Li Tongjie
Encyclopedia
Li Tongjie (died June 1, 829) was a general of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
. After the death of his father Li Quanlüe (李全略) in 826
, Li Tongjie tried to take over Henghai Circuit (橫海, headquartered in modern Cangzhou
, Hebei
), which his father had been the military governor (Jiedushi
) of, and he rejected a subsequent imperial edict for him to serve at a different circuit. A subsequent imperial campaign against him ensued, defeating him in 829
. He surrendered, and was executed by the imperial official Bo Qi (柏耆).
, soon after Wang Rijian was made the military governor of Henghai, then-reigning Emperor Muzong
gave Wang Rijian the imperial surname of Li and the new personal name of Quanlüe. Li Tongjie thus must have been born with the surname of Wang as well, although it is not known whether the personal name of Tongjie was also a changed one. While Li Quanlüe served as military governor, Li Tongjie served as his deputy.
, during the reign of Emperor Muzong's son Emperor Jingzong
, Li Quanlüe died. Li Tongjie seized control of the circuit, and he bribed the military governors of the nearby circuits, hoping that they would intercede on his behalf so that the imperial government would agree to have him succeed his father. Initially, the imperial government took no action, and after Emperor Jingzong was assassinated around the new year 827
and was succeeded by his brother Emperor Wenzong
, Li Tongjie was hopeful that the new emperor would consider letting him remain in control of Henghai. He sent his secretary Cui Congzhang (崔從長) and his brothers Li Tongzhi (李同志) and Li Tongsun (李同巽) to the capital Chang'an
to pay homage to Emperor Wenzong, claiming to be willing to follow imperial orders.
In response, however, Emperor Wenzong ordered that Wu Chongyin
the military governor of nearby Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an
, Shandong
), himself a former military governor of Henghai, be made the military governor of Henghai. To placate Li Tongjie, Emperor Wenzong made him the military governor of Yanhai Circuit (兗海, headquartered in modern Jining
, Shandong
). Fearing that the military governor of the nearby circuits would encourage Li Tongjie to resist, Emperor Wenzong bestowed honorific titles on Shi Xiancheng
the military governor of Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan
, Hebei
), Li Zaiyi
the military governor of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing
), Kang Zhimu (康志睦) the military governor of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Weifang
, Shandong
), and Wang Tingcou
the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang
, Hebei
).
Li Tongjie refused to follow the imperial edict, claiming that the soldiers would not permit it. Emperor Wenzong ordered a general campaign against him, and ordered Wu, Wang Zhixing, Kang, Shi, and Li Zaiyi, as well as Li Ting (李聽) the military governor of Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang
, Henan
) and Zhang Bo (張播) the military governor of Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding
, Hebei
) to converge on Henghai. Shi considered aiding Li Tongjie, because one of his children was married to one of Li Quanlüe's children. However, after the chancellor Wei Chuhou
warned Shi, and Shi's own son Shi Tang (史唐) advised against aiding Li Tongjie, Shi Xiancheng did not do so, and sent troops against Li Tongjie, commanded by Shi Tang and the officer Qi Zhishao (亓志紹). Only Wang Tingcou sought to help Li Tongjie, and while his forces did not engage imperial forces, he mobilized his forces and stationed them at his borders with Weibo, to try to distract the Weibo troops. Wang Tingcou also supplied Li Tongjie with salt and food supplies. Wang Tingcou also tried to bribe the Shatuo
chieftain Zhuye Zhiyi (朱邪執宜), seeking for Zhuye to ally with him to aid Li Tongjie; Zhuye refused. Meanwhile, Wu had initial success against Henghai troops, but died in winter 827; the imperial government initially named Li Huan (李寰) the military governor of Baoyi Circuit (保義, headquartered in modern Linfen
, Shanxi
) to succeed Wu, but after Li Huan not only reported to the battlefield slowly but was also allowing his soldiers to pillage the countryside on the way, Emperor Wenzong instead named Fu Liangbi (傅良弼) the military governor of Xiasui Circuit (夏綏, headquartered in modern Yulin, Shaanxi
), and then the imperial guard general Li You
(after Fu died on the way to the front) as his replacement. The imperial generals became stalemated against Li Tongjie. Whenever they had minor victories, they exaggerated their success. To placate them, the imperial government rewarded them handsomely, and it was said that the wealth of the Yangtze River
-Huai River
region became drained in order to reward them.
