Background and early career

It is not known when Zhuge Shuang was born, but it is known that he was from Bochang (博昌, in modern Binzhou, Shandong). He was a local militia soldier at one point and served at his home county of Bochang, but after he was caned by the county magistrate for reasons lost to history, he deserted and became a beggar. When Pang Xun rebelled and took over Xu Prefecture (徐州, in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu) in 868, Zhuge joined his army and became a low-level officer. When the imperial troops subsequently attacked Pang and Pang's strength was fading, Zhuge took some 100 soldiers and surrendered to the imperial army, along with fellow officer Yang Qun (阳群). He was eventually made the defender of Ru Prefecture (汝州, in modern Pingdingshan, Henan).

In 880, the Tang imperial government was facing a rebellion led by the Shatuo chieftain Li Guochang and Li Guochang's son Li Keyong, and the Shatuo rebels were threatening Taiyuan Municipality, the capital of the important Hedong Circuit. At that time, Zhuge, who was still serving as the defender of Ru Prefecture, was ordered to take the troops defending the eastern capital Luoyang north to help relieve Taiyuan. He was also made the deputy to the overall commander of the operations, Li Zhuo (李涿). He was also subsequently made the military governor (jiedushi) of Zhenwu Circuit (振武, headquartered in modern Hohhot, Inner Mongolia), replacing Wu Shitai, who was summoned back to the capital Chang'an to serve as an imperial guard general, but Wu resisted the order. Then-reigning Emperor Xizong could not force Wu to accept the order, and thereafter allowed Wu to remain at Zhenwu while making Zhuge the military governor of Xiasui Circuit (夏绥, in modern Yulin, Shaanxi).

In late 880, with the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao approaching Chang'an, Emperor Xizong ordered the military governor of Hedong, Zheng Congdang, to give his troops to Zhuge and Zhu Mei, to have them take them to Chang'an to help stop the Huang attack, but it did not appear that Zhuge and Zhu had the opportunity to do so before Chang'an fell to Huang, forcing Emperor Xizong to flee to Chengdu. Huang declared himself the emperor of a new state of Qi. Zhuge subsequently camped his troops at the site of modern Xi'an, near Chang'an, opposing those of Huang's general Zhu Wen. Huang had Zhu Wen send overtures to Zhuge to persuade Zhuge to submit to Qi, and Zhuge subsequently did.

Takeover of Heyang Circuit

After Zhuge Shuang submitted to Qi, Huang Chao commissioned him the military governor of Heyang Circuit (河阳, headquartered in modern Jiaozuo, Henan) and sent him to Heyang to try to take it over. The Tang-commissioned military governor Luo Yuangao tried to resist him, but Luo's soldiers deserted Luo and surrendered to Zhuge, and Luo was forced to abandon Heyang and flee to Emperor Xizong. Zhuge thus took over Heyang. In spring 881, however, he submitted a petition to Emperor Xizong, offering to resubmit to Tang. Emperor Xizong accepted and commissioned him the military governor of Heyang. Emperor Xizong further bestowed on him the honorary chancellor designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi in 882.

Campaign against Han Jian and aftermaths

In fall 882, Han Jian the military governor of nearby Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei), who had ambitions of seizing nearby circuits' territory, attacked Heyang, defeating Zhuge Shuang at Xiuwu (修武, in modern Jiaozuo, Henan), and Zhuge abandoned Heyang and fled. Han subsequently left an army commanded by his officer Zhao Wenbian at Heyang to defend it, while he himself headed east and attacked Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong). In winter 882, however, the people of Heyang sent overtures to Zhuge to ask him back. At that time, Zhuge had gone as far as Jinshang Circuit (金商, headquartered in modern Shangluo, Shaanxi), but upon receiving this news returned to Heyang and entered the capital Meng Prefecture (孟州), surprising the Weibo garrison. He politely parlayed with them, gave them rewards, and sent them away. Meanwhile, Li Hanzhi the prefect of Guang Prefecture (光州, in modern Xinyang, Henan) was attacked by Qin Zongquan, who had submitted to Huang Chao (who had by that point, under Tang pressure, abandoned Chang'an and headed back east), and fled to Zhuge. Zhuge commissioned him as the prefect of Huai Prefecture (怀州, in modern Jiaozuo).

Meanwhile, Han was unable to capture Tianping's capital Yun Prefecture (郓州), and eventually entered into a peace agreement with Tianping's acting military governor Zhu Xuan in spring 883. He then returned to Heyang and tried to attack it. Zhuge sent Li Hanzhi to defend against the Weibo attack, and Li Hanzhi defeated Han at Wuzhi (武陟, in modern Jiaozuo). (Subsequently, Han was killed by his soldiers in a mutiny led by Le Xingda.)

At this time, Huang was still posing a threat to many Tang circuits south of the Yellow River, and several of those military governors (Zhou Ji the military governor of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang, Henan), Shi Pu the military governor of Ganhua Circuit (感化, headquartered at Xu Prefecture), and Zhu Wen (who had by this point submitted to Tang and changed his name to Zhu Quanzhong) the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan)) sought aid from Li Keyong (who had resubmitted to Tang and was instrumental in Tang's recapture of Chang'an). In spring 884, Li Keyong, who was then the military governor of Hedong, sought passage through Zhuge's territory, but Zhuge was apprehensive of Li Keyong's intentions, and therefore refused on the excuse that the Yellow River bridge near Luoyang had not been repaired. He further stationed his troops at Wanshan (万善, in modern Jiaozuo) to guard against Li Keyong. Li Keyong thus bypassed Heyang and went through Hezhong Circuit (河中, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi) instead.

Zhuge died in winter 886. His officers Liu Jing and Zhang Quanyi supported his son Zhuge Zhongfang (诸葛仲方) to be the acting military governor. Soon, however, Liu suspected Li Hanzhi's intentions and attacked him. Zhang, however, was also unhappy about Liu's control of Zhuge Zhongfang's administration, and therefore joined forces with Li Hanzhi to battle Liu. Liu initially defeated them, but subsequently, Qin's officer Sun Ru attacked Heyang, and Zhuge Zhongfang abandoned Heyang and fled to Xuanwu, ending the possibility of the Zhuge family's intergenerational hold on Heyang.

It was said that while Zhuge rose from the ranks of rebels, his rulings were logical, and the territory he governed had clear laws that were easy to follow, and therefore the people supported him.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 182.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 187.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 253, 254, 255, 256.

背景和早期经历

诸葛爽曾在家乡当过伍长，因故被县尉杖责后开小差，沦为乞丐。咸通九年（868年）庞勋之变，变军攻占徐州，诸葛爽加入了庞勋军，积累军功成为庞勋的小校，聚徒于青、棣之间，劫掠郡县，临沂人王虔裕跟随之。庞勋战败后，诸葛爽和泗州守将阳群率百馀士兵向朝廷投降。乾符元年（874年）四月，朝廷下诏讨民变首领王仙芝，褒奖诸葛爽等反正之人。才子罗隐也上书招讨使宋威，举诸葛爽反正事。诸葛爽累迁汝州防御使。

广明元年（880年），朝廷又面临沙陀首领李国昌及其子李克用的叛乱。二月，沙陀叛军威胁重镇河东的太原府，诸葛爽奉命率领东都洛阳守军北上赴代州救援，四月被北面行营招讨使李琢表为副招讨，与其他东北面行营兵马归李琢统属，五月，被任为蔚、朔招讨副使，又取代被召回长安任左金吾大将军的吴师泰任振武节度使，但吴师泰抗命，指使军民上表挽留自己。十月，唐僖宗无法迫使吴师泰从命，只得允许他留任振武，改任诸葛爽为夏绥节度使，加检校尚书右仆射。

十一月，僖宗命河东节度使郑从谠将军队交给诸葛爽和代州刺史北面行营马步都虞候后院军使朱玫等军，由后者率代北行营兵马赴长安阻击黄巢，郑从谠遣牙将论安率军五千跟随诸葛爽。但在长安陷落之前，诸葛爽和朱玫并没能及时救援，十二月，僖宗被迫逃往成都。黄巢称帝，建立大齐政权。时任代北行营兵马使的诸葛爽与朱玫、左武卫将军权知夏绥银节度事拓跋思恭等屯军渭桥。诸葛爽到同州，率工北行营兵在长安附近的栎阳驻军对抗屯东渭桥的黄巢部将朱温。黄巢命朱温诱诸葛爽投降，诸葛爽因兵败而投降了。

接管河阳

诸葛爽降齐后，被黄巢任为河阳节度使，派往河阳。朝廷的河阳节度使罗元杲发兵抵抗，但因搜刮钱财为人所怨，他的士兵都弃甲迎接诸葛爽，罗元杲被迫逃奔僖宗行在。诸葛爽就此接管河阳，同乡牛礼跟从他。中和元年（881年）三月，他却又上表僖宗，要求重归朝廷。僖宗同意了，任他为河阳节度使，进位检校司徒，授京师东南面招讨诸行营副都统。二年（882年）正月，任为诸道行营左先锋使。五月，当时拥兵自重无心勤王的淮南节度使高骈表称「自来所用将帅，上至帅臣，下及裨将，以臣所料，悉可坐擒，用此为谋，安能集事」，僖宗下诏反驳称「卿尚不能缚黄巢于天长，安能坐擒诸将？只如拓拔思恭、诸葛爽辈，安能坐擒耶？勿务大言，不堪垂训。」当月，又加诸葛爽同中书门下平章事的使相荣衔。六月，朱温据同州，诸葛爽率轻兵入城，朱温偃旗设伏以待，诸葛爽以为朱温已遁逃，军士解甲住宿，伏兵发作，诸葛爽丢弃全部铠马奔还。黄巢部将尚让派朱温攻西关，败诸葛爽，又破行营右司马王重荣，诸葛爽闭关不出。

对抗韩简

八月，邻镇的魏博节度使韩简野心勃勃，想吞并邻镇，亲率军三万攻打河阳，在修武击败诸葛爽，诸葛爽放弃河阳逃走。韩简命部将赵文弁驻守河阳，自己东征天平军。高骈派崔致远写信褒扬韩简而骂诸葛爽。三年（883年）二月，河阳百姓示好诸葛爽，请求他回来。当时，诸葛爽已经到了金商，但得知消息后率兵一千返回河阳，进入军部孟州，魏博守军大惊。诸葛爽却礼貌地对待了他们，给予赏赐后令赵文弁率他们回魏博。之前，黄巢在唐军压力下已经退出长安，向东返回之际，知光州事李罕之被投降黄巢的奉国军节度使秦宗权攻打，率馀部投奔诸葛爽，被诸葛爽署为怀州刺史。黄巢所任吏部尚书的充水运使张居言也依附诸葛爽，累迁至裨校，屡有战功，诸葛爽表为泽州刺史。

这时，韩简攻天平军军部郓州不克，刚和天平军留后朱瑄议和，遂回攻河阳，诸葛爽派李罕之抵御魏博军，在新乡遭遇，李罕之在武陟大败韩简八万军，清水为之不流。韩简后也在偏将乐行达领导的兵变中被杀。诸葛爽军从此大振。

而黄巢则仍然对河南的许多藩镇构成威胁。忠武节度使周岌、感化节度使时溥、宣武节度使朱温（已降唐，改名朱全忠）都向李克用求助。李克用已经重新降唐，且在收复长安时起到重要作用。四年（884年）二月，时任河东节度使的李克用率蕃汉之师五万到天井关，向诸葛爽借道救援被黄巢围攻的陈州刺史赵犨和周岌，但诸葛爽有所顾忌，藉口洛阳附近跨黄河的桥尚未修好，拒绝了。他还驻军泽州万善，堙井以防李克用。最后李克用绕过河阳，改道河中。

光启元年（885年）三月时，据有河阳、洛阳的诸葛爽与其他众多军阀一样自擅兵赋，不纳贡，朝廷不能制，只能姑息。朝廷累加诸葛爽检校司空，诏为东南面招讨使，伐秦宗权，诸葛爽表李罕之为副，令屯宋州，又表为河南尹、东都留守。秦宗权遣都将孙儒攻东都洛阳，李罕之出奔，诸葛爽与孙儒战于洛水，败。诸葛爽派将接收洛阳，被李罕之驱逐，诸葛爽不能制止。

最终结局

唐僖宗光启二年十月，河阳节度使诸葛爽卒，帐中大将刘经与张居言立其子诸葛仲方为留后，而牛礼则率十馀人改投朱全忠。

评价

尽管诸葛爽以叛军起家，但善于理政，法令严明，人无怨叹，所以得到了人士的称赞和百姓的支持。

注释及参考文献