Li Cunzhang (李存璋)

Overview

Li Cunzhang was a general and Adopted Son.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Defang	德璜	Defang

Life and dates

Death

AD 922 十九年四月
Illness · At Yunzhou residence 雲州府第
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 160
AD 922 天祐十九年
Illness
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 165

Attested activity

AD 899 光化二年
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 144
AD 908 天祐五年二月壬戌
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 59
AD 908 天祐五年五月
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passages 71, 74
AD 911 天祐八年正月丁亥
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passages 122, 124
AD 874 to AD 879 乾符中
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 55, passage 5
AD 908 五年，武皇疾篤
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 146

Show 18 more source-backed claims

c. AD 910 to AD 923 初從雲州帥...唐莊宗平河南
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 93, passage 108
AD 914 十一年
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 154
AD 916 十三年
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 156
AD 916 十三年秋
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 157
AD 922 十九年四月
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 160
AD 897 to AD 898 四年後潞州之役
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 14
AD 922 天祐十九年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 165
AD 921 天祐十八年三月
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 5, passage 61
AD 907 夾城
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 152
AD 911 師出井陘，破汴軍於相鄉
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 153
AD 880 to AD 884 從太祖入關破黃巢
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 160
AD 880 to AD 884 從武皇入關平賊
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 142
AD 895 從討王行瑜
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 143
AD 878 武皇初起雲中
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 142
AD 908 與克寧有隙
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 147, 149
AD 908 莊宗初嗣位
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passages 147, 150
AD 908 莊宗初嗣晉王位
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 55, passage 201
AD 908 莊宗嗣位後
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 50, passage 102

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Taizu (太祖)
adopted son 義兒 · Adoptive parentage · paternal line
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 160
Parent of Yanqiu (彥球)
son 子 · paternal line
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 163

Kinship Role sons · Count 3
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 163

Key source chapters

Career and standing

military governor of Yunzhou 雲州帥
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 93, passage 108
prefect of Ze 澤州刺史
AD 899 光化二年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 144
prefect of Fen 汾州刺史
AD 914 十一年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 154
defender of Datong 大同防禦使
AD 916 十三年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 156
Prefect of Ze Prefecture 澤州刺史
AD 897 to AD 898 四年後潞州之役 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 52, passage 14
adopted-sons army commissioner 義兒軍使
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 143

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commander of the Adopted Sons Army 義兒軍使
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 160
Datong Army defender then military commissioner 大同軍防禦使、節度使
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 164
Hedong chief adjutant of horse and foot 河東馬步都虞候
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 148
Hedong horse-and-foot commander 河東馬步軍使
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 161
Libationer of the Imperial Academy 國子祭酒
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 142
prefect of Fen 汾州刺史
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 163
prison commissioner 牢城使
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 144
training commissioner and acting Minister of Works 教練使檢校司空
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 145
salt and iron commissioner 鹽鐵
Concurrent
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 148
military governor of Datong 大同軍節度使
AD 921 天祐十八年三月 · Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 5, passage 61
Baixiang deployment commissioner 三鎮排陣使
AD 911 師出井陘，破汴軍於相鄉 · Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 153
military governor of Yunzhou 雲州帥
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 93, passage 108
acting Grand Mentor 檢校司徒
Promoted
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 152
acting Grand Tutor and Datong commissioner 檢校太傅大同軍節度使
Promoted
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 159
Grand Guardian and Grand Councilor 太保平章事
AD 923 to AD 926 同光時 · Posthumously granted
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 161
Grand Preceptor 太師
AD 936 晉天福初 · Posthumously granted
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 162
Grand Commandant 太尉
Posthumously granted
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 166
Held
Adopted son
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 160

Places and affiliations

Hedong 河東
Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 142
Polity Jin 晉 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passages 58, 74, 124; New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 160
Polity Later Tang 後唐 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 93, passage 108
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 55, passage 5
At Yunzhong 雲中
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 141
At Yunzhou 雲州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 93, passage 108

Events and relationships

Ambushed and killed
AD 908 天祐五年二月壬戌 · Military · Executor · With Kening (克寧)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 59
Attacked Xing with infantry
Military · Commander
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 176
Burned camps and cut Jiacity in two
Military · Commander · With Wang Ba (王霸)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 74
Drew up along Wild River
Military · Commander
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 124
Executed Khitan envoy
AD 916 十三年秋 · Legal · Authority · With Anbajian (安巴堅)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 157
Held Taiyuan
AD 916 十三年 · Military · Defender · With Wang Tan (王檀)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 156

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Informed of plot
Political · Summoned officer
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 58
Installed
AD 908 莊宗初嗣位 · Political · Kingmaker · With Zhuangzong (莊宗)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 147
Plotted with Kang Junli to remove Duan Wenchu
AD 874 to AD 879 乾符中 · Political · Conspirator · With Kang Junli (康君立)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 55, passage 5
Plotted to be killed
Political · Intended victim · With Li Cunhao (李存顥)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 50
Prepared suppression
Military · Preparer
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 50, passage 111
Received deathbed charge
AD 908 五年，武皇疾篤 · Political · Recipient · With Martial Emperor (武皇)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 146
Urged Cunxu to take the throne
AD 921 天祐十八年三月 · Political · Petitioner · With Cunxu (存勖)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 5, passage 61
Relation Superior of · Person Xue Rong (薛融)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 93, passage 108
Relation Ally of · Person Kang Junli (康君立)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 55, passage 5

