Li Cunshen (李存審; 862[2] – June 16, 924[1][3]), né Fu Cun (符存), often referred to in historical sources as Fu Cunshen (符存審), courtesy name Dexiang (德詳), was a Chinese military general, politician, and singer of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period dynasty Later Tang and Later Tang's predecessor state Jin.
[2] When he was young, there was an occasion when he was to be executed for an offense, and he asked to be buried under a part of the city wall that had tilted, so that his body would not be uncovered.
However, at that time, a high-level officer was holding a feast and sitting with his favorite servant girl; the officer wanted someone to sing for them during the feast, and the servant girl, who was acquainted with Fu, stated, "Fu Cun often sang for me, and he sang well."
Later, when Li Hanzhi was pressured by the renegade general Qin Zongquan, who had declared himself emperor of a new state centered around nearby Cai Prefecture (蔡州, in modern Zhumadian), Li Hanzhi abandoned Guang Prefecture and joined the army of Zhuge Shuang the military governor (jiedushi) of Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern Jiaozuo, Henan), and Fu followed him to serve as a minor officer at Heyang; Fu subsequently distinguished himself in battles against Qin's army.
Fu thereafter went to the domain of Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi) instead.
During the campaign against Helian Duo, for example, he fought hard and suffered a number of wounds, which Li Keyong personally attended to.
[5] In 895, when Li Keyong, under the directives of Emperor Xizong's brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong, attacked Wang Xingyu the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi),[6] Li Cunshen was instrumental in defeating Jingnan's elite troops and capturing Longquan (龍泉寨, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), leading to Wang's subsequent defeat and death.
After the battle, he was given the honorary title of acting Situ (司徒, one of the Three Excellencies), and made the prefect of Xin Prefecture (忻州, in modern Xinzhou, Shanxi) and the commander of all Han and non-Han cavalry and infantry forces.
By this point, Jin had taken all of Later Liang territory north of the Yellow River except for the city of Liyang (黎陽, in modern Hebi, Henan).
[2] The Jin victories were then tempered by the news, in 917, that Khitan's Emperor Taizu (Yelü Abaoji) had launched a major attack on Lulong's capital You Prefecture (幽州), putting Zhou under siege inside the city.
)[15] In late 918, Li Cunxu decided to, against Zhou's advice, launch a major attack across the Yellow River against Later Liang's capital Daliang itself.
In a subsequent battle at Huliu Slope (胡柳陂, in modern Heze, Shandong), Jin forces were initially routed and suffered heavy damage (with Zhou killed in the battle), although it subsequently recovered somewhat and dealt heavy damage to Later Liang forces as well, avoiding a complete disaster.
(On this mission, Li Cunshen made an incursion into Later Liang territory as far as the Guanzhong region and offered tributes to the tombs of the Tang emperors before withdrawing.
In 922, Dai, hearing that Li Cunxu had left to siege Zhao's capital Zhen Prefecture (鎮州), launched another major attack on Desheng.
For this victory, Li Cunshen received the greater honorary chancellor title of Shizhong (侍中).
[18] Meanwhile, Li Cunshen was distressed that, despite being the most senior among Later Tang generals, he was the only main one who did not participate in the conquest of the Later Liang capital.
[2] Only in spring 924, when Li Cunshen was seriously ill, was the request approved, along with a new commission as the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit.
[2] It was said that Li Cunshen often warned his sons not to take their high status for granted, pointing out to them that he grew up in a low social station and had to fight his way to the top, stating that arrows had to be removed from his body more than 100 times—and showing them the arrowheads, which he had preserved, as proof.
[1] Several of his sons became important generals, including Fu Yanqing, whose honored status persisted to the early Song dynasty.