Background and service under Zhao Kuangning

It is not known when Zhao Kuangming was born. His father Zhao Deyin had been a general under Qin Zongquan, who was a Tang military governor of Fengguo Circuit (奉國, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan) but who later submitted to the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao and Huang's state of Qi, and, after Huang's defeat, had declared himself emperor of a new state. As part of Zhao Deyin's service under Qin, he captured Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, the later Zhongyi Circuit). Later, knowing that Qin was on the verge of defeat, he submitted to Tang and allied himself with Zhu Quanzhong the Tang military governor of Xuanwu Circuit. At Zhu's recommendation, Zhao Deyin was allowed to remain as military governor of the circuit, which was then renamed Zhongyi. He later participated in the campaigns that led to Qin's destruction. Zhao Kuangming, as a son of Zhao Deyin's, was given the title of literary officer at Jiangling Municipality (江陵, Jingnan's capital) even in his youth. After he reached adulthood, he had military accomplishments and served successively as the prefect of Xiu (繡州, in modern Guigang, Guangxi) and Xia (峽州, in modern Yichang, Hubei) Prefectures.

In 892, Zhao Deyin died. Zhao Kuangming's older brother Zhao Kuangning claimed the title of acting military governor of Zhongyi, and was later confirmed by then-ruling Emperor Zhaozong as full military governor. At one point, the major warlord Zhu Quanzhong, who had designs on seizing the Tang throne, was rebuffed by Zhao Kuangning when he inquired of Zhao Kuangning's thoughts on the matter. He was angered and sent an army to attack Zhongyi Circuit, but his army was defeated by Zhao Kuangming at Deng Prefecture (鄧州, in modern Nanyang, Henan). Thereafter, under the advice of Zhao Kuangming, Zhao Kuangning entered into an alliance with Wang Jian the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan).

As ruler of Jingnan

In 903, Zhu Quanzhong's ally Cheng Rui the military governor of Jingnan, attempting to save another ally of Zhu's, Du Hong the military governor of Wuchang Circuit (武昌, headquartered in modern Wuhan, Hubei), was defeated in battle by Li Shenfu, a general under Yang Xingmi the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu). After Cheng's death, Jiangling was temporarily taken over by the army of Wuzhen Circuit (武貞, headquartered in modern Changde, Hunan), but Zhao Kuangning sent an army to expel the Wuzhen army, and then commissioned Zhao Kuangming as its acting military governor. Emperor Zhaozong (who was by this point under Zhu's physical control) initially commissioned Zhao Kuangming only as the commander of the Jingnan army (行軍司馬, Xingjun Sima) but gave him the honorary title of acting Situ (司徒, one of the Three Excellencies) as well. It was said that at that time, very few warlords were willing to offer tributes to the emperor, but the Zhao brothers regularly did so.

By 905, Zhao Kuangming was referred to as full military governor of Jingnan. That year, Zhu, angry that Zhao Kuangning was in alliance with both Wang Jian and Yang, attacked Zhongyi along with his general Yang Shihou. They defeated the Zhongyi army, and Zhao Kuangning abandoned Zhongyi and fled to Huainan territory. Believing that he could not stand by himself, Zhao Kuangming also planned to flee to Huainan. His son Zhao Chenggui pointed out that if he fled to Huainan as well, Yang might suspect him and Zhao Kuangning given the cumulative strengths of the two brothers in Huainan territory. Zhao Kuangming agreed, and fled to Xichuan instead. Wang Jian treated him as an honored guest and commissioned him as the military governor of Wuxin Circuit (武信, headquartered in modern Suining, Sichuan). Later, after Wang Jian founded Former Shu as its emperor, he made Zhao Kuangming the chief judge of the supreme court (大理卿, Dali Qing) and the minister of public works (工部尚書, Gongbu Shangshu). Zhao Kuangming eventually died at the Former Shu capital Chengdu, but the year is not known.

Notes and references

• New Book of Tang, vol. 186.

• History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 17.

• New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 41.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 264, 265.

家世、效力趙匡凝

趙匡明生年不詳。父趙德諲原為唐奉國軍節度使秦宗權部將。秦宗權投降黃巢農民大軍及其建立的大齊政權，黃巢戰敗後，他自己稱帝。趙德諲效命秦宗權，攻陷山南東道。後趙德諲覺察到秦宗權將敗，降唐，與唐宣武軍節度使朱全忠聯合。在朱全忠推薦下，趙德諲留任山南東道節度使，山南東道改名忠義軍。趙德諲後來參與了消滅秦宗權的幾場戰役。趙匡明作為其子，年紀尚輕就被任為江陵府文學。成年後，立有軍功，歷任繡州、峽州刺史。

景福元年（892年），趙德諲去世。趙匡明兄趙匡凝稱忠義軍留後，後被唐昭宗認可為全權節度使。大軍閥朱全忠有意篡唐，詢問趙匡凝的看法，遭其斷然拒絕，憤而派軍攻忠義，在鄧州被趙匡明大敗。此後，在趙匡明建議下，趙匡凝和西川節度使王建結盟。

統治荊南

天複三年（903年），朱全忠的盟友荊南節度使成汭試圖援救其另一盟友武昌軍節度使杜洪，被淮南節度使楊行密部將李神福所敗。成汭死後，江陵一度被武貞軍節度使雷彥恭所占，但十月趙匡凝派軍逐出武貞軍，表趙匡明為留後，鎮渚宮。被朱全忠控制的昭宗僅任趙匡明為荊南節度行軍司馬，授檢校司徒榮銜。但荊南軍轄下的夔、峽、忠、萬、施等州為王建趁亂所得。當時，各鎮節度使多不向朝廷納貢，但趙氏兄弟上貢不絕。

天祐二年（905年）時，趙匡明已被稱為荊南全權節度使。朱全忠怒趙匡凝同時結盟于王建和楊行密，與部將武寧軍節度使楊師厚攻忠義，敗忠義軍和荊南救兵，俘虜荊南將領，九月，趙匡凝棄忠義奔淮南。朱全忠派楊師厚乘勝襲荊州，趙匡明自量難以獨自立足，也計劃逃往淮南。但他的兒子趙承規指出，如果他也去淮南，兄弟聚首，楊行密會生疑。趙匡明同意了，于是率族人及許寂、馬處謙等二萬人棄城上三峽投西川。唐哀帝下詔贊朱全忠收荊襄之功，稱趙氏兄弟為「二凶」，十月下詔削奪趙匡明在身官爵。楊師厚亦以功拜山南東道節度使、同中書門下平章事。十一月，趙匡明到西川軍部成都。王建待趙匡明以貴賓之禮，授武信軍節度使，分其部下為崇義、勇義、順義、廣義四都。王建後來罷免趙匡明，建立前蜀稱帝後，改任趙匡明為大理卿、工部尚書。趙匡明最終卒于成都，但年份不詳。

評價

• 《舊五代史》史臣曰：匡凝一門昆仲，千里江山，失守籓垣，不克負荷，斯乃劉景升之子之徒歟！

注釋及參考文獻