Liu Chengyou

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Liu.
Liu Chengyou
Emperor Yin of (Later) Han (more...)
second and last emperor of Later Han
Reign 14 March 948 – 2 January 951
Predecessor Liu Zhiyuan (Emperor Gaozu), father
Self-claimed successor Liu Chong, uncle who founded Northern Han
Born (931-03-28)28 March 931
Ye, Later Tang[1] (today's Linzhang County, Hebei)
Died 2 January 951(951-01-02) (aged 19)
near Kaifeng, Henan
Burial in today's Yuzhou, Henan
Full name
Surname: Liú (劉)
Given name: Chéngyòu (承祐)
Era dates
Qiányòu (乾祐), continued from Emperor Gaozu
Year 1: 13 February 948 – 31 January 949
Year 2: 1 February 949 – 20 January 950
Year 3: 21 January 950 – 8 February 951
Posthumous name
Emperor Yǐn (隱皇帝)
Father Liu Zhiyuan
Mother Empress Li
Liu Chengyou
Traditional Chinese 劉承祐
Simplified Chinese 刘承祐

Liu Chengyou (劉承祐) (28 March 931[1][2] – 2 January 951[3][2]), also known by his posthumous name Emperor Yin (隱皇帝), was the second and final emperor of imperial China's short-lived Later Han during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, reigning from 948 until his death.

Liu Chengyou was only 16 years old when he succeeded his father Liu Zhiyuan who died suddenly. His reign was marked by arbitrary killing of his important ministers, and it eventually led to his downfall. When he killed the entire family of general Guo Wei in 951, Guo's army attacked the capital, and Liu Chengyou was killed in the confusion.

Background

Liu Chengyou was born in 931, at Yedu (鄴都, in modern Handan, Hebei), at the house of his father Liu Zhiyuan, then a trusted officer under the general Shi Jingtang (a son-in-law of then-reigning emperor, Li Siyuan (Emperor Mingzong) of Later Tang). His mother was Liu Zhiyuan's wife Lady Li.[1] He had one older brother, Liu Chengxùn (劉承訓), who was nine years older, and one younger brother, Liu Chengxūn (劉承勳, note different tones), but it is not known whether either of them was born of Lady Li.[4] He also had an adoptive brother, Liu Yun, who was the biological son of his uncle Liu Chong, but whom Liu Zhiyuan favored and whom he therefore adopted as a son.[5]

Later, after Shi Jingtang overthrew Later Tang and established his own state of Later Jin, Liu Zhiyuan was made the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi) in 941.[6] The 10-year-old Liu Chengyou was given the title of overseer of the circuit headquarters.[1] In 947, after Later Jin was destroyed by the Khitan Liao dynasty, Liu Zhiyuan declared himself emperor of a new state of Later Han. Liu Chengyou was given the title of general.[1] (His older brother Liu Chengxùn was given more substantive responsibilities, including overseeing Taiyuan while Liu Zhiyuan advanced south to take over the central parts of the former Later Jin territory, and, after Liu Zhiyuan successfully took the Later Jin capital Kaifeng as his capital, being the mayor of Kaifeng.)[4]

In late 947, Li Chengxùn died. Liu Zhiyuan, in sadness, fell ill. By spring 948, he was on the edge of death. He summoned the chancellor Su Fengji, the chief of staff (Shumishi) Yang Bin, the imperial guard commander Shi Hongzhao, and the deputy chief of staff Guo Wei, and stated to them, "My remaining breaths are getting short, and I cannot speak much. Chengyou is young and weak, so what happens after my death has to be entrusted to you." He also told them to guard against the retired general Du Chongwei. After he died shortly after, the four did not immediately announce his death, but instead issued an edict in his name putting Du to death. They also issued another edict in his name, creating Liu Chengyou the Prince of Zhou and giving him the title of chancellor (同中書門下平章事, Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi). Shortly after, they announced the emperor's passing, and Liu Chengyou took the throne, at age 17. He honored his mother Empress Li as empress dowager.[7]

