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Alas! The age rots, human bonds snap, and near and far trade places—kin turn on kin, strangers are made fathers and sons. From Kaiping to Xiande, fifty years saw five dynasties on paper and eight ruling houses in fact—three born of beggar-adoption. Some took the realm; others won fame as generals and chancellors—did they not seize the moment, unite on profit, and lift each other up? Tang called itself Shatuo, rose beyond Dai, and marched with the fiercest warriors of the age—often adopted as sons in the "Adopted Sons Army." They built the realm; they also undid it. Taizu took many adopted sons; nine merit record—one became Mingzong; the others: Sizhao, Siben, Si'en, Cunxin, Cunxiao, Cunjin, Cunzhang, Cunxian. Hence this "Biography of Adopted Sons."
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Li Sizhao was born Han, a farmer's son in Taigu County, Fenzhou. Taizu hunted there, saw an uncanny vigor in the grove, and called the father to question him. The father said a son had just been born; Taizu left gold and silks, took the infant, and had his brother Kerou raise him as a son. First named Jintong; later Sizhao. Sizhao was small in frame but bolder than any man around him. He had loved wine until Taizu gently reproved him—then he never drank again. Taizu prized his steady character, kept him in the field, and made him commander of the inner guard.
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Wang Gong of Shaanzhou contended with his elder brother Ke for control of Hezhong. Taizu sent Sizhao to aid Ke; Sizhao defeated Gong at Yishi and captured three of his generals. Liang marched to save Gong; Sizhao beat them again at Hubi Fort and captured a general. In Guanghua 1 Li Hanzhi of Zezhou seized Luzhou for Liang; Liang sent Ding Hui to meet him; Sizhao fought Hui at Hanshan, took a general, beheaded three thousand, and recovered Zezhou. The next year Jin sent Li Junqing against Liang at Luzhou; Liang beat him; Taizu poisoned Junqing; Sizhao stormed the city and took it. The third year he marched into Shandong and took Liang's Mingzhou; Liang Taizu came in person and sent Ge Congzhou to ambush at Qingshan Pass. Hearing Liang Taizu had come himself, Sizhao abandoned the city and fled straight into the ambush and was crushed.
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天復元年，梁破河中，執王珂，取晉、絳、慈、隰，因大舉擊晉，圍太原。 嗣昭日以精騎出擊梁兵，會大雨，梁軍解去。 晉汾州刺史李瑭叛降梁軍，梁軍已去，嗣昭復取汾州，斬瑭。 遂出陰地，取慈州，降其刺史唐禮。 又取隰州，降其刺史張瑰。 是歲，梁軍西犯京師，圍鳳翔，嗣昭乘間攻梁晉、絳，戰平陽，執梁將一人。 進攻蒲縣。 梁朱友寧、氏叔琮以兵十萬迎擊之，嗣昭等敗走，友寧追之，晉遣李存信率兵迎嗣昭，存信又敗。 梁軍遂圍太原，而慈、隰、汾州復入於梁。 太祖大恐，謀走雲州，李存信等勸太祖奔於契丹，嗣昭力爭以為不可，賴劉太妃亦言之，乃止。 嗣昭晝夜出奇兵擊梁軍，梁軍解去，嗣昭復取汾、慈、隰。 是歲，鎮、定皆已絕晉而附梁。 晉外失大國之援，內亡諸州，仍歲之間，孤城被圍者再。 於此時，嗣昭力戰之功為多。
In Tianfu's first year Liang took Hezhong and Wang Ke, seized Jin, Jiang, Ci, and Xi, and marched in force on Taiyuan. Day after day Sizhao led elite horsemen against Liang; heavy rain came and Liang broke camp. Fenzhou prefect Li Tang defected to Liang; when Liang withdrew, Sizhao retook the city and executed Tang. He pushed into Yindi, seized Cizhou, and won prefect Tang Li's surrender. He took Xizhou as well; prefect Zhang Gui submitted. That year Liang struck west and besieged Fengxiang; Sizhao struck Liang in Jin and Jiang, fought at Pingyang, and took a Liang general. He pressed on to attack Pu County. Zhu Youning and Shi Shuzong brought a hundred thousand men; Sizhao was routed; Youning pursued; Jin sent Li Cunxin to rescue him—and Cunxin lost as well. Liang besieged Taiyuan again; Ci, Xi, and Fen returned to Liang. Taizu panicked and planned escape to Yunzhou; Cunxin and others urged flight to the Khitan; Sizhao protested that it was impossible, and Consort Liu said the same, so he stopped. Sizhao harried Liang day and night with ambushes until they withdrew; then he retook Fen, Ci, and Xi. That year Zhen and Ding abandoned Jin for Liang. Jin lost its great allies abroad and its prefectures within; within years the lone capital was besieged twice. In that crisis no one fought harder than Sizhao.
