tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9046467678535939382024-03-08T08:51:27.517-08:00Sui Dynasty generalsAll about Sui Dynasty generals, Sui Dynasty generals basic information.jegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-39870260450772785032008-09-09T22:46:00.007-07:002008-09-09T22:46:48.327-07:00Wang Shichong<strong>Wang Shichong</strong> , courtesy name <strong>Xingman</strong> , was a general of the dynasty Sui Dynasty who deposed Sui's last emperor Yang Tong and briefly ruled as the emperor of a succeeding state of Zheng. He first became prominent during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui as one of the few Sui generals having success against rebel generals, and during Yang Tong's brief reign, he was able to defeat the rebel general Li Mi and seize Li Mi's territory. After becoming emperor, however, he was unable to withstand military pressure from Tang Dynasty forces, forcing him to seek aid from Dou Jiande the Prince of Xia. After Dou was defeated and captured by the Tang general , Wang surrendered. Emperor Gaozu of Tang spared him, but the Tang official Dugu Xiude , whose father Dugu Ji had been executed by Wang, assassinated him.<br />
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<a name='Early career' id='Early career'></a><h2>Early career</h2><br />
Wang Shichong's ancestors were surnamed Zhi , originally from the Xiyu region and were not . After his grandfather Zhi Tuinou died early, his grandmother married a man named Wang, who also adopted his father Zhi Shou , who thereafter changed his name to Wang. Wang Shou later served as a secretary to the governor of Bian Province .<br />
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Wang Shichong himself was said to be studious in his youth, particularly concentrating on military strategies. He was also well-acquainted with laws. He apparently had contributions as a soldier and was gradually promoted. It was said that he was skillful in his application of laws and use of language, such that even when he made suggestions that did not appear to make sense logically, people were unable to refute him.<br />
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By 610, after Zhang Heng , the supervising official of 's palace at Jiangdu , fell from Emperor Yang's grace, Wang replaced him. As Emperor Yang frequently visited Jiangdu, Wang was said to be skillful at flattering the emperor as well as decorating the palace in an extravagant manner, bringing favor from the emperor. It was further said that Wang understood that Sui was soon to be in disturbance, and therefore carefully cultivated relationships with brave men. Whenever people were imprisoned, he would often find ways to free them, to gain their gratitude.<br />
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In 613, when the general Yang Xuangan rebelled near the eastern capital Luoyang, agrarian rebels south of the Yangtze River rose as well, with Liu Yuanjin as their leader. Emperor Yang initially sent the generals Tuwan Xu and Yu Juluo against Liu, but Tuwan and Yu were not able to defeat Liu conclusively. Emperor Yang executed Yu, and Tuwan died in fear. Emperor Yang instead sent Wang, and Wang defeated Liu, killing him. Wang initially promised not to kill Liu's soldiers, and they surrendered, but he slaughtered them after they surrendered. However, Emperor Yang, believing that Wang was a capable general, bestowed even greater favor on him.<br />
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In 614, the major rebel leader Meng Rang advanced south from his home commandery, Qi Commandery , advancing to Xuyi . Wang led his army against Meng and built five fences to block Meng's path, while feigning weakness. Meng, believing Wang to be an incompetent civilian, spread his forces, not only to attack Wang, but also to pillage the area. Wang, catching Meng by surprise, struck back, defeating Meng and forcing him to flee.<br />
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In 615, Emperor Yang was at Yanmen when Tujue's Shibi Khan, Ashina Duojishi, launched a surprise attack and put Yanmen under siege. Wang launched his army from Jiangdu toward Yanmen, despite the long distance, and during the journey, he often wept and was disheveled, stating his fear for the emperor's safety. After Yanmen's siege was lifted, Emperor Yang, hearing this, further believed in Wang's loyalty. In 616, Wang was promoted to the position of acting governor of Jiangdu. After the general defeated and killed the rebel general Ge Qian , Wang crushed the remainder of Ge's forces, and also those of Lu Mingyue . Emperor Yang was impressed with his success, and personally awarded him wine.<br />
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<a name='Struggle against Li Mi' id='Struggle against Li Mi'></a><h2>Struggle against Li Mi</h2><br />
In fall 617, with Luoyang under the threat of the rebel leader Li Mi the Duke of Wei, who had captured the large food storages that Emperor Yang had built near Luoyang and begun to starve the Sui defense forces at Luoyang, Emperor Yang, then at Jiangdu, sent Wang Shichong, along with several other generals, Wang Long , Wei Ji , and Wang Bian , from various locations of the empire, to aid Luoyang. They were under the command of Xue Shixiong , who was ordered to take his forces from Zhuo Commandery to Luoyang was well. However, Xue was intercepted and defeated by Dou Jiande and forced to return to Zhuo Commandery, and died there, leaving the other generals without a central commander. When Wang Shichong, Wang Bian, and Wei arrived at Luoyang, they stalemated with Li across the Luo River, and Emperor Yang put the Sui forces under Wang Shichong's command. For the next several months, he battled with Li, and while each had victories, the results were generally indecisive, although Wang's forces took the brunt of the losses. Meanwhile, he had hoped that Li and his key general Zhai Rang would eventually have a fallout and that he could use the fallout to his advantage, but in winter 617 Li assassinated Zhai without Wang's being able to take advantage.<br />
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In spring 618, after his forces were reinforced by 70,000 men sent by Emperor Yang's grandson Yang Tong the Prince of Yue, who was nominally in command at Luoyang, Wang launched a major attack on Li, but was defeated by Li, allowing Li to then crush the other Sui forces as well. In light of the victory, a number of Sui generals and rebel generals all submitted to Li, requesting Li to take imperial title, but Li declined. Wang retreated to Luoyang, and for a while did not dare to engage Li again.<br />
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Later in spring 618, Emperor Yang was killed at Jiangdu in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji. When the news reached Luoyang, the Sui officials at Luoyang, including Wang, declared Yang Tong emperor. Wang was made one of the heads of the examination bureau and created the Duke of Zheng. He and six other officials, Duan Da , Yuan Wendu , Huangfu Wuyi , Lu Chu , Guo Wenyi , and Zhao Changwen , formed a collective leadership and were known as the "seven nobles."<br />
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With Yuwen leading the elite Xiaoguo Army back north toward Luoyang, both the Sui officials at Luoyang and Li were apprehensive of Yuwen's plans. In summer, after Yuan and Lu advocated the plan, Yang Tong entered into a peace agreement with Li, where Li accepted Sui titles and nominally submitted to Yang Tong. Li was subsequently able to repel Yuwen's attacks, and when the news reached Luoyang, the officials were largely pleased -- but Wang was not, stating, "Why are they giving offices and titles to a bandit?" This drew suspicions from Yuan and Lu that Wang was intending to surrender the city to Yuwen. The "seven nobles" thereafter became to suspect each other.<br />
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Wang began to incite his troops by telling them that they would soon fall into Li's trap, and that if Li received the command over them , he would surely slaughter them for having resisted him. When Yuan received news that Wang was doing this, he planned to ambush Wang. However, Duan revealed the plot to Wang, and Wang started a coup himself first, killing Lu and surrounding the palace. Huangfu fled to Chang'an, the capital of Emperor Gaozu of Tang , a former Sui general who had first nominally supported Emperor Yang's grandson as emperor, but who had taken the throne himself earlier in 618 to establish Tang Dynasty. At Wang's insistence, Yang Tong surrendered Yuan, who remarked to Yang Tong, "If I die in the morning, Your Imperial Majesty will die in the evening." Yang Tong wept, but still sent Yuan to Wang, who executed Yuan. Wang then met Yang Tong and pledged his loyalty, swearing that all he intended was to save himself and save the empire. Yang Tong took Wang inside the palace to meet Yang Tong's mother , and Wang swore before her as well. Nevertheless, from this point, all power was in Wang's hands, and Yang Tong himself was powerless. Guo and Zhao were also seized and executed. However, initially Wang continued to be outwardly respectful to the young emperor, while he flattered Empress Dowager Liu by offering to be her adopted son and honoring her with the title of "Empress Dowager Shenggan" .<br />
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<a name='As Sui regent' id='As Sui regent'></a><h2>As Sui regent</h2><br />
Upon hearing of Yuan Wendu's and Lu Chu's deaths, Li Mi broke off of peaceful relations with Yang Tong's regime. However, Li had a low opinion of Wang Shichong, and therefore took few precautions against an attack from Wang. At that time, Li's army lacked clothes, while Wang's army lacked food. Again his initial judgment, Li was persuaded by his secretary Bing Yuanzhen , who could benefit from the transactions, to trade food to Wang for clothes. As a result, the people of Luoyang stopped surrendering to Li, and while Li then stopped the transactions, the damage was done. Meanwhile, Li's army was worn out and heavily damaged by wars with Yuwen Huaji's Xiaoguo Army as well. While he had earlier received the submission of Wang's family members -- including Wang's brother Wang Shiwei and sons Wang Xuanying , Wang Xuanshu , and Wang Xuanqiong -- he did not take particular use of them, but only detained them at the city of Yanshi with hopes to use them in the future to get Wang Shichong to surrender.<br />
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Wang took this opportunity to launch a major attack on Li in fall 618. He first defeated Li himself and, finding someone whose appearance was similar to Li, used him to declare that Li had been captured, further raising his army's morale. He then attacked and captured Yanshi, not only taking his family members but also the family members of many of Li's generals. He then made another assault on Li -- which Li reacted slowly to and could not counter. Bing and Dan Xiongxin surrendered to Wang. Li, after initially considering fleeing to join forces with his general -- a friend of Zhai Rang's, ultimately decided to flee west instead to Tang territory to submit to Emperor Gaozu of Tang. After Li left the region, most of Li's territory surrendered to Yang Tong's regime, as did the major rebel general Zhu Can. The major rebel leader Dou Jiande, who had claimed the title of Prince of Xia, also nominally submitted to Yang Tong.<br />
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Wang was given the honorific office of ''Taiwei'' , and he began to gather officials with good reputations onto his staff. Wang encouraged people to offer suggestions, putting three wooden signs before his headquarters, requesting for three types of people to volunteer or to provide suggestions:<br />
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# Those who were knowledgeable, who could be responsible for major projects;<br />
# Those who had bravery or tactics, who could be successful on the battlefield;<br />
# Those who suffered from wrong, who needed someone to listen to their petitions.<br />
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However, it was said that Wang, although he welcomed these suggestions and petitions, actuallly did not act on them, and that while he used kind words to comfort even the lowest of soldiers, he did little in actions to benefit them. In spring 619, Wang's subordinates Dugu Wudu , Dugu Wudu's cousin Dugu Ji, Yang Gongshen , Sun Shixiao , Liu Xiaoyuan , Li Jian , and Cui Xiaoren plotted to surrender Luoyang to Tang troops, but were discovered, and they were all executed.<br />
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Meanwhile, during a feast in Yang Tong's palace, Wang suffered from a severe case of food poisoning, and he believed that he was poisoned, and thereafter refused to see Yang Tong again. When Yang Tong, fearing his fate, tried to receive divine blessing by having the palace treasures given to the poor, Wang put soldiers around the palace to stop it. In late spring 619, Wang had Yang Tong create him the Prince of Zheng and grant him the nine bestowments -- both ultimate steps before taking the throne. He also had his subordinates openly discuss in public how it would be proper for him to take the throne. In summer 619, he had Duan Da and Yun Dingxing enter the palace to persuade Yang Tong to yield the throne to him, and further sent messengers to Yang Tong to say:<br />
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:''Now the empire is not peaceful and needs an older emperor to rule over it. When it is pacified, I will return the throne to you, as I had sworn before.''<br />
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He then had an edict issued in Yang Tong's name, yielding the throne to him, ending Sui and establishing a new state of Zheng.<br />
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<a name='Reign' id='Reign'></a><h2>Reign</h2><br />
Wang Shichong created his son Wang Xuanying crown prince and Wang Xuanshu the Prince of Han. He created 19 other relatives of his princes, and Yang Tong the former emperor the Duke of Lu. He did not have a fixed office; rather, he worked at several offices in the city, and he was in the habit of receiving personal submissions from the people to show that he was open to suggestions, but the idea backfired as too many people submitted petitions, making him unable to read them all. It was also said that he was overly talkative at imperial meetings, causing them to drag on overly long. Meanwhile, in light of his taking the throne, a number of commanderies that had submitted to Yang Tong submitted to either Tang or Xia, and Dou Jiande formally broke with Wang and took imperial style, albeit not imperial title. Further, after Wang attacked Liyang , which Xia had seized from Tang, in winter 619, and Dou retaliated by attacking Yin Prefecture , the states became enemies.<br />
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A month later, Pei Renji and his son Pei Xingyan , as well as the officials Yuwen Rutong , Yuwen Wen , and Cui Deben plotted to kill Wang and restore Yang Tong. The news leaked, and the conspirators were slaughtered, along with their families. Wang Shichong's brother Wang Shiyun the Prince of Qi persuaded Wang Shichong that in order to avoid a repeat of the plot, he needed to put Yang Tong to death. Wang Shichong agreed, and he sent his nephew Wang Renze the Prince of Tang and his servant Liang Bainian to force Yang Tong to drink poison. Yang Tong made one last plea, pointing out that Wang Shichong had previously promised to keep him alive. Liang considered requesting confirmation from Wang Shichong, but Wang Shiyun refused. Yang Tong set sacrifices for the Buddha and prayed, "May it be that I will no longer again be reborn into an imperial household." He drank poison, but initially did not die. Wang Shiyun ordered that he be strangled.<br />
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Meanwhile, Zheng and Tang had continuous battles near Luoyang and also to the west and south, with the sides trading victories. In fall 620, Tang's Emperor Gaozu commissioned his son the Prince of Qin with an army to attack Luoyang, and Wang Shichong prepared his own forces to defend and counter. Wang sought to enter into a peace agreement with Li Shimin, but Li Shimin declined, and he captured Zheng cities one by one, either by attacking them or by accepting their surrender. By winter 620, Zheng was in a desperate situation, and Wang Shichong sent messengers to Dou, seeking help from Xia forces. Dou, believing that if Tang destroyed Zheng, his own Xia state would be cornered, agreed, and sought to diplomaticallly convince Li Shimin to withdraw, but Li Shimin again refused. Meanwhile, in spring 621, Li Shimin put Luoyang under siege. Wang's forces had strong catapults and crossbows, inflicting much casualties on Tang forces, and many Tang generals wished to withdraw. Li Shimin, however, believed that Luoyang would fall soon and therefore refused. Upon hearing that Dou was approaching, he decided to advance east to take up defensive position at the key Hulao Pass in advance of Dou's arrival, leaving a relatively small Tang army, under the command of his brother Li Yuanji the Prince of Qi, at Luoyang. Wang, seeing Li Shimin's troop movement but unsure what the situation was, did not attack Li Shimin's rear .<br />
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Meanwhile, Dou, against the advice of his strategist Ling Jing and his wife , advanced to Hulao in summer 621. Li Shimin initially refused to engage him, wearing his troops out, and then counterattacked, defeating and capturing him. Li Shimin took the captured Dou and Wang's emissaries Wang Wan the Prince of Dai and Zhangsun Anshi to Luoyang to display them to Wang Shichong. Wang Shichong, after a conversation with Dou, broke down in tears. He considered fighting his way out of the siege and fleeing to Xiangyang , defended by his nephew Wang Honglie the Prince of Wei. His generals pointed out that he was dependent on Xia help, and now that Dou had been captured, there was nothing further to be done. Wang therefore exited the city and surrendered to Li Shimin. Li Shimin executed a number of his high level officials, but spared Wang himself, his family, and the rest of the officials.<br />
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<a name='Death' id='Death'></a><h2>Death</h2><br />
Li Shimin took Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande back to the Tang capital Chang'an to present them to his father Emperor Gaozu. When Emperor Gaozu met Wang and rebuked him, Wang stated, "I should be beheaded, but the Prince of Qin had agreed to spare me." In fall 621, Emperor Gaozu spared him but demoted him to commoner rank, exiling him and his clan to modern Sichuan, while executing Dou.<br />
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Meanwhile, Wang and his family members were awaiting exile, and were detained at the barracks of the capital prefecture, Yong Prefecture . Dugu Xiude, the son of Dugu Ji, took the opportunity to enter the barracks, claiming that Emperor Gaozu wished to see Wang Shichong. Wang Shichong and his brother Wang Shiyun came out to greet Dugu, and Dugu executed them to avenge his father. Emperor Gaozu only punished Dugu by removing him from his post as the prefect of Ding Prefecture . The other members of the Wang clan were exiled, but on their way plotted rebellion, and were all executed.<br />
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Of all of the contenders to rule the empire during Sui's disintegration, Wang was one of the most reviled by traditional historians. The historian Liu Xu, the lead editor of the ''Book of Tang'', commented:<br />
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:''Wang Shichong was a wicked man who happened to encounter an incompetent ruler. He flattered the emperor and did what others could not have done in exchange for wealth and honor. To his subordinates, he used wrongful rhetoric to hide his own faults and suppress dissent. He finally usurped the throne, carried out improper acts, and killed many cruelly. He used false expressions of empathy to control his officials. His subordinates were almost all rebels or desperate men. He finally surrendered to the Prince of Qin and was quite fortunate that he was not publicly beheaded.''<br />
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<a name='Era name' id='Era name'></a><h2>Era name</h2><br />
* ''Kaiming'' 619-621<br />
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<a name='Personal information' id='Personal information'></a><h2>Personal information</h2><br />
* Father<br />
** Wang Shou , né Zhi Shou , Sui Dynasty official<br />
* Children<br />
** Wang Xuanying , the Crown Prince <br />
** Wang Xuanshu , the Prince of Han <br />
** Wang Xuanqiongjegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-40526429796978286522008-09-09T22:46:00.005-07:002008-09-09T22:46:37.845-07:00Yang Gongren<strong>Yang Gongren</strong> , formal name <strong>Yang Guan</strong> but went by the courtesy name of Gongren, formally <strong>Duke Xiao of Guan</strong> , was an official and general during the dynasties Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, at one point serving as a during Tang.<br />
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<a name='Background' id='Background'></a><h2>Background</h2><br />
It is not known when Yang Gongren was born. He was the oldest son of Yang Xiong , a distant nephew of Sui Dynasty's founder , who was considered one of the four most powerful officials at one point early in Sui, with Gao Jiong, Yu Qingze , and Su Wei and who was created an imperial prince with various titles, eventually the title of Prince of Guan.<br />
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<a name='During Sui Dynasty' id='During Sui Dynasty'></a><h2>During Sui Dynasty</h2><br />
Late in the reign of Emperor Wen , Yang Gongren became the governor of Gan Province . It was said that he had a good grasp on general governance and intentionally refused to dwell on details, and that in doing so comforted the non- residents of the province. It was said that Emperor Wen told his father Yang Xiong, "Gongren governs the province well. It is not only that I selected the right person, but because you have taught him in the ways of righteousness."<br />
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Early in the reign of Emperor Wen's son , Yang Gongren was the assistant minister of civil service matters. When the general Yang Xuangan rebelled in 613, Yang Gongren was one of the generals Emperor Yang sent against Yang Xuangan, and he participated in destroying Yang Xuangan. He received great praise from both Emperor Yang and Su Wei.<br />
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However, it was said at the time that the matters of civil service were being controlled by Su, Yuwen Shu, Pei Yun , and Pei Ju, and that they were largely corrupt. Yang Gongren was considered honest and was not tolerated by Pei Yun, and therefore was instead commissioned to lead the army against agrarian rebels in the modern Hunan region. He was, however, defeated by the rebel general Zhu Can at Qiao Commandery , and forced to flee to Emperor Yang's then-location at Jiangdu .<br />
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In spring 618, the general Yuwen Huaji killed Emperor Yang in a coup and declared Emperor Yang's nephew the Prince of Qin emperor. While he killed a large number of high level officials and imperial Yang clan members, he did not kill Yang Gongren and made Yang Gongren the minister of civil service matters. After Yuwen advanced north of the elite Xiaoguo Army but was defeated by Li Mi, he headed further north, and he left Yang Gongren defending Wei . In 619, the Tang official Wei Zheng, however, persuaded another official Yuwen left at Wei, Yuan Baozang , to seize Yang Gongren and submit to Emperor Gaozu of Tang. Yuan delivered Yang Gongren to the Tang capital Chang'an. As Emperor Gaozu, while a Sui official, was a friend of Yang Gongren's, he released Yang Gongren and made him the assistant head of the examination bureau of the government and created him the Duke of Guan.<br />
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<a name='During Emperor Gaozu's reign' id='During Emperor Gaozu's reign'></a><h2>During Emperor Gaozu's reign</h2><br />
Emperor Gaozu soon made Yang Gongren the commandant at Liang Prefecture , because of his familiarity with the region. Yang was able to govern effectively, and it was said that tribes east of the Pamir Mountains were all nominally submitting to Tang as a result. At times, when Eastern Tujue forces attacked, he was able to repel them, but his own territory nevertheless suffered losses from Eastern Tujue raids. In winter 619, Yang was nominally given the title of ''Nayan'' -- the title for the head of the examination bureau, one considered as a post for a , but it was also explicitly stated that he did not actually take on the responsibilities of ''Nayan'', but remained at Liang Prefecture.<br />
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In 623, Emperor Gaozu recalled Yang to Chang'an to be ''Zhongshu Ling'' , the head of the legislative bureau of government, considered to be a chancellor post as well. He also was made the minister of civil service affairs. He also continued to nominally serve as the commandant at Liang Prefecture.<br />
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In 626, Emperor Gaozu's son the Prince of Qin, in an intense rivalry with his brother Li Jiancheng the Crown Prince, ambushed Li Jiancheng and another brother, Li Yuanji the Prince of Qi at and killed them, and then effectively forced Emperor Gaozu to create him crown prince. He also took effective rein of the government and reorganized it. As part of the reorganization, Yang was removed from his posts, but remained a general.<br />
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<a name='During Emperor Taizong's reign' id='During Emperor Taizong's reign'></a><h2>During Emperor Taizong's reign</h2><br />
Two months later, Emperor Gaozu yielded the throne to Li Shimin, who became emperor . He initially made Yang Gongren to be the governor of the capital prefecture Yong Prefecture , and then made him the assistant to the commandant at Yang Prefecture -- Emperor Taizong's favorite son Li Tai the Prince of Yue. In 631, he became the commandant at Luo Prefecture , an important location as the effective eastern capital. At a later point, he retired, although the year of his retirement was not clear.<br />
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It was said at this time that Yang Gongren was humble and courteous, even to people who were below him in rank, and was compared to the humble Han Dynasty chancellor Shi Qing . His clan became an honored one, as his younger brother Yang Shidao married Emperor Gaozu's daughter Princess Guiyang; his niece was wife and princess of Li Yuanji and later became a favorite concubine of Emperor Taizong; and his nephew Yang Sijing married another daughter of Emperor Gaozu, the Princess Anping.<br />
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Yang died in 639. He was given posthumous honored and buried near the tomb of Emperor Taizong's wife Empress Zhangsun, which would eventually become Emperor Taizong's tomb as well.jegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-31653899390312000312008-09-09T22:46:00.003-07:002008-09-09T22:46:27.864-07:00Yang Jun (Sui Dynasty)<strong>Yang Jun</strong> , nickname <strong>Azhi</strong> , formally <strong>Prince Xiao of Qin</strong> , was an imperial prince of the dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was a son of and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo, who died an untimely death due to an illness caused by poisoning by his jealous wife Princess Cui. His son was later briefly declared emperor by the general Yuwen Huaji after Yuwen killed his brother in 618.<br />
