Li Te, also known by his courtesy name Xuanxiu, was from Dangqu, Sichuan. His ancestors were descendants of the Ling Jun. Legend has it that a long time ago, there was a landslide at Mount Luozhongli, which resulted in the emergence of two stone caves—one red like cinnabar, and one black like ink. The person who emerged from the red cave was named Wuxiang, and his surname was Ba; from the black cave came four surnames: Riyi, Fan, Bai, and Zheng. All five of them claimed to be gods and used swords to stab at the roofs of the caves. Only Wuxiang's sword hung from the cave's ceiling. They then fashioned clay boats, carved patterns on them, placed them in the water, and declared, "Whoever's boat floats will be considered the Ling Jun." Only Wuxiang's boat managed to float. Thus, Wuxiang was revered as Ling Jun. He sailed down the Yi River with his followers and arrived at Yanyang. The water deity of Yanyang was a woman who urged Wuxiang to remain, but he insisted on searching for a place to settle. That night, the water deity slept with Wuxiang, and the next morning, she was followed by other deities. Wuxiang found himself unable to kill her and lost his sense of direction. After ten days, Wuxiang presented the water deity with a blue silk thread and said, "If you tie it, we can live together; if not, I will depart." The water deity tied it. Wuxiang shot an arrow at her from atop a high rock, killing her, causing the other deities to disperse, and clearing the sky.
The Lord of Ling once again boarded an earthen boat and arrived at Yicheng. The rocky shore of Yicheng was winding, and the spring water meandered as well. Seeing this scene, the Lord of Ling felt as if he had entered a cave, and exclaimed, "I just came out of a cave, and now I'm going back in, what am I to do!" As soon as he spoke, the shore collapsed, creating a staircase-like formation over three zhang wide, and the Lord of Ling walked up. There was a flat stone on the shore, one zhang long and five chi wide. The Lord of Ling rested on it, calculating with counting rods etched into the stone. He then established a settlement nearby. Later, his descendants gradually multiplied and prospered. After the Qin Dynasty unified the country, this place was designated as Qianzhong Commandery, and they were subjected to light taxation, with each household paying only forty coins annually. The Ba people referred to the tax as "zong," so they were also known as "zong people."
When Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang became the King of Han, he recruited the zong people to subdue the Three Qins. After the pacification, the zong people wanted to return to their hometown. Because of their contributions, Emperor Gaozu exempted them from taxes in their prosperous region and renamed their territory Ba Commandery. This land was rich in salt, iron, cinnabar, and lacquer, and the locals were brave and skilled in song and dance. Emperor Gaozu liked their dance and ordered the Yuefu to study it. The "Bayu Dance" we know today has been passed down since then. In the late Han Dynasty, Zhang Lu occupied Hanzhong and employed the teachings of the Ghost Path to influence the people, while the zong people worshipped witchcraft, and many went to serve him in Hanzhong. During the chaos of the world, they moved from Dangqu in Basixi to Yangcheban in Hanzhong, robbing travelers and causing immense suffering for the locals, who referred to them as "Yangcheba." After Emperor Cao Cao of Wei captured Hanzhong, Li Te's ancestors led over five hundred households to pledge allegiance to the Wei kingdom. Emperor Cao Cao appointed him as a general officer and moved him to Lueyang, and they were also referred to as "Ba Di" in the northern regions. Li Te's father, Li Mu, was a hunting commander of the Eastern Qiang.
Mr. Te, although he had never held an official position in the state when he was young, stood out from the crowd at that time. He was tall, standing a full eight feet tall, brave and a skilled warrior, excelling in archery and horseback riding, and had a calm and dignified demeanor. During the Yuan Kang period, the Di tribe led by Qi Wannian rebelled, causing chaos in the Guanzhong region. There were several years of severe drought, and the common people had nothing to eat, so they had to leave their homes in search of food. Tens of thousands of households flocked to Hanchuan. Mr. Te joined the throngs of refugees heading to Shu. Upon arriving at Jiange, he sat cross-legged and let out a deep sigh, looked around at the rugged terrain, and said, "Liu Chan has such good terrain, but he is bound to surrender. Isn't that a shame!" Yan Shi, Zhao Su, Li Yuan, Ren Hui, and others who were fleeing with him were taken aback by his words.
