[1][2][3]), courtesy name Xitu (希徒), formally the Baron of Pengcheng (彭城男), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong.
[6] During the reign of Emperor Yizong's son Emperor Xizong, when the imperial official Wang Ning (王凝) became the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Xuanshe Circuit (宣歙, headquartered in modern Xuancheng, Anhui), Liu Chongwang served on his staff as the surveyor of food supply missions to the capital Chang'an.
[6][7] Later, when the imperial official Cui Anqian served as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang, Henan) and then of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan), he invited Liu and three of his brothers to serve on staff, and all four became known for being talented.
As of 886, however, Emperor Xizong was caught up in a conflict between the powerful eunuch Tian Lingzi and the warlords Wang Chongrong the military governor of Huguo Circuit (護國, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi) and Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), and was forced to flee Chang'an again when Wang and Li defeated Tian and Tian's allies Zhu Mei the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi) and Li Changfu the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi).
With Tian having resigned and been replaced at the imperial court by Yang Fugong, whose late adoptive brother Yang Fuguang had worked closely with Wang, Emperor Xizong had Yang Fugong write a letter to Wang urging him to again support Emperor Xizong; Liu was in charge of carrying this letter to Huguo and persuading Wang, and he was successful in doing so, eventually leading to Emperor Xizong's prevailing over Li Yun and being able to return to Chang'an.
[13] After Li Keyong defeated the imperial troops and forced Emperor Zhaozong to remove Zhang and Kong, Liu remained chancellor, with his other posts changed to Menxia Shilang (門下侍郎)—the deputy head of the examination bureau (門下省, Menxia Sheng) and acting director of the treasury (知度支, Zhi Duzhi); he was also in charge of editing the imperial history.
[13][14] Meanwhile, the warlords Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) and Shi Pu the military governor of Ganhua Circuit (感化, headquartered in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu) had been locked into years of warfare, and by spring 892, Shi was near defeat, with his capital Xu Prefecture (徐州) under intense siege by Zhu.
Zhu thereafter reported the situation to the imperial government and asked the imperial government to send a successor to Shi; in response, Emperor Zhaozong commissioned Liu as the new military governor of Ganhua, still carrying the Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi title as an honorary title, while recalling Shi to Chang'an.
[6] In 897, warfare between Wang Jian the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan) and Gu Yanhui the military governor of Dongchuan Circuit (東川, headquartered in modern Mianyang, Sichuan) resulted in Gu's total defeat and suicide.
[6] One of his sons, Liu Jun, later became a chancellor for the Southern Han state of the subsequent Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.