Reign
Zhang Tianxi's reign was regarded as one that was filled by arbitrariness, as he apparently allowed Liu Su, Zhao Baiju, and other trusted followers, none of whom was older than 20-years-old at the time of his ascension, govern as they wished. (He himself was 17 when he became duke.) He even formally adopted Liu and Liang Jing (梁景) as his own sons, even though they were around the same age as he. The experienced generals were largely offended at this development, and they did not dare to openly defy him but did not have sense of loyalty to him.
In 364, Fu Jiān, the emperor of Former Qin, conferred on Zhang Tianxi the same Jin-conferred titles that he had claimed, and Zhang Tianxi did not refuse, implicitly submitting as a vassal to Former Qin. Late in 366, however, he sent messengers to the borders with Former Qin, declaring an end to the states' relations.
Later that year, Li Yan (李儼), a warlord who had occupied Longxi Commandery (隴西, roughly modern Dingxi, Gansu) and become a Former Qin vassal but who had also maintained contact with Former Liang, formally declared independence and cut off relations with Former Qin and Former Liang, occupying the commanderies around him. In early 367, Zhang Tianxi personally attacked Li and took a number of cities from him. Li became fearful and apologized to Former Qin, seeking assistance. The Former Qin prime minister Wang Meng led a force to try to relieve Li's capital Fuhan (枹罕, in modern Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu), and Wang and Zhang's forces came to a stalemate at Fuhan. Wang proposed a compromise—that Zhang would be allowed to capture Li's people and bring them back to his domain, while Wang would be allowed to carry Li east. Zhang Tianxi accepted, and a major confrontation with Former Qin was averted.
In 371, after having destroyed Former Yan in 370, Fu Jiān sent messengers Liang Shu (梁殊) and Yan Fu (閻負) to Former Liang, along with the previously captured Former Liang general Yin Ju (陰據) and a letter from Wang Meng, in which Wang tried to intimidate Zhang Tianxi into submission. Impressed with Former Qin's show of force, Zhang Tianxi became fearful and apologized, again submitting himself as a Former Qin vassal. Later that year, however, fearful that Former Qin had based large number of troops at his borders, he built an altar west of the capital Guzang (姑臧, in modern Wuwei, Gansu) and had his subordinates pledge an oath both to himself and to Jin, and then tried to petition the paramount Jin general Huan Wen to jointly attack Former Qin with him. (Huan's reaction is unknown, but no campaign was actually carried out.)
Under Former Qin threat, however, Zhang Tianxi became more obsessed with drinking and women than before, ignoring the duties of state. He also deposed his first heir apparent, Zhang Dahuai (張大懷) and made the son of his favorite concubine Consort Jiao, Zhang Dayu (張大豫), heir apparent. During one illness, he told two other favorite concubines, Consorts Yuan and Xue, that they should remember how much he favored them. When he fell very ill and appeared to be on the verge of death, they therefore committed suicide. He later recovered and buried them with honor.
In 376, Fu Jiān decided to try to conquer or to intimidate Zhang Tianxi into complete submission. He sent a major force of 130,000 men, commanded by the general Gou Chang (苟萇) to head toward Zhang Tianxi's domain, but ahead of the force sent Yan and Liang again to try to persuade Zhang Tianxi to completely submit and visit the Former Qin capital Chang'an for an official visit. Zhang Tianxi, believing that he would never be released if he went to Chang'an, decided to resist, and he cruelly executed Yan and Liang by ordering his officials to fire arrows at them, declaring, "If you cannot hit them, then you are showing you are not of the same heart as mine." He sent the experienced general Ma Jian (馬建) to resist, but Ma, who had already been unhappy about Zhang Tianxi's rule, surrendered to Former Qin forces. The other armies that Zhang Tianxi sent were all defeated by Former Liang forces, and the last one commanded by Chang Ju (常據) was annihilated. Zhang Tianxi himself tried to lead an army to resist, but uprisings in Guzang started as soon as he tried to leave Guzang. He became fearful and returned to Guzang and then surrendered. Former Liang was at its end.
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