Zhu Wen
Biography
Zhu Wen, originally named Zhu Wen and later given the name Zhu Quanzhong ('Zhu the Totally Loyal') by the Tang emperor, was a key figure in the final collapse of the Tang Dynasty.
He began his career as a trusted lieutenant of the rebel leader Huang Chao. However, sensing the rebellion's decline, he surrendered to the Tang forces in 882. His military prowess and opportunistic nature allowed him to rise quickly through the ranks of the Tang military as a powerful Jiedushi (military governor).
As the central Tang government grew increasingly powerless after the Huang Chao Rebellion, Zhu Wen expanded his territory and eventually gained control over the imperial court in Chang'an. He murdered many of the high-ranking eunuchs and officials who had traditionally held power.
In 907 AD, Zhu Wen forced the last emperor of Tang, Emperor Ai, to abdicate the throne. He declared himself the founding emperor of the Later Liang Dynasty, officially ending the three-century-long Tang rule and ushering in the chaotic period known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.