Li Keyong

Li Keyong

Li Keyong (October 24, 856 - February 23, 908), with the name of Yisheng, was given the surname of Li by the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. He was a member of the Shatuo nationality and was born in Xincheng, shenwuchuan. From the end of the Tang Dynasty to the beginning of the Five Dynasties, the warlord was nicknamed "Li ya'er" (the main force of his army was also called "crow army"). Because one eye is blind, also known as "one eyed dragon", his father Zhu Xie is pure hearted (named Li Guochang). In his early years, Li Keyong went to war with his father and often attacked the enemy. He was called "Flying Tiger son" in the army.

Li Keyong was born in the new town of shenwuchuan (now North of Yanmen, Shanxi). Brave and good at riding and shooting, he joined the army at the age of 15. In 881, Li Ke led the Shatuo army to the south to suppress Huangchao. In the second year of Zhonghe (882), Li Keyong was appointed King Qin twice. In the third year of Zhonghe (883), Huang Chao withdrew from Chang'an. Because Li Keyong made the most contribution in the war of Chang'an's recovery, he was appointed as the governor of Hedong. In the fourth year of Zhonghe (884), Li Keyong defeated the Qi army from the southeast of the river, and eventually made Huang Chao commit suicide. In the first year of Guangqi (885), the imperial court attacked Wang chongrong, the governor of Hezhong. Li Keyong accused Zhu Mei and Li Changfu, the Jingnan Jiedushi and Fengxiang Jiedushi, who occupied Guanzhong, of making friends with Zhu Wen. They wanted to destroy themselves, so they marched into Guanzhong to defeat them, and Fuzong fled to Fengxiang. In the second year of qianning (895), Li Maozhen, Wang Xingyu and Han Jiansan took Tang Zhaozong into Beijing. Li Keyong led the army to serve the king again, defeated the three commanders and rescued him. He was named king of Jin for his meritorious service. In the following years, Li Keyong continued to fight with Zhu Wen and became the biggest opponent in the world. Since then, Li Keyong had a long-term separatist rule over Hedong and confronted Zhu Wen, who occupied bianzhou.

In the fourth year of Tianyou (907), Zhu Wendai was called emperor in Tang Dynasty, and was named Liang in the state, which was called Houliang in history. Li Keyong still used the title of Tianyou in Tang Dynasty to compete with Houliang in the name of reviving Tang Dynasty. The next year (908), Li Keyong died and was buried in Daixian County, Shanxi Province. After Li Cunxu was founded in Tang Dynasty, he was named Emperor Wu and temple name Taizu.

The portrait of Li Keyong is now in the National Taipei Palace Museum

Life of the characters

Young and famous

Li Keyong is the third son of Li Guochang, the Xianzu of the later Tang Dynasty. His family name is Zhu Xie and his mother is Qin. He was born on September 22, the 10th year of Tang Dazhong (856) in the new town of shenwuchuan (in today's Yingxian County, Shanxi Province). According to the historical records, Li Keyong was extraordinarily supernatural when he was born, "Hongguang candlelight room, white gas filling court, well water overflowing."

In the 10th year of Xiantong (869), when Li Keyong was 13 years old, he saw two wild ducks flying in the air, so he shot an arrow and hit two wild ducks. People present all admired his archery.

Li Keyong was very brave when he was young. The army called him "Li Yaer". When Li Keyong was 15 years old, Li Guochang attacked Pang Xun. He went out to fight in the army before all the generals. The army regarded him as a "Flying Tiger". After Pang Xun was pacified, Li Guochang was granted the title of Zhenwu Jiedushi, and Li Keyong was granted the title of yunzhongya general.