However, the imperial troops were eventually wearing Li Tongjie down. Wang Tingcou, seeing that he was unable to save Li Tongjie by himself, persuaded Qi to turn against Shi Xiancheng and Shi Tang. Around the near year 829
, Qi mutinied and headed toward Weibo's capital prefecture Wei Prefecture (魏博). Emperor Wenzong sent the official Bo Qi (柏耆) to Wei Prefecture to comfort Shi Xiancheng and the troops, and further diverted troops from Yicheng and Heyang (河陽, headquartered in modern Luoyang
, Henan
) Circuits to help Shi Xiancheng battle Qi Zhishao. Subsequently, Shi Tang and Li Ting joined their forces and defeated Qi Zhishao, who fled to Chengde.
In spring 829, Li You captured one of the Henghai prefectures, De Prefecture (德州, in modern Dezhou
, Shandong
), and the De garrison fled to Chengde. Li Tongjie, seeing that he was nearing defeat, sent letters to Li You, offering to surrender. Li You agreed to accept his surrender and reported this to the imperial government; he also sent his officer Wan Hong (萬洪) into Henghai's capital Cang Prefecture (滄州), to take over control of the city from Li Tongjie. Emperor Wenzong sent Bo to the front to comfort the troops, but Bo, believing that Li Tongjie might be planning treachery, instead rode into Cang Prefecture with several hundred cavalry soldiers. He found an excuse and executed Wan, and then seized Li Tongjie and his family members, beginning to escort them to Chang'an. On June 1, hearing rumors that Wang Tingcou was planning to launch a raid to free Li Tongjie, Bo beheaded Li Tongjie and sent his head to Chang'an. (The generals, angry that Bo appeared to be planning to claim all of the credit, submitted various accusations against Bo; further, as Li You became seriously ill soon after hearing the news of Bo's killing of Wan, Emperor Wenzong remarked, "If Li You dies, it is Bo who killed him!" Li You soon thereafter died, and Emperor Wenzong ordered Bo to commit suicide.) Li Tongjie's mother Lady Sun, his wife Lady Cui, and his son Li Yuankui (李元逵) were all delivered to Chang'an. Emperor Wenzong pardoned them, but sent them to Hunan Circuit (湖南, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan
). Li Tongzhi and Li Tongsun, who were not born of Lady Sun, were also spared, but were exiled with their mothers. It was said that in the aftermaths of the campaign, Henghai was covered with bones, and only about 30-40% of the population remained.
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...
. After the death of his father Li Quanlüe (李全略) in 826
826
Year 826 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Religion :* June 24 – The Danish king Harald Klak accepts Christianity.- Deaths :...
, Li Tongjie tried to take over 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...
), which his father had been 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, and he rejected a subsequent imperial edict for him to serve at a different circuit. A subsequent imperial campaign against him ensued, defeating him in 829
829
Year 829 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Egbert of Wessex conquers Mercia and is recognized as Bretwalda.* The Saracens ravage the coast of Dalmatia....
. He surrendered, and was executed by the imperial official Bo Qi (柏耆).
Background
It is not known when Li Tongjie was born. His father Li Quanlüe was originally named Wang Rijian (王日簡), but in 822822
Year 822 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Byzantine Empire :* The civil war between Byzantine Emperor Michael II and the general Thomas the Slav continues...
, soon after Wang Rijian was made the military governor of Henghai, then-reigning Emperor Muzong
Emperor Muzong of Tang
Emperor Muzong of Tang , personal name Li Heng , né Li You , was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 821 to 824. Emperor Muzong was the son of Emperor Xianzong...
gave Wang Rijian the imperial surname of Li and the new personal name of Quanlüe. Li Tongjie thus must have been born with the surname of Wang as well, although it is not known whether the personal name of Tongjie was also a changed one. While Li Quanlüe served as military governor, Li Tongjie served as his deputy.
