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'''Li Kening''' ({{zh|t=李克寧}}) (died March 25, 908<ref name=ZZTJ266>''[[Zizhi Tongjian]]'', [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷266|vol. 266]].</ref><ref name=AS>[http://sinocal.sinica.edu.tw/ Academia Sinica Chinese-Western Calendar Converter].</ref>) was a younger brother of the late Chinese [[Tang dynasty]] warlord [[Li Keyong]], the Prince of [[Jin (Later Tang precursor)|Jin]]. After Li Keyong's death, Li Kening initially served as a key advisor to Li Keyong's son and successor [[Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang|Li Cunxu]] (the future Emperor Zhuangzong of [[Later Tang]]), but soon was persuaded by his wife Lady Meng to try to take over from Li Cunxu. His plot was discovered, and Li Cunxu put him to death.
== Background ==
It is not known where or when Li Kening was born, but it is known that he was [[Li Keyong]]'s youngest brother<ref name=HFD50>''[[Old History of the Five Dynasties|History of the Five Dynasties]]'', [[:zh:s:舊五代史/卷50|vol. 50]].</ref> and therefore would have been born after 856, when Li Keyong was born. Their father was the ethnic [[Shatuo]] general [[Li Guochang]], whose name was originally Zhuye Chixin but was later bestowed the [[Tang dynasty]] imperial clan name of [[Li (李)|Li]] and a new name of Guochang,<ref>''History of the Five Dynasties'', [[:zh:s:舊五代史/卷25|vol. 25]].</ref> but because Li Kening's birth year is unknown, it is not known whether he would have been born with the name of Li or Zhuye. He was said to be kind and filially pious, and (despite his eventual fate) described to be the most virtuous among Li Keyong's brothers and cousins.<ref name=NHFD14>''[[New History of the Five Dynasties]]'', [[:zh:s:新五代史/卷14|vol. 14]].</ref>
== Service under Li Keyong ==
When Li Keyong rose in rebellion against Duan Wenchu (段文楚) the Tang defender of Datong Circuit (大同, headquartered in modern [[Datong]], [[Shanxi]]) in 878,<ref name=ZZTJ253>''Zizhi Tongjian'', [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷253|vol. 253]].</ref> Li Kening served under him and carried the title of commander of Fengcheng Base (奉誠軍). When Li Keyong's enemy [[Helian Duo]] subsequently attacked the Shatuo base Huanghua (黃花, in modern [[Shuozhou]], [[Shanxi]]), Li Kening helped defend the city and protect Li Keyong and the other brothers, and also participated in the later defense of Li Keyong's then-power base of Wei Prefecture (蔚州, in modern [[Zhangjiakou]], [[Hebei]]).<ref name=HFD50/> Presumably, when Li Keyong subsequently was defeated and forced to flee to the Dada (達靼) tribes, then in the [[Yin Mountains]] region,<ref name=ZZTJ253/> Li Kening followed him, for later, when Li Keyong returned from Dada to aid the Tang cause against the major agrarian rebel [[Huang Chao]]'s state of Qi in 881,<ref>''Zizhi Tongjian'', [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷254|vol. 254]].</ref> Li Kening was said to be part of that army; he followed Li Keyong in Li Keyong's subsequent campaigns against Huang.<ref name=HFD50/>
After Li Keyong was made the military governor (''[[Jiedushi]]'') by then-reigning [[Emperor Xizong of Tang]] in 883 for his contributions against Huang,<ref>''Zizhi Tongjian'', [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷255|vol. 255]].</ref> Li Kening was made the prefect of Liao Prefecture (遼州, in modern [[Jinzhong]], [[Shanxi]]), and then the defender of Yun Prefecture (雲州, in modern Datong). Early in the ''Qianning'' era (894-898) of Emperor Xizong's brother and successor [[Emperor Zhaozong of Tang|Emperor Zhaozong]], Li Kening was made the prefect of Xin Prefecture (忻州, in modern [[Xinzhou]], [[Shanxi]]).<ref name=HFD50/> He served under Li Keyong when Li Keyong defeated the warlord [[Wang Xingyu]] (the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern [[Xianyang]], [[Shaanxi]])) in 895,<ref name=HFD50/><ref>''Zizhi Tongjian'', [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷260|vol. 260]].</ref> and for this achievement was given the honorary title of acting ''Situ'' (司徒, one of the [[Three Excellencies]]).<ref name=HFD50/> There was an incident in 902 when Hedong's capital [[Taiyuan]] came under siege by Li Keyong's archrival [[Zhu Quanzhong]] the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern [[Kaifeng]], [[Henan]]); at that time, Li Kening was set to return from Taiyuan to his post at Xin Prefecture, but hearing of Zhu's attack, returned to Taiyuan and showed determination in helping in the defense by stating, "This city is where I will die. Where else can I go from here?" Li Kening's remarks helped the morale of the soldiers, and the city's defenses held.<ref name=ZZTJ263>''Zizhi Tongjian'', [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷263|vol. 263]].</ref>
