Duan Xiushi
Encyclopedia
Duan Xiushi (719 – November 6, 783), courtesy name Chenggong (成公), formally Prince Zhonglie of Zhangye (張掖忠烈王), was a general of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
. He was known for his strict military discipline. In 783, after Emperor Dezong
fled the capital Chang'an
in the midst of a revolt at Chang'an led by the general Zhu Ci
, Duan made a desperate attempt to assassinate Zhu and was killed in the attempt.
. His family was from Long Prefecture (隴州, roughly modern Qingyang
, Gansu
), as the family settled there after his great-grandfather Duan Shijun (段師濬) served as the prefect of Long Prefecture. Both his grandfather Duan Da (段達) and father Duan Xingchen (段行琛) served as military officers. It was said that Duan Xiushi was filially pious in his childhood, and when he was five, when his mother fell ill, he was so distressed that he could not eat or drink for seven days; only after his mother got better did he resume eating and drinking. After he grew, he was said to be silent and decisive. His friends wanted to recommend him for the imperial examinations -- specifically, for the Mingjing (明經) examinations, which required study of one of the Five Classics. Duan responded, "Looking through the book and memorizing sentences is not a great achievement," and he refused to sit for the examination.
Duan later came to serve under the military governor (Jiedushi
) of Anxi Circuit (安西, headquartered in modern Aksu Prefecture
, Xinjiang
), Fumeng Lingcha (夫蒙靈詧), and after he distinguished himself in a Fumeng-commanded campaign against Humi (護蜜, centered around modern Faizabad
, Uttar Pradesh
) in 745, he was made a key officer in the Anxi army. After Gao Xianzhi
replaced Fumeng in 748, Duan continued to serve under Gao. He participated in Gao's campaign to the west in 751 that culminated in the Battle of Talas
against Abbasid
forces, which saw Gao's forces defeated by Abbasid forces. In the aftermaths of the defeat, Gao's deputy Li Siye
suggested full retreat by Gao—abandoning some of the soldiers who had become lost after the battle. Duan rebuked Li Siye, stating, "Fleeing in light of your fear of the enemy is no bravery, and sparing yourself to allow others to be trapped is no kindness." Li Siye was embarrassed, and he and Duan subsequently made an attempt to gather the scattered troops to organize them into an orderly retreat. After the army returned to Anxi, Li Siye recommended Duan to Gao to serve as the circuit's secretary. In 753, when Gao's successor Feng Changqing
attacked Greater Bolü (大勃律, centering modern Gilgit
, Pakistan
), after the initial successes, Feng was set to pursue the Greater Bolü king, when Duan pointed out that the king's flight might be a trap—and at Duan's suggestion, Feng made a thorough search in the area of the battle, finding many Greater Bolü soldiers who had hidden themselves, ready for a surprise attack. This allowed Feng to finish the victory over Greater Bolü. Duan was thereafter promoted in rank.
rebelled at Fanyang (范陽, in modern Beijing
) and established a new state of Yan
. In 756, his forces approached the Tang capital Chang'an
, forcing Emperor Xuanzong to flee to Chengdu
. Emperor Xuanzong's son and crown prince
Li Heng
did not follow him to Chengdu, but instead fled to Lingwu, where he was declared emperor (as Emperor Suzong), an act that Emperor Xuanzong later recognized. Emperor Suzong ordered that the key military circuits send armies to aid him. When his order reached Anxi, the military governor Liang Zai (梁宰), after consulting with Li Siye, initially decided not to act on the order and to wait for further development. Duan Xiushi rebuked Li Siye:
Li Siye was embarrassed, and he subsequently met with Liang and persuaded Liang to commission an army, with Li Siye himself in command and Duan as deputy, to join Emperor Suzong at Lingwu. Soon thereafter, Duan's father died, and he spent time in morning. As Li Siye felt that Duan's service was indispensable, he requested that Duan be recalled into active service.
In 757, a joint Tang-Huige army recaptured Chang'an and then the eastern capital Luoyang
, forcing An Lushan's son and successor An Qingxu
to flee to Yecheng
. Tang forces put Yecheng under siege, and Li Siye, one of the Tang commanders at the siege, made Duan the prefect of Huai Prefecture (懷州, in modern Jiaozuo
, Henan
) to be responsible for logistics—the shipping of food supplies from the area to the army at Yecheng. In spring 759, Li Siye died in battle during the siege. The Anxi army supported Li Siye's subordinate Lifei Yuanli (荔非元禮) to take over the command, and Emperor Suzong agreed. Duan remained as Lifei's deputy. Subsequently, at Duan's request, Li Siye's casket was sent to Hezhong (河中, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi
), where it was buried in grand ceremony at Duan's expense. This touched Lifei greatly, and he recommended Duan for a promotion in rank. In 762, while a number of armies were at Hezhong, including the Anxi army, Lifei was killed in an army mutiny, along with many other officers, but the soldiers respected Duan and did not dare to harm him. Subsequently, Bai Xiaode (白孝德) was put in command of the Anxi army, and Duan remained as Bai's deputy. This continued after Bai was made the military governor of Fufang Circuit (鄜坊, headquartered in modern Yan'an
, Shaanxi
).