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天祐三年，與周德威攻梁潞州，降丁會，以嗣昭為昭義軍節度使。 梁遣李思安將兵十萬攻潞，築夾城以圍之。 梁太祖遣人招降嗣昭，嗣昭斬其使者，閉城拒守，逾年，莊宗始攻破夾城。 嗣昭完緝兵民，撫養甚有恩意。 梁、晉戰胡柳，晉軍敗，周德威戰死。 莊宗懼，欲收兵還臨濮，嗣昭曰：「梁軍已勝，旦暮思歸。 吾若收軍，使彼休息，整而復出，何以當之？ 宜以精騎撓之，因其勞乏，可以勝也。」 莊宗然之。 是時，梁軍已登無石山，莊宗遣嗣昭轉擊山北，而自以銀槍軍趨而曰：「今日之戰，得山者勝！」 晉軍皆爭登山，梁軍遽下，陣於山西，晉軍從上急擊，大敗之。 於是晉城德勝矣。 周德威死，嗣昭權知幽州，居數月，以李紹宏代之。 嗣昭將去，幽州人皆號哭閉關遮留之，嗣昭夜遁，乃得去。
In Tianyou's third year he and Zhou Dewei took Luzhou; Ding Hui surrendered; Sizhao became governor of Zhaoyi. Liang sent Li Si'an with a hundred thousand men, ringed Lu with twin siege walls. Liang's Taizu sent envoys; Sizhao killed them, barred the gates, and held a year until Zhuangzong broke the siege. Sizhao rebuilt army and populace and governed them with genuine care. At Huliu, Jin lost; Zhou Dewei fell. Zhuangzong feared retreat to Linpu; Sizhao said: "Liang has won—they will soon want to go home. Pull back now and they will rest, regroup, and strike again—how will we stand against them? Harass them with elite cavalry while they are exhausted—that is how we win." Zhuangzong agreed. Liang had taken Wushi Mountain; Zhuangzong sent Sizhao around the north face while he led the Silver Spear Army shouting: "Who holds the hill today wins!" Jin soldiers clawed up the slope; Liang rushed down to the west face; Jin struck from above and shattered them. Jin held Desheng from that day. After Dewei's death Sizhao governed Youzhou provisionally; months later Li Shaohong replaced him. When he prepared to leave, Youzhou wept, closed the gates, and tried to keep him; he slipped away by night.
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In year nineteen he followed Zhuangzong against the Khitan at Wangdu; Zhuangzong was trapped in rings of enemy lines; Sizhao with three hundred riders cut him free. Jin had sent Yan Bao against Zhang Wenli at Zhenzhou; Zhen beat Bao, and Sizhao took his place. Zhen raided Jiumen; Sizhao ambushed them and nearly annihilated the force; three hid in ruined walls; he charged to shoot them and took an arrow in the skull; quiver empty, he wrenched the shaft from his head, killed one more, rode back to camp, and died.
