Five Dynasties · Warlord and Rebel

Meng Zhixiang 孟知祥

Attested AD 930 - AD 932

Passages: 15
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Meng Zhixiang was a warlord and Rebel.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 930 to AD 932 長興元年至三年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 65

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 63

Career and standing

Stripped of rank and office
Authority Mingzong (明宗)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 66

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passages 69-70

Events and relationships

Annexed Eastern River
Military · Victor
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 91

References in the histories

Search passages

History

15 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 64Volume 64: Hereditary House of Later Shu · 15 passages

嶽行至鳳翔，聞知祥反，乃旋。 Yue reached Fengxiang, heard of Zhixiang's rebellion, and turned back.

明宗下詔削奪知祥官爵，命天雄軍節度使石敬瑭為都招討使，夏魯奇為副。 Mingzong stripped Zhixiang of rank and office by edict and appointed Tianxiong military commissioner Shi Jingtang overall Pacification Commissioner with Xia Luqi as his deputy.

知祥遣李仁罕、張業、趙廷隱將兵三萬人會璋攻遂州，別遣侯弘實將四千人助璋守東川，又遣張武下峽取渝州。 Zhixiang sent Li Renhan, Zhang Ye, and Zhao Tingyin with thirty thousand men to join Zhang in attacking Suizhou, dispatched Hou Hongshi with four thousand to help hold Eastern River, and sent Zhang Wu through the gorges to seize Yu Prefecture.

璋來告急，知祥大駭，遣廷隱分兵萬人以東，已而聞唐軍止劍州不進，喜曰：「使唐軍急趨東川，則遂州解圍，吾勢沮而兩川搖矣。 Zhang sent urgent word for help. Zhixiang was alarmed and sent Tingyin east with ten thousand men. Soon he learned the Tang army had halted at Sword Prefecture. He rejoiced and said: "Had Tang forces rushed on Eastern River, Suizhou would have been relieved, my momentum broken, and both circuits thrown into turmoil.

二年正月，李仁罕克遂州，夏魯奇死之，知祥以仁罕為武信軍留後，遣人馳魯奇首示敬瑭軍，敬瑭乃班師。 In the first month of the second year Li Renhan took Suizhou and Xia Luqi was killed. Zhixiang made Renhan acting regent of the Martial Faith Army and sent Luqi's head posthaste to Jingtang's camp; Jingtang then withdrew.

利州李彥珂聞唐軍敗東歸，乃棄城走，知祥以趙廷隱為昭武軍留後。 Li Yanke of Lizhou, hearing the Tang army had been beaten and was withdrawing east, abandoned the city and fled. Zhixiang made Zhao Tingyin acting regent of the Illustrious Martial Army.

明宗謂致知祥等反，由重誨失策，及重誨死，乃遣西川進奏官蘇願、進奉軍將杜紹本西歸招諭知祥，具言知祥家屬在京師者皆無恙。 Mingzong held that Zhixiang's rebellion stemmed from Chonghui's misjudgment. After Chonghui's death he sent Western River memorial officer Su Yuan and tribute-army officer Du Shaoben west to win Zhixiang over, assuring him that all his kin in the capital were safe.

知祥聞重誨誅死，而唐厚待其家屬，乃邀璋欲同謝罪，璋曰：「孟公家屬皆存，而我子孫獨見殺，我何謝為！」 Hearing of Chonghui's execution and the Tang court's generous treatment of his family, Zhixiang invited Zhang to submit a joint plea for pardon. Zhang said: "Your household is intact, Lord Meng, while my sons and grandsons were slaughtered—what have I to apologize for!"

知祥三遣使往見璋，璋不聽，乃遣觀察判官李昊說璋，璋益疑知祥賣己，因發怒，以語侵昊。 Zhixiang sent envoys three times; Zhang refused to see them. Zhixiang then sent administrative aide Li Hao to reason with him. Zhang grew more convinced Zhixiang meant to betray him, flew into a rage, and insulted Hao to his face.

昊乃勸知祥攻之。 Hao thereupon urged Zhixiang to attack him.

而璋先襲破知祥漢州，知祥遣趙廷隱率兵三萬，自將擊之，陣雞距橋。 Zhang struck first, overrunning Zhixiang's Han Prefecture. Zhixiang sent Zhao Tingyin with thirty thousand men and took the field himself, drawing up battle lines at Cock's Spur Bridge.

知祥得璋降卒，衣以錦袍，使持書招降璋，璋曰：「事已及此，不可悔也！」 Zhixiang took Zhang's surrendered troops, dressed them in brocade robes, and sent them with letters urging Zhang to yield. Zhang said: "Matters have gone too far for regret now!"

兵始交，璋偏將張守進來降，知祥乘之，璋遂大敗，走。 As battle was joined, Zhang's flank general Zhang Shoujin defected. Zhixiang pressed the advantage, and Zhang was routed and fled.

知祥遣趙廷隱追之，不及，璋走至梓州見殺，光嗣自縊死，知祥遂並有東川。 Zhixiang sent Zhao Tingyin in pursuit but could not catch them. Zhang reached Zizhou and was killed; Guangsi hanged himself. Zhixiang thereby gained control of Eastern River as well.

然自璋死，知祥卒不遣使謝唐。 Yet after Zhang's death Zhixiang never sent envoys to thank the Tang court.