. In 763, when Tufan forces launched a surprise attack against Chang'an and forced Emperor Daizong to flee to Shan Prefecture (陝州, in modern Sanmenxia
, Henan
), Duan Xiushi persuaded Bai Xiaode to join the forces of the other circuits in aiding the emperor. Subsequently, Bai was made the military governor of Binning Circuit (邠寧, headquartered in modern Xianyang
, Shaanxi
), and Duan continued to serve as his deputy. At one time, when the circuit lacked food, Bai temporarily moved his army to Fengtian (奉天, also in modern Xianyang). However, Fengtian was then in a state of confusion as the local government had collapsed, and the soldiers, in response, were pillaging the area. Duan requested to be serve as discipline officer as well, and subsequently, Duan imposed strict discipline on the army and stopped the pillaging. Upon the army's return to Binning's capital Bin Prefecture, Duan was created the Prince of Zhangye.
Later in the year, there was a Tufan incursion, and an army commanded by Guo Ziyi
, the deputy supreme commander of the armed forces (in effect, the supreme commander, as Emperor Daizong's son Li Kuo
the Crown Prince was the nominal supreme commander) helped to defend Bin Prefecture against Tufan forces. After the Tufan threat subsided, Guo returned to Chang'an, but his forces, under the command of his son Guo Xi (郭晞), remained at Bin Prefecture. Guo Xi's soldiers lacked proper discipline and became a major problem for the people of Bin Prefecture, and Bai was troubled but unsure what to do because Guo Xi was Guo Ziyi's son. Duan volunteered to again be discipline officer, and after one month, there was an incident when 17 of Guo Xi's soldiers, in a dispute with a wine seller, killed him and destroyed the winemaking equipment. Duan arrested them and beheaded them. Guo Xi's soldiers were incensed, armed themselves, and got ready to attack Bai's headquarters. Duan went to Guo Xi's headquarters with only one old man attending him. When he arrived there, the soldiers were surprised that he arrived effectively alone. Duan stated, "Why wear your armor for this old soldier? I brought my head with me." He then spoke to them:
When Guo Xi came out of his tent to meet Duan, Duan rebuked him:
Guo Xi was embarrassed and rebuked his soldiers, ordering them to stand down. That night, Duan stayed at Guo Xi's tent, and Guo Xi was up all night to protect him. The next day, Guo Xi, accompanied by Duan, visited Bai to apologize. Thereafter, the pillaging of Bin Prefecture ended.
In 766, Ma Lin (馬璘) replaced Bai as the military governor of Binning. Duan continued to serve as his deputy. It was said that whenever Ma made wrong decisions, Duan would argue with him about it and would not leave until Ma changed his mind. On one occasion, Ma became angry and threatened to kill Duan when Duan insisted, but Duan did not fear the threats, stating, "Why get angry about executing me if I deserve execution? If, on the other hand, I do not deserve execution, then you are unjust." Ma stormed out, but subsequently invited Duan to a feast to apologize. It was said that because of Duan's counsel, Ma received excellent reputation while governing Binning.
Around the new year 769, at the suggestion of the chancellor Yuan Zai
, the three prefectures belonging to Binning Circuit were merged into Guo Ziyi's command. Ma, along with his army, was moved to Jingyuan Circuit (涇原, headquartered in modern Pingliang
, Gansu
). Ma took part of the army to the capital of Jingyuan Circuit, Jing Prefecture, first, to rebuild the walls, while briefly having Duan remain at Bin Prefecture to oversee the troop movements. The soldiers under Ma's command were still largely soldiers who had come from Anxi in 756 to fight the Yan rebels and who had since been moved multiple locations. They were displeased about being moved once again, and the officer Wang Tongzhi (王童之) subsequently organized a plot to rise in mutiny. Duan found out about the plot and prepared to counteract; once Wang's plot exposed itself, he executed Wang and eight other coconspirators, and the rest of the army did not dare to resist the subsequent move to Jing Prefecture.
In 773, during a Tufan incursion, Ma suffered a battle loss at the hands of Tufan forces and was trapped outside the city, unable to enter. His subordinate Jiao Lingchen (焦令諶) fled back into the city and suggested that Duan close the city gates to get ready for the Tufan assault. Duan responded, "The Governor has not returned. We need to use all of our strength to fight the barbarians. How can we just seek to spare ourselves?" He then told Jiao, "According to military laws, the penalty for losing your commander is death. Have you forgotten that?" Jiao became fearful, and Duan sent him back out to fight Tufan forces, forcing them to withdraw and allowing Ma to return to the city.