Later, these refugees arrived in Hanzhong and petitioned to temporarily settle in the Ba Shu region. The court refused and sent the Imperial Censor Li Bi with the emperor's orders to provide support and oversee them, preventing them from entering Jiange. When Li Bi arrived in Hanzhong, he accepted bribes from the refugees and shockingly reported to the court, "There are over ten thousand refugees, and one county in Hanzhong can't possibly support them. Going east to Jingzhou is dangerous because of the swift currents and absence of boats. Shu has granaries and good harvests, so they should be allowed to go there for food." The court agreed, and these people dispersed to Yizhou and Liangzhou, making it impossible to keep track of them.
In the first year of Yongkang, the court ordered the appointment of Zhao Xin, the governor of Yizhou, to serve as Grand Changqiu, a senior court official, and let Geng Teng, the interior official of Chengdu, take over Zhao Xin. Zhao Xin secretly plotted a rebellion, hoping to establish his own power like the Liu family. So he took out all the grain from the granary to assist these refugees to win their loyalty. Mr. Te's group was made up of people from Baxi, and they were Zhao Xin's fellow villagers, all very brave. Zhao Xin treated them well, regarding them as his confidants, so Mr. Te and his group gathered a bunch of people, looting everywhere, bringing great suffering to the people of Shu. Geng Teng quickly reported to the court, reporting that these refugees were fierce and ruthless, while the people of Shu were defenseless. The outsiders and locals were unable to control each other, which would threaten the stability of the western border for the court. Zhao Xin was very angry when he heard this. At that time, there were already over a thousand civil and military officials from Yizhou going to meet Geng Teng. Geng Teng led his troops into Yizhou, and Zhao Xin sent troops to intercept them. The two sides fought at Xizhan, with Geng Teng being defeated and killed.
He claimed to be the Grand Commander, Grand General, and Governor of Yizhou—talk about arrogance! His younger brother Li Xiang led his brothers and brothers-in-law, including Li Han, Ren Hui, Shangguan Dun, Li Pan, Fei Tuo, Fu Cheng, Wei Bo, and others, a total of four thousand cavalry, to join him. He appointed Li Xiang as the General of Wei Kou, assigning him to guard the northern roads. Li Xiang was already a famous general of the Dongqiang, well-versed in military tactics. When leading his troops in battle, he didn't use flags, only using a long spear to command the troops. For soldiers who didn't follow orders, he would immediately kill three of them, instilling discipline in the entire unit. However, he disliked how orderly and uniform Li Xiang's army was, harboring thoughts of killing him, though he hadn’t voiced it yet.
Changshi Du Shuhe and Sima Zhang Can hurried to persuade him: "As the saying goes, 'the five great ones shouldn't be at the border.' General, you have just raised your troops, and you let Li Xiang lead the elite soldiers to station outside. We are really worried! Moreover, he is not one of us after all, and we don't know what he is thinking. If he turns against us, it will be troublesome. General, you have to be careful!" When he heard this, his face softened and he said, "What you said is exactly what I had in mind! It's really timely! Thanks to your reminder, I have avoided a disaster!" Coincidentally, Li Xiang came to see him, and he was pleased and invited him in. Li Xiang wanted to test his thoughts, so he bowed twice and said, "Now the world is in chaos, there is no order, and the Jin Dynasty will definitely not be able to revive. You are both wise and skilled in warfare, and your virtues are known throughout the land, just like the ancient kings Tang and Wu. Now is the time for you to come out and save the people! You should heed the people's will, rescue the people from fire and water, and let everyone know who to submit to so that the world can be stable. This isn't just about Yizhou and Shu!" When he heard this, he was furious, "How dare you say such things?!" Then he let Du Shuhe and the others discuss how to handle it. Du Shuhe and the others said that Li Xiang had committed a great crime, so he had Li Xiang executed, along with over thirty of his relatives and clansmen. He was worried that Li Xiang's brothers would rebel, so he sent people to appease them, saying, "What Li Xiang said should not have been said; he deserves death, but this matter has nothing to do with his brothers." Then he returned Li Xiang's body to his family and continued to appoint them as generals to stabilize the military morale. General Xu Yan requested the position of military supervisor in Badong, but Du Shuhe and Zhang Can strongly opposed. Xu Yan was very angry, and right then and there, he executed Du Shuhe and Zhang Can. Du Shuhe and Zhang Can's subordinates then killed Xu Yan. All these people were his close associates, and it turned into complete chaos!
