Li Shiji


Li Shiji, courtesy name Maogong, posthumously known as Duke Zhenwu of Ying, was a Chinese military general and politician who lived in the early Tang dynasty. His original family name was Xú, but he was later given the family name of the Tang imperial clan, Li, by Emperor Gaozu, the Tang dynasty's founding emperor. Later, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, Li Shiji was known as Li Ji to avoid naming taboo because the personal name of Emperor Gaozong's predecessor, Emperor Taizong, had the same Chinese character "Shi". Li Shiji is also referred to as Xu Maogong and Xu Ji in the historical novels ' and '.
Li Shiji was initially a follower of Li Mi, one of the rebel rulers rebelling against the preceding Sui dynasty, and he submitted to the Tang Empire after Li Mi did so, upon which Emperor Gaozu, impressed with his loyalty to Li Mi, granted him the imperial family name "Li". He later participated in destroying Xu Yuanlang and Fu Gongshi, two of the Tang Empire's competitors in the campaign to reunify China. During the reign of Emperor Gaozu's son and successor, Emperor Taizong, Li Shiji participated in the successful campaigns against the Göktürks and Xueyantuo, allowing the Tang Empire to become the dominant power in eastern Asia, and also served as a chancellor. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong, he served as chancellor and the commander of the army against Goguryeo, destroying it in 668. He died the next year. He and Li Jing were considered the two most prominent early Tang generals.

Early life

Xu Shiji was probably born in 594. His clan was originally from Cao Province, but late in the Sui dynasty moved to Hua Province. Xu Shiji's father Xu Gai was a member of the landed gentry, and both he and Xu Shiji were said to be generous, using the food yields of their land to help others regardless of whether those were related to them.

Service under Zhai Rang and Li Mi

Around 616, Zhai Rang gathered a group of men to resist the rule of Emperor Yang. Xu Shiji joined Zhai, and suggested to him that instead of pillaging the people of the region, which Zhai had done to maintain himself and his own men, it was inappropriate to be robbing people of their homeland. Rather, he suggested that, as there were plenty of travellers on the Grand Canal, they should rob travellers instead. Zhai agreed, and their pillaging raids instead targeted travellers and official messengers. Many people joined Zhai, and when the key Sui general Zhang Xutuo, who had defeated many agrarian rebels, attacked, Xu killed Zhang in battle late in 616, allowing Zhai to become even more acclaimed. Around this time, he also became close friends with another general under Zhai, Shan Xiongxin, swearing to be brothers and to die on the same day.
Meanwhile, Li Mi, the strategist for the Sui general Yang Xuangan, who unsuccessfully rebelled against Emperor Yang in 613, was visiting rebel generals in the region, seeking to sell his grand strategy to destroy Sui. As Li Mi was of noble birth, and there had been prophecies that the next emperor would be named Li, there began to be thoughts among the rebels that Li might be destined to be the next emperor. Xu Shiji and another close associate of Zhai's, Wang Bodang, thus persuaded Zhai to support Li Mi as leader. Zhai agreed, and after the victory over Zhang, the rebels approached the eastern capital Luoyang and declared Li Mi their leader, with the title of Duke of Wei. Xu was given a major general title, while Zhai served as prime minister. After Xu achieved a victory over the Sui general Wang Shichong, whom Emperor Yang had sent to reinforce Luoyang, Li Mi created Xu the Duke of Donghai. At Xu's suggestion, Li Mi captured a 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.
In winter 617, with a conflict between Li Mi and Zhai intensifying, Li Mi set an ambush for Zhai at a feast held for him, killing him, his brother Zhai Hong, his nephew Zhai Mohou, and his strategist Wang Ruxin. During the ambush, Xu was injured in his neck and nearly died. Li Mi, declared, however, that his intention was only to execute Zhai Rang, and no one other than the Zhai clan was to worry. He personally attended to Xu's injuries, and had Xu, Shan, and Wang Bodang take over Zhai's troops.
In spring 618, Emperor Yang was killed at Jiangdu in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji. Yuwen soon abandoned Jiangdu and headed back north, toward Luoyang, with the elite Xiaoguo Army, leading to comprehension both at Luoyang and at Li Mi's headquarters. The enemies made peace, with Li Mi nominally submitting to Yang Tong, as both sides prepared for a joint confrontation with Yuwen. As part of this arrangement, Xu also received a major Sui general title. Li Mi, who had become somewhat alienated with Xu due to Xu's criticism that he was not sufficiently rewarding the soldiers, put Xu in charge of defending Liyang Storage, and Yuwen subsequently put Liyang under siege, but Xu was not only able to withstand the siege but further fought Yuwen outside, defeating him.
Later in 618, Wang Shichong, who had opposed the peace agreement with Li Mi, killed the other key officials Lu Chu and Yuan Wendu, who had advocated peace with Li Mi. Another official who supported the peace, Huangfu Wuyi, fled to Chang'an and surrendered to the newly established the Tang dynasty. Wang seized power as regent. Hearing what had happened, Li Mi broke off peaceful relations with Yang Tong's regime. However, he did not pay close attention to Wang, and Wang soon defeated him in a surprise attack, seizing most of his troops. Initially, after the defeat, Li Mi considered fleeing to Xu, at Liyang, but was warned by some that Xu had nearly died when he killed Zhai and thus could not be trusted. Instead, Li Mi fled to Chang'an and surrendered to Tang.
Xu, upon hearing that Li Mi had fled to Chang'an, took effective control of Li Mi's former territory, and as Li Mi had surrendered to Tang, he decided to submit to Tang as well, but stated to his secretary Guo Xiaoke :
He therefore sent Guo to Chang'an to report to Li Mi. Emperor Gaozu of Tang heard that Xu had sent messengers, but with no petitions to submit to Tang, only reports for Li Mi, and was surprised. He summoned Guo and questioned him, and Guo relayed what Xu's intents were. Emperor Gaozu was impressed and stated, "Xu Shiji remembers his lord and surrenders his accomplishments, and is really a pure-hearted subject." He thus bestowed the imperial clan name of Li on Xu, who thereafter would be known as Li Shiji. He also created Li Shiji the Duke of Cao and his father Xu Gai the Prince of Jiyin, although Li Gai declined the honor and was subsequently created the Duke of Shu. Li Shiji remained in charge of the Liyang region to resist against Wang and Dou Jiande.

