Xu Keqiong
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Xu Keqiong (許可瓊) was a general of the
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state
Chu Chu or CHU may refer to: Chinese history * Chu (state) (c. 1030 BC–223 BC), a state during the Zhou dynasty * Western Chu (206 BC–202 BC), a state founded and ruled by Xiang Yu * Chu Kingdom (Han dynasty) (201 BC–70 AD), a kingdom of the H ...
. When, in Chu's last years, the realm was torn in a civil war between
Ma Xiguang Ma Xiguang (; died 25 January 951), courtesy name Depi (德丕), was the fourth ruler of the Chinese Ma Chu dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Background It is not known when Ma Xiguang was born. He was Chu's founde ...
and
Ma Xi'e Ma Xi'e (), also known by his posthumous name as the Prince Gongxiao of Chu (楚恭孝王), was the fifth ruler of the Ma Chu dynasty of China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Background It is not known when Ma Xi'e was bor ...
(Prince Gongxiao), Xu betrayed Ma Xiguang, leading to Ma Xi'e's victory.


Background

It is not known when Xu Keqiong was born. He was a son of the great
Chu Chu or CHU may refer to: Chinese history * Chu (state) (c. 1030 BC–223 BC), a state during the Zhou dynasty * Western Chu (206 BC–202 BC), a state founded and ruled by Xiang Yu * Chu Kingdom (Han dynasty) (201 BC–70 AD), a kingdom of the H ...
chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
Xu Dexun Xu Dexun () was a key general and official during the reign of Ma Yin, the founding ruler of the Ma Chu dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of Chinese history. During the Tang Dynasty It is not known when or where Xu Dexun ...
. While it is not known when he began his military career, by 950, he had become the commander of the fleet because of prior accomplishments.''
Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese title ''Shiguo Chunqiu'' (), is a history of the Ten Kingdoms that existed in southern China after the fall of the Tang dynasty and before the reunification of China ...
'', vol. 74.


Betrayal of Ma Xiguang

As of 950, Chu was torn by a civil war, as then-prince
Ma Xiguang Ma Xiguang (; died 25 January 951), courtesy name Depi (德丕), was the fourth ruler of the Chinese Ma Chu dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Background It is not known when Ma Xiguang was born. He was Chu's founde ...
was facing the challenge to his rule by his older brother
Ma Xi'e Ma Xi'e (), also known by his posthumous name as the Prince Gongxiao of Chu (楚恭孝王), was the fifth ruler of the Ma Chu dynasty of China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Background It is not known when Ma Xi'e was bor ...
the military governor (''
Jiedushi The ''jiedushi'' (, Old Turkic: Tarduş) or jiedu, was a regional military governor in China; the title was established in the Tang dynasty and abolished in the Yuan dynasty. The post of ''jiedushi'' has been translated as "military commissi ...
'') of Wuping Circuit (武平, headquartered in modern
Changde Changde (; Traditional Chinese characters, traditional Chinese: 常德區 ) is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Hunan province, People's Republic of China. Changde, known as "Wuling" in ancient times, is located on the west side of Do ...
,
Hunan Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...
). In late 950, Ma Xi'e's forces approached the capital
Changsha Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...
, and Ma Xiguang stationed the fleet under Xu Keqiong's command to defend an attack on water, while having the cavalry commander Li Yanwen () and infantry commander Han Li () also taking their troops to defend other potential routes of attack. Soon, Zhu
Jinzhong Jinzhong, formerly Yuci, is a prefecture-level city in east central Shanxi province of the People's Republic of China, bordering Hebei province to the east. As of the 2020 census, its total population was 3,379,498 inhabitants of whom 1,226,61 ...
(朱進忠), a general under Ma Xi'e, arrived with Ma Xi'e's forward troops and camped with a mix of 7,000 Han and non-Han troops west of the
Xiang River The Xiang River is the chief river of the Lake Dongting drainage system of the middle Yangtze, the largest river in Hunan Province, China. It is the second-largest tributary (after the Min River) in terms of surface runoff, the fifth-largest ...
across from Changsha.''
Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...
'', vol. 289.
Ma Xiguang greatly trusted Xu, and had the other generals serve under his command, believing Xu to be a faithful and disciplined general. The non-Han officer Peng Shigao (), who had long been thankful for Ma Xiguang's trust and had sworn to be willing to die for Ma Xiguang, advocated that he be allowed to take some men to circle around Zhu's troops and attack it from the rear while Xu did so from the front, believing that once Zhu's forward troops were defeated, Ma Xi'e would give up his campaign. Ma Xiguang was ready to follow Peng's advice, but Xu, whom Ma Xi'e had already secretly contacted and enticed with an offer that they would divide the kingdom among themselves, opposed (as he was ready to accept Ma Xi'e's offer), stating to Ma Xiguang, "Peng Shigao is of the same kind as the Meishan barbarians, so how can you trust him? I, Xu Keqiong, and my family have been serving as Chu generals for generations, and will surely not disappoint you. There is nothing Ma Xi'e can do." Soon, when Ma Xi'e arrived with his fleet, his and Xu's fleet set up opposing lines across the Xiang. Xu, without letting his soldiers know, met with Ma Xi'e and continued negotiating with him, finally agreeing to his terms. Peng realized this, and went to Ma Xiguang, stating to him, "Xu Keqiong is about to commit treason. Everyone knows this. Please immediately execute him to stop this." Ma Xiguang, not believing Peng, responded, "He is Chancellor Xu's son. How would this happen?" Peng left his presence and lamented, but could do nothing else further. Early in the morning on January 21, 951,
Academia Sinica Academia Sinica (AS, ; zh, t=中央研究院) is the national academy of the Taiwan, Republic of China. It is headquartered in Nangang District, Taipei, Nangang, Taipei. Founded in Nanjing, the academy supports research activities in mathemat ...
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Ma Xi'e's officer He Jingzhen (), seeing that Han's flags were in disarray, believed that that was a sign that Han's army was in disarray, and therefore launched an attack against Han. Han's army was defeated, and Han died from injuries. The Wuping army then used the opportunity to make a fierce assault on Changsha. Ma Xiguang's other infantry commander, Wu Hong (), and Yang Di (), fought hard to try to resist the Wuping army's assault from the early morning to noon, but eventually, Yang's army was worn out, without any aid coming from either Xu or another commander Liu Yantao (). Ma Xi'e's non-Han soldiers set fire to Changsha's east wall, and when the defenders requested that Xu come to their aid, Xu instead surrendered to Ma Xi'e, and Changsha thereafter fell. Ma Xi'e seized the throne, and subsequently forced Ma Xiguang to commit suicide.