The two brothers originally had grievances against each other, so younger brother Li Te led his army back to Mianzhu. Li Te feared an attack from the court, so he sent Chief Clerk Fei Yuan, Li Bi the Prefect of Jianwei, and Protector Chang Jun to lead over ten thousand troops to block the northern road and stationed them at Shiting in Mianzhu. Li Te quietly mustered over seven thousand troops and mounted a night raid against Fei Yuan's forces. Fei Yuan's army was defeated, resulting in casualties of eight or nine out of ten, and Li Te set fire to their camp. Then Li Te attacked Chengdu. When Li Xiong heard that the army was coming, he was paralyzed with fear. Li Bi, Zhang Zheng, and others took advantage of the night to cut off the city gates and escape. Civil and military officials fled in all directions to save themselves. Li Xiong only took his wife and children on a small boat toward Guangdu, only to be killed by his subordinate Zhu Zhu. After Li Te captured Chengdu, he allowed his troops to pillage freely and also killed the Xi Yi guard Jiang Fa, along with Yuan Zhi and the city officials Li Xiong had appointed, and then sent his bodyguards Wang Jiao and Li Ji to Luoyang to report Li Xiong's crimes.
Upon hearing that Luo Shang had arrived, the Li Te brothers were deeply unsettled, so they sent Li Xiang, the younger brother, to welcome Luo Shang on the way and offered numerous treasures as tribute. Luo Shang was quite pleased and appointed Li Xiang as the Cavalry Inspector. Li Te and his younger brother Li Liu hosted Luo Shang with a feast of beef and wine in Mianzhu. Wang Dun and Xin Ran counseled Luo Shang, "The Li Te brothers are all refugees, just a group of bandits. They should be killed immediately, and this is an opportunity to behead them." But Luo Shang did not listen. Xin Ran had a previous relationship with Li Te, so he said to Li Te, "Reuniting with an old friend isn't a good omen, you know?" Li Te felt a deep sense of fear and suspicion.
I heard that the court is recalling the refugees who are scattered in the Qinzhou, Yongzhou, and Hanchuan areas. My brother Fusuo has been staying in our hometown, saying that he wants to bring our family to the Shu region. After arriving in Shu, he told me, "The Central Plains are in chaos now; there is no need to go back." I thought he was right, so I had the idea of establishing myself in Bashu. The court rewarded me for my campaign against Zhao Xin, appointing me as General Xuanwei, Marquis of Changle Township, and later promoted me to General Fenwei, Marquis of Wuyang. The court's decree reached Yizhou, listing the six counties of refugees who fought with me against Zhao Xin, stating that they would be granted official titles.
At this time, Xin Ran was summoned by the court due to his outstanding abilities, but he was unwilling to go, wanting instead to claim the credit for defeating Zhao Xin for himself. So he concealed the court's orders and failed to report the true situation. Everyone held a grudge against him for this. Luo Shang sent people to urge the refugees to leave before July. Xin Ran, greedy and cruel, wanted to kill the leaders of the refugees and take their money, so he issued a decree to forcibly disperse the refugees. He also ordered the Prefect of Zitong, Zhang Yan, to extract wealth at key checkpoints. My brothers and I pleaded desperately, hoping to wait until after the autumn harvest to leave.
The refugees are scattered in Liangzhou and Yizhou, scraping by through laboring for others. They are worried when they hear that the prefectures and counties are forcibly deporting them, uncertain of their next steps. They also know that my brothers and I have repeatedly requested delays, so they are grateful and look to us for support. Moreover, with rain imminent and the crops still unharvested, the refugees have no money for the journey, so they all came to me. I established a large camp in Mianzhu to shelter the refugees and sent someone to request Xin Ran to extend the deadline. Xin Ran was furious and posted notices, offering bounties for the capture of me and my brothers.
