23 Facts About Zhu Youzhen

Zhu Zhen, often referred to in traditional histories as Emperor Mo of Later Liang and sometimes by his princely title Prince of Jun, ne Zhu Youzhen, known as Zhu Huang from 913 to 915, was the third and last emperor of China's Later Liang dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, ruling from 913 to 923.

Zhu Youzhen ordered his general Huangfu Lin to kill him in 923 when Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang, the emperor of Later Liang's enemy Later Tang to the north, was on the cusp of capturing the Later Liang capital Daliang.

Zhu Youzhen's death marked the end of Later Liang, which was to be the longest among the Five Dynasties.

Zhu Youzhen was born 888, at what was then Tang dynasty's Bian Prefecture, as the fourth son of his father Zhu Quanzhong, who was then a major warlord as the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit.

Zhu Youzhen's mother was Zhu Quanzhong's wife Lady Zhang, and he was her only known biological son.

Zhu Youzhen was described to be handsome, not talkative, and favoring scholars.

In 907, Zhu Quanzhong had Tang's final emperor Emperor Ai yield the throne to him, ending Tang and starting a new Later Liang with him as its Emperor Taizu.

Zhu Youzhen favored Zhu Youwen's wife Lady Wang the most, and partly due to that favored Zhu Youwen the most as well.

Zhu Youzhen further persuaded the elite Longxiang Army soldiers then at Daliang to join the plot as well, and then prepared to rise and attack Luoyang.

Zhu Youzhen sent overtures to the general Zhu Youqian, who had submitted Huguo Circuit to Later Liang's archrival Jin, upon Zhu Yougui's assassination of Emperor Taizu, and Zhu Youqian agreed to resubmit to Later Liang.

Zhu Youzhen had to guard against two other rival states, Qi and Wu.

Zhu Youzhen Zhen sent the generals Niu Cunjie and Liu Xun, and they, after repelling the Wu general Zhu Youzhen Jin, captured Wuning's capital Xu Prefecture.

Zhu Youzhen Zhen agreed, and ordered that Tianxiong be divided into two circuits, with three of Tianxiong's six prefectures to belong to a new Zhaode Circuit.

Zhu Youzhen Zhen sent a eunuch, Fu Yi, to try to comfort the Tianxiong soldiers, but was not receptive to Zhang's request that Tianxiong's division be cancelled.

Zhu Youzhen relieved him of his command as the commander of the forces against Jin, and replaced him with He Gui, who had been able to suppress a mutiny at Qing Prefecture in 916.

Later that year, at Zhao's suggestion, Zhu Youzhen prepared a grand ceremony to sacrifice to heaven and earth at Luoyang, and departed Daliang to do so, despite the contrary advice of Jing.

Zhu Youzhen Zhen ended up not aiding Zhang Wenli, Zhang Wenli subsequently died and was succeeded by his son Zhang Chujin, who held out against Jin forces until late 922, but was eventually defeated, with Li absorbing Zhao territory into Jin.

Zhu Youzhen Zhen commissioned him as full military governor and renamed the circuit Kuangyi.

In fear and anger over Yun's fall, Zhu Youzhen demoted Dai and commissioned Wang Yanzhang as the commander of the army against Later Tang instead.

Meanwhile, Zhu Youzhen destroyed the Yellow River levee at Hua Prefecture, causing a flood area, believing that it would impede further Later Tang attacks.

Zhu Youzhen defeated them, capturing both Wang and Zhang Hanjie at Zhongdu, and then headed directly toward the defenseless Daliang.

Zhu Youzhen ordered his general Huangfu Lin to kill him; Huangfu did, and then committed suicide himself.

Li Cunxu had Zhu Youzhen's body buried with respect, but kept his head at the imperial temple.