Shi Pu
Encyclopedia
Shi Pu (d. May 9, 893), formally the Prince of Julu (鉅鹿王), was a warlord of the late Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
, who controlled Ganhua Circuit (感化, headquartered in modern Xuzhou
, Jiangsu
) as its military governor (Jiedushi
). He was eventually defeated by Zhu Quanzhong's general Pang Shigu (龐師古), and committed suicide with his family.
) of Ganhua Circuit (感化, headquartered at Xu Prefecture).
In 881
, after the agrarian rebel Huang Chao
captured the imperial capital Chang'an
, forcing then-ruling Emperor Xizong
to flee, Zhi sent Shi and Chen with an army to try to aid the emperor. When Shi reached the eastern capital Luoyang
, however, he claimed to receive an order from Zhi to withdraw, and after rendezvous with Chen, they slaughtered Heyin (河陰, in modern Luoyang) and pillaged Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, in modern Zhengzhou
, Henan
) before returning to Xu Prefecture. Zhi tried to placate them by treating them and their soldiers well, but Shi had his trusted soldiers meet with Zhi and threaten him, forcing him to yield the command to Shi, who took the title of acting military governor. Chen tried to persuade Shi to kill Zhi, pointing out that Zhi had treated the people of the circuit well and might be able to return to power. Shi refused, and instead had Zhi escorted to Emperor Xizong's then-location at Chengdu
. On the way, however, Chen laid an ambush for Zhi and slaughtered his family. Subsequently, Emperor Xizong confirmed Shi as acting military governor and, later in the year, full military governor. (Shi made Chen the prefect of Su Prefecture (宿州, in modern Suzhou, Anhui
), but had him executed when he proved to be violent and corrupt as prefect.)
, when Emperor Xizong commissioned the chancellor Wang Duo
as the overall commander of the operations against Huang Chao, he gave Shi Pu the title of director of army supplies, under Wang's command.
In 883
, after Huang abandoned Chang'an and fled east, Shi mobilized his troops and stationed them at Yin River (溵水, a major branch of the Shaying River
) to try to stop Huang's movement, and Emperor Xizong gave him the title of the commander on the eastern front. Around the same time, there was an incident where Shi suffered from food poisoning and suspected his staff member Li Ninggu (李凝古) of poisoning him, and so put Li Ninggu to death. At that time, Li Ninggu's father Li Sun (李損) was an advisory official at the imperial government. Shi accused Li Sun of being complicit and bribed the powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi
to have Li Sun put to death. Li Sun was arrested, but his life was spared due to the intercession of the chancellor Xiao Gou
.
Meanwhile, Huang's army put Chen Prefecture (陳州) and its prefect Zhao Chou
under siege. Shi, along with Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
, Henan
) and Zhou Ji
the military governor of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang
, Henan
) all launched troops to try to save Zhao. Shi was said to have repeated victories over the armies of Huang and his vassal Qin Zongquan the military governor of Fengguo Circuit (奉國, headquartered in modern Zhumadian
, Henan
). However, these three military governors did not feel that they could stand up to Huang on their own, so they sought aid from Li Keyong
the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
, Shanxi
) — who had been instrumental in Tang's recapture of Chang'an. After Li Keyong arrived and defeated Huang's army at Chen Prefecture, Huang's major general Shang Rang
surrendered to Shi.
Li Keyong subsequently withdrew from the front after getting into a dispute with Zhu and surviving an assassination attempt Zhu made against him. Shi, however, continued the pursuit against Huang, and sent his officer Li Shiyue (李師悅) and Shang to go after Huang. Huang fled into Langhu Valley (狼虎谷, in modern Heze
, Shandong
), where his nephew Lin Yan (林言) killed him, preparing to surrender his head to Shi — but on the way, Lin was intercepted by irregular Shatuo
(i.e., Li Keyong's soldiers left in the area) and Boye Army (博野軍) soldiers, who killed him and seized Huang's head to present to Shi. For Shi's contributions in destroying Huang, he was made acting Taiwei (太尉, one of the Three Excellencies
), given the honorary chancellor title of Zhongshu Ling (中書令), and created the Prince of Julu.
claimed the title of emperor. Emperor Xizong commissioned Shi Pu to serve as the overall commander against Qin. (Despite Shi's title as overall commander, however, it is unclear what Shi's acts were during the subsequent Tang military actions against Qin were, as the historical records largely described only Zhu Quanzhong's battles with Qin.)
