Five Dynasties · Eunuch and Great General under Wang Rong

Li Honggui 李宏規

First attested AD 900; died AD 911

Passages: 11
Chapters: 3
Histories: 1

Overview

Li Honggui was an eunuch and Great General under Wang Rong.

Life and dates

Death

AD 911 天祐八年
Clan exterminated · Authority Wang Rong (王鎔)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 54, passage 106
executed 殺 · Authority Wang Rong (王鎔)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passage 76

Attested activity

AD 911 乾化元年六月
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 6, passages 106, 116
AD 900 光化三年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 54, passage 74

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Son of Li Honggui (李宏規子)
son 子
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 54, passage 74

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Singled out
Named for punishment · At Zhenzhou 鎮州
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 6, passage 116

Events and relationships

Relation Power holder with · Person Li Ai (李藹)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passage 78

Assessments and attributes

Assessment named as the sole guilty party at Zhenzhou in imperial edict · Mode edict Speaker the Emperor (帝)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 6, passage 116

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 54, passage 74

References in the histories

Search passages

History

11 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 6Volume 6 Book of Later Liang 6: Taizu Annals 6 · 1 passage

鎮州只罪李宏規一人，其餘一切不問。」 At Zhenzhou only Li Honggui is to be punished; all others go free."

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 54Volume 54 Book of Later Tang 30: Biographies 6: Wang Rong, Wang Zhaohui, Wang Chuzhi · 7 passages

式請鎔子昭祚及大將梁公儒、李宏規子各一人往質於汴。 Shi requested that Rong's son Zhaozhuo and one son each of the great generals Liang Gongru and Li Honggui be sent as hostages to Bian.

宦者李宏規謂鎔曰：「方今晉王親當矢石，櫛沐風雨，王殫供軍之租賦，為不急之遊盤，世道未夷，人心多梗，久虛府第，遠出遊從，如樂禍之徒，翻然起變，拒門不納，則王欲何歸！」 The eunuch Li Honggui told Rong: "The Prince of Jin now personally faces arrows and braves storms, while Your Highness exhausts supply revenues on frivolous excursions. The world is unsettled and hearts are restless. Headquarters has long stood empty, and you roam far afield—if troublemakers rise and bar the gates, where will Your Highness go!"

希蒙譖宏規專作威福，多蓄猜防，鎔由是復無歸誌。 Ximeng slandered Honggui for arrogantly wielding power and harboring suspicion, and Rong therefore lost the will to return again.

宏規聞之怒，使親事偏將蘇漢衡率兵擐甲遽至鎔前，抽戈謂鎔曰：「軍人在外已久，願從王歸。」 Honggui heard this and grew angry. He sent his aide, the partial commander Su Hanheng, with armored troops rushing to Rong, drew his blade, and said: "The soldiers abroad have been away long and wish to follow Your Highness home."

宏規進曰：「石希蒙說王遊從，勞弊士庶，又結構陰邪，將為大逆。 Honggui stepped forward and said, "Shi Ximeng urged Your Highness on excursions, exhausting officials and commoners, and moreover plotted wicked treachery that would become great rebellion.

宏規因命軍士聚噪，斬希蒙首抵於前。 Honggui therefore ordered the soldiers to raise a clamor, beheaded Ximeng, and presented his head before Rong.

是日，令其子昭祚與張文禮以兵圍李宏規及行軍司馬李藹宅，並族誅之，詿誤者凡數十家。 That day he ordered his son Zhaozhuo and Zhang Wenli to surround the residences of Li Honggui and the campaign secretary Li Ai with troops, executed their entire clans, and implicated several dozen households by error.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 62Volume 62 Book of Later Tang 38: Biographies 14: Meng Fangli, Zhang Wenli, Dong Zhang · 3 passages

及鎔殺李宏規，委政於其子昭祚。 When Rong executed Li Honggui he handed power to his son Zhaozuo.

初，李宏規、李藹持權用事，樹立親舊，分董要職，故奸宄之心不能搖動，文禮頗深畏憚。 Earlier Li Honggui and Li Ai had held real power, placing kin and allies in every key post, so that would-be traitors could not stir—and Wenli feared them deeply.

及宏規見殺，其部下五百人懼罪，將欲奔竄，聚泣偶語，未有所之。 After Honggui's execution his five hundred followers, fearing punishment, gathered in tears and whispered among themselves, unsure where to flee.