The Collapse of a Rebel Warlord

In March 786, the rebel warlord Li Xilie, facing relentless military pressure from multiple Tang loyalist forces, fell gravely ill. Surrounded by the armies of Xuanwu military governor Liu Qia, Jingnan governor Li Gao, Shannan Dongdao governor Fan Ze, and Haoshoulu military inspector Zhang Jianfeng, Li Xilie’s situation grew increasingly desperate.

By April, his fate was sealed. His own general, Chen Xianqi, conspired with physician Chen Shanfu to poison Li Xilie. After the assassination, Chen Xianqi slaughtered Li Xilie’s entire family—seventeen relatives—before surrendering to the Tang court. Surprisingly, Emperor Dezong (Li Shi) swiftly pardoned Chen Xianqi and appointed him as the new military governor of Huaixi, a decision that baffled many.

This uncharacteristic leniency stemmed from Dezong’s deep-seated fear of another mutiny. The capital region, Guanzhong, was dangerously undermanned, and imperial troops were on the verge of rebellion. Only the timely arrival of 30,000 hu of grain from Han Huang in Shaanzhou averted disaster. The emperor, relieved, reportedly exclaimed, “The grain has reached Shaanzhou! My son and I shall live!” He even celebrated by buying wine in the marketplace.

The Tang Dynasty’s Fragile Recovery

Despite the suppression of Li Xilie’s rebellion, stability remained elusive. In July, Wu Shaocheng, a loyalist of Li Xilie, assassinated Chen Xianqi and declared himself military governor. Emperor Dezong, exhausted and lacking resources, chose appeasement, allowing Huaixi to remain semi-autonomous. Though the region was reduced from ten prefectures to just three (Shen, Guang, and Cai), these territories would later become a persistent thorn in the Tang’s side.

Meanwhile, Dezong restructured military commands in Henan, rewarding loyal generals like Qu Huan and Zhang Jianfeng with new governorships. However, these appointments did little to strengthen central authority. Many regional armies, having fought independently, grew increasingly autonomous, with soldiers demanding hereditary succession for their commanders.

The Rise of the Eunuch Dominance

One of Dezong’s most consequential legacies was his empowerment of eunuchs. Following the disastrous Jingyuan Mutiny (783-784), Dezong lost trust in military commanders and turned to eunuchs to control the imperial guard, the Shence Army. In 786, he restructured the Shence forces into Left and Right Armies, placing them under eunuch supervisors like Dou Wenchang and Wang Xiqian.

By 796, eunuch control was institutionalized. Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming were appointed as “Protector-Generals of the Shence Army,” wielding unprecedented military and political influence. This system allowed eunuchs to dominate court politics for the next century, even deciding imperial succession.

The Legacy of Dezong’s Reign

Emperor Dezong’s reign (779-805) was marked by financial mismanagement, military decentralization, and the rise of eunuch power. His policies, intended to stabilize the empire, instead accelerated its decline. The Tang Dynasty, once a golden age of Chinese civilization, now teetered on the brink of collapse.

When Dezong died in 805, his successor, Emperor Shunzong, was already paralyzed by illness. Within months, eunuchs orchestrated a coup, installing Shunzong’s son Xianzong (Li Chun) as emperor. The short-lived “Yongzhen Reforms” were crushed, and the eunuchs tightened their grip on power.

Conclusion: A Dynasty in Freefall

Dezong’s reign was a turning point in Tang history. His reliance on eunuchs, failure to curb warlordism, and financial recklessness set the stage for the dynasty’s eventual collapse. By the time of his death, the Tang Empire was no longer governed by emperors but by the whims of regional strongmen and palace eunuchs. The once-glorious dynasty now faced an irreversible decline, its fate sealed by the very mechanisms meant to save it.