背景

孟漢瓊的生年和出生地都不詳。年輕時，為趙王王鎔小豎。天祐十八年（921年），王鎔被其養子張文禮殺害並取代，次年晉王李存勖滅趙，兼併其地，孟漢瓊留在趙都真定，李存勖建立後唐稱帝後，于同光三年（925年）任養兄李嗣源為成德軍節度使，孟漢瓊侍奉李嗣源左右。

李嗣源年間

四年（926年）李存勖在京城洛陽的興教門之變中被殺，李嗣源繼位。孟漢瓊歷任諸司使。長興元年（930年），在權臣樞密使安重誨堅持下，李嗣源養子李從珂被罷免河中節度使，勒令回清化里家中，禁止面聖，安重誨又不停試圖尋機彈劾李從珂之罪。但在李嗣源寵妃王德妃介入下，李從珂得免。王德妃又常令孟漢瓊去李從珂處傳教旨以為安撫，李從珂也善待他，他因而自認為李從珂對自己有恩，自己也對李從珂有恩。

九月，孟漢瓊時任武德使，與王德妃漸漸用事，他們數次對李嗣源彈劾安重誨。安重誨擔憂害怕，上表請辭，李嗣源派孟漢瓊去中書省諮詢，宰相中書侍郎馮道認為安重誨最好辭職，門下侍郎趙鳳卻認為安重誨當留任。結果李嗣源沒有採取措施。

十二月，朝廷軍在安重誨建議發起的對西川節度使孟知祥和東川節度使董璋的討伐中受挫，安重誨從洛陽去前線督戰。但在途中，鳳翔節度使朱弘昭、李嗣源女婿東川行營都招討使石敬瑭、時任宣徽使的孟漢瓊都上表稱安重誨可能意在奪取伐蜀軍權。李嗣源因而召回安重誨，任為河中節度使，再勒令致仕，殺之。安重誨被殺後，對李從珂的限制才解除。

二年（931年）四月，王德妃改封淑妃，五月，孟漢瓊為右衛大將軍，知內侍省事，充宣徽北院使。時任樞密使范延光、趙延壽因安重誨以剛愎得罪，對政事都不置可否。決策權就落入王淑妃和孟漢瓊手中。之前安重誨嚴格控制宮中用度，這時孟漢瓊用事，以曹皇后名義自取府庫中物，不通知樞密院和三司，也不用文書記錄，所取物資不可勝數。三年（932年）十一月，判宣徽院事。

李嗣源在世長子秦王李從榮被認為可能的儲君，朝中無人能制，不敬包括范延光和趙延壽在內的將官。二人擔心與李從榮關係不善會招禍，都請求辭官離開洛陽去做節度使。李嗣源拒絕，認為他們是在拋棄自己。後趙延壽獲准出為宣武軍節度使，被朱弘昭取代，四年（933年）十月，范延光屢屢通過孟漢瓊、王淑妃請求出任地方，最終被任為成德節度使，被馮贇取代。但范延光在辭別李嗣源時仍提醒李嗣源不要聽群小之言，暗示其不要被孟漢瓊蒙蔽。

孟漢瓊累遷宣徽南院使，性通黠，善離間。起初他見李從榮權重，得到王淑妃支持後就傾心侍奉李從榮；當朱弘昭、馮贇用事，他又與他們勾結。不久，李嗣源病篤。十一月，李從榮擔憂高官會不讓他繼位，通知朱弘昭和馮贇他要強行入宮。二人反對，並與孟漢瓊等入告王淑妃以謀之，說：「此事需要靠衛兵相助。」于是召侍衛指揮使康義誠，在竹林中籌謀。康義誠有子在秦王府，不敢決斷，對朱弘昭說：「我是將校，聽公所使罷了！」朱弘昭大懼。次日，李從榮率牙兵到宮。馮贇聞訊，馳入右掖門，見朱弘昭、康義誠、孟漢瓊及三司使孫岳正坐在中興殿閣門外議事。馮贇建議抵抗李從榮，康義誠不答，會議停滯。當時監門報稱李從榮兵已在端門外，孟漢瓊拂衣而起，聲言願意捨命率兵拒李從榮，此刻當入宮護駕而離去，朱弘昭、馮贇跟隨他，康義誠不得已也跟隨。孟漢瓊見李嗣源，說：「李從榮反了，其兵已攻端門，須臾入宮，要大亂了！」在朱弘昭和馮贇命令下，孟漢瓊披甲乘馬召馬軍都指揮使朱洪實，命他率五百騎討伐李從榮。禁軍抵抗並擊敗李從榮軍。李從榮被殺。李嗣源病稍愈，決心召另一子天雄節度使宋王李從厚，遣孟漢瓊騎馬前去及代李從厚權知天雄軍府事。孟漢瓊前去，但李從厚未到洛陽，李嗣源已崩，李從厚到洛陽繼位為帝。

