From Khitan Roots to Tang Loyalty

Li Guangbi, the second-greatest hero of the An Lushan Rebellion suppression (755–763), emerged from unlikely origins. His maternal grandfather, Li Kaigu, was a renowned Khitan general whose battlefield prowess once devastated Tang forces during Empress Wu Zetian’s reign. Spared execution through Chancellor Di Renjie’s intervention, Li Kaigu’s family—including Li Guangbi’s father, Li Kailuo—assimilated into Tang society, receiving imperial favor and the surname “Wu.”

This Khitan heritage shaped Li Guangbi’s paradoxical identity. The family claimed descent from Han dynasty general Li Ling—a common tactic among sinicized steppe elites—while embracing Confucian education. Anecdotes reveal Li Guangbi’s rigorous upbringing: at six, he abandoned childhood games after paternal reproach, later mastering classical texts like Zuo Zhuan and Records of the Grand Historian under his mother’s exacting supervision. These formative years forged his stern character and military discipline.

Apprenticeship Under Wang Zhongsi

Li Guangbi’s career took shape under Wang Zhongsi, a brilliant but ill-fated general. When Emperor Xuanzong ordered a costly assault on Tibet’s Stone Fortress (747), Wang refused, declaring: “Would I trade tens of thousands of lives for my post?” This principled stand—which led to Wang’s downfall—profoundly influenced Li Guangbi. Historians later noted both men shared a fatal trait: “adept at strategizing for others but inept at self-preservation.”

The An Lushan Rebellion: A General’s Ascent

### Phase 1: Joint Campaigns with Guo Ziyi

Initially distrustful of colleague Guo Ziyi (the rebellion’s top commander), Li Guangbi reconciled when Guo recommended him to lead the critical Hebei campaign. At Changshan, Li demonstrated tactical ingenuity—using city defenses to neutralize rebel cavalry advantages and exploiting Shi Siming’s impetuousness to win decisive victories.

### Phase 2: The Siege of Taiyuan

With only 10,000 troops against Shi Siming’s 100,000, Li Guangbi revolutionized urban warfare:
– Reverse tunnel warfare: Digging outward to ambush besiegers
– Psychological operations: Feigning surrender to collapse enemy-packed tunnels
– Resourceful deception: Luring enemy stallions with 500 mares

His 50-day defense, culminating in a 70,000-rebel casualty counterattack, became a military classic.

### Phase 3: The Shi Siming Dilemma

After An Lushan’s assassination (757), Li Guangbi distrusted Shi Siming’s surrender. The controversial “Wucheng’en Affair”—where an envoy allegedly attempted assassinating Shi under Li’s orders—triggered renewed rebellion. Whether Li orchestrated this or Shi fabricated evidence remains debated, but it underscored Li’s prescience about Shi’s treachery.

### Phase 4: The Xiangzhou Debacle

The 60,000-strong Tang siege of Xiangzhou (759) collapsed due to Emperor Suzong’s disastrous decision: appointing eunuch Yu Chao’en as overseer instead of a unified command. Li’s warning about Shi Siming’s feigned inertia went unheeded. When Shi attacked during a sandstorm, the leaderless Tang forces fragmented—though Li’s contingent retreated with exemplary discipline.

### Phase 5: Holding Heyang

Abandoning indefensible Luoyang, Li fortified Heyang, forcing Shi Siming into costly assaults. His legendary defiance—”As rebels and loyalists, one must perish!”—epitomized his resolve. Innovative tactics included:
– Capturing 1,000 enemy horses via equine psychology
– Feigning withdrawals to induce rebel surrenders

The Tragedy of “Knowing Others, Not Himself”

Despite unmatched military achievements, Li Guangbi’s downfall stemmed from:

### Institutional Distrust

Post-rebellion Tang emperors feared military governors. Eunuchs like Yu Chao’en and Cheng Yuanzhen systematically undermined Li, blaming him for Xiangzhou/Heiyang defeats and spreading disloyalty rumors.

### The Price of Discipline

His uncompromising standards alienated subordinates:
– Executing seven soldiers to recover a kidnapped woman from general Pugu Huai’en’s son
– Midnight takeover of Guo Ziyi’s laxer command provoked mutiny threats

When Tibetan invaders threatened Chang’an (763), Li’s refusal to mobilize—fearing Cheng Yuanzhen’s陷害—tarnished his reputation. He died embittered in 764, outliving Shi Siming but not the era’s political toxicity.

Legacy: The Uncelebrated Strategist

While Guo Ziyi became the rebellion’s beloved face, Li Guangbi’s military innovations—from tunnel warfare to psychological operations—influenced Chinese generals for centuries. His tragedy reflects the Tang’s post-rebellion paranoia: a system that needed heroic defenders yet distrusted them. The New Tang History’s epitaph captures his paradox: “A master of judging others, but inept at safeguarding himself.” In an age where loyalty itself became suspect, even the greatest defenders faced impossible choices.