Zhang Wenli
Encyclopedia
Zhang Wenli (d. September 15, 921?), known as Wang Deming (王德明) during the time that he was an adoptive son of Wang Rong
, was an army officer who initially served under the late Tang Dynasty
warlord Liu Rengong
and Liu Rengong's son Liu Shouwen, and later Wang Rong, the only prince of the early Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
state Zhao
(also known as Chengde Circuit (成德)). Wang Rong favored him for his talent and adopted him as a son. However, in 921
, he encouraged Wang Rong's guards to mutiny and slaughter the Wang clan. He then took over the Zhao lands. When Wang Rong's ally Li Cunxu the Prince of Jin attacked in response, he died in shock.
). At some point after Liu Rengong
, then the military governor (Jiedushi
) of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered at You Prefecture) conquered neighboring Yichang Circuit (義昌, headquartered in modern Cangzhou
, Hebei
) and made his son Liu Shouwen the military governor of Yichang, he sent Zhang to Yichang to serve under Liu Shouwen. On an occasion when Liu Shouwen was at You Prefecture to see his father, Zhang took over Yichang's capital Cang Prefecture (滄州) and refused to let Liu Shouwen return. However, the people of Cang Prefecture then rose against him, causing him to flee to neighboring Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang
, Hebei
). Wang Rong
, who was then the military governor of Chengde, was impressed by Zhang's speech and Zhang's claims about knowing how to lead an army, so he adopted Zhang as a son and changed his name to Wang Deming, entrusting much of the Chengde military affairs to him.
, Wang Rong, who had by that point been given the title of Prince of Zhao by Emperor Taizu of Later Liang (who had taken over the throne from Tang) but who had subsequently come after Later Liang surprise attack, entered into an alliance with Later Liang's archenemy Li Cunxu the Prince of Jin; subsequently, in 911
, Jin and Zhao forces defeated the Later Liang army and forced it to withdraw, saving Zhao. In gratitude, Wang Rong took 37 corps out of his army and put them under Wang Deming's command, sending him to accompany and assist Li Cunxu in his campaigns.
In 912
, when Li Cunxu was set to launch a major attack against Liu Rengong's son and successor Liu Shouguang, who had claimed the title of Emperor of Yan, Wang Deming joined forces with Li Cunxu's major general Zhou Dewei, as well as Cheng Yan (程巖), who commanded an army from Jin's and Zhao's ally Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding
, Hebei
), and they subsequently sieged You Prefecture. By the end of the year, however, Wang appeared to be no longer participating in the campaign, for he was recorded as taking 30,000 men to raid Later Liang's northern territory and capturing Zongcheng (宗城, in modern Xingtai
, Hebei
). However, the Later Liang general Yang Shihou counterattacked and defeated him, killing some 5,000 of his men.
In 913
, while Zhou still had Liu Shouguang under siege at You, the new Later Liang emperor Zhu Zhen
(Emperor Taizu's son) sent Yang and Liu Shouguang's brother Liu Shouqi (劉守奇, who had submitted to Later Liang) north to attack Zhao, apparently to divert Zhao's and Jin's attention from Liu Shouguang. When Wang Rong sought aid from Zhou, Zhou went his officer Li Shaoheng (李紹衡) to join Wang Deming in resisting the Later Liang army. Subsequently, the Later Liang army left Chengde and headed for Yichang.
By 920
, Wang Rong had recalled Wang Deming back to Chengde to command his guard corps, while sending another officer, Fu Xi (符習), to replace him as the commander of the Zhao forces accompanying Li Cunxu. That year, Wang Rong, who had become accustomed to luxurious living, alienated his army by spending too much time at his vacation home in the mountains west of Zhao's capital Zhen Prefecture (鎮州). The soldiers mutinied and killed Wang Rong's favorite eunuch Shi Ximeng (石希蒙), and in response, Wang Rong killed the eunuch Li Honggui (李弘規) and the officer Li Ai (李藹), whom he blamed for inciting the mutiny, and slaughtered Li Honggui's and Li Ai's families. He transferred Li Honggui's and Li Ai's authorities to his son Wang Zhaozuo (王昭祚) and Wang Deming. Wang Rong continued to pursue those whom he considered to be Li Honggui's and Li Ai's associates, and many were killed. Wang Deming, who by this point had formed the ambition to overthrow his adoptive father, falsely informed the guards that Wang Rong was intending to slaughter them all, causing a general panic in the guard corps. In spring 921
, the guards mutinied and killed Wang Rong. They offered the leadership of the circuit to Wang Deming. Wang Deming accepted, and changed his name back to Zhang Wenli. He then slaughtered Wang Rong's clan, sparing only Wang Zhaozuo's wife (who was a sister of Zhu Youzhen's and who carried the Later Liang title of Princess Puning), hoping that this would open the possibility of Later Liang assistance.
