Liu Chengyou

Biography

Family Background and Early Years

Liu Chengyou was born on March 28, 931, the seventh day of the third lunar month of the second year of Changxing under Later Tang, at the old residence in Yedu. His father Liu Zhiyuan was then a Later Tang general and later became Military Commissioner of Hedong, based at Taiyuan. Liu Chengyou was Liu Zhiyuan’s second son, and his mother Lady Li later became Empress Li. His elder brother Liu Chengxun was older, regarded as capable, and highly favored by Liu Zhiyuan as the ideal successor.

In 941, the sixth year of Tianfu under Later Jin, Liu Zhiyuan became military governor at Taiyuan. The eleven-year-old Liu Chengyou was appointed an office commissioner and later rose through posts to Acting Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs. In 947, the twelfth year of Tianfu, Liu Zhiyuan proclaimed himself emperor at Taiyuan and founded Later Han. Liu Chengyou was appointed General of the Left Guard and Acting Minister of Works, and was soon promoted to Chief Inspector of the Inner Palace and Acting Grand Guardian. During this period Liu Chengyou had little direct political experience, remained under his father’s protection, and had limited understanding of state administration or military affairs.

Becoming Heir

In the first lunar month of 948, the first year of Qianyou, Later Han had existed for only a few months when Liu Zhiyuan became seriously ill. On the eleventh day of the first lunar month, Liu Chengxun, whom Liu Zhiyuan regarded as heir, suddenly died. The loss greatly affected the already ill emperor, whose condition worsened rapidly. Knowing that he had little time left, Liu Zhiyuan entrusted his second son Liu Chengyou to Grand Councilor Su Fengji, Military Affairs Commissioner Yang Bin, Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Guards Shi Hongzhao, and other generals and ministers.

Su Fengji pointed out that Liu Chengyou had not yet been enfeoffed as a prince and urged that this be done quickly to regularize the succession. On the twenty-seventh day of the first lunar month, before the investiture could be completed, Liu Zhiyuan died. Su Fengji, Yang Bin, and others concealed his death, first lured the heavily armed Du Chongwei into a trap and killed him to remove a threat, and only afterward announced Liu Zhiyuan’s death.

On the first day of the second lunar month, the court granted Liu Chengyou advanced rank, made him Acting Grand Commandant and Participant in Determining Government Matters, and enfeoffed him as Prince of Zhou. The following day civil and military officials were summoned to Wansui Hall, where Liu Zhiyuan’s final edict was proclaimed and Liu Chengyou succeeded before the coffin at the age of eighteen. He continued to use the Qianyou era. Only after the officials submitted four petitions urging him to take up government did he agree, receiving them beneath the eastern gallery of Wansui Hall. He honored his mother Lady Li as empress dowager.

Constrained by Powerful Ministers

Liu Chengyou was only eighteen at accession, and real authority remained with the regents left by Liu Zhiyuan. Yang Bin directed central policy, Guo Wei controlled campaigns, Shi Hongzhao commanded the palace guard, and Wang Zhang managed state finances. Each held a major sphere of authority and balanced the others, leaving Liu Chengyou effectively sidelined.

Yang Bin was stubborn and showed little concern for ruler-minister etiquette when discussing business before the emperor. On one occasion Yang Bin and Wang Zhang were debating an issue in Liu Chengyou’s presence. Liu Chengyou interjected that once the policy was implemented, they should ensure that the people did not resent it. Yang Bin immediately replied that the emperor need not interfere because he was there to handle it, startling everyone present.

Liu Chengyou repeatedly tried to exercise imperial authority but was blocked by Yang Bin. Empress Dowager Li’s younger brother Li Ye sought appointment as Palace Proclamation Commissioner; Liu Chengyou and the empress dowager privately asked Yang Bin, who opposed it. Liu Chengyou wanted to make his favored Lady Geng empress, but Yang Bin resisted. After Lady Geng died, Liu Chengyou wished to bury her with the rites of an empress, and Yang Bin again objected. Repeated frustration deepened Liu Chengyou’s resentment, while his personal attendants took the opportunity to spread accusations against the senior ministers, ultimately encouraging him to eliminate them.

Killing the Regents and Guo Wei’s Revolt

On the thirteenth day of the eleventh lunar month of 950, the third year of Qianyou, Liu Chengyou conspired with his confidants Li Ye, Guo Yunming, Nie Wenjin, and others. During morning court he had Grand Councilor Yang Bin, Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Guards Shi Hongzhao, and State Finance Commissioner Wang Zhang killed beneath the eastern gallery of the hall and exterminated their families. He then sent an envoy to Weizhou to kill Guo Wei, who was guarding Yedu.

After learning of the upheaval in the capital, Guo Wei raised troops at Weizhou and marched south. On the fourteenth day of the eleventh lunar month, he crossed the Yellow River. Liu Chengyou sent Kaifeng Prefect Hou Yi, military commissioner Zhang Yanchao, and reception commissioner Yan Jinqing with troops to resist him. Guo Wei captured an inspecting eunuch sent by Liu Chengyou and ordered him to return to the capital with a memorial requesting that Li Ye and the other courtiers be bound and delivered to the army. Liu Chengyou showed the memorial to Li Ye and his associates, who insisted that Guo Wei’s rebellion was now beyond doubt. Liu Chengyou then ordered the execution of all of Guo Wei’s family members in the capital. Liu Zhu carried out the order with extreme brutality, sparing not even infants.

