On this page
Overview Life and dates Career and standing Places and affiliations Works and attributed material Events and relationships Assessments and attributes References in the histories
Overview Taizu of Later Liang was a ruler.
Identity Historical · Male
Life and dates Attested activity AD 907 太祖即位
AD 884 to AD 907 用兵…至即位
Career and standing AD 907 太祖即位
Polity Later Liang 梁
Places and affiliations Polity Later Liang 後梁 · Relation RuledPolity Tang 唐 · Relation ServedWorks and attributed material Asked Fa to bring his old friend
Asked what the Spring and Autumn records
Can its methods of warfare serve me
Events and relationships Declined inner hall charge
Defeated
Failed attack on Shouzhou after rain at Guang Prefecture
Military · Commander · At Guang Prefecture and Shouzhou 光州、壽州
Killed nearly all Tang ministers
Political · Perpetrator
Tied emperor's shoe
Took Xuzhou and seized Lady Liu
Assessments and attributes Assessment harsh and hard to approach · Mode historian-judgmentReferences in the histories
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New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 21 Volume 21 Later Liang Biographies 1: Jing Xiang, Zhu Zhen, Pang Shigu, Ge Congzhou, Huo Cun, Zhang Cunjing, Fu Daozhao, Liu Han, Kou Yangqing · 20 passages
太祖素不知書，翔所作皆俚俗語，太祖愛之，謂發曰：「聞君有故人，可與俱來。」
Taizu of Liang could barely read; Xiang wrote in plain soldier’s speech, and Taizu loved it. He told Fa: “I hear you have an old friend—bring him along.”
翔見太祖，太祖問曰：「聞子讀《春秋》，《春秋》所記何等事？」
Xiang was brought in. Taizu asked: “They say you’ve read the Spring and Autumn—what does it record?”
太祖曰：「其用兵之法可以為吾用乎？」
Taizu asked: “Can I use its way of war?”
太祖大喜，補以軍職，非其所好，乃以為館驛巡官。
Taizu was delighted, gave him a military appointment—not what Xiang wanted—so he made him patrol officer of the post stations.
太祖與蔡人戰汴郊，翔時時為太祖謀畫，多中，太祖欣然，以謂得翔之晚，動靜輒以問之。
When Taizu fought the Cai outside Bian, Xiang’s counsel usually proved right; Taizu rejoiced that he had found him so late and consulted him on every decision.
太祖奉昭宗自岐還長安，昭宗召翔與李振升延喜樓勞之，拜翔太府卿。
When Taizu brought Emperor Zhaozong from Qi back to Chang’an, Zhaozong summoned Xiang and Li Zhen to Ascending Bliss Tower to honor them and made Xiang Grand Treasurer.
初，太祖常侍殿上，昭宗意衛兵有能擒之者，乃佯為鞋結解，以顧太祖，太祖跪而結之，而左右無敢動者，太祖流汗浹背，由此稀復進見。
Early on Taizu often waited on Zhaozong in the hall; the emperor guessed the guards could grab him, so he pretended a shoe lace had loosened and looked at Taizu; Taizu knelt to tie it while no one on either side stirred; sweat ran down his back; after that he seldom came before the throne again.
昭宗遷洛陽，宴崇勛殿，酒半起，使人召太祖入內殿，將有所托。
When Zhaozong moved to Luoyang he feasted in the Hall of Honored Merit; mid-banquet he rose and summoned Taizu to the inner hall to entrust him with a charge.
太祖益懼，辭以疾。
Taizu was more frightened than ever and pleaded illness.
太祖遽麾翔出，翔亦佯醉去。
Taizu hurried Xiang away; Xiang also pretended to be drunk and withdrew.
太祖已破趙匡凝，取荊、襄，遂攻淮南。
Once Taizu had defeated Zhao Kuangning and taken Jing and Xiang, he turned to attack Huainan.
太祖不聽。
Taizu would not heed him.
兵出光州，遭大雨，幾不得進，進攻壽州，不克，而多所亡失，太祖始大悔恨。
The army marched out through Guang Prefecture, was stopped by torrential rain, then besieged Shouzhou without success and lost heavily; only then did Taizu bitterly repent.
太祖即位，以唐樞密院故用宦者，乃改為崇政院，以翔為使。
At his accession Taizu replaced Tang’s eunuch-run Privy Council with the Chongzheng Court and made Xiang its chief.
翔為人深沈有大略，從太祖用兵三十餘年，細大之務必關之。
Deep, reserved, and far-sighted, Xiang followed Taizu in war for over thirty years; nothing large or small escaped his counsel.
而太祖剛暴難近，有所不可，翔亦未嘗顯言，微開其端，太祖意悟，多為之改易。
Taizu was brutal and unapproachable; when Xiang disagreed he never said so outright—he would hint, Taizu would understand, and much was amended.
太祖破徐州，得時溥寵姬劉氏，愛幸之，劉氏故尚讓妻也，乃以妻翔。
After taking Xuzhou Taizu seized Shi Pu’s favorite concubine, Lady Liu, and doted on her; she had been Shang Rang’s wife, and Taizu gave her to Xiang in marriage.
翔已貴，劉氏猶侍太祖，出入臥內如平時，翔頗患之。
Even after Xiang had risen high, Lady Liu still served Taizu, coming and going from his bedchamber as ever; Xiang brooded over it.
翔以太祖故，謝而止之。
For Taizu’s sake Xiang apologized and kept her.
劉氏車服驕侈，別置典謁，交結藩鎮，權貴往往附之，寵信言事不下於翔。
Lady Liu rode in splendor, kept her own gate of audience, and courted the governors; the great often fawned on her, and Taizu heard and trusted her no less than Xiang.