Background and defection to Later Liang

Kang Yangxiao was said to be a tribesman from the Daibei region (代北, i.e., the region north of modern Xinzhou, Shanxi), who served as a soldier at Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi). At one point, he was guilty of a crime, and he fled to Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan). (While the accounts do not give a date for his defection, the fact that the History of the Five Dynasties referred to Xuanwu as "Bian Liang" (汴梁) by its prefectural and regional designations, suggests that this occurred in the very late Tang Dynasty, when Hedong and Xuanwu were respectively ruled by powerful rival warlords Li Keyong and Zhu Quanzhong.) After Zhu Quanzhong seized the throne and established Later Liang as its founding emperor, Kang was gradually promoted in the soldier ranks. He had further military accomplishments during the reign of Zhu Quanzhong's son and successor Zhu Zhen.

Redefection to Later Tang

In 923, Zhu Zhen commissioned his general Duan Ning to prepare to launch a major attack on Later Liang's archrival Later Tang — i.e., the successor state of what was the power bloc centered around Hedong, by this point ruled by Li Keyong's son Li Cunxu, who had just recently declared himself emperor. Kang Yanxiao was assigned as an army commander under Duan. Kang believed that Zhu was then overly trusting of his corrupt inner circle of officials, which would soon lead to destruction, and therefore secretly send letters to Li Cunxu's major general and adoptive brother Li Siyuan, offering to defect. In fall 923, he carried out his offer, taking some 100 of his cavalry soldiers and surrendered to Later Tang, rendezvousing with the Later Tang emperor at Chaocheng (朝城, in modern Liaocheng, Shandong). Li Cunxu took off his own silk robe and jade belt and awarded them to Kang, making him a commander in his own army against Later Liang, as well as the prefect of Bo Prefecture (博州, in modern Liaocheng).

Kang revealed that the Later Liang government was then highly influenced by Zhu's close associates, his brother-in-law Zhao Yan and four relatives of Zhu's deceased wife Consort Zhang. He further revealed to Li Cunxu that Duan had an ambitious four-prong plan to attack Later Tang, to be launched in winter 923, to try to reverse years of Later Liang losses at the hands of Later Tang's predecessor state Jin:

• Dong Zhang would head toward Taiyuan.

• Huo Yanwei would head toward Zhen Prefecture (鎮州, in modern Baoding, Hebei).

• Wang Yanzhang and Zhang Hanjie (張漢傑, Consort Zhang's brother) would head toward Yun Prefecture (鄆州, in modern Tai'an, Shandong, which Li Siyuan had captured earlier in the year).

• Duan himself, along with Du Yanqiu, would confront Li Cunxu himself.

Kang pointed out the weakness of the plan — that it divided up the Later Liang troops, making, in particular, Wang's and Zhang's army vulnerable. He advocated that, as Later Liang would be about to implement this plan, for Li Cunxu to rendezvous with Li Siyuan at Yun, and then head directly toward Later Liang's defenseless capital Daliang. With the concurrence of his chief of staff Guo Chongtao, Li Cunxu agreed.

In winter 923, as Later Liang began to launch its attacks, Li Cunxu moved across the Yellow River and joined Li Siyuan at Yun. They then confronted Wang and Zhang at Zhongdu (中都, in modern Jining, Shandong), defeating and capturing them. Li Cunxu initially hesitated at heading toward Daliang directly, with most of his generals advocating by this point that he first capture Later Liang's coastal circuits. However, Kang insisted on the original plan of attacking Daliang, and with Li Siyuan concurring with him, Li Cunxu agreed, and headed toward Daliang. This caught Zhu by surprise, as Duan's four-prong attack plan left Daliang defenseless. As Later Tang forces approached, he, seeing the situation as hopeless, committed suicide, ending Later Liang. All of Later Liang territory surrendered to Later Tang, allowing Later Tang to absorb it. To reward Kang, Li Cunxu made him the defender of Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, in modern Zhengzhou, Henan), and bestowed on him both the imperial surname Li and a new personal name of Shaochen. In 924, Li Cunxu made him the military governor of Baoyi Circuit (保義, headquartered in modern Sanmenxia, Henan).