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嗣昭諸子，繼儔長而懦，其弟繼韜囚之以自立，莊宗方與梁兵相持河上，不暇究其事，因即以為昭義軍留後。 繼韜委其政於魏琢、申蒙，琢等常教繼韜反，繼韜未決。 莊宗在魏，以事召監軍張居翰、節度判官任圜。 琢等以謂莊宗召居翰等問繼韜事，繼韜且見誅，因以語趣之，繼韜乃遣其弟繼遠入梁，梁末帝即拜繼韜同中書門下平章事。 居數月，莊宗滅梁，繼韜將走契丹，會赦至，乃已，因隨其母朝於京師，繼遠諫曰：「兄為臣子，以反為名，復何面以見天子？ 且潞城堅而倉廩實，不如閉城坐食積粟，以延歲月，愈於往而就戮也。」 繼韜不聽。 繼韜母楊氏，善畜財，平生居積行販，至貲百萬。 當嗣昭為梁圍以夾城彌年，軍用乏絕，楊氏之積，蓋有助焉。 至是，乃賫銀數十萬兩至京師，厚賂宦官、伶人，宦官、伶人皆言：「繼韜初無惡意，為奸人所誤耳。」 楊夫人亦以賂謁劉皇后，劉皇后為言：「嗣昭功臣，宜蒙恩貸。」 由是莊宗釋繼韜。 嘗從獵，寵倖無間。 李存渥尤切齒，數詆責之，繼韜懷不自安，復賂宦官、伶人求歸鎮，莊宗不許。 繼韜陰使人告繼遠，令起變於軍中，冀天子遣己往安緝之，事泄，斬於天津橋。 其二子嘗為質於梁，莊宗破梁得之，撫其背曰：「爾幼，猶能佐其父反，長復何為乎？」 至是因並誅之。 即遣人斬繼遠，以繼儔知潞州事。 已而召繼儔還京師，繼儔悉取繼韜妓妾珍玩，而不時即路。 其弟繼達怒曰：「吾兄父子誅死，而大兄不仁，利其貲財，淫其妻妾，吾所不忍也！」 乃服缞麻，引數百騎坐戟門，使人入殺繼儔。 節度副使李繼珂募市人千餘攻繼達，繼達走城外，自剄死。
Sizhao's eldest son Jichou was grown but weak; brother Jitao jailed him and seized power; Zhuangzong, fighting Liang on the river, had no time to inquire and confirmed Jitao as acting governor. Jitao left rule to Wei Zhuo and Shen Meng, who kept urging rebellion; he still hesitated. Zhuangzong was at Wei and summoned army supervisor Zhang Juhang and judge Ren Yuan. Zhuo believed Zhuangzong had called them to judge Jitao's treason and pressed him to act; Jitao sent Jiyuan to Liang, and the Last Emperor made him co-chancellor at once. Months later Zhuangzong ended Liang; Jitao nearly fled to the Khitan until amnesty came; he followed his mother to the capital; Jiyuan said: "You rebelled as a subject—what face have you to see the Son of Heaven? Luzhou's walls are strong and its stores full—shut the gates, eat the grain, and buy time rather than walk to your death." Jitao would not hear him. Jitao's mother Lady Yang hoarded wealth all her life through trade until she held a million in assets. When Liang ringed Sizhao for a year and supplies failed, Lady Yang's hoard kept the army alive. She now sent hundreds of thousands of taels of silver to the capital and bribed eunuchs and actors, who all said: "Jitao had meant no harm—only villains had misled him." Lady Yang bribed Empress Liu, who pleaded: "Sizhao served with merit—his line deserves mercy." Zhuangzong freed Jitao. He hunted at court and enjoyed unbroken favor. Li Cunwo hated him bitterly and often denounced him; uneasy, Jitao bribed eunuchs and actors to plead for his post back—Zhuangzong refused. He secretly told Jiyuan to stir mutiny in the army so the throne would send him to calm it; exposed, he was beheaded at Tianjin Bridge. Two sons had been Liang hostages; when Zhuangzong took them he stroked their backs and said: "You are children, yet helped your father rebel—what will you do grown?" Now they were killed with him. He sent men to kill Jiyuan and left Jichou governing Luzhou. Soon he recalled Jichou to the capital; Jichou seized Jitao's women and treasures and delayed his departure. Brother Jida raged: "Father and son were slaughtered, yet the eldest steals his wealth and takes his women—I will not endure it!" He donned mourning, seated several hundred riders at the Halberd Gate, and sent men to kill Jichou. Vice-governor Li Jike raised a thousand townsfolk against Jida; Jida fled beyond the wall and killed himself.
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Of Sizhao’s seven sons, under Mingzong his son Jineng was condemned for flogging to death a maid in charge of his mother’s storehouse. The maid’s family accused Jineng of rebellion; he and his younger brother Jixi were both executed, and only Jizhong narrowly escaped. Jizhong lived at Jinyang on Lady Yang's remaining fortune of tens of thousands; when Jin Gaozu marched from Taiyuan with Khitan aid, he borrowed from Jizhong to pay the Khitan bribe. Gaozu rewarded him with the prefectures of Yi, Di, and Shan; he died in the Kaiyun years. Lady Yang's lifetime hoard sustained Sizhao and three generations of sons.
