Feng Hongduo
Encyclopedia
Feng Hongduo was a warlord late in the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
, who controlled the Sheng Prefecture (昇州, in modern Nanjing
, Jiangsu
) region from 893
to 902
.
, Jiangsu
), and he served as an officer at Ganhua Circuit (感化, headquartered in modern Xuzhou
, Jiangsu
), which Lianshui belonged to. Once, when Feng was accused of impropriety by circuit administrators, fellow officer Zhang Xiong
, who was also from Lianshui, spoke on his behalf, and Zhang's doing so caused Ganhua's military governor (Jiedushi
) Shi Pu
to suspect both of them. In 886
, knowing that Shi suspected them, Zhang and Feng gathered 300 men and left Ganhua with them, crossing the Yangtze River
to attack Su Prefecture (蘇州, in modern Suzhou
, Jiangsu
), which then belonged to Zhenhai Circuit. They captured it, and Zhang claimed the title of prefect. Eventually, he was able to gather an army reaching the size of 50,000, with 1,000 ships, and called his army Tiancheng Army (天成軍).
to East China Sea
and then back up the Yangtze; Feng followed him. Zhang eventually settled in at Shangyuan (上元, in modern Nanjing
, Jiangsu
), and was given the title of prefect of a new Sheng Prefecture, with its seat at Shangyuan, by then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong
. After Zhang's death in 893
, Feng succeeded him as the prefect of Sheng.
scholar. He also possessed the strongest fleet of the region, constructed from good, durable wood that he obtained from afar; the ships were massive and known as "tower ships" (樓船). He made peace with Yang Xingmi, who by that point had taken control of Huainan. However, at one point, he sent his follower Shang Gongnai (尚公乃) to Yang, demanding that Yang turn over control of Run Prefecture (潤州, in modern Zhenjiang
, Jiangsu
) to him. When Yang refused, Shang made the comment to Yang, "Lord, you reject our demand, but can you withstand the tower ship fleet?" Still, it appeared that no major conflict between Yang and Feng resulted from this incident.
In 902
, Emperor Zhaozong, who was then under the controls of the eunuch Han Quanhui
and the warlord Li Maozhen
at Li Maozhen's Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji
, Shaanxi
), which was then under siege by another major warlord, Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
, Henan
), sent the imperial emissary Li Yan to the southeastern circuits to encourage the warlords there to join under Yang's command and attack Zhu. As part of the edicts that Li Yan promulgated, Feng was given the title of military governor of Wuning (武寧, i.e., Ganhua).
Meanwhile, by this point, Feng had felt trapped between Yang and Yang's vassal, Tian Jun
the military governor of Ningguo Circuit (寧國, headquartered in modern Xuancheng
, Anhui
), but as he felt that he could depend on his tower ship fleet, he did not join the Huainan power bloc. Tian decided to try to conquer Feng's territory, so he hired the shipbuilders who had previously built Feng's ships to build ships for him, despite those shipbuilders' objections that Tian's territory lacked the type of wood that Feng used and therefore resultant ships would not be as durable. (Tian's response to them was, "Just build them; all I need to do is to use them once.") Tian thus quickly had a fleet built, ready to engage Tian.
Feng realized Tian's intentions, and his subordinates Feng Hui (馮暉) and Yan Jian (顏建) suggested that he attack Tian first. He therefore activated his fleet and headed southwest on the Yangtze, claiming to be readying to attack Zhong Chuan
the military governor of Zhennan Circuit (鎮南, headquartered in modern Nanchang
, Jiangxi
), but was instead intending to attack Tian. When Yang sent emissaries to try to stop him from attacking Tian, he refused to listen. However, when he engaged Tian's fleet at Geshan (葛山, in modern Xuancheng), Tian dealt him a major defeat.
Having been defeated by Tian, Feng Hongduo gathered the remnants of his fleet and planned to head down the Yangtze to East China Sea. Yang was concerned that he might be able to rebuild his forces and become a threat later, and therefore sent messengers to assure him that if he submitted, he and his army would be well-treated. Feng's army wanted to accept the offer, and when Yang, unarmed, thereafter went to Dongtang (東塘, in modern Yangzhou) to meet Feng, Feng and his army was impressed, and therefore joined Yang's army at Huainan. Yang made him the deputy military governor of Huainan. He thereafter served Yang without failure. That was the last historical record on Feng, and it is not known when he died.
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, who controlled the Sheng Prefecture (昇州, in modern Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, 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...
) region from 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....
to 902
902
Year 902 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* August 1 – Taormina, the last Byzantine stronghold in Sicily, is captured by the Aghlabid army....
.
Background
Feng Hongduo was originally from Lianshui (漣水, in modern Huai'anHuai'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...
), and he served as an officer at 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...
), which Lianshui belonged to. Once, when Feng was accused of impropriety by circuit administrators, fellow officer Zhang Xiong
Zhang Xiong
Zhang Xiong was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who, from 886 and on, controlled an army that initially roved in the lower Yangtze River region and became a key player in the power struggles between various warlords for the control of Huainan and Zhenhai...
, who was also from Lianshui, spoke on his behalf, and Zhang's doing so caused Ganhua's 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...
) 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...
to suspect both of them. In 886
886
Year 886 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :...
