Liu Zhenghui
Liu Zhenghui () was a minister and general during the early
Tang dynasty. A descendant of
Qubei, a
Xiongnu prince during the
Han dynasty, Liu Zhenghui was born in
Huazhou and served as a vice officer (Sima) in the Yingyang Fu (regional military office) of
Taiyuan during the
Sui dynasty. His grandfather Liu Huanjuan was a chancellor during the
Northern Qi dynasty. His father Liu Tan was the chief official of the
Court of Judicature and Revision during the Sui dynasty. When
Li Yuan rebelled against Sui in 617, Liu Zhenghui joined Li Yuan's rebel army. His first contribution to the establishment of the
Tang dynasty was to help Li Yuan and
Li Shimin execute Wang Wei and Gao Junya, two of Li Yuan's assistants sent by
Emperor Yang of Sui as spies. During the early years of the Tang dynasty, Liu Zhenghui was appointed as a governor to guard and administer the Tang's homeland of Taiyuan. He was captured by
Liu Wuzhou, a rival warlord based in northern
Shanxi. In Liu Wuzhou's prison, Liu Zhenghui managed to send Li Yuan a letter addressing Liu Wuzhou's military strengths and strategies in detail, and that letter helped
Li Shimin defeat Liu Wuzhou eventually. After he was rescued, Li Yuan restored his positions, and later promoted him to be the chief minister of the
Ministry of Justice. Li Yuan also rewarded him with the Dukedom of Xing. In the early reign of
Emperor Taizong of Tang, Liu Zhenghui was appointed as a regional military chief commander of
Hongzhou. He died in 635, and Emperor Taizong acknowledged his great contribution to the establishment of the Tang. He is among the 24 meritorious officials of the
Lingyan Pavilion. His elder son Liu Xuanyi inherited his title, which later changed to the Duke of Yu, and he married Emperor Taizong's third daughter Princess Pingnan. His younger son Liu Qi was framed by
Wu Zetian's cruel officials in 690s and was executed. One of his 4th generation grandsons,
Liu Fangping, was a famous poet, and one of his 7th generation grandsons,
Liu Chongwang, was a chancellor during the reign of
Emperor Zhaozong of Tang.
Provided by Wikipedia
