Author: Liang Meihua
General Han Guang mention names, I do not know today is none, known to everybody. Li Guang was a well-known general in the early Han Dynasty and a representative figure of the Li family in Longxi. He experienced three generations of Emperor Wen, Emperor Jing, and Emperor Wu. He was on the front line of fighting against the Xiongnu throughout his life. Li Guang loves soldiers like a child, exquisite in martial arts, and loved by his subordinates, which also makes the Huns change their reputations, and has the reputation of "parachutist".
Sima Qian commented on him, "Peaches and plums are not spoken, the next is a tragic", he highly praises his noble character; Tang Dynasty poet Lu Lun used "The forest is dark and the grass frightens the wind, and the general draws his bow at night. The plain looking for white feathers, not in the stone "Lingzhong" verses praised his bravery; another great poet Wang Changling used "Qin Shi Mingyue Han Shiguan, Wanli Long March people have not returned; but the Dragon City Fei will be here, not teaching Huma Du Yinshan" lamented him The mainstay role of national defense!
It can be said that the Han General Li Guang was recognized and respected by the emperor at that time, the Li people, and even the rival Huns for his noble character and outstanding military merits.
(1) Li Guangzhi's death
However, it is such a generation of famous generals, but always bad luck and bad luck mistaken.
From the time of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, he became famous when he participated in the suppression of the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion, and then fought on the front line against the Huns for decades. He won the three armies and made remarkable achievements, but he still failed to get the merits. The treatment of rewards was often used to make wedding dresses for others, so that dozens of people were later named for military service, but Li Guang was excluded! For this reason, Wang Bo, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty, once sighed for him that "Feng Tang is easy to be old, and Li Guang is difficult to be named".
Even so, Li Guang did not complain about himself because he was not sealed. In 119 BC, when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty launched a decisive battle against the Huns-the Battle of Mobei, he still took the initiative to invite Ying with his old body and served as a former general to cooperate with Wei Qing and Huo Qubing to attack the Huns headquarters.
After the Han army knew the exact location of the Xiongnu Shanyu, Wei Qing sent Li Guang around the east road to outflank the Xiongnu, and he led the army to pursue it. It should be said that this is another wrong arrangement for Li Guang. The east road outflanks, roundabout, and it is full of desert, lacking water and grass, which is a hard work.
Li Guang led the way in desperation. During the march, due to the unfamiliar terrain and lack of guidance, the march was blocked and he failed to cooperate with Wei Qing to capture the Xiongnu Shanyu. For this reason, Wei Qing turned his anger with Li Guang and reported Li Guangyi’s missed fighter to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Li Guang was really unbearable to endure the insults of the knife and pen, and committed suicide in shame. A generation of parachutists lost their souls in more than 70 battles. Saibei Desert. When the people and officials of the Han Dynasty heard this news, they all cried!
(2) The tragedy of the Li family
After the death of Li Guang, the tragedy of the Li family has just begun. First of all, his son Li Gan complained for his father's death, and in grief and indignation wounded Wei Qing, the general who had a reputation at the time. Although Wei Qing felt wronged and didn't punish Li Gan, the unruly and rebellious Huo Qubing couldn't swallow this breath. Taking the opportunity of hunting in Ganquan Palace, he shot Li Gan and his father and son died one after another.
After Li Guang committed suicide and Li Gan was killed, as the Li family in Longxi, he did not move his grudge against the emperor of the Han Dynasty for this reason. He still inherited the ancestral training and defended the Han family with martial arts. Among them, Li Guang's eldest grandson, Li Ling, had a lot of legacy from Li Guang. He was superb martial arts, cherished soldiers, and humbly corporal.
Before 99 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Li Ling to cooperate with the Second Division General Li Guangli to attack the Youxian King of the Xiongnu. Li Ling led five thousand infantry soldiers and 80,000 Xiongnu soldiers to fight at Junji Mountain. After trying his best, he was unable to retreat. Under the premise of hopeless reinforcements, Li Ling was forced to surrender to the Huns in order to keep the army viable. After Li Ling's defeat, Emperor Wu of Han was furious.He also moved the Li family and destroyed the three tribes of Li Ling. The great historian Sima Qian also suffered great humiliation due to Li Ling's righteousness. However, when Li Ling had no hope of returning to the country, he married the Xiongnu and had children, and eventually died in Mobei. So far, the Li family in Longxi, represented by Li Guang, had been successful in the Han Dynasty and fell into a downturn.
(three) rise again
until the Wei and Jin period, Longxi Li's rise again, 400 AD Li Guang's sixteenth Sun Li Hao, also known as Li Hao, established the Xiliang Dynasty, and from this moment on, Li Guang's descendants ushered in the trend of becoming king and emperor.
