On the Eve of Five Dynasties: Geopolitics in Late Tang through Establishment of Prefectures by Qinqi Regime

Huangchao Uprising had really destroyed the local order after Anshi Rebellion in Tang Dynasty. Since then the military commissioners attacked each other and the empire was divided into several forces headed by Zhu Wen, Li Keyong, Li Maozhen, Wang Jian, Yang Xingmi, etc., which shaped the embryonic form of late Tang to Five Dynasties. In the last three years of Empire Tang, the four prefectures of Qianzhou, Yaozhou, Dingzhou, Zhaizhou had played an important role, which sided on the border of Liang and Qi. The change of historic roles, background, relationship from parallel to subordination, writing attitude and so no, all will help to glimpse the more plentiful age connotation behind the fragmentary materials on the establishment and abolishment of prefectures, and led us to much deeper topics. Without a dynasty title, Li Maozhen had continued to use the reign title of Tianyou in Tang for 21 years, which had lasted as long as late Liang. He was neither willing to acknowledge allegiance, nor dared to proclaim emperor. His contradictory feelings were thought-provoking. As the geographical materials said, when Li Maozhen established four prefectures, Zhuwen had the conditions for a local reign even and an dynasty-state. Before Tianyou, Li Maozhen took militaries and population into considerations. But in the period of Tianyou, he paid more attention to the relations between regimes and regimes, even between states and states. The abolishment and establishment of prefectures and districts in all regions of Tang Dynasty would outline the frontier as important as the borderland in Five Dynasties.