Participation in the Former Shu campaign

In fall 925, Li Cunxu launched a major campaign against Later Tang's southwestern neighbor Former Shu, with his son Li Jiji the Prince of Wei in titular command, but with Guo Chongtao in actual command. Li Shaochen served as Guo's forward commander, commanding 3,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry soldiers, joined by Li Yan (李嚴).

Li Shaochen quickly attacked the Former Shu city of Weiwu (威武, in modern Baoji, Shaanxi) and forcing its surrender; he then advanced and captured Feng (鳳州, in modern Baoji) and Xing (興州, in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi). When a major Former Shu counterattack force, under the commands of the generals Wang Zongxun (王宗勳), Wang Zongyan (王宗儼), and Wang Zongyu (王宗昱), engaged him, he crushed them, forcing them to flee. He then headed directly for the major Former Shu city of Li Prefecture (利州, in modern Guangyuan, Sichuan); the Former Shu major general Wang Zongbi abandoned the city and fled. He advanced further to Mian Prefecture (綿州, in modern Mianyang, Sichuan), and encountered an obstacle there — that, while Former Shu forces had abandoned the city, they destroyed all the food supplies there, as well as the bridge over the Mian River (綿江), which Mian Prefecture sat on. He chose to take only his cavalry soldiers, fording on their horses, across the river, at the great loss of life from drowning, believing that he needed to quickly advance toward the Former Shu capital Chengdu in order to give the Former Shu emperor Wang Zongyan no chance to rest and think. He then captured Han Prefecture (漢州, in modern Deyang, Sichuan).

By this point, Wang Zongbi had become intent on surrendering to Later Tang, to save himself. He forcibly seized Wang Yan and the rest of the imperial household at Chengdu, and then made an overture to surrender on Wang Yan's behalf, addressed to Li Yan. Li Yan went to Chengdu, ascertained that in fact a surrender was forthcoming, and advised Guo and Li Jiji of the same. Li Shaochen thus stopped at Han to wait for Li Jiji and Guo. Wang Zongbi also arrived there to express his intent to surrender. They then headed toward Chengdu together, where Wang Yan formally surrendered, ending Former Shu. Later Tang took control of its territory.

Rebellion and death

Guo Chongtao, however, was closer to Dong Zhang, who also served in the campaign, than he was to Li Shaochen, and, despite Li Shaochen's great accomplishments in the campaign and higher rank than Dong, he consulted Dong on more decisions on the subsequent pacification of the Former Shu territory. Li Shaochen, in displeasure, publicly rebuked Dong several times and at one point threatened to find a reason to put Dong to death under military law. When Dong informed Guo this, Guo decided to exercise imperial authority Li Cunxu delegated to him and commission Dong as the military governor of Dongchuan Circuit (東川, headquartered in modern Mianyang) and relieve Dong's military responsibilities (so that Li Shaochen would not have any excuse to use military law against Dong). Further angered (believing that his military accomplishments entitled him to Dongchuan), Li Shaochen went to see Guo, ostensibly to recommend Ren Huan instead. Guo, instead, angrily responded, "Are you, Li Shaochen, rebelling? How dare you resist my decision?" Li Shaochen, in fear, withdrew from his presence.

