Li Ju (Jin dynasty)
Li Ju | |
|---|---|
| 李矩 | |
| General of the Serrated Gates (牙門) | |
| In office ?–? | |
| Monarch | Emperor Hui of Jin |
| Administrator of Xingyang (滎陽太守) | |
| In office 311–325 | |
| Monarch | Emperor Min of Jin/Emperor Yuan of Jin/Emperor Ming of Jin/Emperor Cheng of Jin |
| Champion General (冠軍將軍) | |
| In office 311–? | |
| Monarch | Emperor Min of Jin |
| Inspector of Sizhou (司州刺史) | |
| In office 320–325 | |
| Monarch | Emperor Yuan of Jin/Emperor Ming of Jin/Emperor Cheng of Jin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Unknown Linfen, Shanxi |
| Died | 325 |
| Relations | Guo Song (nephew) |
| Courtesy name | Shihui (世回) |
| Peerage | Marquis of Yangwu County (陽武縣侯) |
Li Ju (died 325), courtesy name Shihui, was a Chinese military general and warlord of the Jin dynasty (266–420). During the Upheaval of the Five Barbarians, he became a powerful wuzhu (塢主; literally "castle master") and contested with the Han-Zhao and Later Zhao states over the Luoyang region, which Jin had lost control over after the Disaster of Yongjia in 311. He found much success initially, even briefly recovering the city of Luoyang for Jin. However, with little support from the court in Jiankang, his forces were eventually overwhelmed and he was forced to withdraw. While traveling to Jiankang in 325, he was involved in a horse riding accident and died from his injuries.
Early life[edit]
Li Ju was a native of Pingyang Commandery (平陽; west of present-day Linfen, Shanxi). When he was a child, it was said that he displayed adult-like leadership whenever he played with the other children. After growing up, he became a local official and was later appointed by Sima Rong as a General of the Serrated Gates for escorting his county prefect to Chang'an. Li distinguished himself during the campaign against Qi Wannian in the late 290s, which earned him the title of Marquis of Dongming Village.
When he returned to Pingyang, he was made the commandery's new Protector. It was then when an attempt on Li's life was made. The Administrator of Pingyang, Song Zhou (宋胄), wanted to replace Li with his kinsman Wu Ji (吳畿). Li thus pretended to be ill to allow Wu to replace him. Wu received the position, but became afraid that Li may one day return to retake his office. For good measures, Wu sent an assassin after Li but with the help of a friend, he barely escaped with his life.[1]
As a wuzhu[edit]
Amidst the War of the Eight Princes, a Xiongnu noble named Liu Yuan established his state of Han-Zhao in 304. Liu began his conquest of northern China, with Pingyang being one of his targets. Many of Pingyang's inhabitants fled while others went to Li Ju, who they acclaimed as a wuzhu. Soon, refugees from other parts of the north affected by war flocked to Li Ju due to his popularity. Li later shifted his base to Xingyang and then to Xinzheng. The Prince of Donghai, Sima Yue, took notice of him and made him Inspector of Ruyin (汝陰, in modern Fuyang, Anhui). In 307, Li Ju was ordered by Sima Yue to fix the Qianjin Dam (千金堨) at Luoyang with Yuan Fu (袁孚) to improve supply routes.
Conflicts with bandits and Shi Le[edit]
Luoyang and Emperor Huai of Jin were captured by Han forces in 311. The Grand Commandant, Xun Fan and Guard General Hua Hui (華薈) fled to Yangcheng and Chenggao respectively. However, these two areas were badly struck by famine, and bandit leaders such as Hou Dou (侯都) took to cannibalism and killed anyone they could find to eat them. Fortunately for Xun Fan and Hua Hui, Li Ju campaigned against the bandits and crushed them. Afterwards, Li provided Xun Fan and Hua Hui's group with camps and houses as well as supplying them with grains.
After Xun Fan set up a provisional government, he elected Li Ju to become the Administrator of Xingyang. Meanwhile, another wuzhu named Wei Jun decided to visit Xun Fan and discuss military affairs. Li was invited to come as well but his subordinates warned him not to trust Wei Jun and not to travel at night. He told them, "Loyal ministers have the same mind, there should be no doubt." During the visit, Xun, Li and Wei formed a friendship and Li left the meeting unharmed.[2]
Later that year, the Han general Shi Le invaded Xingyang. Li devised a plan where he led the old and weak to hide in the hils and let the cattle and horses roam freely. When Shi Le's men arrived, they found no one to attack and decided to capture the animals their own use instead. However, this proved a difficult task, and the soldiers became disorganized as they try to capture as many animals that they could find. It was then when Li let out a cry and his troops came out from the hills to ambush the enemies. Shi Le was badly routed and forced into a retreat. For his victory, Xun Fan petitioned the Prince of Lanya, Sima Rui to make Li a Champion General and promoted him to Marquis of Yangwu County.[3]
The famine began to worsen, and a large group of bandits from Chang'an swarmed to Li Ju's territory. Li and his generals fought with them and managed to turn them away. These bandits had thousands of women under their captivity, so Li freed them all. His generals told him that they should keep the women for themselves, seeing that they were not a part of Li's care. However, Li told them, "They are all wives of those who serve the state, what right do we have to hold them?" Li then returned the women to their respective homes.[4]
In 314, the wuzhu and Administrator of Henan, Guo Mo, came under attack from Liu Yao. His city was running low of food, so he sent an envoy to Li Ju asking if he could retreat to Xinzheng. Li Ju allowed him and sent his nephew, Guo Song to rescue him. However, Guo Song could not enageg with Liu Yao's army as he had very little troops. Coincidentally, Zhang Zhao (張肇), the Army Advisor to the Jin Inspector of Bingzhou Liu Kun, was returning from Chang'an after failing to relief it. Li Ju contacted him to send his nephew help, so Zhang Zhao led his Xianbei cavalry to attack Liu Yao. Liu Yao retreated without a fight, and Guo Mo was safely escorted to Xinzheng.[5]
Battle of Xingyang[edit]
In 317, the Han general Liu Chang (劉暢) marched his troops to Xingyang. Li camped himself at the rampart that had been built by a King of Han in ancient times. When Liu was close by, he sent an envoy to Li provoking him to come out. Li had no time to prepare his defences and was caught by surprise. Thus, Li sent envoys to the Han general feigning surrender. Thinking that he had won, Liu lowered his defences and celebrated with his men.
Li planned for a night raid, but his soldiers were all unsure if it could work out. Because of this, Li had Guo Song pray at a shrine of Zichan, and Guo brought back a shaman who told them that Zichan will spiritually aid them in battle. Morale rose, and soon many of Li's men volunteered to participate in the assault. Guo Song led the surprise attack on Liu Chang's camp, killing many of the enemy troops while Liu Chang escaped with an inch of his life. Guo Mo also sent his younger brother Guo Zhi (郭芝) to help, so Song instructed him to chase after Liu Chang's fleeing men. Zhi did so and captured many of the enemy soldiers before returning.[6]
War over Luoyang[edit]
Within Liu's abandoned camp, Li Ju found an edict from the Emperor of Han Liu Cong instructing Liu Chang to march to Luoyang, execute the general Zhao Gu (趙固) and have him replaced with Zhao's Chief Clerk Zhou Zhen (周振) after defeating Li. Prior to this, Zhao Gu was already on bad terms with Zhou Zhen, so when Li sent the edict to him, he had Zhou and his children executed. Zhao then personally met with Li to surrender, so Li ordered him to return to Luoyang to defend the city. Zhao Gu and Guo Mo raided Hedong Commandery and received thousands of refugees fleeing from Han. Later, Luoyang was attacked by Liu Yasheng (劉雅生), causing Zhao Gu to fall back to Mount Yangcheng (陽城山).
In 318, Li Ju sent Guo Mo and Guo Song to reinforce Zhao Gu from Luorui (洛汭, in modern-day Luonan County, Shaanxi). Guo Song ordered his generals led by Geng Zhi (耿稚) to cross the Yellow River and raid Liu Can's camp. Initially, Geng successfully attacked from all directions and captured many camps, but by dawn, Liu Can realized how little troops Geng actually had, so he viciously led the counter-attack and neither side got the upper hand for the next few days. Li Ju marched to support Geng, but Liu Can's forces formed a defensive line along the Yellow River that prevented him from crossing. Geng destroyed as many supplies as possible in the Han camps he captured before breaking through the lines and fleeing to Hulao. For his achievements, Li was made Chief Controller of Henan, Xingyang, and Hongnong.[7]
Later that year, Liu Cong died and was succeeded by Liu Can. However, Liu Can was killed in a coup led by Jin Zhun. Zhun sent an envoy to Li Ju with a letter denouncing the Liu clan and informing him that the imperial coffins were being transported south to Jiankang. Li notified Sima Rui of this, who later sent his ministers to welcome the imperial coffins. However, Jin Zhun was eventually defeated by a coalition led by Liu Yao and Shi Le later that year. Liu Yao succeeded Liu Can but in 319, Shi Le broke away and formed Later Zhao. Zhao Gu also died that year, leaving Guo Song to defend Luorui on his own. Song changed his base to Yangdi, where he faced multiple attacks from Shi Le's son, Shi Sheng. In all their encounters, Guo Song was the victor.
In 320, the Han commanders guarding Luoyang, Yin An (尹安), Song Shi (宋始), Song Shu (宋恕), and Zhao Shen (趙愼) all decided to surrender to Later Zhao. Shi Le sent Shi Sheng to support them, but the commanders changed their minds and surrendered to Li Ju instead. Guo Mo was sent to reinforce Luoyang. She Sheng felt that it would be risky to attack Luoyang on his own, so he settled with capturing Song Shi's army before retreating north. The people of Henan fled to Li Ju, and Luoyang was virtually abandoned.[8]
Defeat and death[edit]
In 324, Shi Sheng attacked Guo Song, but was once again defeated. In response, Shi Cong and Shi Liang (石良) rushed to rescue him. Guo Mo was struggling against Shi Cong, so he sent his Army Advisor Zheng Xiong (鄭雄) to Li Ju suggesting that they should surrender to Liu Yao, but Li rejected the proposal. Later, Li himself was defeated in an ambush set by Shi Liang. Guo Song's younger brother, Guo Yuan (郭元) had been captured by Zhao troops and was sent to deliver a demoralizing message to Li, offering him the chance to surrender. However, Guo Song encouraged Li to continue fighting. Shi Sheng camped in Luoyang and plundered Henan. The situation worsened for Li as his rations were beginning to run dry. Guo Mo once again asked him to surrender to Liu Yao, and this time he agreed. Liu Yao sent reinforcements in the form of Liu Yue (劉岳) and Huyan Mo (呼延謨), but they were severely routed by Later Zhao forces.
