The Deadly Rivalry Between Wei Qing and Li Gan

In 119 BCE, the accomplished Chinese military leader, Wei Qing, launched one of his many incursions into Xiongnu territory on behalf of Emperor Wu of Han (r. 141-87 BCE). With him was a subordinate general named Li Guang, a well-respected, but also well-aged, warrior. Although Li Guang was an inspiring officer, with a near-legendary skill with a bow, both Wei Qing and Emperor Wu had their reservations about the old general’s capabilities. Heeding these doubts, Wei Qing decided to remove Li Guang from the vanguard of his army, and instead sent him to reinforce the army’s right flank. Yet, while Li Guang and his forces were traveling to their new position, they unfortunately became lost and fell behind the rest of the army. In the end, Li Guang missed the battle between Wei Qing and the Xiongnu.

Despite Li Guang’s absence, Wei Qing won the day—he nearly encircled the enemy forces, but the Xiongnu leader was able to punch through the Han lines with his cavalry and escape. After the battle, Wei Qing summoned Li Guang to answer for his absence during the battle. Officials in the army would then send a report to the emperor of both the accusations and the general’s responses. The old military leader knew from experience that such unflattering reports could lead to a general being imprisoned, stripped of his titles, and possibly executed. Therefore, the seasoned warrior arrived at the meeting with Wei Qing in a grim state of mind.  According to the Grand Historian, Sima Qian (c. 145-90 BCE), the disgruntled Li Guang appeared for his hearing and abruptly stated “Now I am over sixty—much too old to stand up to a bunch of petty clerks and their lists of charges!” (Shi JI 109). He then unsheathed his sword and cut his own throat.

Many in China mourned the death of Li Guang, but the late general’s son, Li Gan, had the most visceral reaction. Li Gan, like his father, served in the Han military, and he distinguished himself enough in battle to be given the noble rank of marquis, a title also held by the aforementioned Wei Qing. The two marquises, unsurprisingly, did not get along. Li Gan held Wei Qing responsible for driving his father to suicide and Wei Qing, in response, was irritated by Li Gan’s attitude. The friction between the two men steadily built, and, in a moment of weakness, Li Gan lost his composure and physically struck Wei Qing. The general was injured, but the wound was not serious, as Wei Qing quickly recovered and neither he or his friends filed charges against Li Gan. Unfortunately, Wei Qing’s mercy over this incident did not mean that Li Gan was forgiven.

At a later date, both Li Gan and other prominent men of the empire joined the emperor at the Palace of Sweet Springs. Emperor Wu and his courtiers, as noblemen were often wont to do, decided to go on a hunting trip. Yet, the outdoor excursion would prove to be anything but calm and peaceful.

During the course of the hunt, Li Gan eventually paired up with Huo Qubing, a devoted friend and relative of Wei Qing. Unfortunately, only one of the two would survive the hunt. At an unknown time during the trip, Li Gan was found dead and his body contained a suspicious puncture wound. Huo Qubing reportedly witnessed the death and he told the emperor that the dead marquis was killed by a deer. He claimed that, as they hunted together, he and Li Gan encountered an aggressive stag. Despite both hunters being great archers, this stag supposedly rushed the noblemen and fatally impaled Li Gan with an antler. Emperor Wu, who was fond of Huo Qubing, believed (or did not question) the story and publicly backed Huo Qubing’s testimony. Sima Qian and other contemporaries, however, viewed the death with much more suspicion. By the time Sima Qian began writing his Records of the Grand Historian, he had become convinced that Li Gan was murdered:

“When the party reached the Palace of Sweet Springs, an imperial hunt was held. Huo Qubing, who was on very close terms with Wei Qing, took the opportunity to shoot and kill Li Gan. At this time, Huo Qubing enjoyed great favor with the emperor, and the emperor therefore covered for him, giving out the story that Li Gan had been gored and killed by a stag. A year or so later, Huo Qubing died [117 BCE]” (Shi JI 109).

Written by C. Keith Hansley.

Picture Attribution: (The Qianlong Emperor Hunting Hare, by Giuseppe Castiglione (1688–1766), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons).

