Meng Fangli (孟方立)

Overview

Meng Fangli was a Military Commissioner.

Life and dates

Death

AD 886 明年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 4, passage 61
AD 889 龍紀元年
drank poison 飲鴆
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passages 15, 50
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 193

Attested activity

AD 888 文德元年十月
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 50, passage 28
AD 882 882 二年
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 66, passages 266-267
AD 882 中和二年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passage 4
AD 881 中和元年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passage 25
AD 886 光啟二年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passage 44
AD 883 十一月
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 4, passage 38

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AD 881 to AD 889 唐末孟方立為昭義軍節度使
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 95
AD 882 戰銅鞮
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 50, passage 21
AD 886 明年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 4, passage 61
AD 880 to AD 889 終於邢洺節度使
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 156
AD 888 to AD 889 與孟方立爭
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 192

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Kin of Meng Zhixiang (孟知祥)
father's elder brother 伯父 · paternal line · Through Meng Dao (孟道)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 156
Kin of Meng Qian (孟遷)
cousin 從弟 · paternal line
Meng Qian related to Meng Fangli 遷
younger cousin 從弟 · paternal line
Sources vary in certainty · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passages 16, 51; Old History of the Five Dynasties 50, passage 70
Sibling of Meng Dao (孟道)
elder brother of the father 伯父 · Full siblings · paternal line
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 156
Sibling of Meng Qian (孟遷)
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings · paternal line
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 4, passage 61
Child of Meng Cha (孟察)
paternal line
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passages 155-156

Meng family 孟氏
Kinship Role clan members · Quantity unspecified
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 4, passage 174

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Military commissioner 節度使
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 66, passage 267
acting military governor (liuhou) 留後
Claimed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passages 7, 27
military governor of Xing-Ming 邢洺節度使
Ended as
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 156
Military commissioner 節度使
AD 882 882 二年 · Held
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 66, passages 266-267
garrison commander of Tianjing Pass in Zezhou 澤州天井關戍將
AD 882 中和二年 · Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passage 4
military governor of Zhaoyi 昭义
AD 883 十一月 · Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 4, passage 38

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Military Commissioner of the Zhaoyi Army 昭義軍節度使
Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 95

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Held territory
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 55, passage 26
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 95
Polity Zhaoyi 昭義 · Relation Controlled
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passages 27, 40
At Qianzhou 汧州 · Relation Native of · Mode named-source-report Source Work Zizhi Tongjian 通鑒
Textual variant · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passage 3
At Xingzhou 邢州 · Relation Native of · Mode named-source-report Source Work Ouyang Xiu's history 歐陽史
Textual variant · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passages 3, 23
AD 882 882 二年
At Luzhou 潞州 · Relation Administered
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 66, passages 266-267

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AD 882 882 二年
At Xing Prefecture 邢州 · Relation Posted to
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 66, passages 266-267
At Luzhou 潞州 · Relation Based at
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 110
At Xing-Ming 邢洺 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 156
At Xing, Ming, and Ci 邢、洺、磁 · Relation Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 4, passage 39
At Xingzhou 邢州 · Relation Moved to
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 110
AD 882 882 二年
Organization Zhaoyi Army 昭義軍 · Relation Commander of
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 66, passages 266-267
Organization Zhaoyi command (Meng branch) 昭义军 · Relation Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 4, passages 39, 174

Events and relationships

Concurrently held
AD 882 882 二年 · Administrative · Commander · At Luzhou 潞州
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 66, passages 266-267
Defeated at Liuli Dam
AD 889 龍紀元年 · Military · Commander · At Liuli Dam 琉璃陂 · With Li Cunxiao (李存孝)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passages 12, 49
Defeated at Xingzhou
AD 889 初，克用破孟方立於邢州…時存勖在側，方五歲 · Military · Defeated commander · With Li Keyong (李克用) · At Xingzhou 邢州
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 5, passage 2
Fought
Military · Commander · With Li Kexiu (李克修) · At Tongdi 銅鞮
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 50, passage 21
Lost Ze and Lu and fled east
AD 883 十一月 · Military · Defeated · With Li Kexiu (李克修)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 4, passages 38-39
Moved command headquarters
Administrative · Actor · At Xing Prefecture 邢州
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 95