Reign

Initial months

An immediate situation that Liu Chengyou's administration, which was effectively under the control of the officials and generals that Liu Zhiyuan left him to, had to deal with was a potential rebellion on the western borders with Later Shu. Prior to Liu Zhiyuan's death, he had sent the imperial guard general Wang Jingchong with an army to visit Jinchang (晉昌, headquartered in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi) and Fengxiang (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi) Circuits, then governed by Zhao Kuangzan (趙匡贊) and Hou Yi (侯益) respectively — both of whom had previously submitted to Later Han, then submitted to Later Shu, and then resubmitted to Later Han. Liu Zhiyuan gave Wang the secret instructions that if Zhao and Hou had, by the time that he arrived at the circuits, already left for Kaifeng to pay homage to the emperor, then he were not to act against them, but if they had not and were watching for developments, he should act against them. When Wang reached Jinchang, Zhao had already left for Kaifeng. He merged his army with Zhao's, and continued on to Fengxiang. Before he reached Fengxiang, however, Liu Zhiyuan had died and Liu Chengyou had taken the throne. When he reached Fengxiang, Hou had not left for Kaifeng. Wang's associates suggested that he, per Liu Zhiyuan's instructions, execute Hou. However, he hesitated because Liu Chengyou was not privy to the secret instructions that Liu Zhiyuan had given him. Hou, hearing of this, immediately left for Kaifeng without informing Wang.[7] As Hou was exceedingly rich, upon his arrival in Kaifeng, he gave many gifts to the chancellors and Shi Hongzhao, so many people praised him. As a result, he was made acting mayor of Kaifeng and given an honorary chancellor title.[8]

Hou took vengeance against Wang for considering killing him, by making many accusations against Wang for overstepping. When Wang heard that Hou had been made the acting mayor of Kaifeng, he became unsettled and began to despise the governing officials. Meanwhile, the imperial attendant Wang Yi (王益) was sent to Fengxiang to recall Zhao's soldiers to Kaifeng. This caused much apprehension among the soldiers, including the officers Zhao Siwan (趙思綰) and Chang Yanqing (常彥卿). Wang Jingchong fostered their apprehension, so Zhao and Chang considered a mutiny. When Wang Yi, in the company of the soldiers, reached Chang'an (capital of Jinchang, now renamed Yongxing (永興)), Zhao led the soldiers in mutiny and occupied the city. He conscripted the young men of the city, and now, with a 4,000-men force, prepared for battle. Meanwhile, Wang Jingchong was also encouraging the people of Fengxiang to submit petitions keeping him at Fengxiang as military governor, leading to further apprehension that he would rebel, too, at the Later Han court. The governing officials issued an edict moving Wang Shou'en (王守恩) the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi) to Yongxing and Zhao Hui (趙暉) the military governor of Baoyi Circuit (保義, headquartered in Sanmenxia, Henan) to Fengxiang, and making Wang Jingchong the acting military governor of Jingnan. However, that was not sufficient enticement for Wang.[8]

Around the same time, a dispute arose between Su Fengji, who was then the leading chancellor and Yang Bin, over the fact that Su was filling many official positions that had long been left open, but Yang, who was then one of the chiefs of staff (Shumishi), believed that these were unnecessary positions that were waste of government resources, and therefore often criticized Su's requests. Another chancellor, Li Tao, submitted a petition to Liu Chengyou, arguing that Yang and Guo, who was also serving as Yang's deputy, should be relieved of their positions and made military governors of key circuits, while the chief of staff positions should be entrusted to Su Fengji and Su Yugui. When Yang and Guo became aware of Li Tao's petition, they went to Empress Dowager Li and stated to her, weepingly, "Your subjects have followed the deceased emperor ever since difficult times. Now, the Son of Heaven is accepting other people's word and wants to send us out. Given that there are troubles west of the pass, how can we, your subjects and ignore the affairs of the state? If we are not to remain, we hope to at least remain until the deceased emperor's burial." Empress Dowager Li was angered, and she went to Liu Chengyou, stating to him, "These are the old and accomplished subjects of the state. Why are you listening to others and expelling them?" When Liu Chengyou blamed the matter on the chancellors in general, Li Tao took the blame by himself, and was relieved of his chancellor position. Subsequently, Yang was given an additional chancellor position, while Guo was made co-chief of staff, such that Yang became the main decision-maker, with the two Su chancellors (along with the other chancellor Dou Zhengu) no longer having real chancellor authority.[8]