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Yang Jun was born in 571. He was the third son of Yang Jian and Dugu Qieluo, after Yang Yong and . When Yang Jian seized the throne from Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou in 581, ending Northern Zhou and establing Sui Dynasty as its Emperor Wen, he created his sons princes, and Yang Jun was created the Prince of Qin. In 582, Yang Jun, at age 11, was made the governor of Luo Province and titularly the commander of the armed forces east of the Hangu Pass. In 583, he was made the commandant at Qin Province and was in charge of the surrounding provinces. It was around this time that Yang Jun began to be a devout Buddhist and became known for his kindness, and at one point he requested permission from Emperor Wen to become a monk, a request that Emperor Wen denied.<br />
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In 586, Yang Jun became the regional executive of the provinces south of the Qinling Mountains and was stationed at Xiangyang . It was around this time that his wife Princess Cui gave birth to his first son Yang Hao. In 588, when Emperor Wen launched a major attack against rival Chen Dynasty, Yang Jun was stationed at Hankou and made the commander of the Sui forces in the middle Yangtze River region. The Chen general Zhou Luohou soon arrived to guard against Yang Jun, but Yang Jun, disliking the idea of major battle losses, chose not to engage Zhou, and they stalemated. Nevertheless, this stalemate prevented all Chen troops in the upper Yangtze region from being able to attend to the defense of the capital Jiankang, then attacked by forces under command of Yang Jun's brother Yang Guang. Soon, when news arrived that Jiankang had fallen and the Chen emperor Chen Shubao had been captured, Zhou surrendered. When Chen Shubao's brother Chen Shushen and cousin Chen Zhengli nevertheless tried to resist at Chen Shushen's post at Xiang Province , the Sui generals Xue Zhou and Liu Ren'en attacked and captured Chen Shushen, delivering him to Yang Jun, and Yang Jun executed Chen Shushen. Yang Jun submitted a report to Emperor Wen in which he stated, "It is unfortunately that I am even given the task of grinding grains, as I contributed nothing to the war effort, and am ashamed of it." Emperor Wen, however, was pleased with his humility and, when Chen Shubao and his clan were presented to Emperor Wen, they were preceded into the palace by the victorious Yang Guang and Yang Jun. Emperor Wen made Yang Jun the commandant at Yang Province , in charge of 44 provinces, most of which was formerly Chen territory. In 590, Emperor Wen swapped his assignment and Yang Guang's and made him the the commandant at Bing Province , in charge of 24 provinces.<br />
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While at Bing Province, however, Yang Jun began to live luxuriously, including building palaces beyond what was proper for an imperial prince. He also began to have many concubines, and his wife Princess Cui became jealous and could not tolerate what Yang Jun was doing. In 597, she poisoned melons that Yang Jun was eating, and he became so ill that he had to be taken back to Chang'an for treatment. It was then that his exceedingly wasteful living became known to Emperor Wen, who favored frugal lifestyles and was displeased with Yang Jun's wastefulness. In fall 597, Emperor Wen removed Yang Jun from all of his posts and returned him to his mansion only with the title of imperial prince. Soon thereafter, it was discovered that it was Princess Cui who poisoned Yang Jun, and Emperor Wen ordered a divorce between them, and then, after sending her back to her home, ordered her to commit suicide. The generals Liu Sheng and Yang Su both believed that the punishment against Yang Jun was overly severe, but Emperor Wen responded to Yang Su:<br />
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:''I am the father of just five sons, not the father of all people over the land. If I agreed with you, does that mean I have to draft a ''Penal Code for the Emperor's Sons''? Even a man as kind as the Duke of Zhou executed his brothers, the lords of Guan and Cai, for their crimes. I am nowhere as capable as the Duke of Zhou, so I can break my own laws?''<br />
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Emperor Wen therefore did not permit Yang Jun to return to service. Thereafter, Yang Jun's illness appeared to never get well, and by 600, he was extremely ill, and he sent messengers to deliver a petition to Emperor Wen, requesting forgiveness, but Emperor Wen refused. Only when Yang Jun was near death did Emperor Wen confer on him the honorific post of ''Shang Zhuguo'' , an office that, in Sui's nine-rank system, was first rank, second class, but carried no authorities of its own. Yang Jun died in summer 600, and it was said that Emperor Wen only cried slightly before stopping. He ordered the overly luxurious items that Yang Jun made to be all destroyed. When Yang Jun's staff requested that a stone monument be erected for Yang Jun, Emperor Wen responded:<br />
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:''For a person to have a good name, only several pages in a history book would be sufficient. Why would he need a monument? If his descendants could not glorify him, the monument will only be broken into pieces to be paperweight.''<br />
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Yang Jun was survived by two sons -- Yang Hao, the son of Princess Cui, and Yang Dan , born of a concubine. The imperial officials, anticipating that Emperor Wen would not favor having either of them inherit Yang Jun's title, recommended that neither be allowed -- on the basis that Yang Hao had been tainted by Princess Cui's crimes, and that Yang Dan, as the son of a concubine, should not inherit. Emperor Wen agreed, and had Yang Jun's staff serve as his mourners. Yang Jun's oldest daughter Princess Yongfeng was 11 at this time, and she mourned Yang Jun in a particularly devout manner that she was praised by historians. It was not until Yang Guang became emperor in 604 that Yang Hao was allowed to inherit the title of Prince of Qin and Yang Dan was created the Marquess of Jibei.jegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-58636959978877588912008-09-09T22:46:00.001-07:002008-09-09T22:46:18.973-07:00Yang Liang<strong>Yang Liang</strong> -- courtesy name <strong>Dezhang</strong> , alternative name <strong>Jie</strong> , nickname <strong>Yiqian</strong> -- was an imperial prince of the dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was a son of and his wife Empress Dugu Qieluo, who, during his father's reign, controlled the region north of the Yellow River. After his father's death in 604, he rose against his brother , but was soon defeated by Emperor Yang's general Yang Su and forced to surrender. He was reduced to commoner rank and imprisoned for the rest of his life.<br />
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<a name='Background' id='Background'></a><h2>Background</h2><br />
It is not known exactly when Yang Liang was born, but it is known that he was the youngest of the five sons of and Yang Jian's wife . As the third of his older brothers, , was born in 571 and he was already born at least by the time that Yang Jian seized the throne from Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou, ending Northern Zhou and establishing Sui Dynasty as its Emperor Wen in 581, he would have been born sometime between 573 and 580. In 581, after Emperor Wen took the throne, he created his sons imperial princes, and Yang Liang was created the Prince of Han.<br />
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<a name='During Emperor Wen's reign' id='During Emperor Wen's reign'></a><h2>During Emperor Wen's reign</h2><br />
Yang Liang did not participate in the campaign that destroyed rival Chen Dynasty in 589 and unified China , suggesting that he was not yet old enough by that point. In 592, he was made the governor of the capital province Yong Province . In 597, he was made the commandant at Bing Province , and was in charge of the 52 provinces north of the Yellow River. In 598, when Emperor Wen attacked Goguryeo, Yang Liang served as co-commander of the operation —a campaign that ended disastrously, as a drought prevented food supplies from being sent by water, and therefore the army ran out of food. As it arrived at Liao River, the border between Sui and Goguryeo, there began to be an epidemic in the army. Further, the ships commanded by the former Chen general Zhou Luohou encountered a storm and suffered great losses. The Sui forces were forced to withdraw, although Goguryeo then sued for peace. <br />
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In 599, when Sui forces attacked Tujue's Dulan Khan, Ashina Yongyulü, Yang Liang was nominally the overall commander of the operations, but did not go to the front. In summer 600, when Dulan Khan's successor Bujia Khan Ashina Dianjue , who was a rival claimant to the Tujue throne to the Sui-supported Qimin Khan Ashina Rangan, attacked Sui, Yang Liang was one of the four commanders sent by Emperor Wen to engage Bujia Khan, and they defeated him, although Yang Liang's contribution to the campaign was unclear.<br />
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Meanwhile, Emperor Wen much favored Yang Liang, but Yang Liang was becoming ambitious and troubled by the removal of his oldest brother, Yang Yong, as crown prince in 600. He therefore persuaded Emperor Wen that his headquarters at Taiyuan was the key to the defense against Tujue, so Emperor Wen permitted him to produce weapons and build up Taiyuan's defenses. Two of his trusted generals, Wang Kui and Xiao Mohe, both of whom believed that they should have been given greater responsibility by Emperor Wen, also encouraged him to eventually consider rebelling. Yang Liang was further troubled after another brother, Yang Xiu the Prince of Shu, was deposed over charges of wastefulness in 602. <br />
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<a name='Rebellion against Emperor Yang' id='Rebellion against Emperor Yang'></a><h2>Rebellion against Emperor Yang</h2><br />
In 604, Yang Guang became emperor after Emperor Wen's death. Emperor Yang, apprehensive of Yang Liang's intentions, did not initially announce Emperor Wen's death, and sent the general Qutu Tong to Taiyuan to, using an edict in Emperor Wen's name, summon Yang Liang to the capital Daxing. However, Yang Liang figured out the edict to be a forgery, and declared a rebellion, supported by governors of 19 provinces. However, even though Wang Kui pointed out to him that he needed to make a quick election between the strategies of attacking Daxing quickly or to try to hold his territory north of the Yellow River , Yang Liang could not decide which set of strategies to use, and therefore used a mixed approach. As his rationale for rebelling, he declared that Yang Su had committed treason. <br />
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Yang Liang made initial gains, and his forces, commanded by Pei Wen'an , quickly captured the strategically important Pu Province and were poised to cross the Yellow River to attack the capital region. For reasons unclear then, Yang Liang changed his mind and destroyed the bridge over the Yellow River, stalling his own advances, although he soon advanced south from Taiyuan himself to again make another offensive. Soon, Yang Su, loyal to Emperor Yang, advanced north and met Yang Liang's forces. Against Wang's suggestion that he should engage Yang Su quickly, Yang Liang withdrew to Qingyuan , thus losing initiative. Yang Su defeated him and captured Xiao Mohe, forcing him to retreat back to Taiyuan, where Yang Su put him under siege. Wang Kui committed suicide. Eventually, Yang Liang surrendered. Even though officials largely suggested that Yang Liang should be executed, Emperor Yang did not do so, but reduced him to commoner rank and put him under imprisonment. He died in imprisonment, and although it was unclear the year he died, it appeared to be not long after his capture. His son Yang Hao was also imprisoned, and when Emperor Yang was assassinated by the general Yuwen Huaji in 618, Yang Hao was also killed.jegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-56791745906932716922008-09-09T22:45:00.010-07:002008-09-09T22:46:04.149-07:00Yang Su<strong>Yang Su</strong> , courtesy name <strong>Chudao</strong> , formally <strong>Duke Jingwu of Chu</strong> , was a powerful general during Sui Dynasty whose authority eventually became nearly as supreme as the emperor's. Traditional historians generally believed that he was involved in the suspected murder of in 604, at the behest of Emperor Wen's son . His son Yang Xuangan later rebelled against Emperor Yang in 613 but was defeated and killed, and Yang Su's other sons were also executed.<br />
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<a name='During Northern Zhou' id='During Northern Zhou'></a><h2>During Northern Zhou</h2><br />
It is not known when Yang Su was born. His grandfather Yang Xuan was a mid-level official during Northern Wei or its branch successor state Western Wei. Yang Su's father Yang Fu served as a general for Western Wei's successor state Northern Zhou, but in 571, while defending Dingyang , Yang Fu was defeated and captured by the Northern Qi general Duan Shao . Yang Fu refused to surrender and was kept in captivity for the rest of his life, but it is not known when he died.<br />
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After Yang Fu's death, Yang Su, who was considered highly talented in his youth, repeatedly sought posthumous recognition for his father from Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou. Eventually, Emperor Wu was so pestered that he ordered that Yang Su be killed -- perhaps stating the order publicly to scare Yang Su so that he would relent. Instead of begging for forgiveness, however, Yang Su yelled out, "I serve a ruthless emperor, and it is proper for me to die!" Emperor Wu, impressed with Yang Su's fortitude, released him and gave Yang Fu posthumous honors, including the title of Duke of Linzhen. He made Yang Su an official in his administration, and once, when he had Yang Su draft an edict for him and was impressed by both the fast speed that Yang Su wrote the edict aned the beauty of the language, he commented, "Just work hard. Honor and wealth will come to you." Yang Su responded, "I am worried that I will be forced to accept honor and wealth, as I have no desire for them." In 575, when Emperor Wu launched a major attack on Northern Qi, he granted Yang Su's request to lead the remains of Yang Fu's old army. While Emperor Wu was soon forced to abandon the campaign, Yang Su was, for his contributions, created the Viscount of Qinghe. When Emperor Wu relaunched the attack on Northern Qi in winter 576, Yang Su served under Emperor Wu's brother and major general Yuwen Xian the Prince of Qi, and during a battle, when Yuwen Xian was ambushed by forces under Northern Qi's emperor Gao Wei, it was Yang Su who fought hard to save Yuwen Xian. Thereafter, he continued to make contributions under Yuwen Xian during the campaign against Northern Qi. After Emperor Wu conquered Northern Qi in 577, he promoted Yang Su's title to Duke of Chen'an. In 578, he served under the general Wang Gui in defeating the Chen Dynasty general Wu Mingche, and for this contribution, Emperor Wu created his brother Yang Shen the Marquess of Yi'an. After Emperor Wu's death later in 578 and succession by his son , Emperor Xuan conferred the title of Duke of Linzhen, which Emperor Wu had posthumously created Yang Fu, on Yang Su, transferring Yang Su's title of Duke of Cheng'an to his brother Yang Yuē . Yang Su subsequently served under the general Wei Xiaokuan in capturing the region between the Yangtze River and the Huai River from Chen.<br />
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In 580, Emperor Xuan, who had by that point become retired emperor, died, and Emperor Xuan's father-in-law seized power as regent over Emperor Xuan's son . Yang Su became close to Yang Jian, and Yang Jian made him the governor of the important Bian Province . However, before Yang Su could report to Bian Province, the general Yuchi Jiong, suspicious of Yang Jian's intentions, rose against him. One of Yuchi's supporters, Yuwen Zhou the governor of Ying Province defended Hulao Pass against Yang Jian's forces, and Yang Jian sent Yang Su against Yuwen Zhou. Yang Su was able to defeat Yuwen Zhou, and after Yuchi had been defeated and had committed suicide, Yang Jian made Yang Su the commandant at Xu Province and promoted his title to Duke of Qinghe, transferring his title of Duke of Linzhen to his brother Yang Yuè .<br />
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<a name='During Emperor Wen's reign' id='During Emperor Wen's reign'></a><h2>During Emperor Wen's reign</h2><br />
In 581, Yang Jian had Emperor Jing yield the throne to him, ending Northern Zhou and establishing Sui Dynasty as its Emperor Wen. Yang Su continued to serve in Emperor Wen's administration. In 584, during an argument with his wife Lady Zheng, he angrily stated, "If I become emperor, you will not be empress!" Lady Zheng, in anger, reported the comment to Emperor Wen, who removed Yang Su from his post as a punishment. In 585, Emperor Wen restored him and made him the commandant at Xin Province to prepare an attack against Chen down the Yangtze River. While at Xin Province, he built large ships in anticipation of the attack.<br />
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In winter 588, Emperor Wen launched the attack, commissioning his sons the Prince of Jin and , along with Yang Su, to command the three main prongs of the attack, with Yang Guang in overall command of the operations. Yang Su's responsibility was to take his forces down the Yangtze and attack cities on the river. He passed through the Three Gorges and defeated the Chen general Qi Xin . He soon ran into heavy resistance by the Chen general Lü Zhongsu and initially was repelled, but eventually was able to defeat Lü. With Chen Shubao's cousin Chen Huiji abandoning the region to make one last ditch attempt to reach the Chen capital Jiankang to help defend it against Yang Guang's attack, Yang Su encountered no further resistance, and soon news that Jiankang had fallen arrived, and the local provinces all surrendered to him or Yang Jun, whom he met at Hankou . Emperor Wen subsequently promoted Yang Su to the greater title of Duke of Yue and transferred his title of Duke of Qinghe to his son Yang Xuanjiang , while making his heir apparent Yang Xuangan a mid-level official. He was briefly made the commandant at Jing Province , but in summer 588 was recalled to the capital to be the head of the examination bureau -- one of the most important officials in the imperial government. In 590, he was made the head of the legislative bureau .<br />
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Later in 590, with Chen's former territory up in rebellions due to the formerly Chen people's unaccustomed to the imposition of Sui laws, Yang Su was put in command of a large army to attack the various rebel leaders. He defeated Shen Xuanhui and Gao Zhihui , eventually quelling much of the former Chen territory. Emperor Wen awarded him with many gifts. Based on Yang Su's conduct during the campaign, the historian Sima Guang, in his ''Zizhi Tongjian'', commented:<br />
<br />
:''When Yang Su commanded large armies, he showed flexibility and much tactical capability. His military discipline was harsh, and before each battle, he always sought out soldiers who had faults to execute in order to show his power -- sometimes more than a hundred, and sometimes no less than 20. As their blood flowed before him, he treated as if it were nothing, and continued to smile and talk. When it came time for battling, he would send out somewhere between 100 to 200 soldiers as a forward corps to attack first. If they were unsuccessful in penetrating the enemy lines and returned, regardless of how many survived, they would all be executed. He would then repeat the process, but with 200 to 300 soldiers. All officers and soldiers tremored with fear, and all fought with resolution to fight to the death. Therefore, he was always victorious and considered a great general. At that time, Yang Su was powerful and favored by the emperor. Whatever he suggested was not refused, and so Yang Su's followers, even if their contributions were small, would be rewarded for their contributions. The soldiers under the other generals often had their contributions denied by the civilian officials and not rewarded. Therefore, even though Yang Su was cruel, his soldiers were willing to follow him.''<br />
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Around the new year 593, Yang Su was made a co-head of the executive bureau with Gao Jiong, effectively serving as co-prime ministers, replacing Su Wei in that role. It was said that by this point, Yang Su had become very arrogant, and among the officials, he only respected Gao, Niu Hong , and Xue Daoheng , looking down at and bullying the rest. It was commented by traditional historians that he was more talented and had more foresight than Gao, but that he was not as fairminded or well-behaved as Gao.<br />
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In spring 593, Emperor Wen commissioned Yang Su to oversee the building of his vacation palace, Renshou Palace . Yang Su spent much effort building it to be a luxurious palace, needing not much architectural work but landscaping of the nearby hills and valleys. Much human life was lost -- numbering in the tens of thousands. The palace was completed in spring 595, and when Emperor Wen inspected it, he, by nature frugal, was initially displeased and stated, "Yang Su expended money and effort to build this palace, and he made the people hate me." Yang Su was fearful of punishment, but when Emperor Wen's wife Empress Dugu Qieluo arrived, she pointed out to Emperor Wen that Yang Su knew that they had little other pleasures, and therefore built the palace in this manner. She gave Yang Su awards in both money and silk.<br />
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In 598, both Empress Dugu and Yang Su's wife Duchess Zheng were ill, and suspicions came on the official Dugu Tuo -- who was Empress Dugu's half-brother and whose wife was Yang Su's half-sister. Dugu Tuo was accused of having his servant girl Xu Ani employ cat spirits to curse Empress Dugu and Duchess Zheng, and was nearly executed, but at Empress Dugu's urging was spared and only reduced to commoner rank.<br />
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In spring 599, Yang Su was one of the major generals commissioned to attack Tujue's Dulan Khan, Ashina Yongyulü, along with Gao Jiong and Yan Rong . He encountered Ashina Yongyulü's subordinate khan, the Ashina Dianjue. Contrary to prior strategies to first protect his army before engaging, he quickly engaged Ashina Dianjue and defeated him, forcing Ashina Dianjue to flee.<br />
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Sometime around that time, Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu, who generally had a loving relationship, had a major conflict -- over an affair by Emperor Wen with Yuchi Jiong's granddaughter, who had become a servant in the palace. Empress Dugu killed Lady Yuchi, and in anger, Emperor Wen rode away from the palace. Yang Su and Gao had to track him down and persuade him back to the palace. Yang Su and Gao subsequently held a banquet for them to allow them to reconcile.<br />
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In winter 599, Emperor Wen sent Yang Su again to attack Ashina Yongyulü, but before his army could depart, Ashina Yongyulü was assassinated and replaced by Ashina Dianjue , and so Yang Su did not launch his army. In 600, when Ashina Dianjue attacked, Emperor Wen sent Yang Su and Shi Wansui , along with his sons Yang Guang and Yang Liang, to resist, and Ashina Dianjue was fought off. <br />
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By 600, Emperor Wen's crown prince Yang Yong had lost the favor of Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu, over his wastefulness and having many concubines . Yang Guang, whom Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu, had for some time plotted to replace Yang Yong, sent his associate Yuwen Shu to persuade Yang Su's brother Yang Yuē that, as Yang Su did not have a good relationship with Yang Yong, that if Emperor Wen died, Yang Su and his brothers would soon be in danger under Yang Yong's rule. Rather, Yuwen suggested, Yang Su should form a pact with Yang Guang and try to have Yang Guang made crown prince. Yang Su agreed, and began to discuss with Empress Dugu in earnest the possibility of replacing Yang Yong with Yang Guang. Empress Dugu was pleased, and requested Yang Su to persuade Emperor Wen as well. By fall 600, Yang Guang had Yang Yong's associate Ji Wei falsely accuse Yang Yong of plotting treason. Emperor Wen commissioned Yang Su to investigate, and Yang Su intentionally misinterpreted evidence and manufactured additional evidence, causing Emperor Wen to believe that Yang Yong was indeed plotting treason. Emperor Wen deposed Yang Yong and created Yang Guang crown prince instead.<br />
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In winter 601, Emperor Wen commissioned Yang Su to command an army, in association with Qimin Khan Ashina Rangan , to attack Ashina Dianjue. In spring 602, Yang Su achieved a great victory, and for his victory, Yang Xuangan's post was upgraded, and another son of Yang Su, Yang Xuanzong , was created the Duke of Huainan.<br />
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By 602, Yang Guang was concerned that his brother, the Prince of Shu, who as the commandant at Yi Province was in control of the modern Sichuan and Chongqing region, would eventually make trouble for him. He had Yang Su collect evidence of Yang Xiu's wastefulness and inappropriate behavior. Emperor Wen summoned Yang Xiu back to the capital, and had Yang Su investigate. Both Yang Guang and Yang Su manufactured additional evidence against Yang Xiu, and Yang Xiu was reduced to commoner rank and put under house arrest.<br />
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Also in 602, Empress Dugu died. Yang Su was in charge of the funeral arrangements, and in appreciation, Emperor Wen created yet another son of Yang Su the Duke of Yikang. Upon accusations by the official Liang Pi that Yang Su was becoming overly powerful and abusive, Emperor Wen began to distance himself from Yang Su, although he continued to confer honors on Yang Su. The actual authority over the executive bureau was instead exercised by Su Wei and Emperor Wen's son-in-law Liu Shu .<br />
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In summer 604, while at Renshou Palace, Emperor Wen became ill. Yang Su, Liu, and Yuan Yan attended to him. Emperor Wen soon died, and Yang Guang, after ordering Yang Su's brother Yang Yuē to have Yang Yong killed, announced Emperor Wen's death and took the throne as Emperor Yang. <br />
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<a name='During Emperor Yang's reign' id='During Emperor Yang's reign'></a><h2>During Emperor Yang's reign</h2><br />
Upon hearing Emperor Yang's ascension, Yang Liang, then the commandant at Bing Province and in control of the territory north of the Yellow River, rebelled -- inexplicably declaring, as his reason for rebelling, that Yang Su had committed treason. Emperor Yang sent Yang Su to attack Yang Liang, and Yang Su, after capturing Yang Liang's general Xiao Mohe, forced Yang Liang's surrender. For Yang Su's contributions, Emperor Yang gave his sons Yang Wandan , Yang Renxing , and Yang Xuanting all mid-level imperial posts and much treasure, previously owned by Yang Liang.<br />
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In spring 605, Emperor Yang began to expand Luoyang to serve as the eastern capital. Yang Su was commissioned to head the project.<br />
