Du Hong Du Hong ( 杜洪 ) ( d . 905 ) was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty , who controlled Wuchang Circuit ( 武昌 , headquartered in modern Wuhan , Hubei ) from 886 to 905 . In 905 , he was defeated and captured by Yang Xingmi , who executed him . Background and seizure of Wuchang Circuit . It is not known when Du Hong was born , but it is known that he was from Wuchang ' s capital E Prefecture ( 鄂州 ) and that , in his youth , he was an actor . Late in the " Qianfu " era ( 874 - 879 ) of Emperor Xizong , when much of the realm was overrun by agrarian rebels , E ' s prefect Cui Shao ( 崔紹 ) organized the people into local militias to defend against attacks , so the prefectural militia became a strong fighting force . It was during this time that Du became an officer in the prefectural militia . In 884 , Cui died . The imperial official Lu Shenzhong ( 路審中 ) , whom the imperial government had commissioned the prefect of Hang Prefecture ( 杭州 , in modern Hangzhou , Zhejiang ) , had been refused entry by the warlord Qian Liu , who occupied the region ; he therefore took up residence at Wuchang ' s Huang Prefecture ( 黃州 , in modern Wuhan ) . Upon hearing news of Cui ' s death , he conscripted 3 , 000 soldiers and entered E Prefecture , taking it over . Thereafter , Du expelled the prefect of Yue Prefecture ( 岳州 , in modern Yueyang , Hunan ) and took it over himself , claiming the title of prefect . In 886 , the agrarian rebel Zhou Tong ( 周通 ) attacked E Prefecture . Lu abandoned E and fled . Du took the chance to enter E and claimed the title of acting military governor of Wuchang , a title that Emperor Xizong thereafter confirmed . Rule of Wuchang Circuit . It was said that while Du Hong received the commission from the imperial government , he became an ally of the warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit ( 宣武 , headquartered in modern Kaifeng , Henan ) and cut off the tribute routes between the southeastern circuits not allied with Zhu and the imperial capital Chang ' an . In 894 , Wu Tao ( 吳討 ) the prefect of Huang Prefecture submitted to a chief rival of Zhu ' s , Yang Xingmi the military governor of Huainan Circuit ( 淮南 , headquartered in modern Yangzhou , Jiangsu ) . In response , Du attacked Wu , and Wu , while Yang sent his brother - in - law Zhu Yanshou to aid Wu , was still fearful of Du ' s attack , and therefore surrendered his post completely to Yang . Yang sent his officer Qu Zhang ( 瞿章 ) to take over Huang Prefecture and defend against Du . Fearing Yang ' s expansion , in 896 , Du , along with Qian Liu ( then the military governor of Zhenhai Circuit ( 鎮海 , headquartered at Hang Prefecture ) ) and Zhong Chuan the military governor of Zhennan Circuit ( 鎮南 , headquartered in modern Nanchong , Jiangxi ) , all sought aid from Zhu Quanzhong . Zhu Quanzhong sent his adoptive son Zhu Yougong ( 朱友恭 ) south to try to determine what he could do , but Zhu Yougong appeared to not venture far . In 897 , under order by Emperor Xizong ' s brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong , Yang attacked Du , and Du sought aid from Zhu Quanzhong . Zhu Quanzhong sent Nie Jin ( 聶金 ) to raid Huainan ' s Si Prefecture ( 泗州 , in modern Huai ' an , Jiangsu ) and sent Zhu Yougong to attack Huang Prefecture . Qu abandoned Huang and took his army and people south to Wuchang Base ( 武昌寨 , in modern Ezhou , Hubei ) . Zhu Yougong subsequently captured Wuchang Base , took Qu captive , and captured Huang Prefecture . The Huainan forces that Yang sent to aid Qu were all repelled . A subsequent major attack by Zhu Quanzhong on Huainan was decisively repelled by Yang and his general Zhu Jin , however , and it was said that thereafter Zhu no longer had the strength to consider a major attack on Huainan . In 903 , Yang sent his officer Li Shenfu , with Liu Cun ( 劉存 ) as Li ' s deputy , to again attack Du . Li first attack E Prefecture ' s Yongxing County ( 永興 , in modern Huanggang , Hubei ) and captured it . He then put E Prefecture under siege , and Du sought aid from Zhu Quanzhong . Zhu sent his officer Han Qing ( 韓勍 ) with 10 , 000 men to Shekou ( 灄口 , in modern Wuhan ) , and also sent messengers to Cheng Rui the military governor of Jingnan Circuit ( 荊南 , headquartered in modern Jingzhou , Hubei ) , Ma Yin the military governor of Wu ' an Circuit ( 武安 , headquartered in modern Changsha , Hunan ) , and Lei Yanwei the military governor of Wuzhen Circuit ( 武貞 , headquartered in modern Changde , Hunan ) , trying to persuade them to save Du . Cheng , who feared Zhu ' s strength and also wanted to expand his own territory , launched a fleet to try to save Du , but after he left his capital Jing Prefecture ( 荊州 ) , Ma and Lei jointly attacked Jing Prefecture , capturing it and pillaging its wealth and population . Hearing the news , the morale of Cheng ' s soldiers failed , and Li subsequently engaged him and decisively defeated him . Cheng committed suicide by drowning , and Han withdrew , leaving Du with no aid . Du was only subsequently saved when Li was also forced to withdraw when Yang ' s subordinates Tian Jun the military governor of Ningguo Circuit ( 寧國 , headquartered in modern Xuancheng , Anhui ) and An Renyi ( 安仁義 ) the military prefect of Run Prefecture ( 潤州 , in modern Zhenjiang , Jiangsu ) rebelled against Yang , requiring Li to engage Tian instead . Defeat and death . In 904 , with Yang Xingmi ' s having crushed Tian Jun ' s rebellion , he again sent Li Shenfu to attack Wuchang . Zhu Quanzhong , who had then seized control of Emperor Zhaozong and forcibly moved the capital and the emperor from Chang ' an to Luoyang , sent messengers to Yang , seeking to intercede on Du Hong ' s behalf , and Yang responded , " I will do so and rebuild my relationship with you if the Son of Heaven were restored to Chang ' an . " Later in 904 , when Li fell ill ( and later died ) , Yang sent Liu Cun to replace Li and continued the siege . In spring 905 , Zhu sent Cao Yanzuo ( 曹延祚 ) to help Du defend the city , but Liu soon captured the city and took Du and Cao captive , delivering them to Yang Xingmi at Huainan ' s capital Yang Prefecture ( 揚州 ) . When Yang questioned Du why he did not surrender , Du responded , " I could not betray Lord Zhu . " Yang then executed him and Cao . After Zhu usurped the Tang throne and established Later Liang Dynasty as its emperor , he posthumously honored Du .