李從厚年間

李從厚登基後，孟漢瓊很得恩寵，一月間加驃騎大將軍、左衛上將軍。部下王彥升驍勇，孟漢瓊舉薦他補東班承旨。應順元年（934年）閏正月，孟漢瓊被加開府儀同三司，賜忠貞扶運保泰功臣。

朱弘昭和馮贇繼續為李從厚的樞密使，成為政府的主導人物，不信任長期隨李嗣源征伐、有功名、得眾心的時任鳳翔節度使的李從珂和時任河東節度使的石敬瑭。他們不想讓石敬瑭久居河東，又想召回孟漢瓊。二月，他們以樞密使名義下令徙李從珂為河東節度使兼北都留守，徙石敬瑭為成德節度使，徙范延光為天雄節度使，召回孟漢瓊。

李從珂害怕這些舉動是針對他的，于是反叛。朝廷派西都留守王思同為西面行營馬步軍都部署統軍討鳳翔，起初取勝，很快圍攻其軍部鳳翔府，但部下羽林指揮使楊思權叛投李從珂，朝廷軍隊喪失士氣並瓦解，大部分投降了李從珂。李從珂奪取軍隊，進軍洛陽。李從厚派康義誠抵抗，但康義誠也投降李從珂，導致當時洛陽無可守御。

李從厚想逃到天雄軍，命孟漢瓊先去天雄軍準備。但孟漢瓊不應召，召來妓妾訣別，想手刃她們，眾人知道他的心思，都藏匿或潛逃。孟漢瓊離開洛陽後就單騎奔陝州投奔李從珂，自以為和李從珂的交情足以讓自己得免。李從珂也到陝州，孟漢瓊在澠池西見到李從珂，大哭，意圖自辯。李從珂答：「諸事不言可知。」孟漢瓊以為已被李從珂原諒，就插入隨從李從珂的官員隊列中。李從珂厭惡他，下令在道路左邊將他斬首。四月，李從珂登基稱帝，下詔聲言孟漢瓊及朱弘昭、馮贇、王思同、原靜難節度使藥彥稠等結黨興兵、離間君臣、幾乎亡國之罪，陳其尸，削奪官爵。後又下詔許其歸葬，但親屬部舊仍流放。

評價

• 《舊五代史》史臣曰：如紹宏之爭權，漢瓊之構禍，乃宦者之常態也，又何足以道哉！

注釋及參考文獻

Background

It is not known when, or where, Meng Hanqiong was born. It is known that in his youth, he served as a eunuch servant of Wang Rong the Prince of Zhao. It appeared that after Wang Rong was assassinated and succeeded by his adoptive son Zhang Wenli, in 921, and then Zhao territory was eventually conquered and incorporated into Jin by Jin's prince Li Cunxu in 922, Meng remained at Zhao's capital Zhending (真定, in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei), for he came to serve under Li Cunxu's adoptive brother Li Siyuan when Li Cunxu, by that time carrying the title of emperor of a new Later Tang, was commissioned by Li Cunxu as the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered at Zhending) in 925.

During Li Siyuans reign

Li Cunxu was killed in a mutiny at the capital Luoyang in 926, and Li Siyuan succeeded him. Meng Hanqiong subsequently served in various capacities in Li Siyuan's palace. In 930, when, at the insistence of Li Siyuan's powerful chief of staff An Chonghui, Li Siyuan's adoptive son Li Congke was removed from his post as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Hezhong Circuit (河中, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), Li Congke was forbidden from seeing the emperor, and An was repeatedly trying to find ways to further accuse Li Congke of crimes. Li Congke, however, was spared through the intercession of Li Siyuan's favorite concubine Consort Wang. She often communicated with Li Congke by sending Meng to see him; Meng therefore considered himself a benefactor to Li Congke.

As of late 930, Meng was serving as director of miscellaneous affairs (武德使, Wudeshi) inside the palace, and both he and Consort Wang were repeatedly accusing An of faults. An, viewing his position as precarious, thus offered to resign. However, when Li Siyuan subsequently sent Meng to consult the chancellors on their opinion on this matter, the results were mixed — Feng Dao believe that it was better for An to resign, while Zhao Feng believed that An should remain chief of staff. As a result, Li Siyuan took no action at that time.

Later in 930, with the imperial forces boggled down in a campaign that An advocated — against the military governors Meng Zhixiang of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan) and Dong Zhang of Dongchuan Circuit (東川, headquartered in modern Mianyang, Sichuan) — An departed Luoyang for the front to oversee the campaign. While he was on the way there, though, Zhu Hongzhao the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi); the commander of the forces against Xichuan and Dongchuan, Li Siyuan's son-in-law Shi Jingtang; as well as Meng Hanqiong (who was carrying the title of the director of palace affairs (宣徽使, Xuanhuishi) at that point), all submitted petitions suggesting that An may be intent on seizing the command of the army. Li Siyuan thus recalled An, then made him the military governor of Hezhong, then ordered him into retirement, and then killed him. (It was not until after An was killed that the restrictions on Li Congke were lifted.)

