Yuan Xingqin (元行欽) (died 26 May 926), known as Li Shaorong (李紹榮) c. 915–926, was a Chinese military general and politician of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period Yan and Jin/Later Tang states. He was initially a trusted general under Yan's only emperor Liu Shouguang, but after his capture in battle by Jin forces, became a close associate of Jin's prince Li Cunxu (the later Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang).
After Emperor Zhuangzong was killed in a mutiny in 926, Xingqin was captured by and executed by Emperor Zhuangzong's adoptive brother Li Siyuan (the later Emperor Mingzong) for having killed Li Siyuan's son Li Congshen (李從審, also known as Li Jijing (李繼璟)).
Background and service during Yan
It is not known when Yuan Xingqin was born, but it is known that he was from You Prefecture (幽州, in modern Beijing). He was initially an officer under Liu Shouguang, one of the sons of Liu Rengong, a late Tang dynasty warlord who ruled Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered at You Prefecture). In 907, while Liu Rengong was at his retreat mansion at Mount Da'an (大安山), the Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) general Li Si'an (李思安) attacked You Prefecture; Liu Shouguang, whom Liu Rengong had expelled out of his household for having an affair with his concubine Lady Luo, took the opportunity to take over the defense of You and repelled Li's attack. He then sent Yuan and another officer, Li Xiaoxi (李小喜), to attack Liu Rengong at Mount Da'an, defeating and capturing him. He put Liu Rengong under house arrest and took over the circuit, and had Yuan kill all of his (Liu Shouguang's) brothers for him.
Liu Shouguang initially nominally submitted to the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit, Zhu Quanzhong, including after Zhu seized the Tang throne and established the Later Liang as its Emperor Taizu. Meanwhile, Liu Shouguang's brother Liu Shouwen, whom Liu Rengong had made the military governor of Yichang Circuit (義昌, headquartered in modern Cangzhou, Hebei), launched a campaign to try to free their father. In 909, Liu Shouwen, allied with Khitan and Tuyuhun tribal troops, made a major attack on Liu Shouguang and engaged him at the Battle of Jisu, initially defeating him. However, as he stood out in front his own troops, instructing them not to kill Liu Shouguang, Yuan saw him and charged toward him, capturing him. This caused Liu Shouwen's troops to collapse, and next year Yichang, under the defense of Liu Shouwen's son Liu Yanzuo, surrendered to Liu Shouguang.
In 913, by which time Liu Shouguang had declared himself emperor of an independent state of Yan and was subsequently under attack from the joint forces of Jin, Zhao, and Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding, Hebei), Liu Shouguang sent Yuan north of the Yan Mountains to try to recruit reinforcement troops and encourage aid from the Khitan, as well to allow the warhorses to feed. Subsequently, the Jin general Li Siyuan (adoptive brother to Jin's prince Li Cunxu) attacked the region. The Yan general Gao Xinggui (高行珪) the prefect of Wu Prefecture (武州, in modern Zhangjiakou, Hebei) surrendered to Li Siyuan. When Yuan heard this, he counterattacked and put Wu Prefecture under siege. Li Siyuan came to Gao's aid, and Yuan withdrew. Li Siyuan gave chase, after eight battles in which Yuan was hit with arrows seven times but continued to battle, and was able to hit Li Siyuan with an arrow once, he ran out of strength and surrendered to Li Siyuan. Li Siyuan was impressed by Yuan's bravery, invited Yuan to a feast, and subsequently took Yuan into his army and made him an adoptive son.
In the subsequent campaigns that Li Siyuan conducted, Yuan Xingqin often followed him and fought well, such that he became well known in the Jin army. This attracted Li Cunxu's attention, and as Li Cunxu was trying to build a corps of elite guards around him, in or around 915, Li Cunxu requested Li Siyuan to send Yuan to him. Li Siyuan, albeit reluctant to give Yuan up, did so, and Li Cunxu made him a guard commander and bestowed on him the imperial surname of Li, as well as a new name of Shaorong. As, during his campaigns against archrival Later Liang, Li Cunxu liked to personally engage in battles, he was often putting himself in danger, and Li Shaorong had to save him on several occasions. In a particular battle at Panzhang (潘張, in modern Puyang, Henan) in 919, Li Cunxu became surrounded by several hundred Later Liang soldiers, but Li Shaorong, from afar, saw that his royal flag was surrounded, and fought into the encirclement to rescue him. After Li Cunxu was able to safely return to camp, he wept and stated to Li Shaorong, "I will share the honors and treasures with you." It was said that after that battle, Li Cunxu favored Li Shaorong over all other officers. He gave Li Shaorong the honorary title of acting Taifu (太傅) and made him the prefect of Xin Prefecture (忻州, in modern Xinzhou, Shanxi), although Li Shaorong appeared to continue to serve in his guard troops and never reported to Xin.
In 923, Li Cunxu declared himself the emperor of a new Later Tang (as its Emperor Zhuangzong). Later that year, he captured Later Liang's capital Daliang, and Later Liang's final emperor Zhu Zhen committed suicide, ending Later Liang. He made Li Shaorong the military governor (Jiedushi) of Wuning Circuit (武寧, headquartered in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu). On one occasion, he held a feast for imperial officials inside the palace. As Li Shaorong's main office was not as high as some of the other officials attending, he had to sit outside the main group of feast attendees. During the feast, Emperor Zhuangzong began describing some of the anecdotes of the events of his campaigns; he looked around, not seeing Li Shaorong, and then stated, "Where is Li Shaorong?" The official responsible for the feast seating responded, "The imperial edict stated that this was a feast for the Shixiang [(使相, i.e., military governors who carried honorary chancellor titles)]. Li Shaorong's title did not fall within the group, and therefore he does not have a seat in the hall." Emperor Zhuangzong was displeased, and the next day bestowed the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事) on Li Shaorong. It was also said that after this incident, he no longer held feasts for all officials, but only held feasts for officials who came from army ranks.
In 924, when the Anyi Circuit (安義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi) officer Yang Li (楊立) mutinied and took control of its capital Lu Prefecture (潞州), Emperor Zhuangzong sent Li Siyuan to command the troops against the Anyi mutineers, with Li Shaorong and the officer Zhang Tingyun (張廷蘊) serving as his deputies. Zhang was able to quickly arrive at Lu and surprise the mutineers, capturing them and quelling the rebellion, before Li Siyuan and Li Shaorong could arrive, however.
After the Anyi campaign, Emperor Zhuangzong made Li Shaorong the military governor of Guide Circuit (歸德, headquartered in modern Shangqiu, Henan), but kept him at the capital Luoyang to command the imperial guards, and continued to treat him well, often visiting Li Shaorong's home with his mother Empress Dowager Cao and/or wife Empress Liu. When Li Shaorong's wife died in 925, Emperor Zhuangzong, while Li Shaorong was on duty in the palace, stated to him, "Do you plan to remarry? I will make the marriage proposal on your behalf." At that time, however, Empress Liu was jealous of a beautiful imperial consort whom Emperor Zhuangzong favored at the time and who had borne an imperial prince, so she pointed at the consort and stated, "If Your Imperial Majesty pities Shaorong, why not give her to him?" Emperor Zhuangzong was unable to immediately refuse, and the empress told Li Shaorong to get up and thank the emperor and then take the consort home. Emperor Zhuangzong was sufficiently displeased that he did not eat well for several days, but did not show the displeasure against Li Shaorong.
Involvement in the events of 926