33 Facts About Liu Shouguang

Liu Shouguang was a warlord early in the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period who controlled Lulong and Yichang Circuits, after seizing control from his father Liu Rengong and defeating his brother Liu Shouwen.

Liu Shouguang claimed the title of Emperor of Yan in 911, but was defeated and executed by Li Cunxu the Prince of Jin, who absorbed Yan into his Jin state.

Liu Shouguang was a son of Liu Rengong, who became military governor of Lulong Circuit in 895 after Liu Rengong's then-liege Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit conquered Lulong Circuit in 894.

In or around 903, Liu Shouguang Rengong made him the prefect of Ping Prefecture.

Sometime in or before 907, Liu Shouguang entered into an affair with Liu Rengong's favorite concubine Lady Luo.

When Liu Rengong found out, Liu Rengong caned Liu Shouguang, threw him out of the household, and no longer recognized him as a son.

In summer 907, when the major warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit sent the general Li Si'an to attack Lulong's capital You Prefecture, Liu Shouguang Rengong happened to be at his vacation mansion at Mount Da'an, and the city was unprepared for Li Si'an's attack and almost fell.

Liu Shouguang organized an army and defended the city; he then defeated Li Si'an and forced the Xuanwu army to withdraw.

Liu Shouguang thereafter claimed the title of military governor and sent his officers Yuan Xingqin and Li Xiaoxi to attack Liu Rengong's mansion at Mount Da'an.

Liu Shouguang Rengong tried to resist, but Li Xiaoxi defeated and captured him.

Liu Shouguang put Liu Rengong under house arrest, and killed many of the staff members and household servants that he did not like.

Liu Shouguang put Liu Shouwen under arrest and headed toward Cang Prefecture.

Liu Shouwen's assistants Lu Yan and Sun He initially supported Liu Shouwen's son Liu Yanzuo as his successor and put up a defense, and the defense held, even after Liu Shouguang took Liu Shouwen to the city to show the troops that Liu Shouwen had been captured.

In spring 910, Liu Yanzuo surrendered, and Liu Shouguang had his son Liu Jiwei take over Yichang.

Liu Shouguang killed Lu and slaughtered Lu's household, but pardoned Sun and made Sun a chief strategist.

Liu Shouguang submitted a petition in Liu Rengong's name requesting retirement; Emperor Taizu approved it and bestowed on Liu Rengong the honorary title Taishi.

Originally, the joint army attacked south further, intending to take Later Liang's Baoyi and Tianxiong Circuits, but as they advanced, Liu Shouguang made noises about joining the fight.

Liu Shouguang first sent a letter to Wang Rong and Wang Chuzhi, asking them to support him to take the title of Shangfu.

Liu Shouguang then submitted their petition to Emperor Taizu, stating to Emperor Taizu if Emperor Taizu made him the supreme commander of the circuits to the north, Li Cunxu and Wang Rong would fall into line.

Emperor Taizu, while knowing that Liu Shouguang was inflating himself, thereafter sent the emissaries Wang Tong and Shi Yanqun to bestow him the title of surveyor of the circuits north of the Yellow River.

Liu Shouguang ordered the immediate preparation of an imperial enthronement ceremony.

Liu Shouguang threw Wang Tong and Shi, as well as the emissaries that the other circuits sent to attend the ceremony, into jail, but then had them released.

Liu Shouguang then assumed the title of Emperor of Yan.

Liu Shouguang's arrogance continued after taking imperial title; for example, when Li Cunxu, in order to further fan his arrogance by sending his official Li Chengxun to congratulate him, he insisted that Li, rather than acting like an emissary on behalf of an equal state, kneel down to him and declare himself a subject.

Liu Shouguang tattooed the faces of all of his soldiers.

Liu Shouguang sought aid from Later Liang's Emperor Taizu, who did decide to personally lead an army to aid him.

When Liu Shouguang sent a humbly-worded letter begging for peace, Zhou mocked him, stating:.

When Li Cunxu subsequently sent Zhang Chengye to You Prefecture to discuss the status of the siege with Zhou, Liu Shouguang offered to surrender to Zhang, but Zhang refused, citing Liu Shouguang's history of not following his own words.

Liu Shouguang offered to surrender if Li Cunxu personally came to accept his surrender.

Liu Shouguang, taking his wives Empress Li and Empress Zhu, as well as his sons Liu Jixun, Liu Jifang, and Liu Jizuo with him, tried to flee to Cang Prefecture, where Liu Shouqi had replaced Zhang Wanjin as the military governor of Yichang.

Liu Shouguang sent Empress Zhu to go beg for food among the commoners.

Liu Shouguang thereafter went there and took all of them captive and delivered them to Li Cunxu.

Liu Shouguang begged for his life and pointed out that Li Xiaoxi had persuaded him not to surrender; when Li Xiaoxi then rebuked him, Li Cunxu, angry at Li Xiaoxi's attitude toward his old master, executed Li Xiaoxi first.