Li Shouzhen's rebellion

At the time that the Later Han government was still trying to figure out what to do with Zhao Siwan and Wang Jingchong, however, Li Shouzhen the military governor of Huguo Circuit (護國, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), who had been previously closely associated with Du Chongwei and therefore had been fearful since Du's death, was considering a rebellion of his own. When Zhao offered an imperial robe to him, he declared himself the Prince of Qin and formally rose against the Later Han government, counting on the fact that he was a senior general who had been long commanding the imperial army during the Later Jin times and, he believed, could entice them to defect to him. He commissioned Zhao and Wang with military governorships, while Wang also was in communications with Later Shu, seeking its aid.[8]

The Later Han imperial government sent a number of generals to attack the three rebellious circuits, but the operation bogged down because the generals were disagreeing with each other and not advancing. Liu Chengyou, unhappy with the situation, decided that he needed a senior general to oversee the operations, and therefore commissioned Guo Wei to do so. Guo, under the advice of the senior official Feng Dao, decided to issue much material rewards to the imperial soldiers, to earn their affection, such that they would forget about Li's past command over them. It was said that it was from this point on that Guo was loved by the army.[8]

Guo consulted the generals under him in considering his options against the three rebels. Most of them advocated attacking Chang'an and Fengxiang first. Hu Yanke (扈彥珂) the military governor of Zhenguo Circuit (鎮國, headquartered in modern Weinan, Shaanxi) advocated that he attack Huguo first, pointing out that given that he was the leader of the three circuits' rebellion, and attacking the other two first would allow him to attack the Later Han army from the rear. Guo agreed with Hu, and ordered that the Later Han army converge on Huguo's capital Hezhong Municipality (河中). When they reached Hezhong in fall 948, the put it under siege, much to Li's surprise, as Li expected the soldiers to quickly defect to him, but instead the soldiers were enthusiastic in sieging the city. Guo decided not to attack Hezhong directly immediately, but rather to surround the city to let Li's food and other supplies dwindle. Meanwhile, Zhao Hui was putting Fengxiang under siege as well, and he defeated multiple attempts by Later Shu forces to lift the siege on the city.[8]

By summer 949, Hezhong was in a desperate situation, with people dying of starvation. Li made multiple attempts to fight his way out of the city, but was unable to. Realizing that Hezhong was now vulnerable, Guo ordered endless attacks. (During the Hezhong battle, Zhao Siwan decided to surrender to Later Han forces sieging Chang'an under the command of Guo Congyi (郭從義) the military governor of Zhenning Circuit (鎮寧, headquartered in modern Puyang, Henan), but, when he then hesitated about reporting to his posting (as he was made the acting military governor of Zhenguo), Guo Congyi killed him.) Eventually, Hezhong's outer city fell, and Li retreated into the inner city, and then committed suicide with his family. Hearing of how Hezhong and Chang'an had fallen, Wang Jingchong committed suicide as well, ending the rebellions.[8]

After Li Shouzhen's rebellion

After the three circuits' rebellions were quelled, it was said that Liu Chengyou became increasingly arrogant and frivolous. He associated closely with the director of imperial stables, Hou Kuangzan (後匡贊), and the director of tea and wine, Guo Yunming (郭允明), often spending time in inappropriate conversations. His mother Empress Dowager Li often tried to advise him against this behavior, but he paid her no heed. Neither did he listen to similar advice from the official Zhang Yuan (張遠).[8]

