Zhao Dejun (Chinese: 趙德鈞) (died 937), né Zhao Xingshi (趙行實), known as Li Shaobin (李紹斌) during the reign of Li Cunxu, formally the Prince of Beiping (北平王), was a general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Later Tang (and Later Tang's predecessor state Former Jin).
Li Jitao's subordinate Pei Yue (裴約) the prefect of Ze Prefecture (澤州, in modern Jincheng, Shanxi) refused to follow his betrayal of Later Tang, but was subsequently put under siege at Ze by the Later Liang general Dong Zhang.
Zhu committed suicide as the city fell, ending Later Liang and allowing Later Tang to take over its territory.
[4] After the campaign, Li Shaobin was made the military governor of Henghai Circuit (橫海, headquartered in modern Cangzhou, Hebei).
[6] In or shortly before 928, as the relationship between the imperial government and the semi-independent warlord Wang Du the military governor of neighboring Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding, Hebei) was deteriorating, Wang sought an alliance with Zhao by requesting a marriage between their children, although there was no indication that Zhao agreed to either a marriage or an alliance.
He presented the captives to Li Siyuan, who pardoned the officers but slaughtered the soldiers, believing that it would help restore the relationship with Khitan.
[8] Regardless of the officially friendly relations, however, the Khitan army still repeatedly pillaged the territory of Lulong Circuit.
As You Prefecture relied on the food supplies sent north by the imperial government, from Zhuo Prefecture (涿州, in modern Baoding) north, to You, the Khitan soldiers were accustomed to set up ambushes at Yangou (閻溝, in modern Beijing), on the way between Zhuo and You, to pillage the food supply shipments.
Zhao reacted by building a fort at Yangou, establishing it as the seat of Liangxiang County (良鄉), with a garrison, to guard against such ambushes.
Zhao also rebuilt an old fort formerly known as Lu County (潞縣) east of You proper, to allow the people to farm in relative safety, and a new fort known as Sanhe County (三河) further east, to allow the food transport to Ji Prefecture (薊州, in modern Tianjin) to proceed in relative safety.
The joint Khitan/Hedong forces subsequently defeated Zhang's army and then surrounded it at Jin'an Fortress (晉安寨).
He then headed southwest to Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), where he rendezvoused with Zhao Yanshou (whom Li Congke had sent north to meet him) and took over the soldiers that Li Congke put under Zhao Yanshou's command as well as the Zhaoyi forces.
He then sought to rendezvous with Fan Yanguang the military governor of Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei), but Fan, suspicious of Zhao Dejun's intentions, refused, citing the fact that he was already deeply in enemy territory, at Liao Prefecture (遼州, in modern Jinzhong, Shanxi), and could not retreat to meet Zhao.
Zhao subsequently advanced toward Jin'an, to Tuanbo Gorge (團柏谷, in modern Jinzhong), but stopped there, not advancing further toward Jin'an, while engaging in secret negotiations with Emperor Taizong, hoping that Emperor Taizong would support him, instead of Shi, in overthrowing Li Congke.
Li Congke, finding the situation hopeless, committed suicide with his family, ending Later Tang.