in their progress. Huang thus counterattacked and retook the city, dealing Tang forces heavy losses. Subsequently, Tang and Qi forces repeatedly engaged in battles outside the city with indecisive results. In one of those battles in fall 881, Shang joined forces with Zhu Wen to repel the Tang generals Li Xiaochang (李孝昌) and Tuoba at the East Wei River
Wei River
The Wei River is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization....
Bridge, near Chang'an. However, when Shang attacked Yijun Camp (宜君寨, in modern Tongchuan, Shaanxi
Tongchuan, Shaanxi
Tóngchuān is a prefecture-level city located in central Shaanxi Province, on the southern fringe of the Northern Shaanxi Plateau and the northern boundary of Guanzhong Plain.-Economy:...
) in fall 882
882
Year 882 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Carloman, King of the West Franks, becomes sole king upon the death of his brother....
, he encountered a serious snowstorm, causing some 20-30% of his army to freeze to death.
By spring 883
883
Year 883 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Oldest known mention of the city of Duisburg.* Monte Cassino is sacked and burned down by the Saracens....
, Tang forces, with the Shatuo
Shatuo
The Shatuo were a Turkic tribe that heavily influenced northern Chinese politics from the late ninth century through the tenth century. They are noted for founding 3 of the 5 dynasties and 1 of the kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period....
chieftain 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...
joining the Tang cause, were again pressuring the Qi forces at Chang'an. Shang commanded some 150,000 Qi soldiers and engaged the forces of Li Keyong, Wang Chongrong, Wang Chucun, and Yang Fuguang
Yang Fuguang
Yang Fuguang , formally Duke Zhongsu of Hongnong , was an eunuch general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who was considered a major contributor to the Tang cause in finally defeating Huang Chao's rebellion.- Background :...
. The Qi forces were crushed. Meanwhile, the Qi generals Wang Fan (王璠) and Huang Kui (黃揆, Huang Chao's brother) recaptured 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...
), but Li Keyong then put it under siege. Huang Chao thus sent Shang to Hua Prefecture, trying to lift the siege. Soon thereafter, however, Huang Chao abandoned the Chang'an region entirely and fled east, and it appeared that Shang followed him.
As Huang Chao marched east, he put Chen Prefecture (陳州, in modern Zhoukou
Zhoukou
Zhoukou is a prefecture-level city in eastern Henan province, People's Republic of China. It borders Zhumadian to the southeast, Xuchang and Luohe to the west, Kaifeng to the northwest, Shangqiu to the northeast, and the province of Anhui on all other sides....
, 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...
) under siege. Shang was by this point stationing his troops at Taikang (太康, in modern Zhoukou). Huang had Chen Prefecture under siege for 10 months, but was unable to capture it. Meanwhile, Li Keyong arrived with several other circuits' troops and attacked Shang, capturing Taikang, as well as Xihua (西華, in modern Zhoukou as well), defended by Huang's brother Huang Siye (黃思鄴), forcing Shang and Huang Siye to flee. Only then did Huang Chao become apprehensive and abandon the siege on Chen Prefecture.
Huang Chao then changed target, deciding to attack Bian Prefecture (汴州, 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...
), where Zhu Wen — who had by this point submitted to Tang and was serving as Tang's military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered at Bian Prefecture), and had changed his name to Zhu Quanzhong — was. Shang took 5,000 cavalry soldiers and made the initial attack on Bian Prefecture, but he was fought off by Zhu's officers Zhu Zhen (朱珍) and Pang Shigu (龐師古). Li Keyong, hearing that Huang was attacking Bian Prefecture, quickly followed, and crushed the Qi forces as they were crossing 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...
north. Shang surrendered to Shi Pu
Shi Pu
Shi Pu , formally the Prince of Julu , was a warlord of the late Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Ganhua Circuit as its military governor...
the military governor of Ganhua Circuit (感化, headquartered in modern Xuzhou
Xuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
, 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...
), one of the Tang generals participating in the campaign.
Submission to Tang and death
Shang Rang then came under Shi Pu's command, and Shi sent Li Shiyue (李師悅) and Shang to chase after Huang Chao. They caught up with Huang at Xiaqiu (瑕丘, in modern JiningJining, Shandong
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...
) and crushed his forces. Nearly all of Huang's forces were eliminated by this point, and he fled into Langhu Valley (狼虎谷, in modern Laiwu
Laiwu
Laiwu is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. The smallest prefecture-level city in the province, it borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Zibo to the east and Tai'an to the southwest....
, 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...
). Huang's nephew Lin Yan (林言) then killed Huang, his brothers, his wife, and his children, and tried to surrender with their heads, but were on the way killed by Tang soldiers, who presented his, as well as their, heads to Shi.
What happened to Shang thereafter was not clearly stated in historical resources, but at some point, it was said that Shi killed him, and his wife Lady Liu became a concubine of Shi's — yet later becoming Zhu Quanzhong's concubine, and then the wife of Zhu's trusted subordinate Jing Xiang
Jing Xiang
Jing Xiang , courtesy name Zizhen , formally the Marquess of Pingyang , was the chief strategist of the late Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty warlord Zhu Quanzhong, who assisted Zhu in his consolidation of central China, which Zhu eventually established as a new Later Liang Dynasty to replace Tang...
.