Campaign against imperial forces
In 826826
Year 826 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Religion :* June 24 – The Danish king Harald Klak accepts Christianity.- Deaths :...
, during the reign of Emperor Muzong's son 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...
, Li Quanlüe died. Li Tongjie seized control of the circuit, and he bribed the military governors of the nearby circuits, hoping that they would intercede on his behalf so that the imperial government would agree to have him succeed his father. Initially, the imperial government took no action, and after Emperor Jingzong was assassinated around the new year 827
827
Year 827 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Beginning of the invasion of Sicily by the Aghlabid dynasty of Ifriqiya . The campaign in the island against Byzantium will take 51 years...
and was succeeded by his brother Emperor Wenzong
Emperor 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...
, Li Tongjie was hopeful that the new emperor would consider letting him remain in control of Henghai. He sent his secretary Cui Congzhang (崔從長) and his brothers Li Tongzhi (李同志) and Li Tongsun (李同巽) 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 pay homage to Emperor Wenzong, claiming to be willing to follow imperial orders.
In response, however, Emperor Wenzong ordered that Wu Chongyin
Wu Chongyin
Wu Chongyin , courtesy name Baojun , formally Duke Yimu of Zhangyi , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty.- Background :...
the military governor of nearby Tianping Circuit (天平, headquartered in modern Tai'an
Tai'an
Tai'an is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People's Republic of China.Centered around Mount Tai, the city borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Laiwu to the northeast, Zibo to the east, Linyi to the southeast, Liaocheng to the extreme west and Jining to the south...
, 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...
), himself a former military governor of Henghai, be made the military governor of Henghai. To placate Li Tongjie, Emperor Wenzong made him the military governor of Yanhai Circuit (兗海, headquartered in modern Jining
Jining, Shandong
Jining is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Heze to the southwest, Zaozhuang to the southeast, Tai'an to the northeast, and the provinces of Henan and Jiangsu to the northwest and south respectively...
, 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...
). Fearing that the military governor of the nearby circuits would encourage Li Tongjie to resist, Emperor Wenzong bestowed honorific titles on Shi Xiancheng
Shi Xiancheng
Shi Xiancheng was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who ruled Weibo Circuit semi-independently from the imperial government.- Background :...
the military governor of Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwestern part of Hebei Province of China.- History :Handan was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period , after the capital moved from Zhongmu. The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of...
, 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...
), 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...
), Kang Zhimu (康志睦) the military governor of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Weifang
Weifang
Weifang is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders Dongying to the northwest, Zibo to the west, Linyi to the southwest, Rizhao to the south, Qingdao to the east, and looks out to the Laizhou Bay to the north.-History:Weifang is a historical city...
, 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...
), and 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, headquartered 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...
).
Li Tongjie refused to follow the imperial edict, claiming that the soldiers would not permit it. Emperor Wenzong ordered a general campaign against him, and ordered Wu, Wang Zhixing, Kang, Shi, and Li Zaiyi, as well as Li Ting (李聽) the military governor of 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...
) and Zhang Bo (張播) the military governor of Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding
Baoding
-Administrative divisions:Baoding prefecture-level city consists of 3 municipal districts, 4 county-level cities, 18 counties:-Demographics:The Baoding urban area has a population of around 1,006,000 . The population of the Baoding administrative area is 10,890,000. The considerable majority are...
, 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...
) to converge on Henghai. Shi considered aiding Li Tongjie, because one of his children was married to one of Li Quanlüe's children. However, after the chancellor Wei Chuhou
Wei Chuhou
Wei Chuhou , né Wei Chun , courtesy name Dezai , formally the Duke of Lingchang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenzong....
warned Shi, and Shi's own son Shi Tang (史唐) advised against aiding Li Tongjie, Shi Xiancheng did not do so, and sent troops against Li Tongjie, commanded by Shi Tang and the officer Qi Zhishao (亓志紹). Only Wang Tingcou sought to help Li Tongjie, and while his forces did not engage imperial forces, he mobilized his forces and stationed them at his borders with Weibo, to try to distract the Weibo troops. Wang Tingcou also supplied Li Tongjie with salt and food supplies. Wang Tingcou also tried to bribe the Shatuo
Shatuo
The Shatuo were a Turkic tribe that heavily influenced northern Chinese politics from the late ninth century through the tenth century. They are noted for founding 3 of the 5 dynasties and 1 of the kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period....
