Li Xilie (李希烈) | 24 Histories

Overview

Li Xilie was a rebel and Warlord.

PeriodSui and Tang

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 782 to AD 784 Li Xilie's rebellion receiving Chen Shaoyou's submission
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 129, passage 141
AD 784 其年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 149
AD 783 to AD 784 希烈拘真卿
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 161, passage 29
AD 783 帝蒼卒狩奉天
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 138, passages 151-152
AD 782 建中三年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 150, passage 18
AD 781 建中二年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 119, passages 112, 117

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AD 783 to AD 784 建中四年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 130, passage 146
AD 783 建中四年
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 131, passage 6
AD 783 建中四年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 135, passage 52
AD 783 to AD 784 時李希烈阻兵
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 201
AD 783 李希烈陷汴州
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 146
AD 784 興元初
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 138, passages 153, 155
AD 784 興元前後
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 213, passage 34
AD 783 陷汴
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 141, passage 189

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Descendant of Guo (郭)
paternal grandmother 祖母 · 2 generations
Uncertain · New Book of Tang 161, passage 38
Child of Mother of Li Xilie (李希烈母)
mother 母
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 161, passage 37
Kin of Liu Jiexu (劉戒虛)
sister's son 甥
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 135, passage 143
Spouse of Wife of Li Xilie (李希烈妻)
wife 妻
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 161, passage 38

Key source chapters

Career and standing

AD 784 其年
usurped imperial title
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 149

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Rebelled against
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 146; Old Book of Tang 129, passage 141; New Book of Tang 138, passage 155
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Rebelled against
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 138, passage 152

Works and attributed material

Memorial · Author · Summary listed Chongyi crimes; asked to lead punishment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 112

Events and relationships

Appointed Du Shaoqian false Vice Director and Huainan military commissioner
Military · Appointing authority · With Du Shaoqian (杜少誠)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 150
Besieged
Military · Besieger · At Chenzhou 陳州
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 36
Blocked with troops
Military · Obstructor · At Jiang-Huai transport routes 江淮租輸
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 201
Captured Bianzhou and declared intent to strike Jianghuai
Military · Commander · At Bianzhou 汴州
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 146
Captured Bianzhou
Military · Commander
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 130, passage 146
Claimed throne
AD 784 興元初 · Political · Usurper
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 138, passage 155

Show 11 more source-backed claims

Declared himself emperor
AD 784 其年 · Political · Usurper
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 149
Declared himself emperor
Political · Usurper
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 130, passage 149
Held Xiangzhou after defeating Chongyi
Military · Occupier · At Xiangzhou 襄州
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 119
Pacified Chongyi then showed rebellion
Military · Commander · With Liang Chongyi (梁崇義)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 116
Rebelled
AD 782 建中三年 · Military · Rebel leader
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 150, passage 18
Received declaration of subject
Political · Recipient of submission · With Chen Shaoyou (陳少遊)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 129, passage 141
Seized Bian
Rebellion · Leader · At Bian 汴
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 138, passage 152
Sought to dominate other rebels
AD 784 興元初 · Political · Usurper
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 138, passage 155
Stripped Xiang and Han
Military · Plunderer · At Xiang and Han 襄、漢
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 122
Relation Commander of · Person Du Shaoqian (杜少誠)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 150
Relation Commander of · Person Yang Feng (楊豐)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 149

Assessments and attributes

Item false attendance diary 偽起居註 · Relation Authored or kept
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 154

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 146; Old Book of Tang 127, passage 201; Old Book of Tang 129, passage 141; New Book of Tang 138, passage 152

References in the histories

Search passages

History

45 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 119Volume 115 Biographies 65: Cui Qi, Zhao Guozhen, Cui Guan, Jing Kuo, Wei Yuanfu, Wei Shaoyou, Wei Boyu, Li Cheng · 11 passages

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李希烈揣知之，上表數崇義過惡，請率先誅討。 Li Xilie divined their intent and submitted a memorial listing Chongyi's crimes, asking to take the lead in punishing him.

