Pugu Huai'en
Encyclopedia
Pugu Huai'en (died September 27, 765), formally the Prince of Da'ning (大寧王), was a general of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
, of Tiele
ancestry. He was instrumental in the final suppression of the Anshi Rebellion, but rebelled against Emperor Daizong
in fear that he was being accused of treason. After an initial defeat by other Tang generals, he led his own forces, allied with Huige and Tufan forces, to attack the Tang capital Chang'an
, but died on the way.
Confederation who submitted to Tang Dynasty
rule in 646, during the reign of Emperor Taizong
. Emperor Taizong gave the nine chieftains titles as nine commandants, and Pugu Gelanbayan was made the commandant of Jinwei (金微). Pugu Huai'en's father Pugu Yilichuoba (僕固乙李啜拔) inherited the title as commandant of Jinwei, a post that Pugu Huai'en later inherited from him. During the Tianbao era (742-756) of Emperor Taizong's great-grandson Emperor Xuanzong
, Pugu Huai'en was made a general and given the honorific title of Tejin (特進). He successively served under two military governors (jiedushi
) of Shuofang
Circuit (朔方, headquartered in modern Yinchuan, Ningxia
), Wang Zhongsi
and An Sishun
, and both were impressed by his ferocity in battle and knowledge about the other non-Han
tribes, as well as command skills, and so gave him great responsibility.
rebelled. An Sishun was recalled to the capital Chang'an
and was succeeded by Guo Ziyi
. Pugu Huai'en continued to serve under Guo, and when An Lushan sent his generals Gao Xiuyan (高秀巖) and Xue Zhongyi (薛忠義) to attack Shuofang, Pugu contributed in the victories against them. During the subsequent campaign that Guo and Li Guangbi
conducted against territory held by An Lushan north of the Yellow River
, Pugu contributed to a number of victories. However, subsequently, by summer 756, An Lushan had proclaimed himself the emperor of a new state of Yan
, and his forces were approaching Chang'an after capturing Tong Pass, forcing Emperor Xuanzong and his crown prince
Li Heng
to flee. Emperor Xuanzong fled to Chengdu
, but Li Heng fled to Lingwu (the headquarters of Shuofang Circuit) and was proclaimed emperor there (as Emperor Suzong). Guo subsequently returned to Lingwu to rendezvous with Emperor Suzong. At that time, there was a rebellion by the Tongluo (同羅) tribe of in the region, and Pugu was sent to battle the Tongluo forces. When his son Pugu Fen (僕固玢) was captured by Tongluo forces but subsequently escaped, Pugu Huai'en nevertheless executed him to make him an example to the army, and the army fought hard against the Tongluo subsequently and defeated them. Meanwhile, Emperor Suzong needed aid from Huige, so he sent his second cousin Li Chengcai (李承寀) the Prince of Dunhuang and Pugu Huai'en to Huige as emissaries to Huige. Huige's Bayanchur Khan
gave a daughter to Li Chengcai in marriage, and returned him and Pugu with the proposal that he be allowed to marry a Tang princess. Emperor Suzong agreed, and gave Bayanchur Khan his daughter Princess Ningguo. Bayanchur Khan then sought to have his younger son Yaoluoge Yidijian (藥羅葛移地健) marry a Tang princess as well, and Emperor Suzong, rather than marrying another daughter to Yaoluoge Yidijian, decided to create Pugu's daughter a princess and marry her to Yaoluoge Yidijian, giving her the title Lesser Princess Ningguo.
Pugu subsequently returned to Guo's army and continued to serve under him. In early 757, Guo made an attempt to recapture Chang'an from the east, but was defeated at Tong Pass. Pugu was able to gather his forces and return east of the Yellow River
. Subsequently, when Huige aid forces arrived in fall 757, joint Tang and Huige forces made an assault against Chang'an, and Pugu and Li Siye
had particularly great contributions in recapturing the capital. For his contributions, he was created the Duke of Feng.