Regarding Li Hao, "Jin Shu • Liang Wu Zhao Wang Biography" records: "Hao, character Yuansheng, a native of Longxi Chengji, surnamed Li. The 16th grandson of the former general of Han Dynasty Guangzhi. The world is Xizhou The right surname." Legend says that Li Hao is tall, with a broad waist and a round waist, looks amazing, has a huge appetite, drinks a lot, and has a world-famous attitude. In addition, Li Hao is smart by nature, treats others leniently, has a thorough knowledge of history, is talented in civil and military, and has lofty aspirations.
According to historical records, Li Hao served as the prefect of Dunhuang when he was in the Northern Liang Duan industry (the king of Liang during the Sixteen Kingdoms period). During this period, he was deeply trusted and supported by the Han family and the landlord class, and gathered a large number of powerful forces. Under these tyrannical support, he threw himself away from the Northern Liang and became the founding emperor of Xiliang.
After the establishment of Xiliang, it has always been under the suppression of the Northern Liang. In order to fight against the sadness and realize self-protection, Li Hao reconciled with the Eastern Jin regime in Jiangnan and accepted the title of the Eastern Jin Sima. At the same time, he paid attention to the development of agriculture, and improved his military self-sufficiency in Yumen and Yangguan generations. In the Xiliang generation under his jurisdiction, there was a good situation of prosperity and stability. This was extremely rare in the Sixteen Kingdoms period, and it can be regarded as inheriting the gene inheritance of the Li Guang family of diligence and love for the people.
However, because of its remote location and weak national power, Xiliang was defeated and perished by the Northern Liang after 21 years of existence. Even though the Northern Liang was destroyed, Li Hao’s Longxi Li family did not leave China’s political arena, and became more and more prosperous in the later Southern and Northern Dynasties, becoming a very influential aristocrat.
According to historical records, Li Haosheng had ten sons, of which the second son Li Xin was the queen master of Xiliang, and he had eight sons: Xie, Shao, Chong'er, Hongzhi, Songming, Chongchan, Chongyong, and Chongyou. Li Xin's third son, Chong'er (word Jingshun), fled to Liu Song in the Southern Dynasty after the death of Xiliang, then returned to the Northern Wei Dynasty, and served successively as the prefect of Hongnong, General Annan, and Yuzhou governor. Li Chonger gave birth to Li Xi, Li Xi gave birth to Li Tianxi, and Li Tianci gave birth to Li Hu. Li Hu was one of the Eight Pillar Kingdoms of the Western Wei Dynasty and had a high position. This Li Hu was precisely the grandfather of Li Yuan, the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
Li Hao, let’s not show it for the time being, let’s talk about Li Ling who lives in the Xiongnu. After Li Ling surrendered to the Xiongnu, although Li Guang's family was ashamed in the Han Dynasty, Li Ling himself lived in the Xiongnu quite comfortably. Not only was he named the king, but he also had many wives and concubines, so that his descendants and grandchildren prospered in the North.
According to "Sui Shu. Volume 37. Biography II. Biography of Li Mu": "Li Mu, The word Xianqing was born in the west of Yunlong, and after the Han Dynasty was riding the capital of Weiling (Liling). The tomb did not have the Xiongnu, and the descendants lived in Beidi, and then moved to the south with the Wei and returned to Li and Long. Zubin, the capital of Gaoping , Because of Jiayan. Father Wenbao, died early, and Mu Gui, gifted to Sikong. Mu Yi's two brothers (Li Xian) and Yuan (Li Yuan) were also the heroes of Zuoming, and his son Bree Qingxian, Mu Shen was afraid of Yingying Full, the resignation will not be worshipped." This Li Mu was a famous general in the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and was later named Taishi by Yang Jian, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, and ranked third. And his ancestor was Li Ling, after Li Guang, it can also be described as the outstanding descendants of Li Guang.
Again as recorded in the "Song Shu·Suolu Biography": Suotoulu was surnamed Tuoba (Tuoba), and his predecessor Han also followed Li Ling. There are hundreds of species of Xiongnu who descended from the mausoleum. And "The Book of Southern Qi•The Biography of Wei Lu": Wei Lu, a species of Huns, surnamed Tuoba. In the beginning, the female name of the HunsTuoba, his wife Li Ling, and Hu Su took his mother's surname, so the captive was after Li Ling. It can be seen from this that the "Song Shu" and "Nan Qi Shu" of the Southern and Northern Dynasties recognized the Tuoba clan as the descendant Li Ling of the Han Dynasty. If this is true, then the Tuoba clan of the Northern Wei Dynasty is a descendant of Li Guang, so prominent, it should be The unexpected glory of Li Guang and even Li Ling during his lifetime.
(4) Establish Datang
Next, we will return to Li Hu's line. As we mentioned earlier, Li Hu is the fourth-generation grandson of Li Hao, the founding monarch of Xiliang, and the grandfather of Tang Gaozu Li Yuan. When he was young, Li Hu was suave and ambitious. He liked to read books without keeping chapters and sentences. He was especially good at archery. He was very good at archery. He emphasized on wealth and righteousness. He was highly respected by He Bayue, the leader of the Guanlong Group. Since then, he followed He Bayue to fight in the north and south, and he repeatedly made military exploits and was entrusted with important tasks. After the death of He Bayue, Li Hu followed Yuwentai to pacify Hou Mo Chenyue. His accomplishments were extremely high and he became one of the "Eight Pillar Kingdoms" of the Western Wei Dynasty. After the Northern Zhou Dynasty replaced the Western Wei Dynasty, Li Hu was posthumously named Tang Guogong.
After Li Hu, his third son Li Bian inherited Tang Guogong and served as the general of Zhu Guo, Shao Bao, the military governor of the eight states, and the general manager of Anzhou in the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Li Ying is very filial, profound and knowledgeable, simple and simple in politics, and has a good reputation. After Li Fang, his son Li Yuan once again inherited Tang Guogong. Li Yuan was deeply loved by Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty and the Empress of Literature (aunt) in the Great Sui Dynasty. He also made a lot of achievements in the period of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty.
（李源）
Facing the collapse of the Great Sui Dynasty, Li Yuan and his son moved from time to time, raising troops in Jinyang, and going straight all the way Chang'an, Li Yuan proclaimed emperor in Chang'an in 618 AD. Since then, China's greatest feudal dynasty, the Tang Dynasty, came into being. After that, Li Shimin initiated the rule of Zhenguan, Li Longji created the prosperous era of Kaiyuan, and Wenzhi Wugong reached an unprecedented peak in the feudal dynasty.
It can be said that Li Guang died of suicide in 119 BC, and the establishment of Datang in 618 AD. After 700 years of his death, Ai Rong reached its peak. What makes Li Guangzai’s spirit more gratifying is that the Datang Empire has a total of 21 emperors and enjoyed the country for 289 years. It is a long feudal dynasty in Chinese history. If you compare it to the Western Han Dynasty, it has a total of ten. The second emperor, Xiangguo 210 years ago, compared with this, Li Guang may have to laugh at the Han Wu Great Emperor.
It can be said that with the rise of Li Guang's lineage in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and the prosperity of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Li Guang's descendants also thrived and flourished. Counted by the line of Li Hao, the monarch of Xiliang, he has ten sons, together with famous families, wives and concubines, after ten sons, the descendants should increase rapidly. Later, Li Yuan, one of the descendants of Li Hao, founded the Tang Dynasty. By virtue of the royal superiority and nearly 300 years of national fortune, the number of the Li family has blossomed everywhere.
(Li Shimin)
(5) The Chinese surname
After Li Tang, the Li family flowed into the folk , And gradually became the leading Chinese surname in China.
According to the 2016 new version of the list of surnames, the surname Li has jumped to the first place. The current population of the surname Li has reached more than 100 million people, accounting for about 7.9% of the total population of the country. According to relevant statistics, in the 600 years from the Ming Dynasty to the present, the population of the Li surname has surged from 5.1 million to nearly 95 million, an increase of nearly 19 times. The average population of the Ming Dynasty was close to 93 million, and the contemporary population was 1.2 billion, and the population increased 13 times. The population of Li's surname is increasing faster than the national population. In the national distribution of the Li surname population, it has achieved a state of blooming everywhere. It can be said that the Li surname is already flourishing in China.
Of course, we can’t say that today’s Li surnames are all descendants of Li Guang, but at the end of the Tang Dynasty, Li Guang’s descendants are already prosperous, and with the subsequent thousands of years of prosperity, Li Guang’s descendants are already Tens of thousands, to some extent alreadyFar surpassing the Confucian family, the most honorable family in China, this honor is unique in Chinese history.
As a member of the Li Group in Longxi, Li Guang inherited his ancestor’s mission of defending the borders. He was superb martial arts, loved the people and soldiers, was indomitable, and has no regrets. Although he was depressed throughout his life, he ended up in a shame and self-suffering. In the subsequent generations, however, talented people appeared in large numbers, and their great achievements were listed in the annals of history. This may confirm a saying: loyalty and long inheritance, poems and books forever. Although Li Guang is difficult to be sealed, he is still famous forever!
(Lee’s Totem)
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