Gao Jixing (Chinese: 高季興) (858[4] – January 28, 929[5][1]), né Gao Jichang (高季昌), known for some time as Zhu Jichang (朱季昌), courtesy name Yisun (貽孫), also known by his posthumous name as the Prince Wuxin of Chu (楚武信王), was the founding prince of Jingnan during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of China.
[8] (Zhu Quanzhong had initiated the siege after the powerful eunuchs, led by Han Quanhui, an ally of Li Maozhen's, forcibly seized then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong and took him from the imperial capital Chang'an to Fengxiang after they became apprehensive that Emperor Zhaozong and the chancellor Cui Yin were about to slaughter the eunuchs.
Zhu Jichang and fellow officer Liu Zhijun, however, opposed, pointing out that Li Maozhen was in desperate straits.
Zhu Quanzhong, however, was concerned about Li Maozhen's strategy of refusing to engage the Xuanwu troops and putting up a strong defense at Fengxiang.
Ma then informed Li Maozhen that Zhu Quanzhong had already left, leaving only about 10,000 ill soldiers to pretend to be still putting up a siege, and that even they would depart that night.
From this point on, Li Maozhen, while not surrendering immediately, began to negotiate with Zhu Quanzhong for peace, promising to give the emperor to him (which occurred eventually in spring 903).
Gao stationed troops at Gong'an (公安, in modern Jingzhou) to cut off Lei's food supply route, and then defeated him.
[12] After these attacks by Lei, Emperor Taizu resolved to destroy him, as he was then often pillaging the nearby circuits, and also was a vassal to one of Later Liang's rival states, Hongnong.
In winter 907, Gao sent Ni Kefu to rendezvous with the Chu general Qin Yanhui (秦彥暉) to attack Wuzhen's capital Lang Prefecture (朗州).
[12] Apparently in response, Gao stationed troops at Hankou to cut off the tributary route between Chu and Later Liang's capital Luoyang.
[9] Also in 908, one Liang Zhen, who had passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi (進士) class in the late Tang years, was returning from Luoyang to his home region, then ruled by Former Shu.
Emperor Taizu subsequently sent the officer Chen Hui (陳暉) to rendezvous with Jingnan troops to attack Li Hong.
They soon captured Zhongyi's capital Xiang Prefecture (襄州), taking Li Hong captive and sending him to Luoyang to be executed.
[13] By 912, it was said that Gao was beginning to contemplate making Jingnan his own personal possession, and therefore, after receiving approval to do so, added a second layer to Jiangling's city walls to add to its defensive capabilities.
[14] Around the same time, Gao Jixing, announcing that he was joining the campaign of Later Liang forces then fighting against Later Liang's archenemy Jin to the north, took his army and advanced north, but instead was attacking Xiang Prefecture (襄州), the capital of Zhongyi — which by this time had reverted to its older name of Shannan East Circuit.
However, Gao still began to build a fleet that eventually grew to 500 ships, and further enhanced his defenses and the soldiers' armors and weapons.
[14] In 914, Gao launched his fleet and headed west on the Yangtze, trying to capture four prefectures that were previously part of Jingnan but which had become Former Shu territory — Kui (夔州), Wan (萬州), Zhong (忠州), and Fu (涪州, all in modern Chongqing).
How do you know that you would not be treated as an enemy?When Gao arrived at Daliang, Emperor Zhuangzong bestowed the greater honorary chancellor title of acting Zhongshu Ling (中書令) on him.
When he went through Xiang Prefecture, Kong Qing held a feast for him, but at night, Gao cut open the lock on the city gate and escaped.
He further spoke with his staff members and criticized Emperor Zhuangzong:[18] The new dynasty fought 100 battles to win the territory south of the Yellow River, but he raised his hands to his contributors and stated, "I gained the empire through my 10 fingers."
[18] In 924, Emperor Zhuangzong bestowed the even greater honorary chancellor title of Shangshu Ling (尚書令) on Gao and created him the Prince of Nanping.
As part of the division of responsibilities among Later Tang vassals, Emperor Zhuangzong gave Gao the title of commander of southeastern operations and ordered him to attack and take Kui, Zhong, and Wan Prefectures to add to his own territory.
[2] When, soon thereafter, Gao heard news that Wang Yan surrendered to Li Jiji, he, who was eating at that time, dropped his chopsticks, stating, "This is the fault of this old man."
"[19] Subsequently, after Emperor Zhuangzong, believing in false rumors of their planning to rebel against him, had Guo and another major general, Zhu Youqian, killed, many rebellions started against him.
Soon thereafter, when Pan Kang (a former Former Shu official) left his post as prefect of Kui, Gao sent an army to Kui, killed the soldiers already stationed there, and took direct control, and when Emperor Mingzong subsequently commissioned the officer Xifang Ye (西方鄴) to be the prefect, Gao refused to allow Xifang to take office.
In anger, Emperor Mingzong stripped Gao of his titles and commissioned Liu Xun (劉訓) the military governor of Shannan East to attack Gao from the north, with Xia Luqi (夏魯奇) the military governor of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang) as Liu's deputy; Dong Zhang the military governor of Dongchuan Circuit (東川, headquartered in modern Mianyang, Sichuan) to attack him from the west, with Xifang as Dong's deputy; and Ma Yin to attack from the south.
However, Xifang was able to defeat Jingnan forces stationed at Kui, Zhong, and Wan, and recapture those three prefectures for the Later Tang imperial government.
[20] Despite Xifang's victory, Emperor Mingzong blamed the approval of Gao's petition to take the three prefectures on the former chancellors Doulu Ge and Wei Yue, and ordered them to commit suicide.
Gao himself engaged the Chu forces, but Ma Xizhan was able to lay a trap for him at Liulang Ford (劉郎袱, in modern Jingzhou) and defeat him.
)[5] In summer 928, the Wu generals Miao Lin (苗璘) and Wang Yanzhang (王彥章) were attacking Chu's Yue Prefecture, and they were set to rendezvous with Jingnan forces.