Sources:

• Records of the Grand Historian (Shi Ji 109) by Sima Qian. Translated by Burton Watson (Columbia University Press, 1993).
• http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Han/personsweiqing.html 
• http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Han/personshuoqubing.html  

The Revenge of Li Guang Against A By-The-Book Watchman

In 129 BCE, general Li Guang of Han Dynasty China was captured by his foes during a campaign against Xiongnu nomads. Although he subsequently made a remarkable escape and returned to China, the consequences of his defeat and capture at the hands of the emperor’s enemies caused Li Guang to be arrested and imprisoned by his own government. He could have possibly been executed for his military failures, but the general was able to pay his own ransom. The ransom was more than just a monetary cost—in addition to money, Li Guang also had to relinquish his military command and all of his government titles.

Although he had been deprived of his command and was downgraded to the status of a commoner, Li Guang was still famous and apparently was followed by a band of loyalists even after he was released from prison. From what we know of Li Guang, it is easy to see why the man would draw followers—he was a legend in his own day, known for his great fighting prowess. His weapon of choice was a bow, with which he was said to be able to achieve consistent miraculous shots. As such, some of his favorite pastimes were hunting and various archery games, some involving alcohol. Li Guang was reportedly a clumsy speaker, but his lack of verbal charisma was made up for by his charitable nature and the aura of companionship that he cultivated with the men he led into battle. Many of these loyal friends and companions joined their former general as he lived in retirement at Lantian, in the Southern Mountains.

During his several-year retirement, Li Guang’s lifestyle did not change much. He continued to lead a band of followers out into the countryside, yet, instead of tracking enemies of China, the general now brought his troops on hunting trips. When he was not hunting, the former general could be found drinking with his friends at various scenic locations, such as meadows or fields. In such merriment, Li Guang and his friends were known to sometimes socialize until after sundown.

The former general’s drinking parties, however, would soon bring him into conflict with a by-the-book watchman who was stationed at Baling. As the story goes, the watchman spotted two men on horses trotting up the road after dark. The travelers happened to be Li Guang and one of his friends. The two had just departed one of the aforementioned social gatherings hosted by the former general.  Yet, the two men’s pleasant evening stroll would soon be interrupted, for the region was under a curfew, and the watchman intended to enforce the law.

Out came the watchman from his station, shouting commands for the two travelers to stop. When Li Guang and his comrade complied with the order, the watchman announced that the men were violating curfew, and they would be detained at the watch station until morning.  Upon hearing this, the companion of Li Guang tried to use his friend’s celebrity to their advantage, proclaiming, “This is the former General Li” (Sima Qian, Shi Ji 109). Yet, the unwavering watchman replied that not even generals currently on active duty could wander around after curfew, and proceeded to herd the two men into the station. Although Li Guang and his companion were able to continue on their journey the next morning, the incident apparently annoyed and humiliated the former general.

Unfortunately for the watchman, Li Guang was called back to active duty by Emperor Wu in 127 BCE. At the time of his reappointment, the general evidently still held a grudge against the poor official of Baling. As soon as he regained power, one of Li Guang’s first moves was to have the watchman transferred to be under his command. When the dutiful man arrived at the army’s camp, he was promptly put under arrest for some reason or other. Sadly, he was not released the next morning. Instead, Li Guang had the watchman mercilessly executed. After the execution was carried out, Li Guang sent a letter to Emperor Wu, apologizing for the self-serving act of vengeance. Interestingly, Emperor Wu reportedly forgave Li Guang and replied that he did not mind if his generals gained a merciless, fear-inspiring reputation.

Written by C. Keith Hansley.

Picture Attribution: (Depiction of Qingming in peace, c. Ming dynasty (1368–1644), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons).

Sources:

• Records of the Grand Historian (Shi ji) by Sima Qian, translated by Burton Watson. New York: Columbia University Press, 1993.