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It was said that although Yang Su had much contributions for him, Emperor Yang actually was very suspicious of Yang Su. When imperial astrologers informed Emperor Yang that the Sui region would have a major funeral, Emperor Wen created Yang Su the Duke of Chu, technically a greater title -- believing that the Chu and Sui regions were close enough that he could use Yang Su to deflect the ill fortune. When Yang Su grew ill in 606, Yang Guang sent the imperial physicians, along with the most precious medicines, to treat Yang Su, but closely monitored Yang Su's conditions, hoping that Yang Su would die. Yang Su himself knew of Emperor Yang's intentions, and therefore refused all treatment and did not take good care of his own body, stating to Yang Yue, "Why should I want to live?" He died in fall 606, and Emperor Yang honored him with a magnificent funeral. After Yang Xuangan rebelled in 613, all of Yang Su's sons were killed. Yang Su's tomb was destroyed, and Yang Su's body was burned by the general Wei Wensheng .<br />
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It was said that one of Yang Su's favorite dishes was fried rice and that he popularized the dish.jegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-85133871258052007302008-09-09T22:45:00.009-07:002008-09-09T22:45:53.531-07:00Yang Xuangan<strong>Yang Xuangan</strong> was an official of the dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was the son of the powerful official Yang Su, and, as he knew that was apprehensive of his father, was never quite secure. In 613, when Emperor Yang was attacking Goguryeo, he rebelled near the eastern capital Luoyang, but was soon defeated. He ordered his brother Yang Jishan to kill him, as to not fall into Emperor Yang's hands.<br />
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<a name='Background' id='Background'></a><h2>Background</h2><br />
It is not known when Yang Xuangan was born. He was the oldest son of Yang Su, who was already a major general at the start of Sui Dynasty in 581 but whose honors and power grew as the years went by. Yang Xuangan was considered by some to be while in his childhood, but his father believed that not to be the case, and as he grew, he was studious. Because of his father's accomplishments, Yang Xuangan was repeatedly honored by Sui's founder as well. In 589, after his father's contributions in the conquest of Chen Dynasty, which allowed Sui to unite China, Yang Xuangan was given the honorific office of ''Yitong Sansi'' . Unlike several of his brothers, Yang Xuangan was not created a ducal title, as he was his father's heir apparent and expected to eventually inherit his father's title. In 602, after Yang Su's victory over Tujue, Yang Xuangan was promoted to ''Zhuguo'' -- the same rank that his father was at, and at imperial gatherings, father and son stood in the same area. Soon thereafter, Emperor Wen demoted Yang Xuangan down to third rank, and Yang Xuangan thanked Emperor Wen appropriately, "I did not know that Your Imperial Majesty would give me this much favor -- so that I can show respect to my father in public as much as I do in private."<br />
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During Emperor Wen's reign, Yang Xuangan served as the governor of Ying Province , and was said to be an effective monitor of his subordinate officials, finding out both their good deeds and evil deeds and rewarding or punishing them appropriately. He later served as the governor of Song Province , but while still at that position, his father Yang Su died in 604. He inherited his father's highly honored title of Duke of Chu, and he left governmental service to observe a mourning period. After about a year, he became a minister in the government of Emperor Wen's successor . He was said to be arrogant but a patron of literary talents, and many talented people became his guests. He particularly trusted Li Mi, also from a noble house.<br />
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While Yang Su was alive, Emperor Yang had been deeply apprehensive of Yang Su's power and angry with Yang Su's arrogance, and after Yang Su's death, he made the comment, "If Yang Su did not die, his clan would have eventually been exterminated." Yang Xuangan heard rumors of this comment, and was apprehensive of Emperor Yang. As he saw how the imperial governance had deteriorated under Emperor Yang and believed how many officials who were prior subordinates of his father Yang Su would support him, he plotted to depose Emperor Yang and declaring Emperor Yang's nephew the Prince of Qin emperor. As he followed Emperor Yang on a campaign against Tuyuhun in 609, he saw how disorganized the Emperor's train was and considered an ambush at that point, but his uncle Yang Shen dissuaded him from the action. Later, during Emperor Yang's preparation for war against Goguryeo, Yang Xuangan volunteered to serve, and his volunteering greatly pleased Emperor Yang, who trusted him more and more and gave him input in important governmental matters.<br />
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<a name='Rebellion' id='Rebellion'></a><h2>Rebellion</h2><br />
In 613, as Emperor Yang was launching his second campaign against Goguryeo, he put Yang Xuangan in charge of ensuring food supplies at the important shipping junction of Liyang . Yang Xuangan withheld the food supply ships, and then, in summer 613, occupied Liyang and declared an uprising, initially declaring that the general Lai Hu'er had revolted and that he was attacking Lai, but soon also declaring that he was restoring the laws of the time of Emperor Wen, signifying a repudiation of Emperor Yang. He soon publicly denounced Emperor Yang of misrule and tyranny, and immediately drew popular support in the region as well as the strongest shipping laborers and sailors. He summoned Li Mi and his brother Yang Xuanting from the capital Chang'an, and his brothers Yang Xuanzong and Yang Wandan from the Goguryeo front, but Yang Wandan was captured and executed. Yang Xuangan made Li Mi his chief strategist, and Li Mi gave him three options, in the order of Li's opinion as to their feasibility:<br />
<br />
#Li's "high strategy" involved making a surprise attack on Jicheng and Linyu , capturing those key locations to trap Emperor Yang, who then was on the Goguryeo front. Li believed that Goguryeo would then make a crippling attack on Emperor Yang, and that Emperor Yang's forces would either collapse on their own or surrender.<br />
#Li's "middle strategy" involved making a surprise attack on Chang'an and capturing the surrounding Guanzhong region, and then holding the region and preparing for confrontation with Emperor Yang.<br />
#Li's "low strategy" involved making a surprise attack on the eastern capital Luoyang and trying to capture it quickly and hold it as the command center. However, he warned that Tang Hui , who had initially submitted to Yang Xuangan but who had since fled back to Luoyang, might have already warned the city to firm up its defenses -- and that if Yang Xuangan put Luoyang under siege and could not capture it quickly, he would soon be trapped by converging Sui forces.<br />
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Yang Xuangan, however, believing that he needed to capture Luoyang to show that his rebellion was serious, commented that Li's "low strategy" was in fact "high strategy," and headed toward Luoyang. However, as Li had predicted, Tang had warned Emperor Yang's grandson Yang Tong the Prince of Yue and the official Fan Zigai , whom Emperor Yang left in charge of Luoyang, and Luoyang's defenses had been prepared. While Yang Xuangan and his brothers gained some victories, he could not quickly capture Luoyang. Meanwhile, many young noblemen were joining his cause. After he captured the highly regarded official Wei Fusi , he trusted Wei as well and did not only trust Li any further, but strategies that Wei submitted were not wholeheartedly in support of the rebellion. Li requested that Yang Xuangan kill Wei, but Yang Xuangan refused. Li made the comment to his relatives, "The Duke of Chu wanted to rebel, but does not know how to gain final victory. We are now like turtles stuck in urns."<br />
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At this time, Emperor Yang was sieging Liaodong , and had nearly captured it from Goguryeo forces when news of Yang Xuangan's rebellion arrived. Yang Xuangan's associate Husi Zheng surrendered to Goguryeo, and Emperor Yang retreated at night. Also around the same time, Wei Wensheng , the official Emperor Yang left in charge of Chang'an, came to Luoyang's aid with his troops, and Lai also arrived. Further, the forward forces returning from the Goguryeo front, under the command of Qutu Tong and Yuwen Shu, soon arrived as well, and while Yang Xuangan attempted to prevent them from crossing the Yellow River, attacks from Fan prevented Yang Xuangan from being able to cut Qutu and Yuwen off at the Yellow River, allowing them to cross. Yang Xuangan was soon losing battles, and under the suggestion of Li Zixiong and Li Mi, he decided to falsely declare that Yuan Hongsi , the general in command at Honghua , was joining his cause, and that he was going to meet with Yuan.<br />
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In fall 613, Yang Xuangan thus lifted the siege on Luoyang, and headed west. On the way, however, he was tempted by the people of Hongnong , who opined that Hongnong would be easily captured and could be held. Further, the governor of Hongnong Commandery, Emperor Yang's cousin Yang Zhiji the Prince of Cai, was intentionally insulting Yang Xuangan to enrage him. In anger, Yang Xuangan put Hongnong under siege, despite Li Mi's pleas that he was endangering his campaign by proceeding slowly. Yang Xuangan put Hongnong under siege for three days but could not capture it, and therefore had to continue to head west. By this point, the Sui forces commanded by Yuwen, Wei, Lai, and Qutu had caught up to him, and were dealing him defeats, and his forces collapsed. Yang Xuangan and his brother Yang Jishan fled to Jialurong on foot, and Yang Xuangan, realizing that they were about to be captured and not wanting to be captured, asked Yang Jishan to kill him. Yang Jishan did so, and then tried to commit suicide, but before he could die, he was captured and delivered to Emperor Yang, along with Yang Xuangan's head. Emperor Yang ordered that Yang Xuangan's body be cut into pieces and then ground and burned. All of Yang Xuangan's brothers were executed.jegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-78012259769010857582008-09-09T22:45:00.007-07:002008-09-09T22:45:30.097-07:00Yang Yichen (Sui Dynasty)<strong>Yang Yichen</strong> , né <strong>Yuchi Yichen</strong> , was a general of the dynasty Sui Dynasty. During the late reign of , Yang Yichen was one of the few Sui generals having success against agrarian rebels, but in 616, Emperor Yang, suspicious of Yang Yichen's abilities, removed him from his military position, and thereafter the agrarian rebels went unchecked. Yang Yichen died soon afterwards.<br />
<br />
<a name='Background' id='Background'></a><h2>Background</h2><br />
Yang Yichen's father Yuchi Chong was ethnically Xianbei and a distant relative of the general Yuchi Jiong. Yuchi Chong was a general during Northern Zhou and had his defense post at . At that time, the general was the commandant at nearby Ding Province , and Yuchi Chong, believing Yang Jian to have great ambitions, befriended Yang Jian. After Yang Jian seized power as regent in 580, Yuchi Jiong, suspicious of Yang Jian's intentions, rebelled at Xiang Province . When Yuchi Chong heard this, as he was a relative of Yuchi Jiong's, he threw himself into jail and begged Yang Jian for forgiveness. Yang Jian pardoned him and ordered him to report to the capital Chang'an to serve as one of Yang Jian's assistants. After Yang Jian seized the throne from Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou in 581, ending Northern Zhou and establishing Sui Dynasty as its Emperor Wen, he created Yuchi Chong the Duke of Qinxing. In 582, Yuchi Chong served under Daxi Zhangru in a campaign against Tujue's Khan Ashina Shetu, and while Daxi achieved victory, Yuchi died in the battle.<br />
<br />
At the time that Yuchi Chong died, his son Yuchi Yichen was said to be still young. Emperor Wen took Yuchi Yichen into the palace and raised him there, allowing him to inherit his father's titles. After he became a teenager, he served in the palace guard corps, and when Emperor Wen saw him, he was reminded of Yuchi Chong's contributions. He therefore issued an edict giving Yuchi Yichen a moderate amount of wealth, while bestowing the imperial clan surname of Yang on him and conferring him the status of the emperor's grandnephew. Soon afterwards, Emperor Wen made him the governor of Shan Province .<br />
<br />
<a name='Service during Emperor Wen's reign' id='Service during Emperor Wen's reign'></a><h2>Service during Emperor Wen's reign</h2><br />
Yang Yichen was considered to be honest and careful, with military leadership qualities, and Emperor Wen respected him. In 599, when Tujue's Bujia Khan Ashina Dianjue attacked, Yang Yichen was sent to face Tujue forces, and he repelled them. In 600, in conjunction with Shi Wansui the Duke of Taiping, he dealt Ashina Dianjue a major defeat. However, later that year, Shi was executed after false accusations by Yang Su, and Yang Yichen was not rewarded for his contributions. Sometime during Emperor Wen's late reign -- the ''Renshou'' era , Yang Yichen was promoted to be the commandant at Shuo Province .<br />
<br />
<a name='During Emperor Yang's reign' id='During Emperor Yang's reign'></a><h2>During Emperor Yang's reign</h2><br />
In 604, Emperor Wen died -- a death that traditional historians, while admitting a lack of direct evidence, generally believe to be a murder ordered by his son, the Crown Prince. Yang Guang took the throne as Emperor Yang. Soon afterwards, Emperor Yang's younger brother Yang Liang the Prince of Han rose in rebellion at Bing Province . Yang Liang's general Qiao Zhongkui afterwards put Li Jing , the commandant of Dai Province , who remained loyal to Emperor Yang, under siege. Emperor Yang ordered Yang Yichen to try to lift the siege against Li, and Yang Yichen was successful in defeating Qiao. After Yang Liang was defeated and forced to surrender to Yang Su, Yang Yichen was given material rewards and made the governor of Xiang Province. In 607, Emperor Yang recalled him to be the director of imperial clan affairs, and later the director of husbandry affairs.<br />
<br />
In 609, Yang Yichen served as a general in the largely successful campaign against Tuyuhun. In 612, he also served in Emperor Yang's first campaign against Goguryeo, commanding part of the force under Yuwen Shu the Duke of Xu that aimed to penetrate deep into Goguryeo territory, against its capital Pyongyang. While Yang Yichen was personally successful, the campaign was itself a major failure, and as a result, Yang Yichen was removed from his post. However, Emperor Yang soon restored him, and in 613, when Emperor Yang launched a second campaign against Tuyuhun, Yang Yichen again served under Yuwen in an attempt to attack Pyongyang, but when news arrived that Yang Su's son Yang Xuangan had rebelled near the eastern capital Luoyang the campaign was abandoned. Afterwards, with much of Sui territory engulfed in agrarian rebellions, Yang Yichen was sent against the rebel leader Xiang Haiming , who had claimed imperial title near Chang'an, and Yang Yichen defeated Xiang.<br />
<br />
In 616, Emperor Yang sent Yang Yichen against another major rebel leader, Zhang Jincheng , and Yang, after lulling Zhang into a sense of security, defeated him and forced him to flee, allowing another Sui general, Yang Shanhui , to capture and execute Zhang. Yang Yichen then engaged another major rebel leader, Gao Shida , who had claimed the title of Duke of Donghai. Around the new year 617, Gao, going against the advice of his subordinate Dou Jiande, engaged Yang Yichen, and Yang Yichen defeated and killed Gao and nearly captured Dou. However, believing that Dou to not pose a further threat, he did not pursue Dou further.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Emperor Yang and the prime minister Yu Shiji had become suspicious of Yang Yichen after his victories. Emperor Yang summoned Yang Yichen to his then-location at Jiangdu and, ostensibly promoting him, made him the minister of ceremonies, while disbanding his troops. Yang Yichen died soon afterwards.jegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-20942865848503383222008-09-09T22:45:00.005-07:002008-09-09T22:45:22.103-07:00Yuwen Huaji<strong>Yuwen Huaji</strong> was a general of the dynasty Sui Dynasty who, in 618, led a coup against Emperor Yang of Sui, killing him. He subsequently declared Emperor Yang's nephew led Emperor Yang's elite Xiaoguo Army north, but was then repeatedly defeated by Li Mi, Li Shentong , and finally Dou Jiande. Believing that his defeat was near and wanting to be emperor before his ultimate defeat, he poisoned Yang Hao and declared himself the emperor of a Xu state. Dou captured him in 619 and killed him.<br />
<br />
<a name='Background' id='Background'></a><h2>Background</h2><br />
It is not known when Yuwen Huaji was born. He was the oldest son of the Sui Dynasty official Yuwen Shu, a close associate of the Prince of Jin, the son of Sui's founder , and played a large role in helping Yang Guang displacing his older brother Yang Yong as Emperor Wen's crown prince in 600. Thereafter, Yuwen Huaji served as a guard commander for Yang Guang's palace. It was said that he often rode strong horses at a high speed through the streets of the capital Chang'an, holding a sling and shooting stones from the sling, and several times, he was removed from his post for receiving bribes, but each time Yang Guang persuaded Emperor Wen to restore him, and Yang Guang gave a daughter to Yuwen Huaji's brother Yuwen Shiji in marriage.<br />
<br />
In 604, Emperor Wen died -- a death that traditional historians generally believed to be a murder ordered by Yang Guang, although they admitted a lack of direct evidence -- and Yang Guang took the throne as Emperor Yang. He made Yuwen Huaji the deputy minister of husbandry. In 607, Emperor Yang visited Yulin Commandery , and Yuwen Huaji and another brother, Yuwen Zhiji engaged in forbidden trade with Tujue. Emperor Yang was incensed and ordered that they be executed, but at the last minute spared them, formally awarding them to their father Yuwen Shu as slaves.<br />
<br />
In 616, with the northern empire engulfed in agrarian rebellions, Emperor Yang, at Yuwen Shu's suggestion, went to Jiangdu . Yuwen Shu and his sons followed Emperor Yang there, and in winter 616, Yuwen Shu died. Emperor Yang, remembering Yuwen Shu's contributions to him, made Yuwen Huaji a general and returned his brother Yuwen Zhiji to office as well. He also allowed Yuwen Huaji to inherit Yuwen Shu's title of Duke of Xu.<br />
<br />
<a name='Coup against Emperor Yang' id='Coup against Emperor Yang'></a><h2>Coup against Emperor Yang</h2><br />
Emperor Yang, believing that he was well-protected by the elite Xiaoguo Army and not wanting to return to the turbulent north, considered moving the capital to Danyang . Meanwhile, Xiaoguo soldiers were largely from Guanzhong , and they missed their home. Once they saw that Emperor Yang was not intending to return, they considered fleeing. Several Xiaoguo officers -- the chief among whom were Sima Dekan , Pei Qiantong , and Yuan Li -- planned an organized plot to flee. When two of the officers involved in the plot, Yuwen Zhiji's friend Zhao Xinshu and Yuwen Zhiji's nephew Yang Shilan , discussed the plan with Yuwen Zhiji, Yuwen Zhiji opined that if the Xiaoguo soldiers fled, they would surely be chased down and executed; rather, he suggested that they carry out a coup instead. At the suggestion of Zhao and Xue Shiliang , they decided to invite Yuwen Huaji to be their leader. Yuwen Huaji, who was described to be cowardlly, initially panicked when offered the leadership, but eventually accepted.<br />
<br />
In late spring 618, the Xiaoguo officers carried out their plot, and as they were trusted officers, they were able to quickly gain access to the palace. They quickly entered the palace, initially declaring that they were only intending to ask Emperor Yang to return to Chang'an, but soon showed that they intended more by starting to denounce Emperor Yang of his crimes, as well as killing his youngest son Yang Gao the Prince of Zhao. Emperor Yang offered to commit suicide by poison, but poison could not be found quickly, and so one of the officers, Linghu Xingda , strangled him with his scarf as he requested.<br />
<br />
Yuwen Huaji briefly considered declaring Emperor Yang's brother, the former Prince of Shu , emperor, but the other coup leaders opposed the idea, and so Yang Xiu and his sons were put to death, as were Emperor Yang's son the Prince of Qi, Emperor Yang's grandson Yang Tan the Prince of Yan, and other members of the imperial Yang clan. A number of high level officials, including the prime minister Yu Shiji, Pei Yun , Lai Hu'er , Yuan Chong , Yuwen Xie , Yuwen Jiong , and Xiao Ju the Duke of Liang , were also put to death. However, as Emperor Yang's nephew the Prince of Qin was a friend of Yuwen Zhiji, Yuwen Zhiji protected him, and Yang Hao was not killed. Yuwen Huaji also spared two other key officials -- Pei Ju and Su Wei .<br />
<br />
<a name='As regent over Yang Hao' id='As regent over Yang Hao'></a><h2>As regent over Yang Hao</h2><br />
Yuwen Huaji declared himself grand chancellor and effectively served as regent. He issued an edict in Empress Xiao's name, declaring Yang Hao emperor, but did not allow Yang Hao to actually exercise any imperial authorities. He soon gathered Emperor Yang's court, including his concubines and , as well as officials, and began heading back northwest, toward the eastern capital Luoyang, leaving the general Chen Leng in charge at Jiangdu. On the way, the Xiaoguo officers Mai Mengcai , Qian Jie , and Shen Guang tried to carry out a counter-coup to overthrow Yuwen Huaji and to avenge Emperor Yang, but they only succeeded in killing the co-conspirator Yuan Min before they were surrounded and killed.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Yuwen Huaji began to live in luxury, using items and ceremonies only appropriate for emperors. Not willing to abandon Emperor Yang's treasures, he carried them along, at great expense in manpower. Shocked at Yuwen Huaji's conduct, Sima Dekan, Zhao Xingshu, along with several other officers, plotted against Yuwen Huaji, planning to support Sima as leader instead. However, when they secretly asked for support from the nearby agrarian rebel leader Meng Haigong , Meng did not respond quickly, and the plot leaked. Yuwen Huaji sent Yuwen Shiji to arrest Sima. He rebuked Sima:<br />
<br />
:''We have together tried to pacify the empire, and it can be said that we have survived 10,000 deaths. Now that we have accomplished it, it is time for us to share our honors. Why were you plotting against me?''<br />
<br />
Sima responded:<br />
<br />
:''We executed the tyrant because we could not endure his immorality and cruelty, and we supported you. You, instead, are even worse than the tyrant. I was forced into this.''<br />
<br />
Yuwen Huaji then had Sima executed.<br />
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As Yuwen Huaji approached Luoyang, the rebel leader Li Mi, who controlled the region, resisted him. Yuwen Huaji initially could not get past Li, and therefore went to and took over Dong Commandery . Both Li Mi and the Sui officials at Luoyang were apprehensive of Yuwen Huaji's next move, and they, previously enemies, entered into an alliance where Li, previously showing imperial ambitions of his own, accepted a Sui-bestowed title of Duke of Wei and nominally submitted to Yang Tong. Yuwen Huaji made several attacks on Li Mi but could not prevail. Li, knowing that Yuwen Huaji's food supplies were running out, pretended to offer peace to Yuwen, agreeing to supply Yuwen's army with food, but instead planning to withhold food and, once Yuwen's food supplies did run out, attack. Li's plans, however, became known by Yuwen, and he in turn made a surprise attack on Li, nearly killing Li, but Li's general Qin Shubao protected Li from death, and eventually Yuwen was repelled. Yuwen, unable to gain food, headed north away from Li, and Li did not trail him. Many of his soldiers surrendered to Li, but he still had some 20,000 men by this point.<br />
<br />
After Yuwen Huaji reached Wei , his close associate Zhang Kai , who had previously helped him suppress Sima's plot, plotted against him. Yuwen Huaji discovered the plot and executed Zhang and his co-conspirators, but by this point was growing increasingly despondent over the increasing desertions from his rank. He and his brothers often feasted and wept at the feast, and he and Yuwen Zhiji blamed each other for the plot. Yuwen Huaiji, believing that defeat was near, wanted to take imperial title. In fall 618, he therefore poisoned Yang Hao to death and declared himself emperor of the state of Xu.<br />
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<a name='As emperor' id='As emperor'></a><h2>As emperor</h2><br />
In spring 619, Yuwen Huaji attacked Yuan Baozang , a general previously under Li Mi. Yuan surrendered to Tang, and subsequently, the Tang general Li Shentong , in turn attacked Yuwen Huaji. Yuwen Huaji could not resist Li Shentong's attacks and fled east to Liaocheng. Li Shentong trailed him and put Liaocheng under siege.<br />
<br />
Yuwen Huaji then tried to use the treasures he carried to entice other rebel generals into assisting him. Wang Bo accepted, and entered Liaocheng to help defend it. Soon, however, Yuwen Huaji ran out of food and offered to surrender to Li Shentong. Li Shentong's assistant Cui Min'gan suggested that Li Shentong accept the surrender, but Li Shentong, wanting to show off his power and also to seize Yuwen's treasures to award to his soldiers, refused. Meanwhile, Yuwen Huaji had sent Yuwen Shiji out of the city to seek food, and Yuwen Shiji was able to deliver some food supplies to Liaocheng, allowing Yuwen Huaji to recover somewhat, and therefore he withdrew his surrender offer and continued to resist. Li Shentong could not capture the city.<br />
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However, Dou Jiande the Prince of Xia, another rebel leader intent on attacking Yuwen Huaji, soon arrived, forcing Li Shentong to withdraw. Dou put Liaocheng under siege as well, and Wang Bo opened the city gates to welcome Xia forces in. Dou captured Yuwen Huaji and, referring to himself as "your subject" when greeting Empress Xiao, declared a mourning period for Emperor Yang and comforted the Sui officials. He arrested Yuwen Zhiji, Yang Shilan, and several other associates of Yuwen Huaji, executing them publicly. He then delivered Yuwen Huaji and Yuwen Huaji's sons Yuwen Chengji and Yuwen Chengzhi to his base Xiangguo and had them beheaded in public. Before Yuwen Huaji was executed, the only thing he stated was, "I have never done any harm to the Prince of Xia!"<br />
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Yuwen Huaji's brother, Yuwen Shiji, survived and later became an important official of the new Tang Dynasty.<br />
<br />
<a name='Era name' id='Era name'></a><h2>Era name</h2><br />
* ''Tianshou'' 618-619<br />
<br />
<a name='Personal information' id='Personal information'></a><h2>Personal information</h2><br />
* Father<br />
** Yuwen Shu, Sui Dynasty general<br />
* Children<br />
** Yuwen Chengji <br />
** Yuwen Chengzhi <br />
** At least one more sonjegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-22176428430718599052008-09-09T22:45:00.003-07:002008-09-09T22:45:13.115-07:00Yuwen Shu<strong>Yuwen Shu</strong> , courtesy name <strong>Botong</strong> , formally <strong>Duke Gong of Xu</strong> , was an official and general of the dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was a confidant of and was instrumental in Yang Guang's displacement of his brother Yang Yong as crown prince; therefore, after Yang Guang became emperor, Yuwen Shu became exceedingly powerful and was one of two generals who spearheaded Yangdi's efforts in the Goguryeo-Sui Wars. His son Yuwen Huaji later led a coup against Emperor Yang in 618 and, after killing Emperor Yang, briefly claimed imperial title in 619, but was soon captured and killed. Another son of Yuwen Shu, Yuwen Shiji, however, was a friend of Tang Dynasty's founder , and after Li Yuan established Tang remained an influential official.<br />
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<a name='Background' id='Background'></a><h2>Background</h2><br />