As Guo Wei’s army approached Bianzhou, Liu Chengyou ignored the empress dowager’s advice and insisted on personally leading troops outside the city. On the twenty-first day of the eleventh lunar month, the armies fought at Liuzipo. The Later Han formation collapsed after Murong Yanchao withdrew, and other units defected in succession. Liu Chengyou spent the night in the open and the next morning rode back toward the Yuanhua Gate of Bianzhou. Liu Zhu, then controlling Kaifeng, refused to admit him and even ordered arrows fired toward his attendants. Liu Chengyou therefore fled northwest with Su Fengji, Guo Yunming, and others.

When they reached Zhao Village, Liu Chengyou saw a cloud of dust behind them and believed enemy troops were pursuing. He dismounted in panic and tried to hide in a house. Guo Yunming concluded that the situation was hopeless and decided to kill the emperor as an offering of submission to the enemy, stabbing him with a sword. The troops approaching from behind were in fact loyal guards coming to protect the emperor rather than pursuers. Realizing his mistake, Guo Yunming killed himself. Liu Chengyou was only twenty years old.

After entering Bianzhou, Guo Wei led the officials to Liu Chengyou’s temporary mortuary, donned mourning dress, and personally made offerings. He then petitioned Empress Dowager Li to determine a posthumous title. Liu Chengyou was posthumously honored as Emperor Yin and buried at Yingling, in present-day Yuzhou, Henan.

Major Activities

Suppression of the Three-Garrison Rebellion

In the third lunar month of 948, the first year of Qianyou, Li Shouzhen, Military Commissioner of Hezhong, Zhao Siwan at Yongxing, and Wang Jingchong at Fengxiang rebelled in succession. Liu Chengyou sent Bai Wenke, Guo Congyi, Chang Si, and others against them, but the campaigns made little progress. In the eighth lunar month he appointed Guo Wei Participant in Determining Government Matters and sent him west to supervise the generals. In the summer of 949, the second year of Qianyou, Guo Wei broke into the outer city of Hezhong. Li Shouzhen burned himself to death with his wife, and Zhao Siwan and Wang Jingchong later surrendered, ending the rebellions. The campaign greatly increased Guo Wei’s prestige and helped lay the groundwork for his later replacement of Later Han with Later Zhou.

Killing the Regency Ministers

On the thirteenth day of the eleventh lunar month of 950, Liu Chengyou killed Yang Bin, Shi Hongzhao, and Wang Zhang at court on charges of treason and exterminated their families. The three respectively controlled central policy, the palace guard, and state finances and were the practical managers of Later Han government. Liu Chengyou intended to recover imperial power, but his abrupt and excessive measures shocked the court and made military commanders fear for their safety. Wang Fuzhi later argued in Du Tongjian Lun that the elimination of Shi Hongzhao, Wang Zhang, and Yang Bin changed the political atmosphere and helped reduce internal military disorder under Later Zhou and Northern Song, although Liu Chengyou himself did not preserve his throne.

Driving Guo Wei into Rebellion

After killing Yang Bin and the other two ministers, Liu Chengyou secretly ordered Cao Wei and other officers under Guo Wei at Weizhou to assassinate their commander, while at the same time ordering the execution of Guo Wei’s family in the capital. Forced into rebellion, Guo Wei marched south under the banner of removing evil advisers from the ruler’s side. Liu Chengyou first killed Guo Wei’s entire family, then suffered defeat at Liuzipo and ultimately lost both his life and dynasty. Later historians treated the sequence as a classic example of rash decision-making by a young ruler bringing about his own destruction.

Death at Zhao Village

On January 2, 951, the twenty-second day of the eleventh lunar month of the third year of Qianyou, Liu Chengyou reached Zhao Village during his flight and was stabbed to death by his confidant Guo Yunming. Guo Yunming had intended to kill the emperor and surrender to the enemy, but after discovering that the approaching troops were loyal guards rather than pursuers, he killed himself in remorse. The source identifies Liu Chengyou as the only reigning emperor of the Five Dynasties period to be killed by a close attendant at his side.

The stages around his accession were as follows: in 947, when Liu Zhiyuan founded the Later Han, he was made senior general of the left guards and acting minister of works and later inspector of the palace and acting junior guardian; on 23 February 948, after his elder brother Liu Chengxun died of illness, his father entrusted him to the generals and ministers as heir; on 10 March Liu Zhiyuan died and Su Fengji and others concealed the death and lured Du Chongwei to his death; on 13 March he was enfeoffed as Prince of Zhou and on 14 March took the throne before his father's coffin, continuing the Qianyou era name; in the summer of 950, when the Khitan invaded Hebei, Guo Wei was sent to hold Yedu; on 25 December of the same year he killed Yang Bin, Shi Hongzhao and Wang Zhang with their families. The suppression of the three garrisons by Guo Wei greatly raised his prestige, while the killing of the entrusted ministers directly prompted Guo Wei to rise and found the Later Zhou, the two forming the immediate line of the Later Han's swift fall.