However, Zhang was fearful that the Jin prince would eventually attack him. He thus repeatedly sent secret messengers to both Zhu Zhen and the Khitan
Emperor Taizu
. (Zhu Zhen, despite the urging of his chancellor
Jing Xiang
, took no action, believing that Zhang was not truly a trustworthy subject.) Many of these secret messengers were, however, intercepted by Jin forces. Li Cunxu released the secret messengers back to Zhang, further increasing Zhang's fear about what Li Cunxu might do next. He was also fearful that the senior officers of Zhao might rebel against him, and often found excuses to kill them. He tried to appease Fu Xi by promoting Fu Xi's son Fu Zimeng (符子蒙), while recalling Fu Xi back to Chengde. Fu, instead, met with Li Cunxu, urging Li Cunxu to avenge Wang Rong.
In fall 921, Li Cunxu commissioned Fu as the acting military governor of Chengde and launched a general campaign against Zhang. He sent his generals Yan Bao (閻寶) and Shi Jiantang (史建瑭) to assist Fu. Together, the Jin troops and Fu's Zhao troops attacked Chengde's Zhao Prefecture (趙州, in modern Shijiazhuang). Zhao Prefecture's prefect Wang Ting (王鋌) surrendered quickly. Upon hearing the fall of Zhao Prefecture, Zhang, who was then suffering from an abdominal illness, died in shock. His son Zhang Chujin
took over command of the Chengde forces, but was eventually defeated and killed by Li Cunxu in 922
. Li Cunxu took over the former Zhao territory. He had Zhang Wenli's body cut in pieces in public.
Wang Rong
Wang Rong , style name Junchong , was a politician of the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history.Wang Rong served under Jin as the 3rd East General. Wang Rong participated during the final conquest of Eastern Wu, where he led his army as far as to that of Wuchang...
, was an army officer who initially served under the late 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...
warlord Liu Rengong
Liu Rengong
Liu Rengong was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who controlled Lulong Circuit from 895 to 907...
and Liu Rengong's son Liu Shouwen, and later Wang Rong, the only prince of the early Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms was between 907–960/979 AD and an era of political upheaval in China, between the fall of the Tang Dynasty and the founding of the Song Dynasty. During this period, five dynasties quickly succeeded one another in the north, and more than 12 independent states were...
state Zhao
Zhao (Five Dynasties)
Zhao was a state early in the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, located in modern central Hebei. The ancestors of its only prince, Wang Rong, had long, during the Tang Dynasty, governed the region as military governors of Tang's Chengde Circuit , and after Tang's end in 907, the...
(also known as Chengde Circuit (成德)). Wang Rong favored him for his talent and adopted him as a son. However, in 921
921
Year 921 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Crushing defeat of the Idrisid dynasty against their Fatimid rivals...
, he encouraged Wang Rong's guards to mutiny and slaughter the Wang clan. He then took over the Zhao lands. When Wang Rong's ally Li Cunxu the Prince of Jin attacked in response, he died in shock.
Prior to becoming Wang Rong's adoptive son
It is not known when Zhang Wenli was born, but it is known that he was originally from You Prefecture (幽州, in modern BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
). At some point after Liu Rengong
Liu Rengong
Liu Rengong was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who controlled Lulong Circuit from 895 to 907...
, then the military governor (Jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered at You Prefecture) conquered neighboring Yichang Circuit (義昌, headquartered in modern Cangzhou
Cangzhou
Cangzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. Cangzhou's urban center has a population of approximately 514,074 at the 2010 census which correspond to the built up area), while the prefecture-level administrative region in total has a population of 7,134,053...
, 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...