With An Lushan having been assassinated by his own son An Qingxu
early in 757, An Qingxu was the new emperor of Yan, and after Tang and Huige forces recaptured Chang'an, they recaptured Luoyang
as well, forcing An Qingxu to flee to Yecheng
. Nine Tang military governors put Yecheng under siege, and during the siege, Pugu continued to serve under Guo. When Shi Siming
came to Yecheng's aid in summer 759, however, Tang forces collapsed, which the powerful eunuch Yu Chao'en
blamed on Guo. Guo was thus recalled to the capital, and the command of his Shuofang army was transferred to Li Guangbi. The Shuofang soldiers, accustomed to Guo's lenience, were apprehensive of the strict Li Guangbi. The general Zhang Yongji (張用濟) thus planned to expel Li Guangbi and demand Guo's return, but was persuaded not to act by Pugu. When Li Guangbi later found out, he executed Zhang. Pugu was made Li Guangbi's deputy and created the Prince of Da'ning. Meanwhile, by that point, Bayanchur Khan had died and had been succeeded by Yaoluoge Yidijian, as Denli Khan, and so Pugu was honored by Huige as well, as the queen's father. Subsequently, Shi killed An Qingxu and assumed the Yan throne, and then advanced south. Li Guangbi evacuated Luoyang and took up defense position at Heyang (河陽, near Luoyang), subsequently holding off Shi's planned advances toward Chang'an against multiple Yan attacks. In the Heyang campaign, both Pugu and his son Pugu Yang (僕固瑒) had much personal contributions. With Tang forces checking him at Heyang, Shi was not able to advance toward Chang'an for over a year. Pugu Huai'en was subsequently given the military governorship of Shuofang and given the command of the Shuofang troops.
It was said, however, that Pugu Huai'en was brave but overly aggressive, and that at times his command style was overly tolerant. Li Guangbi often curbed him in and punished his subordinates for wrongful behavior. Pugu thus feared and disliked Li Guangbi. In spring 761, this eventually turned into a disagreement where Pugu disagreed with Li Guangbi's strategy of holding at Heyang but rather advocated, along with Yu, that an effort should be made to recapture Luoyang. Emperor Suzong agreed, and ordered Li Guangbi to advance toward Luoyang with Pugu, Yu, and Wei Boyu (衛伯玉). Li Guangbi and Pugu, however, disagreed with to camp formation, with Li Guangbi wanting to put the camp in the hills and Pugu wanting to do so in the plains. Yan forces thus took advantage and launched a major attack on them, thoroughly routing Tang forces. All of the Tang generals, including Li Guangbi, Pugu, Yu, and Wei all fled. Li Baoyu
, whom Li Guangbi had left at Heyang, also abandoned Heyang, and Heyang fell into Yan hands. (Soon after the Yan victory, however, Shi was assassinated and succeeded by his own son Shi Chaoyi
, and Yan forces were unable to take advantage of the victory over Tang forces.)
In 762, Emperor Suzong died and was succeeded by his son Emperor Daizong
. Emperor Daizong, upon his ascension, sent the eunuch Liu Qingtan (劉清潭) to Huige to seek aid against Yan -- and yet, by this time, Shi Chaoyi had himself sent emissaries to Huige and persuaded Yaoluoge Yidijian to attack Tang with him instead. By the point that Liu arrived at the Huige headquarters, Huige forces had already advanced into Tang territory and were ready to attack. However, at this point, Yaoluoge Yidijian requested a meeting with Pugu Huai'en, and Emperor Daizong sent Pugu to meet with his daughter and brother-in-law. Pugu changed Yaoluoge Yidijian's mind, and he instead agreed to attack Yan with Tang forces. (During the meeting, however, Xin Yunjing (辛雲京), the military governor of Hedong Circuit (headquartered in modern Taiyuan
, Shanxi
), whose territory included the place of the meeting, fearing that Pugu and Yaoluoge Yidijian would attack him jointly, refused to meet with them and did not entertain them as host, leading eventually to an enmity between Pugu and Xin.) Pugu subsequently served as the deputy to the nominal commander, Emperor Daizong's oldest son Li Kuo
the Prince of Yong, and led Tang forces in alliance with Huige forces, advancing toward Luoyang. Their forces, along with Tang forces commanded by Li Guangbi, Guo Ying'ai (郭英乂), Yu, and Li Baoyu, converged on Luoyang, defeating Shi Chaoyi and forcing him to flee.
