Zhang Quanyi
Encyclopedia
Zhang Quanyi (852 – April 29, 926), né Zhang Juyan (張居言) or Zhang Yan (張言), known as Zhang Zongshi (張宗奭) during Later Liang Dynasty
, courtesy name Guowei (國維), formally Prince Zhongsu of Qi (齊忠肅王), was a late Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
warlord who later was a senior official during the succeeding Later Liang Dynasty
and Later Tang Dynasty
. He was credited for rebuilding the city of Luoyang
from utter destruction from the warfares in the late Tang period into a prosperous city.
, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong
. His biography in the History of the Five Dynasties indicated that he was originally named Zhang Juyan, and his biography in the New History of the Five Dynasties
indicated that he was originally named Zhang Yan. His family was from Linpu (臨濮, in modern Heze
, Shandong
), and both his grandfather Zhang Lian (張璉) and father Zhang Cheng (張誠) were farmers. Zhang Quanyi himself served as a farm inspector for the Linpu County government, but in his service was often insulted by the county magistrate. Therefore, when, late in the Qianfu era (874
-879
) of Emperor Xuānzong's grandson Emperor Xizong
, when the region was overrun by the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao
, Zhang joined Huang's army. After Huang captured the Tang imperial capital Chang'an
and forced Emperor Xizong to flee to Chengdu
around the new year 881
, Huang established a new state of Qi with himself as emperor. Zhang served in Huang's government as the minister of civil service affairs (吏部尚書, Libu Shangshu) and the director of transportation.
the military governor (Jiedushi
) of Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern Luoyang
, Henan
). He distinguished himself serving under Zhuge, and Zhuge eventually made him the prefect of Ze Prefecture (澤州, in modern Jincheng
, Shanxi
).
Zhuge died in 886
. Zhang and another officer of Zhuge's, Liu Jing (劉經), supported Zhuge's son Zhuge Zhongfang (諸葛仲方) as acting military governor. Liu, however, controlled the governance of the circuit, drawing resentment from other officers. Late in 886, Liu became suspicious of the officer Li Hanzhi
, and he decided to use Luoyang
as a base to launch a surprise attack on Li's base at Minchi (澠池, in modern Luoyang). Li defeated him, however, forcing him to abandon Luoyang and flee north of the Yellow River
back to the circuit capital Heyang. Li gave chase, and was about to chase the Yellow River, when Liu sent Zhang to try to stop Li. However, as Zhang also resented Liu's hold on the circuit governance, he instead joined Li, and they jointly attacked Heyang but could not capture it. They then withdrew to Huai Prefecture (懷州, in modern Luoyang).
As this Heyang Circuit internecine confrontation was going on, the former Tang general Qin Zongquan, who had declared himself emperor at Fengguo Circuit (奉國, headquartered in modern Zhumadian
, Henan
), sent his general Sun Ru
toward Heyang, and Sun soon captured the city. Zhuge Zhongfang fled to Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
, Henan
). Sun thereafter claimed the title of military governor of Heyang. However, Zhang and Li occupied Huai and Ze Prefectures, respectively, and resisted Sun. After Qin thereafter suffered a major defeat at the hands of Xuanwu's military governor Zhu Quanzhong, Sun withdrew from Heyang. Zhang and Li rejoined forces, with Li taking over Heyang and Zhang taking over Luoyang; they then jointly sought aid from the major warlord Li Keyong
the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
, Shanxi
). Li Keyong sent his officer An Jinjun (安金俊) to take over Ze Prefecture as prefect and to aid Li Hanzhi and Zhang; he also commissioned Li Hanzhi as the military governor of Heyang and Zhang as the mayor of Henan Municipality (河南, i.e., Luoyang).
Meanwhile, Zhang initially had a cordial relationship with Li Hanzhi, whose Heyang Circuit his Henan Municipality belonged to, and they even cut their own arms to swear to be brothers. However, Li Hanzhi viewed Zhang's promotion of farming lightly. He also made a habit of making all kinds of material demands on Zhang, to the point that whenever he was not satisfied with what Zhang supplied his army, he would arrest Zhang's subordinates and cane them. Initially, Zhang put on the appearance of fearing Li Hanzhi and doing everything to appease him. In 888
, when Li Hanzhi was on a campaign against the army of Huguo Circuit (護國, headquartered in modern Yuncheng
, Shanxi
), Huguo's military governor Wang Chongying
sent secret emissaries to persuade Zhang to turn against Li Hanzhi. Zhang agreed, and he launched a surprise attack on Heyang at night, capturing it and taking Li Hanzhi's household captive. He then claimed the title of military governor of Heyang for himself.