Against Tang Dynasty

The Shatuo tribe has always been powerful, and made great achievements in the process of pacifying the Huangchao uprising in the Tang Dynasty. Li Guochang is arrogant because of his merits. Tang Yizong is very worried about this. In 872, Tang Yizong transferred Li Guochang to Yunzhou governor and Datong defense envoy. Li Guochang said he was ill and refused to accept the appointment. After Li Guochang refused his life, Li Keyong killed Duan Wenchu, the defense envoy of Datong army, occupied Yunzhou (today's Datong in Shanxi Province) and claimed to stay behind. The Tang court appointed Lu Jianfang, the eunuch minister, as Zhenwu Jiedushi, to fight against the Shatuo tribe together with the soldiers of Youzhou and Bingzhou. However, Lu Jian had just arrived in Lanzhou (now Luliang County, Shanxi Province), and the army was defeated. Therefore, Shatuo seized the opportunity to occupy the area north of daizhou (now Xinzhou County, Shanxi Province), becoming the northern frontier of the Tang Dynasty. In 873, Emperor Fu Zong of Tang Dynasty ascended the throne, because Li Ye, the former Taiyuan governor, was kind to Shatuo. Li Ye was dead, so he appointed his son Li Jun as Lingwu Jiedu envoy and Xuanwei Shatuo Liuzhou three tribe envoy, and let Li Jun summon and arrest Li Keyong. Tang Tingfeng and Li Ke used Datong army as defense envoys.

After a while, when Li Guochang attacked Dangxiang, helianduo, leader of Tuyuhun, raided Zhenwu Army (today's Inner Mongolia Helingeer). After hearing this, Li Keyong set out from Yunzhou to meet his father Li Guochang. When they returned to Yunzhou, Yunzhou was closed to entry, and Li Guochang and his son had nowhere to return. Therefore, they attacked Yuzhou (now Yuxian County, Hebei Province) and Shuozhou (now Shuo county, Shanxi Province), and recruited 3000 soldiers. Li Guochang garrisoned in Yuzhou, and Li Ke occupied the new town with Hui army. Therefore, Emperor Fu Zong of the Tang Dynasty appointed heliandou as Datong military envoy and Li Jun as Dai Bei's recruiting envoy to continue to fight against Shatuo.

In the fifth year of Qianfu (878), Shatuo first defeated the garrison, and then the Kalan army. The Tang army was defeated several times, so Shatuo's power became stronger and stronger. Shatuo occupies Weizhou and Shuozhou in the north, and invades Xin, Dai, LAN and Shi in the south to Taigu.

In the first year of Guangming (880), Li Zhuo, together with Li Keju in Youzhou and heliandou in Yunzhou, attacked Shatuo. Li Keyong and Li Keju supported and rejected the Xiongwu Army (now the northeast of Jixian County in Beijing, Tianjin). Li Keyong's uncle Li Youjin, together with Wei and Shuozhou, surrendered to Li Zhuo. After hearing this, Li Keyong immediately led his troops back. Li Keju chased Li Keyong to yaoerling and defeated Li Keyong. Later, Li Zhuo's army attacked each other and defeated Li Keyong in Yuzhou. Shatuo was defeated, Li Guochang and Li Ke exiled to Tatar with their father and son.

Crusade against Huangchao

In the first year of Zhonghe (881), Huang Chao captured Chang'an City, the capital of Tang Dynasty. Chen Jingsi, a military envoy from the north, led the troops of Shatuo, tuhun and Anqing to Chang'an. When they marched to Jiangzhou (now Xinjiang county, Yuncheng, Shanxi Province), the Shatuo army went back in chaos and plunder. Chen Jingsi felt that the Shatuo army could not control its use except Li Keyong, so he asked emperor Fu of the Tang Dynasty to issue an imperial edict to recall Li Keyong from Tatar and appoint him as the governor of daizhou and the governor of the camp north of Yanmen. Li Keyong led tens of thousands of Tibetan and Han troops out of shilingguan (now North of Shangyuan village, Dayu Town, Yangqu County, Taiyuan, Shanxi). Passing by Taiyuan, Li Keyong asked the imperial court to issue military salaries. Zheng congdang, the governor of Hedong, only gave him 1000 coins and 1000 meters and stones. Li Keyong was very angry and went back after plundering.

