Meng Zhixiang (孟知祥)

Overview

Meng Zhixiang was a warlord and Official.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 927 天成二年正月
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 32
AD 926 to AD 930 天成至長興元年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 26
AD 930 長興元年九月
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passages 61-62
AD 930 長興元年二月
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 59

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Princess Qionghua (瓊華公主)
princess 公主 · Marriage
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 37
Parent of Meng Chang (孟昶)
son 子
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 37

Kinship Role family members · Quantity unspecified
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 36

Career and standing

Director of the Secretariat 中書令
AD 930 長興元年二月 · Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 59

Places and affiliations

Polity Later Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 27
At Shu 蜀 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 27

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passages 29-30, 33

Events and relationships

Ordered Li Yan beheaded
Legal · Authority · With Li Yan (李嚴)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 34
Raised arms in rebellion
Military · Rebel
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 62

References in the histories

Search passages

History

24 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 64Volume 64: Hereditary House of Later Shu · 24 passages

Open chapter

樞密使安重誨頗疑知祥有異志，思有以制之。 Chief Palace Secretary An Chonghui strongly suspected Zhixiang of disloyal intent and looked for ways to restrain him.

初，知祥鎮蜀，莊宗以宦者焦彥賓為監軍，明宗入立，悉誅宦者，罷諸道監軍。 When Zhixiang first took command in Shu, Zhuangzong had appointed the eunuch Jiao Yanbin army supervisor. After Mingzong's accession he executed the eunuchs and abolished army supervisors in every circuit.

嚴前使蜀，既歸而獻策伐蜀，蜀人皆惡之，而知祥亦怒曰：「焦彥賓以例罷，而諸道皆廢監軍，獨吾軍置之，是嚴欲以蜀再為功也。」 Yan had earlier been sent to Shu and, on returning, proposed a plan to conquer it, so the people of Shu detested him. Zhixiang too said in anger: "Jiao Yanbin was dismissed by precedent and every circuit abolished its supervisor—yet mine alone gets one. Yan means to win fresh glory by attacking Shu again."

掌書記母昭裔及諸將吏皆請止嚴而無內，知祥曰：「吾將有以待其來！」 Recorder Mu Zhaoyi and the other officers all urged that Yan be stopped at the border. Zhixiang said: "I have my own way of dealing with him when he arrives!"

嚴至境上，遣人持書候知祥，知祥盛兵見之，冀嚴懼而不來，嚴聞之自若。 When Yan reached the frontier he sent ahead a letter of greeting. Zhixiang paraded his troops in force, hoping Yan would be frightened off—but Yan, hearing of it, remained unmoved.

天成二年正月，嚴至成都，知祥置酒召嚴。 In the first month of the second year of Tiancheng, Yan arrived in Chengdu, and Zhixiang held a banquet and summoned him.

是時，焦彥賓雖罷，猶在蜀，嚴於懷中出詔示知祥以誅彥賓，知祥不聽，因責嚴曰：「今諸方鎮已罷監軍，公何得來此？」 Jiao Yanbin, though dismissed, was still in Shu. Yan produced from his robe an edict ordering Yanbin's execution. Zhixiang refused to comply and rebuked him: "Every defense command has abolished its supervisor—what right have you to come here?"

初，知祥鎮蜀，遣人迎其家屬於太原，行至鳳翔，鳳翔節度使李從嚴聞知祥殺李嚴，以為知祥反矣，遂留之。 When Zhixiang first took command in Shu he had sent for his family in Taiyuan. At Fengxiang, military commissioner Li Congyan, hearing that Zhixiang had killed Li Yan, assumed he had rebelled and detained them.

明宗既不能詰，而欲以恩信懷之，乃遣客省使李仁矩慰諭知祥，並送瓊華公主及其子昶等歸之。 Unable to punish him yet wishing to win him with kindness, Mingzong sent Guest Reception Commissioner Li Renju to reassure Zhixiang and returned Princess Qionghua, his son Chang, and the rest of his household.