In 776, Ma grew deathly ill, and he made Duan acting military governor before dying. With the soldiers gathering to mourn Ma, Duan was apprehensive that some soldiers would use this opportunity to mutiny. He therefore took careful precautions while arranging Ma's mourning, ordering that Ma's family, officers, soldiers, and commoners be segregated in their mourning and arresting anyone who disobeyed the orders. When he received reports that the officers Shi Tinggan (史廷幹), Cui Zhen (崔珍), and Zhang Jinghua (張景華) were plotting mutiny and planning to rise at Ma's funeral, he defused the situation by sending Shi to Chang'an to serve in the imperial guards and sending Cui and Zhang out of the headquarters to other posts. He was thus able to preserve the peace at the circuit without killing anyone. In 777, Emperor Daizong made Duan the military governor. It was said that while Duan was strict, he was also gracious and governed simply. He did not gather wealth, and he did not have concubines. Except for official gatherings, he did not feast. In 778, when there was another Tufan incursion, Emperor Daizong sent Duan, along with Guo Ziyi and Zhu Ci
, to defend against the incursion.
had become very powerful and, having been a close associate of Yuan Zai's, was intent on reviving Yuan's proposals with regard to Tufan, which were abandoned after Yuan's fall from grace in 777. These proposals included rebuilding Yuan Prefecture (原州, in modern Guyuan
, Ningxia
), at that time in no-man's land between Tang and Tufan, to use as a forward advance position; and restoring Lingyang Canal (陵陽渠, flowing through Bayan Nur
, Inner Mongolia
), to allow the soldiers stationed in the area to farm. When Emperor Dezong sent an eunuch
to Jingyuan to request Duan Xiushi's opinion, Duan opposed on the basis that Tang did not then have adequate number of troops on the border and these acts would provoke a Tufan attack. Yang was displeased, and he had Duan removed from his military governor position and recalled to Chang'an to serve in the relatively unimportant post of minister of agriculture (司農卿, Si'nong Qing). As the way back to Chang'an goes through Fengxiang (鳳翔, in modern Baoji
, Shaanxi
), which was then under Zhu Ci's command, he cautioned his family members that, when they were also to return to Chang'an, Zhu would surely try to give him a substantial gift and that they should not accept it on his behalf. Once they were at Fengxiang, Zhu did give a substantial amount of silk as a gift; Duan's family members tried to decline, but accepted it after Zhu insisted. Once they arrived at Chang'an, Duan was angered that they received the gift and refused to take the gift inside his mansion; instead, he took the silk to the ministry of agriculture and stored it above the roof support. (After Duan's departure from Jingyuan, his subordinate Liu Wenxi (劉文喜) used his removal as an excuse to occupy Jingyuan and rebel; the other officers then turned against him and killed him.) While serving as minister of agriculture, Duan observed that the imperial guard soldiers were few and weak, and he suggested recruiting more soldiers for the imperial guards; Emperor Dezong ignored his suggestion.
In late 783, Jingyuan soldiers, who had been summoned to Chang'an in anticipation of being sent east to battle warlords Zhu Tao
(Zhu Ci's brother), Li Na
, Wang Wujun
, and Tian Yue
, who had declared themselves princes, were at Chang'an, when they were angered by the lack of rewards given by Emperor Dezong. On November 2, 783, they rose in mutiny and, with the imperial guard soldiers inadequate to resist them, Emperor Dezong fled to Fengtian. The Jingyuan soldiers supported Zhu Tao—who had been removed from his command on account of Zhu Tao's rebellion—as their leader. Zhu Tao initially pretended to be interested in calming the situation at Chang'an and then welcome Emperor Dezong back to Chang'an, but was secretly planning on taking over as emperor. He gathered a group of disaffected officials, including the chancellor Li Zhongchen
, Zhang Guangsheng (張光晟), Yao Xiu (姚休), and Yao Lingyan (姚令言), and involved them in his plans. Believing that Duan was similarly disaffected, he sent soldiers to summon Duan as well. Duan initially refused, but was forced by the soldiers to meet Zhu. Once he did, Zhu tried to dissuade him from his plot and to welcome the emperor back to Chang'an. Zhu did not listen to him, but as he admired Duan, tried to continue to deal with Duan cordially. Duan, however, secretly plotted with his subordinates Liu Haibin (劉海賓), He Mingli (何明禮), and Qi Lingyue (岐靈岳), to assassinate Zhu and welcome Emperor Dezong back.