, Xue Atan (薛阿檀), Shi Yan (史儼), An Jinjun, and An Xiuxiu (安休休) to aid Li Hanzhi in trying to recapture Heyang. They put Heyang under siege, and the food supplies ran out. Zhang Quanyi thus sent his wife and children to Zhu Quanzhong as hostages to seek aid from him. Zhu sent his officers Ding Hui
, Ge Congzhou
, and Niu Cunjie (牛存節) to aid Zhang. They defeated the Hedong forces, and then postured to cut off the Hedong forces' return path to Hedong through the Taihang Mountains
. In fear, Kang took his army and withdrew. Zhu commissioned Ding the acting military governor of Heyang and recommissioned Zhang as the mayor of Henan. It was said that because Zhang was appreciative of Zhu's saving his life, he never had any thoughts of turning against Zhu from this point on, and he plenteously supplied Zhu's army in Zhu's subsequent campaigns. Soon thereafter, Henan was turned into its own circuit (Youguo (佑國)), and then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong
(Emperor Xizong's brother and successor) commissioned Zhang its military governor.
In 890
, when the imperial government, at the request of Zhu's and that of Li Kuangwei
the military governor of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing
, declared a general campaign against Li Keyong, Zhang led an army to participate in Zhu's operation, along with Ge and Zhu's son Zhu Youyu (朱友裕), to wrest Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi
, Shanxi
) from Li Keyong's control. The campaign, however, eventually ended in failure when Li Keyong's main forces crushed the imperial forces commanded by the chancellor Zhang Jun
, and Li Keyong was able to retain Zhaoyi at that point. Later in the year, Zhang received the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事).
In 892
, after Zhu, for reasons unclear to history, requested that then-military governor of Heyang, Zhao Keyu (趙克裕), be demoted, Zhang was made the military governor of Heyang, in addition to Youguo. (However, at some point, Ding was made acting military governor of Heyang again, and in 899
was made full military governor.)
In 896
, by which time Emperor Zhaozong had fled to Zhenguo Circuit (鎮國, headquartered in modern Weinan
, Shaanxi
), which was then governed by Han Jian
, due to attacks on Chang'an by Li Maozhen
the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji
, Shaanxi
), Zhu Quanzhong and Zhang were submitted repeated joint petitions for the emperor to move the capital to Luoyang. In fear, Li Maozhen apologized to the emperor, repaired the palace and office buildings at Chang'an, and welcomed Emperor Zhaozong back to Chang'an.
In 898
, Emperor Zhaozong bestowed the greater honorary chancellor title of Shizhong on Zhang.
In 900
, when the eunuch Liu Jishu
briefly overthrew Emperor Zhaozong in a coup and replaced him with his son Li Yu
the Crown Prince
, Zhang Jun, who had by that point retired to Changshui (長水), one of the counties of Henan, went to meet with Zhang Quanyi to encourage him and the other military governors to start a campaign to restore Emperor Zhaozong. There was no record of any actual action taken by Zhang Quanyi. (However, in 901
, Emperor Zhaozong was restored in a countercoup headed by the imperial guard officers Sun Dezhao (孫德昭), Dong Yanbi (董彥弼), and Zhou Chenghui (周承誨). Shortly after, Zhang Quanyi was given the honorary chancellor title of Zhongshu Ling (中書令).
By 903
, Zhu Quanzhong had taken Emperor Zhaozong under his control, and was planning on eventually usurping the Tang throne. He feared that Zhang Jun would again encourage the military governors to attack him. He thus ordered Zhang Quanyi to kill Zhang Jun. Zhang Quanyi sent his officer Yang Lin (楊麟) to take a group of soldiers, disguised as bandits, to attack Zhang Jun's mansion and slaughter his household. Only Zhang Jun's son Zhang Ge escaped the slaughter. Subsequently, Zhu Quanzhong destroyed Chang'an and moved Emperor Zhaozong to Luoyang. He then moved Zhang Quanyi to be the military governor of Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an
, Shandong
. He also had Zhang created the Prince of Dongping.
In 904
, by which point Zhu had assassinated Emperor Zhaozong and replaced him with his son Li Zuo
the Prince of Hui (as Emperor Ai), Zhang Quanyi was again made the mayor of Henan; he was additionally also made the military governor of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Weinan), apparently commanding it remotely, and the overall commander of the imperial guards.
, Zhu Quanzhong had Emperor Ai yield the throne to him, ending Tang and starting a new Later Liang Dynasty
as its Emperor Taizu. He made Zhang Quanyi the military governor of Heyang, in addition to being the mayor of Henan, again, and created him the Prince of Wei. Soon thereafter, he changed Zhang Quanyi's name to Zhang Zongshi, apparently due to naming taboo
as his own name included the character "Quan." In 908
, in addition to his other offices, Zhang was also made Taibao (太保) and the military governor of Zhenguo Circuit (鎮國, headquartered in modern Sanmenxia
, Henan
). In 910
, he was additionally made the military governor of Xuanyi Circuit (宣義, headquartered in modern Anyang
, Henan
.