上悅之，每對朝臣多稱希烈忠誠。 The emperor was pleased; before the court he often praised Xilie's loyalty.

承自黜陟回，因奏之曰：「希烈將兵討伐，必有微勛，但恐立功之後，縱恣跋扈，不稟朝憲，必勞王師問罪。」 When Cheng returned from his commission, he memorialized: "Xilie will surely win some merit on campaign—but I fear that once he has merit he will grow insolent and defiant, disregard imperial authority, and the royal army will be forced to march against him."

無幾，希烈既平崇義，果有不順之跡，上思承言，故驟加擢用。 Before long Xilie had pacified Chongyi and indeed showed signs of rebellion; the emperor recalled Cheng's warning and swiftly promoted him.

希烈既破崇義，擁兵襄州，遂有其地。 After Xilie defeated Chongyi he massed troops at Xiangzhou and thereupon held that territory.

朝廷慮不受命，欲以禁兵送承，承請單騎徑行。 The court feared Xilie would refuse the appointment and wished to send palace troops to escort Cheng; Cheng asked to ride through alone.

既至，希烈處承於外館，迫脅萬態，承恬然自安，誓死王事。 When he arrived, Xilie lodged Cheng in an outer guesthouse and assailed him with every sort of coercion; Cheng remained calm, sworn to the throne unto death.

希烈不能屈，遂剽虜闔境所有而去，襄、漢為之空。 Xilie could not break him; he then plundered everything of value in the circuit and withdrew, leaving Xiang and Han stripped bare.

初，希烈雖歸蔡州，留將校等於襄州守當時所掠得財帛什物等，後使襄、漢，往來不絕。 At first, though Xilie had returned to Cai prefecture, he left officers at Xiang to guard the goods plundered there; afterward traffic between Xiang and Han never ceased.

承亦使腹心臧叔雅往來許、蔡，厚結希烈腹心周曾、王玢、姚憺等。 Cheng also sent his trusted agent Zang Shuya back and forth between Xu and Cai, lavishly cultivating Xilie's intimates Zhou Ceng, Wang Bin, Yao Tan, and others.

及曾等謀殺希烈，以眾歸朝，多承首建謀也。 When Ceng and the others plotted to kill Xilie and bring their forces back to the court, the plan owed much to Cheng's original design.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 127Volume 123 Biographies 73: Liu Yan, Di Wuqi, Ban Hong, Ban Shao, Li Xun · 1 passage

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時李希烈阻兵，江淮租輸，所在艱阻，特移運路自潁入汴。 At that time Li Xilie was using military force to obstruct communications, making it difficult to move Jiang-Huai rent and transport revenue through many areas, so the transport route was specially redirected from Ying into Bian.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 129Volume 125 Biographies 75: Zhang Yi, Liu Congyi, Xiao Fu, Liu Hun · 1 passage

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先時，淮南節度陳少遊首稱臣於李希烈，鳳翔將李楚琳殺節度使張鎰以應硃泚，鎰判官韋臯先知隴州留後，首殺豳叛卒數百人，不應楚琳。 Earlier, Huainan military governor Chen Shaoyou was the first to declare himself subject to Li Xilie. Fengxiang general Li Chulin killed military governor Zhang Yi to join Zhu Ci. Zhang Yi's staff judge Wei Gao, who had earlier served as acting rear commander of Long prefecture, was the first to kill several hundred mutinous soldiers from Bin and refused to follow Chulin.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 130Volume 126 Biographies 76: Li Kui, Li Han, Chen Shaoyou, Lu Yue, Pei Xu · 5 passages

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及李希烈陷汴州，聲言欲襲江淮。 When Li Xilie captured Bianzhou he announced his intention to strike the Jiang-Huai region.

少遊懼，乃使參謀溫述由壽州送款於希烈曰：「濠、壽、舒、廬，尋令罷壘，韜戈卷甲，佇候指揮。」 Terrified, Shaoyou sent his staff planner Wen Shu from Shouzhou to offer submission to Xilie: "At Hao, Shou, Shu, and Lu I shall soon dismantle the forts, sheathe our weapons, and await your orders."