In 931, Meng Hanqiong was additionally made the acting director of the eunuch bureau (內侍省, Neishi Sheng). It was said that while Fan Yanguang and Zhao Yanshou served as the chiefs of staff, they feared being accused of power-grabbing, just as An had, so they often declined to rule on important matters. The decisions thus often fell into the hands of Consort Wang and Meng. While An was alive, he had put a strict limit on palace expenditures. Now, with Meng being powerful, he often simply had various items retrieved from the government treasury, claiming orders from Li Siyuan's wife Empress Cao, without notifying the office of the chiefs of staff or the three financial agencies (taxation, treasury, and salt and iron monopolies), and without keeping records of them.

However, the one person at the court who was without anyone to control him was Li Siyuan's oldest surviving son Li Congrong the Prince of Qin, who was generally considered the likely heir but who had no respect for any other official or general, including Fan or Zhao. Fan and Zhao, fearing that given their poor relationships with Li Congrong that they would eventually suffer disaster, both sought to leave the chief of staff post and leave Luoyang to serve as military governors. Li Siyuan, however, resisted, believing that they were abandoning him. In winter 932, after Zhao had already been allowed to leave (to serve as the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) and was replaced by Zhu, Fan had Consort Wang and Meng speak on his behalf, and was finally allowed to leave Luoyang to serve as the military governor of Chengde. He was replaced by Feng Yun. (Despite Meng's intercession for him, Fan, when leaving Li Siyuan, nevertheless cautioned Li Siyuan against Meng's influence, albeit in veiled terms.)

Not long after, Li Siyuan became deathly ill. Li Congrong became concerned whether the high level officials would divert the succession away from him, and therefore informed Zhu and Feng that he was intending to enter the palace forcibly. When Zhu and Feng sent back messages indicating their opposition, Li Congrong launched his guard corps and approached the palace. Feng, hearing the news, quickly convened a meeting with Zhu, Meng, the imperial guard general Kang Yicheng (康義誠), and the director of the financial agencies Sun Yue to discuss what to do. While Feng advocated resisting Li Congrong, the meeting came to a standstill when Kang was not responding to Feng's arguments. Meng, ignoring Kang, broke up the meeting by stating that he was going to enter the palace to protect the emperor, and then left for the palace; Zhu and Feng followed, and Kang felt compelled to follow as well. Subsequently, under Zhu's and Feng's orders, and with Meng personally summoning the imperial guard general Zhu Hongshi (朱洪實) to command the resistance, the imperial guards resisted and defeated Li Congrong's guards. Li Congrong was killed. Li Siyuan, who had recovered slightly, thereafter resolved to summon another son, Li Conghou the Prince of Song, who was then serving as the military governor of Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei). He sent Meng to Tianxiong to deliver the summons, and also to remain there to temporarily oversee the governance of Tianxiong. Meng did so, but before Li Conghou could arrive at Luoyang, Li Siyuan died. Li Conghou subsequently arrived at Luoyang and succeeded Li Siyuan as emperor.

During Li Conghous reign

Zhu Hongzhao and Feng Yun remained Li Conghou's chiefs of staff and became the dominant figures in their administration, and they did not trust Li Congke, who was then serving as the military governor of Fengxiang, or Shi Jingtang, who was then serving as the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), as both Li Congke and Shi had had great accomplishments while serving under Li Siyuan and were respected by the army. In spring 934, because they did not want Shi to remain at Hedong for long, and wanted to recall Meng from Tianxiong, they issued a number of transfer orders as chiefs of staff — transferring Li Congke from Fengxiang to Hedong, Shi from Hedong to Chengde, and Fan Yanguang from Chengde to Tianxiong, and recalling Meng from Tianxiong.

Li Congke, believing that these orders were targeted against him, rebelled. Initially, the imperial forces sent against Li Congke, commanded by the general Wang Sitong, were victorious, and quickly put Fengxiang's capital Fengxiang Municipality under siege. However, when his officer Yang Siquan defected to Li Congke, the imperial army lost its morale and collapsed, largely surrendering to Li Congke. Li Congke took the army and headed for Luoyang. Li Conghou sent Kang against Li Congke, but Kang also surrendered to Li Congke, leaving Luoyang defenseless at that point.

Li Conghou wanted to flee to Tianxiong, and ordered Meng to go to Tianxiong to first prepare for his arrival. Meng, however, had already decided not to keep his allegiance to Li Conghou by this point and, upon receiving the order, left Luoyang, but did not head for Tianxiong; instead, he headed toward Li Congke's army, then having reached Shan Prefecture (陝州, in modern Sanmenxia, Henan), to submit to Li Congke, believing that his old relationship with Li Congke would lead to his being spared. When he rendezvoused with Li Congke just west of Mianchi (澠池, in modern Sanmenxia), he cried bitterly and tried to speak in his own defense. Li Congke responded, "You need not speak. I already know." Believing that Li Congke had forgiven him, he inserted himself into the procession of the officials following Li Congke's march. Seeing this, Li Congke ordered that he be beheaded by the side of the road.

Notes and references

• History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 72.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 277, 278, 279.