Liu Churang () (881-April 6, 943), courtesy name Deqian (), was a general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period states Later Tang (including Later Tang's predecessor state Jin) and Later Jin, serving as a chief of staff (Shumishi) during the reign of Later Jin's founding emperor Shi Jingtang. Background Liu Churang was born in 881, during the reign of Emperor Xizong of Tang. It is known that he was from Cang Prefecture (滄州, in modern Cangzhou, Hebei), but all that is known about his family background were the names of his grandfather Liu Xin () and father Liu Yu (). Based on his geographic origin and subsequent service under Zhang Wanjin (), it appeared likely that he first came under Zhang's service around the time that Zhang, then a general of the post-Tang state of Yan, was serving as the commander of the army of Yan's Yichang Circuit (義昌, headquartered at Cang Prefecture) as, in 912, Zhang, angry over the violence and licentiousness of Yichang's military governor (Jiedushi) Liu Jiwei (劉繼威, a son of Yan's emperor Liu Shouguang) — including Liu Jiwei's (likely forcible) sexual relations with women at Zhang's household — killed Liu Jiwei and then submitted petitions of submission to Yan's rival states Later Liang and Jin (which were archrivals of each other). Later Liang's emperor Zhu Quanzhong subsequently changed Yichang's name to Shunhua () and commissioned Zhang as its military governor. It also appeared likely that Liu Churang then followed Zhang when he was transferred by Later Liang to Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Weifang, Shandong) in 913, and then to Taining Circuit (泰寧, headquartered in modern Jining, Shandong). While Zhang served as the military governor of Taining, Liu Churang became a close associate of his. During Jin and Later Tang As of 918, Later Liang was ruled by Zhu Quanzhong's son and successor Zhu Youzhen, and was steadily losing territory to Jin. It was also said that Zhu Youzhen's close associates often demanded bribes from regional governors, including Zhang Wanjin. In fall 918, when Zhang heard (incorrectly) that there was going to be a major Jin invasion into Later Liang territory south of the Yellow River (which, then, served as the rough boundary of the two states), he sent messengers to Jin, offering to submit to its prince Li Cunxu, and seeking aid. When this became known to Zhu Youzhen, he sent