Li Guangyan

Li Guangyan (761–826), courtesy name Guangyuan , né Ädiz Guangyan , was a Chinese military general and politician of Tiele ethnicity who served under the Tang dynasty. He was known for his participation in various campaigns against regional warlords during the reigns of Emperor Xianzong and Emperor Muzong.

Background Ädiz Guangyan was born in 761, during the reign of Emperor Suzong. He had at least one older brother, Ädiz Guangjin , and one older sister, who was older than Ädiz Guangjin. Their father Ädiz Liangchen had been a hereditary prefect of Jitian Prefecture — one of the prefectures that Tang established for the settlement of Uyghur-related tribes that submitted to Tang during the reign of Emperor Taizong in the Hequ (河曲, i.e., the Ordos Desert region). — and his Ädiz tribal army was part of the army of Shuofang Circuit (朔方, headquartered in modern Yinchuan, Ningxia). Sheli participated in the killing of Pugu's son Pugu Yang and subsequently submitted to the imperial general Xin Yunjing , the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi). As the Ädiz brothers were dependent on their brother-in-law, they also settled their household at Hedong's capital Taiyuan. Both Ädiz Guangjin and Ädiz Guangyan learned riding and archery skills from Sheli. It was said that while Ädiz Guangjin was brave and resolute, his fighting abilities and strategies were not as good as Sheli's, but that Sheli was particularly complimentary of Ädiz Guangyan, whose abilities he considered superior to his own.

In the fall, Ädiz Guangyan was ordered to rendezvous with the army commanded by the general Gao Chongwen in attacking the rebel warlord Liu Pi, who had seized control of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan). Ädiz Guangyan was late for the rendezvous by one day, and feared punishment. He thus advanced behind Liu's lines at Lutou Pass (鹿頭關, in modern Deyang, Sichuan) and cut off Lutou Pass's supply route and led to its surrender to Gao.

The campaign against Wu Yuanji In 814, with Emperor Xianzong preparing a campaign against the rebel Zhangyi Circuit (彰義, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan), whose military governor Wu Shaoyang had just died and Wu Shaoyang's son Wu Yuanji had just seized the control of without imperial approval, Li Guangyan was moved from Ming Prefecture to be the prefect of Chen Prefecture (陳州, in modern Zhoukou, Henan), as part of a number of movements of generals in preparation for the campaign. Li Guangyan was also made the commander of the forces of Zhongwu Circuit (忠武, headquartered in modern Xuchang, Henan), to which Chen Prefecture belonged to. Later that year, after Wu Yuanji openly rebelled, Li was made the military governor of Zhongwu, serving under his old commander Yan, who was put in charge of the operations against Zhangyi. Almost alone among the imperial generals against Zhangyi, Li had repeated success against Zhangyi troops, and when Emperor Xianzong sent the official Pei Du to the front to review the troops in 815, Pei's report to Emperor Xianzong singled Li out as brave and righteous in his behavior. However, while often victorious, he was not always so, and he suffered a defeat in fall 815 at Shiqu (時曲, in modern Luohe, Henan).

Meanwhile, Emperor Xianzong, seeing Yan as an ineffective overall commander, put Han Hong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) in overall command of the forces. However, it was said that Han, who liked having authority, did not want Wu to be destroyed too quickly and disliked Li for his fervent campaigning. In order to subvert Li, Han found a beautiful woman who he had trained in singing, dancing, music and the game of Liubo, and dressed in fine clothes and luxurious jewels. He had his messenger deliver the woman to Li as a gift, in the hope that she would distract him from his military activities. When Han's messenger delivered the woman to Li at a grand feast, it was said that all of the guests were astonished by her beauty. However, Li responded to the messenger:

Meanwhile, Emperor Xianzong had commissioned Pei to oversee the operations against Zhangyi, and when Pei arrived at the front, he made Yancheng his headquarters. There was an occasion when Pei was overseeing the construction of the fortress of Tuokou (沱口, in modern Luohe), when Dong launched a surprise attack, almost capturing Pei. The Zhangyi forces were fought off by Li and Tian Bu, however, allowing Pei to escape capture — as it was said that Li foresaw a potential surprise attack by Dong and therefore had stationed Tian nearby.

During Emperor Muzong's reign In 820, Emperor Xianzong died and was succeeded by his son Emperor Muzong. Later that year, after Li Guangyan went to Chang'an to pay homage to Emperor Muzong, he was given the honorary chancellor title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi .

However, when Li got to the front, it was said that while imperial forces were trying to rescue Niu in three different directions, they all lacked food supplies and were unable to advance, and even an accomplished general like Li had to simply protect his own forces first. In spring 822, with Shen Prefecture in desperate straits, the imperial government capitulated and commissioned Wang the military governor of Chengde, sending the official Han Yu to announce the commission and to persuade Wang to allow Niu to leave. Wang, while accepting the commission, still kept Shen Prefecture under siege for sometime; Niu had to fight his way out of the siege to flee to the imperial camps, and his remaining troops at Shen Prefecture were slaughtered. Meanwhile, to allow Li's forces to be supplied, Emperor Muzong temporarily made him the military governor of Henghai Circuit (橫海, headquartered in modern Cangzhou, Hebei), where his army was stationed at the time, as well. When his soldiers believed that they would be kept at Henghai, however, they rioted, and Li was unable to control them. He became so fearful that he became ill, and he sent a petition to Emperor Muzong declining the Henghai commission. Emperor Muzong agreed, and kept his commission limited to Zhongwu and allowed him to return to Zhongwu's capital Xu Prefecture .

Late in the year, the soldiers of Xuanwu Circuit mutinied against their military governor Li Yuan (李愿, Li Su's brother), and Li Yuan was forced to flee. The soldiers supported an officer, Li Jie (李㝏) as their leader, and Li Jie sought imperial commission as military governor. Emperor Muzong refused, and commissioned Han Hong's brother Han Chong as the new military governor, ordering Li Jie to report to Chang'an to serve as a general of the imperial guards. Li Jie refused and openly rose against the imperial government. In addition to Han Chong, Li Guangyan and Cao Hua the military governor of Yanhai Circuit (兗海, headquartered in modern Jining, Shandong) also launched their troops against Li Jie. Li Jie was soon killed by his subordinate Li Zhi , who surrendered to Han. For his contributions, Li Guangyan was given the honorary chancellor title of Shizhong .

During Emperor Jingzong's and Wenzong's reigns In 824, after Emperor Muzong died and was succeeded by his son Emperor Jingzong, Li Guangyan was made the military governor of Hedong and the mayor of Taiyuan; he was also made Situ (司徒, also one of the Three Excellencies). He died in 826 and was given posthumous honors, along with the posthumous name of Zhong (忠, "faithful"); at his burial, then-reigning Emperor Wenzong (Emperor Jingzong's brother) also bestowed a large award of silk.