Assessments and attributes

Assessment humbled the strong, protected the weak; contemporaries praised his ability · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 151
Item ancient iron wagons melted into arms 古鐵車 · Relation Used
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 53, passage 158

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 5, passage 61; New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 131

References in the histories

Search passages

History

28 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 27Volume 27 Book of Later Tang 3: Zhuangzong Annals 1 · 6 passages

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存顥欲於克寧之第謀害張承業、李存璋等，以並、汾九州歸附於梁，送貞簡太后為質。 Cunhao meant to kill Zhang Chengye and Li Cunzhang at Kening's house, hand Bing and Fen's nine prefectures to Liang, and send Empress Dowager Zhenjian as hostage.

因召吳珙、李存璋、李存敬、朱守殷諭其謀，眾鹹憤怒。 He called Wu Gong, Li Cunzhang, Li Cunjing, and Zhu Shouyin; all raged.

二月壬戌，命存璋伏甲以誅克寧，遂靖其難。 On renxu in the second month Cunzhang ambushed and killed Kening, ending the crisis.

李存璋、王霸率丁夫燒寨，劚夾城為二道； Li Cunzhang and Wang Ba had laborers burn the camps and split Jiacity in two;

時帝軍未成列，李存璋引諸軍陣於野河之上，梁以五百人爭橋，鎮、定之師與血戰，梁軍敗而復整者數四。 The main host was not yet formed when Li Cunzhang drew the armies up along the Wild River; five hundred Liang men fought for the bridge with the Zhen and Ding troops in bloody seesaw fighting that broke and re-formed four times.

張承業、李存璋以三鎮步兵攻邢州，遣周德威、史建瑭將三千騎，長驅至澶魏，帝與李嗣源率親軍繼進。 Zhang Chengye and Li Cunzhang besieged Xing with foot from the three circuits while Dewei and Jiantang raced three thousand horse to Chan and Wei; the Emperor and Li Siyuan followed with the guard.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 50Volume 50 Book of Later Tang 26: Biographies 2: Imperial Family · 3 passages

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會克寧因事殺都虞候李存質，又請兼領大同節度，以蔚、朔為屬郡，又數怒監軍張承業、李存璋； Ke Ning then killed the chief controller Li Cunzhi on a pretext, asked to take the Datong commission as well with Wei and Shuo as subordinate prefectures, and repeatedly provoked the army supervisors Zhang Chengye and Li Cunzhang;

莊宗召張承業、李存璋謂曰：「季父所為如此，無猶子之情，骨肉不可自相魚肉，吾即避路，則禍亂不作矣。」 Zhuangzong summoned Zhang Chengye and Li Cunzhang and said, "My uncle has acted as though he felt no bond between us. Kin must not tear one another apart. I will step aside at once, and the realm will be spared this disaster."

因令吳珙、存璋為之備。 He then ordered Wu Gong and Cunzhang to prepare.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 52Volume 52 Book of Later Tang 28: Biographies 4: Li Sizhao, Pei Yue, Li Siben, Li Si'en · 1 passage

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汴將澤州刺史劉屺棄城而遁，乃以李存璋為刺史。 The Bian prefect of Ze, Liu Qi, abandoned his city and fled, and Li Cunzhang was installed as the new prefect.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 53Volume 53 Book of Later Tang 29: Biographies 5: Li Cunxin, Li Cunxiao, Li Cunjin, Li Cunzhang, Li Cunxian · 8 passages

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李存璋，字德璜，雲中人。 Li Cunzhang, whose courtesy name was Dehuang, came from Yunzhong.

武皇初起雲中，存璋與康君立、薛志勤等為奔走交，從入關，以功授國子祭酒，累管萬勝、雄威等軍。 When the Martial Emperor first rose in Yunzhong, Cunzhang, Kang Junli, Xue Zhiqin, and others were his trusted runners. He followed him through the passes and was made Libationer of the Imperial Academy for his service, later commanding the Wansheng, Xiongwei, and other armies in turn.

五年，武皇疾篤，召張承業與存璋授遺顧。 In the fifth year, as the Martial Emperor lay gravely ill, he summoned Zhang Chengye and Cunzhang to receive his deathbed instructions.

存璋爰立莊宗，夷內難，頗有力焉。 Cunzhang helped install Zhuangzong and quell the internal crisis, playing a major part in the succession.

存璋得行其志，抑強撫弱，誅其豪首，期月之間，紀綱大振，弭群盜，務耕稼，去奸宄，息幸門，當時稱其材干。 Cunzhang was able to act. He humbled the strong, protected the weak, and executed the worst offenders. Within a month discipline was restored: banditry was suppressed, farming encouraged, villains removed, and court favoritism curbed. His contemporaries praised his ability.

