Emperor Huang Chao (835 – July 13, 884) was a wealthy Han Chinese salt trader, soldier, rebel and is most well known for being the first and only Emperor of his own country of the Kingdom of Qi (齊國) that fought against the Tang dynasty military and severely weakened and almost defeated the Tang dynasty had Emperor Huang Chao not been betrayed and assassinated by one of his own trusted nephews who had been bribed with money and positions of power by the Tang Dynasty government.
Emperor Huang had worked many years as a salt trader before joining Wang Xianzhi's rebellion against the Tang Dynasty in the mid-870s. After splitting with Wang, his army turned south and conquered Guangzhou. In 881, his troops captured the Tang Dynasty capital Chang'an, forcing Emperor Xizong of Tang to flee. Huang proclaimed himself the Emperor of the Kingdom of Qi (齊國) and reigned on the imperial dragon throne for almost four years but was eventually defeated in battle by the rival Tang dynasty army led by the Shatuo chieftain Li Keyong in 883 and forced to desert and escape Chang'an. Following successive defeats, including to former subordinates Zhu Wen and Shang Rang who had surrendered to Tang, Huang was allegedly killed by his nephew Lin Yan, although the reports are inconclusive. Some other sources state that Huang had escaped to safety with his family, servants, bodyguards and his royal staff.