Yuwen Shu's ancestors were originally named Poyetou and were ethnically Xianbei. As they became followers of the Yuwen branch of the Xianbei, their names were named to Yuwen. His great-great-grandfather Yuwen Juyudun , great-grandfather Yuwen Changshou , and grandfather Yuwen Gu all served under Northern Wei as army officers at Woye Garrison . Yuwen Shu's father Yuwen Sheng was a general under Northern Zhou and eventually served as the minister of imperial clan affairs, one of the six main ministers under Northern Zhou's six-department governmental structure.<br />
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It is not known when Yuwen Shu was born. When he was young, he became known for his skills at riding and archery. Because of his father's achievements, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou, he was made a mid-level governmental official. He was much favored by Emperor Wu's regent Yuwen Hu, and he became a commander of Yuwen Hu's personal guards. After Emperor Wu killed Yuwen Hu and personally took power in 572, he made Yuwen Shu the deputy minister of imperial clan affairs, and eventually, he was created the Duke of Boling, and then the Duke of Puyang.<br />
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In 580, after the death of Emperor Wu's son and successor , Emperor Xuan's father-in-law seized power as regent, and the general Yuchi Jiong, suspicious of Yang's intentions, rose against him at Xiang Province . Yang sent the general Wei Xiaokuan against Yuchi, and Yuwen served under Wei. He defeated Yuchi's general Li Jun , and later, with other generals, defeated Yuchi's son Yuchi Dun . Eventually, after Wei was victorious over Yuchi Jiong, forcing Yuchi Jiong to commit suicide, Yuwen's title was promoted to Duke of Bao.<br />
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<a name='During Emperor Wen's reign' id='During Emperor Wen's reign'></a><h2>During Emperor Wen's reign</h2><br />
In 681, Yang Jian had Emperor Xuan's young son yield the throne to him, ending Northern Zhou and starting Sui Dynasty as its Emperor Wen. Yuwen Shu served as a general for Sui. In winter 688, when Emperor Wen launched a major attack on rival Chen Dynasty, Yuwen Shu participated in the campaign, and after the generals Han Qinhu and Heruo Bi crossed the Yangtze River to attack the Chen capital Jiankang, Yuwen advanced to the nearby fortress of Shitou to aid Han and Heruo. After Heruo and Han captured Jiankang and the Chen emperor Chen Shubao, the Chen generals Xiao Huan and Xiao Yan were holding out in modern Zhejiang. Yuwen was sent, along with Yan Rong , to attack Xiao Huan and Xiao Yan, and he defeated Xiao Huan and forced Xiao Yan to surrender. After the completion of the campaign, in recognition of his contributions, Emperor Wen gave his son Yuwen Huaji a mid-level governmental post, while making Yuwen Shu himself the commandant at An Province .<br />
<br />
After the campaign against Chen, Emperor Wen's son the Prince of Jin, who was in overall command of the campaign against Chen, became the commandant at Yang Province . Yuwen Shu was friendly with Yang Guang, and Yang Guang, whose ambitions included displacing his older brother Yang Yong the Crown Prince as his father's heir, therefore requested in 600 and received Emperor Wen's approval to have Yuwen's command post moved to Shou Province , closer to Yang Guang's post. At one point, Yang Guang consulted Yuwen Shu as to how he could displace his brother. Yuwen suggested entering an alliance with the powerful official Yang Su -- and forming the relationship with Yang Su through Yang Su's brother and confidant Yang Yue . Yang Guang therefore gave Yuwen much treasure and had him go to the capital Chang'an to try to meet Yang Yue. Yuwen offered some of the treasures pillaged from Chen to Yang Yue, and then also intentionally lost to Yang Yue when the gambled. After he had become sufficiently familiar to Yang Yue, he revealed to Yang Yue that it was Yang Guang's intent to enter into an alliance with Yang Su -- persuading Yang Yue that given that Yang Su did not have a warm relationship with Yang Yong, his family would be in danger if Yang Yong were to succeed Emperor Wen. Yang Yue, in turn, persuaded Yang Su, who subsequently persuaded Emperor Wen and Emperor Wen's wife Empress Dugu Qieluo that Yang Yong should be deposed. Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu agreed, and in 600 Emperor Wen deposed Yang Yong and replaced him with Yang Guang. Yang Guang made Yuwen Shu a commander of his palace guards and gave his daughter, the Princess Nanyang, to Yuwen Shu's son Yuwen Shiji in marriage.<br />
<br />
In 604, while Emperor Wen was ill, Yuwen Shu was one of the guard commanders that Yang Guang summoned to guard Emperor Wen's vacation palace Renshou Palace . Emperor Wen soon died -- a death that traditional historians, while admitting a lack of direct evidence, generally believed to be a murder ordered by Yang Guang. Yang Guang then took the throne as Emperor Yang, and he put Yang Yong to death.<br />
<br />
<a name='During Emperor Yang's reign' id='During Emperor Yang's reign'></a><h2>During Emperor Yang's reign</h2><br />
After Emperor Yang took the throne, Yuwen Shu, as one of his confidants, became more and more powerful, eventually becoming one of the most powerful individuals in the realm; Emperor Yang also elevated his title to Duke of Xu. In 607, Yuwen, in order to allow Yun Dingxing , the father of Yang Yong's favorite concubine Consort Yun, to join Emperor Yang's regime, persuaded Yun that Yang Yong's sons needed to die, and then persuaded Emperor Yang of the same. Emperor Yang poisoned Yang Yong's oldest son , Yang Yan the former Prince of Changning, and exiled Yang Yong's other sons, but eventually had them all killed. It was only after the deaths of Yang Yong's sons that Yuwen was able to recommend Yun to Emperor Yang, who made Yun one of his chief engineers.<br />
<br />
In 607, while Emperor Yang was conducting a tour of the northern border, he arrived at Yulin Commandery . Yuwen Shu's sons Yuwen Huaji and Yuwen Zhiji , who were mid-level officials in Emperor Yang's government, secretly conducted forbidden trade with Tujue. Emperor Yang was incensed and ordered that they be executed, but at the last minute spared them, formally awarding them to their father as slaves.<br />
<br />
In 608, the official Pei Ju persuaded Tiele to attack Tuyuhun, and after Tiele defeated Tuyuhun, Tuyuhun's Bujiabo Khan Murong Fuyun offered to surrender to Sui. Emperor Yang sent his cousin Yang Xiong the Prince of Ande and Yuwen to rendezvous with Murong Fuyun to accept his surrender, but once Yuwen arrived at Linqiang , Murong Fuyun, fearful of the strength of Yuwen's force, changed his mind and fled west, and Yuwen attacked Tuyuhun's trailing people instead, capturing thousands of Tuyuhun's people. Emperor Yang thus established four commanderies over the former Tuyuhun territory.<br />
<br />
In 612, Yuwen Shu participated in Emperor Yang's first campaign against Goguryeo. Emperor Yang's main forces put Goguryeo's key northern city Liaodong under siege , but sent Yuwen with a branch army to head deep south, across the Yalu River, heading directly toward the Goguryeo capital Pyongyang. However, on the way, his army ran out of food supplies and was forced to withdraw, and as it did, Goguryeo forces gave chase and crushed him. When Emperor Yang retreated as well, he put Yuwen under imprisonment, but still remembering his relationship with Yuwen, did not execute him, but reduced him to commoner rank. However, soon he had Yuwen's title restored.<br />
<br />
In 613, Emperor Yang launched his second campaign against Goguryeo -- and again, he himself headed for Liaodong while ordering Yuwen and to head for Pyongyang. In the midst of the campaign, however, news arrived that Yang Su's son Yang Xuangan had rebelled near the eastern capital Luoyang. Emperor Yang was forced to abandon the campaign against Goguryeo, and he sent Yuwen and Qutu Tong ahead of himself, to reinforce the forces near Luoyang against Yang Xuangan. Yuwen, Qutu, and the generals defeated Yang Xuangan, and Yang Xuangan fled west, intending to attack Chang'an. Yuwen, Qutu, Wei Wensheng and Lai Hu'er gave chase, catching up with Yang Xuangan at Hongnong and dealt him a final crushing blow. Yang Xuangan tried to flee further, but knowing that he could not escape, had his brother Yang Jishan kill him. Pursuant to Yuwen's suggestions, Emperor Yang had Yang Jishan and Yang Xuangan's strategist Wei Fusi put to death in cruel manner.<br />
<br />
In 615, Yuwen was involved in a major massacre of a noble clan. While Yuwen was still Emperor Yang's guard commander when Emperor Yang was crown prince, Li Hun the son of the senior noble Li Mu the Duke of Shen, who had died in 586, had become angry at his nephew Li Yun , who had inherited the title of Duke of Shen, and he had Li Yun assassinated, while framing his cousin Li Jutan for the murder and had Li Jutan executed. He then bribed Yuwen, his brother-in-law, with a promise that if he were allowed to inherit the ducal title, he would give Yuwen half of the stipend received from the fief. Yuwen persuaded the Crown Prince to in turn persuade Emperor Wen to agree, so Li Hun inherited the title. However, after Li Hun received the title, he only paid the bribe for two years and then stopped. Yuwen, resentful of Li Hun's broken promise, planned his revenge. By 615, there had been rumors throughout Sui territory that the next emperor would be named Li. Emperor Yang therefore particularly became suspicious of Li Hun's nephew Li Min , the husband of his sister 's daughter Yuwen Eying , because Li Min's nickname was "Hong'er" , meaning "son of a flood," and Emperor Wen had long ago dreamed that a flood would overflow the capital. Emperor Yang therefore tried to hint to Li Min that he should commit suicide, but Li Min did not. Yuwen Shu then had the official Pei Renji falsely accuse Li Hun of plotting treason. Emperor Yang put Yuwen Shu in charge of the investigation, and Yuwen Shu manufactured evidence, particularly persuading Yuwen Eying that Emperor Yang would have the Lis executed anyway, and that she should save herself. Yuwen Eying thus wrote a confession implicating both Li Hun and Li Min. Li Hun, Li Min, and 32 of their clansmen were executed, and their other relatives were exiled. Several months later, Yuwen Eying was also poisoned.<br />
<br />
In fall 615, while Yuwen accompanied Emperor Yang on a tour of the northern provinces, Tujue's Shibi Khan Ashina Duojishi made a surprise attack and put Emperor Yang's train under siege at Yanmen . Yuwen suggested Emperor Yang select a few thousand cavalry soldiers to make a counterattack to break out of the siege, but Su Wei and Fan Zigai persuaded Emperor Yang otherwise. Rather, at the suggestion of Emperor Yang's brother-in-law Xiao Yu, Emperor Yang sought aid from the Princess Yicheng -- Ashina Duojishi's wife and a Sui princess. Princess Yicheng falsely reported to Ashina Duojishi that Tujue was under attack from the north, and so Ashina Duojishi withdrew. Su subsequently suggested to Emperor Yang that he return to Chang'an, but at Yuwen's suggestion, Emperor Yang went to Luoyang instead.<br />
<br />
In fall 616, while Emperor Yang was inquiring about the status of agrarian rebellions , Yuwen, in order to placate him, informed him that the rebellions had largely been suppressed. Su, however, truthfully informed Emperor Yang that the rebellions were causing major problems for Sui rule. Emperor Yang, not happy about the news, soon considered putting Su to death, but eventually only reduced Su to commoner rank.<br />
<br />
Soon thereafter, seeing that Emperor Yang wanted to go back to Jiangdu, the capital of Yang Province, Yuwen formally suggested that he does so, and Emperor Yang agreed. Yuwen followed Emperor Yang there, and became ill at Jiangdu. He died in winter 616. Pursuant to his dying wishes, Emperor Yang pardoned Yuwen Huaji and Yuwen Zhiji, returning them to governmental service.jegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-78034983161374590112008-09-09T22:45:00.001-07:002008-09-09T22:45:05.484-07:00Zhu Can<strong>Zhu Can</strong> was an agrarian rebel leader during the disintegration of the dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was particularly noted for his cruelty and his penchant for favoring cannibalism, and he, while not having a set base of operation, generally roved with his army in the modern southern Henan area, claiming for himself the title of Emperor of Chu. He also at times submitted to Li Mi the Duke of Wei, the Sui emperor Yang Tong, Emperor Gaozu of Tang, and Wang Shichong the Emperor of Zheng. After finally breaking with Tang, he fled to the Zheng capital Luoyang, and after Luoyang fell to Tang in 621, he was executed.<br />
<br />
<a name='Initial uprising' id='Initial uprising'></a><h2>Initial uprising</h2><br />
Zhu Can was from Bo Province , and he was initially a minor official with his local county government. He joined the military when men were sought to combat the agrarian rebels at Changbai Mountain , but in or before 615 he defected and led a group of rebels himself, which became known as the Kedahan Bandits . He declared himself the Prince of Jialouluo , and he eventually crossed the Huai River south to attack the various commanderies of modern southern Henan, northern Hubei, and southern Shaanxi. It was said that Zhu was very cruel, and that wherever he went, he often massacred the population.<br />
<br />
<a name='Vacillation between independence and submission to various contenders' id='Vacillation between independence and submission to various contenders'></a><h2>Vacillation between independence and submission to various contenders</h2><br />
Although Zhu claimed for himself a princely title, he was also communicating with other rebel leaders, and in 617, he sent messengers to submit to Li Mi the Duke of Wei, who was then trying to capture the Sui eastern capital Luoyang. Li created him the Duke of Deng. In winter 617, he suffered a defeat at the hands of Li Xiaogong , the son of a cousin of the Prince of Tang , but Li Xiaogong spared his soldiers.<br />
<br />
In spring 618, after Li Mi achieved a great victory over the Sui general Wang Shichong, Zhu was one of the agrarian leaders who sent messengers to Li Mi, urging him to take imperial title, but Li Mi declined. Meanwhile, he continued to roam in southern Henan, despite defeats by Li Yuan's generals Ma Yuangui and Zhou Chao .<br />
<br />
In fall 618, after Li Mi was defeated by Wang and submitted to Li Yuan , Zhu sent messengers to nominally submit to Emperor Yang's grandson Yang Tong, who had been declared emperor at Luoyang but who by this point was under Wang's control. Yang Tong created Zhu the Prince of Chu.<br />
<br />
In winter 618, the Tang generals Ma Yuangui and Lü Zizang again defeated Zhu, but when Lü suggested making one final assault against Zhu, Ma disagreed, and Zhu was able to regroup. He declared himself the Emperor of Chu, and put Ma and Lü under siege at Nanyang , capturing the city and killing Ma. Lü died in the siege.<br />
<br />
It was said that, at this point, Zhu had some 200,000 men, and he roamed in the region, capturing cities and taking their food storage. Even before he finished consuming the food, however, he would leave, and before doing so would burn the remaining food. As a result, people in the region suffered from starvation. Eventually, food supplies in the region ran low, as Zhu's troops also did not plant crops or grow them. Zhu then encouraged his soldiers to eat women and infants, stating, "Human flesh is the most delicious flesh. As long as there are people around, we need not worry about hunger." He also ordered the cities under his control to deliver old people and children to his camps to be consumed. The cities could not accept these orders and rebelled against him. In spring 619, Yang Shilin and Tian Zan , leaders of the gentry at Huai'an , attacked him, and the other cities joined them. They defeated Zhu, who then gathered his remaining troops and fled to Jutan . He subsequently sent messengers to submit to Tang. Emperor Gaozu created him the Prince of Chu, and subsequently sent his official Duan Que to greet Zhu.<br />
<br />
<a name='Defeat and death' id='Defeat and death'></a><h2>Defeat and death</h2><br />
Duan Que, who was known for binge drinking, arrived in Jutan in summer 619. One day, after a feast where both he and Zhu Can were drunk, Duan, intending to insult Zhu, asked, "I heard that you liked to eat human flesh. What does human flesh taste like?" Zhu responded, "An alcoholic human's flesh tastes like wine-marinated pork." Duan, insulted by the response, cursed Zhu, "You bandit! Once you get to the capital , you will be just a slave; how can you commit cannibalism then?" Zhu responded by arresting Duan and his followers, cooking them and eating their flesh. After he woke from his drunkenness, however, he realized that he had effectively broken with Tang, and he fled to Luoyang, where Wang Shichong made him a general. He continued to serve Wang after Wang seized the throne from Yang Tong later that year, ending Sui and establishing a new state of Zheng.<br />
<br />
In 620, Tang's emperor Gaozu commissioned his son to attack Zheng, and by 621, Wang was forced to surrender. Li Shimin spared Wang, but put a number of his high level officials, including Zhu, to death. It was said that the people of Luoyang despised Zhu for his cruelty, and after his death threw rocks at his body in such great numbers that they soon piled up like a tomb.<br />
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<a name='Era name' id='Era name'></a><h2>Era name</h2><br />
* ''Changda'' 618-619jegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-84616494474822295332008-09-09T22:44:00.011-07:002008-09-09T22:44:56.859-07:00Dou Jiande<strong>Dou Jiande</strong> was a leader of the agrarian rebels who rose against the rule of Emperor Yang of Sui near the end of the dynasty Sui Dynasty. Generally considered the kindest and most able of the agrarian rebel leaders of the time, he was eventually able to capture the modern Hebei region and declare himself initially the Prince of Changle, and then the Prince of Xia. In 621, when the Tang Dynasty general attacked Wang Shichong the Emperor of Zheng, who ruled the modern Henan region, Dou believed that if Tang were able to destroy Zheng, his own Xia state would suffer the same fate, and therefore went to Wang's aid, against the advice of his strategist Ling Jing and his wife . Li defeated him at the Battle of Hulao, capturing him. Li's father Emperor Gaozu of Tang subsequently put Dou to death. Xia territory was briefly seized by Tang, but soon Dou's general Liu Heita rose against Tang rule, recapturing Dou's territory, and held out against Tang until 623.<br />
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<a name='Initial uprising and service under Gao Shida' id='Initial uprising and service under Gao Shida'></a><h2>Initial uprising and service under Gao Shida</h2><br />
Dou Jiande was born in 573, when his birth area Zhangnan County was under the rule of Northern Qi, although subsequently it came under the rule of Northern Zhou and then Sui Dynasty. It was said that in his youth, his honesty and willingness to help others made him well-known in his home territory. In particular, once, when a man from his county lost his parents but was too poor to give his parents a proper burial, Dou was tilling in the fields, but he dropped his tilling and immediately went to help the man bury his parents, and after this incident he became particularly praised among the people. For a while, he served as the leader of the neighborhood, but after he was accused of crimes, he fled, returning home only after a general pardon. When his father died, more than a thousand people attended the funeral, and Dou refused all gifts given him for the funeral.<br />
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In 611, when Emperor Yang of Sui was conscripting men for his campaign against Goguryeo, Dou was conscripted and selected to be the commander of 200 men. During those times, there were floods afflicting the region east of the Taihang Mountains. One of the men from Dou's home county, Sun Anzu , whose house had recently been destroyed in the flood and whose wife had starved to death, was also conscripted. Sun tried to obtain an exemption from conscription, but the county magistrate, in anger, whipped him. Sun assassinated the county magistrate and fled to Dou's home, where Dou hid him. As the region was afflicted with a famine in the aftermaths of the foods, Dou told Sun:<br />
<br />
:''During the reign of , the empire was prosperous and wealthy, and he collected a million men to attack Goguryeo but was nevertheless defeated. Now we are facing floods and poverty, and people were not returning from repeated conscriptions and not recovering. The emperor does not care about these things, but instead personally leads the army against Goguryeo. The empire will surely be in great disturbance soon. A man who escapes death should do great things. How can you stay here and be a fleeing felon?''<br />
<br />
He therefore gathered several hundred men of the region and gave them to Sun to lead, to become bandits at the nearby Gaoji Pond . Meanwhile, there were other bands of bandits in the same commandery, Qinghe , led by Zhang Jincheng and Gao Shida . The bandits knew Dou's reputaiton and were not pillaging his home. The county magistrates of Dou's and nearby counties thus suspected Dou of conspiring with the bandits, and once, when Dou happened to be away from home, they ambushed Dou's house and slaughtered his family. Dou took 200 men and fled to Gao, who claimed the title Duke of Donghai and made Dou a general. Soon, Zhang killed Sun, and Sun's men largely fled to Dou. Dou become the commander of an army of more than 10,000 men. It was said at this time that Dou was open to other opinions, and he shared both the spoils and the labors with his soldiers, and therefore his soldiers were willing to fight and die for him.<br />
<br />
In 616, Guo Xuan the governor of Zhuo Commandery led a Sui army against Gao. Gao realized that he was not as capable as Dou, so he promoted Dou to the leader of his army. Dou asked Gao to safeguard their homebase, and then led 7,000 men against Guo, pretending to be betraying Gao and surrendering, particularly having Gao publicly execute a woman that Gao claimed to be Dou's wife. Guo, not suspecting Dou, proceeded at once to join Dou, planning to attack Gao together. Dou ambushed and killed him, seizing his army and horses. Thereafter, Dou became even more famous.<br />
<br />
Later that year, one of the most capable Sui generals, , defeated Zhang and slaughtered his troops. The survivors fled to Dou. Yang then followed up by attacking Gao. Dou, advising Gao not to engage Yang directly, stated:<br />
<br />
:''Among Sui generals, none is more capable than Yang Yichen. He had just defeated Zhang Jincheng and is now attacking us, and he is difficult to resist right now. Please avoid him and let him wait and be unable to engage us. Once his soldiers are tired, we will ambush him and achieve a great victory. If you fight him now, I am afraid that you, Duke, will not be able to defeat him.''<br />
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Gao disagreed, and, leaving Dou in charge of the base, engaged Yang. Gao achieved initially success against Yang, and became arrogant, feasting on the battlefield. When Dou heard this, he, in surprise, stated, "The Duke of Donghai has not yet defeated the enemy but has become arrogant. A disaster will happen soon. After the Sui victory, they will attack here as well, and I am afraid we will not be spared." Several days later, Yang defeated Gao and killed him on the battlefield. He then attacked Dou, whose army collapsed. Dou fled, and Yang, not believing that he would be able to accomplish much, withdrew. Dou returned and gathered the remnants of Gao's army, and he publicly observed a mourning period for Gao. After his army had recovered somewhat, he claimed the title of general, and he began to capture territory around him. It was said that the rebels had hated Sui officials so much that they largely slaughtered Sui officials whenever they could find those officials. However, Dou did not do so, and treated Sui officials and scholars kindly, and therefore at times Sui officials would even surrender their cities to him. He soon had more than 100,000 soldiers under his command.<br />
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<a name='Nominal submission to Li Mi and Yang Tong' id='Nominal submission to Li Mi and Yang Tong'></a><h2>Nominal submission to Li Mi and Yang Tong</h2><br />
In spring 617, Dou claimed the title of Prince of Changle and also changed the era name that his followers used, from Emperor Yang's ''Daye'' to ''Dingchou'' , thus subtly signifying an official break from Sui.<br />
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In fall 617, at Emperor Yang's orders, the general Xue Shixiong , who was in charged of defending Zhuo Commandery, led his 30,000 men south, intending to attack Li Mi -- then generally recognized as the strongest rebel leader. As Xue went through Hejian Commandery , near Dou's holdings, Dou's army became fearful and fled. Xue thus took no further precautions, believing Dou to pose no further threat. Dou instead planned a surprise attack, leading 280 of his best soldiers personally as the forward assault force at night while having the rest of his men trail. He made an agreement with them -- that if they reached Xue's camp at night, they would make a surprise attack, but if it was already the day by the time that they arrived, they would surrender. The sun rose when Dou was almost at Xue's camp, and Dou, fearful that he would be crushed by Xue, discussed with his men whether to surrender. Suddenly, a thick fog descended over the scene, and Dou gladly stated, "The Heavens are helping us!" He then made a surprise attack on Xue's camp, causing Xue's army to panick and collapse. Xue fled back to Zhuo Commandery with less than 100 men, and died in anger there. Meanwhile, Dou continued to expand but, knowing that Li, then occupying modern central and eastern Henan, had the stronger army, he sent messengers to nominally submit to Li. In spring 618, after Li had a major victory over the Sui general Wang Shichong, whom Emperor Yang had sent from Jiangdu to aid the eastern capital Luoyang, Dou, along with several other rebel leaders, sent a submission to Li, then carrying the self-declared title of Duke of Wei, urging him to take imperial title. Li declined. Meanwhile, Li's subordinate Fang Yanzao wrote Dou, inviting Dou to meet Li to show his loyalty. Dou wrote back in humble and polite terms, but declined with the excuse that he needed to defend an attack from Luo Yi from the north. <br />