When I saw that the situation was dire, I felt a wave of fear. I retrieved the notice and, together with Xiang, rewrote the reward details, changing it to: "Whoever captures the local strongmen Li, Ren, Yan, Zhao, Yang, Shangguan from the six commanderies, as well as the leaders of the Di and Sou tribes, will be rewarded with a hundred pieces of cloth." The refugees were originally unwilling to be forcibly repatriated, so they all flocked to me, riding horses, gearing up for battle, responding in unison. In less than a month, the gathered forces exceeded twenty thousand. Thousands of refugees also gathered, so I divided them into two camps: I stayed in the North Camp while the refugees occupied the East Camp.
I sent Yan Shi to meet with Luo Shang to request an extension of the deadline. After Yan Shi arrived, noticing that Ran Min's camp was strategically vulnerable, he feared that the refugees might stir up trouble. He sighed and said, "Fortifying positions without an enemy attack will only allow the enemy to conserve their strength. Rushing to drive them away now will undoubtedly lead to chaos!" He realized that Ran Min and Li Bi were resolute in their decisions, so he said goodbye to Luo Shang and returned to Mianzhu. Luo Shang said to Yan Shi, "Go and tell those refugees my intentions; it's okay to extend the deadline now." Yan Shi replied, "Sir, you've been misled by deceitful talk; there's probably no good reason to extend the deadline. The hardest to handle are the weak common folk who shouldn't be underestimated. Pushing them without reason will only provoke their anger and could lead to disaster." Luo Shang said, "Alright, I won't lie to you. You can go."
Yan Shi returned to Mianzhu and said to Li Te, "Although Luo Shang said so, it might not be reliable. Why? Luo Shang has yet to establish his authority and legal system. Ran Min and their powerful armies are beyond Luo Shang's control if any unforeseen events occur. We need to be prepared." Li Te adopted his advice. Ran Min and Li Bi discussed, "Lord Luo is greedy and indecisive, dragging his feet day after day, giving the refugees free rein to carry out their schemes. The Li Te brothers are very talented, and we will soon become their captives. We need to act right away; there's no point in consulting him again." So they sent the Guanghan captain Zeng Yuan, the Yamun Zhang Xian, Liu Bing, and others to lead thirty thousand infantry and cavalry to secretly attack Li Te's camp. Luo Shang, upon hearing this, also sent the supervisor Tian Zuo to support Zeng Yuan. Li Te had seen this coming, so he organized his armor, sharpened his weapons, and prepared for battle.
When Zeng Yuan and the others arrived, Li Te lay still and safe in his camp. When half of the enemy troops entered the ambush circle, he launched an attack, killing many of the enemy troops, including Tian Zuo, Zeng Yuan, and Zhang Xian, and sending their heads to Luo Shang and Ran Min. Luo Shang said to the generals, "These refugees have already become a force to be reckoned with, and Guanghan County did not listen to me, but instead strengthened the power of the bandits. So what do we do now?"
Well, people from the six counties all rallied behind Li Te as their leader. Li Te specifically appointed the commanders from the six counties, Li Han, Ren Zang, Yan Shi, Li Pan, Li Wu, Li Yuan, and Yang Bao, to submit a joint petition to the court, requesting to follow the historical precedent of assisting Dou Rong, appointing Li Te as the General of the North, giving him the authority to appoint officials as he sees fit, while his brother Li Liu was appointed as the General of the East, and the two brothers would jointly defend the region.
Li Te then led his troops to attack Ran Zhan, that occupied Guanghan. Ran Zhan's army was defeated by Li Te in every battle. The court also sent Li Bi and Fei Yuan to rescue Ran Zhan, but upon hearing it was Li Te, they were too frightened to move forward. Ran Zhan was defeated and had no option but to flee to Jiangyang. Li Te occupied Guanghan and appointed Li Chao as the governor, then continued to lead his troops to attack Luo Shang, who was in control of Chengdu. Meanwhile, Yan Shi wrote a letter to the court, criticizing Luo Shang for abusing his power and believing slanderous claims, wanting to take action against these refugees, and also highlighted the contributions of Li Te's brothers to the court to help stabilize Yizhou. Upon reading the letter, Luo Shang realized Li Te and his brothers' ambitions, so he firmly shut the city gates and sought assistance from Liangzhou and Ningzhou.
