Mao Zhang (毛璋) | 24 Histories

Overview

Mao Zhang was a Military Commissioner.

PeriodFive Dynasties

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Death

Cause Ordered suicide
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 40, passage 84
ordered to take his own life 賜自盡 · Cause imperial order after exile sentence 長流後賜自盡
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 188
AD 926 明宗嗣位後
Execution · At en route to Ruzhou 路
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 30

Attested activity

AD 923 AD 923-936
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 167
AD 925 九月
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passages 48, 73
AD 925 十二月壬戌
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 162
AD 925 同光三年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 15
AD 924 同光二年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 31, passage 94
AD 926 天成元年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 37, passage 91

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AD 926 天成元年五月
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 25
AD 923 崇韜率毛璋等
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 57, passage 31
AD 926 明宗嗣位
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 17
AD 923 莊宗已定魏博
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 2
AD 925 蜀平
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 15

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Mao Tingyun (廷贇)
adopted son 假子 · Adoptive parentage
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 179
Kin of Mao Tingyun (廷贇)
adoptive nephew 假侄 · Adoptive parentage
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passages 22, 24

Key source chapters

Career and standing

low-ranking officer 小校
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 1
Binzhou military commissioner 邠州節度使
AD 925 十二月壬戌 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 162
military commissioner of Binzhou 邠州節度使
AD 926 明宗嗣位 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 17
military commissioner of Cangzhou 滄州節度使
AD 923 梁平 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 13
prefect 刺史
AD 923 歸命於唐莊宗 · Appointed · At that prefecture 其州
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 10
overall commander of the right-wing cavalry in the field headquarters 行營右廂馬軍都指揮使
AD 925 王師討蜀 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 14

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Grand Councillor 同平章事
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 25
left wing horse-and-foot chief of the campaign 行營左廂馬步都虞候
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 73
Military Governor of Hua 華州節度使
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 171
prefect of Beizhou 貝州刺史
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 11
prefect of Liaozhou 遼州刺史
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 11
Senior General of the Golden Guard 金吾上將軍
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 21
Huazhou military commissioner 華州節度使
AD 925 十二月壬戌 · Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 162
Binzhou military commissioner and acting Grand Guardian 邠州節度使、檢校太保
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 25
Huazhou military commissioner 華州節度使
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 73
military governor of Hua 華州節度使
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 74, passage 15
Luzhou military commissioner 潞州節度使
Transferred to
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 37, passage 91
military commissioner of Zhaoyi 昭義節度使
Transferred
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 19
Entered
Exile · At Ruzhou 儒州
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 188
Entered
Imprisoned
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passages 182-183
censorate prison 御史台獄
Imprisonment · Entered
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 23
demoted to commoner exile then suicide 貶長流百姓，尋賜自盡
Exiled then ordered suicide
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 40, passage 84
lifelong exile to Ruzhou 長流儒州
Exiled · At Ruzhou 儒州
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 188
Censor prison 御史獄
AD 936 下御史獄 · Imprisoned
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 178
slightly pardoned / given lenience 稍宥
Pardoned
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 185
jailed and interrogated; no proof found 下獄鞫之無狀
Prosecuted
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 183
Sentenced
Exile · At Ruzhou 儒州
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 30
case moved to military patrol prison 移軍巡獄
Transferred
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 186

Places and affiliations

Polity Later Tang 後唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 162
Polity Later Tang 後唐 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passages 182, 188
At Cangzhou 滄州
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 1
At Cangzhou 滄州
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 167
At Ruzhou 儒州 · Relation Exiled to
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 188

Works and attributed material

Confession · Speaker · Mode self-report Speaker Mao Zhang (毛璋)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 187
Speech · Speaker · Quote true
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 7

Events and relationships

Cleared then reaccused
Legal · Defendant · With Zhao Yanzuo (趙延祚)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 184
Confessed under coerced investigation
Legal · Defendant
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 187
Exiled then ordered suicide
Legal · Condemned · At Ruzhou / wherever he was 儒州／所在
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 188
Promised bribe for silence
Legal · Accused · With Zhao Yanzuo (趙延祚)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passages 182, 187
Re jailed after denunciation
Legal · Defendant · With Zhao Yanzuo (趙延祚)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 183
Refused to pay bribe
Legal · Accused · With Zhao Yanzuo (趙延祚)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 183