其年，希烈僭號，遣其將楊豐賫偽赦書赴揚州，至壽州，為刺史張建封候騎所得，建封對中使二人及少遊判官許子瑞廷責豐而斬之。 That year Xilie declared himself emperor and sent his general Yang Feng with a false amnesty to Yangzhou. At Shouzhou, Prefect Zhang Jianfeng's scouts seized him. Before two palace envoys and Shaoyou's aide Xu Zirui, Jianfeng rebuked Feng publicly and beheaded him.

希烈聞之大怒，即署其大將杜少誠為偽僕射、淮南節度，令先平壽州，後取廣陵。 Xilie was furious and appointed his general Du Shaoqian false vice director and military commissioner of Huainan, ordering him first to take Shouzhou and then Guangling.

無何，劉洽收汴州，得希烈偽起居註「某月日陳少遊上表歸順。」 Before long Liu Qia recovered Bianzhou and found among Xilie's papers a false court diary entry: "On such-and-such a day Chen Shaoyou submitted a memorial of submission."

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 131Volume 127 Biographies 77: Yao Lingyan, Zhang Guangcheng, Yuan Xiu, Qiao Lin, Zhang She, Jiang Zhen, Hong Jinglun, Peng Yan · 2 passages

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建中四年，李希烈叛，寇陷汝州，詔哥舒曜率師攻之，營於襄城。 In the fourth year of Jianzhong, Li Xilie rebelled and captured Ru Prefecture; the court ordered Geshu Yao to lead troops against him and encamp at Xiangcheng.

希烈兵數萬圍襄城，勢甚危急。 Xilie's forces, tens of thousands strong, besieged Xiangcheng, and the situation was extremely critical.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 135Volume 131 Biographies 81: Li Mian; Li Gao and His Sons Xianggu and Daogu · 11 passages

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四年，李希烈反，以他盜為名，悉眾來寇汴州。 In 783 Li Xilie rebelled. Rallying under another rebel's banner, he led his full army against Bianzhou.

勉城守累月，救援莫至，謂其將曰：「希烈兇逆殘酷，若與較力，必多殺無辜，吾不忍也。」 Mian held the city for months, but no relief came. He told his generals, "Xilie is savage and cruel. If we fight him head on, countless innocents will die. I cannot bring myself to do that."

當賊烈之始亂，其慓悍陰禍，兇焰不可當，天方厚其毒而降之罰。 When Xilie first rebelled, his ferocity and hidden malice were irresistible; Heaven itself was visiting punishment on the realm through him.

會梁崇義反，乃授起復左衛大將軍，復還湖南，尋加散騎常侍李希烈反，遷江西道節度使、洪州刺史、兼御史大夫。 When Liang Chongyi rebelled, Li Gao was recalled from mourning as General of the Left Guard and sent back to Hunan; he was soon also made Regular Attendant Cavalier. When Li Xilie rebelled, he was transferred to military commissioner of the Jiangxi Circuit, prefect of Hong Prefecture, and concurrently Censor-in-Chief.

初，伊慎將江西兵從李希烈平襄州，及反，懼皋任之，乃陰遣遺之鎖甲，又詐為慎書往復，置遺於境。 Earlier, Yi Shen had led Jiangxi troops under Li Xilie to capture Xiang Prefecture. When Xilie rebelled, fearing Li Gao would still employ Shen, Xilie secretly sent him chain mail as a gift and forged correspondence in Shen's name, leaving the gifts at the border.

時希烈已屠汴州，又遣驍將杜少誠將步騎萬餘來寇蘄、黃，將絕江道。 Li Xilie had already sacked Bian Prefecture and now sent the fierce general Du Shaocheng with more than ten thousand infantry and cavalry against Qi and Huang, aiming to sever the river route.

希烈遣甥劉戒虛將步八千來援。 Li Xilie sent his nephew Liu Jiexu with eight thousand foot soldiers to relieve the city.