In the late Tang Dynasty, political corruption plunged the people into misery, and the largest peasant uprising in Tang history, the Huang Chao Rebellion, erupted during this time. Among the rebel forces, a particularly fierce warrior quickly distinguished himself from the crowd—his name was Zhu Wen.
Zhu Wen was a native of Anhui, born into a family of scholars for generations, with both his grandfather and father making a living as teachers. When Zhu Wen was very young, his father passed away, and to support the family, his mother, Wang, took him to work as servants in other people's homes. As Zhu Wen grew up, he became extremely strong and powerful, but he spent his days idling about and doing nothing productive, which made him disliked by those around him.
When the Huang Chao Rebellion broke out, Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty had only just ascended the throne. This emperor was utterly incompetent and dissipated, spending his days indulging in pleasure, with cockfighting and polo being his greatest passions. The outbreak of the Huang Chao Rebellion happened to align with the will of the people, and it also brought an excellent opportunity for Zhu Wen. Zhu Wen joined the rebel army and, due to his outstanding performance, was quickly promoted to the rank of general.
The rebel army fought across the south and north, capturing many cities in succession, including even the capital Chang'an at the time. After taking Chang'an, they established the Da Qi regime there. During the campaigns, Zhu Wen achieved remarkable military merits and was highly valued by Huang Chao. However, when Zhu Wen was ordered to attack Hezhong, he suffered repeated defeats, and to avoid punishment from his superiors, he chose to betray.
At that time, Wang Zhongrong, the military governor of Hezhong under the Tang Dynasty, commanded tens of thousands of troops and faced off against Zhu Wen across the river. Zhu Wen suffered several defeats at Wang Zhongrong's hands, mainly because the rebel forces were too few in number. With no other option, Zhu Wen wrote to Huang Chao, urgently requesting reinforcements. Unfortunately, due to constant interference from another general, Meng Kai, Zhu Wen's letters never reached Huang Chao, leaving him utterly at a loss. During this period, the rebel army had fallen into chaos and was deeply corrupt, which further disillusioned Zhu Wen.
Zhu Wen had long intended to defect to the Tang Dynasty, and at this very moment, he was further urged by his advisor Xie Tong, which ultimately led him to make the decision to lead his army and surrender to Wang Zhongrong.
Upon learning this news, Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty was overjoyed and immediately appointed Zhu Wen as the Grand General of the Right Gold Wu Guard, concurrently serving as the Deputy Commissioner for Recruitment and Pacification in the Hezhong Military Command. Additionally, he bestowed upon Zhu Wen the name "Quanzhong," meaning "complete loyalty," from which the name Zhu Quanzhong originated. Thus, Zhu Wen completed the first betrayal of his political career.
Afterwards, Zhu Wen was ordered to attack the rebel army. He joined forces with the great general Li Keyong and together they defeated the rebels. At a subsequent banquet, Li Keyong, after drinking, made disrespectful remarks to Zhu Wen. Zhu Wen did not show anger at the time, but after Li Keyong returned to his inn, he sent men to set it on fire. Several hundred of Li Keyong's followers perished in the flames; Li Keyong himself only survived thanks to a sudden downpour from heaven, and from then on, the two became irreconcilable enemies.
After the failure of the Huang Chao Rebellion, regional military governors (jiedushi) across the land amassed their own armies and became increasingly independent, rendering the Tang central government virtually powerless, while Zhu Wen, as the military governor of Xuanwu, wielded immense authority over his domain.
In 901 AD, the eunuch Han Quanhui placed Emperor Zhaozong of Tang under house arrest. Zhu Wen, invited by Chancellor Cui Yin, came to rescue the emperor and ultimately succeeded. Subsequently, Zhu Wen executed hundreds of eunuchs, turning Emperor Zhaozong into his puppet. In 904 AD, Zhu Wen killed Chancellor Cui Yin, forced Emperor Zhaozong to move the capital to Luoyang, and later sent assassins to murder the emperor. After Zhaozong's death, Zhu Wen installed his son as emperor, known as Emperor Aizong of Tang. The following year, Zhu Quanzhong orchestrated the "White Horse Incident," in which over thirty high-ranking officials, including Chancellor Pei Shu, were killed.
In 907 AD, Zhu Wen deposed Emperor Ai of Tang, ascended the throne himself, and established the Later Liang Dynasty, later known as Emperor Taizu of Later Liang. The once-prosperous Tang Dynasty thus fell, ushering in the chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. At the same time, Zhu Wen completed his second betrayal in his political career. When Emperor Xizong of Tang bestowed upon him the name "Quanzhong" (meaning "complete loyalty"), how could he have imagined that this so-called "utterly loyal" subject to the Tang would one day personally destroy the Tang empire?
The reason Zhu Wen was able to ascend the throne can be largely attributed to his first wife, Lady Zhang. Zhu Wen and Lady Zhang supported each other through over twenty years of marriage, and she often offered him wise counsel. On her deathbed, Lady Zhang urged her husband to remember the principles of "refraining from killing and keeping away from lust," advising him neither to act rashly in taking lives nor to indulge in wine and women. Unfortunately, Zhu Wen did not heed his virtuous wife's advice. After Lady Zhang's death, Zhu Wen became increasingly debauched and dissolute, even engaging in illicit affairs with his own daughters-in-law and the wives of his ministers.
Not only that, but Zhu Wen was also cruel by nature, often killing innocent people indiscriminately and completely lacking any self-restraint. Six years after proclaiming himself emperor, Zhu Wen fell gravely ill, and his third son, Zhu Yougui, seized the opportunity to launch a palace coup, murdering his own father. Thereafter, Zhu Yougui ascended the throne, becoming the second emperor of the Later Liang Dynasty.