Zhu Wen, also known as Emperor Taizu of Later Liang, also known as Zhu Quanzhong or Zhu Huang, was the founding emperor of Later Liang during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. He reigned for a total of 6 years. Below, the editor of the Historical Encyclopedia will bring you a detailed introduction. Let’s continue reading.
In the late Tang Dynasty, Zhu Wen united with Li Keyong to suppress the Huang Chao army, and gradually expanded his own power, becoming the largest separatist force in the late Tang Dynasty. In the fourth year of Tianyou (907 AD), Zhu Wen seized the throne of Emperor Ai of Tang through abdication, proclaimed himself emperor on behalf of Tang, established the country as Liang, changed the era name to Kaiping, and became known as the “Later Liang” in history. After ascending to the throne, he was eager for talent and worked hard to promote talented individuals, suppress the powerful, establish strict military laws, and reward agriculture. In the second year of Qianhua (912 AD), Zhu Wen was assassinated by his family Zhu Yougui due to succession issues. He passed away at the age of 61 and was posthumously honored with the title of Emperor Shenwu Yuanshengxiao and the temple name Taizu. He was buried in Xuanling.
Major Achievements
politics
Zhu Wen particularly cherishes talents, and his thirst for talent is very urgent. Just as he accepted the abdication of Emperor Tang, Zhu Wen immediately sent officials and ministers to search for virtuous people among the people, especially those who were capable but had nowhere to show their abilities in lower positions. If they were found, Zhu Wen often promoted and appointed them. For those who were aware of the shortcomings of the court’s policies, Zhu Wen personally reviewed the memorials submitted and selected some favorable suggestions for implementation.
Zhu Wen also suppressed the phenomenon of power and extravagance. For example, when Zhu Wen’s beloved Kou Yanqing went to court once, someone on the way did not have time to avoid him and was killed by his followers. Zhu Wen severely punished Kou Yanqing for this and did not protect him because of his status as a meritorious official.
military
Before Zhu Wen declared himself emperor, he established strict military laws. If any of his soldiers were killed in action, all of his troops’ soldiers would also be beheaded, known as the ‘Ba Dui Zhan’. Therefore, soldiers often flee and dare not return to their units due to the death of their main commander. Zhu Wen then ordered all the soldiers to tattoo their faces to record their military numbers, so that most of the fleeing people would be recognized by the people at the checkpoint of Jindu and caught and sent back to their subordinates. So, fugitives gather in the mountains, forests, rivers, and marshes to become bandits, becoming a major threat to the state and county. After Zhu Wen declared himself emperor, he immediately abolished this set of military laws and issued decrees to pardon the sins of these people. From now on, even if they had facial tattoos, they were still allowed to return to their hometowns. So those who were forced to commit robbery mostly dispersed and returned home, reducing the number of robbers by 70-80%.
Zhu Wen also has an effective method for handling the relationship between the military and the local government. In order to ensure the smooth operation of local administration, Zhu Wen issued an order to his subordinate generals: no matter how high the military rank or how many troops there are, in terms of government affairs, they must obey the management and arrangements of local officials. With Zhu Wen’s “Supreme Order”, the probability of disputes between local officials and military leaders has been greatly reduced. In this way, clear delineation of rights and responsibilities naturally benefits the stability and unity of the country.
economy
Due to years of war, a large number of young and middle-aged laborers have been lost, and people have been displaced to avoid the war and heavy taxes and corv é e labor, resulting in a large amount of farmland being abandoned and having a very serious impact on agricultural production. After Zhu Wen founded the country, he vigorously promoted agricultural production, rewarded farming, reduced rent and taxes, and leased oxen to farmers who did not have oxen for production. This series of tolerant policies made it the economic pillar that Liang fought for decades.
