Li You
Encyclopedia
Li You (died June 22, 829), courtesy name Qingzhi (慶之), was a general of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
. He started his career serving under the warlord Wu Yuanji
but, after his capture by the imperial general Li Su
in Li Su's campaign against Wu, became instrumental in Li Su's victory over Wu. He subsequently served the imperial government until his death immediately following his campaign against the warlord Li Tongjie
.
, who controlled Zhangyi Circuit (彰義, headquartered in modern Zhumadian
, Henan
), and fought in Wu's campaign of resistance against the imperial government after the imperial government refused to sanction Wu Yuanji's takeover of the circuit after the death of his father Wu Shaoyang
in 814. It was said that Li You was fierce in battle, and that the imperial forces feared him. He was also said to have inflicted many casualties on the imperial forces during the campaign.
) — Gao Xiayu (高霞寓) and Yuan Zi
— defeated by Zhangyi forces in rapid succession; in response, then-reigning Emperor Xianzong
commissioned the less-known general Li Su
as Tangsuideng's military governor. One of Li Su's tactics, while battling Zhangyi forces, was to capture Zhangyi officers that he considered capable, endearing them, and retaining them on his staff so that he could learn intelligence about Zhangyi. After he first captured Ding Shiliang (丁士良), Ding suggested that if he targeted and captured Chen Guangqia (陳光洽), the strategist for the key Zhangyi officer Wu Xiulin (吳秀琳), Wu would surrender — and after Ding captured Chen, Wu indeed surrendered. Li Su endeared himself to Wu and asked for Wu's input on how to capture Zhangyi's capital Cai Prefecture (蔡州). Wu responded, "If you, Lord, want to capture Cai Prefecture, you need Li You. I, Wu Xiulin, am not sufficiently capable."
Li Su thereafter targeted Li You and, after setting a trap for Li You with 300 cavalry soldiers while engaging him, Li Su's officer Shi Yongcheng (史用誠) was in fact able to capture Li You. Li Su's soldiers, resentful at how many casualties Li You had inflicted on them, demanded that Li You be put to death, but Li Su resisted the call and treated Li You with respect, causing Li You to be touched. It was said that when discussing tactics about how to capture Cai Prefecture, Li Su would discuss only with Li You and a fellow Zhangyi captive officer, Li Zhongyi (李忠義). The other officers feared that Li You would, at least meetings turn against Li Su and assassinate him, but Li Su did not heed their warnings. Thereafter, there were reports to Emperor Xianzong by those jealous of Li You that Li You must have been plotting still with the Zhangyi rebels, and there were renewed calls for Li You's execution. Li Su, after holding Li You and weeping, publicly declared that he would send Li You to Emperor Xianzong for Emperor Xianzong to execute him — but sent a secret petition to Emperor Xianzong, stating that if Li You were executed, the campaign would fail. Emperor Xianzong, after reviewing the petition, released Li You and returned him to Li Su. Li Su subsequently made Li You his guard commander
Li You thereafter informed Li Su that Zhangyi's elite forces were all stationed at Huiqu (洄曲, in modern Luohe
, Henan
), under the command of the officer Dong Chongzhi (董重質), and that Cai Prefecture itself was defended by old or weakened soldiers. He suggested that a surprise attack be made on Cai Prefecture itself to capture it, before the Huiqu forces would have any chance to react. After receiving approval from the chancellor Pei Du
, whom Emperor Xianzong had put in charge overseeing the operations against Zhangyi, Li Su launched his surprise attack in winter 817. With Li You and Li Zhongyi serving as his forward commanders, he quickly reached Cai Prefecture during a winter storm, and with little resistance captured the city, seizing Wu Yuanji. The remaining Zhangyi forces under Dong surrendered, and the campaign was over. For his contributions during the campaign, Li You was made a general of the imperial guards.
) as well as the prefect of its capital Xia Prefecture (夏州). In 824, by which time Emperor Xianzong's grandson Emperor Jingzong
was emperor, Li You was recalled to the capital Chang'an
to serve as a general of the imperial guards. When he got to Chang'an, he made a tribute of 150 horses to Emperor Jingzong. The imperial censor Wen Zao (溫造) submitted an accusation that the tribute was improper and requested that Li You be arrested. Emperor Jingzong ordered that no actions be taken against Li You, but Li You still commented to his friends, "My heart was not at all shaken when I entered Cai Prefecture at midnight to capture Wu Yuanji, but now my gall falls before Censor Wen." Thereafter, because there was a Tufan incursion, Li You was sent to the front to serve as the military governor of Jingyuan Circuit (涇原, headquartered in modern Pingliang
, Gansu
).
was emperor, the imperial forces were locked into a campaign against Li Tongjie
, who had seized control of Henghai Circuit (橫海, headquartered in modern Cangzhou
, Hebei
) after the death of his father Li Quanlüe (李全略), the previous military governor. During the campaign, the imperial government had named a number of generals as military governors for Henghai, but each of whom either died during the campaign or was removed for other reasons. In winter 828, after the last of those, Fu Liangbi (傅良弼), died on the way to the Henghai front, Li You was named the military governor of Henghai and sent to the front.