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Raided Liaozhou and was ambushed at Yushe
AD 889 to AD 890 孟方立之襲遼州 · Military · Raider · At Liaozhou / Yushe 遼州 / 榆社
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 55, passage 108
Seized Luzhou
Military · Commander · At Luzhou 潞州
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passage 7
Transferred army
AD 882 882 二年 · Military · Commander · At Xing Prefecture 邢州 · Organization Zhaoyi Army 昭義軍 · Outcome Thereafter the five prefectures were served by two Zhaoyi circuits
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 66, passages 266-267
Was attacked by the Martial Emperor's armies in Xing and Ming
AD 890 to AD 892 攻孟方立 · Military · Opponent · With Martial Emperor (武皇) · At Xing and Ming 邢、洺
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 55, passage 26
Relation Allied with · Person Zhu Quanzhong (硃全忠)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passage 43

Assessments and attributes

Assessment harsh and impatient; favor did not reach subordinates · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 62, passages 14, 50

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 54, passage 18; New History of the Five Dynasties 5, passage 2
Value historical
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 156

References in the histories

Search passages

History

42 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 50Volume 50 Book of Later Tang 26: Biographies 2: Imperial Family · 5 passages

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與孟方立戰於銅鞮，不利，武皇乃令克修將兵繼進。 The allied force fought Meng Fangli at Tongdi without success, so Li Keyong ordered Ke Xiu to advance with reinforcements.

孟方立遣將呂臻來援，戰於焦崗，大敗之，擒呂臻，俘斬萬計，進拔武安、臨洺諸屬縣，乘勝進圍邢州。 Meng Fangli sent Lü Zhen to the rescue. Ke Xiu met him at Jiaogang and won a crushing victory, capturing Lü Zhen and killing or taking prisoner tens of thousands. He then seized Wu'an, Linming, and the other subordinate counties and, riding the momentum, laid siege to Xingzhou.

方立求援於鎮州，王鎔出師三萬援之，克修軍退。 Fangli appealed to Zhenzhou for help. Wang Rong marched out thirty thousand men to relieve him, and Ke Xiu's army fell back.

文德元年十月，孟方立遣將奚忠信將兵三萬襲我遼州，克修設伏於遼之東山，大敗賊軍，擒忠信以獻。 In the tenth month of Wende 1, Meng Fangli sent Xi Zhongxin with thirty thousand men to raid Liaozhou. Ke Xiu laid an ambush on East Mountain and routed the enemy, capturing Zhongxin and sending him to headquarters.

初，孟方立之亂，居受以澤、潞歸於武皇，至是孟遷以邢、洺納降，復任為牙將，居受懼其圖己，乃叛，殺克恭以結汴人。 During Meng Fangli's rebellion Jushou had surrendered Ze and Lu to Li Keyong. Now Meng Qian surrendered Xing and Ming and was reappointed a garrison officer. Fearing that Meng Qian would move against him, Jushou rebelled, killed Ke Gong, and sought an alliance with the Liang.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 54Volume 54 Book of Later Tang 30: Biographies 6: Wang Rong, Wang Zhaohui, Wang Chuzhi · 2 passages

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晉軍討孟方立於邢州，鎔常奉以芻糧。 When the Jin army attacked Meng Fangli at Xingzhou, Rong regularly supplied them with fodder and provisions.

及方立平，晉將李存孝侵鎔於南部，鎔求援於幽州。）〉 After Fangli was defeated, the Jin general Li Cunxiao raided Rong's southern territories, and Rong again sought aid from Youzhou.) 〉

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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自武皇之師連歲略地於邢、洺，攻孟方立，君立常率澤潞之師以為掎角。 For years the Martial Emperor's armies had raided Xing and Ming and besieged Meng Fangli. Junli often led the Ze and Lu forces in coordinated strikes from the flank.

孟方立之襲遼州也，武皇遣承嗣設伏於榆社以待之。 When Meng Fangli raided Liaozhou, the Martial Emperor sent Chengsi to lay an ambush at Yushe.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 62Volume 62 Book of Later Tang 38: Biographies 14: Meng Fangli, Zhang Wenli, Dong Zhang · 20 passages

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孟方立， Meng Fangli,

及有歸秦、劉廣之亂，方立見潞帥交代之際，乘其無備，率戍扶徑入潞州，自稱留後。 During the rebellions of Gui Qin and Liu Guang, Fangli seized the interval when the Lu commander was changing hands, caught the city off guard, marched his garrison forces straight into Luzhou, and proclaimed himself acting military governor.

