Murong Yanzhao

Biography

Family Background and Early Life

Murong Yanzhao came from a military family in Taiyuan. His father Murong Zhang rose to command the cavalry and infantry of Xiangzhou and concurrently held the title of governor of Kaizhou. Growing up in a military household exposed Murong Yanzhao to martial affairs from childhood. He became known in his youth for bravery and competence. In the chaotic Five Dynasties period, when military men held great influence, his family background and personal ability allowed him to rise quickly in the army.

After Liu Zhiyuan proclaimed himself emperor and established Later Han in 947, Guo Wei was appointed commissioner of military affairs and gained control over military and political administration. Guo Wei valued Murong Yanzhao's abilities and took him into his retinue. This brought Murong Yanzhao into the center of Later Han power and became the starting point for his later advancement.

Later Zhou: From Palace Attendant to Deputy Inspector-General

In 951, the first year of Guangshun, Guo Wei replaced Later Han and founded Later Zhou, becoming its first emperor. As one of Guo Wei's old subordinates, Murong Yanzhao was appointed West-Head Attendant and subsequently served as Deputy Commissioner of Imperial Provisions and Chief Guardian of the Iron Cavalry. Although these were not yet the highest offices, they were military positions close to the ruler and demonstrated Guo Wei's trust in him.

In 954, the first year of Xiande, Chai Rong succeeded to the throne of Later Zhou. Murong Yanzhao was transferred to a command position in the Palace Command and concurrently held the title of governor of Xizhou. In the third month Northern Han took advantage of Later Zhou's period of mourning and invaded in alliance with Liao. Chai Rong personally led the army, and the two sides met in the decisive Battle of Gaoping in present-day Gaoping, Shanxi. Murong Yanzhao commanded the left vanguard. At a time when Later Zhou initially faced an unfavorable situation, he led aggressive attacks and fought hard, making an important contribution to the reversal of the battle and Later Zhou's victory. After the battle he was promoted to commander of the left division of the Hujie troops and concurrently Training Commissioner of the prefecture, and soon thereafter to Chief Guardian of the Palace Command and Military Defense Commissioner of Muzhou. The Battle of Gaoping became a major turning point in his career and placed him among Later Zhou's senior guards commanders.

In 955, the second year of Xiande, Murong Yanzhao accompanied Chai Rong in the campaign against Southern Tang. He was transferred to the left division of the Longjie forces and then to command the cavalry operating along the Yangtze. The war against Southern Tang continued intermittently for three years. Murong Yanzhao repeatedly distinguished himself in Huainan. After returning to the capital he again served as Chief Guardian of the Palace Command and was later sent out as commander of the Zhenhuai forces, responsible for defense along the Huai River.

In 958, the fifth year of Xiande, Chai Rong was encamped near Yingluan at the river when he learned that several hundred Southern Tang vessels were stationed at Dongbuzhou, in the region of present-day Jiangsu. He immediately ordered Murong Yanzhao and Song Yanwo, commander of the Right Shenwu troops, to attack together. Murong Yanzhao led cavalry overland while Song Yanwo advanced with the fleet. Their coordinated land-and-water assault inflicted a major defeat on the Southern Tang navy. Resistance in Huainan thereafter collapsed, and Later Zhou ultimately seized fourteen prefectures there. Following the pacification of Huainan, Murong Yanzhao was promoted to Deputy Commander of the Palace Command and given responsibility for the Huainan military commission. His position in the guards was then second only to the Inspector-General of the Palace Command.

In 959, the sixth year of Xiande, Chai Rong died and his young son Chai Zongxun succeeded him as Emperor Gong of Later Zhou. Murong Yanzhao was transferred to the Zhenning military commission, appointed Deputy Inspector-General of the Palace Command, and again served as Chief Guardian of the cavalry and infantry of the northern expeditionary army. Zhao Kuangyin was then Inspector-General of the Palace Command and Murong Yanzhao his deputy. The two had a close relationship, and Zhao Kuangyin treated Murong Yanzhao as an elder brother. This personnel arrangement directly influenced the political situation at the beginning of the Song.