Meanwhile, Zhu had sent Yao's subordinate Han Min (韓旻) with 3,000 men toward Fengtian—claiming to be welcoming Emperor Dezong home but instead planning on attacking Emperor Dezong. Duan found out about this, he had Qi forge an order from Yao to return to Chang'an. Once Han received the forged orders, he changed directions and returned to Chang'an. Duan, believing that once Han returned to Chang'an his plot would be exposed, then planned for an immediate assassination of Zhu. On November 6, Zhu convened a meeting with Li, Yuan, Yao, and Duan, to discuss the matters of declaring himself emperor. During the meeting, Duan leaped up, grabbed Yuan's writing board, and began to batter Zhu with it. Zhu's guards were caught by surprise and did not know what to do. Liu, who was then supposed to enter with soldiers, froze with fear and fled instead. With Li's help, Zhu escaped further attack by Duan, who was then killed by Zhu's guards—despite Zhu's yelling, "He is a righteous man. Do not kill him!" After Duan's death, Zhu mourned greatly and buried him with honors. When Emperor Dezong heard the news, he also mourned Duan greatly. After Zhu Ci's rebellion was put down in 784, he gave high offices to Duan's sons and erected a monument for Duan, personally writing the title for the monument.
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
. He was known for his strict military discipline. In 783, after Emperor Dezong
Emperor Dezong of Tang
Emperor Dezong of Tang , personally name Li Kuo , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and the oldest son of his father Emperor Daizong. His reign of 26 years was the third longest in the Tang dynasty...
fled the capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
in the midst of a revolt at Chang'an led by the general Zhu Ci
Zhu Ci
Zhu Ci was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He initially served as military governor of Lulong Circuit , but later became a general for the imperial government...
, Duan made a desperate attempt to assassinate Zhu and was killed in the attempt.
During Emperor Xuanzong's reign
Duan Xiushi was born in 719, during the reign of Emperor XuanzongEmperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
. His family was from Long Prefecture (隴州, roughly modern Qingyang
Qingyang
Qingyang is a prefecture-level city in China's Gansu province.-Geography and climate:Qingyang is in eastern Gansu province and is sometimes referred to in Chinese as "Longdong" . Ningxia province is to the north west and Shaanxi is to the east. It is in the lower middle part of the Yellow River on...
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
), as the family settled there after his great-grandfather Duan Shijun (段師濬) served as the prefect of Long Prefecture. Both his grandfather Duan Da (段達) and father Duan Xingchen (段行琛) served as military officers. It was said that Duan Xiushi was filially pious in his childhood, and when he was five, when his mother fell ill, he was so distressed that he could not eat or drink for seven days; only after his mother got better did he resume eating and drinking. After he grew, he was said to be silent and decisive. His friends wanted to recommend him for the imperial examinations -- specifically, for the Mingjing (明經) examinations, which required study of one of the Five Classics. Duan responded, "Looking through the book and memorizing sentences is not a great achievement," and he refused to sit for the examination.
Duan later came to serve under the military governor (Jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) of Anxi Circuit (安西, headquartered in modern Aksu Prefecture
Aksu Prefecture
Aksu Prefecture is located in mid-western Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 132,500 km² and 2.19 million inhabitants .The name Aksu is Turkic for 'white water'.-Geography:...
, Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
), Fumeng Lingcha (夫蒙靈詧), and after he distinguished himself in a Fumeng-commanded campaign against Humi (護蜜, centered around modern Faizabad
Faizabad
City of Faizabad , previous capital of Awadh, is the headquarters of Faizabad District and a municipal board in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, situated on the banks of river Ghaghra . Faizabad has a twin city of Ayodhya, which is considered to be the birthplace of Rama...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
) in 745, he was made a key officer in the Anxi army. After Gao Xianzhi
Gao Xianzhi
Gao Xianzhi, or Ko Sōnji, was a Tang general of Korean descent. He was known as a great commander during his lifetime. He is most well known for taking part in multiple military expeditions to conquer the Xiyu region over the infamous Pamir Mountains, all the way to the Aral Sea and the Caspian...
replaced Fumeng in 748, Duan continued to serve under Gao. He participated in Gao's campaign to the west in 751 that culminated in the Battle of Talas
Battle of Talas
The Battle of Talas in 751 AD was an especially notable conflict between the Arab Abbasid Caliphate and the Chinese Tang Dynasty for control not only of the Syr Darya region, but even more...
against Abbasid
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
forces, which saw Gao's forces defeated by Abbasid forces. In the aftermaths of the defeat, Gao's deputy Li Siye
Li Siye
Li Siye , formally Prince Zhongyong of Wuwei , was a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty who fought in the Battle of Talas. He fought valiantly at the Battle of Talas after the defeat of the main forces commanded by Gao Xianzhi, and his efforts allowed Gao to escape from the pursuit that Abbasid...