In 887
, with Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
) embroiled in warfare, with a number of parties contending for it (including Qin Yan
, Yang Xingmi
, and Qin Zongquan's general Sun Ru
), the imperial government, intending to calm the warfare, made Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Huainan, in addition to Xuanwu. Zhu Quanzhong commissioned Yang, who had by that point captured Huainan's capital Yang Prefecture (揚州), deputy military governor and Li Fan (李璠) as acting military governor. Zhu wrote Shi Pu, requesting passage for Li Fan to pass through Ganhua on the way to Huainan, but Shi was resenting the fact that the imperial government gave the post of Huainan's military governorship to Zhu and not to him despite his higher seniority. When Li Fan reached Si Prefecture (泗州, in modern Chuzhou
, Anhui
), which was part of Ganhua, Shi laid an ambush for him, which Li Fan was only able to escape due to the fervent fighting by the officer escorting him, Guo Yan (郭言). From that point on, the rivalry between Xuanwu and Ganhua became open warfare. (Zhu was ultimately unable to take control of Huainan due to Yang's resistance and Shi's interference.)
In spring 888
, the imperial government replaced Shi as the overall commander against Qin Zongquan with Zhu. After Qin Zongquan suffered repeated defeats, his general Shen Cong (申叢) arrested him in late 888
and surrendered to Zhu. This led to a dispute between Zhu and Shi over whose accomplishment it was that Qin was destroyed, and their relationship deteriorated even more.
, Zhu's officer Pang Shigu captured Suqian (宿遷, in modern Suqian
, Jiangsu
), and advanced onto Lüliang (呂梁, in modern Xuzhou). Shi tried to engage him, but was defeated and forced to flee back to Xu Prefecture. Another Xuanwu officer, Zhu Zhen (朱珍) then captured Xiao (蕭縣, in modern Suzhou). Zhu Quanzhong himself soon arrived, killed Zhu Zhen for killing another officer Li Tangbin (李唐賓), and then tried to attack Shi himself, but encountered torrential rains and withdrew. When Shi asked for aid from Li Keyong, Li Keyong sent his officer Shi Junhe (石君和) to aid Shi Pu.
In summer 890
, Zhang Yun (張筠), an officer at Su Prefecture, which had apparently fallen to Zhu Quanzhong earlier, expelled the Zhu Quanzhong-commissioned prefect Zhang Shaoguang (張紹光) and reverted the allegiance to Shi Pu. Zhu Quanzhong, in response, attacked Su Prefecture himself. When Shi Pu tried to aid Zhang Yun by pillaging Dangshan (碭山, in modern Suzhou), Zhu Quanzhong sent his son Zhu Youyu to engage Shi Pu. Zhu Youyu defeated Shi Pu, capturing Shi Junhe in the battle.
In summer 891
, Zhu Quanzhong's officer Ding Hui
put Su Prefecture under siege. Zhang Yun surrendered to Ding in winter 891, and Shi Pu's officer Liu Zhijun
subsequently surrendered to Zhu Quanzhong as well. It was said that Liu's surrender dealt a heavy blow to Shi Pu's army, which was not able to recover from it.
The protracted warfare between Xuanwu and Ganhua laid waste the three prefectures that Ganhua still controlled at that point — Xu, Si, and Hao (濠州, in modern Chuzhou), leaving the farmers unable to farm and the food supplies dwindling, particularly in light of major flooding in spring 892
. Forces that Li Keyong, Zhu Xuan
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
) sent were all unable to help Shi fight Zhu's attack off. In spring 892, Shi sought a peaceful resolution, and Zhu agreed, but required that as part of the resolution, Shi be recalled to the imperial government and that the imperial government send a replacement for Shi. When Zhu reported this resolution to the imperial government, then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong
(Emperor Xizong's brother and successor) commissioned the chancellor Liu Chongwang
as Shi's replacement and recalled Shi to Chang'an to serve as a senior advisor to the Crown Prince
— an honorary position. Shi, however, became fearful that Zhu was only intending to trick him into leaving Xu Prefecture and then kill him once he left, and therefore refused to yield his post to Liu. Liu thus returned to Chang'an.