The Founding of Northern Song: From Guards Commander to Regional Field Commander

In the first month of 960, the first year of Jianlong, Inspector-General Zhao Kuangyin reported that Liao and Northern Han were preparing a joint southern invasion. The chief ministers Fan Zhi and Wang Pu urgently ordered him to lead troops north. Murong Yanzhao led the advance forces out first. Zhao Kuangyin then launched the Chenqiao Mutiny, was acclaimed emperor by his troops, returned to Kaifeng, and replaced Later Zhou with the Song. At the time, Murong Yanzhao was commanding a large army at Zhending, present-day Zhengding in Hebei. Zhao Kuangyin sent an imperial messenger authorizing him to act as circumstances required. Murong Yanzhao and Han Lingkun patrolled and stabilized the Hebei frontier. Their calm and decisive handling of the situation discouraged Northern Han and Liao from exploiting the transition of power. Emperor Taizu was pleased with Murong Yanzhao's cooperation and appointed him Inspector-General of the Palace Command as well as Second Grade under the Secretariat-Chancellery. Murong Yanzhao thereby became the highest commander of the central guards.

In the fourth month of the same year, Li Yun, Military Commissioner of Zhaoyi, rebelled at Luzhou. Emperor Taizu sent Murong Yanzhao and Wang Quanbin, Military Commissioner of Zhangde, to lead the eastern army and join Shi Shouxin and Gao Huaide in suppressing the revolt. Murong Yanzhao was soon appointed overall expeditionary commander and acting head of the Luzhou field headquarters, taking responsibility for front-line military and administrative affairs. After the rebellion was suppressed he received the additional title of Palace Attendant and was ordered to return to his post at Chanzhou, present-day Puyang in Henan.

In the spring of 961, the second year of Jianlong, Emperor Taizu began concentrating military authority in imperial hands. When Murong Yanzhao came to court during the Changjie festival, he assessed the political situation and voluntarily petitioned to relinquish his military command. The emperor then abolished the office of Inspector-General of the Palace Command and did not appoint another holder, bringing the guards more directly under imperial control. Murong Yanzhao was transferred to become Military Commissioner of Shannan East Circuit and commander of the southwestern forces, stationed at Xiangyang. That winter was exceptionally cold, and Emperor Taizu sent a palace envoy with a sable coat and a patterned felt tent as gifts, demonstrating continued imperial favor.

Final Years: Pacification of Jingnan and Hunan and Death

In the first month of 963, the first year of Qiande, Emperor Taizu decided to launch a campaign into the Jing-Xiang region as part of the unification of the south. On the seventh day of the first month, Murong Yanzhao was appointed commander of the vanguard of the Hunan expeditionary army and deputy commissioner of military affairs, with Li Chuyun as army supervisor. Troops from ten prefectures assembled at Xiangyang and advanced toward Hunan under the stated purpose of suppressing the Hunan rebel Zhang Wenbiao. Murong Yanzhao was already ill, and the emperor specially permitted him to command operations from a shoulder carriage.

The Song strategy was to request passage through Jingnan and then attack Hunan. Li Chuyun reached Jingnan first and used a surprise operation to compel Gao Jichong to surrender, bringing the Jingnan polity to an end. Song forces then advanced into Hunan by land and water. By this time Zhang Wenbiao had already been killed by the Hunan general Yang Shifan, while Zhou Baoquan, the effective ruler of Hunan, refused to allow Song troops to enter. Murong Yanzhao divided his force into two routes: the land army advanced through Lizhou, present-day Li County in Hunan, while the fleet moved east toward Yuezhou, present-day Yueyang. In the third month the Song army decisively defeated the Wuping forces at Sanjiangkou, killing more than four thousand men, captured Yuezhou, and then took Langzhou, present-day Changde. Hunan was pacified. The rebel commander Wang Duan, who led several thousand men in raids around Langzhou, was also captured by Murong Yanzhao and executed publicly. The fall of Jingnan and Hunan exposed the remaining southern polities directly to Song attack and created highly favorable conditions for later campaigns against Later Shu, Southern Han, and Southern Tang. After the campaign, Murong Yanzhao received the additional title Acting Grand Commandant.