In spring 829, when 3,000 Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang
, Henan
) soldiers, who were fighting Henghai forces, suddenly mutinied and deserted, Li You intercepted them and slaughtered them. He subsequently defeated Li Tongjie in a battle and then attacked one of Henghai's prefectures, De Prefecture (德州, in modern Dezhou
, Shandong
). He quickly captured De Prefecture, and with Henghai's capital Cang Prefecture (滄州) under attack by a general under imperial orders, Li Zaiyi
the military governor of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing
), the De Prefecture soldiers fled to Zhen Prefecture (鎮州, in modern Shijiazhuang
, Hebei
), the headquarters of Li Tongjie's ally Wang Tingcou
the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德).
Li Tongjie, knowing that his defeat was at hand, sent messengers to Li You, offering to surrender. Li You agreed and submitted Li Tongjie's offer to surrender to the imperial government, while sending his officer Wan Hong (萬洪) to Cang Prefecture to take control of the city from Li Tongjie. The imperial officer Bo Qi (柏耆) was sent to Cang Prefecture to comfort the region, but Bo, fearing that Li Tongjie was trying to trick imperial forces, led several hundred cavalry soldiers himself into Cang Prefecture. He found an excuse to kill Wan, and then had Li Tongjie and his families arrested and bound, to be delivered to Chang'an. On the way of delivering Li Tongjie to Chang'an, he heard rumors that Wang was intending to try to rescue Li Tongjie, so he beheaded Li Tongjie and delivered just the head to Chang'an.
By this point, Li You was ill, and when he heard the news of Wan's death, he was so shocked that his conditions fell worse. Meanwhile, various generals also submitted accusations against Bo, for having killed Wan for no reason and for appearing to want to take the credits of defeating Li Tongjie for himself. Emperor Wenzong commented, "If Li You dies, it is Bo Qi who kills him!" When Li You did die on June 22, Emperor Wenzong ordered Bo to commit suicide.
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 started his career serving under the warlord Wu Yuanji
Wu Yuanji
Wu Yuanji was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who tried to control Zhangyi Circuit without approval from Emperor Xianzong after the 814 death of his father Wu Shaoyang, who had governed the circuit in a de facto independent manner from the imperial government...
but, after his capture by the imperial general Li Su
Li Su
Li Su was a military general serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.Li Su originally served as a Commandant of Cavalry under Dong Zhuo. He later assisted Lü Bu, who was from the same village as him, in the assassination of Dong Zhuo...
in Li Su's campaign against Wu, became instrumental in Li Su's victory over Wu. He subsequently served the imperial government until his death immediately following his campaign against the warlord Li Tongjie
Li Tongjie
Li Tongjie was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. After the death of his father Li Quanlüe in 826, Li Tongjie tried to take over Henghai Circuit , which his father had been the military governor of, and he rejected a subsequent imperial edict for him to serve at a different circuit...
.
Background and service under Wu Yuanji
Little is known about Li You's background, including when he was born or where his family was from. It is known that he came to serve as an officer under Wu YuanjiWu Yuanji
Wu Yuanji was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who tried to control Zhangyi Circuit without approval from Emperor Xianzong after the 814 death of his father Wu Shaoyang, who had governed the circuit in a de facto independent manner from the imperial government...
, who controlled Zhangyi Circuit (彰義, headquartered in modern Zhumadian
Zhumadian
Zhumadian is a prefecture-level city in southern Henan province, People's Republic of China. It borders Xinyang to the south, Nanyang to the west, Pingdingshan to the northwest, Luohe to the north, Zhoukou to the northeast, and the province of Anhui to the east.Its population is 7,230,744 at the...
, 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...
), and fought in Wu's campaign of resistance against the imperial government after the imperial government refused to sanction Wu Yuanji's takeover of the circuit after the death of his father Wu Shaoyang
Wu Shaoyang
Wu Shaoyang was a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, who, after seizing control of Zhangyi Circuit in 809, governed it in a de facto independent manner from the imperial government until his death in 814.- Background :It is not known when Wu Shaoyang was born, but it is known that his family...
in 814. It was said that Li You was fierce in battle, and that the imperial forces feared him. He was also said to have inflicted many casualties on the imperial forces during the campaign.