Shi Chaoyi eventually committed suicide early in 763, ending the Anshi Rebellion. Several major Yan military governors, including Xue Song
, Zhang Zhongzhi
, Tian Chengsi
, and Li Huaixian
, surrendered to Tang with their forces. Instead of stripping their commands, however, Pugu had them resume command and stay at their current posts. (Pugu later justified this by stating that he was making sure that the rebellion is quelled and that these generals would not feel compelled to rebel again to preserve themselves; however, Li Baoyu and Xin, who were also involved in the operation of receiving these surrenders, felt differently, and believed that Pugu wanted to establish personal relationship with these generals to serve as allies and that Pugu was planning an eventual rebellion himself. Traditional historians generally took a middle view where they believed that Pugu was not planning a rebellion, but that he did want these generals as allies.) As a result of Pugu's contributions, Guo, who at that time carried the nominal title of deputy supreme commander over forces north of the Yellow River (with Li Kuo being the nominal supreme commander), offered to transfer the title to him, and Emperor Daizong did so, also giving Pugu the additional nominal titles as Pushe (僕射) and chancellor (as Zhongshu Ling (中書令)).
, Shanxi
), with his son Pugu Yang and several other Shuofang generals under him, Li Guangyi (李光逸), Li Huaiguang
, and Zhang Weiyue (張維嶽) stationed nearby. Meanwhile, after the end of the campaign, Emperor Daizong had Pugu Huai'en escort Yaoluoge Yidijian through Hedong Circuit back to Huige; as they went through Hedong Circuit, Xin Yunjing again refused to meet them and refused to entertain them as host. Pugu, in anger, submitted an accusation to Emperor Daizong, but Emperor Daizong took no action on it.
The matter came to a head in summer 763. The eunuch Luo Fengxian (駱奉仙), serving as Emperor Daizong's messenger, was visiting Taiyuan, the headquarters of Hedong Circuit. Xin bribed him and accused Pugu of planning to rebel, in association with Huige. As Luo was returning to Chang'an from Taiyuan, he went through Fen Prefecture. Pugu's mother threw a feast for him -- during which she and Pugu both tried to endear Luo to them, but during which Pugu's mother also repeatedly complained how Luo was associating with Xin. During the feast, Pugu performed a dance to entertain Luo, and Luo gave him a gift. Pugu, in gratitude, asked Luo to stay an extra day to celebrate Duanwu Festival together. Luo declined and planned to leave, and Pugu, in order to show his sincerity, hid Luo's horse -- but this caused Luo to be terrified, believing that Pugu was going to kill him, and so he escaped in the night. Pugu, shocked, had his guards chase Luo down and return his horse to him. Once Luo returned to Chang'an, he accused Pugu of planning to rebel, and Pugu submitted an accusation asking Emperor Daizong to execute Xin and Luo. Emperor Daizong took no actions on either accusation, but sent mildly-worded edicts to both sides.
Pugu, dissatisfied with Emperor Daizong's response, submitted a lengthy accusatory statement, complaining of a number of things:
He requested that Emperor Daizong send a special emissary to see him, and offered to go to Chang'an with that emissary to pay homage to Emperor Daizong. Emperor Daizong sent the chancellor Pei Zunqing
to Fen Prefecture to meet with Pugu. When Pugu met with Pei, Pugu wept bitterly to complain of how he had been wrongly treated. Pei tried to persuade Pugu to go to Chang'an with him, and Pugu initially agreed, but changed his mind after his general Fan Zhicheng (范志誠) pointed out that he might suffer the same fate as Lai. Pei had to return to Chang'an without Pugu.
As of spring 764, Pugu was in a standoff with the imperial troops, but without open hostilities yet. At the suggestion of Yan Zhenqing
and Lai Baoyu's cousin Li Baozhen (李抱真), Emperor Daizong publicly commissioned Guo Ziyi (who had been relieved of military commands for years but who earlier in the year had been put in charge of recapturing Chang'an after a Tufan incursion briefly captured Chang'an and forced Emperor Daizong to flee) as the commander of Shuofang forces, hoping that the commission would cause Pugu's army to peel away from Pugu on its own. Meanwhile, Pugu, despite his mother's opposition, finally sent Pugu Yang to launch an attack on Taiyuan, but Pugu Yang was repelled by Xin. Subsequently, when Pugu Yang mishandled a dispute between Han and non-Han soldiers, the Han soldiers rose and killed him. When Pugu Huai'en reported Pugu Yang's death to his mother, his mother, angry that he had rebelled against the imperial government, tried to kill him, but Pugu escaped his mother's attack and fled with a small detachment to LIngwu, taking up position there. (Emperor Daizong subsequently welcomed Pugu Huai'en's mother to Chang'an and treated her with respect until her death later in the year.) The remaining Shuofang forces in the Fen Prefecture region all submitted to Guo.
