Li Liu (Cheng Han)

Li Liu (248-303), courtesy name Xuantong, was a general under Li Te and one of the spiritual founders of Cheng Han during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He was one of his brother's closest generals, and after he was killed in an ambush in 303, he was chosen as his successor. He saved Li Te's army from destruction during the aftermath of his death but later decided to let his nephew, Li Xiong handle military affairs. Although Li Liu succeeded Li Te first before Li Xiong, when Li Xiong became emperor in 306, he was not honored as an emperor.

Li Liu
李流
Grand General (大將軍) (Self-appointed)
In office
303 (303) – 303 (303)
Preceded byLi Te
Succeeded byLi Xiong
Personal details
Born248
Died303
RelationsLi Fu (brother)
Li Te
Li Xiáng
Li Xiāng
ChildrenLi Shi
Li Long
FatherLi Mu
Courtesy nameXuantong(玄通)
Posthumous nameKing Wen of Qin (秦文王)
In this Chinese name, the family name is Li.

Service under Li Xiáng and Li Te

Li Te was the fourth son of Li Mu and the younger brother of Li Te. His family was originally from Baxi Commandery (巴西郡; around present-day Langzhong, Sichuan) but moved to Qinzhou (秦州, modern eastern Gansu) and assimilated with the Di people. He was talented from a young age, earning the respect of the Colonel of Eastern Qiang tribes He Pan, who made Li Liu his Director. In 296, A Di chieftain named Qi Wannian rebelled around Li Liu's home coinciding with a terrible famine and military occupation. Li Liu followed his brother to their ancestral home in Yizhou to escape the turmoil in the north.[1]

In 300, Li Liu's other brother, Li Xiáng joined a rebellion led by Zhao Xin against the Jin dynasty (266–420) in Yizhou. Li Liu followed suit and gathered his own men to join his brother. However, Zhao Xin would kill Li Xiáng out of jealousy the following year. Zhao Xin sent messengers to console Li Liu and Li Te about their loss but they only grew enraged. The two brothers led troops to Chengdu to avenge Li Xiáng, forcing Zhao Xin to flee from the province.[2]

Li Te was now in control of Yizhou but with Jin forces led by Luo Shang heading his way, he decided to establish friendly relationships. Li Liu was tasked in sending oxens and wine to Luo Shang at Mianzhu, which were accepted. For his efforts in putting down Zhao Xin, Li Liu was made General Who Exerts Valor.[3]

However, Li Te's attempts at making peace with Luo Shang was met with issues as the court in Luoyang demanded that refugees who fled from the north return to their respective provinces. The refugees did not want to leave the south, as they heard that the north was still in chaos, so Li Te begged Luo Shang for months to extend their stay. Luo Shang was lenient at first but was soon inclined to have them move, so Li Te prepared himself for war. Li Liu helped his brother gather more men and trained the refugees to bolster his forces.[4]

As predicted, fighting broke out between the two side in 301. Li Te scored the first victory despite Luo Shang attacking first. Li Te then made Li Liu Grand General Who Guards The East and had him follow Te through most of his campaigns. The following year, Li Liu joined in the assault on Piqiao (毗橋, in present-day Xindu County, Sichuan), helping his other brother Li Xiāng (note the different pinyin) rout Luo Shang's best troops.[5] Yet, even through the efforts and successes of Li Liu and his brothers, Li Te would suddenly die during an ambush in 303 led by Luo Shang.

Taking command of the army

Li Te's sudden death took his army by surprise. Li Liu and the others fell back to Chizu (赤祖, in present-day Mianzhu, Sichuan), where they hastily appointed Li Liu to succeed his brother. However, Luo Shang was quick to capitalise on his recent victory and sent a large contingent of troops to attack Li Liu's camp. Li Liu and the others fought hard against the invaders but the situation worsened when the Di leaders, Fu Cheng (苻成) and Kui Bo (隗伯) betrayed him. The situation was so desperate, that Li Te's widow Lady Luo personally fought in the defense. Miraculously, Li Liu drove out both the invaders and traitors from his camp before quickly putting Chengdu under siege to place pressure on Luo Shang.[6]

After just barely surviving an attack, Li Liu began to wonder if he should continue the rebellion. Jin reinforcements led by Zong Dai (宗岱) and Sun Fu (孫阜) were approaching and his brother Li Han was pushing for surrender. His nephew Li Xiong and Li Xiang opposed him but Li Liu had made up his mind. He sent his son Li Shi and Li Han's son Li Hu as hostages to Sun Fu. However, Li Xiong and Li Li (李離) went against Li Liu's orders, and instead routed Sun Fu while Zong Tai passed away naturally. The reinforcements from Jingzhou all fled home because of this. Li Liu grew ashamed due to not following Li Xiong's advice but seeing that his nephew was more capable than he is, decided to entrust Xiong with military matters.[7]

