Zhu Youqian () (died March 9, 926Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 274.Academia Sinica Chinese-Western Calendar Converter.), né Zhu Jian (), known as Li Jilin () from 923 to 926, courtesy name Deguang (), formally the Prince of Xiping (), was a Chinese military general, monarch, politician, and warlord of the late Chinese dynasty Tang dynasty and the first two dynasties of the subsequent Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Later Liang and Later Tang, ruling Huguo Circuit (護國, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi) during most of that time. Both he and his family were extremely honored by Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang, but later, he was falsely accused of plotting a rebellion, and Emperor Zhuangzong put him and his entire family to death.
Background It is not known when Zhu Jian was born. His family was from Xu Prefecture (許州, in modern Xuchang, Henan), and both his grandfather Zhu Yan () and father Zhu Cong () were minor military officers at Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered at Xu Prefecture). During Huang Chao's rebellion, Zhu Jian left his home area and became a subordinate of Bo Kui () the defender of Mianchi Base (澠池鎮, in modern Sanmenxia, Henan). At some point, he left that army post and became a bandit, but yet later again an army officer under Wang Gong the military governor of Baoyi Circuit (保義, headquartered in modern Sanmenxia).History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 63.
Wang was impatient and harsh, and his subordinates had no love for him. Even the officer Li Fan (), whom Wang favored and often depended on, could not escape severe caning for minor faults. As a result, Li secretly resented Wang. Further, Wang had engaged a lengthy struggle with his cousin Wang Ke the military governor of Huguo Circuit to try to take over Huguo, but was repeatedly defeated, and the army morale was low. In 899, Li started a mutiny and killed Wang Gong, and the soldiers supported him to be acting military governor. Several months later, Zhu further overthrew Li and claimed the title of acting military governor, and became a vassal of the powerful warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan).Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 261. (The main traditional historical sources differ as to Li's fate, with Zhu's biographies in both the History of the Five Dynasties and the New History of the Five Dynasties indicating that Li fled to Zhu Quanzhong's capital Bian Prefecture ()New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 45. (with the New History of the Five Dynasties further stating that Zhu Jian was involved in Li's mutiny against Wang Gong) while the Zizhi Tongjian stated that Zhu killed Li.)
Rule of Baoyi Circuit In 900, under Zhu Quanzhong's support, Zhu Jian was commissioned to be acting military governor, and then full military governor of Baoyi, by then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong of Tang. After Emperor Zhaozong was forcibly taken by the powerful eunuchs to Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), which was then ruled by the eunuchs' ally Li Maozhen, in 901, Zhu Quanzhong, who was allied with the chancellor Cui Yin and was trying to take Emperor Zhaozong back from the eunuchs' and Li Maozhen's control,Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 262. was frequently traveling through Baoyi Circuit to deal with the campaign and was treated with respect by Zhu Jian. As a result, after a subsequent siege by Zhu on Fengxiang's capital Fengxiang Municipality forced Li Maozhen to slaughter the eunuchs and surrender Emperor Zhaozong to Zhu Quanzhong,Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 263. Zhu Quanzhong had Zhu Jian given the honorary chancellor designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (). When Zhu Quanzhong subsequently forced Emperor Zhaozong to move the capital from Chang'an to Luoyang in 904,Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 264. the forced move of the imperial court was so rushed that not even the imperial officials accompanying Emperor Zhaozong had proper clothes to wear. Zhu Jian prepared 100 sets and had them given to the officials when the imperial train travelled through Baoyi Circuit. Subsequently, after Emperor Zhaozong's arrival in Luoyang, Zhu Jian was given the greater honorary chancellor title of acting Shizhong (). As Zhu Jian shared a family name with Zhu Quanzhong, he thereafter sent a petition to Zhu Quanzhong, stating:
Zhu Quanzhong greatly appreciated this request, so he changed Zhu Jian's name to Zhu Youqian ("You" being the generational character in the personal names of all of Zhu Quanzhong's sons and nephews), and added Zhu Youqian to his family roll, treating Zhu Youqian as a son. Thereafter, Zhu Youqian served him faithfully and contributed to his campaigns.
Rule of Huguo Circuit
Under Emperor Taizu of Later Liang In 907, Zhu Quanzhong forced Emperor Zhaozong's son and successor Emperor Ai to yield the throne to him, ending Tang and starting a new Later Liang with him as its Emperor Taizu.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 266. Emperor Taizu moved Zhu Youqian to the more prosperous Huguo Circuit as military governor and also gave him the title of acting Taiwei (太尉, one of the Three Excellencies). He was eventually also given the greater honorary chancellor title of Zhongshu Ling () and created the Prince of Ji. He was known to have received the former Tang official Su Xun () and Su Xun's son Su Kai () as his guests as of 907, when Emperor Taizu, while having received input from Su Xun on preparations of taking the throne but having looked down on Su for what he considered to be selling out the Tang imperial house, forced Su to retire.
In 910, believing that two prefectures of Huguo, Jin (晉州, in modern Linfen, Shanxi) and Jiang (絳州, in modern Yuncheng), were too close to Later Liang's borders with its archenemy Jin and therefore was strategically important in Later Liang's campaign against Jin, Zhu Youqian offered to have them carved out of his circuit so that a general can be dedicated to their defense. Emperor Taizu agreed, and carved those two prefectures out of Huguo and making them, in addition to Qin Prefecture (沁州, in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), into a new Dingchang Circuit (), making Hua Wenqi () the prefect of Jin its military governor (to reward Hua for his having earlier been successful in repelling a Jin attack).Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 267.
