Li Cunzhang (李存璋)

Overview

Li Cunzhang was a general and Adopted Son.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Defang	德璜	Defang

Life and dates

Death

AD 922 天祐十九年
Illness
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 165

Attested activity

AD 922 天祐十九年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 165
AD 880 to AD 884 從太祖入關破黃巢
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 160

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Taizu (太祖)
adopted son 義兒 · Adoptive parentage · paternal line
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 160

Career and standing

commander of the Adopted Sons Army 義兒軍使
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 160
Datong Army defender then military commissioner 大同軍防禦使、節度使
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 164
Hedong horse-and-foot commander 河東馬步軍使
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 161
prefect of Fen 汾州刺史
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 163
Grand Commandant 太尉
Posthumously granted
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 166
Held
Adopted son
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 160

Places and affiliations

Polity Jin 晉 · Relation Served
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 160

References in the histories

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 36Volume 36 Biographies of Righteous Sons 16: Li Sizhao, Li Siben, Li Si'en, Li Cunxin, Li Cunxiao, Li Cunjin, Li Cunzhang, Li Cunxian · 4 passages

Open chapter

存璋，字德璜，初與康群立、恭誌勤等從太祖入關，破黃巢，累遷義兒軍使。 Li Cunzhang, styled Defang, entered the passes with Kang Junli, Gong Zhizhiqin, and others against Huang Chao and rose to command the Adopted Sons Army.

太祖病革，存璋與張承業等受顧命，立莊宗為晉王，晉王以存璋為河東馬步軍使。 At Taizu’s deathbed Cunzhang and Zhang Chengye took his last command and raised Zhuangzong as Prince of Jin; the Prince made Cunzhang commander of Hedong horse and foot.

晉自先王時，嘗優假軍士，軍士多犯法逾禁，莊宗新立，尤患之，存璋一切繩之以法，境內為之清肅。 Since the old prince’s day Jin had indulged the ranks until lawlessness ran wild; the new Prince of Jin feared it most; Cunzhang bound every offense to the statute until the realm went still.

莊宗與劉鄩戰於魏博，梁遣王檀來，乘虛襲太原，存璋以汾州兵入太原距守，以功遷大同軍防禦使，遂為節度使。 While Zhuangzong fought Liu Yun at Weibo, Liang sent Wang Tan to strike Taiyuan in its weakness; Cunzhang rushed Fen troops in to hold the city, won Datong defender, then full governor.