The political situation then turned sharply: Guo Wei's prestige had risen greatly through the suppression of the three garrisons, and in the summer of 950 he was sent to Yedu against the Khitan; on 25 December of the same year, after Liu Chengyou killed Yang Bin, Shi Hongzhao and Wang Zhang with their families, Guo Wei marched south from Yedu, Liu Chengyou was killed, the Later Han came to an end and Guo Wei founded the Later Zhou. From the killing of the entrusted ministers to the change of dynasty less than a month passed, showing how fragile imperial power in the Later Han was in the face of military force.

Personal Relations

• Father: Liu Zhiyuan, Emperor Gaozu of Later Han
• Mother: Empress Dowager Li (Empress Li)
• Elder brother: Liu Chengxun, posthumously Prince of Wei, died young
• Younger brother: Liu Chengxun, posthumously Prince of Chen
• Sister: Princess Yongning, married Zhao Kuangyin, Emperor Taizu of Song
• Paternal cousin, according to one account adoptive elder brother: Liu Yun, originally a son of Liu Chong and adopted by Liu Zhiyuan; Guo Wei at one point intended to enthrone him, but he was later killed
• Yang Bin: Military Affairs Commissioner who directed central government; killed by Liu Chengyou
• Shi Hongzhao: Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Guards who controlled palace security; killed by Liu Chengyou
• Wang Zhang: State Finance Commissioner in charge of revenues; killed by Liu Chengyou
• Su Fengji: Grand Councilor and principal organizer of Liu Chengyou’s accession; later fled with him and killed himself
• Guo Wei: defender of Yedu; driven into rebellion by Liu Chengyou and later founder of Later Zhou
• Liu Zhu: acting head of Kaifeng who carried out the execution of Guo Wei’s family and later refused Liu Chengyou entry into the city
• Guo Yunming: tea-and-wine commissioner and Liu Chengyou’s confidant who ultimately killed him
• Li Ye: younger brother of Empress Dowager Li who encouraged Liu Chengyou to eliminate the powerful ministers
• Nie Wenjin: confidant who participated in the conspiracy and later killed himself
• Li Shouzhen: Military Commissioner of Hezhong who rebelled and burned himself after defeat
• Zhao Siwan: military commissioner at Yongxing who rebelled and surrendered after defeat
• Wang Jingchong: Military Commissioner of Fengxiang who rebelled and surrendered after defeat

Historical Assessment

Five Dynasties and Early Song

• The Old History of the Five Dynasties argued that Emperor Yin inherited a newly created state while still young, without the virtue of ancient sage founders or ministers comparable to Yi Yin and Lü Shang. It attributed the extraordinary speed of his dynasty’s destruction not to an abrupt withdrawal of Heaven’s mandate but to disastrous human planning. — Xue Juzheng et al., Old History of the Five Dynasties, “Annals of Emperor Yin”
• Ouyang Xiu’s New History of the Five Dynasties included Liu Chengyou in the imperial annals but treated his reign briefly and with implicit criticism as a ruler who lost his state.
• Sima Guang’s Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance records in detail the killing of ministers and the chain of decisions that provoked Guo Wei, generally criticizing Liu Chengyou’s conduct.

Song and Yuan Periods

• Wang Fuzhi in Du Tongjian Lun referred to Liu Chengyou by personal name and argued that he was unfit to rule China. He criticized the attempt to kill Guo Wei, who commanded a large army outside the capital, by a written order as treating affairs of state like a child’s game. At the same time, he praised the elimination of Shi Hongzhao, Wang Zhang, and Yang Bin for changing the political climate and helping create the conditions for greater stability under Later Zhou and Northern Song.
• Hu Sanxing, annotating the Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, argued that Emperor Yin was young and inexperienced, trusted petty men, and cut away his own defenders, making the disaster that followed unsurprising.

Ming and Qing Periods

• Wang Fuzhi further argued that Liu Chengyou’s failure did not lie simply in killing powerful ministers, but in being unable to manage the situation afterward: he could neither control Guo Wei nor pacify the realm, making his death and the fall of the dynasty inevitable.
• Zhao Yi’s Notes on the Twenty-Two Histories, discussing the short reigns of Five Dynasties rulers, cited Liu Chengyou as a young emperor unable to control strong generals and ministers, treating his fate as characteristic of military politics in the period.

Modern Period

• Lü Simian, in Vernacular History of China, argued that killing Yang Bin and the others was not wholly without justification, but that Liu Chengyou acted too precipitously and then provoked Guo Wei, bringing about his own destruction. He treated the episode as a typical example of conflict between rulers and military commanders in the Five Dynasties.
• Contemporary scholarship cited in the source often interprets Liu Chengyou’s failure in terms of the political structure of the Five Dynasties: weak imperial authority, domineering military commanders, and Liu Chengyou’s own suspicious and impulsive character combined to accelerate the fall of Later Han.