) and made his son Liu Shouwen the military governor of Yichang, he sent Zhang to Yichang to serve under Liu Shouwen. On an occasion when Liu Shouwen was at You Prefecture to see his father, Zhang took over Yichang's capital Cang Prefecture (滄州) and refused to let Liu Shouwen return. However, the people of Cang Prefecture then rose against him, causing him to flee to neighboring Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang is the capital and largest city of North China's Hebei province. Administratively a prefecture-level city, it is about south of Beijing...
, 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...
). Wang Rong
Wang Rong
Wang Rong , style name Junchong , was a politician of the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history.Wang Rong served under Jin as the 3rd East General. Wang Rong participated during the final conquest of Eastern Wu, where he led his army as far as to that of Wuchang...
, who was then the military governor of Chengde, was impressed by Zhang's speech and Zhang's claims about knowing how to lead an army, so he adopted Zhang as a son and changed his name to Wang Deming, entrusting much of the Chengde military affairs to him.
As Wang Rong's adoptive son
In 910910
Year 910 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* August 5 – The allied forces of Mercia and Wessex defeat an army of Northumbrian Vikings in the Battle of Tettenhall...
, Wang Rong, who had by that point been given the title of Prince of Zhao by Emperor Taizu of Later Liang (who had taken over the throne from Tang) but who had subsequently come after Later Liang surprise attack, entered into an alliance with Later Liang's archenemy Li Cunxu the Prince of Jin; subsequently, in 911
911
Year 911 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Rebellion of the Kutama Berbers against the Fatimid Caliphate...
, Jin and Zhao forces defeated the Later Liang army and forced it to withdraw, saving Zhao. In gratitude, Wang Rong took 37 corps out of his army and put them under Wang Deming's command, sending him to accompany and assist Li Cunxu in his campaigns.
In 912
912
Year 912 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Second rebellion of the Kutama tribesmen against the Fatimid Caliphate in two years.- Europe :...
, when Li Cunxu was set to launch a major attack against Liu Rengong's son and successor Liu Shouguang, who had claimed the title of Emperor of Yan, Wang Deming joined forces with Li Cunxu's major general Zhou Dewei, as well as Cheng Yan (程巖), who commanded an army from Jin's and Zhao's ally Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding
Baoding
-Administrative divisions:Baoding prefecture-level city consists of 3 municipal districts, 4 county-level cities, 18 counties:-Demographics:The Baoding urban area has a population of around 1,006,000 . The population of the Baoding administrative area is 10,890,000. The considerable majority are...
, 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...
), and they subsequently sieged You Prefecture. By the end of the year, however, Wang appeared to be no longer participating in the campaign, for he was recorded as taking 30,000 men to raid Later Liang's northern territory and capturing Zongcheng (宗城, 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...
). However, the Later Liang general Yang Shihou counterattacked and defeated him, killing some 5,000 of his men.
In 913
913
Year 913 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Africa :* The Shiite Fatimid state in modern day Tunisia launches a failed military campaign against Egypt.- Religion :...
, while Zhou still had Liu Shouguang under siege at You, the new Later Liang emperor Zhu Zhen
Zhu Zhen
Emperor Modi of Later Liang Zhu Youzhen was Emperor of China between 913 and 923. He was the third and last emperor of the first of the Five Dynasties - the Later Liang Dynasty and the youngest son of its founder, Zhu Quanzhong. He changed his name to Zhu Zhen during his time in office...
(Emperor Taizu's son) sent Yang and Liu Shouguang's brother Liu Shouqi (劉守奇, who had submitted to Later Liang) north to attack Zhao, apparently to divert Zhao's and Jin's attention from Liu Shouguang. When Wang Rong sought aid from Zhou, Zhou went his officer Li Shaoheng (李紹衡) to join Wang Deming in resisting the Later Liang army. Subsequently, the Later Liang army left Chengde and headed for Yichang.
By 920
920
Year 920 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The Icelandic volcano Katla erupts.* The Saxons retake East Anglia from the Danes....