suggested full retreat by Gao—abandoning some of the soldiers who had become lost after the battle. Duan rebuked Li Siye, stating, "Fleeing in light of your fear of the enemy is no bravery, and sparing yourself to allow others to be trapped is no kindness." Li Siye was embarrassed, and he and Duan subsequently made an attempt to gather the scattered troops to organize them into an orderly retreat. After the army returned to Anxi, Li Siye recommended Duan to Gao to serve as the circuit's secretary. In 753, when Gao's successor Feng Changqing
Feng Changqing
Feng Changqing was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. Feng was described as ugly in his appearance, and when he first met Gao Xianzhi and asked to be a guard for Gao, Gao initially rejected him, but eventually agreed to take Feng as a soldier under his command...
attacked Greater Bolü (大勃律, centering modern Gilgit
Gilgit
Gilgit is a city in northern PakistanGilgit may refer to other terms related with the area of the city:* Gilgit River* Gilgit Valley* Gilgit District* Gilgit Agency * Gilgit Airport...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
), after the initial successes, Feng was set to pursue the Greater Bolü king, when Duan pointed out that the king's flight might be a trap—and at Duan's suggestion, Feng made a thorough search in the area of the battle, finding many Greater Bolü soldiers who had hidden themselves, ready for a surprise attack. This allowed Feng to finish the victory over Greater Bolü. Duan was thereafter promoted in rank.
During Emperor Suzong's reign
In 755, the general An LushanAn Lushan
An Lushan was a general who rebelled against the Tang Dynasty in China.His name was also transcribed into Chinese as Āluòshān or Gáluòshān ,...
rebelled at Fanyang (范陽, in modern Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
) and established a new state of Yan
Yan (Anshi)
Yan , also known as the Great Yan , was a state established in 756 by the Tang Dynasty general An Lushan, after he rebelled against the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang in 755. The state was extinguished in 763, with the death of An Lushan's former subordinate, Shi Siming's son, Shi Chaoyi, who...
. In 756, his forces approached the Tang capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
, forcing Emperor Xuanzong to flee to Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
. Emperor Xuanzong's son and crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
Li Heng
Emperor Suzong of Tang
Emperor Suzong of Tang , personal name Li Heng , né Li Sisheng , known as Li Jun from 725 to 736, known as Li Yu from 736 to 738, known briefly as Li Shao in 738, was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the son of Emperor Xuanzong...
did not follow him to Chengdu, but instead fled to Lingwu, where he was declared emperor (as Emperor Suzong), an act that Emperor Xuanzong later recognized. Emperor Suzong ordered that the key military circuits send armies to aid him. When his order reached Anxi, the military governor Liang Zai (梁宰), after consulting with Li Siye, initially decided not to act on the order and to wait for further development. Duan Xiushi rebuked Li Siye:
Li Siye was embarrassed, and he subsequently met with Liang and persuaded Liang to commission an army, with Li Siye himself in command and Duan as deputy, to join Emperor Suzong at Lingwu. Soon thereafter, Duan's father died, and he spent time in morning. As Li Siye felt that Duan's service was indispensable, he requested that Duan be recalled into active service.
In 757, a joint Tang-Huige army recaptured Chang'an and then the eastern capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
, forcing An Lushan's son and successor An Qingxu
An Qingxu
An Qingxu , né An Renzhi , was a son of An Lushan, a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty who rebelled and took imperial title of his own state of Yan. An Qingxu serves as the Prince of Jin from 756 - 757, and later killed his father and took imperial title for himself. He was eventually defeated...
to flee to Yecheng
Ye, China
Ye or Yecheng was an ancient Chinese city located in what is now Linzhang County, Hebei and the neighbouring Anyang County, Henan....
. Tang forces put Yecheng under siege, and Li Siye, one of the Tang commanders at the siege, made Duan the prefect of Huai Prefecture (懷州, in modern Jiaozuo
Jiaozuo
Jiaozuo is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the south, Xinxiang to the east, Jiyuan to the west, Luoyang to the southwest, and the province of Shanxi...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) to be responsible for logistics—the shipping of food supplies from the area to the army at Yecheng. In spring 759, Li Siye died in battle during the siege. The Anxi army supported Li Siye's subordinate Lifei Yuanli (荔非元禮) to take over the command, and Emperor Suzong agreed. Duan remained as Lifei's deputy. Subsequently, at Duan's request, Li Siye's casket was sent to Hezhong (河中, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
), where it was buried in grand ceremony at Duan's expense. This touched Lifei greatly, and he recommended Duan for a promotion in rank. In 762, while a number of armies were at Hezhong, including the Anxi army, Lifei was killed in an army mutiny, along with many other officers, but the soldiers respected Duan and did not dare to harm him. Subsequently, Bai Xiaode (白孝德) was put in command of the Anxi army, and Duan remained as Bai's deputy. This continued after Bai was made the military governor of Fufang Circuit (鄜坊, headquartered in modern Yan'an
Yan'an
Yan'an , is a prefecture-level city in the Shanbei region of Shaanxi province in China, administering several counties, including Zhidan County , which served as the Chinese communist capital before the city of Yan'an proper took that role....