In 911
, Emperor Taizu spent the summer at Zhang's summer mansion. He used the opportunity to have sexual relations with virtually every woman in Zhang's household. Zhang's son Zhang Jizuo (張繼祚), humiliated, wanted to assassinate the emperor. Zhang Zongshi pointed out that it was because of Emperor Taizu's initially stopping Li Hanzhi's attack that the Zhang household was preserved, and he managed to persuade Zhang Jizuo not to carry out the assassination. (According to Zhang's biography in the New History of the Five Dynasties, the women that Emperor Taizu had sexual relations with included even Zhang Zongshi's wife Lady Chu and his daughters.)
, Emperor Taizu was assassinated by his son Zhu Yougui the Prince of Ying, who took the throne thereafter. As part of the governmental reorganization that took place after Zhu Yougui took the throne, he disbanded the headquarters for financial matters at the eastern capital Kaifeng
(which previously had been the headquarters of Xuanwu Circuit while Zhu Quanzhong governed it), which Emperor Taizu had created and had named Jianchang Palace (建昌宮). The responsibility of overseeing the financial matters was transferred to Zhang Zongshi. Zhang was also made the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (whose headquarters had been moved to modern Shangqiu
, Henan
by that point). In 913
, Zhu Yougui's younger brother Zhu Youzhen
the Prince of Jun overthrew him and took the throne, and subsequently moved the capital from Luoyang to Kaifeng, but it appeared that Zhang remained in charge of the financial matters of the state. In 917
, Zhu Youzhen (who had changed his name to Zhu Zhen) further bestowed on Zhang the title of Deputy Generalissimo of All Circuits (天下兵馬副元帥). (The Generalissimo title belonged to Qian Liu
the Prince of Wuyue, whose state was a Later Liang vassal state.)
In 921
, Zhu Zhen, suspicious of the intentions of the major general Liu Xun
, who had sought retirement, approved Liu's retirement and had him reside at Luoyang. He then ordered Zhang to poison Liu to death.
In 923
, Zhu Zhen, with the territory of his Later Liang state north of the Yellow River
gradually taken piece by piece by his rival Li Cunxu the Prince of Jin (Li Keyong's son and successor), planned a major counterattack. At the recommendation of his close associates Zhao Yan and Zhang Hanjie (張漢傑), he made the general Duan Ning, whose military abilities was not respected by the army, the overall commander of the operations. Zhang Zongshi, knowing that Duan was not the appropriate commander and that the army generals were more respectful of another general, Wang Yanzhang, submitted a petition stating:
Despite Zhang's petition (and similar remarks made by the chancellor Jing Xiang
), Zhu Zhen continued to leave Duan in command. Subsequently, before Duan could start his operations, Li Cunxu made a surprise maneuver across the Yellow River around Duan's army, and directly attacked Kaifeng. Zhu Zhen, unable to resist and unable to flee, committed suicide. Li Cunxu, who had by that point declared himself the emperor of a new dynasty, Later Tang Dynasty
(as its Emperor Zhuangzong), and claimed to be the legitimate successor to Tang, entered Kaifeng and took over virtually all of the Later Liang territory.
In 924
, Emperor Zhuangzong and his wife Empress Liu Yuniang visited Zhang's mansion for a feast. At the feast, Empress Liu, claiming that she lost her parents in her youth and that she missed having parents, asked to treat Zhang as her father. Zhang, in fear, initially declined, but eventually accepted. Thereafter, Empress Liu and he often sent messengers back and forth, and he submitted much tribute to her.
In 926
, Emperor Zhuangzong, who had alienated his soldiers due to his failure to properly reward them for their contributions during his campaigns, was facing a mutiny by the Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan
, Hebei
) army. He initially sent the general Li Shaorong to try to suppress the rebellion, but Li Shaorong was unable to do so. Zhang, instead, recommended the senior general, and Emperor Zhuangzong's adoptive brother, Li Siyuan. Upon Li Siyuan's arrival at Weibo, however, his own soldiers mutinied and forced Li Siyuan to join the Weibo soldiers in the rebellion. Li Siyuan subsequently led his army south, toward Kaifeng. When Zhang heard this, he became fearful as he was the one who had recommended Li Siyuan, and he stopped eating. He died soon thereafter.
Later Liang Dynasty
The Later Liang was one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. It was founded by Zhu Wen, posthumously known as Taizu of Later Liang, after he forced the last emperor of the Tang dynasty to abdicate in his favour...
