Kang Yanxiao (康延孝)

Overview

Kang Yanxiao was a Later Tang general who helped conquer Former Shu, then rebelled and was renamed Li Shaochen.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Li Shaochen	李紹琛	Li Shaochen
Changed name	Shaochen	紹琛	Shaochen

Life and dates

Death

Executed · At Fengxiang 鳳翔 · Authority Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang (後唐莊宗)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passage 146
Execution · At Fengxiang 鳳翔
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 62

Attested activity

AD 923 龍德三年八月庚寅
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 10, passage 162
AD 925
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 126
AD 925 三年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passage 113
AD 924 二年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passage 112
AD 925 同光三年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 51, passages 48, 50; Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 1
AD 923 to AD 926 同光中
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 70, passage 115

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AD 924 同光二年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 31, passage 94
AD 923 同光元年八月
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 158
AD 926 同光四年正月
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 28
AD 926 to AD 930 天成初
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 64
AD 923 奔唐見莊宗
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passages 94-95
AD 925 平康延孝
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 134
AD 923 康延孝來奔
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 57, passage 36
AD 926 明年崇韜死
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passage 130
AD 923 莊宗入汴
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 83
AD 907 to AD 915 開平、乾化中
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 156
AD 923 龙德三年
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 3, passage 79

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Son of Kang Yanxiao
son 子
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 64

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Vanguard array-cutting commissioner 先鋒排陣斬斫使
AD 925 三年 · Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passage 113
Military governor of Baoyi 保義軍節度使
AD 924 二年 · Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passage 112
acting Grand Guardian 檢校太保
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 162
acting Sikong 檢校司空
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 160
Commander of the left and right vanguard 左右先鋒指揮使
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passage 93
commander of the Sun-Rising Army 捧日軍使
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 160

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defender of Bo Prefecture 守博州刺史
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 160
Defense commissioner of Zhengzhou 鄭州防禦使
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passage 111
military commissioner of the Baoyi Army 保義軍節度使
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 163
Prefect of Bo; Sun-Raising Army commander; southern pacification commander 博州刺史、捧日軍使兼南面招討指揮使
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passage 96
Zhengzhou defense commissioner 鄭州防禦使
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 162
Self-styled Xichuan military governor and Three Rivers commissioner 西川節度、三川制置等使
Claimed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passage 138
Right Vanguard Commander 右先鋒指揮使
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 158
vanguard commander 先鋒將
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 10, passage 162
vanguard commander 先锋将
Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 3, passage 79
Entered
Captivity
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passage 140
Entered
Captured
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 53

Places and affiliations

Polity Later Liang 後梁 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passages 156-157
Polity Later Tang 後唐 · Relation Defected to
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 158
At Northern frontier (Daibei) 代北
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passage 91
At northern frontier tribes 塞北部落
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 154
At Ye 鄴 · Relation Granted residence
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 160

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang (後唐莊宗)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passages 97-105, 107-108
Speech · Speaker · With Dong Zhang (董璋)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 18; New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passages 124-125, 130
Speech · Speaker · With Li Yan (李嚴)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passages 6-8; New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passages 116-118
Speech · Speaker · With Meng Zhixiang (孟知祥)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passages 58-61; New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passages 143-145

Events and relationships

Advised strike on Bian
Military · Strategist
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passages 107-108, 110
Campaigned against Shu
AD 925 同光三年 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passages 1, 3
Campaigned in Shu
Military · Commander
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passages 113, 122
Defeated
Military · Commander · With Wang Yan (王衍) · At Sanquan 三泉
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 51, passage 51
Defected to Tang
AD 923 龙德三年 · Military · Defector
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 3, passage 79
Defected
AD 923 同光元年八月 · Military · Defector · With Duan Ning (段凝)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 158

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Led one hundred cavalry to Tang and revealed Later Liang military plans
Defection · Defector · Quantity Cavalry: 100
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 10, passage 162
Marched west
AD 925 西伐 · Military · Commander · With Li Jiji (李繼岌)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 126
Rebelled
AD 926 同光四年 · Rebellion · Leader
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 36
returned into Shu in revolt 返入蜀
Political · Actor · Rebelled
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passage 138
Relation Defected to · Person Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang (後唐莊宗)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 83
Relation Subordinate to · Person Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang (後唐莊宗)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 159
Relation Rival of · Person Dong Zhang (董璋)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passages 18, 21

Assessments and attributes

Assessment fierce and hardy; greedy for profit · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 2
Item imperial robe and gold belt 禦衣、金帶 · Relation Bestowed · With Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang (後唐莊宗)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passage 95
Item imperial robe and gold belt 禦衣金帶 · Relation Bestowed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 159