Participation in Wu Yuanji's defeat
By 817, one of the imperially-controlled circuits that was near Zhangyi and which thus continuously battled Zhangyi forces in the campaign, Tangsuideng Circuit (唐隨鄧, headquartered in modern Zhumadian as well), had seen two military governors (JiedushiJiedushi
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...
) — Gao Xiayu (高霞寓) and Yuan Zi
Yuan Zi
Yuan Zi , courtesy name Deshen , formally the Duke of Huaiyang , was an official and general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Shunzong and Emperor Xianzong.- Background :Yuan Zi was born in 739, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong...
— defeated by Zhangyi forces in rapid succession; in response, then-reigning Emperor Xianzong
Emperor Xianzong of Tang
Emperor Xianzong of Tang , personal name Li Chun , né Li Chun , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty...
commissioned the less-known general Li Su
Li Su
Li Su was a military general serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.Li Su originally served as a Commandant of Cavalry under Dong Zhuo. He later assisted Lü Bu, who was from the same village as him, in the assassination of Dong Zhuo...
as Tangsuideng's military governor. One of Li Su's tactics, while battling Zhangyi forces, was to capture Zhangyi officers that he considered capable, endearing them, and retaining them on his staff so that he could learn intelligence about Zhangyi. After he first captured Ding Shiliang (丁士良), Ding suggested that if he targeted and captured Chen Guangqia (陳光洽), the strategist for the key Zhangyi officer Wu Xiulin (吳秀琳), Wu would surrender — and after Ding captured Chen, Wu indeed surrendered. Li Su endeared himself to Wu and asked for Wu's input on how to capture Zhangyi's capital Cai Prefecture (蔡州). Wu responded, "If you, Lord, want to capture Cai Prefecture, you need Li You. I, Wu Xiulin, am not sufficiently capable."
Li Su thereafter targeted Li You and, after setting a trap for Li You with 300 cavalry soldiers while engaging him, Li Su's officer Shi Yongcheng (史用誠) was in fact able to capture Li You. Li Su's soldiers, resentful at how many casualties Li You had inflicted on them, demanded that Li You be put to death, but Li Su resisted the call and treated Li You with respect, causing Li You to be touched. It was said that when discussing tactics about how to capture Cai Prefecture, Li Su would discuss only with Li You and a fellow Zhangyi captive officer, Li Zhongyi (李忠義). The other officers feared that Li You would, at least meetings turn against Li Su and assassinate him, but Li Su did not heed their warnings. Thereafter, there were reports to Emperor Xianzong by those jealous of Li You that Li You must have been plotting still with the Zhangyi rebels, and there were renewed calls for Li You's execution. Li Su, after holding Li You and weeping, publicly declared that he would send Li You to Emperor Xianzong for Emperor Xianzong to execute him — but sent a secret petition to Emperor Xianzong, stating that if Li You were executed, the campaign would fail. Emperor Xianzong, after reviewing the petition, released Li You and returned him to Li Su. Li Su subsequently made Li You his guard commander
Li You thereafter informed Li Su that Zhangyi's elite forces were all stationed at Huiqu (洄曲, in modern Luohe
Luohe
Luohe is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province, People's Republic of China. It is surrounded by the cities of Xuchang, Zhoukou, Zhumadian and Pingdingshan on its north, east, south and west respectively.-Administration:...
, 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...
), under the command of the officer Dong Chongzhi (董重質), and that Cai Prefecture itself was defended by old or weakened soldiers. He suggested that a surprise attack be made on Cai Prefecture itself to capture it, before the Huiqu forces would have any chance to react. After receiving approval from the chancellor Pei Du
Pei Du
Pei Du , courtesy name Zhongli , formally Duke Wenzhong of Jin , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Xianzong, Emperor Xianzong's son Emperor Muzong, and Emperor Xianzong's grandsons Emperor Jingzong and Emperor Wenzong...
, whom Emperor Xianzong had put in charge overseeing the operations against Zhangyi, Li Su launched his surprise attack in winter 817. With Li You and Li Zhongyi serving as his forward commanders, he quickly reached Cai Prefecture during a winter storm, and with little resistance captured the city, seizing Wu Yuanji. The remaining Zhangyi forces under Dong surrendered, and the campaign was over. For his contributions during the campaign, Li You was made a general of the imperial guards.
Between the campaigns against Wu Yuanji and against Li Tongjie
Li You was subsequently made the military governor of Xiasui Circuit (夏綏, headquartered in modern Yulin, ShaanxiYulin, Shaanxi
Yulin is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanxi province of the People's Republic of China. It has an area of 43,578 km² and a population of 3,380,000.-Geography and climate:...