, courtesy name Guowei (國維), formally Prince Zhongsu of Qi (齊忠肅王), was a late 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...
warlord who later was a senior official during the succeeding Later Liang Dynasty
Later Liang Dynasty
The Later Liang was one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. It was founded by Zhu Wen, posthumously known as Taizu of Later Liang, after he forced the last emperor of the Tang dynasty to abdicate in his favour...
and Later Tang Dynasty
Later Tang Dynasty
The Later Tang Dynasty was a short-lived dynasty that lasted from 923 to 937 one of the five dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was also the first in a series of three dynasties ruled by the Shatuo Turks...
. He was credited for rebuilding the city of 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...
from utter destruction from the warfares in the late Tang period into a prosperous city.
Background and service under Huang Chao
Zhang Quanyi was born in 852852
Year 852 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Saint Swithun becomes Bishop of Winchester, England....
, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
. His biography in the History of the Five Dynasties indicated that he was originally named Zhang Juyan, and his biography in the New History of the Five Dynasties
New History of the Five Dynasties
The New History of the Five Dynasties is a history of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was written by the Song Dynasty official Ouyang Xiu and completed in 1053...
indicated that he was originally named Zhang Yan. His family was from Linpu (臨濮, 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...
), and both his grandfather Zhang Lian (張璉) and father Zhang Cheng (張誠) were farmers. Zhang Quanyi himself served as a farm inspector for the Linpu County government, but in his service was often insulted by the county magistrate. Therefore, when, late in the Qianfu era (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 ....
-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....
) of Emperor Xuānzong's grandson 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...
, when the region was overrun by the major 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...
, Zhang joined Huang's army. After Huang captured the Tang 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...
and forced 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...
around the new year 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 established a new state of Qi with himself as emperor. Zhang served in Huang's government as the minister of civil service affairs (吏部尚書, Libu Shangshu) and the director of transportation.
Service under Zhuge Shuang and Zhuge Zhongfang
After Huang Chao was eventually defeated by Tang forces and chased out of Chang'an, Zhang Quanyi joined the army of the Tang general Zhuge ShuangZhuge Shuang
Zhuge Shuang was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Heyang Circuit for some time and who vacillated between allegiance to Tang and to the Qi state of the agrarian rebel Huang Chao.- Background and early career :It is not known when Zhuge Shuang was born, but it is...
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 Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern 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...
, 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...
). He distinguished himself serving under Zhuge, and Zhuge eventually made him the prefect of Ze Prefecture (澤州, in modern Jincheng
Jincheng
Jincheng is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Shanxi province of north China. It is an industrial city in an area where coal mining is an important industry. It has a population of 2.2 million....
, 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....
).
Zhuge died in 886
886
Year 886 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :...
. Zhang and another officer of Zhuge's, Liu Jing (劉經), supported Zhuge's son Zhuge Zhongfang (諸葛仲方) as acting military governor. Liu, however, controlled the governance of the circuit, drawing resentment from other officers. Late in 886, Liu became suspicious of the officer Li Hanzhi
Li Hanzhi
Li Hanzhi , formally the Prince of Longxi , nickname Li Moyun , was a late-Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty warlord. He was initially a follower of the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao, and later became a Tang general, mostly known for his service under Li Keyong...
, and he decided to use 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...
as a base to launch a surprise attack on Li's base at Minchi (澠池, in modern Luoyang). Li defeated him, however, forcing him to abandon Luoyang and flee north of the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
back to the circuit capital Heyang. Li gave chase, and was about to chase the Yellow River, when Liu sent Zhang to try to stop Li. However, as Zhang also resented Liu's hold on the circuit governance, he instead joined Li, and they jointly attacked Heyang but could not capture it. They then withdrew to Huai Prefecture (懷州, in modern Luoyang).
As this Heyang Circuit internecine confrontation was going on, the former Tang general Qin Zongquan, who had declared himself emperor at 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...
), sent his 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...
toward Heyang, and Sun soon captured the city. Zhuge Zhongfang fled to 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...
). Sun thereafter claimed the title of military governor of Heyang. However, Zhang and Li occupied Huai and Ze Prefectures, respectively, and resisted Sun. After Qin thereafter suffered a major defeat at the hands of Xuanwu's military governor Zhu Quanzhong, Sun withdrew from Heyang. Zhang and Li rejoined forces, with Li taking over Heyang and Zhang taking over Luoyang; they then jointly sought aid from the major warlord 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....
). Li Keyong sent his officer An Jinjun (安金俊) to take over Ze Prefecture as prefect and to aid Li Hanzhi and Zhang; he also commissioned Li Hanzhi as the military governor of Heyang and Zhang as the mayor of Henan Municipality (河南, i.e., Luoyang).
