Next, the editor of the History Encyclopedia will take you to explore the real Li Sheng in history and discover the historical stories that happened to them.
Zhang Ailing once said, ‘To become famous, one must do so early.’ However, not everyone can achieve fame at a young age and make a name for themselves. In the history of the Tang Dynasty, there was a famous general who was not particularly outstanding in his youth and did not hold a high official position. It was not until he was fifty-eight years old that he became famous and became a pillar of the Tang Dynasty. If it weren’t for the fighting of this famous general, the Tang Dynasty would have likely been destroyed earlier. So who is this late bloomer and famous general?
This person is the famous general Li Sheng from the mid Tang Dynasty! Li Sheng comes from a family background and is skilled in horseback riding and archery. He is six feet tall and incredibly brave. When Li Sheng was young, he followed the military governor Wang Zhongsi to attack Tibet. He shot an arrow at a brave Tibetan general, and Wang Zhongsi praised him as the “enemy of ten thousand people”. However, Li Sheng did not show any special performance in quelling the An Lushan Rebellion. It was not until later that he made repeated military achievements while fighting in the northwest.
However, Li Sheng was ostracized by his superiors, so he came to the capital to take up a position. “Emperor Daizong stayed in the palace guard and became the commander of the Right Divine Strategy. At this time, although Li Sheng’s official position was not low, he did not have any special achievements. Without a rebellion that changed the fate of the Tang Dynasty, he would not have been able to gain his later fame. In the early reign of Emperor Dezong of Tang, a war broke out with the Hebei fiefdoms. The court sent Li Sheng to lead the Shence Army to join forces with other Tang armies to suppress the rebellion.
But the Tang army’s organizational system was chaotic, and coupled with Li Sheng’s limited troops, they were deadlocked on the battlefield. In the Battle of Qingyuan, the Tang army was defeated, and Li Sheng’s “horse platoon had mid arrows”. Just as there was no progress on the battlefield in Hebei, another rebellion broke out in the Guanzhong region, the core of Tang Dynasty’s rule! In 783, when the Jingyuan army passed through Chang’an, a mutiny occurred and Zhu Long was enthroned as emperor. Emperor Dezong of Tang fled to Fengtian in haste.
At this time, the Tang Dynasty had reached a critical moment of survival, with rebels constantly attacking Fengtian. Once it fell, the consequences would be unimaginable. After receiving the news, Li Sheng immediately led his army back to King Qin of Guanzhong. But Li Sheng’s military strength is limited, and with the 600 Zelu soldiers handed over by Li Baozhen, there are only 4000 people in total. After supplementing along the way and returning to Guanzhong, Li Sheng’s army reached 20000 people. But at this moment, another arriving Qinwang’s Shuofang Jiedushi, Li Huaiguang, colluded with the rebels and also rebelled.
Li Sheng led his army through a bloody battle, defeated two rebel forces, successfully recaptured Chang’an, and saved the precarious Tang Dynasty. Upon hearing the news, Emperor Dezong of Tang was very pleased and announced that he was appointed as the Minister of Education and concurrently served as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and was granted the title of ‘Thousand Households’. Afterwards, Emperor Dezong of Tang gave Li Sheng a series of rewards, including the Yongchongli, Jingyang Shangtian, Yanpingmen Linyuan, and a line of female musicians. At the same time, Emperor Dezong of Tang personally wrote an inscription to commemorate Li Sheng’s achievements, standing on the Dongwei Bridge as a symbol of future generations.
That year, Li Sheng was 58 years old. He joined the army at the age of 18 and fought on the battlefield for 40 years. Only then did he become famous throughout the world. He not only saved the Tang Dynasty, but also wrote a brilliant chapter in his life. As the saying goes, great achievements shake the ruler. Later, Emperor Dezong of Tang intentionally suppressed Li Sheng and stripped him of his military power. In 793, Li Sheng died of illness at the age of 67. Emperor Dezong of Tang issued an edict for all officials to be hanged, and he personally went to the city gate to attend the funeral.
