Sang Weihan (桑維翰) (898 – January 12, 947), courtesy name Guoqiao (國僑), formally the Duke of Wei (魏公), was a Chinese historian, military general, poet, and politician of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Later Jin, serving as chief of staff ("Shumishi") during the reigns of both of Later Jin's emperors, Shi Jingtang and Shi Chonggui. While not a soldier by training, he was said to be capable and respected as the overseer of the armies of the realm.
Background.
Sang Weihan was born in 898, during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang. He was from the Tang dynasty eastern capital Luoyang — as his father Sang Gong () was a "guest general" (客將, "kejiang") under Zhang Quanyi, the mayor of Henan Municipality (河南, i.e., the Luoyang region). (The fact that Sang Gong was described as a "guest general" suggests that Sang Gong himself was not from Luoyang or vicinity, but later joined Zhang's army after first having served under another warlord.)
Sang Weihan was said to have an unusual, repulsive appearance — short in stature, with a very long face. However, it was said that he considered his appearance to be a reason to have great ambition. When he submitted himself for imperial examinations, however, the chief examiners initially did not want to pass him, because they disliked his surname Sang (a homophone of 喪, "funeral"). When others, hearing of this, tried to dissuade him from submitting for the imperial examinations, he was lamenting and yet not discouraged, and wrote a poem entitled, "Ode to the Sun Rising from Fusang" to declare his ambition. He eventually passed the imperial examinations during the "Tongguang" era (923-926) of Later Tang's emperor Li Cunxu.
Service under Shi Jingtang during Later Tang.
During the subsequent reign of Li Cunxu's adoptive brother and successor Li Siyuan, Li Siyuan's son-in-law Shi Jingtang served as the military governor ("Jiedushi") of Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern Jiaozuo, Henan). He invited Sang Weihan to serve as his secretary in charge of communications. When Shi was subsequently transferred to Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi) in 932, Sang followed him to Hedong.
In 936, then-emperor Li Congke (Li Siyuan's adoptive son), suspicious of Shi, issued an edict transferring Shi to Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong). Shi, fearful of the consequences, convened his chief staff members to discuss how to react to it. Most of them advised that he resist the order. However, it was Sang who pointed out that Li Congke, as an adoptive son of Li Siyuan's, lacked legitimacy and popular support, and that if Shi had the support of Later Tang's northern rival Khitan Empire, he had chance to overthrow Li Congke. Shi thus resolved to rebel against Later Tang. He had Sang draft for him a petition to Khitan's Emperor Taizong, offering, in exchange for military support, to submit as subject and son, as well as cede Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing) as well as other Later Tang territory north of the Yanmen Pass to the Khitan, despite the misgivings of the general Liu Zhiyuan. Shi's offer enticed Emperor Taizong, and he agreed to launch troops.
The Later Tang general Zhang Jingda soon put Hedong's capital Taiyuan under siege, but was unable to capture it quickly. Emperor Taizong then arrived with Khitan troops, and the joint Khitan/Hedong troops crushed Zhang's troops and then put the remnants of his army under siege at Jin'an Base (晉安寨, near Taiyuan). Meanwhile, Emperor Taizong declared Shi the emperor of China (as the emperor of a new state of Later Jin).
During Later Jin.
During Shi Jingtang's reign.
During Shi's takeover of Later Tang territory.
Upon Emperor Taizong's declaration of him as emperor, Shi Jingtang formed his imperial government. He made Sang Weihan imperial scholar (翰林學士, "Hanlin Xueshi") and deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, "Libu Shilang"), acting as chief of staff.
However, despite the Khitan/Hedong victory over Zhang Jingda, the remnants of Zhang's army held out at Jin'an for some time, and a relief army under the command of the Later Tang general Zhao Dejun was approaching, causing apprehensions in Emperor Taizong's mind. Zhao, however, was disloyal to Later Tang, and made secret overtures to Emperor Taizong that if Emperor Taizong supported "him" to be emperor of China instead, he would ally with the Khitan to destroy Later Tang and further promise that Shi could retain Hedong. Emperor Taizong was enticed. When Shi heard this, he became fearful, and he sent Sang to the Khitan camp to dissuade Emperor Taizong. Sang pointed out that Shi would serve Khitan interests loyally as emperor of China and that the treacherous Zhao could not be trusted. He also knelt in front of Emperor Taizong's tent for an entire day, pleading his case. Emperor Taizong was touched, and responded to Zhao's emissary, pointing to a rock, "I have already made my promise to Master Shi. Only if this rock rots would I change my mind." He also stated to Shi, "Sang Weihan is faithful to you. He should be chancellor."
Meanwhile, with no army coming to its aid, Zhang's army fell into desperate shape at Jin'an. Zhang's deputy Yang Guangyuan assassinated him and surrendered the army to the combined Khitan/Later Jin army. The Khitan/Later Jin army then prepared to head toward Zhao's army, and then to the Later Tang capital Luoyang. Apparently pursuant to Emperor Taizong's suggestion, Shi commissioned Sang and fellow staff member Zhao Ying chancellors (同中書門下平章事, "Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi"), with Sang also receiving the additional title of "Zhongshu Shilang" () and Zhao Ying "Menxia Shilang" (); Sang also continued to act as chief of staff. The Khitan/Later Jin army then crushed Zhao Dejun's army, forcing him and his adoptive son Zhao Yanshou to surrender. (Emperor Taizong subsequently took Zhao Dejun and Zhao Yanshou captive and had them taken to Khitan proper.) Emperor Taizong then decided to let Shi and his Later Jin army head toward Luoyang without the Khitan army (other than a small contingent), not wanting to disturb the Han Chinese of the region. As they parted each other, Emperor Taizong stated to Shi, "Liu Zhiyuan, Zhao Ying, and Sang Weihan are all great contributors to your establishment of the empire. Do not abandon them unless they had major faults." As Shi approached Luoyang, Li Congke, finding the situation hopeless, committed suicide with his family, ending Later Tang and allowing Later Jin to take over its territory.
