Taizu of Later Liang (太祖)

Overview

Taizu of Later Liang was a ruler.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 888 to AD 893 遣珍救魏…斬溥
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 21, passages 88, 115

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Zhu Youyu, Prince of Chen (郴王友裕)
Prince of Chen 郴王
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 21, passage 113

References in the histories

Search passages

History

15 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 21Volume 21 Later Liang Biographies 1: Jing Xiang, Zhu Zhen, Pang Shigu, Ge Congzhou, Huo Cun, Zhang Cunjing, Fu Daozhao, Liu Han, Kou Yangqing · 15 passages

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太祖遣珍救魏，珍破黎陽、臨河、李固，分遣聶金、範居實等略澶州，殺魏豹子軍二千於臨黃。 Taizu sent Zhen to relieve Wei; Zhen took Liyang, Linhe, and Liguo, and detached Nie Jin, Fan Jushi, and others to overrun Cao Province, slaughtering two thousand of Wei’s Leopard-Son troops at Linhuang.

初為尚讓偏將，與太祖戰尉氏門，為太祖所敗，唐賓乃降梁。 He had been Shang Rang’s lieutenant; beaten by Taizu at the Weishi Gate, he surrendered to Liang.

珍嘗私迎其家置軍中，太祖疑珍有異志，遣唐賓伺察之。 Zhen once quietly moved his family into camp; Taizu suspected disloyalty and sent Tangbin to spy on him.

珍與唐賓不協，唐賓不能忍，夜走還宣武，珍單騎追之，交訴太祖前。 Zhen and Tangbin clashed; Tangbin could not bear it and fled by night to Xuanyi; Zhen chased him alone, and both argued their case before Taizu.

太祖兩惜其材，為和解之。 Taizu prized both men and patched peace between them.

珍屯蕭縣，聞太祖將至，戒軍中治館廄以待。 Camped at Xiao County, Zhen heard Taizu was on his way and had the camp ready quarters and stables.

使者晨至梁，敬翔恐太祖暴怒不可測，乃匿使者，至夜而見之，謂雖有所發，必須明旦，冀得少緩其事而圖之。 The messenger reached Bian at dawn; Jing Xiang, dreading Taizu’s unpredictable fury, hid him until night and said that whatever had happened must wait for morning—buying time to soften the blow and work a way out.

既夕，乃引珍使者入見，太祖大驚，然已夜矣，不能有所發，翔因從容為太祖畫。 At dusk he brought Zhu Zhen’s messenger before Taizu. Taizu was shaken, but night had fallen and nothing could be done yet; Xiang calmly drew up a plan for him.

因如珍軍，去蕭一舍，珍迎謁，太祖命武士執之。 Then he rode to Zhen’s camp, halting one post short of Xiao. Zhen came out to greet him; Taizu ordered his men to seize him.

諸將霍存等十餘人叩頭救珍，太祖大怒，舉胡床擲之曰：「方珍殺唐賓時，獨不救之邪！」 Generals Huo Cun and a dozen others kowtowed to beg for Zhen. Taizu in a rage hurled a camp stool at them and cried: “When Zhen killed Li Tangbin, where were you then!”

梁太祖鎮宣武，初得馬五百匹為騎兵，乃以師古將之，從破黃巢、秦宗權，皆有功。 When Taizu of Liang held Xuanwu, he raised five hundred horses into a cavalry force and gave Shigu command; under him Shigu helped break Huang Chao and Qin Zongquan.

太祖攻時溥未下，留兵屬師古守之，師古取其宿遷，進屯呂梁。 Taizu besieged Shi Pu without success and left Shigu to hold the line. Shigu took Suqian and pushed forward to Luliang.

孫儒逐楊行密，取揚州，淮南大亂，太祖遣師古渡淮攻儒，為儒所敗。 Sun Ru drove Yang Xingmi from Yangzhou and threw Huainan into chaos. Taizu sent Shigu across the Huai against him—and Ru beat him back.

太祖以友裕可追而不追，奪其兵以屬師古。 Taizu judged that Youyu could have pursued but had not; he stripped him of his army and handed it to Shigu.

師古攻破徐州，斬溥，太祖表師古徐州留後。 Shigu stormed Xuzhou, killed Pu, and Taizu memorialized to make him its military governor.