During Emperor Gaozu's reign

Around the new year 619, Li Mi, wanting to revive his independence, rebelled against Tang but was soon killed by the Tang general Sheng Yanshi. Emperor Gaozu sent messengers to Li Shiji explaining why Li Mi was killed. Li Shiji mourned Li Mi and requested that he be allowed to bury Li Mi with honor. Emperor Gaozu agreed and sent Li Mi's body to Li Shiji. Li Shiji, still using ceremonies due a ruler, buried Li Mi in a grand funeral south of Liyang.
In fall 619, Dou Jiande, then with the title of Prince of Xia, launched a major offensive, set to affirm his control of the territory north of the Yellow River, as a number of cities there had submitted to Tang. After a number of Xia victories, Li Shentong the Prince of Huai'an, Emperor Gaozu's cousin who was in charge of Tang operations north of the Yellow River, withdrew to Liyang and joined forces with Li Shiji. When Dou then was on the way to attack Tang's Wei Prefecture, Li Shiji tried to ambush him, and his officer Qiu Xiaogang nearly killed Dou before Dou's guards killed him. In anger, Dou turned his attack around and attacked Liyang instead, capturing it and seizing Li Shentong, Li Gai, Wei Zheng, and Emperor Gaozu's sister Princess Tong'an. Li Shiji was able to fight his way out, but several days later, because his father Li Gai had been captured, surrendered to Dou. Dou made Li Shiji a general and still kept him in charge of Liyang, but took Li Gai back to the Xia capital Ming Prefecture to serve as a hostage. He also put Li Shentong under house arrest, as an honored guest.
Li Shiji soon considered how he could again submit to Tang, but worried that Dou would kill his father Li Gai. Guo Xiaoke suggested to him that he needed to first gain Dou's trust by accomplishing things for Xia. Li Shiji agreed, and in winter 619, he attacked the city of Huojia, held by Wang Shichong and captured much goods and persons to present to Dou, including Dou's childhood friend Liu Heita. Dou began to trust him. Li Shiji then suggested to Dou that he should attack the agrarian leader Meng Haigong, who was then nominally submitting to Zheng, arguing that if Xia could first capture Meng's holdings, it could then next have designs on Zheng. Dou agreed, and he sent his brother-in-law Cao Dan south across the Yellow River, joining forces with Li Shiji. Dou himself would follow, and Li Shiji planned that, as soon as Dou himself arrived, he would ambush Dou's camp and kill him, and then try to find and save his father Li Gai. However, at this time, Dou was awaiting his wife Empress Cao's giving birth and did not arrive for a while. Meanwhile, Cao Dan was insulting and pillaging the other rebel leaders south of the Yellow River who had submitted to Xia, and the rebel leaders were all resentful. One of them, Li Shanghu, and Li Shanghu's mother Lady Huo, urged Li Shiji to carry out his plan as soon as possible, and when Li Shiji hesitated, Li Shanghu and Lady Huo acted on their own, ambushing Cao Dan, but while they killed many of Cao's generals, Cao himself was not harmed and soon prepared to counterattack. Li Shanghu notified Li Shiji and asked him to attack Cao, but Li Shiji, saw that Cao had already taken precautions, fled to Tang territory with Guo. Cao soon defeated and killed Li Shanghu, but when Dou's officials suggested that Li Gai be executed, Dou remarked, "Li Shiji was a Tang subject. He was captured by us, but still remembered his former lord and was faithful. What sin did his father have?" Dou then spared Li Gai.
In spring 620, Li Shiji served under Emperor Gaozu's son Li Shimin the Prince of Qin in resisting a major offensive by Liu Wuzhou the Dingyang Khan, and in an engagement against Liu's general Song Jin'gang, Li Shiji was unsuccessful, but was saved by Li Shimin. Li Shimin eventually defeated Liu, forcing Liu to flee to Eastern Tujue.
In winter 620, with Li Shimin having launched a major offensive against Wang's Zheng state, the Zheng general Yang Qing surrendered Guan Prefecture, and Li Shimin sent Li Shiji to take over Guan Prefecture. When Wang Shichong's son and crown prince, Wang Xuanying, heard of this, he headed to Guan from Hulao, but Li Shiji repelled him, and then had Guo write a letter to Wei Lu, Zheng's prefect of Ying Prefecture, to persuade Wei to surrender. Wei did so, and this eventually led to a chain reaction where Zheng's holdings in modern eastern Henan surrendered one by one. Wang Xuanying, in fear, fled back to the Zheng capital Luoyang. Further, in spring 621, Wang Shichong's officer Shen Yue surrendered to Li Shiji, allowing Li Shiji's subordinate general Wang Junkuo to capture Hulao and capture Wang Shichong's nephew, Wang Xingben the Prince of Jing.