However, shortly after, Guo himself fell under deep suspicion by Li Cunxu and his wife Empress Liu (that he would rebel and take over the Former Shu lands), and even though Li Cunxu was hesitant to act against Guo without proof, Empress Liu herself issued an order to Li Jiji that he put Guo to death. Li Jiji did so, and subsequently, Li Cunxu also put Guo's allies, the major general Li Jilin (previously named Zhu Youqian) and Li Cunxu's own brother Li Cun'ai (李存乂) the Prince of Mu, to death. The deaths of Guo and Li Jilin caused the army morale to plummet, and Li Shaochen himself, while not close to Guo, was shocked. He was further shocked when, as part of the order to slaughter Li Jilin's family, Li Cunxu ordered Dong, not Li Shaochen, to kill Li Jilin's son Zhu Lingde (朱令德) the military governor of Wuxin Circuit (武信, headquartered in modern Suining, Sichuan). Further, many of Li Shaochen's subordinates were old subordinates of Li Jilin's, and they mourned his death and feared their own deaths (as a number of their colleagues still serving under Li Jilin were killed as well when Li Jilin was killed). They thus urged Li Shaochen to take action. Li Shaochen, who was then serving as the rearguard for Li Jiji on his journey back to the Later Tang capital Luoyang, thus decided to rebel. When he reached Jian Prefecture (劍州, in modern Guangyuan, Sichuan), he declared himself the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered at Chengdu), claiming to be displacing Meng Zhixiang, whom Li Cunxu had commissioned and who was already at Chengdu by that point. He was quickly able to get some 50,000 people of Shu to join him.

Hearing of Li Shaochen's betrayal, Li Jiji stopped at Li Prefecture (利州, in modern Guangyuan) and ordered Ren to attack Li Shaochen. Meng also sent his officers Li Renhan and Li Yanhou (李延厚) against Li Shaochen. Li Shaochen looked at these forces lightly, particularly not taking Ren seriously in that Ren was a civilian official. However, Ren defeated him, forcing him into retreating to Han Prefecture and trying to defend it. Han, however, did not have heavy fortifications and was only protected by wooden fences, which Ren was then able to burn. Li Shaochen engaged him again and was again defeated. Li Shaochen fled, but was captured at Mianzhu (綿竹, in modern Deyang). He was delivered to Han, where Meng went to meet Dong and Ren and held a feast. He had Li Shaochen brought to the feast table in his jail wagon (i.e., a mobile jail cell mounted on the wagon), stating to Li Shaochen, "You, Lord, already held the staff and flag of a military governor, and also had great accomplishment in conquering Shu. Why do you fear that you were not going to be honored, and instead got yourself into this jail wagon?" Li Shaochen responded, "Chancellor Guo had the highest accomplishments, including conquering the two Chuans Dongchuan and Xichuan) without dirtying his sword. But even he was killed even though he was sinless. How can someone like I, Li Shaochen, be assured that I would still have my head? That was why I did not dare to return to the imperial government." Li Shaochen was subsequently delivered to Li Jiji, who continued his march back toward Luoyang. While Li Cunxu was himself shortly after killed in a mutiny at Luoyang, prior to his death, he dispatched the eunuch Xiang Yansi (向延嗣) to Li Jiji, ordering Li Shaochen's death, which was then carried out at Fengxiang (鳳翔, in modern Baoji).

Notes and references

• History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 74.

• New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 44.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 272, 273, 274, 275.

家世及叛投後梁

康延孝是代北人，本為河東軍卒。後因有罪，逃到宣武軍。雖然史書沒有給出他叛逃的時間，但《舊五代史》以地區名稱宣武軍為汴梁，暗示此事發生在河東、宣武分別為敵對的權勢軍閥李克用、朱全忠所統治的唐朝將亡之際。朱全忠奪位建立後梁，成為其開國之君後，康延孝從隊長開始，積勞升至部校。朱全忠之子朱瑱繼業後，他頗立軍功。

