The Accidental Kingdom: Origins of Later Shu

The Later Shu kingdom emerged during the chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–960), when warlords carved out regional dominions across fractured China. Its founder, Meng Zhixiang, was initially a trusted general of Later Tang’s Emperor Zhuangzong. Sent to govern Sichuan as military commissioner in 925, Meng’s trajectory from loyal administrator to independent ruler reveals the era’s political fluidity.

Key to this transformation was a twist of fate: Meng had recommended his friend Guo Chongtao for a high-risk court position, and in gratitude, Guo later secured Meng’s appointment to Sichuan. As historian Ouyang Xiu noted, Meng’s “trustworthiness and strategic acumen” (Xin Wudai Shi) made him ideal for governing the remote but resource-rich region. By 934, amid Later Tang’s collapse, Meng declared himself emperor, establishing a state that historians would call Later Shu to distinguish it from Wang Jian’s earlier Shu kingdom.

The Delicate Transition: Meng Chang’s Early Reign

When 16-year-old Meng Chang ascended the throne in 934, he faced immediate challenges from veteran generals who dismissed the young ruler. His father’s old guard—particularly Li Renhan, Zhang Ye, and Li Zhao—flouted laws, seized lands, and even plotted coups.

Meng Chang’s response demonstrated remarkable political savvy:
– Li Renhan, who demanded control of the Six Armies, was executed during an audience (948).
– Li Zhao, who initially mocked Meng by refusing to kneel, abruptly prostrated himself after Li Renhan’s death but was still exiled.
– Zhang Ye, Li Renhan’s nephew, was promoted to chancellor to placate him, only to be later executed for corruption.

This purge, completed by 948, allowed Meng to install his own administration. The New History of the Five Dynasties credits him with finally “personally governing” after 15 years of consolidation.

Golden Age of Later Shu: Prosperity and Governance

Contrary to Song-era portrayals of Meng as decadent, evidence suggests a capable ruler:
1. Legal Reforms: His Guān Zhēn (Admonitions for Officials), distilled into the maxim “Your salaries come from the people’s toil; Heaven sees oppression,” became a Song-era governance model.
2. Economic Boom: Sichuan’s rice prices fell to 3 coins per dou—cheaper than Tang Dynasty’s golden age. Chengdu’s markets and festivals dazzled visitors, while the treasury overflowed (it took the Song a decade to transport all captured Shu wealth north).
3. Cultural Flourishing: Meng patronized literature, printed classics, and transformed Chengdu into a “City of Brocade” with its famed hibiscus-lined walls.

The Inevitable Fall: Geopolitics and Song Ambitions

Despite Later Shu’s prosperity, its strategic location made it a target for Song Taizu’s unification campaign. As the emperor told his brother:
> “We must first take Shu, then Guangdong and Jiangnan… Their wealth will fund our campaigns.” (Dongdu Shilue)

In 964, Song forces exploited Shu’s northern defenses, capitalizing on a reckless invasion launched by Shu’s chancellor Wang Zhaoyuan. Within months, Meng surrendered. The kingdom’s wealth—documented in texts like Shu Tao Wu—became the economic engine for Song’s eventual conquest of Southern Tang.

Legacy: Between Myth and Reality

Meng Chang’s posthumous reputation suffered under Song historiography, which painted him as decadent to justify the invasion. Yet contemporary accounts describe tearful crowds lining his exile route—a testament to his popular governance. Modern reassessments, like Qing scholar Wu Renchen’s, argue:
> “Had he not ruled benevolently, how could he have won such devotion?” (Shi Guo Chunqiu)

The Later Shu episode underscores a central tension in Chinese history: the interplay between regional vitality and centralized imperatives. Its wealth sustained the Song’s rise, yet its cultural achievements—from Chengdu’s gardens to Meng’s Guān Zhēn—endured as models of refined governance. In the grand narrative of unification, Later Shu was both a casualty and a catalyst, its riches and terrain paving the way for China’s next golden age.