At this time, Li Te proclaimed himself as the General-in-Chief and Grand Commander and had the power to bestow titles on officials, following the model from the days of Dou Rong in Hexi. His elder brother Li Fu was appointed as General of the Valiant Cavalry, while his younger brother Li Xiang was appointed as General of the Elite Cavalry. His eldest son Li Shi was appointed as General of Wuwei, his second son Li Dang was appointed as General of Zhenjun, his youngest son Li Xiong was appointed as Former General, and Li Han was appointed as Colonel of the Western Yi. Li Han's sons—Li Guoli, Ren Hui, Li Gong, Shangguan Jing, Li Pan, Fei Tuo, and others—were all appointed as commanders. Ren Zang, Shangguan Dun, Yang Bao, Yang Gui, Wang Da, Qu Xin, and others served as his capable assistants, while Li Yuan, Li Bo, Xi Bin, Yan Jing, Shangguan Qi, Li Tao, Wang Huai, and others acted as his advisors. Yan Shi served as his military strategist, and He Ju and Zhao Su were his close confidants. At that time, Luo Shang was greedy and cruel to the people, while Li Te established three rules for the people of Shu, distributed porridge to aid disaster relief, honored the virtuous, promoted talented individuals, maintained strict military discipline, and ensured transparent governance. The people sang songs in praise of Li Te and in condemnation of Luo Shang. Luo Shang was repeatedly defeated by Li Te and was left with no option but to construct a formidable defense line along the river, setting up camps from Du'an to Jianwei, a 700-mile long defense line standing against Li Te.
King Hejian dispatched Ya Bo and Zhang Zheng, the Governor of Guanghan, to launch an attack on Te. Colonel Li Yi of the Southern Yi sent five thousand soldiers to support Shang. Shang assigned Zhang Gui to garrison his troops in Fancheng, and the three armies launched a joint assault on Te. Te commanded Dang and Xiong to assault Ya Bo. Te personally led his troops to fight against Zhang Gui, resulting in a defeat for Zhang Gui's army. Dang engaged in relentless battles with Ya Bo for several days, and Ya Bo was also defeated, with many casualties. Dang chased Ya Bo all the way to Hande, but Ya Bo ultimately escaped to Jiameng. Dang pressed on with his attack on Baxi, and Mao Zhi, the Magistrate of Baxi, along with Wuguan Xiangzhen, surrendered the entire county to Dang. Dang reassured the newly surrendered populace, ensuring stability among the people. Dang launched an assault on Jiameng, prompting Ya Bo to flee once more, leading to the surrender of his entire army to Dang.
In the first year of Tai'an, he declared himself the Governor of Yizhou, the Commander of military affairs in Liang and Yizhou, the Grand General, and the Grand Commander. He changed the era name to Jianchu and announced a general amnesty within the territory. Then he launched an attack on Zhang Zheng. Zhang Zheng relied on the strategic location to defend, and he and Zhang Zheng held off the attack for several days. At that time, he and Dang were divided into two camps. Zhang Zheng found that his main camp was empty, so he sent infantry to attack along the mountain road. He counterattacked, but the situation was dire, and the soldiers were at a loss. Luo Zhun and Ren Dao advised him to retreat, but he believed that Dang would come to his aid, so he refused to retreat. Zhang Zheng's army grew more and more, and the mountain path grew narrower, barely allowing one or two people to pass through, preventing Dang's army from moving forward. Dang said to his Marshal Wang Xin, "My father is surrounded by the enemy; today is my time to die!" So he donned heavy armor, grabbed a spear, and charged forward with a loud battle cry, vowing to break through the enemy's formation, killing more than ten people in one breath. Zhang Zheng's army rushed to the rescue, while Dang's forces fought fiercely, and Zhang Zheng's army was finally defeated. He intended to release Zhang Zheng, allowing him to return to Fucheng, but Dang and Wang Xin advised him, "Zhang Zheng's army has been fighting continuously, with heavy casualties and exhaustion of intelligence and physical strength. We should capitalize on their weakness to eliminate them. If we let them go and let Zhang Zheng recuperate, recruit soldiers and buy horses, it will be difficult to deal with him in the future." He followed their advice and attacked Zhang Zheng again, and Zhang Zheng's army fled in defeat. Dang led the land and water armies to pursue, and finally killed Zhang Zheng, capturing Zhang Zheng's son Cun, and returned with Zhang Zheng's body and his son to his camp. In the end, he appointed Qian Shuo as the Prefect of Deyang, and Qian Shuo extended his influence into Dianjiang in Bajun.
