Zheng Changtu

Zheng Changtu( Trịnh xương đồ ) (died April 6, 887?),courtesy nameGuangye( quang nghiệp ), was an official of theChineseTang dynasty.He served as achancellorin the administration of the pretenderLi Yun,who claimed the throne in competition withEmperor Xizong.After the deaths of Li Yun and Li Yun's main proponent,Zhu Mei,Zheng was executed for his service under Li Yun.

Background

It is not known when Zheng Changtu was born. His family claimed ancestry from the ruling house of theSpring and Autumn periodstateZheng,and a number ofchancellorscame from the line, including his granduncleZheng Yuqingand Zheng Yuqing's grandson (Zheng Changtu's second cousin)Zheng Congdang.Zheng Changtu's grandfather Zheng Juzhan ( Trịnh cụ chiêm ) served as a county sheriff, while his father Zheng Juan ( Trịnh quyên ) served as the military governor (jiedushi) of Hedong Circuit ( Hà Đông, headquartered in modernTaiyuan,Shanxi).

Known service during Emperor Xizong's reign

As of spring 882, Zheng Changtu was serving asZhongshu Sheren( trung thư xá nhân ), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government ( Trung Thư Tỉnh,Zhongshu Sheng), in the administration ofEmperor Xizong,who had fled toChengdufrom the capitalChang'anin light of the attack that the major agrarian rebelHuang Chaolaunched on Chang'an late in 880. (After Huang took Chang'an, he declared himself emperor of a new state of Qi.) In spring 882, when the senior chancellorWang Duowas put in overall command of the Tang operations against Huang, Wang retained a large number of imperial officials to serve on his staff, including Zheng, who was made Wang's chief of staff in Wang's capacity as the military governor of Yicheng Circuit ( nghĩa thành, headquartered in modernAnyang,Henan).

As of late 882, Zhaoyi Circuit ( chiêu nghĩa, headquartered in modernChangzhi,Shanxi) had been going through much turmoil — as the officer Cheng Lin ( thành lân ) had killed the military governor Gao Xun ( cao tầm ) in a mutiny in 881 and was in turn killed by another officer,Meng Fangli.The people of Zhaoyi then asked the eunuch monitor Wu Quanxu ( Ngô toàn úc ) to act as military governor, but Meng rejected this (claiming that a eunuch should not be a governor) and put Wu under house arrest, instead claiming that he wanted the imperial government to send a replacement. Wang sent Zheng to temporarily act as military governor. The imperial government then commissioned Wang Hui to serve as Zhaoyi's military governor. Wang, however, knowing that Meng had full control of three of Zhaoyi's five prefectures (i.e., the ones east of theTaihang Mountains), believed that he would not be actually able to exercise control, and so declined the commission. The circuit was then instead given to Zheng, although Zheng left his post just three months later, leaving Meng in control.

Participation in Li Yun's administration

In 885, by which time Huang Chao had been defeated and Emperor Xizong had returned to Chang'an, the powerfuleunuchTian Lingzi,who dominated Emperor Xizong's administration, offended the warlordWang Chongrongthe military governor of Hezhong Circuit ( giữa sông, headquartered in modernYuncheng, Shanxi) and then tried to transfer Wang. Wang resisted, and he and his allyLi Keyongthe military governor of Hedong Circuit ( Hà Đông, headquartered in modernTaiyuan,Shanxi) subsequently defeated the armies of Tian and Tian's alliesZhu Meithe military governor of Jingnan Circuit ( tĩnh khó, headquartered in modernXianyang,Shaanxi) andLi Changfuthe military governor of Fengxiang Circuit ( phượng tường, headquartered in modernBaoji,Shaanxi) and approached Chang'an. Tian took Emperor Xizong and initially fled to Fengxiang, and then to Xingyuan ( Hưng Nguyên, in modernHanzhong,Shaanxi).

Most imperial officials, including the chancellorsXiao GouandPei Che,followed Emperor Xizong to Fengxiang, but, disillusioned with the influence that Tian had on him, did not follow him to Xingyuan. Zhu was also disillusioned with Emperor Xizong, and resolved to support Emperor Xizong's distant relativeLi Yunthe Prince of Xiang as the new emperor. He first forced the imperial officials at Fengxiang to support Li Yun asregent,and he tried to get Xiao to write the text of the petition of support. When Xiao declined (claiming that his writing abilities had deteriorated), Zheng Changtu, who was then the deputy minister of defense ( Binh Bộ thị lang,Bingbu Shilang) and the director of taxation, did so. Subsequently, after the imperial officials escorted Li Yun back to Chang'an, claiming regent authorities, made Zheng chancellorde factowith the designationTong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi( cùng trung thư môn hạ bình chương sự ).

Death

Zhu Mei sent his officerWang Xingyuto try to capture Xingyuan and seize Emperor Xizong. However, Wang Xingyu was unable to advance against Emperor Xizong's forces and feared that Zhu would punish him. Further, he was enticed by the declaration issued by the eunuchYang Fugong,who had succeeded Tian as the commander of the Shence Armies ( thần sách quân ) by this point, that anyone who killed Zhu would be given Jingnan Circuit. He therefore made a surprise return to Chang'an and ambushed and killed Zhu. The city was thrown into disarray. Pei Che and Zheng Changtu, along with 200 imperial officials, escorted Li Yun and fled to Hezhong. Wang Chongrong initially feigned to welcome Li Yun, but then seized and killed him. He put Pei and Zheng under arrest.

In early 887, Wang Chongrong prepared to deliver Pei and Zheng to Emperor Xizong. Emperor Xizong, however, issued an edict that they should be put to death wherever the edict was received, and so they were executed at Qishan ( Kỳ Sơn, in modern Baoji).

Notes and references

• Zizhi Tong gian,vols.254,255,256.