, Wang Rong had recalled Wang Deming back to Chengde to command his guard corps, while sending another officer, Fu Xi (符習), to replace him as the commander of the Zhao forces accompanying Li Cunxu. That year, Wang Rong, who had become accustomed to luxurious living, alienated his army by spending too much time at his vacation home in the mountains west of Zhao's capital Zhen Prefecture (鎮州). The soldiers mutinied and killed Wang Rong's favorite eunuch Shi Ximeng (石希蒙), and in response, Wang Rong killed the eunuch Li Honggui (李弘規) and the officer Li Ai (李藹), whom he blamed for inciting the mutiny, and slaughtered Li Honggui's and Li Ai's families. He transferred Li Honggui's and Li Ai's authorities to his son Wang Zhaozuo (王昭祚) and Wang Deming. Wang Rong continued to pursue those whom he considered to be Li Honggui's and Li Ai's associates, and many were killed. Wang Deming, who by this point had formed the ambition to overthrow his adoptive father, falsely informed the guards that Wang Rong was intending to slaughter them all, causing a general panic in the guard corps. In spring 921
921
Year 921 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Crushing defeat of the Idrisid dynasty against their Fatimid rivals...
, the guards mutinied and killed Wang Rong. They offered the leadership of the circuit to Wang Deming. Wang Deming accepted, and changed his name back to Zhang Wenli. He then slaughtered Wang Rong's clan, sparing only Wang Zhaozuo's wife (who was a sister of Zhu Youzhen's and who carried the Later Liang title of Princess Puning), hoping that this would open the possibility of Later Liang assistance.
Rule of Chengde Circuit
Zhang Wenli sent a report of what occurred to Li Cunxu, requesting to be commissioned as a military governor, while at the same time offering to support him as emperor. (Li Cunxu had, up to that point, only carried the title of Prince of Jin as he theoretically still considered himself a Tang subject.) Li Cunxu's initial instinct was to attack Zhang for his killing of the Wang clan, but Li Cunxu's staff members thought that as Jin was locked in a struggle with Later Liang at that point, it should not create another enemy. Li Cunxu thus commissioned Zhang as the acting military governor.However, Zhang was fearful that the Jin prince would eventually attack him. He thus repeatedly sent secret messengers to both Zhu Zhen and the Khitan
Liao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
Emperor Taizu
Emperor Taizu of Liao
The Emperor Taizu of Liao was the first emperor of the Liao Dynasty . His given name was Abaoji . Some sources also suggest that the surname Yelü was adopted during his lifetime, though there is no unanimity on this point....
. (Zhu Zhen, despite the urging of his chancellor
Chancellor of China
The Chancellor , variously translated as Prime Minister, Chancellor of State, Premier or Chief Councillor, was a generic name given to the highest-ranking official in the imperial government in ancient China...
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...
, took no action, believing that Zhang was not truly a trustworthy subject.) Many of these secret messengers were, however, intercepted by Jin forces. Li Cunxu released the secret messengers back to Zhang, further increasing Zhang's fear about what Li Cunxu might do next. He was also fearful that the senior officers of Zhao might rebel against him, and often found excuses to kill them. He tried to appease Fu Xi by promoting Fu Xi's son Fu Zimeng (符子蒙), while recalling Fu Xi back to Chengde. Fu, instead, met with Li Cunxu, urging Li Cunxu to avenge Wang Rong.
In fall 921, Li Cunxu commissioned Fu as the acting military governor of Chengde and launched a general campaign against Zhang. He sent his generals Yan Bao (閻寶) and Shi Jiantang (史建瑭) to assist Fu. Together, the Jin troops and Fu's Zhao troops attacked Chengde's Zhao Prefecture (趙州, in modern Shijiazhuang). Zhao Prefecture's prefect Wang Ting (王鋌) surrendered quickly. Upon hearing the fall of Zhao Prefecture, Zhang, who was then suffering from an abdominal illness, died in shock. His son Zhang Chujin
Zhang Chujin
Zhang Chujin was a ruler of Chengde Circuit early in the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. His father Zhang Wenli had taken over the circuit after a mutiny that Zhang Wenli encouraged resulted in the death of Zhang Wenli's adoptive father Wang Rong the Prince of Zhao in 921...
took over command of the Chengde forces, but was eventually defeated and killed by Li Cunxu in 922
922
Year 922 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Khitan Empire, led by Abaoji, raids Hebei, China.- Deaths :* March 26 – Mansur Al-Hallaj, Sufi writer...
. Li Cunxu took over the former Zhao territory. He had Zhang Wenli's body cut in pieces in public.