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
).
During Emperor Daizong's reign
Also in 762, Emperor Suzong died and was succeeded by his son Emperor DaizongEmperor Daizong of Tang
Emperor Daizong of Tang , personal name Li Yu , né Li Chu , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty....
. In 763, when Tufan forces launched a surprise attack against Chang'an and forced Emperor Daizong to flee to Shan Prefecture (陝州, in modern Sanmenxia
Sanmenxia
-Administration:The prefecture-level city of Sanmenxia administers one district, two county-level cities and three counties.*Hubin District*Lingbao City*Yima City*Lushi County*Shan County*Mianchi County*Sanmenxia Development Zone...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
), Duan Xiushi persuaded Bai Xiaode to join the forces of the other circuits in aiding the emperor. Subsequently, Bai was made the military governor of Binning Circuit (邠寧, headquartered in modern Xianyang
Xianyang
Xianyang is a former capital of China in Shaanxi province, on the Wei River, a few kilometers upstream from Xi'an. It has an area of...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), and Duan continued to serve as his deputy. At one time, when the circuit lacked food, Bai temporarily moved his army to Fengtian (奉天, also in modern Xianyang). However, Fengtian was then in a state of confusion as the local government had collapsed, and the soldiers, in response, were pillaging the area. Duan requested to be serve as discipline officer as well, and subsequently, Duan imposed strict discipline on the army and stopped the pillaging. Upon the army's return to Binning's capital Bin Prefecture, Duan was created the Prince of Zhangye.
Later in the year, there was a Tufan incursion, and an army commanded by Guo Ziyi
Guo Ziyi
Guo Ziyi , formally Prince Zhongwu of Fenyang , was a general during the Tang Dynasty who ended the An Shi Rebellion, and participated in expeditions against the peoples of Huihe and Tubo...
, the deputy supreme commander of the armed forces (in effect, the supreme commander, as Emperor Daizong's son Li Kuo
Emperor Dezong of Tang
Emperor Dezong of Tang , personally name Li Kuo , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and the oldest son of his father Emperor Daizong. His reign of 26 years was the third longest in the Tang dynasty...
the Crown Prince was the nominal supreme commander) helped to defend Bin Prefecture against Tufan forces. After the Tufan threat subsided, Guo returned to Chang'an, but his forces, under the command of his son Guo Xi (郭晞), remained at Bin Prefecture. Guo Xi's soldiers lacked proper discipline and became a major problem for the people of Bin Prefecture, and Bai was troubled but unsure what to do because Guo Xi was Guo Ziyi's son. Duan volunteered to again be discipline officer, and after one month, there was an incident when 17 of Guo Xi's soldiers, in a dispute with a wine seller, killed him and destroyed the winemaking equipment. Duan arrested them and beheaded them. Guo Xi's soldiers were incensed, armed themselves, and got ready to attack Bai's headquarters. Duan went to Guo Xi's headquarters with only one old man attending him. When he arrived there, the soldiers were surprised that he arrived effectively alone. Duan stated, "Why wear your armor for this old soldier? I brought my head with me." He then spoke to them:
When Guo Xi came out of his tent to meet Duan, Duan rebuked him:
Guo Xi was embarrassed and rebuked his soldiers, ordering them to stand down. That night, Duan stayed at Guo Xi's tent, and Guo Xi was up all night to protect him. The next day, Guo Xi, accompanied by Duan, visited Bai to apologize. Thereafter, the pillaging of Bin Prefecture ended.
In 766, Ma Lin (馬璘) replaced Bai as the military governor of Binning. Duan continued to serve as his deputy. It was said that whenever Ma made wrong decisions, Duan would argue with him about it and would not leave until Ma changed his mind. On one occasion, Ma became angry and threatened to kill Duan when Duan insisted, but Duan did not fear the threats, stating, "Why get angry about executing me if I deserve execution? If, on the other hand, I do not deserve execution, then you are unjust." Ma stormed out, but subsequently invited Duan to a feast to apologize. It was said that because of Duan's counsel, Ma received excellent reputation while governing Binning.
Around the new year 769, at the suggestion of the chancellor Yuan Zai
Yuan Zai
Yuan Zai , courtesy name Gongfu , formally Viscount Huang of Xuchang and then Viscount Chengzong of Xuchang , was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Suzong and Emperor Daizong, becoming particularly powerful during the middle of Emperor...