Source notes

AD 923 滅梁後
To Li Shaochen 李紹琛
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 44, passage 111
To Shaochen 紹琛 · Granted surname and name
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 162

References in the histories

Search passages

History

82 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 10Volume 10 Book of Later Liang 10: Later Emperors Annals 3 · 1 passage

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庚寅，唐帝軍於胡城，先鋒將康延孝率百騎奔於唐，盡泄其軍機。 On gengyin at Hucheng vanguard Kang Yanxiao defected with a hundred riders and betrayed Liang dispositions.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 31Volume 31 Book of Later Tang 7: Zhuangzong Annals 5 · 1 passage

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己丑，以振武軍節度使、權安義留後、檢校太傅、平章事李存霸為潞州節度使，以捧日都指揮使、鄭州防禦使李紹琛為陝州節度使，以成德軍馬步軍都指揮使、右監門衛大將軍毛璋為華州節度使。 On jichou Cunba took Luzhou, Li Shaochen Shanzhou, and Mao Zhang Huazhou.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 51Volume 51 Book of Later Tang 27: Biographies 3: Imperial Family · 3 passages

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甲申，至故鎮，康延孝收興州。 On jiashen they reached Gu Town, and Kang Yanxiao took Xingzhou.

時偽蜀主王衍率親軍五萬在利州，令步騎親軍三萬逆戰於三泉，康延孝、李嚴以勁騎三千犯之，蜀軍大敗，斬首五千級，餘皆奔潰。 The Shu pretender Wang Yan was then at Lizhou with fifty thousand household troops. He sent thirty thousand foot and horse of his personal guard to meet the Tang advance at Sanquan. Kang Yanxiao and Li Yan charged with three thousand elite cavalry; the Shu force was shattered, five thousand heads were taken, and the survivors fled in disorder.

王以本軍方討漢州，康延孝相次繼來，欲候之出山，以陳凱歌，漢賓督之。 The prince's own force was still reducing Hanzhou, and Kang Yanxiao was following close behind; he wanted to wait until both columns had cleared the mountains to celebrate victory, but Hanbin pressed him onward.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 57Volume 57 Book of Later Tang 33: Biographies 9: Gao Chongtao · 4 passages

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未幾，汴將康延孝來奔，崇韜延於臥內，訊其軍機。 Soon afterward the Liang general Kang Yanxiao defected to them. Guo Chongtao received him in his quarters and questioned him about enemy dispositions.

延孝曰：「汴人將四道齊舉，以困我軍。」 Kang Yanxiao said, "The Liang intend a four-pronged advance to pin down our forces."

臣自延孝言事以來，晝夜籌度，料我兵力，算賊事機，不出今年，雌雄必決。 Since Kang Yanxiao's report I have reckoned day and night on our strength and the enemy's design. Victory or defeat must be decided this year.

乃令李嚴、康延孝先馳書檄，以諭偽鳳州節度使王承捷。 He then ordered Li Yan and Kang Yanxiao to ride ahead with letters and proclamations to summon the puppet Fengzhou military commissioner Wang Chengjie.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 70Volume 70 Book of Later Tang 46: Biographies 22: Yuan Xingqin, Xia Luqi, Yao Hong, Li Yan, Li Renju, Kang Sili, Zhang Jingda · 2 passages

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郭崇韜起軍之日，以嚴為三川招撫使，嚴與先鋒使康延孝將兵五千，先驅閣道，或馳以詞說，或威以兵鋒，大軍未及，所在降下。 When Guo Chongtao took the field, Yan was made pacification commissioner of the Three Rivers. Yan and the vanguard commander Kang Yanxiao led five thousand men ahead along the mountain roads, winning some places by persuasion and others by force. Before the main army arrived, city after city surrendered.

延孝在漢州，王衍與書曰：「可請李司空先來，餘即舉城納款。」 Yanxiao was at Hanzhou when Wang Yan wrote to him: "Please ask Minister Li to come first, and I will surrender the city at once."