再叛投後唐

龍德三年（923年），朱瑱命北面招討使段凝準備大舉進攻後梁的大敵，即河東一帶軍事集團的繼承者、在李克用已新近稱帝的兒子李存勖統治下的後唐。康延孝被任為右先鋒指揮使。康延孝認為朱瑱過度倚重腐敗的核心官員，必將招致滅亡，因而秘密給李存勖的大將和養兄天平軍節度使李嗣源寫信，請求投降。八月，康延孝率百餘騎降唐，先見到樞密使郭崇韜，郭崇韜請他入臥室，盡知梁軍虛實。康延孝再與李存勖見于朝城。李存勖解下自己的錦袍玉帶賜予康延孝，以為捧日軍使兼南面招討指揮使、檢校司空，領博州刺史。

李存勖屏退左右詢問康延孝，康延孝揭露後梁政府為朱瑱近臣姐夫租庸使、戶部尚書趙岩和亡妻張德妃的兄弟張漢鼎、張漢傑和堂兄弟張漢倫、張漢融影響。他還對李存勖揭示段凝有一個雄心勃勃的兵分四路的攻打後唐的計劃，約定于十月實行，意圖奪回後梁往年被後唐前身晉國奪去的領地：

• 澤州刺史董璋引陝虢、澤潞兵，從石會關進軍太原；

• 鎮國軍留後霍彥威以汝、洛兵從相衛、邢洺入侵鎮定；

• 宣義節度使王彥章、都監張漢傑以禁軍攻鄆州（先前于當年四月為李嗣源所奪）；

• 段凝本人和諸軍排陳使杜晏球以大軍對抗李存勖。

李存勖聞言憂心。九月，宣徽使李紹宏建議和後梁和談，用天平軍（軍部在鄆州）換回衛州和黎陽，兩國以黃河為界。康延孝指出後梁計劃的弱點：分割了後梁的軍力，使得王彥章、張漢傑的軍隊尤其易受攻擊。他建議當後梁準備實行計劃時，李存勖分兵鐵騎五千和李嗣源會師鄆州，日夜兼程直取後梁沒有防守的都城大梁，不出十天天下可定。在樞密使郭崇韜贊同下，李存勖壯康延孝之謀，同意了。

當月，後梁開始發動進攻之際，李存勖渡過黃河，與李嗣源會師于鄆州。他們在中都對抗王彥章、張漢傑，敗俘二人。李存勖起初對直取大梁之舉猶豫了，大多數將領都勸他先奪取後梁沿岸諸鎮。但康延孝堅持最初攻打大梁的計劃，在李嗣源贊同下，李存勖同意了，直趨大梁。因段凝的四路出擊計劃，大梁沒有防禦，朱瑱為此震驚。後唐軍逼近，朱瑱絕望自殺，後梁亡。後梁所有領地投降後唐，為後唐所並。李存勖為嘉獎康延孝，授檢校太保，任為鄭州防禦使，賜姓李，改名紹琛（或誤作繼琛）。次年二月，李存勖又任他為保義軍節度使。

參與滅前蜀

同光三年（925年）九月，李存勖對西南鄰國前蜀發起大舉進攻，以子魏王李繼岌為西川四面行營都統，為名義統帥，郭崇韜為東北面行營都招討制置等使，為實際統帥。任李紹琛為蕃漢馬步軍都排陳斬斫使兼馬步軍都指揮使。十月，李紹琛和被任為西川管內招撫使的客省使李嚴率驍騎三千、步兵萬人為前鋒。李紹琛在後梁龍德年間的從事趙瑩這時也在李紹琛手下，李紹琛留他監修金天神祠。領禁軍的宋彥筠也以所部隨李紹琛出征。