, the three prefectures belonging to Binning Circuit were merged into Guo Ziyi's command. Ma, along with his army, was moved to Jingyuan Circuit (涇原, headquartered in modern Pingliang
Pingliang
Pingliang is a prefecture-level city in eastern Gansu Province in China. Pingliang is famous for a local mountain range that includes Kongtong Mountain, a site sacred to Taoism and mythical meeting place of the Yellow Emperor and Guangchengzi, an immortal....
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
). Ma took part of the army to the capital of Jingyuan Circuit, Jing Prefecture, first, to rebuild the walls, while briefly having Duan remain at Bin Prefecture to oversee the troop movements. The soldiers under Ma's command were still largely soldiers who had come from Anxi in 756 to fight the Yan rebels and who had since been moved multiple locations. They were displeased about being moved once again, and the officer Wang Tongzhi (王童之) subsequently organized a plot to rise in mutiny. Duan found out about the plot and prepared to counteract; once Wang's plot exposed itself, he executed Wang and eight other coconspirators, and the rest of the army did not dare to resist the subsequent move to Jing Prefecture.
In 773, during a Tufan incursion, Ma suffered a battle loss at the hands of Tufan forces and was trapped outside the city, unable to enter. His subordinate Jiao Lingchen (焦令諶) fled back into the city and suggested that Duan close the city gates to get ready for the Tufan assault. Duan responded, "The Governor has not returned. We need to use all of our strength to fight the barbarians. How can we just seek to spare ourselves?" He then told Jiao, "According to military laws, the penalty for losing your commander is death. Have you forgotten that?" Jiao became fearful, and Duan sent him back out to fight Tufan forces, forcing them to withdraw and allowing Ma to return to the city.
In 776, Ma grew deathly ill, and he made Duan acting military governor before dying. With the soldiers gathering to mourn Ma, Duan was apprehensive that some soldiers would use this opportunity to mutiny. He therefore took careful precautions while arranging Ma's mourning, ordering that Ma's family, officers, soldiers, and commoners be segregated in their mourning and arresting anyone who disobeyed the orders. When he received reports that the officers Shi Tinggan (史廷幹), Cui Zhen (崔珍), and Zhang Jinghua (張景華) were plotting mutiny and planning to rise at Ma's funeral, he defused the situation by sending Shi to Chang'an to serve in the imperial guards and sending Cui and Zhang out of the headquarters to other posts. He was thus able to preserve the peace at the circuit without killing anyone. In 777, Emperor Daizong made Duan the military governor. It was said that while Duan was strict, he was also gracious and governed simply. He did not gather wealth, and he did not have concubines. Except for official gatherings, he did not feast. In 778, when there was another Tufan incursion, Emperor Daizong sent Duan, along with Guo Ziyi and Zhu Ci
Zhu Ci
Zhu Ci was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He initially served as military governor of Lulong Circuit , but later became a general for the imperial government...
, to defend against the incursion.
During Emperor Dezong's reign
Emperor Daizong died in 779 and was succeeded by Li Kuo (as Emperor Dezong). By 780, the chancellor Yang YanYang Yan
Yang Yan , courtesy name Gongnan , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor early in the reign of Emperor Dezong. He was credited with reforming the tax system to reduce burdens on the peasants and to bring merchants into the rank of taxpayers, but was blamed...
had become very powerful and, having been a close associate of Yuan Zai's, was intent on reviving Yuan's proposals with regard to Tufan, which were abandoned after Yuan's fall from grace in 777. These proposals included rebuilding Yuan Prefecture (原州, in modern Guyuan
Guyuan
Guyuan is a prefecture-level city in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It occupies the southernmost section of the region.-Administrative divisions:-Geography and climate:...
, Ningxia
Ningxia
Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...
), at that time in no-man's land between Tang and Tufan, to use as a forward advance position; and restoring Lingyang Canal (陵陽渠, flowing through Bayan Nur
Bayan Nur
Bayannur is a prefecture-level city in western Inner Mongolia. Until December 1, 2003, the area was called the Bayannur league.Bayannur city has an area of 65,788 km². It borders Mongolia to the north, Alxa to the west, Ordos to the south and Baotou to the east...
, Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
), to allow the soldiers stationed in the area to farm. When Emperor Dezong sent an eunuch
Eunuch
A eunuch is a person born male most commonly castrated, typically early enough in his life for this change to have major hormonal consequences...