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Li Siben was born Zhang, from Yanmen. His clan had long held Tongye as hereditary commandants. He served Taizu young; Taizu favored him, gave him the Li surname and a new name, and adopted him. He fought at Juyong Pass and rose to command the Adopted Sons Army. He helped crush Wang Xingyu and became commander of the Weiyuan Army. He joined the campaign against Luo Hongxin and broke Tangyin at the van. He followed Zhuangzong when Luzhou's twin siege walls fell. Battle after battle raised him to prefect of Dai, defender of Yun, and governor of Zhenwu, titled Trustworthy Khan. In Tianyou's thirteenth year he followed Zhuangzong against Liu Yun at Old Yuancheng, took Bo and Ci, and in the sixth month marched back to Zhenwu. When the Khitan invaded north of Dai and struck Weizhou, Siben fell in battle.
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Li Si'en was born Luo, of the Tuyuhun. He served Taizu young, excelled at horse and bow, rose through the Iron Forest and Shock Array commands, received the Li name, and was adopted. He helped defeat Kang Huaiying west of the river and commanded the left wing horse army. He followed Sizhao to relieve Zhu Youqian at Hezhong, fought Liang head-on, took a spear through the mouth, and kept fighting. He became prefect of Liao. He entered Wei with Zhuangzong and commanded all horse and foot of Tianxiong. When Liu Yun marched on Taiyuan toward Leping, Si'en trailed behind, cut by another road, and entered Taiyuan first to hold the city. When Yun withdrew, Si'en joined Zhuangzong at Wei and fought at Xin. He became prefect of Dai, commander north of Shiling Pass, and governor of Zhenwu. In Tianyou's fifteenth year he died at Taiyuan. Posthumously made Grand Commandant.
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Li Cunxin was born Zhang; his father Junzheng came from the tribe of Uyghur Li Sizhong. Young Cunxin mastered horse and bow, spoke the tongues of the border peoples, and read their six scripts. He rose with Taizu beyond Dai, entered the passes against Huang Chao, rose to command all horse and foot, received the Li name, and was adopted. Cunxin and Cunxiao were both adopted sons; Cunxin lacked Cunxiao's brilliance yet refused to bow—so they hated each other; Cunxin blocked and baited him until Cunxiao offended and died. Still, Cunxin campaigned repeatedly and won Chen prefecture by merit. Taizu sent him to rescue Zhu Xuan; he camped at Xin County, was smashed by Luo Hongxin, and lost Taizu's son Luo Luo. Later he followed Taizu against Liu Rengong and suffered a crushing defeat at Anse. Taizu erupted in fury and turned on Cunxin: “Yesterday I was drunk—why would you not fight for me? The ancients allowed three defeats—you already have two." He meant to execute him, but Cunxin kowtowed until the sentence was lifted. After that he lived in dread and often pleaded sickness; in Tianfu 2 (902) he died at forty-one.
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Li Cunxiao came from Feihu in Daizhou. Born An Jingsi. Taizu took him campaigning beyond Dai, put him in the headquarters tent, gave him the Li name, adopted him, and kept him as a cavalry commander. In Wende 1 Zhang Yan of Henan stormed Heyang; Li Hanzhi came to Jin; Jin posted Hanzhi at Zezhou and sent Cunxiao with Xue Atan, An Xiuxiu, and seven thousand men to help him retake Heyang. Liang sent Ding Hui, Niu Cunjie, and others to aid Yan. At Wen County Liang held the Taihang passes first; Cunxiao was smashed and An Xiuxiu was taken. Jin already held Ze and Lu and each year marched into Shandong against Meng Fangli for Xing, Ming, and Ci; Cunxiao was always in the fighting. When Fangli died Jin took the three prefectures, and Cunxiao's merit was greatest.