Meanwhile, Shi had sent an army south to capture Chu Prefecture (楚州, in modern Huai'an
, Jiangsu
), which Zhu had taken over. In summer 892, Yang Xingmi sent his officers Zhang Xun (張訓) and Li Decheng (李德誠) to contend for Chu as well, and they defeated Shi's army and then captured Chu Prefecture, capturing its Zhu-commissioned prefect Liu Zan (劉瓚). In winter 892, Zhang Sui (張璲) the prefect of Hao Prefecture and Zhang Jian (張諫) the prefect of Si Prefecture surrendered to Zhu, leaving Shi only in control of Xu. Zhu Quanzhong had sent Zhu Youyu to attack Taiping's Pu Prefecture (濮州, in modern Heze) earlier, and after Zhu Youyu captured Pu Prefecture around the same time, Zhu Quanzhong sent him to Xu to command the siege against Shi Pu.
In spring 893
, Shi counterattacked and killed Guo Yan at Su Prefecture. With Zhu Jin arriving with an aid force from Taining, Zhu Youyu and another Xuanwu officer, Huo Cun (霍存), engaged Shi and Zhu Jin, defeating them. Zhu Jin fled back to Taining, although Shi subsequently killed Huo in battle. Subsequently, Zhu Youyu again put Xu Prefecture under siege, refusing to engage Shi when Shi challenged him. Zhu Quanzhong's adoptive son Zhu Yougong (朱友恭) thus falsely accused Zhu Youyu of being complicit with Shi and Zhu Jin. Zhu Quanzhong nearly killed Zhu Youyu, but subsequently released him and replaced him with Pang. Pang continued to siege Xu for months and finally captured it. Shi took his family and ascended Swallow Tower (燕子樓), and then set a fire to kill themselves in the fire. Zhu Quanzhong took over Ganhua.
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 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...
) 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...
). He was eventually defeated by Zhu Quanzhong's general Pang Shigu (龐師古), and committed suicide with his family.
Background and seizure of Ganhua Circuit
It is not known when Shi Pu was born, but it is known that he was from Pengcheng and served as an officer at Xu Prefecture (whose seat was at Pengcheng). Both he and fellow officer Chen Fan (陳璠) were favored by Zhi Xiang (支詳) the military governor (JiedushiJiedushi
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 Ganhua Circuit (感化, headquartered at Xu Prefecture).
In 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....
, after 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...
captured 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...
, forcing then-ruling 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...
to flee, Zhi sent Shi and Chen with an army to try to aid the emperor. When Shi reached the eastern capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
, however, he claimed to receive an order from Zhi to withdraw, and after rendezvous with Chen, they slaughtered Heyin (河陰, in modern Luoyang) and pillaged Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, in modern Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou , is the capital and largest city of Henan province in north-central China. A prefecture-level city, it also serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational centre of the province, as well as a major transportation hub for Central China...
, 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...
) before returning to Xu Prefecture. Zhi tried to placate them by treating them and their soldiers well, but Shi had his trusted soldiers meet with Zhi and threaten him, forcing him to yield the command to Shi, who took the title of acting military governor. Chen tried to persuade Shi to kill Zhi, pointing out that Zhi had treated the people of the circuit well and might be able to return to power. Shi refused, and instead had Zhi escorted to Emperor Xizong's then-location at Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
. On the way, however, Chen laid an ambush for Zhi and slaughtered his family. Subsequently, Emperor Xizong confirmed Shi as acting military governor and, later in the year, full military governor. (Shi made Chen the prefect of Su Prefecture (宿州, in modern Suzhou, Anhui
Suzhou, Anhui
-Administration:Suzhou administers five county-level divisions, including one district and four counties.*Yongqiao District *Dangshan County *Xiao County *Lingbi County *Si County...