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Removed from office
AD 936 停見任官 · Political · Subject
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 181
Seized goods
Military · Plunderer · With Li Jiji (李繼岌) · At Weinan 渭南
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 16
Submitted city
Military · Defector · With Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang (後唐莊宗) · At Cangzhou 滄州
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 2
Transferred
AD 925 十二月壬戌 · Appointment · Appointee · At Binzhou 邠州
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 162
Relation Lent horse to · Person Lü Mengqi (呂夢奇)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 187

Assessments and attributes

Assessment accumulated evil until it destroyed him · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 145
Assessment previously tried and cleared; present charges woven because bribe unpaid · Mode quotation Speaker Lü Mengqi (呂夢奇)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 184
Assessment violent and lawless yet bold · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 12
Item horse 馬 · Relation Lent · With Lü Mengqi (呂夢奇)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 26, passage 187

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 33, passages 73, 162

References in the histories

Search passages

History

55 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 31Volume 31 Book of Later Tang 7: Zhuangzong Annals 5 · 1 passage

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己丑，以振武軍節度使、權安義留後、檢校太傅、平章事李存霸為潞州節度使，以捧日都指揮使、鄭州防禦使李紹琛為陝州節度使，以成德軍馬步軍都指揮使、右監門衛大將軍毛璋為華州節度使。 On jichou Cunba took Luzhou, Li Shaochen Shanzhou, and Mao Zhang Huazhou.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 33Volume 33 Book of Later Tang 9: Zhuangzong Annals 7 · 2 passages

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今命興聖宮使、魏王繼岌充西川四面行營都統，命侍中、樞密使郭崇韜充西川東北面行營都招討製置等使，荊南節度使高季興充西川東南面行營都招討使，鳳翔節度使李嚴充供軍轉運應接等使，同州節度使李令德充行營招討副使，陝府節度使李紹琛充行營蕃漢馬步軍都排陣斬斫使，西京留守張筠充西川管內安撫應接使，華州節度使毛璋充行營左廂馬步都虞候，邠州節度使董璋充行營右廂馬步都虞候，客省使李嚴充西川管內招撫使，總領闕下諸軍，兼西面諸道馬步兵事，取九月十八日進發。 Jiji was made overall Shu commander; Guo Chongtao northeast commander; Gao Jixing southeast commander; Li Yan of Fengxiang supply chief; Li Lingde deputy; Li Shaochen array chief; Zhang Yun pacification chief; Mao Zhang left wing chief; Dong Zhang right wing chief; Li Yan also pacified Shu—leading capital and western forces to march on the eighteenth of the ninth month.

以華州節度使毛璋為邠州節度使； Mao Zhang of Hua became Bin commissioner;

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 36Volume 36 Book of Later Tang 12: Mingzong Annals 2 · 1 passage

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邠州節度使、檢校太保毛璋加同平章事。 Mao Zhang of Bin, acting grand guardian, became Grand Councillor.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 37Volume 37 Book of Later Tang 13: Mingzong Annals 3 · 1 passage

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壬辰，邠州節度使毛璋移鎮潞州。 On renchen Mao Zhang moved from Bin to Lu.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 40Volume 40 Book of Later Tang 16: Mingzong Annals 6 · 2 passages

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壬申，貶前左金吾上將軍毛璋為儒州長流百姓，尋賜自盡，以其在藩鎮陰蓄奸謀故也。 On renshen Mao Zhang was exiled to Ru as a commoner and soon ordered to kill himself for plotting treason in his circuit.

甲戌，御史中丞呂夢奇責授太子右讚善大夫，坐曾借毛璋馬故也。 On jiaxu Lü Mengqi was demoted to crown prince praise officer for borrowing Mao Zhang's horse.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 57Volume 57 Book of Later Tang 33: Biographies 9: Gao Chongtao · 1 passage

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崇韜率毛璋等萬人夜趨博州，視矛戟之端有光，崇韜曰：「吾聞火出兵刃，破賊之兆也。」 Guo Chongtao led Mao Zhang and ten thousand men on a forced night march to Bozhou. When he saw light gleaming on spear and halberd points, he said, "I have heard that fire on weapons portends victory over the enemy."

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 73Volume 73 Book of Later Tang 49: Biographies 25: Mao Zhang, Nie Yu, Wen Tao, Duan Ning, Kong Qian, Li Ye · 23 passages

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毛璋，本滄州小校。 Mao Zhang had begun his career as a low-ranking officer in Cangzhou.