) as well as the prefect of its capital Xia Prefecture (夏州). In 824, by which time Emperor Xianzong's grandson Emperor Jingzong
Emperor Jingzong of Tang
Emperor Jingzong of Tang , personal name Li Zhan , was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 824 to 827...
was emperor, Li You was recalled to 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...
to serve as a general of the imperial guards. When he got to Chang'an, he made a tribute of 150 horses to Emperor Jingzong. The imperial censor Wen Zao (溫造) submitted an accusation that the tribute was improper and requested that Li You be arrested. Emperor Jingzong ordered that no actions be taken against Li You, but Li You still commented to his friends, "My heart was not at all shaken when I entered Cai Prefecture at midnight to capture Wu Yuanji, but now my gall falls before Censor Wen." Thereafter, because there was a Tufan incursion, Li You was sent to the front to serve as the military governor of 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...
).
Campaign against Li Tongjie
As of 828, by which time Emperor Jingzong's younger brother Emperor WenzongEmperor Wenzong of Tang
Emperor Wenzong of Tang , personal name Li Ang , né Li Han , was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 827 to 840. Emperor Wenzong was the second son of Emperor Muzong and younger brother of Emperor Jingzong...
was emperor, the imperial forces were locked into a campaign against Li Tongjie
Li Tongjie
Li Tongjie was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. After the death of his father Li Quanlüe in 826, Li Tongjie tried to take over Henghai Circuit , which his father had been the military governor of, and he rejected a subsequent imperial edict for him to serve at a different circuit...
, who had seized control of Henghai Circuit (橫海, headquartered in modern Cangzhou
Cangzhou
Cangzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China. Cangzhou's urban center has a population of approximately 514,074 at the 2010 census which correspond to the built up area), while the prefecture-level administrative region in total has a population of 7,134,053...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
) after the death of his father Li Quanlüe (李全略), the previous military governor. During the campaign, the imperial government had named a number of generals as military governors for Henghai, but each of whom either died during the campaign or was removed for other reasons. In winter 828, after the last of those, Fu Liangbi (傅良弼), died on the way to the Henghai front, Li You was named the military governor of Henghai and sent to the front.
In spring 829, when 3,000 Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang
Anyang
Anyang is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, People's Republic of China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi and Hebei to its west and north respectively....
, 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...
) soldiers, who were fighting Henghai forces, suddenly mutinied and deserted, Li You intercepted them and slaughtered them. He subsequently defeated Li Tongjie in a battle and then attacked one of Henghai's prefectures, De Prefecture (德州, in modern Dezhou
Dezhou
Dezhou is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the southeast, Liaocheng to the southwest, Binzhou to the northeast, and the province of Hebei to the north....
, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
). He quickly captured De Prefecture, and with Henghai's capital Cang Prefecture (滄州) under attack by a general under imperial orders, Li Zaiyi
Li Zaiyi
Li Zaiyi , courtesy name Fanggu , formally the Prince of Wuwei , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who, from 826 to 831, ruled Lulong Circuit in de facto independence from the imperial government as the circuit's military governor , although he was respectful to Emperor Wenzong and...
the military governor of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered 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...
), the De Prefecture soldiers fled to Zhen Prefecture (鎮州, in modern Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang is the capital and largest city of North China's Hebei province. Administratively a prefecture-level city, it is about south of Beijing...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
), the headquarters of Li Tongjie's ally Wang Tingcou
Wang Tingcou
Wang Tingcou , formally the Duke of Taiyuan , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who, in 821, during the reign of Emperor Muzong, took over control of Chengde Circuit and thereafter ruled it in a de facto independent manner from the imperial government...
the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德).
Li Tongjie, knowing that his defeat was at hand, sent messengers to Li You, offering to surrender. Li You agreed and submitted Li Tongjie's offer to surrender to the imperial government, while sending his officer Wan Hong (萬洪) to Cang Prefecture to take control of the city from Li Tongjie. The imperial officer Bo Qi (柏耆) was sent to Cang Prefecture to comfort the region, but Bo, fearing that Li Tongjie was trying to trick imperial forces, led several hundred cavalry soldiers himself into Cang Prefecture. He found an excuse to kill Wan, and then had Li Tongjie and his families arrested and bound, to be delivered to Chang'an. On the way of delivering Li Tongjie to Chang'an, he heard rumors that Wang was intending to try to rescue Li Tongjie, so he beheaded Li Tongjie and delivered just the head to Chang'an.
By this point, Li You was ill, and when he heard the news of Wan's death, he was so shocked that his conditions fell worse. Meanwhile, various generals also submitted accusations against Bo, for having killed Wan for no reason and for appearing to want to take the credits of defeating Li Tongjie for himself. Emperor Wenzong commented, "If Li You dies, it is Bo Qi who kills him!" When Li You did die on June 22, Emperor Wenzong ordered Bo to commit suicide.