Long Shun

Biography

Accession and the New State Name

Long Shun, also known as Fa, was the son of Emperor Jingzhuang Shilong (also known as Qiulong) of Nanzhao. In 877 (the eighteenth year of Jianji), Shilong died at Jingjing Temple in Yuejun, and Long Shun succeeded to the throne at the age of seventeen. The following year he adopted the era name Zhenming and renamed the state Dafengmin Guo (in one version, Dafengren Guo).

Peace with the Tang

Long Shun was devoted to pleasure, loved hunting and idle amusements, and liked to wear crimson-and-purple brocade cloaks and gold-inlaid belts, leaving all state decisions to his ministers. In the same year as his accession, he sent the Tuoxi Duan Xianbao (or Duan Bao) to the Military Governor of Yongzhou (Lingnan), Xin Dang, to request friendly relations. Xin Dang memorialized Emperor Xizong of Tang, who consented and issued an edict sending an envoy in reply, hoping thereby to calm the frontier troubles.

In 879 (the sixth year of Qianfu), Nanzhao raided Sichuan, and the Military Governor of Xichuan, Gao Pian, memorialized asking the court for a marriage alliance with Nanzhao; the Right Remonstrance Grandee Liu Tao and Vice Minister of Personnel Cui Dan deemed it beneath the dynasty's dignity and spoke against it, so the matter was shelved. A Nanzhao envoy again entered the court to press for a marriage alliance; by then Gao Pian had been transferred to Jingnan but still held to his earlier position, and the chancellors Zheng Tian and Lu Xie, unable to resolve their dispute, were both dismissed.

At the time, Xin Dang sent his staff officer Xu Yunqian as acting envoy to observe Nanzhao. At Shanchan, Xu Yunqian saw dozens of horsemen dragging long spears surrounding a youth in crimson robes with his hair bound in red silk; the interpreter announced, "This is the Biaoxin (as the southern peoples styled their ruler)." Long Shun dismounted to greet Xu Yunqian, asked after the health of the Tang emperor, took up Xu's sword to examine it, and showed him his own ornaments; then he had the ground cleared, set up boards three zhang tall, and ordered his attendants to shoot at a gallop—after each man shot, Long Shun would gallop after the arrows for amusement, stopping only after several dozen volleys. He led the guest into his tent, where grooms held washbasins and four women played music and served drink until nightfall. He also sent someone to ask Xu Yunqian about the meaning of the Spring and Autumn Annals, and sent the envoy home with courtesy. Later, when Gao Pian won over the Wumo, forged weapons, and drilled troops, shaking the southeastern tribes, Long Shun sent Zhao Zongzheng to pay tribute to the Tang and perform obeisance to Emperor Xizong on his behalf; the emperor again sent Xu Yunqian to Nanzhao, and Long Shun returned his courtesy call.

Courtship of Princess Anhua

In the first month of 880 (the first year of Guangming), Emperor Xizong betrothed a daughter of the imperial clan to Long Shun as Princess Anhua, sending the Vice Minister of the Imperial Clan Li Guinian and others to Nanzhao to negotiate the marriage; on their return they praised Long Shun's sincerity lavishly. In 881 (the first year of Zhonghe), Long Shun sent envoys to escort Princess Anhua, presenting rare treasures and a hundred beds of felt rugs; Emperor Xizong delayed, saying the princess's carriages and robes were still being prepared. In 883 (the third year of Zhonghe), Long Shun again sent the Busie Yang Qihong to escort the bride, and Emperor Xizong decreed that Zhang Qiao, Acting Libationer of the National University, serve as Master of Ceremonies, Xu Yunqian as deputy, and Li Yue, Prince of Guo and Vice Minister of the Imperial Clan, as marriage commissioner. Before they could set out, the Huang Chao rebellion was suppressed and Emperor Xizong returned east, and the envoys were sent home first.