The Great Escape Of Li Guang

In 129 BCE, Emperor Wu of China sent four generals on a surprise invasion into Xiongnu territory. Each general had a separate force and launched their incursion into enemy territory from different cities. Wei Qing, one of the emperor’s most talented generals, marched into Xiongnu land from Shanggu. Gongsun He and Gongsun Ao also lead invasion forces, the first from Yunzhong, and the latter from Dai Province. Finally, Li Guang—an unorthodox but fearsome general—led his forces out from Yanmen.

We Qing was the only one of the four generals to have a truly successful campaign (as he often did) and was said to have captured several hundred Xiongnu. Gongsun He, for his part, had an uneventful trip through enemy land, making virtually no contact with any foes. The campaigns of Gongsun Ao and Li Guang were also unimpressive, but their reputations were besmirched by worse than lack of contact with the Xiongnu; instead of not finding their foes, the latter two generals were intercepted by Xiongnu armies and were defeated. Gongsun Ao lost thousands of troops in Xiongnu territory and returned home in disgrace. Li Guang, unfortunately, fared even worse—he was not only defeated by the Xiongnu, but also captured alive.

According to Grand Historian Sima Qian (c. 145-90 BCE), who claimed to have personally seen Li Guang, the Xiongnu had a deep respect and fear of the general.  By this point, Li Guang (who had joined the army in 166 BCE) had been a thorn in the side of the Xiongnu for around three decades. His name was reportedly known by the Shanyu, the leader of the Xiongnu, and an order was disseminated among the Xiongnu to capture Li Guang alive. On the battlefield, the Xiongnu were able to identify Li Guang, and, realizing he was injured, they mended his wounds and carefully placed him on a litter suspended between two horses, intending to bring him back to their leader. Unfortunately for the Xiongnu, their captive’s wounds would soon prove to not be as debilitating as they thought.

Li Guang, when he was injured on the battlefield, reportedly attempted to play dead. The Xiongnu, however, found him and recognized that he was alive, forcing Li Guang to downgrade his plan to acting unconscious. Although the Xiongnu saw through his ploy to play dead, his impersonation of unconsciousness was more convincing. Apparently only minimal guards were placed near the litter carrying Li Guang, and the nearest warrior keeping an eye on the general was virtually a child. Sensing an opportunity to escape, Li Guang suddenly sprung up from the litter and jumped onto the youth’s horse. He also commandeered the boy’s bow before knocking the young Xiongnu warrior to the ground. Now equipped with a steed and a weapon, Li Guang began his great escape.

Although the general’s tactics in the previous battle were lackluster, Li Guang’s personal fighting prowess was famous, especially with the weapon he had just picked up—the bow. Capable of consistent near-miraculous shots, he was an ancient sniper. In addition, he was a cavalry officer, and was very familiar with horses. Therefore, with his bow and his horse, Li Guang had everything he needed to survive.

As soon as Li Guang made his move and began galloping frantically for Han territory, hundreds of Xiongnu charged after him in pursuit. The fleeing general, however, knew how to shoot from horseback and was able to take down anyone who rode too close. Through this combination of fleeing and shooting, Li Guang was able to successfully weave his way back toward friendly territory. The Xiongnu eventually gave up the chase, either because of Li Guang’s accuracy or the nearing Han border. Whatever the case, Li Guang eventually shed his pursuers, and was even able to herd together some survivors from his broken army before crossing back into Han lands. Yet, although he had survived this trial, another lay in the immediate future. Once he returned to the capital, the general would have to answer to the unforgiving Emperor Wu for his defeat and capture in battle.

When Li Guang reached the capital, he was quickly arrested by Han officials, as was Gongsun Ao, who similarly was defeated by the Xiongnu. The two were told that their conduct could merit execution, yet they were thankfully given the option to buy their freedom. Although they escaped the death penalty, they lost their military commands and government titles. After paying his own ransom in 129 BCE, Li Guang would continue to live as a commoner until around 127 BCE, when he was called back to duty by the emperor.

Written by C. Keith Hansley.

Picture Attribution: (Drawing of man on horseback shooting an arrow from the New York Public Library, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons).

Sources:

• Records of the Grand Historian (Shi ji) by Sima Qian, translated by Burton Watson. New York: Columbia University Press, 1993.
• http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Han/personsliguang.html