Zhang Ailing once said, ‘To become famous, one must do so early.’ However, not everyone can achieve fame at a young age and make a name for themselves. In the history of the Tang Dynasty, there was a famous general who was not particularly outstanding in his youth and did not hold a high official position. It was not until he was fifty-eight years old that he became famous and became a pillar of the Tang Dynasty. If it weren’t for the fighting of this famous general, the Tang Dynasty would have likely been destroyed earlier. So who is this late bloomer and famous general?
This person is the famous general Li Sheng from the mid Tang Dynasty! Li Sheng comes from a family background and is skilled in horseback riding and archery. He is six feet tall and incredibly brave. When Li Sheng was young, he followed the military governor Wang Zhongsi to attack Tibet. He shot an arrow at a brave Tibetan general, and Wang Zhongsi praised him as the “enemy of ten thousand people”. However, Li Sheng did not show any special performance in quelling the An Lushan Rebellion. It was not until later that he made repeated military achievements while fighting in the northwest.
However, Li Sheng was ostracized by his superiors, so he came to the capital to take up a position. “Emperor Daizong stayed in the palace guard and became the commander of the Right Divine Strategy. At this time, although Li Sheng’s official position was not low, he did not have any special achievements. Without a rebellion that changed the fate of the Tang Dynasty, he would not have been able to gain his later fame. In the early reign of Emperor Dezong of Tang, a war broke out with the Hebei fiefdoms. The court sent Li Sheng to lead the Shence Army to join forces with other Tang armies to suppress the rebellion.
But the Tang army’s organizational system was chaotic, and coupled with Li Sheng’s limited troops, they were deadlocked on the battlefield. In the Battle of Qingyuan, the Tang army was defeated, and Li Sheng’s “horse platoon had mid arrows”. Just as there was no progress on the battlefield in Hebei, another rebellion broke out in the Guanzhong region, the core of Tang Dynasty’s rule! In 783, when the Jingyuan army passed through Chang’an, a mutiny occurred and Zhu Long was enthroned as emperor. Emperor Dezong of Tang fled to Fengtian in haste.
At this time, the Tang Dynasty had reached a critical moment of survival, with rebels constantly attacking Fengtian. Once it fell, the consequences would be unimaginable. After receiving the news, Li Sheng immediately led his army back to King Qin of Guanzhong. But Li Sheng’s military strength is limited, and with the 600 Zelu soldiers handed over by Li Baozhen, there are only 4000 people in total. After supplementing along the way and returning to Guanzhong, Li Sheng’s army reached 20000 people. But at this moment, another arriving Qinwang’s Shuofang Jiedushi, Li Huaiguang, colluded with the rebels and also rebelled.
Li Sheng led his army through a bloody battle, defeated two rebel forces, successfully recaptured Chang’an, and saved the precarious Tang Dynasty. Upon hearing the news, Emperor Dezong of Tang was very pleased and announced that he was appointed as the Minister of Education and concurrently served as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and was granted the title of ‘Thousand Households’. Afterwards, Emperor Dezong of Tang gave Li Sheng a series of rewards, including the Yongchongli, Jingyang Shangtian, Yanpingmen Linyuan, and a line of female musicians. At the same time, Emperor Dezong of Tang personally wrote an inscription to commemorate Li Sheng’s achievements, standing on the Dongwei Bridge as a symbol of future generations.
That year, Li Sheng was 58 years old. He joined the army at the age of 18 and fought on the battlefield for 40 years. Only then did he become famous throughout the world. He not only saved the Tang Dynasty, but also wrote a brilliant chapter in his life. As the saying goes, great achievements shake the ruler. Later, Emperor Dezong of Tang intentionally suppressed Li Sheng and stripped him of his military power. In 793, Li Sheng died of illness at the age of 67. Emperor Dezong of Tang issued an edict for all officials to be hanged, and he personally went to the city gate to attend the funeral.
As early as 789 AD, Emperor Dezong of Tang issued an edict to place the portrait of Li Sheng in the Lingyan Pavilion. During the Northern Song Dynasty, seventy-two famous generals were enshrined in the Wu Temple, including Li Sheng. The poet Lu You of the Southern Song Dynasty wrote: “Life should not be a peaceful life, but rather a drunken ride on a long whale in the East China Sea. It is better to be known as Li Xiping, a rebel who fought against the enemy and cleared the old capital.” Li Xiping refers to Li Sheng, and Xiping refers to his title as the Prince of Xiping County.