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 73Volume 73 Book of Later Tang 49: Biographies 25: Mao Zhang, Nie Yu, Wen Tao, Duan Ning, Kong Qian, Li Ye · 1 passage

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凝以眾五萬營於高陵津，裨將康延孝叛歸莊宗，延孝具陳梁軍虛實，莊宗遂決長驅之計。 Ning encamped fifty thousand men at Gaoling Ford. Subordinate general Kang Yanxiao defected to Emperor Zhuangzong and gave a full account of the Liang army's strengths and weaknesses, and Zhuangzong thereupon resolved on a direct advance.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 74Volume 74 Book of Later Tang 50: Biographies 126: Kang Yanxiao, Zhu Shouyin, Yang Li, Dou Tingwan, Zhang Qianzhao, Yang Yanwen · 36 passages

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三年，討蜀，以延孝為西南行營馬步軍先鋒、排陣斬斫等使。 In the third year of the campaign against Shu, Yanxiao was appointed vanguard of the Southwest Campaign Army's horse and foot forces and commissioner for battle formation and close combat.

延孝性驍健，徇利奮不顧身。 Yanxiao was fierce and hardy by nature, and greedy for profit; in battle he threw himself forward without thought for his own life.

延孝復造浮梁以渡，進收綿州，王衍復斷綿江浮梁而去。 Yanxiao built another pontoon bridge and crossed, then advanced to take Mian Prefecture. Wang Yan once more destroyed the pontoon bridge on the Mian River and withdrew.

水深無舟楫可渡，延孝謂招撫使李嚴曰：「吾懸軍深入，利在急兵。 The river was too deep and there were no boats to ferry them across. Yanxiao said to the pacification commissioner Li Yan, "We have driven a detached force deep into enemy country. Our advantage lies in striking fast.

延孝既濟，長驅通鹿頭，進據漢州。 Once across, Yanxiao drove hard through Deer Head Pass and seized Han Prefecture.

旬日，兩川平定，延孝止漢州以俟繼岌。 Within ten days both the eastern and western circuits of Shu were pacified. Yanxiao held Han Prefecture to await Prince Siji.

平蜀之功，延孝居最。 Of all who had helped conquer Shu, Yanxiao's achievement stood foremost.

康延孝，塞北部落人也。 Kang Yanxiao came from the northern frontier tribes.

同光元年八月，段凝率眾五萬營於王村，時延孝為右先鋒指揮使，率百騎來奔。 In the eighth month of Tongguang 1, Duan Ning camped at Wang Village with fifty thousand men. Yanxiao, then Right Vanguard Commander, came over with a hundred riders.

莊宗屏人問梁兵機，延孝備陳利害，語在《莊宗紀》中。 Zhuangzong sent everyone else away and asked about Liang's military situation. Yanxiao laid out the pros and cons in full; the account appears in the "Annals of Zhuangzong."

莊宗平汴，延孝頗有力焉，以功授檢校太保、鄭州防禦使，賜姓，名紹琛。 When Zhuangzong took Bian, Yanxiao had done much to help. For his service he was made acting Grand Guardian and Zhengzhou defense commissioner and granted the surname with the name Shaochen.

時邠州節度使董璋為行營右廂馬步使，華州節度使毛璋為行營左廂馬步使，以軍禮當事延孝。 At the time Dong Zhang, military governor of Bin, served as right-wing horse-and-foot commander of the campaign army, and Mao Zhang, military governor of Hua, as left-wing commander. By military protocol both should have deferred to Yanxiao.

郭崇韜以私愛董璋，及西川平定之後，崇韜每有兵機，必召璋參決，延孝不平。 Guo Chongtao favored Dong Zhang personally. After western Sichuan was pacified, Chongtao consulted Zhang on every military matter, which rankled Yanxiao.

時延孝軍於城西，毛璋軍於城東，董璋軍於城中。 Yanxiao's troops camped west of the city, Mao Zhang's east of it, and Dong Zhang's inside the walls.

閏十二月，延孝因酒酣謂董璋曰：「吾有平蜀之功，公等仆蔌相從，反首鼠於侍中之門，謀相傾陷，吾為都將，公乃裨校，力能斬首。」 In the intercalary twelfth month, Yanxiao, deep in his cups, said to Dong Zhang, "I won Shu. You tagged along behind me like lackeys, yet you play both sides at the Chief Councilor's door and plot my ruin. I am the chief commander and you a mere subordinate — I could take your head whenever I chose."

酒罷，璋訴於郭崇韜，崇韜陰銜之，乃署董璋為東川節度使，落軍職。 After the banquet Zhang complained to Guo Chongtao. Chongtao already bore a private grudge against Yanxiao and now appointed Dong Zhang military governor of Dongchuan, stripping him of his field command.

延孝怒，謂毛璋曰：「吾冒白刃，犯險阻，平定兩川，董璋何功，遽有其地！」 Yanxiao flew into a rage and told Mao Zhang, "I faced naked steel and treacherous passes to conquer both circuits of Shu. What has Dong Zhang done to deserve that territory!"