Pugu regathered his strength once he took up position at Lingwu. Emperor Daizong, still hoping that Pugu would change his mind, treated Pugu's family members with respect, and further issued an edict praising Pugu for his contributions and maintaining his title as Prince of Da'ning, and further offering to promote him to be Taibao (太保, one of Sanshi (三師) -- honorific offices even higher than the Three Excellencies)), but summoning him to Chang'an. Pugu refused. Meanwhile, news came that Pugu had entered into an alliance with Tufan and Huige and were planning to attack Chang'an. Emperor Daizong had Guo take up position at Fengtian (奉天, in modern Xianyang
, Shaanxi
) to defend against such potential attack. When Pugu, allied with Huige and Tufan, did attack in winter 764, Guo was able to repel it.
In fall 765, Pugu, Huige, and Tufan launched another attack on Chang'an, but Pugu died on September 27, blunting the attack. Guo subsequently persuaded the Huige forces to withdraw, and Tufan forces, fearing a joint attack by Huige and Tang, also withdrew. Pugu's generals, including Pugu's nephew Pugu Mingchen (僕固名臣), largely submitted to Guo, ending the threat. Despite Pugu's rebellion, Emperor Daizong still remembered his contributions and mourned his death. Subsequently, after Pugu's older daughter died, Emperor Daizong created Pugu's younger daughter Princess Chonghui and married her to Yaoluoge Yidijian as well.
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...
, of Tiele
Tiele people
The Tiele or Tele , were a confederation of nine Turkic peoples living to the north of China and in Central Asia, emerging after the disintegration of the Xiongnu confederacy...
ancestry. He was instrumental in the final suppression of the Anshi Rebellion, but rebelled against Emperor Daizong
Emperor Daizong of Tang
Emperor Daizong of Tang , personal name Li Yu , né Li Chu , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty....
in fear that he was being accused of treason. After an initial defeat by other Tang generals, he led his own forces, allied with Huige and Tufan forces, to attack 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...
, but died on the way.
Background
It is not known when Pugu Huai'en was born. His grandfather Pugu Gelanbayan (僕固歌濫拔延) was a chieftain of the Pugu tribe, one of the nine major constituent tribes of the TieleTiele
Tiele may refer to:*Tiele people, an ancient people of Central Asia*Tiele, Mali, commune and town*Cornelis Petrus Tiele...
Confederation who submitted to 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...
rule in 646, during the reign of Emperor Taizong
Emperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Shìmín , was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649...
. Emperor Taizong gave the nine chieftains titles as nine commandants, and Pugu Gelanbayan was made the commandant of Jinwei (金微). Pugu Huai'en's father Pugu Yilichuoba (僕固乙李啜拔) inherited the title as commandant of Jinwei, a post that Pugu Huai'en later inherited from him. During the Tianbao era (742-756) of Emperor Taizong's great-grandson Emperor Xuanzong
Emperor 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...
, Pugu Huai'en was made a general and given the honorific title of Tejin (特進). He successively served under two military governors (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 Shuofang
Shuofang
Shuofang was a fort built in the land of nomadic horse hasbandry tribes at the dawn of the Chinese written history. According to Bamboo Annals, Shuofang was built by the Emperor Di Yi of Shang state on the third year of his reign in 1098 BC in the midst of the Kun Barbarians territory in the...
Circuit (朔方, headquartered in modern Yinchuan, 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...
), Wang Zhongsi
Wang Zhongsi
Wang Zhongsi , né Wang Xun , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. Because of how his father Wang Haibin had died in army service, Emperor Xuanzong took him and raised him in the palace, and subsequently entrusted him with army commands. Eventually, though, he was accused of...
and An Sishun
An Sishun
An Sishun was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, probably of Tujue extraction. He was related to another general, An Lushan...
, and both were impressed by his ferocity in battle and knowledge about the other non-Han
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
tribes, as well as command skills, and so gave him great responsibility.
During Anshi Rebellion
In 755, An Sishun's cousin 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. An Sishun 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...
and was succeeded 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...