In summer 950, the leading officials, because there had been constant Liao incursions that the northern circuits did not have coordinated responses to, discussed a plan to have an overall commander in the north to oversee the defenses against Liao. The decision was for Guo Wei to take up position at Yedu and oversee the operations. Shi Hongzhao advocated for Guo to continue to hold the chief of staff title, so that he could wield greater weight in his orders to the military governors. Su Fengji opposed, pointing out that there was no precedent for a chief of staff to leave the capital and continue to be chief of staff, but Liu Chengyou upheld Shi's proposal. Thereafter, Guo was made the defender of Yedu and military governor of Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered at Yedu), and continued to hold the title of chief of staff, with authority to authorize military movements and expenditures north of the Yellow River.[5]

It was at the send-off dinner for Guo, at the mansion of the chancellor Dou Zhengu, that frictions within the imperial government came to the forefront. At the feast, Shi, when toasting Guo, spoke in a harsh voice, "How could there have been opposition when we discussed this matter yesterday at the imperial gathering? Now, let us drink, younger brother [(i.e., Guo)]!" Su and Yang Bin also raised their cups and stated, "This is an important matter for the state. Do not bear grudges!" Shi responded, again in a harsh voice, "To settle the state, it takes long spears and large swords. What use does the ink brush have? The director of finances Wang Zhang responded, "Without ink brushes, where does money come from?" It was said that from this point on, there were increasing tension between generals and chancellors. Later, when Guo was about to leave the capital, he went to see Liu Chengyou and stated to him:[5]

The Empress Dowager had long followed the deceased Emperor, and she has experienced many things. Your Imperial Majesty is your prime years. If there are important matters, it is best to ask her advice and follow it. You should be close to the faithful and honest, and be far away from the slanderous and the wicked. Be careful in examining between good and evil. Su Fengji, Yang Bin, and Shi Hongzhao are all the deceased Emperor's old subjects. They are faithful and caring for the state. May it be that Your Imperial Majesty trust them and use them, and there will be no trouble. As far as what happens on the battlefield, I, your subject, wishes to expend all of my foolish and foolhardy efforts, hopefully being worthy of your service.

Liu Chengyou showed a serious expression and thanked Guo. However, the tension between the officials continued. Not long after Guo's departure, Wang Zhang hosted a feast for the honored officials. During the feast, there was a drinking game that Shi was unfamiliar with. The director of diplomatic protocol, Yan Jinqing (閻晉卿), was seated next to Shi, and repeatedly reminded him of what the games rules were. Su joked, "When you are seated next to someone named Yan, you need not fear being punished." However, Shi took the comment badly — as he thought that Su was satirizing his wife Lady Yan, who was once a prostitute working in a drinking hall. He cursed Su, and when Su did not respond, got up and wanted to batter Su. As a response, Su left, and he took a sword and considered chasing after Su. Yang wept and urged him to stop, stating, "Lord Su is a chancellor. If you, Lord, killed him, what kind of a place are you putting the Son of Heaven into? Please think carefully!" Shi thereafter got on a horse and left, and Yang followed him on a horse as well, not leaving him until he reached his manor. When Liu Chengyou heard of this, he sent the director of palace affairs, Wang Jun, to try to moderate, but could not repair the relationship between them. Su considered requesting an assignment as a circuit military governor, but then decided that if he left the capital, Shi could easily destroy him, and so did not. Wang, however, did request such an assignment, but Yang and Shi urged him against leaving the capital.[5]