As vassal of Li Hanzhi/Li Keyong
At the time that Zhang Quanyi took over as the mayor of Henan, it was said by historical accounts that the city had been laid waste by the wars, with the remnants of the population gathered within three castles of the city, totaling less than 100 households. Zhang set up his headquarters at one of those castles, Zhongzhou (中州), while selecting 18 capable officers and sending them out to the 18 counties of the municipality other than the two in the city center, to be in charge of rebuilding their counties and welcoming the refugee population back. He simplified the laws, making murder the only capital offense, while the other offenses were punishable only by caning; he also exempted the people from taxes. As a result, the refugee population returned in droves, and he trained them in the military arts so that they could defend themselves. Within a few years, the city recovered to appearing to be like the old days before the wars, and the fields were no longer fallow, but filled with mulberries and hemp. It was said that the larger counties were capable of producing 7,000 soldiers, and the smaller counties 2,000. It was said that Zhang governed with intelligence and that his subordinates could not deceive him. He rewarded the households that was particularly good at farming wheat or sericulture with clothes and tea. Under his rule, Henan became a rich city again.Meanwhile, Zhang initially had a cordial relationship with Li Hanzhi, whose Heyang Circuit his Henan Municipality belonged to, and they even cut their own arms to swear to be brothers. However, Li Hanzhi viewed Zhang's promotion of farming lightly. He also made a habit of making all kinds of material demands on Zhang, to the point that whenever he was not satisfied with what Zhang supplied his army, he would arrest Zhang's subordinates and cane them. Initially, Zhang put on the appearance of fearing Li Hanzhi and doing everything to appease him. In 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...
, when Li Hanzhi was on a campaign against the army of Huguo Circuit (護國, headquartered in modern Yuncheng
Yuncheng
Yuncheng is the southernmost municipality in Shanxi province, China. It borders Linfen and Jincheng municipalities to the north and east, and Henan and Shaanxi provinces to the south and west....
, 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....
), Huguo's military governor Wang Chongying
Wang Chongying
Wang Chongying was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who was known for his successive rules of Shanguo Circuit and Huguo Circuit as military governor .- Background :It is not known when Wang Chongying was born, and the official...
sent secret emissaries to persuade Zhang to turn against Li Hanzhi. Zhang agreed, and he launched a surprise attack on Heyang at night, capturing it and taking Li Hanzhi's household captive. He then claimed the title of military governor of Heyang for himself.
As vassal of Zhu Quanzhong
Li Hanzhi fled to Ze Prefecture and sought aid from Li Keyong. Li Keyong sent his officer Kang Junli (康君立), commanding five other officers (Li CunxiaoLi Cunxiao
Li Cunxiao , né An Jingsi , was an adoptive son of the late-Tang Dynasty warlord Li Keyong who contributed much to Li Keyong's campaigns, but who later rebelled against his adoptive father...
, Xue Atan (薛阿檀), Shi Yan (史儼), An Jinjun, and An Xiuxiu (安休休) to aid Li Hanzhi in trying to recapture Heyang. They put Heyang under siege, and the food supplies ran out. Zhang Quanyi thus sent his wife and children to Zhu Quanzhong as hostages to seek aid from him. Zhu sent his officers 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...
, Ge Congzhou
Ge Congzhou
Ge Congzhou , courtesy name Tongmei , formally the Prince of Chenliu , was a general serving under Emperor Taizu of Later Liang while Zhu Quanzhong was a warlord late in the Tang Dynasty...
, and Niu Cunjie (牛存節) to aid Zhang. They defeated the Hedong forces, and then postured to cut off the Hedong forces' return path to Hedong through the Taihang Mountains
Taihang Mountains
The Taihang Mountains are a Chinese mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Henan, Shanxi and Hebei provinces. The range extends over 400 km from north to south and has an average elevation of 1,500 to 2,000 meters. The principal peak is Xiao Wutaishan...
. In fear, Kang took his army and withdrew. Zhu commissioned Ding the acting military governor of Heyang and recommissioned Zhang as the mayor of Henan. It was said that because Zhang was appreciative of Zhu's saving his life, he never had any thoughts of turning against Zhu from this point on, and he plenteously supplied Zhu's army in Zhu's subsequent campaigns. Soon thereafter, Henan was turned into its own circuit (Youguo (佑國)), and 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 Zhang its military governor.
In 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....
, when the imperial government, at the request of Zhu's and that of Li Kuangwei
Li Kuangwei
Li Kuangwei was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Lulong Circuit after inherited it from his father Li Quanzhong in 886, until he was overthrown by his brother Li Kuangchou in 893...
the military governor of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing
Beijing
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...