), but had him executed when he proved to be violent and corrupt as prefect.)
Campaign against Huang Chao
In spring 882882
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....
, when Emperor Xizong commissioned 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'...
as the overall commander of the operations against Huang Chao, he gave Shi Pu the title of director of army supplies, under Wang's command.
In 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....
, after Huang abandoned Chang'an and fled east, Shi mobilized his troops and stationed them at Yin River (溵水, a major branch of the Shaying River
Shaying River
Shaying River is a river of China. It is part of the Yellow Sea basin. A major tributary of the Shaying is the Yin River ....
) to try to stop Huang's movement, and Emperor Xizong gave him the title of the commander on the eastern front. Around the same time, there was an incident where Shi suffered from food poisoning and suspected his staff member Li Ninggu (李凝古) of poisoning him, and so put Li Ninggu to death. At that time, Li Ninggu's father Li Sun (李損) was an advisory official at the imperial government. Shi accused Li Sun of being complicit and bribed the powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi
Tian Lingzi
Tian Lingzi , courtesy name Zhongze , formally the Duke of Jin , was a powerful eunuch during the reign of Emperor Xizong of Tang...
to have Li Sun put to death. Li Sun was arrested, but his life was spared due to the intercession of the chancellor Xiao Gou
Xiao Gou
Xiao Gou , courtesy name Desheng , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xizong. He was later forced to accept a commission from the pretender Li Yun and, after Li Yun's defeat and death, was forced to commit suicide.- Background...
.
Meanwhile, Huang's army put Chen Prefecture (陳州) and its prefect Zhao Chou
Zhao Chou
Zhao Chou was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, whose power base was at Chen Prefecture...
under siege. Shi, along with 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 Zhou Ji
Zhou Ji (Tang Dynasty)
Zhou Ji was a warlord of the late Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who seized control of Zhongwu Circuit in 880, briefly submitted to the agrarian rebel Huang Chao's new state of Qi, and later returned the Tang fold, controlling Zhongwu until he was forced to abandon it in 884 due to an attack by Lu...
the military governor of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, 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...
) all launched troops to try to save Zhao. Shi was said to have repeated victories over the armies of Huang and his vassal Qin Zongquan the military governor of Fengguo Circuit (奉國, headquartered 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...
). However, these three military governors did not feel that they could stand up to Huang on their own, so they sought aid from 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 been instrumental in Tang's recapture of Chang'an. After Li Keyong arrived and defeated Huang's army at Chen Prefecture, Huang's major general Shang Rang
Shang Rang
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...
surrendered to Shi.
Li Keyong subsequently withdrew from the front after getting into a dispute with Zhu and surviving an assassination attempt Zhu made against him. Shi, however, continued the pursuit against Huang, and sent his officer Li Shiyue (李師悅) and Shang to go after Huang. Huang fled into Langhu Valley (狼虎谷, in modern Heze
Heze
Heze is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The westernmost prefecture-level city in Shandong, it borders Jining to the east and the provinces of Henan and Anhui to the west and south respectively. The old name of Heze was Caozhou and now a part...
, 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...
), where his nephew Lin Yan (林言) killed him, preparing to surrender his head to Shi — but on the way, Lin was intercepted by irregular 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....
(i.e., Li Keyong's soldiers left in the area) and Boye Army (博野軍) soldiers, who killed him and seized Huang's head to present to Shi. For Shi's contributions in destroying Huang, he was made 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...
), given the honorary chancellor title of Zhongshu Ling (中書令), and created the Prince of Julu.
Campaign against Qin Zongquan
Despite Huang Chao's destruction, however, Qin Zongquan continued to retain an army and continued to pillage the nearby circuits, and in 885885
Year 885 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The Vikings besiege Paris.* Godfrith, the Sea King is killed in Lobith...
claimed the title of emperor. Emperor Xizong commissioned Shi Pu to serve as the overall commander against Qin. (Despite Shi's title as overall commander, however, it is unclear what Shi's acts were during the subsequent Tang military actions against Qin were, as the historical records largely described only Zhu Quanzhong's battles with Qin.)
In 887
887
Year 887 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The city of Toledo rises against the Umayyad leader....