. Pugu Huai'en continued to serve under Guo, and when An Lushan sent his generals Gao Xiuyan (高秀巖) and Xue Zhongyi (薛忠義) to attack Shuofang, Pugu contributed in the victories against them. During the subsequent campaign that Guo and Li Guangbi
Li Guangbi
Li Guangbi , formally Prince Wumu of Linhuai , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, of ethnic Khitan ancestry, who was instrumental in Tang's suppression of the Anshi Rebellion.- Background :...
conducted against territory held by An Lushan north of the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
, Pugu contributed to a number of victories. However, subsequently, by summer 756, An Lushan had proclaimed himself the emperor of 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...
, and his forces were approaching Chang'an after capturing Tong Pass, forcing Emperor Xuanzong and his 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...
to flee. Emperor Xuanzong fled to Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, but Li Heng fled to Lingwu (the headquarters of Shuofang Circuit) and was proclaimed emperor there (as Emperor Suzong). Guo subsequently returned to Lingwu to rendezvous with Emperor Suzong. At that time, there was a rebellion by the Tongluo (同羅) tribe of in the region, and Pugu was sent to battle the Tongluo forces. When his son Pugu Fen (僕固玢) was captured by Tongluo forces but subsequently escaped, Pugu Huai'en nevertheless executed him to make him an example to the army, and the army fought hard against the Tongluo subsequently and defeated them. Meanwhile, Emperor Suzong needed aid from Huige, so he sent his second cousin Li Chengcai (李承寀) the Prince of Dunhuang and Pugu Huai'en to Huige as emissaries to Huige. Huige's Bayanchur Khan
Bayanchur Khan
Bayanchur Khan , was an Uyghur khagan from 747 to 759 AD. His official titles were "Ay Tengrida Qut Bolmish" and "El Etmish Bilge Qaghan" . His Tang Dynasty-invested title was Yingwuweiyuanpiqiejuo Khan or Yingwu Khan in short...
gave a daughter to Li Chengcai in marriage, and returned him and Pugu with the proposal that he be allowed to marry a Tang princess. Emperor Suzong agreed, and gave Bayanchur Khan his daughter Princess Ningguo. Bayanchur Khan then sought to have his younger son Yaoluoge Yidijian (藥羅葛移地健) marry a Tang princess as well, and Emperor Suzong, rather than marrying another daughter to Yaoluoge Yidijian, decided to create Pugu's daughter a princess and marry her to Yaoluoge Yidijian, giving her the title Lesser Princess Ningguo.
Pugu subsequently returned to Guo's army and continued to serve under him. In early 757, Guo made an attempt to recapture Chang'an from the east, but was defeated at Tong Pass. Pugu was able to gather his forces and return east of the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
. Subsequently, when Huige aid forces arrived in fall 757, joint Tang and Huige forces made an assault against Chang'an, and Pugu and 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...
had particularly great contributions in recapturing the capital. For his contributions, he was created the Duke of Feng.
With An Lushan having been assassinated by his own son 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...
early in 757, An Qingxu was the new emperor of Yan, and after Tang and Huige forces recaptured Chang'an, they recaptured 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...
as well, forcing An Qingxu 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....
. Nine Tang military governors put Yecheng under siege, and during the siege, Pugu continued to serve under Guo. When Shi Siming
Shi Siming
Shi Siming , or Shi Sugan , was a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty who followed his childhood friend An Lushan in rebelling against Tang, and who later succeeded An Lushan's son An Qingxu as emperor of the Yan state that An Lushan established.-Background:It is not known when Shi Sugan was born,...
came to Yecheng's aid in summer 759, however, Tang forces collapsed, which the powerful eunuch Yu Chao'en
Yu Chao'en
Yu Chao'en , formally the Duke of Han , was an eunuch official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was powerful early during the reign of Emperor Daizong and was feared by others, including chancellors...