, declared a general campaign against Li Keyong, Zhang led an army to participate in Zhu's operation, along with Ge and Zhu's son Zhu Youyu (朱友裕), to wrest Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi
Changzhi
Changzhi is a prefecture-level city in Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. It lies between the city of Huozhou in Shanxi and the city of Hebi in Henan....
, 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....
) from Li Keyong's control. The campaign, however, eventually ended in failure when Li Keyong's main forces crushed the imperial forces commanded by the chancellor Zhang Jun
Zhang Jun (Tang Dynasty)
Zhang Jun , courtesy name Yuchuan , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Xizong and Emperor Xizong's brother Emperor Zhaozong...
, and Li Keyong was able to retain Zhaoyi at that point. Later in the year, Zhang received the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事).
In 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....
, after Zhu, for reasons unclear to history, requested that then-military governor of Heyang, Zhao Keyu (趙克裕), be demoted, Zhang was made the military governor of Heyang, in addition to Youguo. (However, at some point, Ding was made acting military governor of Heyang again, and in 899
899
Year 899 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Edward the Elder becomes King of Wessex.* Regino of Prüm is expelled from Prüm and becomes abbot of St...
was made full military governor.)
In 896
896
Year 896 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Decisive Bulgarian victory over Magyars in the Battle of Southern Buh....
, by which time Emperor Zhaozong had fled to Zhenguo Circuit (鎮國, headquartered 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...
), which was then governed by Han Jian
Han Jian (Tang Dynasty)
Han Jian , courtesy name Zuoshi , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who eventually became a subject of the succeeding Later Liang Dynasty...
, due to attacks on Chang'an by 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...
the military governor of 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...
), Zhu Quanzhong and Zhang were submitted repeated joint petitions for the emperor to move the capital to Luoyang. In fear, Li Maozhen apologized to the emperor, repaired the palace and office buildings at Chang'an, and welcomed Emperor Zhaozong back to Chang'an.
In 898
898
Year 898 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* A Magyar army headed by Álmos besieges Kiev.* Magyar tribes found the state of Szekesfehervar in Hungary....
, Emperor Zhaozong bestowed the greater honorary chancellor title of Shizhong on Zhang.
In 900
900
Year 900 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* April 21 – Namwaran and his children, Lady Angkatan and Bukah, are granted pardon by the Datu of Tondo, as represented Jayadewa, Lord Minister of Pila, which released them of all their debts as inscribed in the...
, when the eunuch Liu Jishu
Liu Jishu
Liu Jishu was an eunuch late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who, as a powerful commander of the Shence Armies, briefly deposed Emperor Zhaozong in 900 and replaced Emperor Zhaozong with Emperor Zhaozong's son Li Yu, but was soon killed in a countercoup, allowing Emperor Zhaozong to return to...
briefly overthrew Emperor Zhaozong in a coup and replaced him with his son Li Yu
Li Yu (prince)
Li Yu , né Li You , briefly Li Zhen , formally the Prince of De , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was the oldest son of the penultimate emperor Emperor Zhaozong and Empress He and was Crown Prince from 897 to 900...
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....
, Zhang Jun, who had by that point retired to Changshui (長水), one of the counties of Henan, went to meet with Zhang Quanyi to encourage him and the other military governors to start a campaign to restore Emperor Zhaozong. There was no record of any actual action taken by Zhang Quanyi. (However, in 901
901
Year 901 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Africa :* Abu 'Abdullah al-Shi'i leads the rebellion of the Kutama Berbers against the Aghlabid emirate in Ifriqiya ....
, Emperor Zhaozong was restored in a countercoup headed by the imperial guard officers Sun Dezhao (孫德昭), Dong Yanbi (董彥弼), and Zhou Chenghui (周承誨). Shortly after, Zhang Quanyi was given the honorary chancellor title of Zhongshu Ling (中書令).
By 903
903
Year 903 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Abaoji is named commander of all Khitan military forces.- Religion :...
, Zhu Quanzhong had taken Emperor Zhaozong under his control, and was planning on eventually usurping the Tang throne. He feared that Zhang Jun would again encourage the military governors to attack him. He thus ordered Zhang Quanyi to kill Zhang Jun. Zhang Quanyi sent his officer Yang Lin (楊麟) to take a group of soldiers, disguised as bandits, to attack Zhang Jun's mansion and slaughter his household. Only Zhang Jun's son Zhang Ge escaped the slaughter. Subsequently, Zhu Quanzhong destroyed Chang'an and moved Emperor Zhaozong to Luoyang. He then moved Zhang Quanyi to be 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...
. He also had Zhang created the Prince of Dongping.
In 904
904
Year 904 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Byzantines under Andronikos Doukas defeat the Arabs near Germanikeia...
