Five Dynasties · Warlord and Official

Meng Zhixiang 孟知祥

Mèng Zhīxiáng

Attested AD 908 - AD 926

Passages: 17
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Meng Zhixiang was a warlord and Official.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Baoyin	保胤	Bǎoyìn

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 926 同光四年正月戊辰
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 15
AD 908 to AD 926 唐末至同光四年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passages 5, 15
AD 926 是冬
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 23

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Kin of Meng Qian (孟遷)
paternal uncle 叔父 · paternal line
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 2
Child of Meng Dao (孟道)
father 父 · paternal line
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 4
Spouse of Daughter of Li Kerang (克讓女)
wife 妻
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 5

Career and standing

Palace Attendant 侍中
AD 926 是冬 · Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 23
Chengdu Intendant 成都尹
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 10
Chief Garrison Officer of the horse and foot armies 馬步軍都虞候
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 7
Commissioner of the Inner Gate 中門使
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 6
Deputy Military Commissioner of the Sword-South Western Circuit 劍南西川節度副大使
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 10
Left Training Commissioner 左教練使
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 5

Show 2 more source-backed claims

Regent of the Northern Capital 北京留守
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 8
Taiyuan Intendant 太原尹
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 8

Places and affiliations

Polity Jin 晉 · Relation Served
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passages 5-6
Polity Later Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passages 8, 10
Polity Shu 蜀 · Relation Governed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passages 10, 19
At Longgang, Xing Prefecture 邢州龍岡
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 1
AD 926 同光四年正月戊辰
At Chengdu 成都 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 15
At Taiyuan 太原 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 8

Events and relationships

Drilled troops with ambition to rule Shu as king
Political · Actor
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 19
Feasted and honored at capital by Zhuangzong
Political · Appointee
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 11
Levied six million strings to reward troops
Political · Actor
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 21
Raised over 70,000 troops in new armies
Military · Organizer
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 20
Refused to remit Shu surplus funds
Political · Actor
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 24
Retained Zhao Jiliang at his side
Political · Actor
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 25

Show 3 more source-backed claims

Sent Li Renhan against Kang Yanxiao
Military · Commander
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 17
kin and worthy 親賢
Relation Kin of · Person Zhuangzong (莊宗)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 14
Relation Old acquaintance of · Person Zhao Jiliang (趙季良)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 25

Source notes

Levied funds from Chengdu wealthy and former Wang ministers families
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 21

References in the histories

Search passages

History

17 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 64Volume 64: Hereditary House of Later Shu · 17 passages

孟知祥，字保胤，邢州龍岡人也。 Meng Zhixiang, whose courtesy name was Baoyin, was a native of Longgang in Xing Prefecture.

知祥父道，獨留事晉而不顯。 Zhixiang's father Dao alone stayed on to serve Jin and never rose to prominence.

及知祥壯，晉王以其弟克讓女妻之，以為左教練使。 Once Zhixiang reached manhood, the Prince of Jin married him to a daughter of his younger brother Kerang and made him Left Training Commissioner.

莊宗為晉王，以知祥為中門使。 While Zhuangzong was still Prince of Jin, he appointed Zhixiang Commissioner of the Inner Gate.

前此為中門使者多以罪誅，知祥懼，求他職，莊宗命知祥薦可代己者，知祥因薦郭崇韜自代，崇韜德之，知祥遷馬步軍都虞候。 Earlier holders of the Inner Gate commission had mostly been put to death on criminal charges, and Zhixiang, fearing the same fate, asked for another post. Zhuangzong told him to name his own successor; Zhixiang recommended Guo Chongtao to take his place. Chongtao was grateful, and Zhixiang was promoted to Chief Garrison Officer of the horse and foot armies.

莊宗建號，以太原為北京，以知祥為太原尹、北京留守。 After Zhuangzong proclaimed his dynasty, he designated Taiyuan the Northern Capital and appointed Zhixiang Taiyuan Intendant and regent of the Northern Capital.

魏王繼岌代蜀，郭崇韜為招討使，崇韜臨訣，白曰：「即臣等平蜀，陛下擇帥以守西川，無如孟知祥者。」 When Prince of Wei Jiji marched against Shu, Guo Chongtao served as Pacification Commissioner. On taking leave he said to the throne: "Once we pacify Shu, Your Majesty should choose a governor to hold the western circuit—and none is better suited than Meng Zhixiang."

已而唐兵破蜀，莊宗遂以知祥為成都尹、劍南西川節度副大使。 Before long Tang forces overran Shu, and Zhuangzong appointed Zhixiang Chengdu Intendant and deputy military commissioner of the Sword-South Western Circuit.

知祥馳至京師，莊宗戒有司盛供帳，多出內府珍奇諸物以宴勞之。 Zhixiang rode posthaste to the capital, where Zhuangzong ordered officials to lay on a lavish reception and drew many rare treasures from the inner palace stores to feast and honor him.

因指以示知祥，曰：「吾聞蜀土之富，無異於此，以卿親賢，故以相付。」 He gestured at the display and told Zhixiang: "I am told the wealth of Shu is no different from this. Because you are both kin and worthy, I entrust it to you."

同光四年正月戊辰，知祥至成都，而崇韜已死。 On the wuchen day of the first month in the fourth year of Tongguang, Zhixiang reached Chengdu—only to learn that Chongtao was already dead.

知祥遣大將李仁罕會任圜、董璋等兵擊破延孝，知祥得其將李肇、侯弘實及其兵數千以歸。 Zhixiang sent his chief general Li Renhan to join Ren Yuan, Dong Zhang, and others in crushing Yanxiao; he took Yanxiao's generals Li Zhao and Hou Hongshi, along with several thousand troops, back into his own service.

知祥乃訓練兵甲，陰有王蜀之志。 Zhixiang thereupon drilled his arms and armor and secretly nurtured the ambition to rule Shu as king.

初，魏王之班師也，知祥率成都富人及王氏故臣家，得錢六百萬緡以犒軍，其餘者猶二百萬。 When the Prince of Wei first withdrew his army, Zhixiang levied six million strings of cash from Chengdu's wealthy and from families of former Wang ministers to reward the troops; two million strings still remained.

是冬，知祥拜侍中，乃以太僕卿趙季良賫官告賜之，因以為三川制置使，督蜀犒軍余錢送京師，且制置兩川征賦。 That winter Zhixiang received appointment as Palace Attendant. The court sent Grand Master of the Stud Zhao Jiliang with the patent of office and, at the same time, named him Commissioner for the Three Rivers to oversee shipment of the remaining Shu reward funds to the capital and to regulate taxation in both circuits.

知祥怒，不奉詔。 Zhixiang was furious and refused to comply.

然知祥與季良有舊，遂留之。 But Zhixiang and Jiliang were old acquaintances, so he kept him at his side.