, knowing that Shi suspected them, Zhang and Feng gathered 300 men and left Ganhua with them, crossing the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
to attack Su Prefecture (蘇州, in modern Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, 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 then belonged to Zhenhai Circuit. They captured it, and Zhang claimed the title of prefect. Eventually, he was able to gather an army reaching the size of 50,000, with 1,000 ships, and called his army Tiancheng Army (天成軍).
Service under Zhang Xiong
Zhang Xiong was eventually dislodged from Su Prefecture by Xu Yue (徐約) and roved down the Yangtze RiverYangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
to East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...
and then back up the Yangtze; Feng followed him. Zhang eventually settled in at Shangyuan (上元, in modern Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, 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 was given the title of prefect of a new Sheng Prefecture, with its seat at Shangyuan, by 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...
. After Zhang's death in 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....
, Feng succeeded him as the prefect of Sheng.
As ruler of Sheng Prefecture
It was said that Feng Hongduo, as the prefect of Sheng, was capable in riding and archery, and was also a good speaker, speaking as if he were a learned ConfucianConfucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
scholar. He also possessed the strongest fleet of the region, constructed from good, durable wood that he obtained from afar; the ships were massive and known as "tower ships" (樓船). He made peace with Yang Xingmi, who by that point had taken control of Huainan. However, at one point, he sent his follower Shang Gongnai (尚公乃) to Yang, demanding that Yang turn over control of Run Prefecture (潤州, in modern Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Jiangsu province in the eastern People's Republic of China . Sitting on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Changzhou to the east, and Yangzhou across the river to the north.Once...
, 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...
) to him. When Yang refused, Shang made the comment to Yang, "Lord, you reject our demand, but can you withstand the tower ship fleet?" Still, it appeared that no major conflict between Yang and Feng resulted from this incident.
In 902
902
Year 902 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* August 1 – Taormina, the last Byzantine stronghold in Sicily, is captured by the Aghlabid army....
, Emperor Zhaozong, who was then under the controls of the eunuch Han Quanhui
Han Quanhui
Han Quanhui was an eunuch late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. The struggles by the eunuchs, led by him, against the chancellor Cui Yin, who wanted to eliminate the powerful eunuchs, led to the eunuchs' kidnapping of Emperor Zhaozong and then a major military confrontation between two...
and the warlord Li Maozhen
Li Maozhen
Li Maozhen , né Song Wentong , courtesy name Zhengchen , formally Prince Zhongjing of Qin , was the only ruler of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Qi...
at Li Maozhen's 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...
), which was then under siege by another major 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...
), sent the imperial emissary Li Yan to the southeastern circuits to encourage the warlords there to join under Yang's command and attack Zhu. As part of the edicts that Li Yan promulgated, Feng was given the title of military governor of Wuning (武寧, i.e., Ganhua).
Meanwhile, by this point, Feng had felt trapped between Yang and Yang's vassal, Tian Jun
Tian Jun
Tian Jun is a male Chinese rower, who competed for Team China at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Major performances:*2006 World Championships - 1st lightweight fours;*2007 World Cup Leg 1/2 - 1st lightweight fours;...
the military governor of Ningguo Circuit (寧國, headquartered in modern Xuancheng
Xuancheng
Xuancheng is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Anhui province of Eastern China. It borders Wuhu to the northwest, Chizhou to the west, Huangshan to the southwest, and the provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu to the southeast and northeast respectively....
, 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...
), but as he felt that he could depend on his tower ship fleet, he did not join the Huainan power bloc. Tian decided to try to conquer Feng's territory, so he hired the shipbuilders who had previously built Feng's ships to build ships for him, despite those shipbuilders' objections that Tian's territory lacked the type of wood that Feng used and therefore resultant ships would not be as durable. (Tian's response to them was, "Just build them; all I need to do is to use them once.") Tian thus quickly had a fleet built, ready to engage Tian.
Feng realized Tian's intentions, and his subordinates Feng Hui (馮暉) and Yan Jian (顏建) suggested that he attack Tian first. He therefore activated his fleet and headed southwest on the Yangtze, claiming to be readying to attack Zhong Chuan
Zhong Chuan
Zhong Chuan , formally the Prince of Nanping , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled a large portion of Zhennan Circuit as its military governor for over 20 years.- Background and seizure of Jiangxi :It is not known when Zhong Chuan was...
the military governor of Zhennan Circuit (鎮南, headquartered in modern Nanchang
Nanchang
Nanchang is the capital of Jiangxi Province in southeastern China. It is located in the north-central portion of the province. As it is bounded on the west by the Jiuling Mountains, and on the east by Poyang Lake, it is famous for its scenery, rich history and cultural sites...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
), but was instead intending to attack Tian. When Yang sent emissaries to try to stop him from attacking Tian, he refused to listen. However, when he engaged Tian's fleet at Geshan (葛山, in modern Xuancheng), Tian dealt him a major defeat.
Having been defeated by Tian, Feng Hongduo gathered the remnants of his fleet and planned to head down the Yangtze to East China Sea. Yang was concerned that he might be able to rebuild his forces and become a threat later, and therefore sent messengers to assure him that if he submitted, he and his army would be well-treated. Feng's army wanted to accept the offer, and when Yang, unarmed, thereafter went to Dongtang (東塘, in modern Yangzhou) to meet Feng, Feng and his army was impressed, and therefore joined Yang's army at Huainan. Yang made him the deputy military governor of Huainan. He thereafter served Yang without failure. That was the last historical record on Feng, and it is not known when he died.