The Poisoning of His Counselors

In 885 (the first year of Guangqi), Long Shun sent Chancellor Zhao Longmei, Grand Counselor Yang Qikun (or Yang Qihun), and Duan Yizong to the temporary imperial palace for an audience with Emperor Xizong and to escort Princess Anhua. Gao Pian memorialized from Huaiyang (in one version, Yangzhou): "These three are the heart and backbone of Nanzhao. Keep them and poison them, and the Man will be controllable." Emperor Xizong followed this advice and poisoned Zhao Longmei and the others. After their deaths, Nanzhao had no strategists left, and the kingdom grew daily weaker. In the same year, the Kunlun kingdom presented beautiful women to Nanzhao, and Long Shun accepted them.

Assassination

At that time Long Shun had many favored consorts and often killed ministers on the strength of their slanders; his dissoluteness and cruelty grew worse by the day. In 897 (the ninth year of Duoye), the Grand Counselor Zheng Maisi had Long Shun's close attendant Yang Deng kill him at Shanchan City. Long Shun was thirty-six years old; he received the posthumous title Shengming Wenwu Emperor (in one version, Xuanwu Emperor), and his son Shunhuazhen succeeded him.

Major Activities

During his reign Long Shun made peace with the Tang dynasty, ending the many years of war between Nanzhao and the Tang in the era of Shilong.

• Renamed the state Dafengmin Guo; made peace with the Tang, ending the wars of the Shilong era; repeatedly sought a Tang marriage alliance and was finally assassinated by Zheng Maisi

The turns in his dealings with the Tang can be set out by year: in 879 (sixth year of the Qianfu era, Tang) Nanzhao again raided Xichuan and the Tang court disputed a proposal of marriage alliance, the matter being shelved; in 880 (first year of Guangming) Emperor Xizong betrothed a princess of the imperial clan to Longshun as Princess Anhua and sent envoys to discuss the marriage; in 881 (first year of Zhonghe) he sent envoys to receive Princess Anhua, and the Tang court deferred on the ground that the carriage and robes were still under discussion; in 883 (third year of Zhonghe) he sent envoys again, but with Emperor Xizong returning east after the Huang Chao rebellion the envoys were sent back and the marriage did not take place; in 885 (first year of Guangqi) he sent Zhao Longmei, Yang Qikun, Duan Yizong and others to escort the princess, and Emperor Xizong, on Gao Pian's advice, had the envoys poisoned; in 897 (ninth year of Cuoye in Nanzhao; fourth year of Qianning in the Tang) Zheng Maisi had his close minister Yang Deng kill Longshun at Shanchan, and his son Shun Huazhen succeeded. The negotiations over the marriage stretched over nearly ten years without success, showing that by the end of the ninth century Nanzhao's relations with the Tang alternated between war and peacemaking.

His changes of title and era name were as follows: on coming to the throne he changed the era name and later adopted the designation "Great Fengmin" or "Great Fengren", the New Book of Tang recording that he styled himself "Great Fengren" while another account gives "the state of Great Fengmin", the variants reflecting different transcriptions of the state title in the surviving sources, and nothing shows that he thereby created a new administrative system. Towards the end of his reign power within Nanzhao tilted towards Zheng Maisi, and his killing was immediately followed by Zheng Maisi's installation of Shun Huazhen, after which Nanzhao came to an end within a decade.

Another thread of his reign is the military friction between Nanzhao and the Tang on the Annan and Xichuan fronts, negotiation and fighting alternating.

The marriage alliance ended with the poisoning of the Tang envoys, marking the point beyond which relations between Nanzhao and the Tang could not be repaired.

After his murder real power in Nanzhao passed into the hands of Zheng Maisi, and Shun Huazhen came to the throne already under his control.

The course of the marriage negotiations and his murder, followed by the end of Nanzhao less than a decade later, form the two main threads of Nanzhao politics at the end of the ninth century.

Personal Relations

• | Relation | Person | Notes |
• |---| --- |---|
• | Father | Shilong (also Qiulong) | Emperor Jingzhuang of Nanzhao |
• | Son | Shunhuazhen | Last emperor of Nanzhao |

Historical Assessment

The New History of the Tang comments: "Fa was young; he loved hunting and dissolute ease."