Lu Guang - Late Reign -- Gradual Collapse of Later Liang

Late Reign -- Gradual Collapse of Later Liang

Later Liang's power appeared to start to fall apart in 397, when Lü Guang, determined to punish Qifu Gangui for his shifting positions, launched a major attack against Western Qin's capital Xicheng (西城, in modern Baiyin, Gansu). This frightened Qifu Gangui's officials enough that they recommended a retreat to Chengji (成紀, in modern Tianshui, Gansu) to the east, but Qifu Gangui, seeing weaknesses in Later Liang's forces despite their numbers, stood his ground. Later Liang forces were initially successful, capturing several major Western Qin cities, but Qifu Gangui tricked Lü Guang's brother and major general Lü Yan (呂延) the Duke of Tianshui into believing that he was retreating, and Lü Yan fell into a trap Qifu Gangui set and was killed. Lü Guang, in fear, withdrew to Guzang.

Soon after Lü Yan's defeat, Tufa Wugu declared himself independent from Later Liang, establishing Southern Liang and capturing Jincheng (金城, in modern Lanzhou, Gansu), which Later Liang had just captured from Western Qin. Lü Guang sent his general Dou Gou (竇苟) to attack Tufa Wugu, but was defeated.

After Lü Yan's death, Lü Guang believed false accusations against Lü Yan's assistants, the brothers Juqu Luochou (沮渠羅仇) and Juqu Quzhou (沮渠麴粥) and executed them. Their nephew Juqu Mengxun escorted their caskets back to their home territory of Zhangye (張掖, in modern Zhangye, Gansu) and then persuaded the various Xiongnu tribes to rebel against Later Liang. Initially, Lü Guang sent Lü Zuan to attack Juqu Mengxun and chased him into the mountains, but Juqu Mengxun's cousin Juqu Nancheng (沮渠男成) also rebelled and sieged the Later Liang city Jiankang (建康, in modern Zhangye, Gansu, not to be confused with Jin's capital of the same name). Juqu Nancheng persuaded the governor of Jiankang Commandery, Duan Ye, who was already fearful that Lü Guang would blame him for the Juqus' rebellion, to join them, and Juqu Nancheng offered the title of Duke of Jiankang to Duan Ye, thus establishing Northern Liang. Lü Zuan attacked the nascent state, but could not destroy it.

At this time, the magician Guo Nen (郭黁), whom Lü Guang and his people had trusted greatly, prophesied that Later Liang was about to be destroyed, and therefore started a rebellion himself within the capital Guzang, capturing even Lü Guang's eight grandsons and executing them cruelly. Guo soon supported the general Yang Gui (楊軌) as the leader of the rebellion. Lü Zuan was forced to abandon his attack against Duan and return to Guzang. Eventually, however, Yang and Guo were defeated by Later Liang forces and forced to flee to and submit to Southern Liang and Western Qin, respectively. From this point on, however, Later Liang, by now highly reduced in size and strength, were subject to constant attacks by Southern Liang, Northern Liang, and Western Qin, causing it to be unable to hold its territory. By 398, the western parts of the Later Liang (including Xiyu holdings) had fallen to Northern Liang as well. In 399, Lü Shao and Lü Zuan launched another attack on Northern Liang, but with Southern Liang coming to Northern Liang's aid, they were forced to withdraw.

Around the new year 400, Lü Guang grew gravely ill, and he ordered Lü Shao to take the throne and the title Heavenly Prince; he himself claimed the title of retired emperor. Realizing that Lü Shao lacked talents and ability, he spoke to Lü Shao and his brothers Lü Zuan the Duke of Taiyuan and Lü Hong (呂弘) the Duke of Changshan, telling Lü Shao to trust his brothers and Lü Zuan and Lü Hong to serve Lü Shao faithfully. He died later that day. Soon, however, Lü Zuan and Lü Hong would turn on Lü Shao, and when they started a coup, Lü Shao committed suicide, and Lü Zuan took the throne, starting a series of destabilizing internal disturbances that, in combination with the attacks by the surrounding states, led to Later Liang's surrender to Later Qin in 403.