By winter 950, Liu Chengyou himself had tired of the control the senior officials had on his government, even though, under Yang's leadership, the imperial government was considered well-run, and Shi's overseeing of the capital made it safe for the public. Part of the friction came from how his close associates and relatives of the empress dowager were trying to gain power, but were being thwarted by Yang and Shi. At that time, Empress Dowager Li's younger brother Li Ye (李業) was serving as the director of miscellaneous affairs (武德使, Wudeshi) inside the palace, but wanted to be promoted to the higher position of director of palace affairs, a desire that Liu Chengyou and Empress Dowager Li were both in concurrence with, but Yang and Shi considered inappropriate as he lacked the seniority, so they stopped his commission. Further, Hou, Guo Yunming, and Nie Wenjin (聶文進) the liaison officer at the office of the chiefs of staff, were all favored by Liu Chengyou, but had long not been promoted, causing them to be resentful. When Liu Chengyou wanted to make his favorite concubine Consort Geng empress, Yang considered it too quick after the expiration of his morning period for Liu Zhiyuan, and so opposed it. When Consort Geng died, Yang opposed Liu Chengyou's wishes to have her buried with the ceremonies due an empress. Further, there was an occasion when Yang and Shi were discussing state matters with Liu Chengyou, Liu Chengyou made the comment, "Be careful! Do not let others get a chance to criticize you!" Yang responded, "Your Imperial Majesty should just be quiet. Your subjects are still here." This led to Liu Chengyou's resentment toward them, and his close associates thereafter falsely accused Yang and the others of plotting against him. As Su resented Shi, he also incited Li Ye and the others.[5]

Liu Chengyou, thereafter, plotted with Li Ye, Nie, Hou, and Guo Yunming to kill Yang and the others. Liu Chengyou reported his plans to Empress Dowager Li, who responded, "How can such things be easily considered! You should discuss with the chancellors further." However, Li Ye then stated, "The deceased Emperor had said before that the matters of the state should not be discussed with scholars. Their timidity will ruin you." When Empress Dowager Li tried to speak again, Liu Chengyou responded angrily, "The matters of state cannot be decided in the halls of a woman!"[5]

On December 24, 950,[5][2] as the officials were arriving at the palace for the imperial gathering, a number of soldiers appeared and killed Yang, Shi, and Wang Zhang. Subsequently, Liu Chengyou declared that they had committed treason, and stated to the chancellors and the other officials, "Yang Bin and the others viewed us as a young child. We finally now get to be your true lord. You should not worry!" He sent soldiers to arrest and kill the relatives and close associates of Yang, Shi, and Wang.[5]

The young emperor did not stop there, however. He sent his attendant Meng Ye (孟業) to deliver secret edicts to Chan Prefecture (澶州, Zhenning's capital) and Yedu, ordering Zhenning's military governor Li Hongyi (李洪義, also Empress Dowager Li's younger brother) to kill Shi's most trusted imperial guard general Wang Yin (王殷), who was then stationed there; and ordering the imperial guard generals Guo Chongwei and Cao Wei (曹威), then stationed at Yedu, to kill Guo Wei and Wang Jun, who was then serving as Guo Wei's army monitor. Li Ye ordered Liu Zhu (劉銖), who was made the acting mayor of Kaifeng, to slaughter the families of Guo Wei and Wang Jun. Liu Zhu was thorough in doing so, and it was said that no woman or child was able to escape. Li Ye also ordered another brother, Li Hongjian (李洪建), to slaughter Wang Yin's family, but Li Hongjian only put Wang Yin's family members under house arrest.[5]