After Shi's takeover of Later Tang territory.
In spring 937, Shi Jingtang formally made Sang Weihan chief of staff, along with Li Song. It was said that at that time, Shi had just taken over Later Tang territory, and a number of military governors were either not following his orders, or were not fully faithful to him. (Indeed, there would be several rebellions against Later Jin in 937.) In the midst of all the military campaigns, the treasury was drained, and the people were poor. Further, the Khitan were repeatedly demanding tributes. Sang advised Shi to comfort the military governors and not bear grudges, humbly serve the Khitan and offer tributes, train the army and firm up the defenses, and encourage farming and trade. It was said that within several years, the realm became more secured.
Also in spring 937, Shi was considering moving the capital from Luoyang to Daliang. Sang encouraged the idea, pointing out that at that time, Fan Yanguang the military governor of Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei) was apparently planning to rebel, and that a move to Daliang, being far closer to Tianxiong's capital Wei Prefecture () than Luoyang was, would allow quicker reaction against a potential Fan rebellion. Shi agreed and moved the capital to Daliang.
Fan did, indeed, rebel shortly after, and also persuaded the general Zhang Congbin () to also rise at Luoyang. Zhang took over Luoyang and killed Shi's sons Shi Chongxin () the military governor of Heyang and Shi Chong'ai () the defender of Luoyang. It was said that at that time nearly every imperial official at Daliang was panicking over this turn of events, but Sang, as he was directing the campaigns against these rebels from the Office of Chief of Staff, was not shaken and continued to handle the situation calmly, thus calming the hearts of others who saw him as well. When Shi, with Zhang's army approaching Daliang, considered fleeing to Taiyuan, Sang urged him earnestly not to do so, and he changed his mind and remained at Daliang. Soon thereafter, the Later Jin forces were able to kill Zhang, and Fan, believing the situation to be hopeless, surrendered to Yang Guangyuan, whom Shi commissioned as the military governor of Tianxiong to replace Fan.
The victory over Fan left Yang being the most powerful general of the realm. This caused clashes between him and Sang, as he often made requests that were not in compliance with regulations, and Sang therefore rejected them. Shi's close associate Liu Churang also disliked the power that Sang and Li wielded as chiefs of staff. He thus encouraged Yang to express his displeasure to Shi. Shi felt compelled to remove Sang and Li as chiefs of staff, replacing them with Liu. Sang and Li remained chancellors, and Sang was given the additional post of minister of defense (兵部尚書, "Bingbu Shangshu"). However, subsequently, per Sang's suggestion (who believed Yang himself and the Tianxiong command to be too powerful), Shi moved Yang from Tianxiong to Heyang, and divided the Tianxiong command in three — converting Wei Prefecture to a standalone Yedu Municipality (), while diving the rest of Tianxiong into Zhangde (彰德, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan) and Yongqing (永清, headquartered in modern Xingtai, Hebei), to weaken the command.
The power struggle between Yang and Sang continued, however. In 939, Yang accused Sang of being partial in his commissioning of officials; overly enriching himself with mansions in both Daliang and Luoyang; and making personal fortunes in competition with the people. Shi felt compelled to remove Sang as chancellor, sending him to Zhangde to serve as its military governor. Shi did give Sang the greater chancellor title of "Shizhong" () as an honorary title. When he got to Zhangde, he found out that there was a longstanding regulation there that any person captured for banditry within the circuit would have their entire family's assets confiscated. Sang, pointing out that there was actually no law allowing such confiscation, reported this to Shi, urging its abolition. Shi agreed, and issued an edict generally abolishing such confiscations throughout the realm, not just as applied to Zhangde. After about a year, Sang was moved to Taining Circuit (泰寧, headquartered in modern Jining, Shandong).
At that time, Shi was also faced with the prospect that An Chongrong the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei), who was antagonistic toward the Khitan (whose state had been renamed Liao by that point), was repeatedly trying to provoke Emperor Taizong, including aligning with the Tuyuhun tribesmen within Liao territory (that was ceded to Liao as part of Shi's agreement to cede the northern territories to Liao). An, in his rhetoric, was also rebuking Shi for being overly groveling to Liao and urging him to turn against Liao. Shi was initially hesitant to take action, because of An's military strength. Sang, hearing this, submitted a secret petition to Shi pointing out that it had been Khitan military strength that allowed him to establish his state, and he therefore should not turn against Liao — and further pointed out that An could be defeated if he rebelled. He encouraged Shi to temporarily move his court to Yedu, so that he could react against An quickly. Shi agreed and thanked Sang for his advice. When An subsequently rebelled, Shi, at Yedu, was able to send his brother-in-law Du Chongwei to crush An's rebellion quickly. After An's defeat, Sang went to Yedu to pay homage to Shi, and was thereafter made the military governor of Jinchang Circuit (晉昌, headquartered in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi).
During Shi Chonggui's reign.
In 942, Shi Jingtang fell seriously ill. He initially entrusted his young (and only surviving) son Shi Chongrui () to the chancellor Feng Dao, intending to have Shi Chongrui succeed him. After Shi Jingtang's death, Feng, in consultation with the imperial guard general Jing Yanguang, decided to declare Shi Jingtang's adoptive son and biological nephew Shi Chonggui