李紹琛、李嚴率軍五千為先鋒，先驅閣道，或說降，或以軍隊威脅，大軍未及，所在都投降：李紹琛很快到故鎮，攻打前蜀的威武城，迫其投降；指揮使唐景思、吳鐸、王權思部下兵四百投降。其軍吏鄒彥禋、都指揮使李璠見城池危險剛出城，回來投降，李紹琛認為他們最初無降意，皆誅之。掠威武城糧二十萬斛，縱蜀敗兵萬餘人，倍道奔秦州。郭崇韜令李嚴、李紹琛先馳書檄以諭前蜀鳳州節度使王承捷，得李紹琛捷報，麾兵大進，唐大軍到鳳州後王承捷果然以城降，唐得兵八千、軍儲四十萬。李繼岌到故鎮時，李紹琛到長舉，興州都指揮使程奉璉率所部兵五百叛降，且先修好橋等待唐軍，興州刺史王承鑒棄城走，李紹琛攻取興州。前蜀以隨駕清道指揮使王宗勛、王宗儼、兼侍中王宗昱並為招討使率步騎大軍三萬（《新五代史·李繼岌傳》作五千）反攻，與李紹琛遭遇，在三泉被李紹琛、李嚴以三千騎擊潰而逃，被斬首五千級。李紹琛晝夜兼行直趨利州，正在利州的前蜀皇帝王衍奔歸西川，斷吉柏津浮橋而去，前蜀大將中書令、判六軍諸衛事王宗弼也棄城而逃。昭武軍節度使（治利州）林思諤亦先棄城奔閬州。李紹琛修吉柏津浮橋，進軍綿州，蜀軍棄城時燒毀了倉庫民居，又斷了綿江上的橋梁。李紹琛認為需要儘快向前蜀都城成都進軍，不給王衍喘息和思考的餘地，故只帶騎兵乘馬渡河，渡河者才一千人，而淹死者也達千餘人。李紹琛進取漢州。三天後，後軍才跟上。

此時，王宗弼有意投降後唐以自救。他在成都劫持王衍和前蜀宗室，與在漢州的李嚴聯絡，以王衍名義送牛酒提出投降：只要李司空（李嚴）來，就舉城納款。李嚴去成都查明投降將至，建議郭崇韜和李繼岌也前往。李紹琛因而停在漢州八日等候李、郭。王宗弼也趕到，表達了投降之意。然後他們同去成都，王衍正式投降，前蜀亡。後唐控制其地。

反叛及身亡

儘管李紹琛此戰有大功且官在以右廂馬步都虞候從征的邠寧節度使董璋之上，但郭崇韜與董璋關係更近，在安撫蜀地時多和董璋商議軍事。李紹琛不悅，幾次公然非難董璋，一次還威脅要尋事由以軍法殺董璋。董璋訴于郭崇韜，郭崇韜表董璋為東川節度使，解軍職（使得李紹琛無法以軍法為難董璋）。李紹琛以為憑自己立下的軍功應得東川節度使，進一步被激怒，去見郭崇韜，表面上推薦工部尚書任圜為東川節度使。郭崇韜怒答：「李紹琛反了嗎，敢違背我的節度？」李紹琛恐懼而退。

但不久，郭崇韜本人也陷入李存勖及其妻劉皇后的深切懷疑之中，他們懷疑他將造反自據前蜀之地，儘管李存勖因沒有証據，猶豫著沒有對郭崇韜不利，劉皇后卻親自寫了教令，命李繼岌殺郭崇韜。李繼岌照辦了。李紹琛與以行營左廂馬步使從征的感化節度使毛璋責董璋：「公現在還能依靠誰！」董璋俯首哀求得免。隨後李存勖又處死郭崇韜的盟友河中節度使、尚書令李繼麟（前名朱友謙）、皇弟保大節度使睦王李存乂。郭崇韜、李繼麟之死導致軍隊士氣低落，李紹琛雖然和郭崇韜不親近，也被震撼。而當李存勖殺李繼麟家人時，命董璋殺李繼麟之子、從征前蜀的武信軍節度使朱令德，而沒派李紹琛。當時李紹琛正率一萬二千人為班師回都城洛陽的李繼岌殿後，行經武連，聞訊愈發大驚，生了疑心。李紹琛的部下多有李繼麟舊部河中兵，河中將焦武等哀悼李繼麟，又因李繼麟被殺後部下如刺史史武等也多被殺，擔心自己也會死。他們勸李紹琛採取行動。董璋經過李紹琛的軍隊，不謁見。李紹琛更怒，決定反叛。當大軍到泥溪時，他到劍州，自稱西川節度使、三川制置等使、奉詔代替李存勖所任且已在成都的孟知祥，以八千勁兵回攻西川，三天內就招到五萬蜀人。