After Ma Xi'e's victory

Ma Xi'e, after his victory, neither carried out his promise to Xu Keqiong (to divide Chu among them) nor gave him any particular rewards. Suspecting that Xu would resent him, he sent Xu out to Meng Prefecture (蒙州, in modern
Wuzhou Wuzhou ( zh, s= , p=Wúzhōu, j=Ng⁴zau¹, postal: Wuchow; ), formerly Ngchow, is a prefecture-level city in the east of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. Geography and climate Wuzhou is located in eastern Guangxi ...
,
Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...
) to serve as its prefect. Meanwhile, Ma Xi'e also sent the general Peng Yanhui () to Jingjiang Circuit (靜江, headquartered in modern
Guilin Guilin (Standard Zhuang: ''Gveilinz''), postal map romanization, formerly romanization of Chinese, romanized as Kweilin, is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China's Guangxi, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the we ...
,
Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...
) to take control of the circuit, drawing resentment from his younger brother Ma Xiyin, who was then the deputy military governor of the circuit. Ma Xiyin secretly summoned Xu to come to Gui to oppose Peng with him. Xu thereafter arrived at Gui and defeated Peng in battle; Peng abandoned Gui and fled to Hengshan (衡山, in modern
Hengyang Hengyang (; ) is the second largest city of Hunan Province, China. It straddles the Xiang River about south of the provincial capital of Changsha. As of the 2020 Chinese census, Its total population was 6,645,243 inhabitants, of whom 1,290,71 ...
,
Hunan Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...
), where Ma Xi'e was at that time after being overthrown by another brother,
Ma Xichong Ma Xichong () was the sixth and final monarch of China's Ma Chu dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Background According to the ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms'', citing another work now lost, the ''Misc ...
. Xu stayed at Gui, in alliance with Ma Xiyin.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 290. However, with Xu having abandoned Meng, the
Southern Han Southern Han ( zh , t = 南漢 , p = Nán Hàn , j=Naam4 Hon3; 917–971), officially Han ( zh , t = 漢 , links=no), originally Yue ( zh , c = 越 , links=no), was a dynastic state of China and one of the Ten Kingdoms that existed during the ...
general Wu Huai'en () seized it and proceeded to approach Jingjiang's capital Gui Prefecture (), pillaging the circuit at will. Meanwhile, Ma Xichong, finding his own position untenable, surrendered the remaining parts of the Chu realm that he still had control over to
Southern Tang Southern Tang ( zh, c=南唐, p=Nán Táng) was a Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic state of China that existed during Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Located in southern China, the Southern Tang proclaimed itself to be the successor ...
, leaving Ma Xiyin without possible reinforcements from Chu proper. Ma Xiyin and Xu did not know what to do, and then spent time drinking and crying together. Ma Xiyin considered surrendering to Southern Han, but could not resolve to do so. When Wu quickly reached Gui Prefecture, Ma Xiyin and Xu instead abandoned it and fled to Quan Prefecture (全州, in modern Guilin). Xu died at Quan thereafter.


Notes and references

* ''
Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese title ''Shiguo Chunqiu'' (), is a history of the Ten Kingdoms that existed in southern China after the fall of the Tang dynasty and before the reunification of China ...
'', vol. 74. * ''
Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...
'', vols. 289,
290 __NOTOC__ Year 290 ( CCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valerius and Valerius (or, less frequently, year 1043 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denom ...
. {{DEFAULTSORT:Xu, Keqiong Politicians from Hunan Generals from Hunan Ma Chu generals Ma Chu government officials Later Han (Five Dynasties) people Southern Tang people Political office-holders in Guangxi 950s deaths Year of birth unknown Year of death uncertain