Li Liu moved his camp to Pi County. His army was left with little supply as many of the people of Yizhou decided to migrate to neighbouring provinces. Luckily, Luo Shang had a fall out with his subordinate Xu Yu (徐轝), who wanted him to ally with the hermit Fan Changsheng but was turned down. Xu Yu defected to Li Liu who carried out Xu Yu's wishes. Fan Changsheng had thousands of families under him at Mount Qingcheng, who sought his protection from the war. Fan agreed to ally himself with Li Liu and provided him with food and supply to last the entire war.[8]

During the winter of 303, Li Liu grew deathly ill. He had decided that his nephew, Li Xiong should be the one to lead his army. Li Liu soon died and Li Xiong took over his command. Li Xiong would drive out Luo Shang and the Jin forces out from Yizhou the following year, establishing his own state of Cheng (later renamed Han in 338). Li Xiong posthumously honored his uncle as "King Wen of Qin (秦文王)" but did not give any further promotion unlike his father after Li Xiong became emperor in 306.[9]

References
  1. (元康中，氐齊萬年反，關西擾亂，天水、略陽、扶風、始平諸郡皆被兵，頻歲大饑，流移就穀，相與入漢川者數萬家。) Book of Jin, Volume 120
  2. (廞恐朝廷討己，遣長史費遠、犍為太守李苾、督護常俊督萬餘人斷北道，次綿竹之石亭。特密收合得七千餘人，夜襲遠軍，遠大潰，因放火燒之，死者十八九。進攻成都。廞聞兵至，驚懼不知所為。李苾、張征等夜斬關走出，文武盡散。廞獨與妻子乘小船走至廣都，為下人硃竺所殺。特至成都，縱兵大掠，害西夷護軍薑發，殺廞長史袁治及廞所置守長，遣其牙門王角、李基詣洛陽陳廞之罪狀。) Book of Jin, Volume 120
  3. (朝廷論討趙廞功，拜特宣威將軍，弟流奮武將軍，皆封侯。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 84
  4. (特從之。冬，十月，特分爲二營，特居北營，流居東營，繕甲厲兵，戒嚴以待之。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 84
  5. (八月，特破德陽。流次成都北「上」〔郭〕。李驤在毗橋，尚遣將張興偽降於驤，覘士眾。還以告尚。尚遣叟兵襲驤，破之。流、驤并眾攻尚軍。軍失利，喪其器甲。) Huayang Guozhi, Volume 7.6
  6. (三月，羅尚遣督護何沖、常深攻李流，涪陵民藥紳亦起兵攻流。流與李驤拒紳，何沖乘虛攻北營，氐苻成、隗伯在營中，叛應之。蕩母羅氏擐甲拒戰，伯手刃傷其目，羅氏氣益壯；會流等破深、紳，引兵還，與沖戰，大破之。成、伯率其黨突出詣尚。流等乘勝進抵成都，尚復閉城自守。蕩馳馬逐北，中矛而死。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 85
  7. (五月，李流〔請〕降於孫阜，遣子為質。乃舉兵與李離襲阜。阜軍敗績。宋岱病卒墊江，〔荊〕州軍退。〔初〕，〔流以特、蕩死，而岱、阜並至，恐懼。李含勸流降，流從之。雄與驤諫之，不納。遣子世及含子胡質於阜。李離聞父、舅將降，自梓潼還，欲諫不及。雄與離謀襲阜，曰：「若功成事濟，當為人主，要三年一更。」雄曰：「與君計雖定，老子不從，若何？」離曰：「當制〕〔之。若不可，便行大事。雖君叔，〕〔事不得已。老父〕〔在君，夫復何言。」雄乃說六郡人士，激以尚之自侵〕，〔懼以共殘蜀民〕〔之禍，陳〕〔可富貴之利。〕〔得以破阜。阜軍死者甚眾。而岱病亡，荊州軍退。轉攻尚。流慚其短，軍事任雄。雄數破尚軍〕。「雄」逼攻尚，尚保「太」「城」〔成都〕「中」。) Huayang Guozhi, Volume 8.7
  8. (遂入郫城，流移營據之。三蜀百姓並保險結塢，城邑皆空，流野無所略，士眾饑困。涪陵人范長生率千餘家依青城山，尚參軍涪陵徐轝求為汶山太守，欲要結長生等，與尚掎角討流。尚不許，轝怨之，求使江西，遂降於流，說長生等使資給流軍糧。長生從之，故流軍復振。) Book of Jin, Volume 120
  9. (九月，流疾篤，謂諸將曰：「驍騎高明仁愛，識量多奇，固足以濟大事，然前軍英武，殆天所相，可共受事於前軍，以為成都王也。」遂薨，年五十六。諸將共立雄為主，雄稱尊，追諡流秦文王，子龍嗣。) Annals of the Sixteen Kingdoms, Volume 6
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