李繼岌聞訊，夜半命中使李廷安召已代郭崇韜領軍的任圜，哭著說：「紹琛負恩，非尚書不能制。」即署任圜為招討副使。李繼岌上表奏明康延孝作亂事，停駐利州，命任圜為副招討使攻李紹琛。董璋率兵二萬屯綿州，會合任圜討李紹琛。莊宗遣中使崔延琛去成都，崔延琛遇到李紹琛軍，騙他說：「吾奉詔召孟郎，公若緩兵，自當得蜀。」到了成都，勸孟知祥做戰守準備。孟知祥挖壕溝、立寨柵，被監軍焦彥賓說服，召董璋協力討李紹琛，並派馬步都指揮使李仁罕、馬軍右驍銳第一指揮使李延厚、馬軍都指揮使潘仁嗣、牙軍指揮使李廷珪等會合任圜、董璋對抗李紹琛。李紹琛輕敵，因為任圜是文官，尤其輕視任圜。但任圜卻用招討掌書記張礪之計，讓董璋率弱兵在前，交戰時故意退去，以伏兵打敗了追來的李紹琛，斬首數千，迫使他退回漢州防守。當時李存勖遭遇鄴都兵變卻不能平定，恐慌下連派中使內臣張漢賓等催促李繼岌班師，但因李紹琛據漢州，李繼岌中軍都隨任圜進軍討伐，李繼岌滯留利州不能東歸。潘仁嗣連破李紹琛數寨。漢州沒有城塹，只有樹木為柵，被任圜火燒。李紹琛戰任圜及都指揮使梁漢顒、一行馬步都虞候沈贇等于金雁橋，被西川馬步軍都指揮使趙廷隱率兵所破，與十餘騎奔綿竹，被趙廷隱都將何建崇追上擒獲。任圜上奏擒獲康延孝。康延孝部下都指揮使李肇、侯弘實及數千兵都為孟知祥所得。孟知祥親自去漢州犒軍，與任圜、董璋置酒高會，李紹琛也被押回漢州，孟知祥將他置于檻車中帶上酒席，問：「公已經做了節度使，平蜀又有大功，為什麼怕不能富貴，還把自己弄進了檻車，像鄧艾一樣，深可痛惜，誰能同情你！」親自倒酒給他喝。李紹琛答：「郭侍中佐命功第一，兵不血刃取兩川，卻無罪被族誅；像我李紹琛這樣的怎麼保全首級！所以不敢回朝。」李紹琛被交給李繼岌，李繼岌繼續班師。李存勖正要親自東征變軍，伶官景進提出康延孝初平，王氏族黨不少，一旦東征可能生變，李存勖就派中使向延嗣帶詔書前去殺害王衍一行。李存勖在不久後死于洛陽的興教門之變時，向延嗣繼續奉其命去李繼岌處，下令處死李紹琛。監軍李從襲已聞洛陽有變，故意留下李紹琛的性命，想抹殺任圜之功。任圜未決，張礪對他說：「此賊構亂導致班師延遲，且明公血戰擒賊，怎能違詔養禍，這是破檻放虎，自貽其咎啊。公若不決，我親自殺此賊。」任圜不得已，在鳳翔誅殺李紹琛。複本名康延孝。明宗並以平康延孝之功加任圜為中書侍郎。

康延孝的部下將他的首級藏在懷裡，埋在昭應縣百姓陳暉家的地里。天成初年，康延孝的兒子把它挖出來帶走。

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