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明年，潞州軍亂，殺李克恭以歸唐，梁遣李讜攻李罕之於澤州，存孝以騎兵五千救之。 梁軍呼罕之曰：「公常恃太原以為命，今上黨已歸唐，唐兵大集，圍太原，沙陀將無穴以自處，公復誰恃而不降乎？」 存孝以精騎五百繞梁柵而呼曰：「我沙陀之求穴者，待爾肉以食軍，可令肥者出鬥！」 梁驍將鄧季筠引軍出戰，存孝舞槊擒之，李讜敗走，追擊至馬牢關。 還攻潞州，唐以孫揆為潞州節度使，揆儒者，以梁卒三千為衛，褒衣大蓋，擁節先驅。 存孝以三百騎伏長子西崖谷間，伺揆軍過，橫擊斷之，擒揆以歸。 初，梁遣葛從周、朱崇節守潞州以待揆，聞揆見執，皆棄去，晉遂復取潞州。 是時，張浚、韓建伐晉，擊陰地關，晉以李存信、薛阿檀等當浚，別遣存孝軍於趙城。 唐軍戰敗於陰地關，浚退保晉州，韓建走絳州。 存孝攻晉州，浚兵出戰，輒復敗，因閉壁不敢出。 存孝去，攻絳州。 浚、建皆走。
Next year Lu Prefecture mutinied, killed Li Ke Gong, and returned to Tang; Liang sent Li Chan against Li Hanzhi at Zezhou, and Cunxiao rode in with five thousand horse. Liang shouted to Hanzhi: "Taiyuan was your lifeline—Shangdang is Tang again, Tang armies gather, Taiyuan is ringed, and the Shatuo have nowhere to burrow. Who is left for you if you will not yield?" Cunxiao swept five hundred picked riders around the Liang camp and yelled: “I am the Shatuo with nowhere left to hide—I mean to eat your flesh to feed my men! Let your fattest come out and fight!” Liang’s champion Deng Jiyun sallied forth; Cunxiao whirled his spear and took him alive; Li Chan broke and ran; the chase ran to Malao Pass. He turned back on Luzhou; the court named Sun Kui its governor—a scholar who marched with three thousand Liang guards in flowing robes under a great canopy, the commission borne ahead. Cunxiao laid three hundred riders in the western cliff pass at Changzi, ambushed Kui’s march, cut the column in two, and carried Kui off. Liang had posted Ge Congzhou and Zhu Chongjie at Luzhou to receive Kui; when they learned he was captured, both fled, and Jin took the city back. Zhang Jun and Han Jian were then marching on Jin and hit Yindi Pass; Jin met Jun with Cunxin and Xue Atan and sent Cunxiao to Zhaocheng. Tang lost at Yindi; Jun fell back to Jinzhou, and Han Jian ran to Jiangzhou. Cunxiao pressed Jinzhou; Jun sallied and lost again, then barred the gates and would not come out. Cunxiao withdrew and turned on Jiangzhou. Jun and Jian both ran.
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存孝猨臂善射，身被重鎧，櫜弓坐槊，手舞鐵楇，出入陣中，以兩騎自從，戰酣易騎，上下如飛。 初，存孝取潞州功為多，而太祖別以大將康君立為潞州留後，存孝為汾州刺史，存孝負其功，不食者數日。 及走張濬，遷邠州刺史。 大順二年，徙邢州留後。 是時，晉軍連歲攻趙常山，存孝常為先鋒，下趙臨城、元氏。 趙王求救於幽州李匡威，匡威兵至，晉軍輒引去。 存孝素與存信有隙，存信譖之曰：「存孝有二心，常避趙不擊。」 存孝不自安，乃附梁通趙，自歸於唐，因請會兵以代晉。 唐命趙王王镕援之。 明年，趙與幽州有隙，懼而與晉和，反以兵三萬助晉擊存孝。 存孝嬰城自守。 太祖自將兵傅其城，掘塹以圍之，存孝出兵沖擊，塹不得成。 裨將袁奉韜使人說存孝曰：「公所畏者，晉王爾。 王俟塹成，且留兵去，諸將非公敵也，雖塹何為？」 存孝以為然，縱兵成塹。 塹成，深溝高壘，不可近，存孝遂窘。 城中食盡，登城呼曰：「兒蒙王恩，位至將相，豈欲舍父子而附仇讎，乃存信構陷之耳。 願生見王一言而死。」 太祖哀之，遣劉夫人入城慰諭之。 劉夫人引與俱來，存孝泥首請罪曰：「兒於晉有功而無過，所以至此，由存信為之耳！」 太祖叱曰：「爾為書檄，罪我百端，亦存信為之邪？」 縛載後車，至太原，車裂之以徇。 然太祖惜其材，悵然恨諸將之不能容也，為之不視事者十餘日。
Cunxiao’s arms were long as an ape’s and his bow never missed; in heavy mail he rode with bow slung and spear braced, swinging an iron mace through the press, two spare horses at his heel—when the fight peaked he changed mounts in a flash, rising and dropping like a bird in flight. He had done most to retake Luzhou, yet Taizu gave the post to Kang Junli and made Cunxiao only prefect of Fen; bitter at the slight, he refused food for days. After Zhang Jun was routed he became prefect of Bin. In Dashun 2 (891) he was shifted to acting governor of Xingzhou. Jin had hammered Zhao’s Changshan for years; Cunxiao usually led the van and seized Lincheng and Yuanshi. The Prince of Zhao called on Li Kuangwei of Youzhou; whenever Kuangwei marched in, Jin pulled back. Cunxiao and Cunxin had long hated each other; Cunxin whispered: "Cunxiao is disloyal—he skirts Zhao and will not