blamed on Guo. Guo was thus recalled to the capital, and the command of his Shuofang army was transferred to Li Guangbi. The Shuofang soldiers, accustomed to Guo's lenience, were apprehensive of the strict Li Guangbi. The general Zhang Yongji (張用濟) thus planned to expel Li Guangbi and demand Guo's return, but was persuaded not to act by Pugu. When Li Guangbi later found out, he executed Zhang. Pugu was made Li Guangbi's deputy and created the Prince of Da'ning. Meanwhile, by that point, Bayanchur Khan had died and had been succeeded by Yaoluoge Yidijian, as Denli Khan, and so Pugu was honored by Huige as well, as the queen's father. Subsequently, Shi killed An Qingxu and assumed the Yan throne, and then advanced south. Li Guangbi evacuated Luoyang and took up defense position at Heyang (河陽, near Luoyang), subsequently holding off Shi's planned advances toward Chang'an against multiple Yan attacks. In the Heyang campaign, both Pugu and his son Pugu Yang (僕固瑒) had much personal contributions. With Tang forces checking him at Heyang, Shi was not able to advance toward Chang'an for over a year. Pugu Huai'en was subsequently given the military governorship of Shuofang and given the command of the Shuofang troops.
It was said, however, that Pugu Huai'en was brave but overly aggressive, and that at times his command style was overly tolerant. Li Guangbi often curbed him in and punished his subordinates for wrongful behavior. Pugu thus feared and disliked Li Guangbi. In spring 761, this eventually turned into a disagreement where Pugu disagreed with Li Guangbi's strategy of holding at Heyang but rather advocated, along with Yu, that an effort should be made to recapture Luoyang. Emperor Suzong agreed, and ordered Li Guangbi to advance toward Luoyang with Pugu, Yu, and Wei Boyu (衛伯玉). Li Guangbi and Pugu, however, disagreed with to camp formation, with Li Guangbi wanting to put the camp in the hills and Pugu wanting to do so in the plains. Yan forces thus took advantage and launched a major attack on them, thoroughly routing Tang forces. All of the Tang generals, including Li Guangbi, Pugu, Yu, and Wei all fled. Li Baoyu
Li Baoyu
Li Baoyu , né An Chongzhang , known for some time as An Baoyu , formally Duke Zhaowu of Liang , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...
, whom Li Guangbi had left at Heyang, also abandoned Heyang, and Heyang fell into Yan hands. (Soon after the Yan victory, however, Shi was assassinated and succeeded by his own son Shi Chaoyi
Shi Chaoyi
Shi Chaoyi was the final emperor of the Yan state that was established in rebellion against the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was the oldest son of Shi Siming, and he overthrew and then killed his father in a coup in 761 and took over as emperor...
, and Yan forces were unable to take advantage of the victory over Tang forces.)
In 762, Emperor Suzong died and was succeeded by his son Emperor Daizong
Emperor Daizong of Tang
Emperor Daizong of Tang , personal name Li Yu , né Li Chu , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty....
. Emperor Daizong, upon his ascension, sent the eunuch Liu Qingtan (劉清潭) to Huige to seek aid against Yan -- and yet, by this time, Shi Chaoyi had himself sent emissaries to Huige and persuaded Yaoluoge Yidijian to attack Tang with him instead. By the point that Liu arrived at the Huige headquarters, Huige forces had already advanced into Tang territory and were ready to attack. However, at this point, Yaoluoge Yidijian requested a meeting with Pugu Huai'en, and Emperor Daizong sent Pugu to meet with his daughter and brother-in-law. Pugu changed Yaoluoge Yidijian's mind, and he instead agreed to attack Yan with Tang forces. (During the meeting, however, Xin Yunjing (辛雲京), the military governor of Hedong Circuit (headquartered in modern Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, 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....
), whose territory included the place of the meeting, fearing that Pugu and Yaoluoge Yidijian would attack him jointly, refused to meet with them and did not entertain them as host, leading eventually to an enmity between Pugu and Xin.) Pugu subsequently served as the deputy to the nominal commander, Emperor Daizong's oldest 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 Prince of Yong, and led Tang forces in alliance with Huige forces, advancing toward Luoyang. Their forces, along with Tang forces commanded by Li Guangbi, Guo Ying'ai (郭英乂), Yu, and Li Baoyu, converged on Luoyang, defeating Shi Chaoyi and forcing him to flee.
Shi Chaoyi eventually committed suicide early in 763, ending the Anshi Rebellion. Several major Yan military governors, including Xue Song
Xue Song
Xue Song , formally the Prince of Pingyang , was a general of the Chinese rebel state Yan, who later submitted to and became a general of Tang Dynasty, from which Yan had rebelled...
, Zhang Zhongzhi
Li Baochen
Li Baochen , originally named Zhang Zhongzhi , courtesy name Weifu , known as An Zhongzhi during the Anshi Rebellion and Zhang Baochen 778–779, formally the Prince of Longxi , was a general of the Chinese rebel state Yan, who later submitted to and became a general of Tang Dynasty, from...