In November of the second year of Zhonghe (882), Chen Jingsi and Li Keyong went to Chang'an, the capital, with 17000 cavalry troops. In the first month of the third year of Zhonghe (883), Li Keyong sent troops to the river and stationed troops in dry pits. The Yellow nest army said in horror: "the crow army is here.". In February, Huang Ye, the general of Huang Chao army, was defeated in Shidi valley. In March, when Zhao Zhang and Shang rang were defeated in liangtianpo, the rebels were killed 30 Li. At this time, the king's army came to Chang'an and fought with the Huang Chao army at Weiqiao. The Huang Chao army retreated into the city. Li Ke took advantage of the victory to enter the city from Guangtai gate and fought with the uprising army at Shengyang Hall of Wangchun palace. The Huang Chao army retreated and fled South to Lantian. Chang'an was recovered by the Tang army, and Li Ke made the most military contributions. Emperor Fu Zong of Tang Dynasty appointed Li Keyong as the inspector general, Xiaping Zhangshi, Hedong Jiedushi, and Li Guochang as the camp Jiedushi to the north of Yanmen. In October, his father Li Guochang died. In November, Li Keyong sent his younger brother Li Kexiu to attack Meng Fangli of Zhaoyi and capture Ze and Lu. After losing Shandong, Meng Fangli established another Zhaoyi army with the army of Xing, Ming and CI. Huang Chao went south to caizhou, subdued Qin Zongquan and attacked Chenzhou.

In the fourth year of Zhonghe (884), Li Ke led 50000 soldiers to rescue Chenzhou (now Huaiyang County, Zhoukou, Henan Province). He wanted to pass through Heyang. Zhuge Shuang disagreed, so he led his troops to cross the river. In April, Shang rang was defeated in Taikang (now Taikang County, Zhoukou, Henan Province), and Huang Ye was defeated in Xihua (now Xihua county, Zhoukou, Henan Province). Huang Chao was defeated and retreated. When he arrived at Zhongmu (now Zhongmu County, Zhengzhou, Henan Province), he did not cross the Yellow River, but Li Ke led his troops to chase him. Huang Chao's army was defeated in terror. When Fengqiu (now Fengqiu County, Xinxiang County, Henan Province), Li Keyong defeated Huang Chao army again, and Huang Chao escaped. Li Keyong chased him for 300 miles a day and night, and he was forced to return to Yuanqu (now southwest Heze, Shandong Province).

In the fourth year of Zhonghe (884), Li Keyong attacked Huangchao, passed by bianzhou, and retired from the army in Fengchan temple for rectification. Zhu Wen entertained Li Keyong in Shangyuan post. Li Ke gets angry with Zhu Wen when he is drunk. In the evening, after the banquet, Li Ke fell asleep drunk. Zhu Wen's ambush soldiers come out and set fire to the house. Guo Jingzhu, the servant, puts out the candle and hides Li Keyong under the bed. He wakes Li Keyong with water and tells him. Fortunately, heavy rain put out the fire. Li Keyong and his followers Xue Tieshan and he Huihu escaped from Weishi gate by the light of lightning and fell into the city with ropes to return to their troops. In July, Li Ke went to Taiyuan to report the incident to Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty, asking to send troops to bianzhou, and sent his younger brother Li Kexiu to lead 10000 troops to garrison in the middle of the river. It was only after emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty persuaded him to settle the matter. At the same time, Tang Tingfeng Li Ke was called "the king of Longxi County" because of his contribution to the destruction of Huangchao.

Powerful Tang Court

In the first year of Guangqi (885), Wang chongrong had a festival with Tian Lingzi, a eunuch. Tian Lingzi sent Wang chongrong to Yanzhou, appointed Wang chucun of Dingzhou as the governor of Hezhong, and issued an imperial edict to Li Ke to send troops to protect Wang chucun's jurisdiction. Wang chongrong ordered people to tell Li Keyong: "the emperor issued an imperial edict to him. When Li Keyong used it, let him kill Li Keyong with Wang chucun." Therefore, he forged the imperial edict for Li Keyong, saying: "this is Zhu Wen's plot." Li Keyong believed it and asked to attack Zhu Wen eight times. Tang Xizong didn't agree. Li Keyong was very angry.

Wang chongrong was not ordered to be transferred, so emperor Fu of Tang ordered Zhu Mei of Jiazhou (now Binxian County of Shaanxi Province) and Li Changfu of Fengxiang to attack him. However, Li Keyong sent troops to help Wang chongrong, defeated Zhu Mei in Shayuan, led troops to attack Chang'an, and set fire and plunder everywhere. Tang Fu Zong fled to Xingyuan (now Hanzhong, Shaanxi Province), and Li Ke stationed his troops in the river. At this time, Zhu Mei also rebelled and sent troops to pursue Tang Fu Zong,

Chinese PinYin : Li Ke Yong