During the southern campaign, however, serious conflict developed between Murong Yanzhao and the army supervisor Li Chuyun. Li Chuyun was harsh and would summarily execute Murong Yanzhao's subordinates for offenses, worsening relations between them. The source text states that Li Chuyun's arbitrary conduct aggravated Murong Yanzhao's illness. On the yimao day of the intercalary twelfth month of 963, Murong Yanzhao died of illness at a traditional age of fifty-one. Emperor Taizu wept for a long time on hearing the news, posthumously awarded him the office of Director of the Secretariat, enfeoffed him as Prince of Henan, and appointed four of his sons and relatives to office.

Major Activities

Battle of Gaoping

In the third month of 954, Northern Han joined with Liao in a major attack on Later Zhou. Emperor Shizong Chai Rong personally led the Zhou army, and the two sides met at Gaoping in present-day Shanxi. Later Zhou initially faced an unfavorable situation. Murong Yanzhao, commanding the left vanguard, led repeated assaults and helped reverse the situation, making a major contribution to victory in the Battle of Gaoping. He was consequently promoted to commander of the left division of the Hujie troops and concurrently Training Commissioner, then to Chief Guardian of the Palace Command and Military Defense Commissioner of Muzhou, entering the senior ranks of the Later Zhou guards.

Campaigns against Southern Tang

From 955 to 958, Chai Rong personally campaigned against Southern Tang three times, and Murong Yanzhao participated throughout. He successively commanded the left division of the Longjie forces, cavalry along the Yangtze, and the Zhenhuai forces, earning repeated merit in Huainan. In 958 he joined Song Yanwo in attacking the Southern Tang fleet at Dongbuzhou. Murong Yanzhao advanced with cavalry by land while Song Yanwo led the navy along the river, and together they inflicted a major defeat on the Southern Tang fleet. The battle accelerated Southern Tang's collapse in Huainan, and Later Zhou eventually seized fourteen prefectures. Murong Yanzhao was then promoted to Deputy Commander of the Palace Command and placed in charge of the Huainan military commission.

Founding of Northern Song and Suppression of Li Yun's Rebellion

In 960, Zhao Kuangyin established Northern Song after the Chenqiao Mutiny. Murong Yanzhao was then commanding a large force at Zhending. Zhao Kuangyin sent him an imperial order authorizing flexible action. Murong Yanzhao and Han Lingkun patrolled and stabilized the Hebei frontier, discouraging Northern Han and Liao from exploiting the newly founded regime. Zhao Kuangyin consequently appointed him Inspector-General of the Palace Command and Second Grade under the Secretariat-Chancellery, making him the highest commander of the guards. In the fourth month, when Li Yun rebelled at Luzhou, Murong Yanzhao and Wang Quanbin led the eastern army and joined Shi Shouxin and Gao Huaide. Murong Yanzhao soon became overall expeditionary commander and acting head of the Luzhou field headquarters. After the rebellion was suppressed, he received the additional title of Palace Attendant.

Pacification of Jingnan and Hunan

In 963 Murong Yanzhao, despite illness, became commander of the vanguard of the Hunan expeditionary army and led troops from ten prefectures south. The Song army used the campaign against Zhang Wenbiao as its stated reason for advancing, first passing through Jingnan, where Li Chuyun's surprise action forced Gao Jichong to surrender. The army then entered Hunan, defeated the Wuping forces at Sanjiangkou, captured Yuezhou and Langzhou, and captured and executed Wang Duan. The fall of Jingnan and Hunan was an important stage in the Northern Song wars of unification and created favorable conditions for later attacks on Later Shu, Southern Han, and Southern Tang.