, Tian Chengsi
Tian Chengsi
Tian Chengsi , formally the Prince of Yanmen , was a general of the Chinese rebel state Yan, who later submitted to and became a general of Tang Dynasty, from which Yan had rebelled...
, and Li Huaixian
Li Huaixian
Li Huaixian was a general of the Chinese rebel state Yan, who later submitted to and became a general of Tang Dynasty, from which Yan had rebelled...
, surrendered to Tang with their forces. Instead of stripping their commands, however, Pugu had them resume command and stay at their current posts. (Pugu later justified this by stating that he was making sure that the rebellion is quelled and that these generals would not feel compelled to rebel again to preserve themselves; however, Li Baoyu and Xin, who were also involved in the operation of receiving these surrenders, felt differently, and believed that Pugu wanted to establish personal relationship with these generals to serve as allies and that Pugu was planning an eventual rebellion himself. Traditional historians generally took a middle view where they believed that Pugu was not planning a rebellion, but that he did want these generals as allies.) As a result of Pugu's contributions, Guo, who at that time carried the nominal title of deputy supreme commander over forces north of the Yellow River (with Li Kuo being the nominal supreme commander), offered to transfer the title to him, and Emperor Daizong did so, also giving Pugu the additional nominal titles as Pushe (僕射) and chancellor (as Zhongshu Ling (中書令)).
After Anshi Rebellion
Although Pugu Huai'en was the military governor of Shuofang, after the end of the Anshi Rebellion, he was stationed at Fen Prefecture (汾州, roughly modern LüliangLüliang
Lüliang is a prefecture-level city in Shanxi province in China. It has an area of 21,000 square kilometers and a population of 3,600,000.-Administration:Lüliang has direct jurisdiction over:-External links:*...
, 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....
), with his son Pugu Yang and several other Shuofang generals under him, Li Guangyi (李光逸), Li Huaiguang
Li Huaiguang
Li Huaiguang was a leading general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, of Mohe extraction. He was credited with saving Emperor Daizong in the face of an attack by the rebel Zhu Ci in 783 but, dissatisfied with the lack of trust that Emperor Dezong displayed in him later, also rebelled, but his...
, and Zhang Weiyue (張維嶽) stationed nearby. Meanwhile, after the end of the campaign, Emperor Daizong had Pugu Huai'en escort Yaoluoge Yidijian through Hedong Circuit back to Huige; as they went through Hedong Circuit, Xin Yunjing again refused to meet them and refused to entertain them as host. Pugu, in anger, submitted an accusation to Emperor Daizong, but Emperor Daizong took no action on it.
The matter came to a head in summer 763. The eunuch Luo Fengxian (駱奉仙), serving as Emperor Daizong's messenger, was visiting Taiyuan, the headquarters of Hedong Circuit. Xin bribed him and accused Pugu of planning to rebel, in association with Huige. As Luo was returning to Chang'an from Taiyuan, he went through Fen Prefecture. Pugu's mother threw a feast for him -- during which she and Pugu both tried to endear Luo to them, but during which Pugu's mother also repeatedly complained how Luo was associating with Xin. During the feast, Pugu performed a dance to entertain Luo, and Luo gave him a gift. Pugu, in gratitude, asked Luo to stay an extra day to celebrate Duanwu Festival together. Luo declined and planned to leave, and Pugu, in order to show his sincerity, hid Luo's horse -- but this caused Luo to be terrified, believing that Pugu was going to kill him, and so he escaped in the night. Pugu, shocked, had his guards chase Luo down and return his horse to him. Once Luo returned to Chang'an, he accused Pugu of planning to rebel, and Pugu submitted an accusation asking Emperor Daizong to execute Xin and Luo. Emperor Daizong took no actions on either accusation, but sent mildly-worded edicts to both sides.
Pugu, dissatisfied with Emperor Daizong's response, submitted a lengthy accusatory statement, complaining of a number of things:
- That he had six great accomplishments that were being ignored -- and, in doing so, he sarcastically referred to his contributions as "my crimes":
- Defeating the Tongluo;
- Killing his own son Pugu Fen in order to encourage the army;
- Marrying his daughters to Yaoluoge Yidijian;
- Fighting the rebels, along with his son Pugu Yang;
- Comforting the former rebel generals so that they would not rebel again; and
- Persuading Huige to quell the rebellion for Tang and escorting Huige troops out of Tang territory afterwards.