, with 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...
) embroiled in warfare, with a number of parties contending for it (including Qin Yan
Qin Yan
Qin Yan , né Qin Li , was a warlord of the late Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who seized control of Xuanshe Circuit , and thereafter briefly seized control of Yang Prefecture , the capital of Huainan Circuit , before being defeated by Yang Xingmi...
, Yang Xingmi
Yang 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...
, and Qin Zongquan's general Sun Ru
Sun Ru
Sun Ru , formally the Prince of Le'an , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who initially served as a general under the pretender emperor Qin Zongquan...
), the imperial government, intending to calm the warfare, made Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Huainan, in addition to Xuanwu. Zhu Quanzhong commissioned Yang, who had by that point captured Huainan's capital Yang Prefecture (揚州), deputy military governor and Li Fan (李璠) as acting military governor. Zhu wrote Shi Pu, requesting passage for Li Fan to pass through Ganhua on the way to Huainan, but Shi was resenting the fact that the imperial government gave the post of Huainan's military governorship to Zhu and not to him despite his higher seniority. When Li Fan reached Si Prefecture (泗州, in modern Chuzhou
Chuzhou
Chuzhou is a prefecture-level city in eastern Anhui Province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Hefei to the southwest, Huainan to the west, Bengbu to the northwest, Chaohu to the south, and the province of Jiangsu to the east...
, 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...
), which was part of Ganhua, Shi laid an ambush for him, which Li Fan was only able to escape due to the fervent fighting by the officer escorting him, Guo Yan (郭言). From that point on, the rivalry between Xuanwu and Ganhua became open warfare. (Zhu was ultimately unable to take control of Huainan due to Yang's resistance and Shi's interference.)
In spring 888
888
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...
, the imperial government replaced Shi as the overall commander against Qin Zongquan with Zhu. After Qin Zongquan suffered repeated defeats, his general Shen Cong (申叢) arrested him in late 888
888
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...
and surrendered to Zhu. This led to a dispute between Zhu and Shi over whose accomplishment it was that Qin was destroyed, and their relationship deteriorated even more.
Campaign against Zhu Quanzhong
With Qin Zongquan destroyed, Zhu Quanzhong was able to act against Shi Pu. In spring 889889
Year 889 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Yasovarman I succeeds Indravarman II as ruler of the Khmer empire....
, Zhu's officer Pang Shigu captured Suqian (宿遷, in modern Suqian
Suqian
Suqian is a prefecture-level city in northern Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. It borders Xuzhou to the northwest, Lianyungang to the northeast, Huai'an to the south, and the province of Anhui to the west.-Administration:...
, 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...
), and advanced onto Lüliang (呂梁, in modern Xuzhou). Shi tried to engage him, but was defeated and forced to flee back to Xu Prefecture. Another Xuanwu officer, Zhu Zhen (朱珍) then captured Xiao (蕭縣, in modern Suzhou). Zhu Quanzhong himself soon arrived, killed Zhu Zhen for killing another officer Li Tangbin (李唐賓), and then tried to attack Shi himself, but encountered torrential rains and withdrew. When Shi asked for aid from Li Keyong, Li Keyong sent his officer Shi Junhe (石君和) to aid Shi Pu.
In summer 890
890
Year 890 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The sovereignty of Great Moravian king Svatopluk I in Bohemia is confirmed.* Lusatia becomes a part of Great Moravia....
, Zhang Yun (張筠), an officer at Su Prefecture, which had apparently fallen to Zhu Quanzhong earlier, expelled the Zhu Quanzhong-commissioned prefect Zhang Shaoguang (張紹光) and reverted the allegiance to Shi Pu. Zhu Quanzhong, in response, attacked Su Prefecture himself. When Shi Pu tried to aid Zhang Yun by pillaging Dangshan (碭山, in modern Suzhou), Zhu Quanzhong sent his son Zhu Youyu to engage Shi Pu. Zhu Youyu defeated Shi Pu, capturing Shi Junhe in the battle.
In summer 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....