六月，李存孝下洺、磁兩郡，方立遣馬溉、袁奉韜盡率其眾，逆戰於琉璃陂。 In the sixth month Li Cunxiao captured Mingzhou and Cizhou; Fangli sent Ma Gai and Yuan Fengtao with his entire army to give battle at Liuli Dam.

初，方立性苛急，恩不逮下，攻圍累旬，夜自巡城慰諭，守陴者皆倨。 Fangli had long been harsh and impatient, and his favor never reached the ranks. After weeks of siege he toured the walls at night to rally the defenders, but the men on the battlements met him with insolence.

方立知其不可用，乃飲鴆而卒。 Seeing that the troops were beyond recall, Fangli drank poison and died.

〈（案《孟方立傳》，原本闕佚。 (The original biography of Meng Fangli is incomplete.

考《新唐書》列傳云：孟方立，邢州人。 The New Book of Tang biography records that Meng Fangli was a native of Xingzhou.

還據潞州，眾怒，方立率兵攻鄰，斬之。 Cheng Lin then held Luzhou, but the army was furious; Fangli marched against him, killed him, and took the city.

時王鐸領諸道行營都統，以潞未定，墨製假方立檢校左散騎常侍、兼御史大夫，知邢州事。 Wang Duo then commanded the allied armies; with Luzhou still unsettled, he issued an informal commission naming Fangli acting Left Regular Attendant and Grand Censor to govern Xingzhou.

方立不受，囚全勖，以書請鐸，願得儒臣守潞。 Fangli refused the commission, imprisoned Quanxu, and wrote to Duo asking that a scholar-official be sent to govern Luzhou.

時天子在西，河、關雲擾，方立擅地，而李克用窺潞州，徽度朝廷未能製，乃固讓昌圖。 The emperor was then in the west, the Yellow River region in chaos, Fangli holding his own ground, and Li Keyong eyeing Luzhou. Wang Hui concluded the court could not enforce its will and firmly declined in favor of Changtu.

方立更表李殷銳為刺史，謂潞險而人悍，數賊大帥為亂，欲銷懦之，乃徙治龍岡州，豪傑重遷，有懟言。 Fangli then recommended Li Yinrui as prefect, arguing that Luzhou was rugged and its people fierce, that successive governors had rebelled, and that he would break their spirit by moving the seat to Longgangzhou; local magnates resented the move and murmured in protest.

克用遣賀公雅、李筠、安金俊三部將擊潞州，為方立所破。 Keyong sent He Gongya, Li Jun, and An Jinjun against Luzhou, but Fangli defeated them.

至是，方立自以山東三州為昭義，朝廷亦命克修，以潞州舊軍畀之，昭義有兩節自此始。 Fangli now held the three eastern prefectures as his own Zhaoyi command while the court appointed Kexiu over Luzhou with its former garrison—thus the circuit was split in two.

方立倚朱全忠為助，故無用擊邢、洺、磁無虛歲，地為鬥場，人不能稼。 Fangli leaned on Zhu Quanzhong for support, yet Xing, Ming, and Ci were attacked every year without respite until the region was nothing but a battlefield and farming ceased.

光啟二年，克修擊邢州，取故鎮，進攻武安，方立將呂臻、馬爽戰焦岡，為克修所破，斬首萬級，執臻等，拔武安、臨洺、邯鄲、沙河。 In 886 Kexiu attacked Xingzhou, recovered the old seat, and pressed on Wu'an; Fangli's generals Lü Zhen and Ma Shuang met him at Jiaogang and were routed—ten thousand heads were taken, Zhen captured, and Wu'an, Linming, Handan, and Shahe fell.

方立丐兵於王鎔，鎔以兵三萬赴之，克修還。 Fangli appealed to Wang Rong for troops; Rong sent thirty thousand men, and Kexiu withdrew.

後二年，方立督部將奚忠信兵三萬攻遼州，以金啖赫連鐸與連和。 Two years later Fangli led his general Xi Zhongxin with thirty thousand men against Liaozhou, bribing Helian Duo to join the campaign.