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Soon, news arrived from Jiangdu that Emperor Yang had been killed in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji. The Sui official Wang Cong , who had held out against Dou at Hejian, observed a mourning period for Emperor Yang, and Dou, in response, sent a messenger to Wang to express condolences. Wang then surrendered to Dou. As Wang had previously had several victories over Dou's soldiers, Dou's soldiers wanted Wang put to death, but Dou pointed out that Wang's faithfulness to Sui should be rewarded, and therefore made Wang a prefectural prefect. A number of other Sui commanderies also surrendered to him. He then began to organize his staff into a governmental structure, and he set his capital at Leshou . In winter 618, after five large birds appeared at Leshou, with an assortment of over 10,000 small birds, and later left, Dou, believing them to be ''fenghuang'' , changed his era name to ''Wufeng'' . Further, at the suggestion of his officials Song Zhengben and Kong Deshao , he changed his title to Prince of Xia. Also at this time, Dou surprised and killed another major rebel leader, Wei Dao'er , who had claimed the title of Emperor of Wei, seizing Wei's forces. He also sent messengers to Luo, trying to persuade Luo to submit. Luo, believing both Dou and Gao Kaidao to be simply bandits, instead submitted to Tang. Dou led his forces against Luo, but could not capture Luo's base at You Prefecture and had to withdraw.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Yuwen, after killing Emperor Yang, had advanced north with Sui's elite Xiaoguo Army , and he had, after first declaring Emperor Yang's nephew emperor and then poisoned Yang Hao and been several times defeated by Li Mi and then the Tang general Li Shentong , declared himself Emperor of Xu and settled in at Liaocheng . In spring 619, Dou proclaimed, "I was a Sui subject, and the Sui emperor was my lord. Yuwen Huaji killed my lord, and is therefore my enemy, and I must attack him." He therefore marched on to Liaocheng. Yuwen engaged him outside the city, and Dou defeated him repeatedly, forcing him back into Liaocheng to defend it. Dou put Liaocheng under siege, and the rebel leader Wang Bo , whom Yuwen had enticed with treasure to help defend the city, opened the city gates and welcomed Dou in. Dou captured Yuwen and formally greeted Emperor Yang's wife , referring to himself as "your subject." He then carried out a mourning period for Emperor Yang while comforting the Sui officials that had been forced to follow Yuwen. He then executed Yuwen and several of his key associates. He disbanded the large group of Emperor Yang's that Yuwen had brought along, and disbanded the Xiaoguo Army as well. The ''Book of Tang'', while written from Tang's standpoint, praised Dou in this way in the aftermaths of the battle:<br />
<br />
:''Every time that Dou Jiande was successful in battle or in capturing a city, the treasures he received were all divided for the soldiers, and he did not personally take anything. His daily life was frugal and simple. He did not feast on meat, instead eating vegetables and unrefined grain. His wife wore only cloth, not silk, and had less than 100 servant girls.''<br />
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After this victory, Dou made peace with Wang Shichong and nominally submitted to Yang Tong, the grandson of Emperor Yang who claimed Sui's imperial title at Luoyang after Emperor Yang's death . Yang Tong, in accordance with Dou's own title, created him the Prince of Xia. Meanwhile, Dou incorporated many key Sui officials into his government, particularly entrusting Pei Ju with reorganizing his government in the form of an imperial one.<br />
<br />
<a name='Independent reign as Prince of Xia' id='Independent reign as Prince of Xia'></a><h2>Independent reign as Prince of Xia</h2><br />
In summer 619, Wang Shichong had Yang Tong yield the throne to him, ending Sui and establishing a new state of Zheng. In response, Dou cut off relations with Wang, and began to take on imperial style in his edicts and ceremonies, although he was still using the title of Prince of Xia and not emperor. He created Emperor Yang's infant grandson Yang Zhengdao the Duke of Xun, and gave Emperor Yang the posthumous name of Min. He entered into an alliance with Eastern Tujue's Shibi Khan Ashina Duojishi, and at the request of Ashina Duojishi's wife, Sui's Princess Yicheng, he delivered Empress Xiao and Yang Zhengdao, as well as the head of Yuwen Huaji, to her. Meanwhile, with certain prefectures north of the Yellow River having submitted to either Tang or Zheng, he carried out a campaign to capture them over the next several months, and was largely successful. By fall 619, Li Shentong, responsible for the Tang operations in the area, had been forced to withdraw to Liyang , to join forces with another Tang general, Li Shiji . In winter 619, while proceeding toward Wei Prefecture , he was ambushed by Li Shiji, and, in anger, he attacked Liyang, capturing it as well as Li Shentong, Li Shiji's father Li Gai , Wei Zheng, and Emperor Gaozu's sister Princess Tong'an. Li Shiji was able to escape, but several days later returned and surrendered to Dou, because Dou had captured Li Gai. Dou made Wei Zheng a staff member, while still letting Li Shiji guard Liyang, but holding Li Gai as hostage, as well as Li Shentong and Princess Tong'an, but treating them with respect and care. He moved his capital from Leshou to Ming Prefecture . By this point, the territory north of the Yellow River and east of the Taihang Mountains were largely his, save for those under the control of Luo Yi and Gao Kaidao.<br />
<br />
In winter 619, Li Shiji considered fleeing to Tang territory, but was fearful that Dou would execute his father Li Gai, and therefore attacked Zheng to gain Dou's trust. In one of the battles against Zheng, Li captured the Zheng army officer Liu Heita, whom Dou was impressed with and created the Duke of Handong. Liu became a trusted general of Dou's, and was often in charge of making surprise attacks and conducting surveillance missions. Around the new year 620, Li Shiji further suggested to Dou that they should attack Cao and Dai Prefectures , then controlled by the agrarian leader Meng Haigong and nominally submitting to Zheng. Li Shiji was planning to ambush Dou as soon as he crossed the Yellow River, but Dou was delayed by Empress Cao's giving birth. Meanwhile, Li Shiji's ally Li Shanghu could not wait, and ambushed Empress Cao's brother Cao Dan , but was not able to kill Cao. Li Shiji, hearing the news, fled to Tang territory. When the Xia officials requested that Li Gai be executed, however, Dou stated, "Li Shiji was a Tang subject whom we captured, and he did not forget his former lord. He is a faithful man. What crime has his father committed?" He thus spared Li Gai. He soon defeated and killed Li Shanghu. It was described that by this point, Dou was encouraging his people to farm, and that his realm was peaceful, without banditry, and that merchants and travelers were comfortable enough to spend the night in the wilderness.<br />
<br />
In summer 620, Dou made another attack on Li Yi, but again could not capture You Prefecture. Meanwhile, his general Wang Fubao , one of his most capable generals, were being despised by other generals jealous of his talent. They therefore falsely accused him of treason, and Dou executed him. It was said that thereafter, Dou began to suffer more and more military defeats.<br />
<br />
In fall 620, Tang's Emperor Gaozu sought peace with Xia. Dou agreed to the peace proposal, and sent Princess Tong'an back to Tang, although he continued to hold Li Shentong. In winter 620, he made another attack on Li Yi but again failed to capture You Prefecture. Also around this time, Ashina Duojishi's brother and successor, the Chuluo Khan Ashina Qilifu planned a major assault on Tang, and as part of the plan, he requested Dou to cross the Taihang Mountains and meet him at Jin and Jiang Prefectures, but Ashina Qilifu soon died and did not carry out the campaign. At the same time, Dou also executed Song, who often gave Dou honest and valid criticism, after false accusations, and it was said that thereafter no one dared to criticise Dou further, and that Dou's governance began to suffer because of it.<br />
<br />
In spring 621, Dou defeated Meng Haigong and captured him, keeping him as a general.<br />
<br />
<a name='Defeat and death' id='Defeat and death'></a><h2>Defeat and death</h2><br />
<br />
Meanwhile, around the same time, the Tang general was leading a major attack on Zheng's capital Luoyang. Wang Shichong, unable to fend off the attack by himself, sought aid from Dou Jiande, even though Xia and Zheng had previously had a poor relationship. Dou's official Liu Bin suggested that he aid Zheng, reasoning that if Tang destroyed Zheng, Xia would be under Tang's threat thereafter -- and that if he were victorious, he could then consider seizing Zheng territory. Dou agreed and sent messengers to Wang, promising support, while sending his official Li Dashi to Li Shimin, requesting that he end his campaign against Luoyang. Li Shimin, however, detained Li Dashi and did not respond.<br />
<br />
Dou then merged the troops from Meng Haigong and Xu Yuanlang and headed from Meng's headquarters at Cao Prefecture toward Luoyang, joining forces with the Zheng general Guo Shiheng , and he defeated several cities held by Tang. He notified Wang that the Xia forces were on the way, and also wrote Li Shimin to again request Li Shimin to withdraw and return the seized land to Zheng. When Li Shimin discussed this proposal with his generals, most believed that they should avoid Dou, but Guo Xiaoke disagreed, believing that this was a good chance to destroy both Wang and Dou. He suggested for Li Shimin to proceed to Hulao Pass, east of Luoyang, and defend it against the coming Dou attack. Li Shimin agreed. He left his brother Li Yuanji and the general Qutu Tong at Luoyang, continuing the siege, while proceeding to Hulao himself. Wang saw Li Shimin's troop movement, but not sure what Li Shimin was intending to do, took no action.<br />
<br />
Li Shimin's forces quickly engaged some of Dou's forward forces, and Tang forces initially prevailed. Li Shimin then wrote to Dou, trying to persuade him to end his attempt to save Wang, but Dou persisted and proceeded to Hulao himself. The armies then stalemated at Hulao. Dou's strategist Ling Jing suggested that instead of heading to Zheng's capital Luoyang, which Li was sieging, that he attack Tang's Fen and Jin Prefectures and be poised to further attack Tang's capital Chang'an in order to seize Tang territory as well as force Li to give up the siege on Luoyang. However, Wang's emissaries Wang Wan and Zhangsun Anshi persuaded Dou that Luoyang was about to fall and needed his aid immediately, and so Dou headed for Luoyang. When Empress Cao heard this, she tried to persuade Dou to accept Ling's plan, stating:<br />
<br />
:''The strategy of the Secretary General must be accepted, and I do not understand why Your Royal Highness would not accept it. Your Royal Highness should enter through Fukou into Tang's weak spot. Connect your camps and capture the area north of the Taihang Mountains. This, combined with Tujue's pillages against Guanzhong , will force Tang forces to withdraw to save themselves. Why worry that you cannot lift the siege on Luoyang? If you remain here, the officers and the soldiers will all be tired, and you will spend much material, and you will not be successful.''<br />
<br />
Dou, however, responded:<br />
<br />
:''You women will not understand this. We came to save Luoyang, which is in dire straits and about to fall. If we abandon it and leave, we show that we are fearful of the enemy and turning our back on faith and righteousness. I cannot do this.''<br />
<br />
On one day in summer 621, Dou launched an all-out attack on Hulao, but Li Shimin, wanting to wear him out, declined his challenge, and later during the day, after the Xia soldiers had become tired, Li Shimin launched his counterattack. The Xia forces panicked and collapsed. Dou was wounded by a spear, but still fled, but when he reached the Yellow River, intending to cross, he suddenly fell off his horse. The Tang generals Bai Shirang and Yang Wuwei , who were chasing him, captured him and took him back to Li Shimin. Li Shimin rebuked him, "I was only attacking Wang Shichong. What have I done to you that you come out of your own realm and to interfere with me?" Dou responded sarcastically, "If I did not come, I would have required you to extend your campaign." Empress Cao and the Xia official Qi Shanshing fled back to Ming Prefecture.<br />
<br />
Li Shimin took Dou, Wang Wan, and Zhangsun to Luoyang and displayed them to Wang Shichong. Wang Shichong considered fighting his way out of the siege and fleeing to Xiangyang , but his generals pointed out that they needed Dou's support, and now that Dou was captured, there was little else to do. Wang Shichong therefore surrendered Luoyang to Li Shimin. The cities in both Zheng and Xia territory largely surrendered to Tang.<br />
<br />
Li Shimin took Dou and Wang Shichong back to the capital Chang'an to present to his father Emperor Gaozu. Emperor Gaozu spared Wang Shichong, but publicly executed Dou. When Dou's generals, who had already previously surrendered or hid themselves in the countryside, heard about Dou's death, they rebelled under the leadership of Liu Heita, who publicly mourned Dou and was eventually able to take back all of Xia territory, but eventually was defeated first by Li Shimin and then by Li Shimin's older brother Li Jiancheng and killed in 623.<br />
<br />
Liu Xu, the lead editor of the ''Book of Tang'' who, despite his writing the work during was writing from a Tang perspective, nevertheless commented:<br />
<br />
:''Dou Jiande's faithfulness and righteousness made the people respect him. He used his might to occupy the area north of the Yellow River. He trained and commanded soldiers and gathered talented and intelligent men. He cut off relations with Wang Shichong and executed Yuwen Huaji. He spared Xu Gai, and he released Li Shentong. He was careful and dexterious, understanding and decisive, and his regime appeared to be on the rise. However, later on Song Zhengben and Wang Fubao were executed for false accusations, and the grand strategy submitted by Ling Jing and Lady Cao were not accepted. He finally fell and did not have a good result. That is because Heaven already showed its favor elsewhere, but also because his own strategies were not perfect.''<br />
<br />
<a name='Era names' id='Era names'></a><h2>Era names</h2><br />
* ''Dingchou'' 617-618<br />
* ''Wufeng'' 618-621jegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-82222008102067876802008-09-09T22:44:00.009-07:002008-09-09T22:44:48.063-07:00Du Fuwei<strong>Du Fuwei</strong> , known during service to Tang Dynasty as <strong>Li Fuwei</strong> , was an agrarian leader who rose against the rule of Emperor Yang of Sui at the end of the dynasty Sui Dynasty. At one point, he had ambitions to take over the region south of the Yangtze River for himself, but he later chose to submit to Tang, receiving the title of Prince of Wu. In 622, fearing that Emperor Gaozu of Tang might doubt his loyalty, he went to the Tang capital Chang'an to pay homage to Emperor Gaozu and stayed at Chang'an. In 624, his general Fu Gongshi rose against Tang rule, claiming to have his blessing, and he subsequently died at Chang'an unexpectedly; after Fu's defeat, Emperor Gaozu, believing him to be complicit with Fu's rebellion, posthumously stripped his honors and made his wife and children servants. After Emperor Gaozu's son became emperor in 626 , he knew that Du had not been complicit in Fu's plot, and therefore posthumously restored his honors and reburied him accordingly.<br />
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<a name='Initial uprising' id='Initial uprising'></a><h2>Initial uprising</h2><br />
Du Fuwei was from Qi Province . He was said to be a free-spirit in his youth and uninterested in making a living, and his best friend Fu Gongshi often stole sheep from Fu's uncle to give to Du, causing both of them to come to the attention of the police. They fled, and they became agrarian rebels against Sui Dynasty rule. At that time -- in or briefly before 613 -- Du was 15. On account of his bravery -- it was said that whenever the rebels were engaging in battles, Du always went first, and whenever they withdrew, he was always last. There was another rebel leader in the region, Miao Haichao , and Du sent Fu to tell Miao:<br />
<br />
:''We all rose because we could not endure Sui's cruel rule, and we rose in righteousness. Because our strengths are divided, I often fear that we will be captured. If we combine our troops, we will be strong enough to resist Sui forces. If you believe yourself to be strong enough to be the leader, I will submit. If you believe that you cannot, accept my command. Otherwise, we shall settle this issue in a battle.''<br />
<br />
In fear, Miao submitted to him. Du combined their forces and headed south across the Huai River, declaring himself general. The Sui general Song Hao attacked him. Du pretended to be defeated and trapped Sui forces in a marsh, and then set fire to the marsh plants, killing much of the Sui troops by fire. He soon also killed another rebel leader, Zhao Pozhen , and took over Zhao's troops. Another rebel leader, Li Zitong, joined him in 615, but soon tried to assassinate him. He was seriously wounded, but he was saved by his subordinate Wang Xiongdan . Subsequently, he was also attacked and defeated by the Sui general Lai Zheng , and he barely escaped due to the efforts of Wang and one Lady Wang, the wife of his subordinate Ximen Junyi . Du's forces collapsed, but he was soon able to regroup.<br />
<br />
Around this time as well, Du selected 30-odd particularly fierce warriors among his soldiers, and he adopted them as sons, even though he himself was only 17 years old at this point and therefore could not have been much, if at all, older than they were -- the first recorded instance in Chinese history of such actions to create familial relations among military men. The most able among these adopted sons were Wang Xiongdan and Kan Leng . As Du and Fu were best friends who referred to each other as brother, the army, in addition to referring to Du as "father," also referred to Fu as "uncle."<br />
<br />
<a name='Struggle for control of lower Yangtze region' id='Struggle for control of lower Yangtze region'></a><h2>Struggle for control of lower Yangtze region</h2><br />
By fall 616, Du had settled in at Liuhe . Fellow rebel leaders Li Zitong and Zuo Xiangcai were also nearby, and Emperor Yang of Sui, then at Jiangdu , sent his general Chen Leng against them. Initially, Chen enjoyed some successes against them, but in spring 617, Du intentionally enraged Chen by sending Chen women clothes and referring to him as "Grandmother Chen" -- a tactic employed by Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms era against Sima Yi -- causing Chen to attack him prematurely with insufficient preparation, and he defeated Chen, who barely escaped with his life. Du then captured Gaoyou and then Liyang , making Liyang his headquarters and declaring himself the commandant of Liyang. He thereafter gathered more troops among the local rebels.<br />
<br />
Around this time, Du selected 5,000 elite soldiers and called them the ''Shangmu'' , giving them special privileges. Whenever there were battles, the Shangmu would battle first, and after the battle, he would examine their backs; if anyone had wounds on his back, Du would execute him, believing him to have retreated. Du himself did not gather wealth, but gave the plunder to the soldiers. If a soldier died in battle, Du would force the soldier's wife and concubines to die as well and then bury them together. It was said that these actions inspired his soldiers to fight hard and appreciate him.<br />
<br />
In spring 618, Emperor Yang was killed in a coup led by his general Yuwen Huaji. Yuwen declared Emperor Yang's nephew emperor and soon abandoned Jiangdu, heading north back toward the eastern capital Luoyang, where Emperor Yang's grandson Yang Tong was declared emperor by a group of Sui officials. Before Yuwen departed Jiangdu, he sent messengers to Du, commissioning Du as the governor of Liyang Commandery. Du refused the commission, instead offering submission to Yang Tong. Yang Tong commissioned Du as the grand commandant of the eastern forces and created him the Prince of Chu.<br />
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Meanwhile, Du was contending for the control of the region with Chen Leng, who took over Jiangdu after Yuwen's departure; Li Zitong, then at Hailing ; and Shen Faxing, then at Piling and who claimed the title of Prince of Liang. In fall 619, Li was sieging Chen at Jiangling, and Chen sought help from both Shen and Du. Shen sent his son Shen Guan with an army to assist Chen, along with Du. However, Li tricked Shen Guan and Du into attacking each other, and neither was able to assist Chen. Li was able to capture Jiangdu, and then defeated Shen Guan in battle. Both Shen Guan and Du withdrew, and Li took over the Jiangdu region. Li declared himself the Emperor of Wu. With Yang Tong's regime having fallen earlier that year when Yang Tong's official Wang Shichong forced Yang Tong to yield the throne to him, ending Sui and establishing a new state of Zheng, Du decided to submit to Tang Dynasty. Emperor Gaozu of Tang commissioned Du as the commandant of He Prefecture and the commander of the forces south of the Huai River. He also continued to have Du hold the title of Prince of Chu.<br />
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<a name='Submission to Tang Dynasty' id='Submission to Tang Dynasty'></a><h2>Submission to Tang Dynasty</h2><br />
In summer 620, Emperor Gaozu changed Du Fuwei's title to Prince of Wu, and bestowed on him the imperial surname of Li. Du was thereafter known as Li Fuwei. Fu Gongshi was created the Duke of Shu.<br />
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Later that year, Li Zitong attacked Shen Faxing, taking over several major cities from Shen, including Jingkou , Danyang , and Shen's capital Piling, forcing Shen to flee. Li Fuwei, in turn, sent Fu to attack Li Zitong, with Kan Leng and Wang Xiongdan as Fu's assistants. They defeated Li Zitong, whose food supplies soon ran out. Li Zitong abandoned Jiangdu and fled to Jingkou, and then further east, attacking Shen and forcing Shen to commit suicide. Li Zitong took over modern Zhejiang from Shen, while modern central and southern Jiangsu came under Li Fuwei's control, and Li Fuwei moved his headquarters from Liyang to Danyang.<br />
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In spring 621, with Emperor Gaozu's son the Prince of Qin putting the Zheng capital Luoyang under siege, Du sent his generals Chen Zhengtong and Xu Shaozong , with 2,000 men, to assist Li Shimin in his campaign. Chen and Xu were able to capture the Zheng city Liangcheng .<br />
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In winter 621, Li Fuwei sent Wang Xiongdan against Li Zitong. Wang, after first tricking Li Zitong into a panick back to Hangzhou , forced Li Zitong to surrender. Li Fuwei sent Li Zitong and Li Zitong's key offirical Le Botong to the Tang capital Chang'an, but Emperor Gaozu spared them. Wang Xiongdan subsequently also persuaded two other major rebel leaders, Wang Hua and Wenren Sui'an , to surrender. It was said that, by this point, Li Fuwei controlled all of the territory south of the Huai River, as far south as the Xianxia Mountain .<br />
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<a name='Death' id='Death'></a><h2>Death</h2><br />
By this point, although Li Fuwei still outwardly treated Fu Gongshi as a brother, he was actually suspicious of Fu, and so he made Wang Xiongdan and Kan Leng be in actual command of his forces. Fu resented the treatment but, in response, pretended to no longer care about earthly matters, practicing alchemy with his friend Zuo Youxian . It was said that Li Fuwei himself was acquainted with alchemy and, as part of the exercise to try to live long, consumed mica frequently notwithstanding the poisons contained therein.<br />
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In fall 621, Li Shimin was attacking and prevailing over Xu Yuanlang the Prince of Lu, and his army was near Li Fuwei's domain. Li Fuwei, fearing that his loyalty might be doubted, requested to go to Chang'an to pay homage to Emperor Gaozu, taking Kan with him. Before he departed, he left Fu in command, with Wang as Fu's deputy, in actual command of the forces, secretly warning Wang, "If I suffer no ill consequences, make sure that Fu does nothing rash." When Li Fuwei got to Chang'an, Emperor Gaozu gave him the special treatment of allowing him to sit with Emperor Gaozu on the imperial seat and, at other occasions, honor even above Emperor Gaozu's son Li Yuanji the Prince of Qi. However, he did not permit Li Fuwei or Kan to return to Danyang, making Kan a general. In spring 623, he further bestowed the honorific office of ''Taibao'' on Li Fuwei.<br />
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Meanwhile, in fall 623, Fu, after tricking Wang into surrendering his command and killing him, rebelled, claiming that Li Fuwei had been detained and had secretly ordered him to rise against Tang. Fu soon declared himself the Emperor of Song. In spring 624, Li Fuwei died suddenly -- with official sources suggesting that he was poisoned by the substances he was taking as a part of alchemical exercises, but also, in a veiled manner, leaving open the possibility that he was assassinated on Emperor Gaozu's orders. After Li Xiaogong the Prince of Zhao Commandery, a son of a cousin of Emperor Gaozu, defeated and killed Fu later that year, Li Xiaogong believed Fu's declaration that he was rebelling under Li Fuwei's orders, and therefore reported it to Emperor Gaozu. Emperor Gaozu ordered that Li Fuwei's titles be posthumously stripped, and that his wife and children be arrested and made slaves. After Li Shimin became emperor in 626, he knew that Li Fuwei was not part of Fu's plot, and therefore restored Li Fuwei's titles, released his wife and children, and reburied him with honor, albeit not with the honor due to a prince, but only of a duke.jegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-70343731303249739172008-09-09T22:44:00.007-07:002008-09-09T22:44:40.533-07:00Gao Jiong<strong>Gao Jiong</strong> , courtesy name <strong>Zhaoxuan</strong> , alternative name <strong>Min</strong> , known during Northern Zhou by the Xianbei name <strong>Dugu Jiong</strong> , was a key official and general of the dynasty Sui Dynasty. He was a key advisor to and was instrumental in the campaign against rival Chen Dynasty, allowing Sui to destroy Chen in 589 and reunify China. In 607, he offended Emperor Wen's son by criticizing Emperor Yang's large rewards to Tujue's submissive Qimin Khan and was executed by Emperor Yang. <br />
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<a name='Background' id='Background'></a><h2>Background</h2><br />
It is not known when Gao Jiong was born. His father Gao Bin was an official of Eastern Wei who, in 540, was fearful of false accusations against him and therefore fled to Western Wei. Gao Bin served on the staff of the general Dugu Xin , and, per the orders of Western Wei's paramount general Yuwen Tai in 554, changed his family name to Dugu as well. Because of this connection, after Dugu Xin was forced to commit suicide in 557 after the founding of Western Wei's successor state Northern Zhou, Dugu Xin's daughter often visited Gao Bin's home. Gao Bin eventually served as a provincial governor and died while posted as such.<br />
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Gao Jiong was himself skilled in history and rhetoric while young. When he was 16, Yuwen Xian the Prince of Qi made Gao Jiong a member of his staff. He inherited the title of Count of Wuyang that his father was created. He apparently served under Yuwen Xian when Yuwen Xian was a major general in the campaign of his brother Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou in destroying rival Northern Qi and was promoted to a mid-level post in the imperial government.<br />
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In 580, after the death of Emperor Wu's son , Emperor Xuan's father-in-law seized power as regent over Emperor Xuan's son . Yang Jian, knowing that Gao was intelligent and full of strategies, sent his associate Yang Hui the Duke of Yu to request that Gao join his staff. Gao, seeing that Yang had great ambitions, responded, "I am willing to be driven by him. Even if the Duke's ambitions could not be carried out, I am willing to have my clan slaughtered over this." He therefore agreed to serve as Yang's secretary. When the general Yuchi Jiong, suspicious of Yang's intentions, rebelled at Xiang Province , Yang needed someone to oversee the operations against Yuchi, but his associates Cui Zhongfang , Liu Fang , and Zheng Yi each declined. Gao volunteered, and he not oversaw the operations but also personally defeated Yuchi's son Yuchi Chun . After the major general Wei Xiaokuan defeated Yuchi Jiong and forced Yuchi Jiong to commit suicide, Gao Jiong was created the Duke of Yi'ning. <br />