, Zhu Quanzhong's officer Ding Hui
Ding Hui
Ding Hui , courtesy name Daoyin , was a general who, for most of his career, served under Zhu Quanzhong while Zhu was a major warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...
put Su Prefecture under siege. Zhang Yun surrendered to Ding in winter 891, and Shi Pu's officer Liu Zhijun
Liu Zhijun (Later Liang)
Liu Zhijun , courtesy name Xixian , nicknamed Liu Kaidao , was a general under Emperor Taizu of Later Liang while Emperor Taizu was a major warlord during the late Tang Dynasty and then during Emperor Taizu's reign in his new Later Liang Dynasty...
subsequently surrendered to Zhu Quanzhong as well. It was said that Liu's surrender dealt a heavy blow to Shi Pu's army, which was not able to recover from it.
The protracted warfare between Xuanwu and Ganhua laid waste the three prefectures that Ganhua still controlled at that point — Xu, Si, and Hao (濠州, in modern Chuzhou), leaving the farmers unable to farm and the food supplies dwindling, particularly in light of major flooding in spring 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....
. Forces that Li Keyong, Zhu Xuan
Zhu 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, Shandong
Jining, 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...
) sent were all unable to help Shi fight Zhu's attack off. In spring 892, Shi sought a peaceful resolution, and Zhu agreed, but required that as part of the resolution, Shi be recalled to the imperial government and that the imperial government send a replacement for Shi. When Zhu reported this resolution to the imperial government, 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...
(Emperor Xizong's brother and successor) commissioned the chancellor Liu Chongwang
Liu Chongwang
Liu Chongwang , courtesy name Xitu , formally the Baron of Pengcheng , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong.- Background :...
as Shi's replacement and recalled Shi to Chang'an to serve as a senior advisor to the Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
— an honorary position. Shi, however, became fearful that Zhu was only intending to trick him into leaving Xu Prefecture and then kill him once he left, and therefore refused to yield his post to Liu. Liu thus returned to Chang'an.
Meanwhile, Shi had sent an army south to capture Chu Prefecture (楚州, in modern Huai'an
Huai'an
Huai'an , known as Huaiyin before 2001, is a prefecture-level city in northern Jiangsu province of Eastern China. It borders Suqian to the northwest, Lianyungang to the north, Yancheng to the east, Yangzhou to the southeast, and the province of Anhui to the southwest.The municipality has 4,799,889...
, 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...
), which Zhu had taken over. In summer 892, Yang Xingmi sent his officers Zhang Xun (張訓) and Li Decheng (李德誠) to contend for Chu as well, and they defeated Shi's army and then captured Chu Prefecture, capturing its Zhu-commissioned prefect Liu Zan (劉瓚). In winter 892, Zhang Sui (張璲) the prefect of Hao Prefecture and Zhang Jian (張諫) the prefect of Si Prefecture surrendered to Zhu, leaving Shi only in control of Xu. Zhu Quanzhong had sent Zhu Youyu to attack Taiping's Pu Prefecture (濮州, in modern Heze) earlier, and after Zhu Youyu captured Pu Prefecture around the same time, Zhu Quanzhong sent him to Xu to command the siege against Shi Pu.
In spring 893
893
Year 893 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Council of Preslav: Simeon I succeeds Vladimir as prince of Bulgaria; the capital is moved from Pliska to Preslav....
, Shi counterattacked and killed Guo Yan at Su Prefecture. With Zhu Jin arriving with an aid force from Taining, Zhu Youyu and another Xuanwu officer, Huo Cun (霍存), engaged Shi and Zhu Jin, defeating them. Zhu Jin fled back to Taining, although Shi subsequently killed Huo in battle. Subsequently, Zhu Youyu again put Xu Prefecture under siege, refusing to engage Shi when Shi challenged him. Zhu Quanzhong's adoptive son Zhu Yougong (朱友恭) thus falsely accused Zhu Youyu of being complicit with Shi and Zhu Jin. Zhu Quanzhong nearly killed Zhu Youyu, but subsequently released him and replaced him with Pang. Pang continued to siege Xu for months and finally captured it. Shi took his family and ascended Swallow Tower (燕子樓), and then set a fire to kill themselves in the fire. Zhu Quanzhong took over Ganhua.