- That the general Lai Tian (來瑱) had been wrongly executed earlier in 763 without a proper declaration of his crimes;
- That the eunuchs, headed by Cheng YuanzhenCheng YuanzhenCheng Yuanzhen was a eunuch official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was exceedingly powerful early in the reign of Emperor Daizong and was said to, in his attempts to consolidate his power, have killed or demoted a number of key generals and officials on his own whim, and thus drew the...
, were being overly powerful; - That the soldiers were not being adequately rewarded for their contributions.
He requested that Emperor Daizong send a special emissary to see him, and offered to go to Chang'an with that emissary to pay homage to Emperor Daizong. Emperor Daizong sent the chancellor Pei Zunqing
Pei Zunqing
Pei Zunqing , courtesy name Shaoliang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Suzong and Emperor Daizong.- Background :...
to Fen Prefecture to meet with Pugu. When Pugu met with Pei, Pugu wept bitterly to complain of how he had been wrongly treated. Pei tried to persuade Pugu to go to Chang'an with him, and Pugu initially agreed, but changed his mind after his general Fan Zhicheng (范志誠) pointed out that he might suffer the same fate as Lai. Pei had to return to Chang'an without Pugu.
As of spring 764, Pugu was in a standoff with the imperial troops, but without open hostilities yet. At the suggestion of Yan Zhenqing
Yan Zhenqing
Yan Zhenqing was a leading Chinese calligrapher and a loyal governor of the Tang Dynasty. His artistic accomplishment in Chinese calligraphy parallels the greatest master calligraphers throughout the history, and his regular script style, Yan, is often imitated.-Early life:Yan Zhenqing was born...
and Lai Baoyu's cousin Li Baozhen (李抱真), Emperor Daizong publicly commissioned Guo Ziyi (who had been relieved of military commands for years but who earlier in the year had been put in charge of recapturing Chang'an after a Tufan incursion briefly captured Chang'an and forced Emperor Daizong to flee) as the commander of Shuofang forces, hoping that the commission would cause Pugu's army to peel away from Pugu on its own. Meanwhile, Pugu, despite his mother's opposition, finally sent Pugu Yang to launch an attack on Taiyuan, but Pugu Yang was repelled by Xin. Subsequently, when Pugu Yang mishandled a dispute between Han and non-Han soldiers, the Han soldiers rose and killed him. When Pugu Huai'en reported Pugu Yang's death to his mother, his mother, angry that he had rebelled against the imperial government, tried to kill him, but Pugu escaped his mother's attack and fled with a small detachment to LIngwu, taking up position there. (Emperor Daizong subsequently welcomed Pugu Huai'en's mother to Chang'an and treated her with respect until her death later in the year.) The remaining Shuofang forces in the Fen Prefecture region all submitted to Guo.
Pugu regathered his strength once he took up position at Lingwu. Emperor Daizong, still hoping that Pugu would change his mind, treated Pugu's family members with respect, and further issued an edict praising Pugu for his contributions and maintaining his title as Prince of Da'ning, and further offering to promote him to be Taibao (太保, one of Sanshi (三師) -- honorific offices even higher than the Three Excellencies)), but summoning him to Chang'an. Pugu refused. Meanwhile, news came that Pugu had entered into an alliance with Tufan and Huige and were planning to attack Chang'an. Emperor Daizong had Guo take up position at Fengtian (奉天, 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...
) to defend against such potential attack. When Pugu, allied with Huige and Tufan, did attack in winter 764, Guo was able to repel it.
In fall 765, Pugu, Huige, and Tufan launched another attack on Chang'an, but Pugu died on September 27, blunting the attack. Guo subsequently persuaded the Huige forces to withdraw, and Tufan forces, fearing a joint attack by Huige and Tang, also withdrew. Pugu's generals, including Pugu's nephew Pugu Mingchen (僕固名臣), largely submitted to Guo, ending the threat. Despite Pugu's rebellion, Emperor Daizong still remembered his contributions and mourned his death. Subsequently, after Pugu's older daughter died, Emperor Daizong created Pugu's younger daughter Princess Chonghui and married her to Yaoluoge Yidijian as well.