16 Facts About Li Cunshen

Li Cunshen, ne Fu Cun, often referred to in historical sources as Fu Cunshen, courtesy name Dexiang, was a Chinese military general, politician, and singer of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period dynasty Later Tang and Later Tang's predecessor state Jin.

Li Cunshen was an adoptive son of Jin's first prince Li Keyong and later served in a number of major campaigns under the reign of Li Keyong's son Li Cunxu, helping Li Cunxu to establish Later Tang as its Emperor Zhuangzong.

Li Cunshen often accompanied Li Keyong on his campaigns and distinguished himself during them.

In 895, when Li Keyong, under the directives of Emperor Xizong's brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong, attacked Wang Xingyu the military governor of Jingnan Circuit, Li Cunshen was instrumental in defeating Jingnan's elite troops and capturing Longquan, leading to Wang's subsequent defeat and death.

Li Cunshen was then made the commander of Li Keyong's infantry guards.

Li Keyong caned both Li Sizhao and Li Cunshen and stripped them of their posts.

Li Cunxu himself and Zhou Dewei commanded the subsequent successful relief mission to Lu, and Li Cunshen served under Zhou during the battle.

Later, at Li Cunxu's direction, Li Cunshen took his ethnic Tuyuhun and Qibi cavalry soldiers to reinforce Zhou's troops.

Li Cunshen engaged in several subsequent major battles with the Later Liang general Liu Xun, who was trying to recapture Tianxiong, defeating Liu.

Li Cunshen defended the city, and Dai was unable to capture it.

In 923, when Khitan was again attacking You Prefecture, Li Cunxu, at the suggestion of his chief of staff Guo Chongtao, despite the fact that Li Cunshen was ill at the time, made Li Cunshen the military governor of Lulong.

Shortly after Li Cunshen was commissioned as the military governor of Lulong, Li Cunxu declared himself emperor, as the successor to Tang, establishing Later Tang as its Emperor Zhuangzong.

Li Cunshen gave Li Cunshen the honorary chancellor title of Zhongshu Ling.

Meanwhile, Li Cunshen was distressed that, despite being the most senior among Later Tang generals, he was the only main one who did not participate in the conquest of the Later Liang capital.

Li Cunshen repeatedly requested to get a chance to pay homage to Emperor Zhuangzong again, including making the requests through his wife Lady Guo, but Guo Chongtao, who was jealous of Li Cunshen, repeatedly had the requests suppressed.

Only in spring 924, when Li Cunshen was seriously ill, was the request approved, along with a new commission as the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit.