Background and service under Yang Fuguang

Little is known about Lu Yanhong's background, including when he was born, as he did not have a biography in either of the official histories of Tang Dynasty (the Old Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang). It is known that he was from Zhongwu Circuit's capital Xu Prefecture (许州) and initially served as an officer in the Zhongwu army.

As of 881, Tang was facing the crisis of the agrarian rebel Huang Chao's having captured the imperial capital Chang'an (forcing then-reigning Emperor Xizong to flee to Chengdu) and declared himself the emperor of a new state of Qi. At that time, one of the Tang generals who had been battling Huang's forces, the eunuch Yang Fuguang, was stuck at Zhongwu Circuit, and the military governor (Jiedushi) Zhou Ji had submitted to Qi as a subject. In summer 881, though, Yang was able to persuade Zhou to renounce his allegiance to Qi and redeclare for the Tang cause. Further, Zhou contributed 8,000 men from the Zhongwu army to serve under Yang in the campaign against Huang. The 8,000 men were organized into eight corps, with Lu, Jin Hui (晋晖), Wang Jian, Han Jian, Zhang Zao, Li Shitai (李师泰), and Pang Cong commanding the eight corps. They subsequently followed Yang in the region, fighting against Qi forces, eventually becoming stationed at Hezhong Circuit (河中, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi).

As independent warlord

In fall 883, Yang Fuguang died at Hezhong. The soldiers of the eight Zhongwu corps abandoned their post in response and scattered. Lu Yanhong gathered those who were willing to follow him — including Wang Jian, Han Jian, Zhang Zao, Jin Hui, and Li Shitai — and headed south, raiding Xiang (襄州, in modern Xiangyang, Hubei), Deng (邓州, in modern Nanyang, Henan), Jin (金州, in modern Ankang, Shaanxi), and Yang (洋州, in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi) Prefectures, pillaging them and killing many, while claiming that he was heading west to Chengdu to join the imperial cause. He reached Xingyuan (兴元, in modern Hanzhong) around new year 884 and expelled Niu Xu (牛勖) the military governor of Shannan West Circuit (which was headquartered at Xingyuan), claiming the title of acting military governor. Emperor Xizong thereafter named him acting military governor.

After taking over Shannan West Circuit, Lu named Wang, Han, Zhang, Jin, and Li the prefects of the prefectures in the circuit but did not allow them to go to their posts. He also grew suspicious of people and lost the heart of his followers. He was particularly suspicious of Wang and Han due to their close friendship with each other but tried to endear them by treating them well. Wang and Han, however, could tell that he was suspecting them, and therefore they, after enticement by the powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi, fled to Chengdu in fall 884, along with Zhang, Jin, and Li, to join Tian's troops. Tian thereafter sent forces to attack Lu and defeated him. Lu then abandoned Xingyuan and fled east.

Lu next attacked Xiang Prefecture, in conjunction with Qin Gao (秦诰) and Zhao Deyin, who were officers of the warlord Qin Zongquan the military governor of Fengguo Circuit (奉国, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan). They captured Xiang, forcing Liu Jurong the military governor of Shannan East Circuit (山南东道, headquartered at Xiang Prefecture) to flee to Chengdu and allowing Zhao to take over Shannan East Circuit. Lu then pillaged Xiang, Deng, Jun (均州, in modern Shiyan, Hubei), Fang (房州, in modern Shiyan), Lu (庐州, in modern Hefei, Anhui), and Shou (寿州, in modern Lu'an, Anhui) Prefectures, before heading for Xu Prefecture. Zhou Ji, upon hearing that Lu was approaching Xu, abandoned Xu and fled. Lu then took Xu and claimed the title of acting military governor of Zhongwu. The imperial government, unable to attack him, named him military governor. He remained in control until fall 886, when Qin Zongquan, who had by that point claimed imperial title, attacked him and killed him, taking over Zhongwu Circuit.

Notes and references

简历

黄巢攻陷长安，唐僖宗逃到四川，黄巢称大齐皇帝。忠武军节度使周岌降齐。但中和元年（881年），黄巢将朱温正率众攻打襄州、邓州时，忠武军监军宦官杨复光说服周岌反正归唐，并说服忠武军治下蔡州刺史秦宗权也出兵勤王。秦宗权派兵三千从杨复光，其中就有牙将鹿晏弘及王建、韩建等。杨复光以忠武军八千人分为八都，每都一千人，鹿晏弘、晋晖、王建、韩建、张造、李师泰、庞从等八人都被任为都将。忠武八都败朱温，克邓州，追杀到蓝桥才回师。忠武八都屯河中。李简当时也在忠武军中，随鹿晏弘出征有功，被迁为列校。

中和三年（883年）七月，杨复光卒于河中，忠武八都解体。鹿晏弘率八都南下掠夺襄、邓、金、洋诸州，所过屠灭，声称西迎僖宗于蜀，年末至兴元（陕西汉中），驱逐山南西道节度使牛勖，自称留后。僖宗旋任其为山南西道留后、节度使。

鹿晏弘以王建等为巡内刺史，却不派他们赴任。鹿晏弘为人猜忌，人心不附。他尤其忌惮素来交好的王建、韩建，数次带他们进卧室，对他们很好。但王建、韩建知道仆射（即鹿晏弘）其实是怀疑他们。当权宦官田令孜也秘密遣人以厚利相诱，四年（884年）十一月，王建、韩建与张造、晋晖、李师泰率众数千逃奔行在。田令孜派禁军讨鹿晏弘，鹿晏弘率众弃兴元而走。

鹿晏弘转而东出襄州，当时任奉国军节度使的秦宗权已叛唐，遣其将秦诰、赵德諲与他合兵，破之，迫山南东道节度使刘巨容奔成都，赵德諲遂取山南东道。鹿晏弘引兵转掠襄、邓、均、房、庐、寿各州，复还许州，陷之，杀周岌，自称留后，朝廷不能讨，便任他为忠武军节度使。秦宗权后称帝，并于光启二年（886年）七月攻许州，鹿晏弘求救于宣武军节度使朱全忠（即朱温，已降唐），朱全忠派葛从周等相救，未及发兵，许州已破，鹿晏弘被杀。部下王重师出逃投奔朱全忠。