梁將戴思遠帥滄州，時莊宗已定魏博，思遠勢蹙，棄州遁去，璋據城歸莊宗， When Liang general Dai Siyuan held Cangzhou, Emperor Zhuangzong had already secured Weibo. With his position collapsing, Siyuan abandoned the prefecture and fled, and Zhang seized the city and submitted to Zhuangzong,

〈（《玉堂閑話》：戴思遠任浮陽日，有部曲毛璋，為性輕悍。 (According to Tales from the Jade Hall: While Dai Siyuan was governing Fuyang, one of his retainers was Mao Zhang, known for his reckless, aggressive nature.

嘗與數十卒追捕盜賊，還宿於逆旅，毛枕劍而寢。 On one occasion he took several dozen men in pursuit of bandits. On the way back they put up at an inn, and Mao went to sleep with his sword under his head.

夜分，其劍忽大吼，躍出鞘外，從卒聞者愕然驚異，毛亦神之。 At midnight his sword suddenly gave a great roar and jumped clear of its scabbard. The soldiers who heard it were stunned; Mao, too, regarded the event as an omen.

毛復寢，未熟，劍吼躍如初，毛深自負。 Mao went back to sleep. Before he had settled into deep slumber, the sword roared and leapt again just as before. From that moment he was convinced of his destiny.

其後戴離鎮，毛請留，戴從之。 When Dai later left his command, Mao asked to stay behind, and Dai agreed.

未幾，毛以州歸命於唐莊宗，莊宗以毛為其州刺史，後竟帥滄海。）〉 Not long afterward Mao turned the prefecture over to Tang Emperor Zhuangzong, who made him prefect of that prefecture; he eventually rose to command the Canghai circuit.)〉

璋性凶悖，有膽略，從征河上，屢有戰功。 Zhang was violent and lawless by nature, yet bold and capable. On campaigns along the Yellow River he won repeated martial honors.

王師討蜀，以璋為行營右廂馬軍都指揮使； During the imperial campaign against Shu, he was appointed overall commander of the right-wing cavalry in the field headquarters;

蜀平，璋功居多。 After Shu was pacified, Zhang's contribution ranked among the greatest.

明年，蕭牆禍起，繼岌自西川至渭南，部下散亡，其川貨妓樂，為璋所掠。 The following year, palace intrigue erupted into disaster. As Li Jiji made his way from western Sichuan to Weinan, his forces melted away, and Zhang seized the Sichuan wealth, entertainers, and musicians in his train.

明宗嗣位，錄平蜀功，授邠州節度使。 When Emperor Mingzong took the throne, Zhang's role in the conquest of Shu was formally acknowledged, and he was given Binzhou as his circuit.

璋既家富於財，有蜀之妓樂，驕僭自大，動多不法，招致部下，繕理兵仗。 Flush with wealth and in possession of Shu's courtesans and musicians, Zhang grew arrogant and overbearing. He habitually flouted the law, gathering followers and stockpiling arms.

朝廷移授昭義節度使，璋謀欲不奉詔，判官邊蔚密言規責，乃僶勉承命。 When the court reassigned him to the Zhaoyi circuit, Zhang considered defying the order. Only after his secretary Bian Wei quietly reprimanded him did he grudgingly accept.

因追廷贇及同行人趙延祚，與璋俱下御史台獄。 On that basis Tingyun and his traveling companion Zhao Yanzuo were seized, and Mao Zhang was imprisoned by the censorate as well.

廷贇乃璋之假侄，稱有叔在蜀，欲往省之，亦無私書，詔停任，令歸私第。 Tingyun was Zhang's adoptive nephew. He said he had an uncle in Shu whom he wished to visit, and no secret letter was found. An edict relieved Zhang of his post and ordered him home.

初，延祚在獄，多言璋陰事，璋許重賂，以塞其口。 While Zhao Yanzuo was in custody, he testified at length about Zhang's covert activities. Zhang promised him a large bribe to keep quiet.

及免，延祚征其賂，璋拒而不與，以至延祚詣台訴璋翻覆，復下御史台訊鞫。 After Yanzuo was freed, he demanded payment, but Zhang refused. Yanzuo then returned to the censorate and accused Zhang of going back on his word, and Zhang was again taken into custody for questioning.