Vacillation between Later Liang and Jin In 912, Emperor Taizu was assassinated by his son Zhu Yougui the Prince of Ying, who, after blaming the assassination on his adoptive brother Zhu Youwen the Prince of Bo and executing Zhu Youwen, took the throne himself. However, rumors quickly spread that Zhu Yougui was the killer, and, despite Zhu Yougui's attempts to placate them with promotions and gifts, many of the senior generals were angry with him. Zhu Youqian was particularly vocal, and when Zhu Yougui's emissary announcing Emperor Taizu's death arrived at Huguo, Zhu Youqian wept and stated to the emissary:Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 268.
Zhu Yougui tried to placate Zhu Youqian by bestowing him dual chancellor titles of Shizhong and Zhongshu Ling, and wrote an edict to defend himself against rumors of patricide. He also summoned Zhu Youqian to Luoyang for a meeting. Zhu Youqian refused, stating:
Zhu Yougui, knowing that Zhu Youqian would not follow his orders, commissioned the general Han Qing () to attack Zhu Youqian. Zhu Youqian therefore surrendered Huguo Circuit to Jin's prince Li Cunxu, seeking for Jin aid. Zhu Yougui therefore sent the general Kang Huaizhen () the military governor of Ganhua Circuit (感化, headquartered in modern Weinan, Shaanxi) against Zhu Youqian, with Han serving as Kang's deputy. Kang and Niu Cunjie () the military governor of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Weinan as well) subsequently launched an intense siege on Huguo's capital Hezhong Municipality (). Li Cunxu sent his adoptive brothers Li Cunshen, Li Sigong (), and Li Si'en () to aid Zhu Youqian, and he himself then personally headed to Huguo to intercept Kang. Li Cunxu defeated Kang at Jie County (解縣, in modern Yuncheng), forcing Kang to withdraw back to Shan Prefecture (陝州, the capital of Baoyi, now named Zhenguo ()). In gratitude, Zhu Youqian personally went to Li Cunxu's camp with only unarmed guards to thank him. He honored Li Cunxu as if Li Cunxu were a maternal uncle and bowed to Li Cunxu. Li Cunxu held a feast for Zhu, kept Zhu at his tent overnight, and held another feast for Zhu the next day, before Zhu departed. It was said that as Zhu slept, Li Cunxu looked at him and commented, "The Prince of Ji truly has an honored physique, except for his arms being short."
In 913, Emperor Taizu's nephew Yuan Xiangxian launched a countercoup against Zhu Yougui at Luoyang, and Zhu Yougui, surrounded, committed suicide. Yuan supported Zhu Yougui's younger brother Zhu Youzhen the Prince of Jun as the new emperor, and Zhu Youzhen thereafter claimed the throne, moving the capital to Daliang (the old capital of Xuanwu Circuit), where he was at the time. (He also changed his name to Zhu Zhen.) He wrote Zhu Youqian to urge Zhu Youqian to return to the Later Liang fold, and Zhu Youqian did so, recognizing him as emperor and used the Later Liang era name to show submission. However, Zhu Youqian did not cut off relations with Jin altogether. (Despite this continued relationship, however, Huguo troops (along with troops from Zhenguo, Ganhua, and Zhongwu Circuits) participated in a surprise attack that the Later Liang general Wang Tan () launched on the Jin capital Taiyuan in 916 while the main Jin strength under Li Cunxu was battling Later Liang forces under Liu Xun to the east, which nearly captured Taiyuan before being repelled.)Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 269.
In 920, Zhu Youqian launched a surprise attack on Zhongwu Circuit's capital Tong Prefecture (), expelling its military governor Cheng Quanhui (). He then made his son Zhu Lingde () Zhongwu's acting military governor and submitted a petition to Zhu Zhen, requesting that Zhu Lingde be made full military governor. Zhu Zhen was angered and initially refused, but later, fearful that Zhu Youqian would resent him, issued an edict making Zhu Youqian military governor of Zhongwu as well. However, by the time that he issued the edict, Zhu Youqian had resubmitted his own circuit to Jin, and Li Cunxu issued an edict in the name of the Tang emperor (as Jin had been existing under the theory that Li Cunxu was exercising powers for the Tang emperor in hopes of Tang's reestablishment) making Zhu Lingde military governor of Zhongwu.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 271.
Zhu Zhen reacted by ordering Liu Xun, assisted by other generals Yin Hao (), Wen Zhaotu (), and Duan Ning, to attack Tong Prefecture. Zhu Youqian sought aid from Li Cunxu, who sent Li Cunshen, his cousin Li Sizhao, as well as Li Jianji () and another adoptive brother, Li Cunxian (),While the Zizhi Tongjian called this individual Li Cunzhi, the real Li Cunzhi was already dead in 908. The description of Cizhou prefect (慈州刺史) matches that of another adopted son, Li Cunxian, perfectly. to aid Zhu Youqian. They fought the Later Liang forces under Liu to an initial stalemate, and then eventually tired Liu's troops out such that Liu withdrew. The Jin forces then attacked Liu's forces as they withdrew, inflicting great losses. However, during the stalemate, as a result of the warfare, food supplies in Huguo dwindled. Zhu Youqian's sons tried to persuade him to resubmit to Later Liang. Zhu Youqian, however, responded: