The Stalemate in Henan

In the second year of the Shangyuan era (761 CE), Shi Siming, the self-proclaimed emperor of the Yan dynasty, changed his reign title to “Yingtian.” For over a year, from the tenth month of the Qianyuan era (759 CE) to the first month of Shangyuan, the Tang general Li Guangbi had successfully blocked Shi Siming’s westward advance in Henan. Frustrated by repeated failed sieges, Shi Siming attempted to lure Li Guangbi into an open-field battle near Luoyang. However, Li Guangbi, a master of defensive warfare, refused to engage.

Emperor Suzong of Tang, humiliated by the loss of Luoyang, grew increasingly impatient and pressured Li Guangbi to retake the city. Meanwhile, Shi Siming, whose army consisted largely of nomadic cavalry skilled in rapid assaults but ill-suited for prolonged sieges, also sought a decisive battle. To force Li Guangbi’s hand, Shi Siming sent spies to Chang’an to spread rumors: “The Yan troops in Luoyang are all from the northern frontiers. They are homesick and demoralized—now is the time to strike!”

The rumors reached the Tang court, where the eunuch military supervisor Yu Chao’en believed them and urged Emperor Suzong to order an attack. Li Guangbi, wary of the enemy’s remaining strength, advised caution but was accused of deliberately prolonging the war to consolidate his own power. Meanwhile, the ambitious general Pugu Huai’en, resentful of Li Guangbi’s strict discipline, joined Yu Chao’en in pushing for an offensive.

The Disaster at Mangshan

Under relentless pressure from the court, Li Guangbi reluctantly marched toward Luoyang in the second month of 761 CE. On the twenty-third day, the Tang army arrived at Mangshan, north of Luoyang. Li Guangbi proposed fortifying their position on the high ground, but Pugu Huai’en insisted on deploying on the plains. Their disagreement proved fatal.

Seizing the opportunity, Shi Siming launched a surprise attack before the Tang forces could establish their formation. The Yan cavalry, unimpeded on the open terrain, shattered the Tang lines. Thousands were slaughtered, and supplies were lost. Li Guangbi and Pugu Huai’en fled north across the Yellow River, while Yu Chao’en retreated to Shaanzhou. The strategic stronghold of Heyang, held for over a year, fell shortly after.

The Fall of Shi Siming

Despite his victory, Shi Siming’s reign was short-lived. Like his predecessor An Lushan, he was undone by his own brutality and paranoia. He favored his younger son, Shi Chaoqing, over his capable but cautious eldest, Shi Chaoyi. After a minor defeat at Jiangziling, Shi Siming publicly threatened to execute Shi Chaoyi and his officers.

Fearing for their lives, Shi Chaoyi’s generals, Luo Yue and Cai Wenjing, staged a coup. On the night of the thirteenth day of the third month, they stormed Shi Siming’s camp at Luqiao Post Station. The tyrant, attempting to escape, was shot off his horse, captured, and strangled. His body was wrapped in felt and transported back to Luoyang on a camel.

The Collapse of the Yan Dynasty

Shi Chaoyi declared himself emperor, but his authority was fragile. His brother Shi Chaoqing, entrenched in Youzhou (modern Beijing), refused to acknowledge him. After a bloody purge, Shi Chaoyi eliminated his rivals but alienated key supporters. Meanwhile, the Tang court, despite its own internal strife, regrouped under Emperor Daizong.

In a decisive campaign in late 762 CE, Tang forces, bolstered by Uighur allies, crushed Shi Chaoyi’s army near Luoyang. Abandoned by his generals, Shi Chaoyi fled north but found no refuge. On the thirtieth day of the first month of 763 CE, cornered at Wenquan Garrison, he hanged himself in a forest. His head was sent to Chang’an, marking the end of the An Lushan Rebellion after eight devastating years.

The Aftermath and Legacy

The rebellion left the Tang dynasty permanently weakened. The population had plummeted from nearly nine million households to just over one million. To secure peace, Emperor Daizong allowed former Yan generals like Tian Chengsi and Li Baochen to retain their territories as semi-independent warlords, sowing the seeds for future regional defiance.

The Tang court, now dominated by eunuchs like Li Fuguo and Cheng Yuanzhen, struggled to reassert central authority. Meanwhile, the Uighurs, once allies, grew increasingly arrogant, foreshadowing future conflicts. The golden age of the Tang had ended, giving way to an era of fragmentation and decline.

As the poet Du Fu lamented, the once-prosperous empire was now a shadow of its former self:
> “The villages are overgrown with weeds,
> Scattered families wander the roads.
> I remember the glorious Kaiyuan era,
> When even small towns thrived with ten thousand homes…”

The An Lushan Rebellion reshaped Chinese history, marking the irreversible decline of the Tang dynasty and setting the stage for the tumultuous Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.