chieftain Zhuye Zhiyi (朱邪執宜), seeking for Zhuye to ally with him to aid Li Tongjie; Zhuye refused. Meanwhile, Wu had initial success against Henghai troops, but died in winter 827; the imperial government initially named Li Huan (李寰) the military governor of Baoyi Circuit (保義, headquartered in modern Linfen
Linfen
-Administrative divisions:The prefecture-level city of Linfen is divided in one district, two cities and fourteen counties. The information here presented uses the metric system and data from 2010 Census.-Pollution:...
, 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....
) to succeed Wu, but after Li Huan not only reported to the battlefield slowly but was also allowing his soldiers to pillage the countryside on the way, Emperor Wenzong instead named Fu Liangbi (傅良弼) the military governor of Xiasui Circuit (夏綏, headquartered in modern Yulin, Shaanxi
Yulin, 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:...
), and then the imperial guard general Li You
Li You
Li You , courtesy name Qingzhi , 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...
(after Fu died on the way to the front) as his replacement. The imperial generals became stalemated against Li Tongjie. Whenever they had minor victories, they exaggerated their success. To placate them, the imperial government rewarded them handsomely, and it was said that the wealth of the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
-Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
region became drained in order to reward them.
However, the imperial troops were eventually wearing Li Tongjie down. Wang Tingcou, seeing that he was unable to save Li Tongjie by himself, persuaded Qi to turn against Shi Xiancheng and Shi Tang. Around the near year 829
829
Year 829 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Egbert of Wessex conquers Mercia and is recognized as Bretwalda.* The Saracens ravage the coast of Dalmatia....
, Qi mutinied and headed toward Weibo's capital prefecture Wei Prefecture (魏博). Emperor Wenzong sent the official Bo Qi (柏耆) to Wei Prefecture to comfort Shi Xiancheng and the troops, and further diverted troops from Yicheng and Heyang (河陽, headquartered in modern 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...
, 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...
) Circuits to help Shi Xiancheng battle Qi Zhishao. Subsequently, Shi Tang and Li Ting joined their forces and defeated Qi Zhishao, who fled to Chengde.
In spring 829, Li You captured one of the Henghai 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...
), and the De garrison fled to Chengde. Li Tongjie, seeing that he was nearing defeat, sent letters to Li You, offering to surrender. Li You agreed to accept his surrender and reported this to the imperial government; he also sent his officer Wan Hong (萬洪) into Henghai's capital Cang Prefecture (滄州), to take over control of the city from Li Tongjie. Emperor Wenzong sent Bo to the front to comfort the troops, but Bo, believing that Li Tongjie might be planning treachery, instead rode into Cang Prefecture with several hundred cavalry soldiers. He found an excuse and executed Wan, and then seized Li Tongjie and his family members, beginning to escort them to Chang'an. On June 1, hearing rumors that Wang Tingcou was planning to launch a raid to free Li Tongjie, Bo beheaded Li Tongjie and sent his head to Chang'an. (The generals, angry that Bo appeared to be planning to claim all of the credit, submitted various accusations against Bo; further, as Li You became seriously ill soon after hearing the news of Bo's killing of Wan, Emperor Wenzong remarked, "If Li You dies, it is Bo who killed him!" Li You soon thereafter died, and Emperor Wenzong ordered Bo to commit suicide.) Li Tongjie's mother Lady Sun, his wife Lady Cui, and his son Li Yuankui (李元逵) were all delivered to Chang'an. Emperor Wenzong pardoned them, but sent them to Hunan Circuit (湖南, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
). Li Tongzhi and Li Tongsun, who were not born of Lady Sun, were also spared, but were exiled with their mothers. It was said that in the aftermaths of the campaign, Henghai was covered with bones, and only about 30-40% of the population remained.