Guo Wei's rebellion

When Meng Ye reached Chan Prefecture to deliver the edict to Li Hongyi, however, Li Hongyi became apprehensive as he was concerned whether Wang Yin already caught wind of what was occurring. Instead, he showed Meng to Wang, who then put Meng under arrest. Wang then sent Li's deputy Chen Guangsui (陳光穗) to show the secret edict to Guo Wei. Guo summoned his assistant Wei Renpu and showed Wei the edict. Wei suggested that he resist. He summoned Guo Chongwei and Cao Wei, as well as other generals, and informed them of the edict as well as the deaths of Yang Bin, Shi Hongzhao, and Wang Zhang, stating to them, "Those lords and I fought through the thorn bushes in following the deceased Emperor in seizing the realm. We accepted his trust to protect his orphan, and we expended our efforts to defend the empire. Now, those lords are dead. How can I have the heart to live on my own? Gentlemen, you should carry out the edict. Take my head and offer it to the Son of Heaven, such that you will not will not suffer." The generals wept and encouraged him to resist as well, under the rationale that he should clear Liu Chengyou's court of evil people and should not simply suffer an unjust death. Guo Wei thus resolved to rise against Liu Chengyou. He left his adoptive son Guo Rong to defend Yedu, while he marched toward Kaifeng, with Guo Chongwei as his forward commander.[5]

Meanwhile, Liu Chengyou had summoned a number of prominent generals, including Liu Zhiyuan's half-brother Murong Yanchao, Gao Xingzhou, and Fu Yanqing, to come to the capital. Murong immediately went to Kaifeng, and Liu Chengyou put him in charge of the imperial army. As Guo was marching toward the capital, Hou Yi advocated defending the city without engaging him, arguing that because Guo's soldiers' family members were all in the capital, the imperial government could prevail by having their family members urge them to defect from Guo. Murong, however, advocated engaging Guo's army, stating, "Hou Yi is old. He is being a coward." Liu Chengyou therefore planned on engaging Guo's army, but sent Hou, Wu Qianyu (吳虔裕) the defender of Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, in modern Zhengzhou, Henan), and Zhang Yanchao (張彥超) the former military governor of Baoda Circuit (保大, headquartered in modern Yan'an, Shaanxi), with an army to head toward Chan. However, Guo got there first, and Li Hongyi submitted to him. Wang Yin merged his army into Guo's, and Guo then continued to Hua Prefecture (滑州, in modern Anyang, Henan), where Song Yanwo (宋延渥) the military governor of Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered at Hua) surrendered to him. He again stated to the army that instead of fighting the emperor's army, they should simply behead him and submit to the emperor; they refused. Wang Jun then stated to them that when Kaifeng fell, they could pillage the capital, and they celebrated. By this point, Liu Chengyou had become to become apprehensive, and he stated to Dou Zhengu, "Maybe I was being too frivolous." At Li Ye's request, over Su Yugui's objection, emptied out the imperial treasury to reward the imperial guard soldiers at Kaifeng, as well as the family members of Guo's army, hoping that they would persuade Guo's soldiers to defect.[5]

On December 30,[2] Guo's army reached Fengqiu (封丘, in modern Xinxiang, Henan), near Kaifeng. The people of Kaifeng were frightened, including Empress Dowager Li, who made the comment, "We did not listen to Li Tao. Now destruction comes!" Murong, however, bragged that he could easily capture Guo — until Nie Wenjin informed him of the names of the generals in Guo's army, at which time Murong began to be apprehensive as well. Liu thereafter sent the imperial guard general Yuan Yi (袁㠖) and the former military governor of Weisheng Circuit (威勝, headquartered in modern Nanyang, Henan), Liu Chongjin (劉重進), to rendezvous with Hou, Wu, and Zhang, to prepare to engage Guo.[5]

On December 31,[2] Guo's army and the imperial army encountered at Liuzi Slope (劉子陂). Liu Chengyou wanted to personally go out to encourage the troops. Empress Dowager Li stated to him, "Guo Wei is our family's old servant. How would he be doing this if it were not a matter of life or death? You should keep the troops in the city and send a messenger with your edict, to observe his intentions. He would surely respond, and you can still maintain the formality of emperor and subject. Do not go out yourself." The young emperor refused her advice. The empress dowager asked Nie to particularly pay attention to the emperor's personal safety, but Nie did not take heed, responding, "Your subject is here. Even if there were 100 Guo Weis, they can all be captured." The armies, however, did not actually engage in battle that day, and Liu Chengyou returned to the palace. Murong bragged to him, "These days, Your Imperial Majesty has little to do in the palace. Tomorrow, come watch your subject destroy the bandits. I need not actually battle with them. I will just rebuke them, and they will surely collapse and return to their own barracks [(i.e., abandon Guo and return to Kaifeng)]!"[5]