, by which point Zhu had assassinated Emperor Zhaozong and replaced him with his son Li Zuo
Emperor Ai of Tang
Emperor Ai of Tang , also known as Emperor Zhaoxuan , born Li Zuo, later Li Zhu , was the last emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 904 to 907. The Ai Emperor was the son of Emperor Zhaozong....
the Prince of Hui (as Emperor Ai), Zhang Quanyi was again made the mayor of Henan; he was additionally also made the military governor of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Weinan), apparently commanding it remotely, and the overall commander of the imperial guards.
During Emperor Taizu's reign
In 907907
Year 907 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Oleg leads the Kievan Rus' in a campaign against Constantinople ....
, Zhu Quanzhong had Emperor Ai yield the throne to him, ending Tang and starting a new Later Liang Dynasty
Later Liang Dynasty
The Later Liang was one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. It was founded by Zhu Wen, posthumously known as Taizu of Later Liang, after he forced the last emperor of the Tang dynasty to abdicate in his favour...
as its Emperor Taizu. He made Zhang Quanyi the military governor of Heyang, in addition to being the mayor of Henan, again, and created him the Prince of Wei. Soon thereafter, he changed Zhang Quanyi's name to Zhang Zongshi, apparently due to naming taboo
Naming taboo
Naming taboo is a cultural taboo against speaking or writing the given names of exalted persons in China and neighboring nations in the ancient Chinese cultural sphere.-Kinds of naming taboo:...
as his own name included the character "Quan." In 908
908
Year 908 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Battle of Belach Mugna is fought.* Zhu Wen kills the last Tang Dynasty emperor.- Deaths :* Al-Muktafi, Abbasid caliph...
, in addition to his other offices, Zhang was also made Taibao (太保) and the military governor of Zhenguo Circuit (鎮國, headquartered in modern Sanmenxia
Sanmenxia
-Administration:The prefecture-level city of Sanmenxia administers one district, two county-level cities and three counties.*Hubin District*Lingbao City*Yima City*Lushi County*Shan County*Mianchi County*Sanmenxia Development Zone...
, 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...
). In 910
910
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...
, he was additionally made the military governor of Xuanyi Circuit (宣義, headquartered in modern Anyang
Anyang
Anyang is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, People's Republic of China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi and Hebei to its west and north respectively....
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
.
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...
, Emperor Taizu spent the summer at Zhang's summer mansion. He used the opportunity to have sexual relations with virtually every woman in Zhang's household. Zhang's son Zhang Jizuo (張繼祚), humiliated, wanted to assassinate the emperor. Zhang Zongshi pointed out that it was because of Emperor Taizu's initially stopping Li Hanzhi's attack that the Zhang household was preserved, and he managed to persuade Zhang Jizuo not to carry out the assassination. (According to Zhang's biography in the New History of the Five Dynasties, the women that Emperor Taizu had sexual relations with included even Zhang Zongshi's wife Lady Chu and his daughters.)
During Zhu Yougui's and Zhu Zhen's reigns
In 912912
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 :...
, Emperor Taizu was assassinated by his son Zhu Yougui the Prince of Ying, who took the throne thereafter. As part of the governmental reorganization that took place after Zhu Yougui took the throne, he disbanded the headquarters for financial matters at the eastern capital 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...
(which previously had been the headquarters of Xuanwu Circuit while Zhu Quanzhong governed it), which Emperor Taizu had created and had named Jianchang Palace (建昌宮). The responsibility of overseeing the financial matters was transferred to Zhang Zongshi. Zhang was also made the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (whose headquarters had been moved to modern Shangqiu
Shangqiu
Shangqiu is a city in eastern Henan province, Central China. It borders Kaifeng to the northwest, Zhoukou to the southwest, and the provinces of Shandong and Anhui to the northeast and southeast respectively. An ancient city with a rich history, Shangqiu was also the first capital of the Shang...
, 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...
by that point). 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 :...
, Zhu Yougui's younger brother Zhu Youzhen
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...
the Prince of Jun overthrew him and took the throne, and subsequently moved the capital from Luoyang to Kaifeng, but it appeared that Zhang remained in charge of the financial matters of the state. In 917
917
Year 917 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* The Great Yue Kingdom, later renamed Southern Han, is founded by Liu Yan in Guangdong and Guangxi.- Europe :...
, Zhu Youzhen (who had changed his name to Zhu Zhen) further bestowed on Zhang the title of Deputy Generalissimo of All Circuits (天下兵馬副元帥). (The Generalissimo title belonged to Qian Liu
Qian Liu
Qian Liu , courtesy name Jumei , nickname Poliu , formally King Wusu of Wuyue with the temple name of Taizu , was founder and first king of the Kingdom of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, ruling over roughly modern Zhejiang on the east coast of China.- Background :Qian...
the Prince of Wuyue, whose state was a Later Liang vassal state.)