strike." Uneasy, Cunxiao turned to Liang to open a road into Zhao, came over to Tang himself, and asked for allied armies to overthrow Jin. Tang ordered the Prince of Zhao, Wang Rong, to his aid. Next year Zhao feuded with Youzhou, panicked, reconciled with Jin, and sent thirty thousand men to help Jin crush Cunxiao. Cunxiao barred the gates and defended alone. Taizu came in person to press the siege and dig encircling trenches; Cunxiao charged out and the ditches never closed. Staff officer Yuan Fengtao sent word: “You fear only the Prince of Jin. When the ditches are finished he will march away and leave others behind—none of them can stand to you. What is a trench to you?" Cunxiao believed him and stood his men down while the encirclement was dug. The ring closed—deep ditch, high wall, no way in—and Cunxiao was trapped. When the stores were gone he climbed the wall and cried: “I owed the Prince everything, rose to general and minister—would I trade father and son for a foe? Cunxin set this trap. Let me see the Prince once while I live, then die." Taizu was moved and sent Lady Liu into the city to reason with him. Lady Liu brought him out; Cunxiao groveled and pleaded: "I served Jin with merit and no crime—Cunxin alone drove me to this!" Taizu roared: “You drafted letters blaming me on every count—was Cunxin writing those too?” They bound him on a baggage cart, hauled him to Taiyuan, and tore him apart between chariots for all to see. Taizu still mourned his gifts, cursed his generals for their jealousy, and for ten days would not hold court.
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Kang Junli favored Cunxin; while the feud burned, Junli always backed Cunxin to topple Cunxiao. After Cunxiao’s death Taizu gambled with his commanders; mention of Cunxiao brought endless tears; Junli scoffed; Taizu in rage gave him poison. Junli began as a guard officer at Yunzhou; under Xizong he expelled Duan Wenchu and rose with Taizu from Yunzhong—the first man in the enterprise. He won battle after battle, was named governor of Zhaoyi, and died for Cunxiao’s sake.
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Li Cunjin came from Zhenwu; born Sun Chongjin. Taizu seized him when Shuozhou fell, gave him the Li name, and adopted him. He entered the passes with Taizu against Huang Chao and became commander of the Adopted Sons Army. He fought with Zhuangzong at Bai Township, became chief adjutant of horse and foot in the field army, and governed Ci and Qin. When Zhuangzong first held Weibo he named him commander of Tianxiong and ruled Liang’s mutineers by strict law—offenders lost their heads and were quartered in the market until Wei dared not breathe. He fought along the Yellow River and rose to governor of Zhenwu. Jin then held Desheng in twin camps and ferried troops by boat—a weary business; with no bamboo or stone in Hebei, Cunjin bound great hulls with reed fascines into a floating bridge. Zhuangzong rejoiced and gave him the coat off his back.
18
Jin besieged Zhang Wenli at Zhenzhou without success; Shi Jiantang, Yan Bao, and Li Sizhao fell in turn; Cunjin replaced Sizhao as commander and camped at Dongyuan Ford. Dongyuan’s ground was foul and walls would not stand; Cunjin cut timber for stockades. At dawn Jin herded fodder; Wenli’s son Chuchiu hit the stockade with a thousand men; Cunjin met him on the bridge, wiped out nearly all his troops, and fell in the fight. Posthumously made Grand Commandant.