崇韜怒曰：「紹琛反耶？ Chongtao snapped, "Has Shaochen turned rebel?

延孝等惶恐而退。 Yanxiao and his companions withdrew in alarm.

四年正月甲申，大軍發成都，繼岌令延孝以一萬二千人為後軍。 On the jiashen day of the first month of the fourth year, the main army marched out of Chengdu. Siji assigned Yanxiao twelve thousand men as the rear guard.

二月癸巳，中軍次武連，中使詔至，諭以西平王朱友謙有罪伏誅，命繼岌殺其子遂州節度使令德，延孝大驚。 On the guisi day of the second month the main force reached Wulian. An imperial messenger arrived with an edict: Zhu Youqian, Prince of Western Pacification, had been executed for treason, and Siji was ordered to kill his son Lingde, military governor of Suizhou. Yanxiao was stunned.

俄而董璋率兵之遂州，遇延孝不謁，延孝怒，謂諸校曰：「南平梁汴，西定巴邛，畫策之謀，始於郭公，而汗馬之勞，力摧強敵，即吾也。 Soon afterward Dong Zhang marched to Suizhou and, meeting Yanxiao on the road, failed to pay his respects. Yanxiao raged at his officers. "We pacified Liang and Bian in the south and secured Ba and Qiong in the west. Lord Guo drew up the plans, but the hard fighting and the breaking of strong enemies — that was my work.

丙申，延孝次劍州。 On the bingshen day Yanxiao reached Jian Prefecture.

時延孝部下皆鄜、延、河中舊將，焦武等知西平王被禍，兼誅令德，號哭軍門，訴於延孝曰：「西平無罪，二百口伏誅，河中舊將，無不從坐，某等必死矣！」 Yanxiao's officers were mostly veterans from Fu, Yan, and Hezhong. When Jiao Wu and the others learned of the Prince of Western Pacification's fate and Lingde's impending execution, they wept at the camp gate and pleaded with Yanxiao, "The Prince was innocent, yet two hundred of his kin were slaughtered. Every old officer from Hezhong will be implicated. We are as good as dead!"

時魏王繼岌到泥溪，延孝報繼岌云：「河中兵士號哭，欲為亂。」 Prince Siji had by then reached Nixi. Yanxiao sent word to him, "The Hezhong troops are wailing in the camp and are on the verge of mutiny."

丁酉，延孝至劍州，遂擁眾回，自稱西川節度、三川製置等使，以檄招諭蜀人，三日間，眾及五萬。 On the dingyou day Yanxiao reached Jian Prefecture, then turned his army around. He declared himself military governor of Xichuan and commissioner for the Three Rivers region, issued proclamations to rally the people of Shu, and within three days had gathered fifty thousand men.

是夜，守吉柏津使密告魏王曰：「得紹琛文字，令斷吉柏浮梁。」 That night the officer guarding Jibai Ford secretly warned the prince, "I have a written order from Shaochen to destroy the pontoon bridge at Jibai."

延孝已擁眾急趨西川，繼岌遣人馳書諭之。 Yanxiao was already driving west with his rebel host. Siji sent a fast courier with a letter urging him to submit.

甲寅，圜以大軍至漢州，延孝來逆戰，圜令董璋以東川懦卒當其鋒，伏精兵於其後，延孝擊退東川之兵，急追之，遇伏兵起，延孝敗，馳入漢州，閉壁不出。 On the jiayin day Yuan reached Han Prefecture with the main army. Yanxiao met him in battle. Yuan put Dong Zhang's weaker eastern-Sichuan troops in the path of the charge and hid elite forces behind them. Yanxiao broke the eastern-Sichuan line and pursued recklessly until the ambush sprang up. Defeated, he galloped into Han Prefecture and shut himself behind the walls.

〈（《九國誌·李延厚傳》：康延孝入漢州，知祥遣延厚率兵二千會李仁罕討之，將行，誓士卒曰：「今出師不三旬必破賊，乃立功圖賞之日也。 (According to the Annals of the Nine States, biography of Li Yanhou: When Kang Yanxiao seized Han Prefecture, Zhixiang sent Yanhou with two thousand men to join Li Renhan against him. Before marching, Yanhou swore to his troops, "We will break the rebels within thirty days. This is the day to win glory and rewards.

得請行者七百人，逐延孝西寨，斬首百餘級，竟拔其城。）〉 Seven hundred men stepped forward. They stormed Yanxiao's western camp, took more than a hundred heads, and at last captured the city.)〉

於是延孝危急，引騎出戰，遇陣於金雁橋，又敗之，以十數騎奔綿州； Yanxiao, now desperate, led his cavalry out to fight, met the enemy again at Golden Goose Bridge, was beaten once more, and fled toward Mian Prefecture with only a dozen horsemen.