to Jingyuan to request Duan Xiushi's opinion, Duan opposed on the basis that Tang did not then have adequate number of troops on the border and these acts would provoke a Tufan attack. Yang was displeased, and he had Duan removed from his military governor position and recalled to Chang'an to serve in the relatively unimportant post of minister of agriculture (司農卿, Si'nong Qing). As the way back to Chang'an goes through Fengxiang (鳳翔, in modern Baoji
Baoji
Baoji is a prefecture-level city in Shaanxi province, China.-Geography:The prefecture-level city of Baoji has a population of 3,716,731 according to the 2010 Chinese census, inhabiting an area of . The city itself has a population of approximately 800,000. Surrounded on three sides by hills,...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), which was then under Zhu Ci's command, he cautioned his family members that, when they were also to return to Chang'an, Zhu would surely try to give him a substantial gift and that they should not accept it on his behalf. Once they were at Fengxiang, Zhu did give a substantial amount of silk as a gift; Duan's family members tried to decline, but accepted it after Zhu insisted. Once they arrived at Chang'an, Duan was angered that they received the gift and refused to take the gift inside his mansion; instead, he took the silk to the ministry of agriculture and stored it above the roof support. (After Duan's departure from Jingyuan, his subordinate Liu Wenxi (劉文喜) used his removal as an excuse to occupy Jingyuan and rebel; the other officers then turned against him and killed him.) While serving as minister of agriculture, Duan observed that the imperial guard soldiers were few and weak, and he suggested recruiting more soldiers for the imperial guards; Emperor Dezong ignored his suggestion.
In late 783, Jingyuan soldiers, who had been summoned to Chang'an in anticipation of being sent east to battle warlords Zhu Tao
Zhu Tao
Zhu Tao , formally the Prince of Tongyi , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who initially served imperial causes during the reigns of Emperor Daizong and Emperor Dezong, but later turned against imperial rule in alliance with Wang Wujun, Tian Yue, and Li Na...
(Zhu Ci's brother), Li Na
Li Na (Tang Dynasty)
Li Na , formally the Prince of Longxi , was a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. Inheriting the post from his father Li Zhengji, he served as the military governor of Pinglu Circuit semi-independently from the imperial government.- Background :Li Na was born in 758, during the reign of...
, Wang Wujun
Wang Wujun
Wang Wujun , courtesy name Yuanying , né Monuogan , formally Prince Zhonglie of Langye , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a long-time Jiedushi of Chengde Circuit during the reign of Emperor Dezong and ruling Chengde in a de facto independent manner...
, and Tian Yue
Tian Yue
Tian Yue , formally the Prince of Jiyang , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who, from 782 to 784, claimed the title of Prince of Wei independent from the Tang regime...
, who had declared themselves princes, were at Chang'an, when they were angered by the lack of rewards given by Emperor Dezong. On November 2, 783, they rose in mutiny and, with the imperial guard soldiers inadequate to resist them, Emperor Dezong fled to Fengtian. The Jingyuan soldiers supported Zhu Tao—who had been removed from his command on account of Zhu Tao's rebellion—as their leader. Zhu Tao initially pretended to be interested in calming the situation at Chang'an and then welcome Emperor Dezong back to Chang'an, but was secretly planning on taking over as emperor. He gathered a group of disaffected officials, including the chancellor Li Zhongchen
Li Zhongchen
Li Zhongchen , né Dong Qin , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who was known, for most of his career, as both a supporter of the imperial cause but also a corrupt and violent military governor...
, Zhang Guangsheng (張光晟), Yao Xiu (姚休), and Yao Lingyan (姚令言), and involved them in his plans. Believing that Duan was similarly disaffected, he sent soldiers to summon Duan as well. Duan initially refused, but was forced by the soldiers to meet Zhu. Once he did, Zhu tried to dissuade him from his plot and to welcome the emperor back to Chang'an. Zhu did not listen to him, but as he admired Duan, tried to continue to deal with Duan cordially. Duan, however, secretly plotted with his subordinates Liu Haibin (劉海賓), He Mingli (何明禮), and Qi Lingyue (岐靈岳), to assassinate Zhu and welcome Emperor Dezong back.
Meanwhile, Zhu had sent Yao's subordinate Han Min (韓旻) with 3,000 men toward Fengtian—claiming to be welcoming Emperor Dezong home but instead planning on attacking Emperor Dezong. Duan found out about this, he had Qi forge an order from Yao to return to Chang'an. Once Han received the forged orders, he changed directions and returned to Chang'an. Duan, believing that once Han returned to Chang'an his plot would be exposed, then planned for an immediate assassination of Zhu. On November 6, Zhu convened a meeting with Li, Yuan, Yao, and Duan, to discuss the matters of declaring himself emperor. During the meeting, Duan leaped up, grabbed Yuan's writing board, and began to batter Zhu with it. Zhu's guards were caught by surprise and did not know what to do. Liu, who was then supposed to enter with soldiers, froze with fear and fled instead. With Li's help, Zhu escaped further attack by Duan, who was then killed by Zhu's guards—despite Zhu's yelling, "He is a righteous man. Do not kill him!" After Duan's death, Zhu mourned greatly and buried him with honors. When Emperor Dezong heard the news, he also mourned Duan greatly. After Zhu Ci's rebellion was put down in 784, he gave high offices to Duan's sons and erected a monument for Duan, personally writing the title for the monument.