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<a name='During Emperor Wen's reign' id='During Emperor Wen's reign'></a><h2>During Emperor Wen's reign</h2><br />
In 581, Yang Jian had Emperor Jing yield the throne to him, ending Northern Zhou and establishing Sui Dynasty as its Emperor Wen. He reorganized his government into five major bureaus, and Gao served as both the head of the examination bureau and the co-head of the executive bureau -- effectively serving as co-prime minister. He was created the Duke of Bohai, and few officials could rival him in terms of Emperor Wen's trust. Emperor Wen often referred to him honorifically as simply "Mr. Dugu" without mentioning his given name. Gao recommended Su Wei to Emperor Wen, and Emperor Wen trusted Su as well, eventually promoting Su to be co-prime minister. Whenever other officials made accusations against Gao, Emperor Wen deposed those officials. He also gave a daughter of his son and crown prince Yang Yong to Gao's son Gao Biaoren in marriage.<br />
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In 582, Emperor Wen had Gao oversee an operation against rival Chen Dynasty, but when Emperor Xuan of Chen died in early 582, Gao suggested that it was improper to attack a state that had just lost its emperor, and Emperor Wen agreed and withdrew the troops. Later in 582, it was after consulting Gao and Su that Emperor Wen, who had felt that the city of Chang'an, his capital, was too small, constructed a new capital nearby named Daxing , where he moved the capital in 583.<br />
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In fall 583, Emperor Wen sent Gao and Yu Qingze to attack Tujue.<br />
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In 587, while Sui's vassal Emperor Jing of Western Liang was at Daxing, Emperor Jing's uncle Xiao Yan and brother Xiao Huan , in charge of his capital Jiangling, feared that the Sui general Cui Hongdu was going attack, and therefore took the people of Jiangling and surrendered to the Chen general Chen Huiji . In response, Emperor Wen abolished Western Liang and took its territory under direct control. He sent Gao to Jiangling to comfort the people of the region. Meanwhile, when Emperor Wen asked Gao for tactics in preparing to conquer Chen, Gao suggested harassing Chen's border regions in two ways: sending troops on exercise without actually attacking, to cause Chen's farmers to be on alert and unable to farm and causing Chen's guards to be down when an actual attack would come; and to send spies to burn Chen's border farmlands. Emperor Wen agreed, and these tactics helped damage Chen's resistance capabilities.<br />
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In winter 588, Emperor Wen declared the campaign against Chen. He made Yang Su and his sons the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Qin the commanders of the three main prongs of the operation, with Yang Guang in overall command. Gao served as Yang Guang's deputy and was responsible for the strategies used in the campaign. When Chen's capital Jiankang fell in spring 589 and the emperor Chen Shubao was captured, Yang Guang ordered that Chen Shubao's concubine Consort Zhang Lihua be spared -- perhaps because he wanted to take Consort Zhang as his own concubine. Instead, Gao, comparing Consort Zhang to Daji -- the wicked wife of King Zhou of Shang -- beheaded her. Yang Guang thereafter resented Gao greatly, stating sarcastically, "It has been said, 'You should repay every good deed done to you.' I will repay Duke Gao later." Gao was responsible for collecting Chen's imperial stores, and was said to be exceedingly scrupulous at it, taking nothing for himself. For Gao's contributions, Emperor Wen promoted him to the greater title of Duke of Qi and awarded him with much silk. When Emperor Wen told him and the general Heruo Bi to compare their contributions, Gao declined, stating that Heruo fought on the battlefield while he was merelyl serving as a civilian, and could not compare himself to Heruo. Emperor Wen was impressed and honored Gao even more. However, when Emperor Wen wanted to create the official Li Delin a duke as well for his contributions, as Gao had consulted Li during the campaign, Gao persuaded Emperor Wen not to, apparently out of jealousy for Li.<br />
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In 592, Su was removed from his post as co-prime minister, and Yang Su replaced Su. It was commented by traditional historians that Yang Su was more talented and had more foresight than Gao, but that he was not as fairminded or well-behaved as Gao.<br />
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In 598, angry that Ying Province had been attacked by Goguryeo, Emperor Wen send his son Yang Liang and the general Wang Shiji to attack Goguryeo -- a campaign that Gao tried to dissuade Emperor Wen from but Emperor Wen launched anyway, and in fact forced Gao to serve as Yang Liang's deputy. Due to Yang Liang's young age, Gao was actually in charge of the operation, which ended in failure due to inadequate food supplies due to drought, as well as a storm destroying a large part of the fleet commanded by the former Chen general Zhou Luohou . Yang Liang, disgruntled at how Gao gave him little actual authority on the campaign and frequently disobeyed him, complained to Empress Dugu that he was fortunate to not have been killed by Gao, and this angered Emperor Wen as well.<br />
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Meanwhile, the relationships between Gao and the imperial couple were breaking down for other reasons as well. Earlier, there had been a confrontation between Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu over Emperor Wen's sexual relationship with Yuchi Jiong's granddaughter and Empress Dugu's subsequent killing of Lady Yuchi. Emperor Wen was so angry that he rode away from the palace, requiring Gao and Yang Su to track him down. At Gao and Yang Su's urging, Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu reconciled over a feast that Gao and Yang Su hosted. However, while persuading Emperor Wen to return to the palace, Gao referred to Empress Dugu as "a woman," which, when she found out, she was displeased with. Further, by this point, Yang Yong had lost Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu's favor, over his wastefulness and having many concubines . Gao, who had also drawn Empress Dugu's ire for having a favorite concubine, thereafter came under suspicion by Emperor Wen and Empress Dugu of being overly supportive of Yang Yong, as he rejected outright the possibility that Yang Yong should be displaced by Yang Guang. In 599, when Emperor Wen sent Gao, Yang Su, and Yan Rong against Tujue's Dulan Khan Ashina Yongyulü, Gao, while on the campaign, requested additional troops, leading to suspicion by Emperor Wen that he was planning a rebellion, but Gao soon returned from the campaign, temporary assuaging Emperor Wen's fears.<br />
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However, later in 599, after Wang Shiji was executed over suspicions of treason, accusations arose during the investigation of Wang's case that he had heard many palace secrets from Gao. Thereafter, Gao and two other high level officials, Yuan Min and Yuan Zhou , were accused of accepting bribes from Wang, and Yuan Min and Yuan Zhou were removed from their posts. When several other officials, including Heruo, Yuwen Bi , Xue Zhou , Hulü Xiaoqing , and Liu Shu , tried to speak on Gao's behalf, Emperor Wen was so angry at them that he briefly threw them all into jail. Soon, Gao was found guilty and removed from his governmental posts, but allowed to keep his title of Duke of Qi. Soon thereafter, however, Gao was accused of comparing himself to Sima Yi, and was reduced to commoner rank. He thereafter was powerless to prevent Yang Yong's removal and replacement by Yang Guang in 600.<br />
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<a name='During Emperor Yang's reign' id='During Emperor Yang's reign'></a><h2>During Emperor Yang's reign</h2><br />
Gao Jiong's activities for the next several years were not clear. In 604, Emperor Wen died -- a death that most traditional historians, while admitting a lack of direct evidence, believed to be a murder ordered by Yang Guang -- and Yang Guang took the throne as Emperor Yang. Sometime after Emperor Yang took the throne, he made Gao the minister of ceremonies. When Emperor Yang ordered, in 606, that the former palace musicians from Northern Qi and Northern Zhou be regathered , Gao opposed, without effect. In 607, when Emperor Yang gave great rewards to Tujue's submissive Qimin Khan Ashina Rangan, Gao again opposed, with no effect. It was said that Gao made several comments critical of Emperor Yang's policies, including a comment to his secretary Li Yi , "Zhou's Emperor Tianyuan destroyed his dynasty over his favor for dances, music, and crafts. The example of his spilled wagon is just in the short past, and how is it that it is being repeated?" He told He Chou , the minister of palace storage, as to Ashina Rangan, "This barbarian has become knowledgeable about China's strength and geographical features, and I fear that he will become a danger later." He also spoke to Yang Xiong the Prince of Guan and said, "Recently, the government's laws are not being enforced." These comments were reported to Emperor Yang, along with similar comments made by Yuwen Bi and Heruo Bi. In summer 607, Emperor Yang had Gao, Yuwen, and Heruo all beheaded, and Gao's sons were exiled to the border provinces. Some traditional historians, however, attribute Gao's death to his earlier killing of Consort Zhang.<br />
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The ''Book of Sui'' commented, about Gao:<br />
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:''Gao Jiong was talented in both civilian and military matters and highly observant. Since he received the emperor's confidence, he expended his faithful service and contributed earnestly. He recommended talented people, and he saw saving the world as his responsibility. Su Wei, Yang Su, Heruo Bi, and Han Qinhu were all brought into the government by Gao, and the officials who contributed because of his recommendations were innumerable. Gao was in power for almost 20 years, and both officials and the people praised and respected him, with no objections. That the empire could become rich and powerful was due to Gao. When he was executed, everyone mourned for him.''jegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-87507614185769118512008-09-09T22:44:00.005-07:002008-09-09T22:44:32.852-07:00Li Jiancheng<strong>Li Jiancheng</strong> , formally <strong>Crown Prince Yin</strong> , nickname <strong>Pishamen</strong> , was a crown prince of the dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was the oldest son of the founding emperor and therefore was designated crown prince after the founding of the dynasty in 618. However, although he himself was fairly capable as a general, he was overshadowed by the contributions of his younger brother the Prince of Qin, and the brothers contended for power for years, with Li Jiancheng aided by another younger brother, Li Yuanji the Prince of Qi. In 626, Li Shimin, fearing that Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji were about to kill him, laid an ambush for them at outside the palace and killed them. Li Shimin then effectively forced Emperor Gaozu to yield the throne to him .<br />
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<a name='Background' id='Background'></a><h2>Background</h2><br />
Li Jiancheng was born in 589, during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui. He was the oldest son of the Duke of Tang, a hereditary noble, and Li Yuan's wife Duchess Dou, who was herself the daughter of Dou Yi the Duke of Shenwu and Northern Zhou's Princess Xiangyang. Duchess Dou would subsequently give birth to three of Li Jiancheng's younger brothers -- , Li Xuanba , and Li Yuanji. She also gave birth to a sister of Li Jiancheng's, the eventual Princess Pingyang, although it was not clear whether she was older or younger than Li Jiancheng. At some point, Li Jiancheng received the title of Heir Apparent of Tang.<br />
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In 616, with agrarian rebellions beginning to engulf northern China and frequent Eastern Tujue incursions across the border, Emperor Yang of Sui commissioned Li Yuan to be the commander of the forces at Taiyuan, guarding it against both agrarian rebels and Eastern Tujue. At that time, Li Yuan took Li Shimin with him to Taiyuan, but left Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji, another son Li Zhiyun , and the rest of his household at Hedong . In 617, Li Yuan, fearful that Emperor Yang might punish him for his inability to suppress the rebels led by Liu Wuzhou the Dingyang Khan, was persuaded by Li Shimin to rebel against Sui rule. He then sent secret messengers to Hedong to summon his sons and to the capital Chang'an to summon his daughter and son-in-law Chai Shao . Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji secretly travelled to Taiyuan, but left the 13-year-old Li Zhiyun at Hedong.<br />
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<a name='Participation in Tang's founding' id='Participation in Tang's founding'></a><h2>Participation in Tang's founding</h2><br />
Even before Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji, and Chai Shao arrived at Taiyuan, Li Yuan rebelled, declaring that he wanted to support Emperor Yang's grandson the Prince of Dai, then nominally in charge at Chang'an, as emperor, while honoring Emperor Yang as ''Taishang Huang'' . In response, Sui officials arrested Li Zhiyun, took him to Chang'an, and executed him.<br />
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Li Yuan made both Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin key generals, and in nine days, they captured Xihe Commandery , impressing their father. Subsequently, Li Yuan divided his forces into six armies, having Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin command three each. He also created Li Jiancheng the Duke of Longxi and Li Shimin the Duke of Dunhuang. Subsequently, Li Yuan advanced toward Chang'an, but when he got near to Hedong, his army could not advance due to torrential rains. With rumors running rampant that Liu Wuzhou and Eastern Tujue were about to attack Taiyuan, Li Yuan began ordering a retreat back to Taiyuan; it was only at Li Jiancheng's and Li Shimin's urging that Li Yuan changed his mind and stayed, and Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin then captured the fortress of Huoyi , eventually convincing Li Yuan to bypass Hedong and directly advance toward Chang'an. After he crossed the Yellow River into Guanzhong , he sent Li Jiancheng with Liu Wenjing east to guard Tong Pass and Yongfeng Storage and to stop any potential Sui reinforcements from the eastern capital Luoyang. Once Li Yuan himself approached Chang'an, he summoned both Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin to Chang'an to join him in sieging Chang'an. In winter 617, Li Yuan captured Chang'an and declared Yang You emperor . He had himself created the Prince of Tang, become the regent over Emperor Gong.<br />
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In spring 618, Li Yuan sent Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin toward Luoyang, which was then under attack by the rebel leader Li Mi the Duke of Wei, ostensibly to help Sui forces there. The Sui forces at Luoyang rejected the overture, and Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin subsequently returned to Chang'an.<br />
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Later in spring 618, Emperor Yang, then at Jiangdu , was killed in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji. When the news arrived at Chang'an, Li Yuan had Emperor Gong yield the throne to him, establishing Tang Dynasty as its Emperor Gaozu. Emperor Gaozu created Li Jiancheng crown prince.<br />
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In 619, Emperor Gaozu sent Li Jiancheng to attack the agrarian leader Zhu Shanhai the Duke of Huxiang, and Li Jiancheng defeated Zhu. Later that year, when Li Gui the Emperor of Liang was captured in a coup by his official An Xinggui , who then submitted to Tang, Emperor Gaozu sent Li Jiancheng to welcome An and to escort Li Gui to Chang'an, where Emperor Gaozu executed him.<br />
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Meanwhile, Li Jiancheng was developing a reputation for leniency but favoring drinking and hunting. Emperor Gaozu, worried that he was not paying sufficient attention to the important matters of state, had the key ministers Li Gang and Zheng Shanguo join Li Jiancheng's staff.<br />
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In fall 620, believing in reports that Li Zhongwen , who was then in charge at Taiyuan, was collaborating with Eastern Tujue, was planning to rebel, Emperor Gaozu sent Li Jiancheng to Pufan to guard against Li Zhongwen, while summoning Li Zhongwen back to the capital. Li Zhongwen complied and was subsequently executed.<br />
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In spring 621, when the Xiongnu chieftain Liu Xiancheng harassed Tang's border territory, Emperor Gaozu sent Li Jiancheng to attack Liu. When Li Jiancheng subsequently captured a number of the Xiongnu, he initially released their leaders, leading them to surrender in large numbers, and he then massacred them. Only Liu escaped and fled to Liang Shidu the Emperor of Liang. In 622, Li Jiancheng was one of the commanders that Emperor Gaozu sent, along with Li Shimin, Li Zihe , and Duan Decao , to counter an Eastern Tujue incursion.<br />
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<a name='Rivalry with Li Shimin' id='Rivalry with Li Shimin'></a><h2>Rivalry with Li Shimin</h2><br />
Meanwhile, an intense rivalry had developed between Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin, who carried the title of Prince of Qin, as while Li Jiancheng had some contributions toward Tang's reunification of China, a number of the more major contenders, including Xue Rengao the Emperor of Qin, Wang Shichong the Emperor of Zheng, and Dou Jiande the Prince of Xia, were all defeated and/or captured by Li Shimin, causing him to possess the greater reputation among the army. Li Yuanji, who was also often relied on by Emperor Gaozu as a general and had been created the Prince of Qi, supported Li Jiancheng in this rivalry, and often pushed Li Jiancheng toward a more hardline position against Li Shimin, wanting to be crown prince when Li Jiancheng would become emperor. Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji had better relations with Emperor Gaozu's favored young concubines than Li Shimin did , and those concubines helped rehabilitate Li Jiancheng's standing before Emperor Gaozu, causing him to no longer consider making Li Shimin crown prince instead, as he considered at one point.<br />
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By winter 622, Liu Heita the Prince of Handong, previously a Xia general who rose against Tang after Emperor Gaozu had executed Dou Jiande, posed the only remaining major threat against Tang rule even though he had been defeated by Li Shimin earlier in the year. At the suggestion of his staff members Wang Gui and Wei Zheng, who argued that Li Jiancheng needed some victories himself to establish his reputation, Li Jiancheng volunteered to command the army against Liu Heita. Emperor Gaozu thus sent Li Jiancheng, assisted by Li Yuanji. Around the new year 623, with Liu's forced bogged down while attacking Tang's Wei Prefecture , Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji engaged him at Guantao , crushing him. Liu fled north toward Eastern Tujue, but was ambushed and captured by his own official Zhuge Dewei , who delivered him to Li Jiancheng. Li Jiancheng executed Liu. China was by this point almost completely unified by Tang.<br />
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In 623, when Eastern Tujue made another incursion into Tang territory, Emperor Gaozu again sent Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin to guard against the attack. Meanwhile, at one point, Li Yuanji tried to persuade Li Jiancheng to have Li Shimin assassinated when Li Shimin was visiting Li Yuanji's mansion, but Li Jiancheng, not having the heart to kill a brother, stopped Li Yuanji from doing so.<br />
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In 624, Li Jiancheng requisitioned a number of soldiers from the general the Prince of Yan, to supplement his guard corps, against Emperor Gaozu's regulations. When this was revealed to Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Gaozu rebuked Li Jiancheng and exiled his guard commander Keda Zhi . When, subsequently, Li Jiancheng nevertheless requested the commandant at Qing Prefecture , Yang Wen'gan , to conscript troops, presumably to guard against Li Shimin, the officers Erzhu Huan and Qiao Gongshan informed Emperor Gaozu that Li Jiancheng was encouraging Yang to start a rebellion so that they could seize power together. Emperor Gaozu, then at Renzhi Palace , was incensed, and summoned Li Jiancheng, then at Chang'an, to Renzhi Palace. Li Jiancheng briefly flirted the idea of occupying Chang'an and not accepting the order, but eventually reported to Renzhi Palace to request forgiveness. Emperor Gaozu put him under arrest. When Yang heard this, Yang rebelled, and Emperor Gaozu, after promising Li Shimin that he would be made crown prince, sent Li Shimin to attack Yang. Once Li Shimin left, however, Li Yuanji, Emperor Gaozu's concubines, and the chancellor Feng Deyi, all spoke on Li Jiancheng's behalf, and Emperor Gaozu changed his mind, released Li Jiancheng, and allowed him to return to Chang'an and remain as crown prince. Instead, Emperor Gaozu only blamed the discord between his sons on Li Jiancheng's staff members Wang Gui and Wei Ting , and Li Shimin's staff member Du Yan, exiling them. Yang was subsequently assassinated by his own subordinates.<br />
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Later that year, Emperor Gaozu, troubled by repeated Eastern Tujue incursions, seriously considered burning Chang'an to the ground and moving the capital to Fancheng, a suggestion that Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji, and the chancellor Pei Ji agreed with. Li Shimin opposed, however, and the plan was not carried out. Meanwhile, Li Shimin himself was sending his confidants to Luoyang to build up personal control of the army there. After an incident in which Li Shimin suffered a severe case of food poisoning after feasting at Li Jiancheng's palace -- an event that both Emperor Gaozu and Li Shimin apparently interpreted as an assassination attempt -- Emperor Gaozu considered sending Li Shimin to guard Luoyang to prevent further conflict, but Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, after consulting each other, believed that this would only give Li Shimin an opportunity to build up his personal power there, and therefore opposed it. Emperor Gaozu therefore did not carry out the plan.<br />
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<a name='Death' id='Death'></a><h2>Death</h2><br />
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By 626, Li Shimin was fearful that he would be killed by Li Jiancheng, and his staff members Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Zhangsun Wuji were repeatedly encouraging Li Shimin to attack Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji first -- while Wei Zheng was encouraging Li Jiancheng to attack Li Shimin first. Li Jiancheng persuaded Emperor Gaozu to remove Fang and Du, as well as Li Shimin's trusted guard officers Yuchi Jingde and Cheng Zhijie , from Li Shimin's staff. Zhangsun, who remained on Li Shimin's staff, continued to try to persuade Li Shimin to attack first.<br />
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In summer 626, Eastern Tujue was making another attack, and under Li Jiancheng's suggestion, Emperor Gaozu, instead of sending Li Shimin to resist Eastern Tujue as he first was inclined, decided to send Li Yuanji instead. Li Yuanji was given command of much of the army previously under Li Shimin's control, further troubling Li Shimin, who believed that with the army in Li Yuanji's hands, he would be unable to resist an attack. Li Shimin had Yuchi summon Fang and Du back to his mansion secretly, and then on one night submitted an accusation to Emperor Gaozu that Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji were committing adultery with Emperor Gaozu's concubines. Emperor Gaozu, in response, issued summonses to Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji for the next morning, convening the senior officials Pei Ji, Xiao Yu, and Chen Shuda to examine Li Shimin's accusations. As Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji approached the central gate leading to Emperor Gaozu's palace, Xuanwu Gate , Li Shimin carried out the ambush he had set. He personally fired an arrow that killed Li Jiancheng. Subsequently, Yuchi killed Li Yuanji. Li Shimin's forces entered the palace and, under the intimidation of Li Shimin's forces, Emperor Gaozu agreed to create Li Shimin crown prince, and two months later passed the throne to him . Li Jiancheng's five sons were all executed as well.<br />
<br />
Li Jiancheng was initially posthumously reduced to commoner rank. After Emperor Taizong took the throne, he posthumously created Li Jiancheng the Prince of Xi and adopted his own son Li Fu into Li Jiancheng's line as Li Jiancheng's heir. He also buried Li Jiancheng with ceremonies due an imperial prince. In 642, he restored Li Jiancheng's crown prince title.jegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-82975554882510197352008-09-09T22:44:00.003-07:002008-09-09T22:44:20.522-07:00Li Mi<strong>Li Mi</strong> , courtesy name <strong>Xuansui</strong> , pseudonym <strong>Liu Zhiyuan</strong> , was the leader of a rebel movement against the rule of the dynasty Sui Dynasty. He initially was the strategist of the Sui general Yang Xuangan, who rebelled against Emperor Yang of Sui in 613 but failed, and Li subsequently led a rebellion against Emperor Yang in his own right in 617, gaining so much following that there was much expectation that he soon would be able to prevail over Sui forces and establish a new dynasty -- so much so that even other key rebel leaders, including Dou Jiande, Meng Haigong , Xu Yuanlang, and Zhu Can, were urging him to take imperial title. Even was writing him in supplicating terms that implicitly supported his imperial claim. However, his army became stalemated with Sui forces near the Sui eastern capital Luoyang and was never able to capture Luoyang, and in 618, the Sui general Wang Shichong ambushed him and crushed his forces. He fled to Tang Dynasty territory and submitted to Emperor Gaozu, but subsequently rebelled against Tang and tried to revive his own army. The Tang general Sheng Yanshi captured and executed him.<br />
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<a name='Background' id='Background'></a><h2>Background</h2><br />
Li Mi came from a line that was part of the nobility during successive dynasties Western Wei, Northern Zhou, and Sui Dynasty. By the time of his father Li Kuan , who carried the Sui-created title of Duke of Pushan, the clan, although not originally from there, lived at the Sui capital Chang'an. Due to his father's position, Li Mi became a guard of Emperor Yang of Sui, and he was said to view money lightly, using it to instead gather friends around him. One day, however, when Emperor Yang saw him, Emperor Yang was apprehensive of his appearance, and told his associate Yuwen Shu the Duke of Xu to have Li Mi removed. Thereafter, Yuwen persuaded Li Mi to resign from the imperial guard corps, and Li instead often traveled around the capital, riding a bull and reading while doing so -- particularly the ''Book of Han''. When the prime minister Yang Su the Duke of Yue saw him, he was surprised by Li Mi's studiousness, and as Li knew it was the prime minister, he respectfully bowed and stated his name. Yang Su took Li to his mansion and talked with him. Impressed, he told his son Yang Xuangan, "Li Mi's intelligence and capability is far beyond yours." Thereafter, Yang Xuangan and Li Mi became friends. Sometimes, Yang Xuangan would bully Li, and Li responded:<br />
