Wu Shaocheng

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Wu Shaocheng (Chinese: 吳少誠) (750 – January 6, 810[1]), formally the Prince of Puyang (濮陽王), was a Chinese military general and politician who served as the military governor of Zhangyi Circuit (彰義, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan), ruled the circuit in a de facto independent manner from the imperial regime, at one point engaging a campaign against imperial forces.

Background

Wu Shaocheng was born in 750, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. His family was from You Prefecture (幽州, in modern Beijing), and his father served as an officer at Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei). As a result of his father's service, Wu Shaocheng became a guard officer for an imperial prince. Later, on an occasion when he was in Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou, Hubei), the military governor (Jiedushi) Yu Zhun (庾準) was impressed by Wu and kept Wu as a guard commander at his headquarters.[2][3]

When Yu was subsequently recalled to the capital

Xiangyang, Wu saw that the military governor of the circuit headquartered at Xiangyang, Liang Chongyi of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道), was not following imperial orders, he secretly drafted strategies on defeating Liang and was planning on offering them to Emperor Dezong.[2] He first offered them to general Li Xilie the military governor of Huaixi Circuit (淮西, the same circuit that would later be renamed Zhangyi). Li Xilie favored them and offered them to Emperor Dezong as his own strategies, and Emperor Dezong put Li in charge of the operations against Liang in 781. Li made Wu his forward commander in the campaign against Liang.[4] After Li defeated Liang later in the year, leading to Liang's suicide, Wu was rewarded. When Li himself turned against the imperial government and declared himself emperor in 784, Wu continued to serve him.[2] In 786, Li was assassinated by his officer Chen Xianqi, who submitted to imperial authority, and Emperor Dezong made Chen the military governor of Huaixi Circuit. Several months later, however, Wu, avenging Li, assassinated Chen. Emperor Dezong made his son Li Liang (李諒) the Prince of Qian the titular military governor, but did not send Li Liang to Huaixi, and made Wu the acting military governor.[5]

Initial service as Jiedushi

During the brief duration that Chen Xianqi served as military governor, he had sent some 5,000 Huaixi troops to the western border of the empire to assist the defense of that border with

Li Mi, with only some 47 soldiers making it back to Huaixi. Wu Shaocheng, as he did not want to damage his relations with the imperial government over this small number of soldiers, executed them and pretended to know nothing of their mutiny.[5]

Wu Shaocheng was said to be an effective, diligent, frugal, and fair governor, but was not loyal to the imperial government.

eunuch messenger arrived at Cai Prefecture, Wu went out of the city to welcome the imperial messenger, and Zheng and Yang were set to carry out their plot. However, someone informed the plot to Wu, and Wu executed Zheng, Yang, and another official involved in the plot, Zhang Boyuan (張伯元). Two others, Song Min (宋旻) and Cao Ji (曹濟) fled to the imperial capital Chang'an.[2][5] In 789, Emperor Dezong made him full military governor.[6]

In 793, when Liu Shi'ning (劉士寧) the military governor of nearby Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) was expelled by his soldiers, and his officer Li Wanrong (李萬榮) took over, Wu took his troops to the borders with Xuanwu and demanded an explanation. Li, however, sent back sarcastic replies, and Wu, judging himself to lack the strength to attack Xuanwu at the time, withdrew.[7] In 797, without imperial permission, Wu was digging a new canal, Dao Canal (刀溝), that would divert from Ru River (汝水, flowing through modern Zhumadian), claiming that it would be beneficial to the farmers, and when Emperor Dezong sent eunuchs to stop him, he refused to stop. When Emperor Dezong thereafter sent the official Lu Qun (盧群) to dissuade him, Lu pointed out that if he openly defied an imperial order, he risked having his subordinates defy him as well. Wu thereafter stopped the Dao Canal project.[8]

Rebellion against Emperor Dezong

In 798, for reasons lost to history, Wu Shaocheng, whose circuit had been renamed Zhangyi by this point, sent troops to pillage Huoshan County (霍山, in modern

concubines. He further had his soldiers' armors be inscribed with magical writing intended to curse the imperial troops.[6]

Resubmission to Tang rule

In 805, Emperor Dezong's son Emperor Shunzong gave Wu Shaocheng the honorary chancellor designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事).[9]

When Wu Shaocheng was at Weibo, he had a close relationship with a Weibo officer named Wu Shaoyang.[10] Sometime after he became military governor, he sent gold and silk to Weibo Circuit, requesting that he be allowed to have Wu Shaoyang. Weibo allowed Wu Shaoyang to report to Zhangyi. Wu Shaocheng claimed that Wu Shaoyang was a cousin, and gave him various commissions; Wu Shaoyang was also given access to Wu Shaocheng's mansion. Still, because Wu Shaocheng was cruel and suspicious, Wu Shaoyang requested a position not at headquarters, and Wu Shaocheng made him the prefect of Shen Prefecture (申州, in modern Xinyang, Henan). It was said that because Wu Shaoyang was lenient, he became favored by the army.[2] When Wu Shaocheng grew ill in 809 and fell unconscious, his servant Xianyu Xiong'er (鮮于熊兒) forged an order in Wu Shaocheng's name recalling Wu Shaoyang to serve as deputy military governor. Wu Shaoyang put Wu Shaocheng's son Wu Yuanqing (吳元慶) to death and took over the circuit. After Wu Shaocheng died around the new year 810, Wu Shaoyang claimed the title of acting military governor, which was eventually recognized by Emperor Shunzong's son Emperor Xianzong later in 810.[11]

Notes and references

  1. ^ "中央研究院網站". www.sinica.edu.tw. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Old Book of Tang, vol. 145.
  3. chancellor Yang Yan sent Yu to Jingnan Circuit for the purpose of having him manufacture charges against Liu Yan, who had been sent to that circuit to be a prefect — and Liu Yan was sent there and killed in 780, and Yu was soon recalled — Yu's encounter with Wu must have occurred around that time. See Old Book of Tang, vol. 118 and Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 226
    .
  4. ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 227.
  5. ^ a b c Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 232.
  6. ^ a b New Book of Tang, vol. 214.
  7. ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 234.
  8. ^ a b Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 235.
  9. ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 236.
  10. ^ Wu Shaocheng's and Wu Shaoyang's biographies in the Old Book of Tang and New Book of Tang appeared to imply an intimate relationship, but do not explicitly state so. See Old Book of Tang, vol. 145 and New Book of Tang, vol. 214.
  11. ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 238.
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