十三年，王檀逼太原，存璋率汾州之軍入城固守，授大同防禦使、應蔚朔等州都知兵馬使。 In the thirteenth year, when Wang Tan threatened Taiyuan, Cunzhang led the Fenzhou troops into the city for a stubborn defense. He was made defender of Datong and overall commander of forces in Ying, Yu, and Shuo.

秋，契丹攻蔚州，安巴堅遣使馳木書求賂，存璋斬其使。 That autumn the Khitan attacked Yu Prefecture. Anbajian sent an envoy with a wooden letter demanding tribute. Cunzhang executed the envoy.

契丹逼雲州，存璋拒守，城中有古鐵車，乃熔為兵仗，以給軍士。 When the Khitan pressed Yun Prefecture, Cunzhang held the city. Ancient iron wagons in the town were melted down for arms to supply the garrison.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 55Volume 55 Book of Later Tang 31: Biographies 7: Kang Junli, Xue Zhiqin, Shi Jiantang, Li Chengsi, Shi Yan, Gai Yu, Yi Guang, Li Chengxun, Shi Jingrong · 2 passages

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君立與薛鐵山、程懷信、王行審、李存璋等謀曰：「段公懦人，難與共事。 Junli plotted with Xue Tieshan, Cheng Huaixin, Wang Xingshen, Li Cunzhang, and others. "Lord Duan is a coward," they said. "We cannot serve under him.

既而敬鎔白，貞簡太后惶駭，召張承業、李存璋等圖之。 Jingrong then reported the plot. Empress Dowager Zhenjian was terrified and summoned Zhang Chengye, Li Cunzhang, and others to act against it.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 93Volume 93 Book of Later Jin 19: Biographies 8: Lu Zhi, Li Zhuanmei, Lu Zhan, Cui Zhuo, Xue Rong, Cao Guozhen, Zhang Renyuan, Zhao Xi, Li Xia, Yin Yuyu, Zheng Yunsou · 1 passage

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初從雲州帥李存璋為幕職，唐莊宗平河南，歷鄆、徐二鎮從事。 He first served on the staff of Li Cunzhang, military governor of Yunzhou; after Zhuangzong of Tang pacified Henan, he held aide posts in Yun and Xu in succession.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 5Volume 5 Later Tang Annals 2: Zhuangzong 2 · 1 passage

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三月，河中節度使朱友謙、昭義軍節度使李嗣昭、橫海軍節度使李存審、義武軍節度使王處直、安國軍節度使李嗣源、鎮州兵馬留後張文禮、領天平軍節度使閻寶，大同軍節度使李存璋、振武軍節度使李存進、匡國軍節度使朱令德，請王即皇帝位，王三辭，友謙等三請，王曰：「予當思之。」 In the third month Zhu Youqian of Hezhong, Li Sizhao of Zhaoyi, Li Cunshen of Henghai, Wang Chuzhi of Yiwu, Li Siyuan of Anguo, Zhang Wenli acting at Zhenzhou, Yan Bao holding Tianping, Li Cunzhang of Datong, Li Cunjin of Zhenwu, and Zhu Lingde of Kuangguo begged the king to take the throne. He refused thrice; they pressed thrice; he said, “I will think on it.”

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 14Volume 14: Taizu of Later Tang's Family · 2 passages

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都虞候李存質得罪於克寧，克寧殺之，而與張承業，李存璋有隙，又求兼領大同軍節度使。 He killed adjutant Li Cunzhi for an offense, quarreled with Zhang Chengye and Li Cunzhang, and sought Datong as well.

莊宗召承業、存璋告之曰：「季父所為如此，奈何？ Zhuangzong told Chengye and Cunzhang: “My uncle has come to this—what now?

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 36Volume 36 Biographies of Righteous Sons 16: Li Sizhao, Li Siben, Li Si'en, Li Cunxin, Li Cunxiao, Li Cunjin, Li Cunzhang, Li Cunxian · 4 passages

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存璋，字德璜，初與康群立、恭誌勤等從太祖入關，破黃巢，累遷義兒軍使。 Li Cunzhang, styled Defang, entered the passes with Kang Junli, Gong Zhizhiqin, and others against Huang Chao and rose to command the Adopted Sons Army.

太祖病革，存璋與張承業等受顧命，立莊宗為晉王，晉王以存璋為河東馬步軍使。 At Taizu’s deathbed Cunzhang and Zhang Chengye took his last command and raised Zhuangzong as Prince of Jin; the Prince made Cunzhang commander of Hedong horse and foot.

晉自先王時，嘗優假軍士，軍士多犯法逾禁，莊宗新立，尤患之，存璋一切繩之以法，境內為之清肅。 Since the old prince’s day Jin had indulged the ranks until lawlessness ran wild; the new Prince of Jin feared it most; Cunzhang bound every offense to the statute until the realm went still.

莊宗與劉鄩戰於魏博，梁遣王檀來，乘虛襲太原，存璋以汾州兵入太原距守，以功遷大同軍防禦使，遂為節度使。 While Zhuangzong fought Liu Yun at Weibo, Liang sent Wang Tan to strike Taiyuan in its weakness; Cunzhang rushed Fen troops in to hold the city, won Datong defender, then full governor.