時孟知祥與任圜、董璋置酒高會，因引令延孝檻車至會。 Meng Zhixiang, Ren Yuan, and Dong Zhang were holding a victory banquet and had Yanxiao brought to the feast in his cage.

延孝曰：「自知富貴難消，官職已足。 Yanxiao said, "I knew that fortune is hard to survive and that my rank was already enough.

延孝之徒，何保首領。 How could men like me hope to keep our heads?

及圜班師，行次鳳翔，中使向延嗣齎詔至，遂誅之。 When Yuan marched home and reached Fengxiang, the imperial envoy Xiang Yansi arrived with an edict, and Yanxiao was executed.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 3Volume 3 Later Liang Annals 3: Later Emperors · 1 passage

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先锋将康延孝叛降于唐。 The vanguard commander Kang Yanxiao defected to Tang.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 26Volume 26 Later Tang Biographies 6: Fu Xi, Wu Zhen, Kong Qian, Zhang Yanlang, Li Yan, Li Renju, Mao Zhang · 2 passages

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冬，魏王繼岌西伐，以嚴為三川招討使，與康延孝以兵五千先行，所過州縣皆迎降。 That winter the Prince of Wei marched west on Shu. Yan was named Three Rivers suppression commissioner and with Kang Yanxiao took five thousand men ahead. Every prefecture and county they reached opened its gates.

延孝至漢州，王衍告曰：「得李嚴來即降。」 When Yanxiao reached Han prefecture, Wang Yan sent word: “Send Li Yan and I surrender at once.”

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 33Volume 33 Biographies of Martyrs to Service 13: Zhang Yuande, Xia Luqi, Yao Hong, Wang Sitong, Zhang Jingda, Di Jinzong, Shen Bin, Wang Qing, Shi Yanchao, Sun Cheng · 1 passage

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後事唐，從魏王繼岌破蜀，平康延孝，以功為虢州刺史，歷隨、趙等八州刺史。 Later he served Tang, followed Prince Jiji in the Shu campaign and pacification of Kang Yanxiao, and for merit became prefect of Guo, then held eight prefectures including Sui and Zhao.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 44Volume 44 Miscellaneous Biographies 24: Liu Zhijun, Ding Hui, He Delun, Yan Bao, Kang Yanxiao · 30 passages

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康延孝 Kang Yanxiao

康延孝，代北人也。 Kang Yanxiao came from the northern frontier.

末帝遣段凝軍於河上，以延孝為左右先鋒指揮使。 The Last Emperor put Duan Ning on the river with an army and made Yanxiao commander of the left and right vanguard.

延孝見梁末帝任用群小，知其必亡，乃以百騎奔於唐。 Yanxiao saw the Last Emperor trusting petty men and knew Liang must fall; he rode to Tang with a hundred horse.

拜延孝博州刺史、捧日軍使兼南面招討指揮使。 He made Yanxiao prefect of Bo, commander of the Sun-Raising Army, and southern-route pacification commander.

莊宗屏人問延孝梁事，延孝具言：「末帝懦弱。 Zhuangzong sent the room away and asked about Liang. Yanxiao told him plainly: “The Last Emperor is weak.

莊宗又問梁計如何，曰：「臣在梁時，竊聞其議：期以仲冬大舉，遣董璋以陜虢、澤潞之眾出石會以攻太原； Zhuangzong asked what Liang intended next. Yanxiao said: “In Liang I heard them plan a winter offensive—Dong Zhang with Shaan-Guo and Ze-Lu troops through Shihui Pass on Taiyuan;

莊宗初聞延孝言梁必亡，喜，及聞其大舉也，懼，曰：「其將何以禦之？」 At first Zhuangzong rejoiced to hear Liang was finished; when he heard of the grand plan he grew afraid. “How do we answer this?”

延孝曰：「梁兵雖眾，分則無餘。 Yanxiao said: “Liang may field a host, but split it and each piece is thin.

後董璋等雖不出兵，而梁兵悉屬段凝於河上，京師無備，莊宗卒用延孝策，自鄆入汴，凡八日而滅梁。 Dong Zhang never marched, but every Liang soldier on the river went to Duan Ning and the capital stood bare. Zhuangzong took Yanxiao’s counsel, rode from Yan into Bian, and in eight days Liang was gone.

以功拜鄭州防禦使，賜姓名曰李紹琛。 For the deed he was made Zhengzhou defense commissioner and renamed Li Shaochen.