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...
, Zhu Zhen, suspicious of the intentions of the major general Liu Xun
Liu Xun
Liu Xun was the eldest son of the warlord Liu Zhang during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. At one time, Liu Zhang gave permission to Liu Xun to attack Liu Bei at Chengdu, but he ended up being defeated. However, in history Liu Xun actually held off attacks that were led by Liu Bei...
, who had sought retirement, approved Liu's retirement and had him reside at Luoyang. He then ordered Zhang to poison Liu to death.
In 923
923
Year 923 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* June 15 – Battle of Soissons: King Robert I of France is killed, and King Charles the Simple is arrested by the supporters of Duke Rudolph of Burgundy.- Americas :* Topiltzin Ce Acatl Quetzalcoatl becomes...
, Zhu Zhen, with the territory of his Later Liang state north of the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
gradually taken piece by piece by his rival Li Cunxu the Prince of Jin (Li Keyong's son and successor), planned a major counterattack. At the recommendation of his close associates Zhao Yan and Zhang Hanjie (張漢傑), he made the general Duan Ning, whose military abilities was not respected by the army, the overall commander of the operations. Zhang Zongshi, knowing that Duan was not the appropriate commander and that the army generals were more respectful of another general, Wang Yanzhang, submitted a petition stating:
Despite Zhang's petition (and similar remarks made by the chancellor 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...
), Zhu Zhen continued to leave Duan in command. Subsequently, before Duan could start his operations, Li Cunxu made a surprise maneuver across the Yellow River around Duan's army, and directly attacked Kaifeng. Zhu Zhen, unable to resist and unable to flee, committed suicide. Li Cunxu, who had by that point declared himself the emperor of a new dynasty, Later Tang Dynasty
Later Tang Dynasty
The Later Tang Dynasty was a short-lived dynasty that lasted from 923 to 937 one of the five dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was also the first in a series of three dynasties ruled by the Shatuo Turks...
(as its Emperor Zhuangzong), and claimed to be the legitimate successor to Tang, entered Kaifeng and took over virtually all of the Later Liang territory.
During Later Tang Dynasty
The Later Liang military governors, including Zhang Zongshi, largely immediately submitted to the Later Tang emperor. In winter 923, Zhang went to Kaifeng to pay homage to Emperor Zhuangzong, and he changed his name back to Quanyi. He submitted a large amount of money and horses as tribute. Emperor Zhuangzong had his son Li Jiji and brother Li Cunji (李存紀) honor Zhang as an older brother. Subsequently, when Emperor Zhuangzong considered opening up the tomb of Emperor Taizu of Later Liang, Zhang, still grateful to Emperor Taizu for his survival, submitted a petition stating that while the two states were rivals, such an action at this point would be meaningless and would merely show Emperor Zhuangzong to be vengeful. Emperor Zhuangzong agreed and did not do so, although he still destroyed the memorials built for Emperor Taizu on his tomb. Soon thereafter, at Zhang's suggestion, Emperor Zhuangzong moved the capital to Luoyang. He bestowed on Zhang the title of Shangshu Ling (尚書令). He also changed Zhang's princely title to Prince of Qi.In 924
924
Year 924 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Emperor Taizu of Liao leads another campaign to the west, reaching the former Uyghur capital on the Orkhon River...
, Emperor Zhuangzong and his wife Empress Liu Yuniang visited Zhang's mansion for a feast. At the feast, Empress Liu, claiming that she lost her parents in her youth and that she missed having parents, asked to treat Zhang as her father. Zhang, in fear, initially declined, but eventually accepted. Thereafter, Empress Liu and he often sent messengers back and forth, and he submitted much tribute to her.
In 926
926
Year 926 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Balhae is conquered by the Khitan....
, Emperor Zhuangzong, who had alienated his soldiers due to his failure to properly reward them for their contributions during his campaigns, was facing a mutiny by the Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwestern part of Hebei Province of China.- History :Handan was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period , after the capital moved from Zhongmu. The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
) army. He initially sent the general Li Shaorong to try to suppress the rebellion, but Li Shaorong was unable to do so. Zhang, instead, recommended the senior general, and Emperor Zhuangzong's adoptive brother, Li Siyuan. Upon Li Siyuan's arrival at Weibo, however, his own soldiers mutinied and forced Li Siyuan to join the Weibo soldiers in the rebellion. Li Siyuan subsequently led his army south, toward Kaifeng. When Zhang heard this, he became fearful as he was the one who had recommended Li Siyuan, and he stopped eating. He died soon thereafter.