簡介

祖父劉正臣，原名劉客奴，曾任平盧軍節度使。父劉逸海，任燕州司馬。劉悟少有勇力，效力宣武節度使劉逸准麾下，因偷錢致罪，投奔平盧節度使李師古，師古見劉悟，曰：「後必貴，然敗吾家者此人也。」授為都知兵馬使兼監察御史。

師古死後，弟李師道繼為節度使。元和十三年（818年）秋，朝廷「下制罪狀李師道，令宣武、魏博、義成、武寧、橫海兵共討之」，官軍挾討平淮西之聲威，發五道兵討淄青，一路勢如破竹。劉悟在潭趙駐營，抵抗田弘正，大將夏侯澄等戰死（《資治通鑑》中則說被田弘正所擒），軍中謠傳劉悟當為帥，李師道疑其背叛。劉悟召集大將曰：「魏博田弘正兵強，出戰必敗，不出則死。今天子所誅者，司空（指李師道）一人而已，悟與公等皆為所驅迫，使就其死。何如殺其來使，整戈以取鄆，立大功，轉危亡為富貴耶！」

元和十四年（819年）二月，劉悟深夜發動兵變，率兵趨至鄆城西門，守門士兵開城門，眾兵進城，四處放火。李師道對李師古之妻說：「劉悟反矣」，與子李弘方躲入廁所，被搜出。李師道求見劉悟，兵士不許。劉悟命士兵砍下李師道父子首級，向田弘正投降，朝廷封劉悟為檢校工部尚書、兼御史大夫、節制鄭滑（義成軍節度使）。

後轉任昭義節度使，移鎮潞州（今山西長治），穆宗時，監軍宦官劉承偕多次污辱劉悟，又縱其屬下亂法，暗與磁州刺史張汶綁架劉悟，劉悟窺破陰謀，令士兵殺張汶，擅囚劉承偕，後由朝廷出面，下詔流放承偕至遠州，劉悟才釋出承偕，上表謝恩。事後劉悟加檢校司徒及同平章事。

後期劉悟縱恣，割據一方。敬宗寶曆元年（825年）九月病卒，年四十四，被追贈為太尉。其子劉從諫被擁立。

參考書目

• 《資治通鑑》卷第二百四十二

Background

It is not known when Liu Wu was born. His grandfather Liu Zhengchen had served as the Tang military governor (Jiedushi) of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, then headquartered in modern Chaoyang, Liaoning) during the Anshi Rebellion and combatted the army of the rebel Yan, but was unable to capture the Yan northern capital Fanyang before being poisoned by his own subordinate Wang Xuanzhi (王玄志). During the time that Liu Wu's uncle Liu Quanliang served as the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), as he valued Liu Wu for Liu Wu's bravery and decisiveness, he made Liu Wu an officer under him, but Liu Wu subsequently committed a crime and fled to Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), where the military governor of Zhaoyi, Wang Qianxiu (王虔休), made him an officer. Liu Wu soon became ill and resigned, and he went to the eastern capital Luoyang. Liu Quanliang had a storage of money at Luoyang, and Liu Wu broke into it and spent it. Liu Wu also associated with violent young men who killed people and dogs. As a result, Liu Wu was arrested and held at the jail of Henan Municipality (河南, i.e., the Luoyang region), but the defender of Luoyang Wei Xiaqing (韋夏卿) released him.

Service under Li Shigu and Li Shidao

Liu Wu subsequently fled to Pinglu Circuit (by this point headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong) to serve under the military governor Li Shigu, who ruled the circuit in de facto independence from the imperial government. Liu was not initially well known in the Pinglu army. On one occasion, when the officers were playing polo, his horse charged Li Shigu's horse, causing Li Shigu's horse to fall. Li Shigu, in anger, was set to execute him. Liu responded with proud words without fear. Li Shigu was amazed and pardoned him, and found a wife for him. He thereafter was promoted several times, until he became army commander (兵馬使, Bingmashi).

In 818, after Emperor Xianzong declared a general campaign against Li Shigu's brother and successor Li Shidao, Li Shidao had Liu command troops to defend against imperial armies' attack, in position at Cao Prefecture (曹州, in modern Heze, Shandong). It was said that Liu was lenient and simplified the military laws, and as a result the soldiers were happy to be under his command — such that he was referred to as "Father Liu." After Tian Hongzheng the military governor of Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei) crossed the Yellow River and pressured Pinglu's capital Yun Prefecture (鄆州) directly in winter 818, Liu stationed his army at Yanggu (陽穀, in modern Liaocheng, Shandong) to defend against Tian. Tian's army repeatedly prevailed over Liu's, and there were accusations by some of Li Shidao's associates that Liu was plotting against him. Li Shidao thus summoned Liu back to Yun Prefecture under the guise of a strategic meeting but planned to execute him. Yet other associates of Li Shidao's counseled that if he put Liu to death without proof of treachery, no one would remain faithful to him. After keeping Liu at Yun Prefecture for 10 days, Li Shidao ordered him to return to Yanggu and gave him gifts to try to secure his loyalty. However, because Liu Wu's son Liu Congjian served in Li Shidao's guard corps, he found out about what Li Shidao had originally intended and reported it to Liu Wu, so Liu Wu secretly took precautions.