Personal Relations

• Father: Murong Zhang, commander of the cavalry and infantry of Xiangzhou and concurrently governor of Kaizhou
• Brothers: Murong Yanzhong, governor of Cizhou; Murong Yanqing, commander of the Hujie troops
• Sons: Murong Deye, governor of Weizhou; Murong Defeng, administrator of Beizhou and Yingzhou; Murong Dejun, Deputy Commissioner of Imperial Provisions; Murong Dezheng; Murong Li; Murong Dedao; Murong Dehong; Murong Dechang; Murong Defu; Murong Deshi
• Grandson: Murong Weisu, who served as Palace Service Commissioner
• Guo Wei: Emperor Taizu of Later Zhou; Murong Yanzhao served under him early in his career and benefited from his patronage
• Chai Rong: Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou; Murong Yanzhao won repeated military distinction under him and rose from a regular officer to Deputy Inspector-General of the Palace Command
• Zhao Kuangyin: Emperor Taizu of Song; maintained a close relationship with Murong Yanzhao and treated him as an elder brother; after taking the throne appointed him Inspector-General of the Palace Command and Second Grade under the Secretariat-Chancellery, and wept for a long time upon hearing of his death
• Han Lingkun: general of Later Zhou and early Northern Song; served with Murong Yanzhao on the Hebei frontier in the first year of Jianlong
• Wang Quanbin: led the eastern army with Murong Yanzhao against Li Yun in 960
• Li Chuyun: army supervisor during the southern campaign of 963; he and Murong Yanzhao clashed over military administration, and Li Chuyun's arbitrary conduct is said in the source text to have worsened Murong Yanzhao's illness
• Song Yanwo: joined Murong Yanzhao in defeating the Southern Tang fleet at Dongbuzhou in 958

Historical Assessment

Northern Song Period

• The History of Song states that Han Lingkun and Murong Yanzhao had long been close to Emperor Taizu, that their campaigns helped stabilize the southern and northern frontiers, and that neither relied on old ties or military merit to create suspicion. The source text notes that the phrase concerning the defense of Changshan refers to Han Lingkun rather than Murong Yanzhao and should not be misattributed.
• Murong Yanzhao's biography in the History of Song says that he was known from youth for courage and competence.
• Emperor Taizu consistently treated Murong Yanzhao as an elder brother, sent medicine during his illness, wept for a long time after his death, posthumously awarded him the office of Director of the Secretariat, and enfeoffed him as Prince of Henan, illustrating their close ruler-minister relationship.

Song-Yuan Period

• Li Tao's Long Draft of the Continuation of the Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government records in detail the conflict between Murong Yanzhao and Li Chuyun during the Jingnan-Hunan campaign. It links Li Chuyun's arbitrary conduct to the worsening of Murong Yanzhao's illness and praises Murong Yanzhao's loyalty in campaigning while sick.
• Southern Song historian Lü Zhong, in Classified Lectures on Major Events of the Imperial Dynasty, treated Murong Yanzhao and Han Lingkun as among Emperor Taizu's most trusted generals outside his sworn-brother circle and regarded Murong Yanzhao's voluntary surrender of military command as facilitating the emperor's concentration of military power.
• The Yuan compilers of the History of Song placed Murong Yanzhao among the founding meritorious officials and praised his role in pacifying Jingnan and Hunan.

Ming-Qing Period

• Wang Fuzhi, in Discussions on the Song, regarded Murong Yanzhao's petition to relinquish military command as one factor that enabled Emperor Taizu to centralize control over the armed forces and praised his ability to recognize the political situation.
• Qing historian Bi Yuan's Continuation of the Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government gives a detailed account of the Jingnan-Hunan campaign and emphasizes Murong Yanzhao's dedication in commanding from a shoulder carriage while ill.
• Qian Daxin, in Critical Studies of the Twenty-Two Histories, examined the title Second Grade under the Secretariat-Chancellery recorded for Murong Yanzhao and argued that it was a special early-Song office rather than a textual change caused by name taboo.

Modern Assessments

• Zhang Yinlin, in discussing the early Song wars of unification, treated Murong Yanzhao's pacification of Jingnan and Hunan as a key step in the unification of the south, giving Song forces forward positions for campaigns against Later Shu and Southern Han.
• Deng Guangming, in his study of the institutional history of Song official titles, examined the development of Murong Yanzhao's office of Second Grade under the Secretariat-Chancellery and concluded that it was an intermittently used office dating from the Later Tang period rather than a name-taboo substitution.
• Modern military historians commonly list Murong Yanzhao among the major generals of the Five Dynasties and early Song and emphasize his use of cavalry and coordinated land-and-water operations, especially in the Dongbuzhou and Jingnan-Hunan campaigns.