<br />
:''I will be honest and not flatter you. On the battlefield, when two armies were facing off with each other, I am not as good as you at yelling and screaming to cause the enemy to be fearful and submissive. However, as far as gathering the capable men of the earth and letting them serve properly in their capacity, you are not as good as I. Why do you look down on the knowledgeable people just based on your high rank?''<br />
<br />
Yang Xuangan was not offended, and in fact became even friendlier with Li after Li's rebuke.<br />
<br />
<a name='Participation in Yang Xuangan's rebellion' id='Participation in Yang Xuangan's rebellion'></a><h2>Participation in Yang Xuangan's rebellion</h2><br />
In 613, with Emperor Yang at the frontlines attacking Goguryeo, Yang Xuangan, who had been apprehensive since he heard rumors that Emperor Yang had remarked, "If Yang Su did not die, his clan would have eventually been exterminated," considered rebelling. Emperor Yang had put him in charge of keeping the supply lines clear near the eastern capital Luoyang, and Yang Xuangan took the opportunity to seize the gathered food supply and then declare a general rebellion against Emperor Yang. At the same time, he secretly sent his servants to Chang'an to summon Li and his brother Yang Xuanting . Once Li arrived, Yang Xuangan made Li his chief strategist, and Li gave him three options, in the order of Li's opinion as to their feasibility:<br />
<br />
#Li's "high strategy" involved making a surprise attack on Jicheng and Linyu , capturing those key locations to trap Emperor Yang, who then was on the Goguryeo front. Li believed that Goguryeo would then make a crippling attack on Emperor Yang, and that Emperor Yang's forces would either collapse on their own or surrender.<br />
#Li's "middle strategy" involved making a surprise attack on Chang'an and capturing the surrounding Guanzhong region, and then holding the region and preparing for confrontation with Emperor Yang.<br />
#Li's "low strategy" involved making a surprise attack on the eastern capital Luoyang and trying to capture it quickly and hold it as the command center. However, he warned that Tang Hui , who had initially submitted to Yang Xuangan but who had since fled back to Luoyang, might have already warned the city to firm up its defenses -- and that if Yang Xuangan put Luoyang under siege and could not capture it quickly, he would soon be trapped by converging Sui forces.<br />
<br />
Yang Xuangan, however, believing that he needed to capture Luoyang to show that his rebellion was serious, commented that Li's "low strategy" was in fact "high strategy," and headed toward Luoyang. However, as Li had predicted, Tang had warned Emperor Yang's grandson Yang Tong the Prince of Yue and the official Fan Zigai , whom Emperor Yang left in charge of Luoyang, and Luoyang's defenses had been prepared. While Yang Xuangan and his brothers gained some victories, he could not quickly capture Luoyang. Meanwhile, many young noblemen were joining his cause. After he captured the highly regarded official Wei Fusi , he trusted Wei as well and did not only trust Li any further, but strategies that Wei submitted were not wholeheartedly in support of the rebellion. Li requested that Yang Xuangan kill Wei, but Yang Xuangan refused. Li made the comment to his relatives, "The Duke of Chu wanted to rebel, but does not know how to gain final victory. We are now like turtles stuck in urns." When Li Zixiong suggested that Yang Xuangan take imperial title, however, Li advised him that the act was inadvisable, and Yang agreed and did not do so.<br />
<br />
Soon, Wei Wensheng , the official Emperor Yang left in charge of Chang'an, came to Luoyang's aid with his troops, and Lai Hu'er , a general that Emperor Yang had also put in charge of keeping the supply line clear, also arrived. Further, the forward forces returning from the Goguryeo front, under the command of Qutu Tong and Yuwen Shu, soon arrived as well, and while Yang Xuangan attempted to prevent them from crossing the Yellow River, attacks from Fan prevented Yang Xuangan from being able to cut Qutu and Yuwen off at the Yellow River, allowing them to cross. Yang Xuangan was soon losing battles, and under the suggestion of Li Zixiong and Li Mi, he decided to falsely declare that Yuan Hongsi , the general in command at Honghua , was joining his cause, and that he was going to meet with Yuan.<br />
<br />
In fall 613, Yang Xuangan thus lifted the siege on Luoyang, and headed west. On the way, however, he was tempted by the people of Hongnong , who opined that Hongnong would be easily captured and could be held. Further, the governor of Hongnong Commandery, Emperor Yang's cousin Yang Zhiji the Prince of Cai, was intentionally insulting Yang Xuangan to enrage him. In anger, Yang Xuangan put Hongnong under siege, despite Li Mi's pleas that he was endangering his campaign by proceeding slowly. Yang Xuangan put Hongnong under siege for three days but could not capture it, and therefore had to continue to head west. By this point, the Sui forces commanded by Yuwen, Wei, Lai, and Qutu had caught up to him, and were dealing him defeats, and his forces collapsed. Yang Xuangan and his brother Yang Jishan fled to Jialurong on foot, and Yang Xuangan, realizing that they were about to be captured and not wanting to be captured, asked Yang Jishan to kill him. Yang Jishan did so, and then tried to commit suicide, but before he could die, he was captured.<br />
<br />
<a name='After Yang Xuangan's death' id='After Yang Xuangan's death'></a><h2>After Yang Xuangan's death</h2><br />
Li Mi was also captured, and he, Wei Fusi, Yang Jishan, and Wang Zhongbo were taken by Fan Zigai, to be delivered to Emperor Yang, who was returning from the Goguryeo front as well. On the way, Li and Wang discussed escaping. They showed their jailers their gold, and told them, "When we die, please spend the proceeds to bury us; the rest of it, we leave it as a gift." The jailers began to be careless around Li and Wang, and they often feasted together. When they reached Wei Commandery , they got the jailers drunk, and then Li, Wang, and five others dug a hole on the wall and escaped. As they fled, Li suggested to Wei that he flee with them -- but Wei refused, believing that Emperor Yang would pardon him -- a fateful decision, for Emperor Yang executed both him and Yang Jishan cruelly.<br />
<br />
For the next few years, Li travelled around, trying to find an agrarian rebel leader who would listen to his grand strategies, but his attempt to persuade Hao Xiaode and Wang Bo fell on deaf years. Li was poor and often went hungry. At one point, he took the pseudonym Liu Zhiyuan and began teaching students in farming communities in Huaiyang Commandery how to read and write. During this period, he was so depressed that he wrote a poem about his ordeals, reading:<br />
<br />
:''A golden wind has lost its gust.''<br />
:''The dew has fallen on the dark forest.''<br />
:''Tonight, this poor and confused man,''<br />
:''Is depressed in this Tao region with a broken heart.''<br />
:''In the wild plains, the reed and the aloe are mixed;''<br />
:''In the wilderness near the village, the pigweed and the wild beans grow tall.''<br />
:''I look and I listen with many emotions,''<br />
:''I lie down on my pillow in tears.''<br />
:''But why do I shed tears?''<br />
:''In sadness I think about the ancients.''<br />
:''Without first ending adherence to the ,''<br />
:''How can the road to be clear?''<br />
:''Fan Kuai was but a commoner in the market,''<br />
:''And Xiao He was but a minor bureaucraft.''<br />
:''When they received their chances,''<br />
:''They gained posthumous names that lasted a thousand years.''<br />
:''I talk about the heroes of the world,''<br />
:''But I shamefully live in emptiness.''<br />
<br />
When Li finished the poem, he broke down in tears. People saw his behavior and reported to the commandery governor Zhao Tuo , who sent soldiers to arrest him, but he was able to escape. He then went to his brother-in-law, Qiu Junming , who was then the county magistrate for Yongqiu . Qiu did not dare to keep him, but referred him to Wang Xiucai , who was known for his bravery. Wang took Li in and gave his daughter to Li in marriage. Later, however, Qiu Junming's relative Qiu Huaiyi informed on them, and by Emperor Yang's orders, the general Yang Wang led soldiers to surround Wang Xiucai's house. Li happened to be away at the time and so escaped, but both Qiu Junming and Wang Xiucai were executed.<br />
<br />
Li again tried to visit the rebel leaders to try to persuade them to follow his strategies. Most of the leaders considered Li's strategies overly grandiose, and they initially did not respect him. However, as time went by, some of them began to respect Li, particularly when they heard prophecies that the next emperor would be named Li, some speculated that Li, who was of noble birth and who had many times escaped death, would be the one. He became particularly close to the rebel leader Wang Bodang .<br />
<br />
<a name='Association with Zhai Rang' id='Association with Zhai Rang'></a><h2>Association with Zhai Rang</h2><br />
By 616, Li Mi saw that Zhai Rang was the strongest rebel leader of the region, met Zhai through Wang Bodang. Li proposed some strategies for Zhai and was able to persuade some other rebel leaders to follow Zhai. Li therefore suggested to Zhai that, with Emperor Yang away at Jiangdu , he should gather his troops and attack Sui's two capitals -- Luoyang and Chang'an. Zhai, not having the stomach yet of that grandiose design, did not accept the idea, but became more impressed with Li and kept Li as an honored guest.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, because of prophecies that the next emperor would be named Li, the rebel leaders began to believe Li Mi might be the one prophesied. They thus began to submit to Li personally. When Zhai saw this, Zhai became even more impressed, and he considered accepting Li's plan. Li persuaded Zhai's strategist and astrologer Jia Xiong to persuade Jia to accept his plan. When Zhai asked Jia whether the signs indicated that Li's plan could succeed, Jia told him that it would, but that he might not be successful himself as the emperor, but should support Li. Zhai believed Jia and began to honor Li further. Under Li's advice, Zhai began to attack and capture the various cities within Yingyang Commandery. In response, Emperor Yang sent the general Zhang Xutuo , who had previously been successful against rebel leaders, to attack Zhai. Zhai, who has previously lost some battles against Zhang, became fearful, but Li persuaded him that Zhang could be defeated. Under Li's suggestion, Zhai had Li take a thousand man and hide in a forest. As Zhang attacked Zhai, Li surprised Zhang, and Li, Zhai, Xu, and Wang surrounded Zhang. Zhang was initially able to fight his way out of the encirclement, but as he tried to rescue some of his officers, he was killed in battle, and Zhai's reputation was greatly enhanced, and he was able to gather much food supply. In light of the victory, Zhai let Li set up his own army, known as the Army of the Duke of Pushan. As Li's army grew, Zhai's soldiers began to have friction with Li's. Zhai thus separated his army from Li's and returned to Wagang, but soon regretted that decision and rejoined Li.<br />
<br />
In spring 617, Li persuaded Zhai that, with Emperor Yang away and Yang Tong in charge at Luoyang, the officials there were not of one mind. They thus sent Pei Shufang to Luoyang to scout it, but Pei was discovered, and the Sui officials at Luoyang began to prepare for an attack. In response, Li and Zhai launched their assault at Luokou Storage , a massive food storage that Emperor Yang built, and they captured it. They opened the food storage to allow the people to take food, and many people joined them. The Sui generals Liu Changgong and Fang Shi , viewing Zhai's forces as nothing more than bandits looking for food, took them lightly and attacked. Li and Zhai wore out the army from Luoyang with hunger, and then attacked, defeating it.<br />
<br />
<a name='As Duke of Wei' id='As Duke of Wei'></a><h2>As Duke of Wei</h2><br />
In the aftermaths of the battle, Zhai Rang supported Li Mi as leader and offered the title of Duke of Wei -- a title that Li's grandfather Li Yao had previously carried during Northern Zhou -- to Li. Li accepted, and changed the era name to show independence from Sui. Li made Zhai his prime minister and created him the Duke of Dong Commandery. Once Li made his declaration, the rebel generals of the region largely submitted to him, and much of modern central and eastern Henan came under Li's rule. However, after Sui reinforcements arrived from Jiangdu under the command of Wang Shichong, Li's advances, while initially successful over Wang as well, became stalled. By fall 617, Pei Renji had surrendered to him as well. Also joining him were Qin Shubao and Cheng Zhijie . Despite the increasing number of followers, however, Li continued to be unable to capture Luoyang. When Chai Zhaohe suggested to him -- in accordance with his own suggestion to Yang Xuangan years earlier -- that he commission Zhai and Pei to remain near Luoyang to keep the Luoyang troops checked, while he himself lead a surprise attack against Chang'an, Li responded that without capture Luoyang first, his followers would not be convinced that they could prevail, and so he did not accept Chai's suggestion.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, another Sui general named Li -- the Duke of Tang, who had been in charge of Taiyuan to guard against Eastern Tujue's attacks -- rebelled at Taiyuan, claiming that he wished to support Emperor Yang's grandson the Prince of Dai, then nominally in charge at Chang'an, emperor. Li Yuan initially wrote Li Mi, trying to see if Li Mi would be willing to follow him, but Li Mi, believing in his own strength, had his secretary Zu Junyan write Li Yuan for him in this way:<br />
<br />
:''Although I and you, my older brother, are of different branches, but we are both Lis. I know that I do not have sufficient strength, but by the love of the men on this earth, I have been made the leader. I hope that you will support and help me. Let us capture Ziying at Xianyang, and let us kill at Muye; would it not be a great accomplishment?''<br />
<br />
Li Yuan was dismayed but, not wanting to make another enemy, wrote back humbly:<br />
<br />
:''Although I am ordinary and foolish, but I have had the opportunity to, by my ancestors' largess, receive the opportunity to be an imperial messenger when leaving the capital and a guard leader in the capital. If the administration falls and I am unable to help it, even the most understanding wise man will rebuke me. Therefore, I have organized a righteous army and sought peace with the barbarians to the north to try to calm the earth and to protect Sui. However, for the people under the heavens, there must be someone to rule over them, and other than you, who can be that person? I am too old -- over 50 -- and that is not my intent, but I am happy to support you, my younger brother. I hope to be able to climb onto the scale of a dragon and hold onto the wing of a phoenix, and I hope that you, my younger brother, will soon, in accordance with the prophecy, pacify all who are on this earth. You are the leader among the Lis, and I hope that you will be gracious and accept me, and to give me again the domain of Tang; that will be enough glory for me. I do not have the heart to hear such commands as killing Xin of Shang at Muye, nor do I dare to listen to the order of capturing Ziying at Xianyang. Also, the Fen and Jin region requires pacification right now, and I am not yet able to arrange a time for the meeting at Mengjin .''<br />
<br />
Li Mi was pleased with Li Yuan's response, believing that Li Yuan was willing to support him, and from that point on, Li Mi and Li Yuan often exchanged messengers. Li Yuan's campaign against Chang'an thus went without opposition from Li Mi, and Li Yuan was soon able to capture Chang'an, declaring Yang You emperor while making himself regent.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, at the suggestion of Zhai's friend , Li Mi sent Xu to capture another major food storage -- Liyang Storage -- and after doing so, opened up the storage to allow people in the region suffering from famines to take food. As a result, more than 200,000 men joined Li Mi within about 10 days, and a number of commanderies submitted to him, including the major rebel generals Dou Jiande and Zhu Can. The hermit Xu Hongke , however, pointed out to him that once the food supplies ran out, he would have lost his opportunity, and therefore suggested making an attack along the Grand Canal against Jiangdu , where Emperor Yang was at, arguing that capturing Emperor Yang would cause the entire empire to submit to him. Li was unable to accept Xu Hongke's suggestion, but impressed with his strategy, invited Xu Hongke to join his staff. However, Xu Hongke refused and disappeared. Meanwhile, Li was prevailing over Wang Shichong in battles, but still was unable to capture Luoyang.<br />
<br />
By winter 617, there began to be friction between Zhai and several other generals under Li. Zhai's associate Wang Ruxin and brother Zhai Hong the Duke of Yingyang had both suggested Zhai seize power as regent and strip Li of his powers -- suggestions that Zhai did not accept but Li eventually heard about. Zhai was also becoming greedy with spoils of war -- torturing the general Cui Shishu for money, battering Xing Yiqi for refusing to gamble with him, and demanding large amounts of treasure from Fang Yanzao , going as far as telling Fang:<br />
<br />
:''When you recently attacked Ru'nan , you captured much gold, silver, and jewels, but you only gave them to the Duke of Wei, giving none to me. Be aware that it is I who allowed him to be duke, and who knows what will happen in the future?''<br />
<br />
In fear, Fang informed this to Li, and he and Zheng Ting both suggested that Li ambush Zhai. Li initially hesitated, believing that this would cause disunity among the ranks, but Zheng finally persuaded him that Zhai was too much of a risk. At a feast that Li held for Zhai Rang, Zhai Hong, Pei Renji, and Hao Xiaode, Li thus had his guard Cai Jiande assassinate Zhai Rang, and then executed Zhai Hong, Zhai Rang's nephew Zhai Mohou , and Wang Ruxin. Both Dan Xiongxin and Xu Shiji were also almost killed, but at the order of Wang Bodang, they were spared, and Li subsequently transferred Zhai's forces to Dan, Xu, and Wang Bodang. While few of Li's subordinates actually mourned the violent Zhai Rang, they began to become insecure about their own positions under him.<br />
<br />
In spring 618, Li Mi finally had a major victory over Wang Shichong, and after the victory, he seized Jinyong , a key fortress near Luoyang, and moved his headquarters there, trying to put a strangle hold on Luoyang. When the Sui officials Duan Da and Wei Jin tried to attack him, he defeated them as well, killing Wei and forcing Duan back into Luoyang. Upon this victory, a number of Sui generals surrendered to him, and a number of other rebel leaders -- including Dou, Zhu, Meng Haigong, and Xu Yuanlang all wrote submissions to him urging him to take imperial title, as did Pei Renji. Li Mi, however, stated, "I have not yet captured the eastern capital, and I cannot talk about doing this ."<br />
<br />
However, soon there would be other challengers to Li's potential succession to Sui. Li Yuan, having nominally become a regent over Emperor Gong, briefly considered the possibility of taking Luoyang himself, sending his sons Li Jiancheng and to Luoyang, claiming to be aiding it, but the Sui generals in Luoyang refused to acknowledge Li Yuan's authority and did not respond. Li Mi himself briefly engaged Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin, but after a minor skirmish, both sides disengaged, and Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin soon withdrew back to Chang'an. A larger threat loomed for Li Mi, however, as late in spring 618, a coup led by Yuwen Huaji at Jiangdu killed Emperor Yang, and Yuwen Huaji, after declaring Emperor Yang's nephew emperor, began to lead the elite Xiaoguo Army back north, toward Luoyang, posing a major threat to Li Mi's hold over the region.<br />
<br />
<a name='Defeat' id='Defeat'></a><h2>Defeat</h2><br />
Upon the news of Emperor Yang's death arriving at Suo's two capitals, two different reactions came about. At Chang'an, Li Yuan had Emperor Gong pass the throne to him, establishing Tang Dynasty as its Emperor Gaozu, while at Luoyang, the Sui officials, led by a collective leadership of Duan Da, Wang Shichong, Yuan Wendu , Huangfu Wuyi , Lu Chu , Guo Wenyi , and Zhao Changwen , declared Yang Tong emperor.<br />
<br />
Both the Sui officials and Li Mi were apprehensive about the approaching Yuwen Huaji. Yuan and Lu decided that the proper strategy was to seek Li's submission by pardoning him and awarding him high titles, and have him resist Yuwen -- with an eye toward eventually turning against Li after he had been worn out. Meanwhile, Li had already engaged Yuwen several times, repeatedly prevailing over Yuwen but unable to definitively defeat him. Therefore, when Yang Tong's messengers arrived, Li seized the opportunity to suggest, making a submission to Yang Tong agreeing to be a Sui official and offering to attack Yuwen. Yang Tong then heaped a number of honors on Li -- including creating him the Duke of Wei, now as formal Sui creation, and making him the nominal commander of all Sui forces. However, Wang opposed this rapproachment with Li, remarking that Yuan and Lu were awarding honors on a bandit, drawing suspicions from Yuan and Lu that Wang was intending to surrender the city to Yuwen. The Sui collective leadership thus began to suspect each other.<br />
<br />
In fall 618, Li, knowing that Yuwen's food supplies were running out, pretended to offer peace to Yuwen, agreeing to supply Yuwen's army with food, but instead planning to withhold food and, once Yuwen's food supplies did run out, attack. Li's plans, however, became known by Yuwen, and he in turn made a surprise attack on Li, nearly killing Li, but Qin Shubao protected Li from death, and eventually Yuwen was repelled. Yuwen, unable to gain food, headed north away from Li, and Li did not trail him.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, at Luoyang, Wang began to incite his troops by telling them that they would soon fall into Li Mi's trap, and that if Li Mi received the command over them , he would surely slaughter them for having resisted him. When Yuan received news that Wang was doing this, he planned to ambush Wang. However, Duan revealed the plot to Wang, and Wang started a coup himself first, killing Lu and surrounding the palace. Huangfu fled to Chang'an . At Wang's insistence, Yang Tong surrendered Yuan, who remarked to Yang Tong, "If I die in the morning, Your Imperial Majesty will die in the evening." Yang Tong wept, but still sent Yuan to Wang, who executed Yuan. Wang then met Yang Tong and pledged his loyalty, swearing that all he intended was to save himself and save the empire. Yang Tong took Wang inside the palace to meet Empress Dowager Wang, and Wang swore before her as well. Nevertheless, from this point, all power was in Wang's hands, and Yang Tong himself was powerless.<br />
<br />
Upon hearing of Yuan and Lu's deaths, Li broke off the peaceful relations with Yang Tong's regime, now under Wang's control. However, he had a low opinion of Wang, so he did not take much precaution against an attack from Wang. Further, other problems were developing for Li -- as while he had plenty of food supplies, he had a low amount of money and silk, and therefore had little to reward his generals with. He was also being overly generous with new adherents, and the old followers began to grumble. When Xu Shiji tried to get him to change his ways, he sent Xu away to Liyang under guise of promotion. In addition, his supply of new adherents began to dry up when he, in an ill-advised decision pushed by his secretary Bing Yuanzhen , who could materially benefit from the transactions, to trade food with Wang for textiles. After the transactions began, the people of Luoyang, no longer low on food, stopped surrendering to Li, and while Li stopped the transactions, the damage had been done. In addition, his troops were tired, and a substantial percentage of his men were injured from fighting the elite Xiaoguo Army under Yuwen's command.<br />
<br />
Wang, seeing the weaknesses developing for Li's forces, decided to launch his own attack on Li. He gathered the most elite of his own troops and started to march against Li. Pei opined that Li should try to contain Wang's advances and then send part of the army to attack Luoyang while Wang was away. Li himself opined that he should refuse to engage Wang to let Wang's food supplies run out. However, his generals Chen Zhilüe , Fan Wenchao , and Dan Xiongxin all advocated a headon engagement against Wang, and Li accepted their suggestion. Wang sent his flanks to hide, and when Li engaged him, the flank forces attacked as well, leading to a general rout of Li's forces. Wang captured Yanshi , where most of Li's officials kept their families, and the family members subsequently sent messages to those officials urging them to surrender. Li tried to withdraw to Luokou, but by the time he got there, Wang had caught up with him, and Bing surrendered Luokou to Wang; Dan surrendered as well. Li himself fled east to Hulao.<br />
<br />
Li initially considered further fleeing to Liyang, but he was warned that as Xu Shiji was nearly killed when Li killed Zhai Rang, he could not be assured of Xu's loyalty. He tried to reorganize his troops to fight Wang again, but the troops were largely unwilling to fight any further. Li therefore resolved to head west to surrender to Tang. Some 20,000 to 30,000 men followed him. Most of Li's former holdings submitted to Wang -- i.e., nominally to Yang Tong.<br />
<br />
<a name='Surrender to Tang and death' id='Surrender to Tang and death'></a><h2>Surrender to Tang and death</h2><br />
By winter 618, Li Mi was approaching Chang'an. Tang's Emperor Gaozu initially sent numerous messengers to him to express gratitude and welcome, and Li Mi expected Emperor Gaozu to give him a position equivalent to prime minister. However, once he actually arrived at Chang'an, his men were not respected and were given insufficient supplies. Soon, Emperor Gaozu made him the minister of palace supplies and created him the Duke of Xing. Li was not satisfied, particularly because the Tang officials largely looked down on him, and some demanded bribes. Only Emperor Gaozu himself showed him some respect, still referring to Li Mi as "my younger brother," and gave Li Mi his cousin Lady Dugu in marriage.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, while most of Li Mi's holdings had surrendered to Yang Tong, Xu Shiji did not. Li Mi's follower Wei Zheng suggested to Emperor Gaozu that he be sent to encourage Xu to submit to Tang, and Emperor Gaozu sent Wei to do so. Xu Shiji decided to submit, but believing that it was proper that Li Mi himself make the submission, since he was still, in Xu's eyes, the sovereign of the lands, he declined to write a submission to Emperor Gaozu, only a report to Li Mi. Li Mi submitted Xu's report to Emperor Gaozu, and Emperor Gaozu, impressed with Xu, bestowed on him the imperial surname of Li.<br />
<br />