In spring 819, Li Shidao became resolved to kill Liu Wu. He sent two messengers to Liu's deputy Zhang Xian, ordering Zhang to execute Liu and take over the army. When the messengers informed Zhang, Zhang, who was friendly with Liu, secretly informed Liu, who immediately put the two messengers to death. Liu then called a meeting with all of his officers, declaring that he was set to turn against Li Shidao and follow imperial orders. When some officers hesitated, he executed them, as well as a number of others that soldiers had resented. The other officers were intimidated into submission. At night, they launched a surprise attack on Yun Prefecture, and the Yun Prefecture defenders, believing that Liu was returning on Li Shidao's orders, allowed them in. Liu Wu controlled the city and arrested Li Shidao and his two sons, putting them to death. He then sent messengers to surrender to Tian, but continued to maintain control over Yun Prefecture.

As Jiedushi

Because Emperor Xianzong had previously issued an edict stating that whoever killed Li Shidao would be conferred all of Li Shidao's titles, Liu Wu believed that he would be given Pinglu's 12 prefectures, and therefore started making personnel changes for the entire circuit. Meanwhile, though, Emperor Xianzong was secretly planning to divide Pinglu into three circuits and transferring Liu elsewhere, but was concerned that Liu might resist. He ordered Tian to evaluate the situation, and Tian thus sent messengers to Liu, ostensibly to befriend Liu, but secretly to observe Liu. As Liu was strong and liked arm wrestling, within three days, he was encouraging soldiers to arm wrestle and watching them doing so in excitement. When the Weibo messengers reported this back to Tian, Tian opined to Emperor Xianzong that Liu, if transferred elsewhere, would not resist. Soon thereafter, Emperor Xianzong issued an edict commissioning Liu as the military governor of Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan). Liu was surprised and decided to submit — and, as soon as he left the city, Tian, approaching with Weibo and other circuits' troops, met him and gave him the seals of the Yicheng governorship. Liu took with him several colleagues who had unsuccessfully counseled Li Shidao not to resist imperial authority — Li Gongdu (李公度), Li Cun (李存), Guo Hu (郭昈), and Jia Zhiyan (賈直言) — with him, and invited them to serve under him at Yicheng. Liu's submission to imperial authority was considered the apex of Emperor Xianzong's campaign to end warlordism in his realm, referred to historians as the Yuanhe Restoration (元和中興, Yuanhe being Emperor Xianzong's era name). Emperor Xianzong created Liu the Prince of Pengcheng and awarded him a mansion and an estate. In spring 820, Liu went to Chang'an to pay homage to Emperor Xianzong.

Late in 820, by which time Emperor Xianzong had died and been succeeded by his son Emperor Muzong, Wang Chengzong the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei) died. His brother Wang Chengyuan, fearing the fate of Li Shidao, offered to surrender the circuit's control to the imperial government. Emperor Muzong, as a result, made a number of transfers of military governors around Chengde — transferring Tian to Chengde, Wang Chengyuan to Yicheng, Liu to Zhaoyi Circuit, and Li Su the military governor of Wuning Circuit (武寧, headquartered in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu), and also making Tian's son Tian Bu the military governor of Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern Jiaozuo, Henan). In 821, after soldiers at Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing) mutinied and put the imperially-commissioned military governor Zhang Hongjing under house arrest and supported the officer Zhu Kerong to take over the circuit, Emperor Muzong made Liu the military governor of Lulong, intending to have him suppress the mutiny, but Liu, fearing the strength of Zhu's troops, declined, suggesting that Zhu be commissioned. Emperor Muzong thus allowed Liu to remain at Zhaoyi.

Meanwhile, the eunuch monitor of the army that Emperor Muzong stationed at Zhaoyi, Liu Chengjie, because of the favor that both Emperor Muzong and the emperor's mother Empress Dowager Guo showed him, was arrogant and often insulted Liu Wu, and allowed his subordinates to disobey the law. He also conspired with Liu Wu's subordinate Zhang Wen the prefect of Ci Prefecture (磁州, in modern Handan) to arrest Liu Wu and let Zhang replace him. When Liu Wu found out about this, he encouraged his subordinates to act against Liu Chengjie and Zhang, and in a subsequent mutiny, soldiers killed Zhang and arrested Liu Chengjie, intending to kill him as well. Jia, however, warned Liu Wu:

Liu Wu thanked Jia for his honest advice and did not kill Liu Chengjie, but instead only kept him under arrest. Emperor Muzong ordered Liu Wu to deliver Liu Chengjie to Chang'an, and Liu Wu refused, claiming that if he did, the soldiers would mutiny again. At the advice of the chancellor Pei Du, who was also aware of Liu Chengjie's arrogance and improper activities, suggested to Emperor Muzong that he ordered that Liu Chengjie be executed, to maintain the faith of not only Liu Wu but other military governors who resented eunuch monitors' interference with them. Emperor Muzong, however, declined to do so, but at Pei's further advice ordered Liu Chengjie exiled. Only after receiving such an order did Liu Wu release Liu Chengjie back into imperial custody. Emperor Muzong subsequently gave Liu Wu the honorary title of acting Situ (司徒, one of the Three Excellencies, as Sikong was). It was said that after this incident, Liu Wu became arrogant and no longer obedient of the imperial government, often gathering bandits to serve under his command. In 823, he was further given the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi.

Liu Wu died suddenly in 825. A final request to then-reigning Emperor Jingzong (Emperor Muzong's son) in Liu Wu's name requested that Liu Congjian be allowed to inherit the command. The officials in the imperial government argued among each other about whether Liu Wu's son Liu Congjian should be allowed to do so, but finally, with the chancellor Li Fengji and the powerful eunuch Wang Shoucheng in favor, Liu Congjian was allowed to inherit the circuit. Liu Wu was given posthumous honors.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 161.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 214.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 241, 242, 243.