龍紀元年，克用使李罕之、李存孝擊邢，攻磁、洺，方立戰琉璃陂，大敗，禽其二將，被斧鑕，徇邢壘，呼曰：「孟公速降，有能斬其首者，假三州節度使。」 In 889 Keyong sent Li Hanzhi and Li Cunxiao against Xingzhou and into Ci and Ming; Fangli met them at Liuli Dam, was crushed, and lost both generals; the captives were shackled and displayed before the walls of Xing with the cry, "Lord Meng, surrender at once! Whoever brings me his head shall govern the three prefectures."

方立力屈，又屬州殘墮，人心恐，性剛急，待下少恩，夜自行陴，兵皆倨告勞，自顧不可復振，乃還，引鴆自殺。 His strength was spent, his prefectures in ruins, and morale shattered; harsh by nature and sparing of kindness, he toured the walls at night while the troops answered with insolent complaints of exhaustion. Convinced he could not recover, he went back inside, drank poison, and died.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 136Volume 136: Biographies of Usurpers 3: Wang Jian, Meng Zhixiang · 1 passage

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伯父方立，終於邢洺節度使，從父遷，位至澤潞節度使。 His uncle Fangli became military governor of Xing-Ming; his uncle Qian rose to military governor of Ze-Lu.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 66Volume 66 Tables 6: Military Commanderies 3 · 1 passage

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節度使孟方立徙昭義軍於邢州，而兼領潞州，自是五州有二昭義節度。 Military commissioner Meng Fangli transferred the Zhaoyi Army to Xing Prefecture while concurrently commanding Luzhou; thereafter the five prefectures were served by two Zhaoyi circuits.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 4Volume 4 Later Tang Annals 1: Zhuangzong 1 · 3 passages

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十一月，遣其弟克修攻昭义孟方立，取其泽、潞二州。 In the eleventh month he sent his brother Kexiu against Meng Fangli of Zhaoyi and seized Ze and Lu.

方立走山东，以邢、洺、磁三州自别为昭义军。 Fangli fled east into Shandong and carved out Xing, Ming, and Ci as his own Zhaoyi command.

明年，孟方立死，其弟迁立。 The following year Meng Fangli died and his brother Qian took his place.

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

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初，克用破孟方立於邢州，還軍上黨，置酒三垂崗，伶人奏《百年歌》，至於衰老之際，聲甚悲，坐上皆淒愴。 Long before, after Keyong routed Meng Fangli at Xingzhou, he marched back to Shangdang and feasted at Triple Mound Ridge. Players sang the “Song of a Hundred Years”; at the lines on growing old the music turned so bleak that every guest at the table wept.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 14Volume 14: Taizu of Later Tang's Family · 3 passages

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潞州孟方立遷於邢州，晉取潞州，表克修昭義軍節度使。 When Meng Fangli left Luzhou for Xing, Jin took it and made Kexiu governor of Zhaoyi.

數出山東擊方立，又與李罕之攻寇懷、孟之間。 He raided Shandong against Fangli and with Li Hanzhi harried Huai and Meng.

其後，太祖自將擊方立，還軍過潞，克修性儉嗇，供饋甚薄，太祖大怒，詬而擊笞之。 When Taizu passed through Lu after attacking Fangli, Kexiu’s meager hospitality enraged him; he cursed and beat him with a staff.

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 · 2 passages

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是時，晉已得澤、潞，歲出山東，與孟方立爭邢、洺、磁，存孝未嘗不在兵間。 Jin already held Ze and Lu and each year marched into Shandong against Meng Fangli for Xing, Ming, and Ci; Cunxiao was always in the fighting.

方立死，晉取三州，存孝功為多。 When Fangli died Jin took the three prefectures, and Cunxiao's merit was greatest.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 60Volume 60: Examination on Official Posts · 2 passages

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唐末孟方立為昭義軍節度使，徙其軍額於邢州，而澤、潞二州入於晉。 Late in Tang Meng Fangli became commissioner of the Zhaoyi Army, moved its headquarters designation to Xing, while Ze and Lu passed to Jin.

方立但有邢、洺、磁三州。 Fangli held only Xing, Ming, and Ci—three prefectures.