Soon, however, with Zheng in desperate straits, Wang sought aid from Dou. Dou, believing that if Tang destroyed Zheng that his own Xia state would be cornered, agreed, and he sent his forward troops first while proceeding with his main troops later. In the engagement with Dou's forward troops, Li Shimin had Li Shiji, Chen Zhijie, and Qin Shubao lead the troops, and they were able to defeat Dou's forward troops. Li Shimin then wrote Dou to persuade him to stop aiding Zheng, but Dou did not relent. In summer 621, Li Shimin engaged Dou at the Battle of Hulao, defeating and capturing him. Wang, believing further resistance to be futile, surrendered. Li Shimin spared Wang, but put a number of Zheng officials that he considered treacherous to death. Li Shiji's sworn brother Shan Xiongxin, whom Li Shimin considered treacherous because Shan had turned against Li Mi, was set to be executed as well. Li Shiji begged Li Shimin to spare Shan, arguing that Shan was a capable general who could be useful to Tang and offering to surrender all of his own honors to save Shan from death. Li Shimin refused. When Shan invoked the pledge they made to die on the same day, however, Li Shiji stated to him that he had already offered his body to the service of the state and that the body was no longer his—and that, if he died as well, no one would be around to take care of Shan's wife and children—therefore refused to die as well, but cut off a piece of his leg muscle, cooked it, and had Shan eat it, stating, "Let my flesh turn to dust along with you, my brother. By this, I can at least fulfill part of the pledge." Later that year, when Li Shimin returned to Chang'an, and Emperor Gaozu let his troops march in succession in great honor, Li Shiji was one of the 25 generals honored, permitted to wear the same golden armor that Li Shimin was clad in and to offer the captives at Tang's imperial ancestral temple. He was also united with his father Li Gai, who managed to survive the collapse of the Xia regime and return to Tang territory.
Xia territory was temporarily taken over by Tang, but in fall 621, Liu Heita rose against Tang, declaring that he was avenging Dou. Liu quickly captured most of former Xia territory, and when Liu approached the former Xia capital Ming Prefecture, Li Shiji, who was then at nearby Zongcheng, abandoned Zongcheng and entered Ming to assist its defense, but despite that, Liu defeated him and captured Ming, seizing it as his capital and forcing Li Shiji to flee. Li Shiji subsequently served under Li Shimin in attacking Liu, who had by now declared himself the Prince of Handong, in spring 622, and in a battle, Li Shiji's officer Pan Mao killed Liu's major general Gao Yaxian, who had persuaded Liu to rise against Tang in the first place. Subsequently, when Liu attacked Li Shiji, Li Shimin tried to come to Li Shiji's aid but was surrounded and nearly captured, being saved only by the heroics of Yuchi Gong. Li Shimin subsequently defeated Liu by flooding Liu's troops with water from the Ming River, and Liu fled to Eastern Tujue. , and after Li Shimin was recalled to Chang'an, he continued the campaign against Xu Yuanlang with Li Shentong and Ren Gui, and he was killed in flight. Li Shiji took his head and sent it to Emperor Gaozu.
Later in 623, the general Fu Gongshi rebelled against Tang at Danyang and declared himself the Emperor of Song. Li Shiji participated in the campaign against Fu, commanded by Emperor Gaozu's distant nephew Li Xiaogong the Prince of Zhao Commandery. After Tang forces converged on Danyang and defeated Song forces at Mount Bowang, Fu fled, and Li Shiji chased him down and, after he was captured by the gentlemen in the country, delivered him to Danyang, where Li Xiaogong executed him.
By 626, Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin were locked in an intense rivalry, and Li Shimin, fearing that Li Jiancheng might be intending to kill him, solicited advice from Li Shiji and another major general, Li Jing, and both refused to speak on the matter, drawing respect from Li Shimin for their unwillingness to be involved in an internecine struggle. In summer 626, Li Shimin ambushed Li Jiancheng and another brother, Li Yuanji the Prince of Qi, who supported Li Jiancheng, at Xuanwu Gate and killed them. He then effectively forced Emperor Gaozu to first create him crown prince and then yield the throne to him.