Early in the ''Tianyou'' era (904 and on — used by Emperor Zhaozong, Emperor Zhaozong's son and successor [[Emperor Ai of Tang|Emperor Ai]], as well as post-Tang regimes that refused to recognize the subsequent [[Later Liang (Five Dynasties)|Later Liang]], founded by Zhu), Li Kening was made the commander of all [[Han Chinese|Han]] and non-Han soldiers within Li Keyong's realm, acting ''Taibao'' (太保), and the military governor of Zhenwu Circuit (振武, headquartered in modern [[Shuozhou]], [[Shanxi]]), and he made the decisions that did not needed to be submitted to Li Keyong.<ref name=HFD50/>
In 908, Li Keyong — who was then the prince of his own state of [[Jin (Later Tang precursor)|Jin]] after Zhu usurped the Tang throne in 907 and established Later Liang, which he refused to recognize — became deathly ill. He entrusted his son and heir [[Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang|Li Cunxu]] to Li Kening, the [[eunuch (court official)|eunuch]] monitor of the army [[Zhang Chengye]], the generals [[Li Cunzhang]] and Wu Gong (吳珙), and the secretary Lu Zhi (盧質), before dying, on February 23.<ref name=ZZTJ266/><ref name=AS/>
== After Li Keyong's death ==
After Li Keyong's death, Li Kening initially took over the discipline of the army, and no one dared to create a disturbance. By contrast, the officers and the soldiers did not then respect the young (then 22) Li Cunxu, and they were constantly commenting about him. Li Cunxu, in fear, offered the command of the army to Li Kening, but Li Kening declined, pointing out that he was Li Keyong's lawful heir. Under Li Kening's and Zhang Chengye's insistence, Li Cunxu took the titles of Prince of Jin and military governor of Hedong.<ref name=ZZTJ266/>
Many of Li Keyong's adoptive sons who served as officers, however, were older and more accomplished militarily than Li Cunxu, and they did not respect him; many refused to meet him to pay homage, and some refused to bow to him. One of those, Li Cunhao (李存顥), tried to persuade Li Kening to take over the command himself, but Li Kening refused Li Cunhao's overture, going as far as to threaten him with execution. However, Li Cunhao and several other adoptive sons sent their wives to persuade Li Kening's wife Lady Meng.<ref name=ZZTJ266/> (Lady Meng was a sister to the Jin officer [[Meng Zhixiang]], who would later become the founding emperor of [[Later Shu]].<ref>''New History of the Five Dynasties'', [[:zh:s:新五代史/卷64|vol. 64]].</ref>) Lady Meng agreed with their idea, and therefore urged Li Kening to go with the idea, causing Li Kening's resolve to support Li Cunxu to be shaken. Further, he was also encountering policy disagreements with Zhang and Li Cunzhang and argued with them frequently. He thereafter killed an officer, Li Cunzhi (李存質), without Li Cunxu's approval, and also requested to be made the military governor of Datong Circuit. Li Cunxu agreed.<ref name=ZZTJ266/>
Despite Li Cunxu's agreement with Li Kening, the conspiracy around Li Kening continued. Li Cunhao specifically planned, with Li Kening's understanding, to seize Li Cunxu when Li Cunxu would visit Li Kening's mansion, deliver Li Cunxu and his mother [[Empress Dowager Cao (Li Cunxu's mother)|Lady Dowager Cao]] to the Later Liang emperor, and take over Hedong Circuit. Li Kening met the officer Shi Jingrong (史敬鎔) to try to get Shi to join the plot and to surveil Li Cunxu. Shi pretended to agree, and then informed the plot to Li Cunxu. Li Cunxu met with Lady Dowager Cao and Zhang and initially offered to resign to try to avoid a conflict, but Zhang persuaded him to act against Li Kening. Zhang summoned Li Cunzhang, Wu Gong, as well as the officers Li Cunjing (李存敬) and [[Zhu Shouyin]] to prepare against Li Kening.<ref name=ZZTJ266/>
On March 25, 908,<ref name=AS/> Li Cunxu held a feast at his own mansion, and all the high-level officers attended. At the feast, soldiers that Li Cunxu had previously hidden seized Li Kening and Li Cunhao. Li Cunxu, weeping, stated to Li Kening:<ref name=ZZTJ266/>
{{Blockquote|I, your child, was ready to yield the headquarters to you, Uncle, and you declined.  Now, the command has settled, but so why are you plotting against me, preparing to deliver me and my mother to our enemy?}}
Li Kening responded, ambiguously:<ref name=ZZTJ266/>
{{Blockquote|This is all due to rabble-rousing by other people.  What can I say?}}
That day, Li Cunxu executed Li Kening and Li Cunhao.<ref name=ZZTJ266/>
== Notes and references ==
{{Reflist}}
* ''[[Old History of the Five Dynasties|History of the Five Dynasties]]'', [[:zh:s:舊五代史/卷50|vol. 50]].
* ''[[New History of the Five Dynasties]]'', [[:zh:s:新五代史/卷14|vol. 14]].
* ''[[Zizhi Tongjian]]'', vols. [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷263|263]], [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷266|266]].
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[[Category:9th-century births]]
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[[Category:9th-century Asian people]]