Guo Mo was defeated by Shi Cong again, causing him to abandon his post and secretly make his way to Jiankang. When Li Ju found out, he was furious. He sent Guo Song and his generals to chase after him, but not before telling his nephew, "Do you know the saying, "If the lips are gone, the teeth will grow cold"? It was because of you that I was able to welcome Guo Mo, but now he flees in the face of danger. You must stop him at once!" Guo Song pursued Guo Mo all the way to Xiangcheng, where Guo Mo abandoned his wife and children before continuing his flight south. Song could no longer catch up with Mo, so he took Mo's family back with him to Li Ju.[9]
Nearly all of Li Ju's men were considering to defect to Later Zhao at this point. Thus, Li had no other choice but to retreat south and join up with the government in Jiankang. Along the way, many of his soldiers chose to abandon him, and only more than a hundred people chose to remain with him, including Guo Song. When Li Ju's party reached Luyang, he accidentally fell off his horse and died. Li was buried at Mount Xian (峴山) at Xiangyang.[10]
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^ (還為本郡督護。太守宋胄欲以所親吳畿代之，矩謝病去。畿恐矩復還，陰使人刺矩，會有人救之，故得免。) Book of Jin, Volume 63
- ^ (浚詣荀藩諮謀軍事，藩邀李矩同會，矩夜赴之。矩官屬皆曰︰「浚不可信，不宜夜往。」矩曰︰「忠臣同心，何所疑乎！」遂往，相與結歡而去。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 87
- ^ (石勒親率大眾襲矩，矩遣老弱入山，令所在散牛馬，因設伏以待之。賊爭取牛馬。伏發，齊呼，聲動山谷，遂大破之，斬獲甚眾，勒乃退。籓表元帝，加矩冠軍將軍，軺車幢蓋，進封陽武縣侯，領河東、平陽太守。) Book of Jin, Volume 63
- ^ (時饑饉相仍，又多疫癘，矩垂心撫恤，百姓賴焉。會長安群盜東下，所在多虜掠，矩遣部將擊破之，盡得賊所略婦女千餘人。諸將以非矩所部。欲遂留之。矩曰：「俱是國家臣妾，焉有此彼此！」乃一時遣之。) Book of Jin, Volume 63
- ^ (默欲投李矩於新鄭，矩使其甥郭誦迎之，兵少，不敢進。會劉琨遣參軍張肇帥鮮卑五百餘騎詣長安，道阻不通，還，過矩營，矩說肇，使擊漢兵。漢兵望見鮮卑，不戰而走，默遂率衆歸矩。漢主聰召曜還屯蒲坂。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 89
- ^ (二月，漢主聰使從弟暢帥步騎三萬攻滎陽，太守李矩屯韓王故壘，相去七里，遣使招矩。時暢兵猝至，矩未及爲備，乃遣使詐降於暢。暢不復設備，大饗，渠帥皆醉。矩欲夜襲之，士卒皆恇懼，矩乃遣其將郭誦禱於子產祠，使巫揚言曰：「子產有敎，遣神兵相助。」衆皆踊躍爭進。矩選勇敢千人，使誦將之，掩擊暢營，斬首數千級，暢僅以身免。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 90
- ^ (李矩使郭默、郭誦救趙固，屯于洛汭。誦潛遣其將耿稚等夜濟河襲漢營，漢具丘王翼光覘知之，以告太子粲，請爲之備。粲曰：「彼聞趙固之敗，自保不暇，安敢來此邪！毋爲驚動將士！」俄而稚等奄至，十道進攻，粲衆驚潰，死傷太半，粲走保陽鄕。稚等據其營，獲器械、軍資，不可勝數。及旦，粲見稚等兵少，更與劉雅生收餘衆攻之，漢主聰使太尉范隆帥騎助之，與稚等相持，苦戰二十餘日，不能下。李矩進兵救之，漢兵臨河拒守，矩兵不得濟。稚等殺其所獲牛馬，焚其軍資，突圍奔虎牢。詔以矩都督河南三郡諸軍事。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 90
- ^ (趙將尹安、宋始、宋恕、趙愼四軍屯洛陽，叛，降後趙。後趙將石生引兵赴之；安等復叛，降司州刺史李矩。矩使潁州太守郭默將兵入洛。石生虜宋始一軍，北渡河。於是河南之民皆相帥歸矩，洛陽遂空。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 91
- ^ (勒將石生屯洛陽，大掠河南，矩、默大饑，默因復說矩降曜。矩既為石良所破遂，從默計，遣使於曜。曜遣從弟岳軍于河陰，欲與矩謀攻石生。勒遣將圍岳，嶽閉門不敢出。默後為石匆所敗，自密南奔建康。矩聞之大怒，遣其將郭誦等齎書與默，又敕誦曰：「汝識脣亡之談不？迎接郭默，皆由於卿，臨難逃走，其必留之。」誦追及襄城，默自知負矩，棄妻子而遁。誦擁其餘眾而歸，矩待其妻子如初。) Book of Jin, Volume 63
- ^ (矩所統將士有陰欲歸勒者，矩知之而不能討，乃率眾南走，將歸朝廷，眾皆道亡，惟郭誦及參軍郭方，功曹張景，主簿苟遠，將軍騫韜、江霸、梁志、司馬尚、季弘、李瑰、段秀等百餘人棄家送矩。至於魯陽縣，矩墜馬卒，葬襄陽之峴山。) Book of Jin, Volume 63
Sources[edit]
- Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). Book of Jin (Jin Shu).
- Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.