Later that year, at an imperial feast, Li Mi, as the minister of palace supplies, was forced to organize the feast, and he felt humiliated. He discussed the situation with Wang Bodang, who had followed him to Chang'an, and they believed that, with Xu Shiji and Zhang Shanxiang still having substantial troops under their control, that he could reestablish himself. Li Mi thus spoke with Emperor Gaozu and offered to head back east to persuade his old adherents to submit to Tang. Around the new year 619, Emperor Gaozu, despite opposition by many of his officials, agreed, and he sent Li Mi east, assisted by Jia Runfu and Wang Bodang.<br />
<br />
After Li Mi departed Chang'an, however, Emperor Gaozu changed his mind and tried to summon Li Mi back to Chang'an. Li Mi had reached Chousang by that point, and he was fearful of what Emperor Gaozu was intending. Despite Jia's and Wang's opposition, he decided to rebel. He made a surprise attack on Taolin , capturing it. He then publicly declared that he was heading to Luoyang, but instead was heading to Xiangcheng , where Zhang was. His movement was anticipated by the Tang general Sheng Yanshi, however, who laid a trap for him on the way to Xiangcheng. Sheng killed him and Wang.<br />
<br />
Traditional Chinese historians, while writing from a Tang perspective, nevertheless could not help to show admiration for Li Mi and some degree of lament. For example, the historian Liu Xu, in his ''Book of Tang'', commented:<br />
<br />
:''Sui rule was corrupt, and Emperor Yang was misguided and immoral, being harsh on the heartland and adventuring far to . He lacked capable assistance in governing the empire and capable local officials in governing the locales. The two capitals were empty and the people were tired. Li Mi first rebelled in order to save the people, holding strategies in his heart and willing to personally face swords and arrows. He occupied where the Luo River flowed into the Yellow River, claiming to have a million men. People like Dou Jiande all submitted to him, and even the Duke of Tang showed support for him. Was his accomplishment not great? While he lost the Battle of Yanshi, he still had several tens of thousands of men. If he had been without suspicions in his chest and showed full of openness in his heart, he chould have headed to Liyang, using Xu Shiji as his general and Wei Zheng as his strategist. Whether he would have been successful would be difficult to tell.''<br />
:''However, Heaven had already favored someone else, and his chance was over. He was at least more fortunate than . He was the first to rise in rebellion but was finally willing to surrender to others. Did he not know that this put him in great danger? Further, he could not actually submit, contributing his abilities to serve the emperor, and he finally rebelled, becoming only a madman. He did not accept Wang Bodang's words, and he finally suffered disaster at Taolin. Some have compared him to Xiang Yu. Even if he had sufficient civil and military abilities to match, he was far more lacking in bravery and decisiveness. If Yang Su had favored Li Mi's abilities, he should have let Li Mi be a servant of the emperor, but instead he gave Li Mi to his idiotic son , finally leading to the slaughter of his house. How was that appropriate?''<br />
<br />
The Song Dynasty historian Ouyang Xiu, in his ''New Book of Tang'', also commented:<br />
<br />
:''Some have compared Li Mi to Xiang Yu, but it was an inapt comparrison. When Xiang rose, it took him only five years to unite the empire. Li fought for a long time, for tens and hundreds of battles, and could not capture the eastern capital. When Yang Xuangan rose, Li first advised him to seize Guanzhong , but when he himself became leader, he could not beat his drums and head west, and that led to his defeat. Li's good treatment of his adherents was comparable to Tian Heng , and was far more superior to Chen She. Even if Li did not rebel, Tang could not have allowed him to remain for long.''<br />
<br />
Emperor Gaozu sent Li Mi's head to Li Shiji and explained to him how Li Mi had rebelled. Li Shiji mourned Li Mi, and by Emperor Gaozu's permission buried Li Mi's body with a grand ceremony. As Li Mi had long been loved by his soldiers, many mourners were cried so hard that they spat up blood.<br />
<br />
<a name='Era name' id='Era name'></a><h2>Era name</h2><br />
* ''Weigong'' 617-618<br />
<br />
<a name='Personal information' id='Personal information'></a><h2>Personal information</h2><br />
* Father<br />
** Li Kuan , Sui Dynasty official with the title of Duke of Pushan<br />
* Wives<br />
** Lady Wang, daughter of Wang Xiucai <br />
** Lady Dugu, cousin of Emperor Gaozu of Tangjegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-19997270922373829462008-09-09T22:44:00.001-07:002008-09-09T22:44:07.850-07:00Li Xiaogong<strong>Li Xiaogong</strong> , formally <strong>Prince Yuan of Hejian</strong> , often referred to by his earlier title as <strong>Prince of Zhao Commandery</strong> , was an imperial prince and general of the dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was a son of a cousin of the founding emperor and served as a major general during Emperor Gaozu's reign, defeating the major competitor Xiao Xi the Emperor of Liang and the rebel general Fu Gongshi the Emperor of Song. He was one of the few generals of early Tang who distinguished himself without having first served under Emperor Gaozu's son .<br />
<br />
<a name='Background' id='Background'></a><h2>Background</h2><br />
Li Xiaogong was born in 591, during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui. His grandfather Li Wei was a son of the Western Wei general Li Hu , the grandfather of the major Sui general , and was a regional commandant during Sui's predecessor dynasty Northern Zhou. Li Xiaogong's father Li An was a general during Sui.<br />
<br />
Li Xiaogong was considered calm and knowledgeable in his youth. After Li Yuan rebelled against Emperor Wen's son Emperor Yang of Sui in 617 and captured the capital Chang'an, declaring Emperor Yang's grandson the Prince of Dai emperor , Li Yuan made Li Xiaogong in charge of a campaign to persuade or capture the region south of the Qinling Mountains. Li Xiaogong was able to persuade some 30 commanderies to submit to Li Yuan, and he also defeated the rebel leader Zhu Can in battle, after which he, against the advice of his subordinates, refused to slaughter the captives, and it was said that because of this, more rebels were willing to surrender to him than before.<br />
<br />
After Emperor Yang was killed in a coup at Jiangdu in 618, Li Yuan had Emperor Gong yield the throne to him, establishing Tang Dynasty as its Emperor Gaozu. He made Li Xiaogong the commandant at Xin Prefecture . As Li Xiaogong's territory was contiguous with another rebel ruler, Xiao Xi the Emperor of Liang, he offered Emperor Gaozu suggestions on destroying Liang. Emperor Gaozu created him the Prince of Zhao Commandery and, in spring 621, made the general Li Jing his assistant and strategist, preparing a major assault on Liang. He commissioned the sons of many of the non- chieftains of the area as officers, both as a way to placate the chieftains and to hold them as collateral for their loyalty.<br />
<br />
<a name='Campaign against Xiao Xi' id='Campaign against Xiao Xi'></a><h2>Campaign against Xiao Xi</h2><br />
In fall 621, Emperor Gaozu commissioned Li Xiaogong, with Li Jing as his assistant, to launch a major attack on Xiao Xi's Liang state, with a cousin of Li Xiaogong's, Li Yuan the Prince of Lujiang and the other generals Tian Shikang and Zhou Faming attacking on other fronts. At that time, the Yangtze River had a high water level and was flowing rapidly. While many officers under him suggested delaying the campaign, Li Xiaogong, perhaps with Li Jing's suggestion, decided that indeed, the rapid water was a good opportunity to launch a surprise attack on Xiao Xi's capital Jiangling . After defeating the Liang general Wen Shihong , he put Jiangling under siege, cutting off Xiao Xi's communications with the armies in the rest of his territory. He, again possibly with Li Jing's suggestion, floated the Liang ships that he captured down the Yangtze, to confuse the approaching Liang relief forces into believing that Jiangling had fallen already. Xiao, not knowing that the relief forces were only a few days away, surrendered to Li Xiaogong. By the suggestion of Xiao's official Cen Wenben, who had persuaded Xiao to surrender, Li Xiaogong strictly prohibited pillaging and retribution against Liang generals. The Liang provinces, upon hearing the news of Jiangling's fall, soon largely submitted to Tang. Li Xiaogong delivered Xiao to Chang'an, where Emperor Gaozu executed him.<br />
<br />
Emperor Gaozu made Li Xiaogong the commandant at Jing Prefecture , in charge of the former Liang territory. It was said that Li Xiaogong comforted the people, encouraging the soldiers to settle and farm, and made presses for copper coins to encourage commerce. Subsequently, his headquarters were moved to Xiang Prefecture .<br />
<br />
<a name='Campaign against Fu Gongshi' id='Campaign against Fu Gongshi'></a><h2>Campaign against Fu Gongshi</h2><br />
In fall 623, the Tang general Fu Gongshi, who had served as the deputy of the powerful general the Prince of Wu as the military governor of the lower Yangtze region, rebelled against Tang rule while Li Fuwei was at Chang'an, declaring himself the Emperor of Song. Emperor Gaozu commissioned Li Xiaogong to attack Fu, again making Li Jing, who was then in charge of the modern Guangdong and Guangxi region, Li Xiaogong's assistant, and also sending other generals Huang Junhan and Li Shiji to attack Fu from other fronts. Before his army was set to depart Xiang Prefecture, Li Xiaogong held a feast, when, for reasons unexplained, Li Xiaogong's cup, filled with water, suddenly appeared to be filled with blood, which was considered an ill omen and causing the generals at the feast to lose heart. However, Li Xiaogong calmly stated:<br />
<br />
:''Blessings and curses have no firm foundation, and it depends on how you act on them. I will not ignore the signs, and I will not make you gentlemen worry. Fu Gongshi is full of treachery and sins, and I rightfully attack him now in the name and spirit of the emperor. The blood in my cup is sign that this thief will soon lose his head!''<br />
<br />
He drank the blood-water with ease, impressing and calming his generals. He then sailed down the Yangtze, attacking and defeating the Song generals at multiple battles. Fu ordered his generals Feng Huiliang and Chen Dangshi to take up position at Mount Bowang , preparing for the assault, instructing Feng and Chen not to engage Li Xiaogong, but to wear him down. However, Li Xiaogong cut off their supply route, and when Feng and Chen's food supplies ran low, they challenged Li Xiaogong. Against suggestions by some officers that he bypass Feng and Chen and attack the Song capital Danyang directly, Li Xiaogong, perhaps with Li Jing's suggestion, confronted Feng and Chen, initially using the weaker segment of his forces to battle Feng and Chen and, after initial losses, draw Feng and Chen in deeper, and then attacked them, defeating them decisively, with the aid of Li Fuwei's subordinate general Kan Leng . After the victory, Li Xiaogong and Li Jing attacked Danyang. Fu, in fear, abandoned Danyang and fled east, but was captured by the local men and delivered to Danyang.<br />
<br />
<a name='Later life' id='Later life'></a><h2>Later life</h2><br />
It was after Fu Gongshi was delivered to Danyang that Li Xiaogong began to undertake actions that historians found questionable. Before he executed Fu, Fu, who despised Kan for refusing to follow him, accused Kan of actually conspiring with himself. Meanwhile, Li Xiaogong was confiscating the properties of Fu's adherents, and in doing so, he also confiscated properties owned by Li Fuwei , Wang Xiongdan , and Kan. Kan argued with Li Xiaogong on this matter, using sharp language. Li Xiaogong, in anger, accused Kan of treason and executed him. Moreover, he then, accepting Fu's propaganda that Li Fuwei had ordered him to rebel, reported the propaganda to Emperor Gaozu as the truth, and Emperor Gaozu, in turn, posthumously stripped Li Fuwei of his titles and seized Li Fuwei's wife and children as servants.<br />
<br />
Li Xiaogong was one of the few Tang generals who achieved great independent success without being associated with Emperor Gaozu's talented son , and he enjoyed great reputation among the soldiers. As he was put in charge of the lower Yangtze region after defeating Fu, he rebuilt the important Southern Dynasties fortress of Shitou , which led to accusations that he was planning treason himself. Emperor Gaozu recalled him to the capital and had him interrogated, but after insufficient evidence was shown against him, released him and made him the minister of imperial clan affairs -- a high level position that however had relatively little power. He later successively served as the commandant at Liang Prefecture and prefect of Jin Prefecture . After Li Shimin became emperor in 626 , his title was changed to Prince of Hejian, and he was made the minister of ceremonies.<br />
<br />
It was said that Li Xiaogong lived luxuriously, having more than 100 dancing and singing girls at his mansion, but it was also said that he was humble and forgiving and therefore was honored by Emperor Taizong. During this period, he once made a comment to friends, suggesting that he might have intentionally lived luxuriously in order to show that he did not have ambitions:<br />
<br />
:''I live in great luxury, but that is not what I actually wanted to do. I will eventually build another mansion that would be far less luxurious. After I die, if my son is capable, he can defend it more easily; if he is not, there will be less incentive for someone else to rob him of it.''<br />
<br />
In 640, Li Xiaogong died suddenly while at a feast. Emperor Taizong posthumously honored him with great honors and buried him near the tomb of Emperor Gaozu. In 643, when Emperor Taizong commissioned the Portraits at Lingyan Pavilion, to commemorate the 24 great contributors to Tang rule, Li Xiaogong's portrait was one.jegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-57630532128579413222008-09-09T22:43:00.001-07:002008-09-09T22:43:58.011-07:00Luo Yi<strong>Luo Yi</strong> , known during service to Tang Dynasty as <strong>Li Yi</strong> , courtesy name <strong>Ziyan</strong> or <strong>Ziting</strong> , was a Sui Dynasty official who rose against the rule of Emperor Yang of Sui and occupied the modern Beijing region. He subsequently submitted to Emperor Gaozu of Tang and was created the Prince of Yan and granted the imperial surname of Li. He subsequently, in the struggle between Emperor Gaozu's sons Li Jiancheng the Crown Prince and the Prince of Qin, joined Li Jiancheng's faction. After Li Shimin killed Li Jiancheng in 626 and forced Emperor Gaozu to yield the throne to him , Li Yi was fearful, and he rebelled against Emperor Taizong in 627. He was soon defeated and killed.<br />
<br />
<a name='Initial uprising' id='Initial uprising'></a><h2>Initial uprising</h2><br />
Luo Yi's clan was originally from Xiangyang , but moved from there to the Sui capital Chang'an. Luo Yi's father Luo Rong was a minor general during Sui. Luo Yi was said to be intelligent, self-confident, and capable in battle, but unkind. Due to his contributions on the battlefield, by the latter part of the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, Luo was a key army officer at Beiping , under the command of the general Li Jing . Luo's was said to be strict in his discipline of soldiers, but he himself was arrogant even toward Li. Li often rebuked him, and he therefore resented Li.<br />
<br />
By 616, nearby Zhuo Commandery was constantly under pillaging attacks by agrarian rebels, as Emperor Yang had stored much military supplies and placed many soldiers at Zhuo Commandery for his campaigns against Goguryeo, and nearby Linshuo Palace contained much imperial treasure. The military officers in charge of defending the city, Zhao Shizhu , Helan Yi , and Jin Wenyan were all unable to stop the pillaging raids, but Luo often battled these agrarian rebels and prevailed, earning him greater reputation than the others. Zhao, who was in overall command, greatly suspected Luo. Luo, who considered rebelling against Sui rule, incited his soldiers by telling them:<br />
<br />
:"We attack the bandits and often prevailed. However, even though the food supplies are stacked like mountains inside the city, the commander is unwilling to distribute them to the hungry people. How can the officers and soldiers be encouraged by this?"<br />
<br />
After Luo returned from an attack on the rebels, he arrested the commandery secretary general, and Zhao, in fear, submitted to him. Luo distributed the stored wealth and food to the soldiers and the people and executed several officials who were not willing to follow his orders. A number of Sui cities, including as far as Liucheng and Huaiyuan , submitted to him. He claimed for himself the office of commandant at You Prefecture , using an office title that was often used during the reign of Emperor Yang's father but had been abolished by Emperor Yang.<br />
<br />
<a name='Submission to Tang' id='Submission to Tang'></a><h2>Submission to Tang</h2><br />
In spring 618, Emperor Yang, while at Jiangdu , was killed in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji, who declared Emperor Yang's nephew emperor. Yuwen sent messengers to Luo Yi, trying to persuade him to submit. Luo responded, "I am still a Sui subject." He executed Yuwen's messengers and declared a mourning period for Emperor Yang -- albeit only for three days, not for the Confucian traditional three years or the shortened 36-day period as modified by Emperor Wen of Han. Subsequently, the rebel leaders Dou Jiande the Prince of Xia and Gao Kaidao both sent messengers to try to get him to submit, but Luo, viewing Dou and Gao as bandits, refused. Rather, hearing that the Sui general had taken the throne at Chang'an and established Tang Dynasty , Luo decided to submit to him, through the Tang general Zhang Daoyuan . Around the new year 619, Emperor Gaozu commissioned Luo as the commandant at You Prefecture. He subsequently repelled an attack from Dou.<br />
<br />
In winter 619, Emperor Gaozu created Luo the Prince of Yan Commandery and bestowed the imperial surname of Li on him, and he thereafter became known as Li Yi. Around the same time, he repelled another Dou attack. Dou attacked again in summer 620, and he again repelled the attack, with Gao's aid. Gao thereafter submitted to Tang as well, through him.<br />
<br />
In 621, Emperor Gaozu's son the Prince of Qin captured Dou, and Emperor Gaozu executed Dou. For a short duration, Dou's domain submitted to Tang, but subsequently Dou's generals rose against Tang, led by Liu Heita. Emperor Gaozu sent a number of generals against Liu and ordered Li Yi to attack Liu from the north. Liu, however, was successful in defeating all Tang generals sent against him, including Li Yi, and regaining all of Dou's territory. Meanwhile, You Prefecture was suffering from a famine. Gao agreed to supply You Prefecture with food, and when Li Yi sent the weaker of his men to Wei Province to save them from the famine, Gao treated them well. Li Yi was pleased, and he sent three thousand men with several hundred wagons and over 1,000 horses and donkeys to Wei Prefecture to transport food. Gao, however, turned against Li Yi and kept all of them, breaking off the relations with Li Yi and Tang Dynasty. He allied himself with Eastern Tujue to the north and Liu to the south.<br />
<br />
In 622, with Li Shimin attacking Liu, Li Yi led his forces to join Li Shimin to attack Liu's capital at Ming Prefecture . After the armies stalemated for several months, Li Shimin defeated Liu by using the waters of the nearby Ming River to drown Liu's army, forcing Liu to flee to Eastern Tujue. Li Yi returned to his post at You Prefecture. Late that year, however, Liu returned with Eastern Tujue aid, and Li Yi was unable to repel him, although Liu was subsequently defeated by Li Shimin's brother Li Jiancheng the Crown Prince and killed in early 623.<br />
<br />
In spring 623 as well, Li Yi requested that he leave his post and serve at the capital Chang'an instead. He was made a general in the imperial army.<br />
<br />
<a name='Involvement in the struggle between Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin' id='Involvement in the struggle between Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin'></a><h2>Involvement in the struggle between Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin</h2><br />
It appeared that soon after arriving in the capital, Li Yi became a close associate to Li Jiancheng, who was then locked in a struggle with Li Shimin for power, as while Li Jiancheng was older and legally Emperor Gaozu's successor, Li Shimin was more famous, had contributed more to Tang's establishment, and enjoyed greater loyalty from the army. On one occasion, when Li Shimin sent messengers to Li Yi, Li Yi had them bound and battered, drawing Emperor Gaozu's ire. Emperor Gaozu briefly arrested Li Yi, but soon released and restored him. On another occasion in 624, Li Jiancheng, against Emperor Gaozu's regulations, requisitioned the elite soldiers from under Li Yi's command to augment his own guards, and when this was discovered, Emperor Gaozu rebuked Li Jiancheng and exiled his guard commander Keda Zhi .<br />
<br />
In summer 625, with Tang's capital region Guanzhong being under constant raids by Eastern Tujue, Emperor Gaozu repositioned a number of generals to try to defend against these raids, and as part of the movement, forces under Li Yi's command were placed at Huating and Tanzheng Canyon .<br />
<br />
In summer 626, with Eastern Tujue attacking again, Emperor Gaozu commissioned another son, Li Yuanji the Prince of Qi, who was part of Li Jiancheng's faction, to lead troops against Eastern Tujue, and Li Yi was assigned to be under Li Yuanji's command. However, at this time, Li Shimin, apparently fearful that Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji were about to kill him, acted first, ambushing Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji and killing them at the Incident at Xuanwu Gate, and then effectively forced Emperor Gaozu to first create him crown prince, and then two months later yield the throne to him .<br />
<br />
<a name='Death' id='Death'></a><h2>Death</h2><br />
Emperor Taizong declared a general pardon of Li Jiancheng's and Li Yuanji's staff members and incorporated a number of Li Jiancheng's advisors into his own administration. Still, having had conflicts with Li Shimin before, Li Yi was fearful. Meanwhile, the witch Li Wujie was a close associate with Li Yi's wife Princess Meng, informing her that both she and Li Yi were beginning to show signs of great glory. Both Li Wujie and Meng then persuaded him to rebel.<br />
<br />
Li Yi agreed, and, in spring 627, Li Yi pretended to receive a secret order from Emperor Taizong to return to Chang'an from his then-defense post at Yi Prefecture . He seized Zhao Cihao the secretary general of Bin Prefecture and occupied Bin. Emperor Taizong sent his brother-in-law Zhangsun Wuji against Li Yi, but even before Zhangsun's arrival, Zhao's associate Yang Ji attacked Li Yi, whose forces collapsed. Li Yi tried to flee to Eastern Tujue, but when he arrived at Wushi , his associates assassinated him and cut off his head to be delivered to Chang'an. Emperor Taizong had his head hung in the streets and changed his name back to Luo, excising him from the imperial clan rolls. His wife Princess Meng, Li Wujie, and his brother Luo Shou were all executed.jegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-904646767853593938.post-53483522465418476262008-09-09T22:39:00.000-07:002008-09-09T22:43:26.203-07:00Shen Faxing<strong>Shen Faxing</strong> was an official of the dynasty Sui Dynasty who, after Emperor Yang of Sui was killed in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji in 618, seized the modern Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu region, declaring himself the Prince of Liang. He was defeated by Li Zitong in 620 and, believing that he was doomed, committed suicide by jumping into a river.<br />
<br />
<a name='Initial uprising' id='Initial uprising'></a><h2>Initial uprising</h2><br />
Shen Faxing was from Hu Province . His father Shen Ke was a Chen Dynasty general who served all five of Chen's emperors until his death in 583 at the age of 73, with the title of the Marquess of Dongxing. After Shen Ke's death, Shen Faxing inherited the title of Marquess of Dongxing, but Chen was destroyed by Sui Dynasty in 589.<br />
<br />
As of 618, Shen Faxing was serving as the governor of Wuxing Commandery under Emperor Yang of Sui. He was on a campaign against the agrarian rebel leader Lou Shigan when news came that Emperor Yang had been killed at Jiangdu in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji. Shen therefore, claiming that he was attacking Yuwen, gathered the troops of the region, numbering more than 60,000 men, and he occupied more than 10 commanderies, including such cities as Yuhang , Piling , and Danyang . He declared himself the grand commandant of Jiangnan and exercised imperial powers.<br />
<br />
In fall 618, Shen sent messengers to declare submission to the Sui emperor Yang Tong , then at the eastern capital Luoyang, but he declared for himself the exceedingly honored titles of commander of the armed forces, grand secretary, and the Duke of Tianmen, and there was no record of Yang Tong accepting his submission or granting him offices.<br />
<br />
<a name='Rule as Prince of Liang' id='Rule as Prince of Liang'></a><h2>Rule as Prince of Liang</h2><br />
By fall 619, with Sui having fallen earlier in the year , Shen Faxing, believing that he could easily pacify the region south of the Huai River as well, declared himself the Prince of Liang and set his capital at Piling. His governmental organization largely followed Chen Dynasty's model. However, it was said that Shen was cruel and only knew how to suppress dissent by massacres, and that whenever his soldiers had even small faults, they were beheaded, and therefore his subordinates despised him.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, rivaling Shen for the control of the region were the agrarian leader Du Fuwei, who was at Liyang ; the Sui official Chen Leng , at Jiangdu; and the agrarian leader Li Zitong, at Hailing . In fall 619, Li was sieging Chen at Jiangling, and Chen sought help from both Shen and Du. Shen sent his son Shen Guan with an army to assist Chen, along with Du. However, Li tricked Shen Guan and Du into attacking each other, and neither was able to assist Chen. Li was able to capture Jiangdu, and then defeated Shen Guan in battle. Both Shen Guan and Du withdrew, and Li took over the Jiangdu region.<br />
<br />
<a name='Defeat and death' id='Defeat and death'></a><h2>Defeat and death</h2><br />
In 620, Li Zitong, who had by then claimed the title of Emperor of Wu, crossed the Yangtze and captured Shen's key city Jingkou . When Shen sent his official Jiang Yuanchao against Li, Li defeated and killed Jiang. Shen abandoned Piling and fled to Wu Commandery . Piling and Danyang fell into Li's hands.<br />
<br />
However, as Li was attacking Shen, Du Fuwei, who had by that point submitted to Tang Dynasty and was given the imperial surname Li , sent his generals Fu Gongshi, Kan Leng , and Wang Xiongdan to attack Li Zitong, defeating him. Li Zitong's food supplies ran out, and he abandoned Jiangdu and initially fled to Jingkou, but subsequently abandoned Jingkou as well and attacked Shen. Shen, with several hundred men, abandoned Wu Commandery and fled. A local agrarian leader, Wenren Sui'an , sent his general Ye Xiaobian to welcome Shen and escort him. Shen initially accepted, but on the way regretted the decision and considered assassinating Ye and fleeing toward Kuaiji . When Ye realized this plot, Shen felt that he was trapped, and he jumped into a river to drown. Li Zitong took over the remainder of his territory, roughly modern Zhejiang.<br />
<br />
<a name='Era name' id='Era name'></a><h2>Era name</h2><br />
* ''Yankang'' 619-620jegouhiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05352545851484324951noreply@blogger.com0