Tian Hongzheng - As Military Governor of Weibo Circuit

As Military Governor of Weibo Circuit

Tian Xing presented maps and census rolls of the six prefectures of Weibo Circuit to Emperor Xianzong to show submission, and did not commission his own officials. After a debate between the chancellors Li Jifu (who advocated making Tian acting military governor) and Li Jiang (who advocated making Tian the official military governor immediately and further advocated a large money reward to the soldiers of Weibo for their submission), Emperor Xianzong agreed with Li Jiang. He sent the official Pei Du to Weibo to show approval and encouragement to Tian, and it was said that when Pei discussed with Tian the proper ways to be loyal, Tian was respectful and not bored in his hearing Pei's statements. He further accepted the imperial government's commissions of 90 officials below him — including the deputy military governor Hu Zheng (胡證) — without objection, submitted taxes that Tian Ji'an had withheld to the imperial treasury, and rebuffed attempts by Tian Ji'an's allied circuits — Pinglu (平盧, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong), Chengde, and Zhangyi (彰義, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan) — to bring him into the alliance. Emperor Xianzong also created him the Duke of Yi and gave him the honorary title of Yinqing Guanglu Daifu (銀青光祿大夫). Emperor Xianzong further gave him a new name — Hongzheng (meaning "magnification of righteousness").

As a result of Weibo's submission, the imperial forces stationed at Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern Luoyang, Henan), which was stationed at Heyang, between Weibo and the eastern capital Luoyang to defend against Weibo, were moved to Ru Prefecture (汝州, in modern Pingdingshan, Henan) to instead defend against Zhangyi, whose military governor Wu Shaoyang had died earlier, and it was said that this movement pleased Tian Hongzheng greatly. When Emperor Xianzong did not allow Wu Shaoyang's son Wu Yuanji to succeed Wu Shaoyang, Wu Yuanji reacted by openly pillaging the surrounding circuits, and Emperor Xianzong declared a campaign against Wu Yuanji in spring 815. Tian Hongzheng sent his son Tian Bu, with a detachment of 3,000 soldiers, to serve in the campaign.

With Emperor Xianzong also having declared the military governor of Chengde Circuit, Wang Chengzong, a renegade — but not declared a campaign against Wang at that point — Tian Hongzheng led his troops to wait on the border with Chengde, and Wang repeatedly harassed his troops. Tian Hongzheng requested permission to enter Chengde territory, and Emperor Xianzong authorized him to advance to Bei Prefecture (貝州, in modern Xingtai). It was also said that it was because of Tian's loyalty to the imperial government that the military governor of Pinglu, Li Shidao, did not dare to openly aid Zhangyi. After Wu was defeated and captured by the imperial general Li Su in 817, Wang became fearful, and he made offers through Tian to submit to the imperial government. Tian relayed Wang's offers to the imperial government, and in spring 818, Emperor Xianzong accepted Wang's offer to send his sons Wang Zhigan (王知感) and Wang Zhixin (王知信) to the capital Chang'an as hostages and to submit two of Chengde's six prefectures to imperial control.

Li Shidao initially also offered to do the same as Wang — sending his sons as hostages and submitting three of Pinglu's 12 prefectures — to show submission to the imperial government, but soon reneged on his offer. In anger, Emperor Xianzong declared a campaign against Pinglu. In the initial stages, Emperor Xianzong, at Pei's suggestion, had the Weibo forces remain at Weibo to rest themselves (and to prevent unnecessary expenditures, as once a circuit's troops left the circuit, the imperial treasury would be responsible for their expenditures) until winter 818, when under imperial orders Weibo forces under Tian Hongzheng crossed the Yellow River and approached Pinglu's capital prefecture Yun Prefecture, causing much alarm at Yun Prefecture. Tian scored several victories against Pinglu forces under the Pinglu officer Liu Wu, in spring 819. Li Shidao, suspecting that Liu was disloyal, sent messengers to Liu's deputy Zhang Xian (張暹) to order Zhang to kill Liu and take over the army. Zhang, instead, informed Liu. Liu responded by commanding his forces to turn back to Yun Prefecture. He captured and executed Li Shidao and his sons, sent their heads to Tian, and submitted to the imperial government. When Emperor Xianzong subsequently commissioned Liu to be the military governor of Yicheng Prefecture (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan) but feared that Liu would resist the commission and want to hold onto control of Pinglu, he had Tian take precautions by commanding forces from Weibo and several other circuits to move into Yun Prefecture. Liu did not resist and accepted the post at Yicheng. In the aftermaths of the campaign, Tian was given the title of acting Situ (司徒, one of the Three Excellencies) and honorary chancellor with the title Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事). Once Tian arrived at Yun Prefecture, he ended the harsh rule of Li Shidao and his predecessors. Pinglu was subsequently divided into three circuits and given to three different governors. It was at this point historians regarded the reestablishment of Tang's imperial power during Emperor Xianzong's reign reached its apex.

Later in 819, Tian went to Chang'an to pay homage to Emperor Xianzong, and Emperor Xianzong treated him well; he was also given the greater honorary chancellor title of Shizhong (侍中). Tian offered to remain at Chang'an, but Emperor Xianzong declined and returned him to his post at Weibo. As Tian was loyal and was concerned that eventually, his soldiers would demand that his family inherit his position, he sent his brothers, sons, and nephews all to Chang'an, and Emperor Xianzong gave them prominent positions.