中丞呂夢奇以璋前蒙昭雪，今延祚以責賂之故，復加織羅，故稍佑璋。 Censor-in-chief Lü Mengqi felt that Zhang had already been cleared once and that Yanzuo was now pressing the case only because a promised bribe had not been paid. Believing the new accusations were contrived, he leaned somewhat in Zhang's favor.

及款狀上聞，或云夢奇受璋賂，所以獄不盡情，執之，移於軍巡。 When the written confession reached the throne, some said Lü Mengqi had taken a bribe from Zhang and had therefore not pursued the case fully. Mengqi was arrested himself, and the investigation was transferred to the military patrol office.

璋具狀曾許延祚賂未與，又云曾借馬與夢奇，別無行賂之事。 Zhang's full statement acknowledged that he had promised Yanzuo a bribe but never paid it, and that he had once lent a horse to Mengqi, but denied any other bribery.

如毛璋之儔，可謂積惡而滅其身矣，況溫韜之發陵寢，段凝之敗國家，罪不容誅，死猶差晚。 Men like Mao Zhang may be said to have accumulated evil until it destroyed them; how much more Wen Tao, who opened imperial tombs, and Duan Ning, who ruined the state—their crimes were beyond what execution could answer, and even death came too late.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 74Volume 74 Book of Later Tang 50: Biographies 126: Kang Yanxiao, Zhu Shouyin, Yang Li, Dou Tingwan, Zhang Qianzhao, Yang Yanwen · 3 passages

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時邠州節度使董璋為行營右廂馬步使，華州節度使毛璋為行營左廂馬步使，以軍禮當事延孝。 At the time Dong Zhang, military governor of Bin, served as right-wing horse-and-foot commander of the campaign army, and Mao Zhang, military governor of Hua, as left-wing commander. By military protocol both should have deferred to Yanxiao.

時延孝軍於城西，毛璋軍於城東，董璋軍於城中。 Yanxiao's troops camped west of the city, Mao Zhang's east of it, and Dong Zhang's inside the walls.

延孝怒，謂毛璋曰：「吾冒白刃，犯險阻，平定兩川，董璋何功，遽有其地！」 Yanxiao flew into a rage and told Mao Zhang, "I faced naked steel and treacherous passes to conquer both circuits of Shu. What has Dong Zhang done to deserve that territory!"

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 26Volume 26 Later Tang Biographies 6: Fu Xi, Wu Zhen, Kong Qian, Zhang Yanlang, Li Yan, Li Renju, Mao Zhang · 21 passages

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毛璋，滄州人也。 Mao Zhang came from Cangzhou.

梁末，戴思遠為橫海軍節度使，璋事思遠為軍校。 At Liang’s end Dai Siyuan held Henghai. Zhang served him as a camp officer.

晉已下魏博，思遠棄滄州出奔，璋以滄州降晉，以功為貝州刺史。 After Jin took Weibo, Siyuan abandoned Cangzhou and fled. Zhang surrendered Cangzhou to Jin and for his deed was made prefect of Bei.

璋為人有膽勇，自晉與梁相拒河上，璋累戰有功。 Zhang was bold and brave. From the day Jin and Liang faced each other on the river he fought again and again with credit.

莊宗滅梁，拜璋華州節度使。 When Zhuangzong broke Liang, Zhang was made military governor of Hua.

在鎮多不法，議者疑其有異志，乃徙璋鎮昭義。 In office he broke the law often. Critics suspected disloyalty, and he was moved to Zhaoyi.

璋初欲拒命，其判官邊蔚切諫諭之，乃聽命。 At first Zhang meant to refuse the transfer. His aide Bian Wei argued him down, and he obeyed.

璋累歷藩鎮，又在華州得魏王繼岌伐蜀余貲，既富而驕，益為淫侈。 Zhang had held one frontier post after another. At Hua he also took the Prince of Wei’s leftover spoils from the Shu campaign. Wealth made him proud, and his excess grew worse.

明宗聞而惡之，召為金吾上將軍。 Mingzong heard and loathed it. He recalled Zhang to be Grand General of the Golden Guard.

東川董璋上書言璋遣子廷赟持書往西川，疑其有奸。 Dong Zhang of Dongchuan wrote that Zhang had sent his son Tingyun west to Xichuan with a letter, and suspected treason.

明宗乃遣人追還廷赟，並璋下御史獄。 Mingzong sent men to bring Tingyun back and threw Zhang into the censor’s prison.