Zhang Zhongwu

At the time that Zhang Zhongwu took over Lulong Circuit, Lulong, along with other circuits on Tang's northern border, facing the threat of Huigu raiders, who had headed south in the aftermaths of the Huigu Khanate's collapse due to Xiajiasi attacks. The Huigu splintered into many groups, and in 842, the noble Najiachuo (那頡啜) advanced on Xiongwu Base, threatening You Prefecture. Zhang Zhongwu sent his brother Zhang Zhongzhi (張仲至) with 30,000 soldiers to engage Najiachuo. Zhang Zhongzhi defeated Najiachuo, killed many Huigu, and accepted the surrender of some 7,000 tents of people, who were subsequently distributed to the various circuits. Najiachuo fled, but was captured and killed by the leader of another Huigu group, Wujie Khan. Meanwhile, Zhang also sent his officer Shi Gongxu (石公緒) to the Khitan and Xi tribes to kill the Huigu emissaries to those tribes. Further, when he defeated Najiachuo, he took, as hostages, a group of Shiwei chieftains and their family members. When the Shiwei requested to ransom the hostages, Zhang refused their payments — and stated that he would return the hostages as soon as the Shiwei also killed Huigu emissaries to them. (It is not clear how the Shiwei responded at the time.)[4]

Later in the year, Emperor Wuzong ordered Zhang Zhongwu to rendezvous with Liu Mian (劉沔) the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi) and the Huigu noble Li Sizhong, who had submitted to Tang and become a Tang general, at Hedong's capital Taiyuan, to further plan a major attack against the Huigu remnants led by Wujie Khan. Both Zhang and Liu opined that an attack should not be made in the winter, however, and so this attack never took place.[4]

In 843, Liu made a surprise attack, led by his officer Shi Xiong, against Wujie Khan, crushing Wujie Khan's forces and rescuing Princess Taihe, a Tang princess (Emperor Wuzong's aunt) who had married a prior khan, Chongde Khan. Wujie Khan fled, largely ending the Huigu threat. It was said that because Zhang was angry that Liu took the credit for the victory over the Huigu that Zhang and Liu subsequently developed a rivalry. Later in the year, when Liu was one of the generals ordered to attack the warlord Liu Zhen, who had seized Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), the other circuits around Zhaoyi were also commissioned, but Emperor Wuzong did not request Zhang to launch his troops as well, stating instead that Zhang should watch the border for possible further Huigu attacks.[5]

Still, Emperor Wuzong was worried that the rivalry between Zhang Zhongwu and Liu Mian would interfere with the Zhaoyi campaign, and therefore (after the imperial emissary Li Hui was unable to moderate the strain between Zhang and Liu) soon transferred Liu to Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan). The former chancellor Li Shi was made the military governor of Hedong, but soon, a mutiny led by Yang Bian (楊弁) expelled Li Shi. In the aftermaths of the mutiny against Li Shi, Emperor Wuzong considered sending Zhang to attack Yang, but Li Deyu pointed out that, due to Zhang's and Liu's rivalry, Zhang might bear a grudge against Hedong Circuit in general and might kill excessively, so Emperor Wuzong did not send Zhang. (Yang's mutiny was soon put down by Hedong soldiers under the command of the eunuch monitor of the army, Lü Yizhong (呂義忠).)[5]

After Liu Zhen was defeated, Emperor Wuzong again urged Zhang to wipe out the Huigu remnants, and apparently, Zhang repeatedly prevailed, causing Wujie Khan to flee further.[1][2] As a result, Zhang requested that a monument be erected to commemorate the victories over the Huigu. Emperor Wuzong agreed, and had Li Deyu author the text.[2]

In 845, Emperor Wuzong, a devout Taoist, ordered a general suppression of Buddhism and several other religions. Many Mount Wutai Buddhist monks fled to You Prefecture. Li Deyu, who encouraged Emperor Wuzong to suppress Buddhism, summoned Zhang's emissary at Chang'an and informed him that it would merely damage his relationship with the imperial government if he accepted the Mount Wutai monks. In response, Zhang sent two swords to his commander at Juyong Pass, ordering the commander to behead every monk who came through the pass.[1]

In 847, by which time Emperor Wuzong had died and been succeeded by his uncle Emperor Xuānzong, Zhang was given the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事) to reward him for his victories over the Huigu. Later in the year, he had a great victory over the Xi. By that point, Wujie Khan's brother and successor E'nian Khan had been dependent on the Xi chieftain Shi Shelang (石捨朗) for support, and after Zhang's victory over the Xi he could no longer do so, and so was forced to flee further to the Shiwei. In 848, apparently to try to appease Tang, E'nian Khan sent an emissary to pay homage to Emperor Xuānzong. When the emissary was returning to E'nian Khan through You Prefecture, however, Zhang ordered him to kill E'nian Khan once he arrived back at E'nian Khan's headquarters. When E'nian Khan heard this, he fled, leaving his people with the Shiwei.[1]

In 849, Zhang died. Emperor Xuānzong allowed his son Zhang Zhifang to inherit his position,[1] and gave him posthumous honors.[2]