On January 1, 951,[2] the young emperor again wanted to go encourage the army, and he did so against Empress Dowager Li's advice. The armies met each other again on the front line, and Guo Wei ordered his army not to engage first, stating, "I am here to kill the scoundrels, not to oppose the Son of Heaven. Do not move first." However, after the armies hesitated for some time, Murong led the cavalry in a charge, starting the battle. Guo Wei had Guo Chongwei and Li Rong resist Murong's charge. During the battle, Zhang's horse fell, and he was nearly captured by Guo Wei's army. He was able to withdraw, but more than 100 of his soldiers died, causing a loss of morale in the imperial army, such that the imperial army soldiers began to surrender to Guo's. Even the generals, including Hou, Wu, Zhang, Yuan, and Liu Chongjin, all secretly went to see Guo to offer to surrender, but he sent them all back to their camps, while stating to Song,[5] whose wife was Liu Zhiyuan's oldest daughter,[9] "The Son of Heaven is in danger. You, lord, are his close relative. You should take your guards to go protect him, and also request that he find a chance to come to my camp." However, when Song tried to head for the imperial tent, there were confused soldiers between him and the imperial tent, and he did not dare to advance. As the sun was setting, more and more of the imperial army was surrendering to Guo's. Murong abandoned the imperial army army and fled back to Taining's capital Yan Prefecture (兗州) with only a handful of his guards. With the army abandoning him, that night, Liu Chengyou stayed at his tent with three chancellors (Su Fengji, Su Yugui, and Dou) and less than 100 attendants.[5]

On January 2, 951,[2] at sunrise, Guo Wei spotted the emperor's banner, and he sped there, hoping to find the emperor, but when he got there, Liu Chengyou had already left. Liu Chengyou, on his horse, tried to return to the palace. When he reached Xuanhua Gate (玄化門), which was guarded by Liu Zhu, Liu Zhu questioned the emperor's attendants, "Where are all the soldiers and horses?" He fired arrows at the emperor's attendants, and Liu Chengyou fled from there. When he reached a village known as the Zhao Village (趙村), he was intercepted by Guo's soldiers. He got off his horse and tried to hide in a civilian's house, but was killed there. (The Zizhi Tongjian stated that he was killed by soldiers in the confusion, and that when he died, Su Fengji, Yan Jinqing, and Guo Yunming all committed suicide.[5] The Old History of the Five Dynasties stated that Guo Yunming, knowing that the cause was lost, killed him (possibly at his request) and then committed suicide with Su Fengji.[3]

Guo Wei had the young emperor's body retrieved and placed in a casket. There were suggestions that Liu Chengyou should be buried with ceremony only due a duke, like Cao Mao (emperor of Cao Wei) was. Guo refused, not wanting to deny him imperial honors.[5] Rather, after Guo subsequently seized the throne and established Later Zhou, he had Liu Chengyou mourned and buried with ceremony due an emperor.[10]

Family

Ancestry

References

Sources

Liu Chengyou
House of Liu (947–951)
Born: 931 Died: 951
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Liu Zhiyuan (Emperor Gaozu)		 Emperor of Later Han
948-951 		Succeeded by
None (traditionally), title claimed by Liu Chong of Northern Han
Emperor of China (Central Shanxi)
948-951
Emperor of China (Central)
948–951 		Succeeded by
Guo Wei of Later Zhou
Emperor of China (Hunan) (de jure)
948-950 		Succeeded by
Li Jing of Southern Tang
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