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His son Han Shao, under Mingzong, took back the Sun surname and governed Yangzhou. When Prince of Lu Congke rose at Fengxiang, Han Shao and Zhang Qianzhao marched with Tang to crush him; every Tang army turned to Congke—only theirs held out, then both fled to Shu. In Shu he governed Yongping, Xingyuan, and Wuxin in succession. Past seventy, he died in Shu.
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Li Cunzhang, styled Defang, entered the passes with Kang Junli, Gong Zhizhiqin, and others against Huang Chao and rose to command the Adopted Sons Army. At Taizu’s deathbed Cunzhang and Zhang Chengye took his last command and raised Zhuangzong as Prince of Jin; the Prince made Cunzhang commander of Hedong horse and foot. Since the old prince’s day Jin had indulged the ranks until lawlessness ran wild; the new Prince of Jin feared it most; Cunzhang bound every offense to the statute until the realm went still. He fought at Jiacheng and Bai Township and won Fenzhou by merit. While Zhuangzong fought Liu Yun at Weibo, Liang sent Wang Tan to strike Taiyuan in its weakness; Cunzhang rushed Fen troops in to hold the city, won Datong defender, then full governor. In Tianyou 19 (922) he died of illness. Posthumously made Grand Commandant.
21
存賢，許州人也，本姓王名賢。 少為軍卒，善角牴，太祖擊黃巢於陳州，得之，賜以姓名，養為子。 後為義兒軍副兵馬使，遷沁州刺史。 先時，沁州當敵沖，徙其南百餘里，據險立柵而寓居。 至存賢為刺史，曰：「徙城避敵，豈勇者所為？」 乃復城故州。 梁兵屢攻之，存賢力自距守，卒不能近。 遷武州刺史、山北團練使，又遷慈州。 天祐十八年，梁兵攻朱友謙於河中，莊宗遣存賢援友謙。 是時，友謙新叛梁歸晉，而河中食少，人心多貳，諜者因謂存賢曰：「河中人欲殺子以歸梁，宜亟去。」 存賢曰：「死王事，吾志也。 復何恨哉！」 卒擊走梁兵。 莊宗即位，拜右武衛上將軍。 莊宗亦好角觝，嘗與王較而屢勝，頗以自矜，因顧存賢曰：「爾能勝我，與爾一鎮。」 存賢搏而勝之。 同光二年春，幽州符存審病，莊宗置酒宮中，歎曰：「吾創業故人，零落殆盡，其所存者惟存審耳！ 今又病篤，北方之事誰可代之？」 因顧存賢曰：「無以易卿。 角觝之勝，吾不食言。」 即日以為盧龍軍節度使。 是歲，卒于幽州，年六十五。 贈太傅。
Li Cunxian was from Xu Prefecture; his original surname was Wang and his given name was Xian. He began as a common soldier and excelled at wrestling; Taizu took him fighting Huang Chao at Chenzhou, gave him the Li name, and adopted him. He became deputy commander of the Adopted Sons Army and governor of Qin. Qin had once stood in the enemy’s path; the seat was shifted a hundred li south to a cliff-side stockade while the people lived in exile. As prefect Cunxian said: "Abandoning a city to dodge the foe—is that courage?" He rebuilt the old seat. Liang struck again and again; Cunxian held hard until they could not come near. He governed Wu and regent Shanbei, then was shifted to Cizhou. In Tianyou 18 (921) Liang besieged Zhu Youqian at Hezhong; Zhuangzong sent Cunxian to his aid. Youqian had only just left Liang for Jin; Hezhong was short of grain and loyalty wavered; a spy warned Cunxian: “They will kill you and go back to Liang—flee now.” Cunxian said: “To die for the prince is what I want. What is there to regret?” He fought until Liang broke and ran. When Zhuangzong took the throne he made Cunxian general of the Right Martial Guard. Zhuangzong also loved wrestling; he often wrestled Wang and kept winning until he grew proud. He turned to Cunxian and said: "Beat me and I will give you a command." Cunxian wrestled and beat him. In spring of Tongguang 2 Fu Cunshen in Youzhou fell ill. Zhuangzong drank in the palace and sighed: "Of the friends who built this realm with me, nearly all are gone—the only one left is Cunshen! Now he is gravely ill. Who can take the north?" He turned to Cunxian and said: "No one can replace you. I will not break my word on that wrestling match." That day he made him military governor of the Lu Long Army. That year he died in Youzhou at sixty-five. Posthumously made Grand Tutor.