Liu Yanhao
Liu Yanhao was an official and general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state Later Tang, serving briefly as the chief of staff for its last emperor and his brother-in-law Li Congke.
Background
It is not known when Liu Yanhao was born, but it is known that he was from Ying Prefecture. His grandfather Liu Jianli and father Liu Maocheng both had accomplishments as army officers. When Li Congke was commissioned the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit by his adoptive father, then-emperor Li Siyuan, in 932, he had Liu Yanhao made an officer at Fengxiang. Liu Yanhao, while serving under Li Congke at Fengxiang, developed a reputation for being kind and tolerant.During Li Congke's reign
In 934, Li Congke overthrew then-emperor Li Conghou and became emperor. He created Liu Yanhao's sister Lady Liu empress. Because of his status as the empress' brother, as well as his reputation for being kind and tolerant, Li Congke initially commissioned Liu Yanhao as the director of palace grounds, and then the more important office of director of palace affairs. In 935, he commissioned Liu as the minister of justice and chief of staff. Shortly after, he commissioned Liu as the military governor of Tianxiong Circuit.It was said that, after Liu took over the Tianxiong command, his disposition changed. He seized many people's properties and spent much time in feasts. He also did not regularly provide salaries to his soldiers, leading to much resentment from them. In summer 936, by which time Li Congke's brother-in-law Shi Jingtang the military governor of Hedong Circuit had rebelled against Li Congke, Liu's officer Zhang Lingzhao, seeing the soldiers' resentment, led a mutiny against him, intending to seize Tianxiong and join the Hedong rebellion. Liu fled to the capital Luoyang. Li Congke, in anger, wanted to exile him. However, with Empress Liu interceding for him, Li Congke only removed him from his posts and ordered him back to his mansion. However, he did not appear to completely fall out of favor with Li Congke, as later in the year, after the general Zhang Jingda, whom Li Congke had initially sent against Shi, was defeated by the joint forces of Shi and his backer, Emperor Taizong of Later Tang's northern rival Khitan Empire, Liu, along with Zhang Yanlang and Liu Yanlang, were said to be proponents of Li Congke personally leading an army against Shi.