知祥因請趙季良為節度副使，事無大小，皆與參決。 Zhixiang then asked that Zhao Jiliang be made deputy military commissioner and consulted him on every matter, large or small.

知祥得制書匿之，表留季良，不許。 Zhixiang received the commission, hid it, and memorialized to keep Jiliang; the court refused.

是時，瓚行至綿谷，懼不敢進，知祥乃奏瓚為行軍司馬。 He Zan had reached Miangu but dared not go farther; Zhixiang thereupon memorialized to appoint him campaigning marshal.

是歲，唐師伐荊南，詔知祥以兵下峽，知祥遣毛重威率兵三千戍夔州。 That year, as Tang forces campaigned against Southern Jing, the court ordered Zhixiang to send troops through the gorges. He dispatched Mao Chongwei with three thousand men to garrison Kui Prefecture.

已而荊南高季興死，其子從誨請命，知祥請罷戍兵，不許。 Soon afterward Gao Jixing of Southern Jing died and his son Conghui submitted to the throne. Zhixiang asked to withdraw the garrison, but the court refused.

知祥諷重威以兵鼓噪，潰而歸，唐以詔書劾重威，知祥奏請無劾，由是唐大臣益以知祥為必反。 Zhixiang prompted Chongwei to let his men raise a clamor and break ranks for home. The Tang court impeached Chongwei by edict, but Zhixiang memorialized against the charge. Tang ministers now increasingly assumed Zhixiang would surely rebel.

四年，明宗將有事於南郊，遣李仁矩責知祥助禮錢一百萬緡。 In the fourth year, as Mingzong prepared the southern suburban sacrifice, he sent Li Renju to demand one million strings of cash from Zhixiang for the ceremony.

知祥覺唐謀欲困己，辭不肯出。 Zhixiang saw that the Tang court meant to squeeze him and refused to pay.

自安重誨疑知祥有異志，聽言事者，用己所親信分守兩川管內諸州，每除守將，則以精兵為其牙隊，多者二三千，少者不下五百人，以備緩急。 Once An Chonghui suspected Zhixiang of disloyalty, he heeded informants and posted his own trusted men to hold prefectures throughout both circuits. Each new garrison commander received an elite headquarters guard—up to two or three thousand men, never fewer than five hundred—to meet emergencies.

仁矩與東川董璋有隙，而虔裕重誨表兄，由是璋與知祥皆懼，以謂唐將致討。 Renju was at odds with Dong Zhang of Eastern River, while Qianyu was Chonghui's cousin on his mother's side. Zhang and Zhixiang alike grew fearful, believing the Tang court meant to move against them.

自璋鎮東川，未嘗與知祥通問，於是璋始遣人求婚以自結。 Since taking command in Eastern River, Zhang had never exchanged messages with Zhixiang; he now sent envoys to propose a marriage alliance.

而知祥心恨璋，欲不許，以問趙季良，季良以為宜合從以拒唐，知祥乃許。 Zhixiang inwardly resented Zhang and was inclined to refuse, but when he asked Zhao Jiliang, Jiliang urged a joint stand against Tang, and Zhixiang consented.

長興元年二月，明宗有事於南郊，加拜知祥中書令。 In the second month of the first year of Changxing, when Mingzong performed the southern suburban sacrifice, he further promoted Zhixiang to Director of the Secretariat.

初，知祥與璋俱有異志，而重誨信言事者，以璋盡忠於國，獨知祥可疑，重誨猶欲倚璋以圖知祥。 Zhixiang and Zhang had both harbored rebellious intent, but Chonghui trusted informants who called Zhang wholly loyal and Zhixiang alone suspect; he still hoped to use Zhang against Zhixiang.

是月應聖節，知祥開宴，東北望再拜，俯伏嗚咽，泣下沾襟，士卒皆為之歔欷，明日遂舉兵反。 That month, on the Sacred Response Festival, Zhixiang held a banquet, bowed twice toward the northeast, and prostrated himself in sobs until tears soaked his robe. The troops wept with him, and the next day he took up arms in rebellion.