During the special operation against Zhang Zheng, Li Xiang was sent to station Li Pan, Ren Hui, and Li Gong at Pi Qiao to guard against Luo Shang. Luo Shang sent troops to challenge them, but Li Xiang's troops defeated them. Luo Shang then sent several thousand troops to battle, but Li Xiang defeated them again, capturing a large number of weapons and equipment and burning their camp gates. The army advanced north of Chengdu. Luo Shang sent his general Zhang Xing to pretend to surrender to Li Xiang to gather intelligence. At that time, Li Xiang's army only had about two thousand men. Zhang Xing returned at night to inform Luo Shang, who then quietly sent ten thousand elite soldiers to follow Zhang Xing and launch a night attack on Li Xiang's camp. Li Pan was killed in the fighting, but Li Xiang and his soldiers fled to Liu Zha, where they joined forces with Liu to launch a counterattack against Luo Shang's army. Luo Shang's army fell into chaos, with more than half of them fleeing in defeat.
Xu Xiong, the governor of Liangzhou during the Jin Dynasty, sent troops to attack the state of Te, but Te defeated them and continued to advance, defeating Luo Shang's navy before launching an attack on Chengdu. The Prefect of Shu County, Xu Jian, surrendered a small town, so Te appointed Li Jin as the Prefect of Shu County to appease them. However, Luo Shang refused to yield his stronghold. Liu stationed himself in Jiangxi, which made Luo Shang fearful, so he sent envoys to negotiate peace.
At this time, the people of Shu were very afraid; they gathered together to build village forts and asked for help from Te. Te then sent people to comfort them. Ren Ming, an official in Yizhou, said to Luo Shang, "Te is originally tyrannical and brutal; he has been oppressing the common folk, and he has dispersed his troops to various village forts, being arrogant and careless, utterly defenseless. This is heaven's way of bringing about his downfall! We can inform the villages, secretly agree on a date, and coordinate inside and outside attacks to defeat him!" Luo Shang followed his advice. Ren Ming pretended to surrender to Te, and when asked about the conditions in the city, Ren Ming said, "We have only silk and cloth remaining." He then requested to go home to check, and Te granted his request. Ren Ming secretly informed the villages, and they all followed his orders. He returned to report to Luo Shang, who promised to send troops according to the plan, and the villages also agreed to act simultaneously.
In the year 196 AD, Emperor Huandi of Han sent the Inspector of Jingzhou, Song Dai, and the Prefect of Jianping, Sun Fu, to assist Zhang Lu. After Sun Fu arrived in Deyang, he specifically sent the commander Li Huang to help Ren Zangju and Sun Fu. Zhang Lu then led a large army to suddenly attack Sun Fu's camp, engaging in battle for two consecutive days. Outnumbered, Sun Fu's forces were defeated, and after gathering the surviving soldiers, they retreated to Xinfan. After Sun Fu's army retreated, Zhang Lu gave chase for more than thirty miles. Sun Fu rallied his forces to confront them, and Zhang Lu's forces were routed. Sun Fu executed Zhang Lu, Li Fu, and Li Yuan, burned their bodies, and sent their severed heads to Luoyang. Zhang Lu reigned for two years. His son, Zhang Xiong, usurped the throne and declared himself king, posthumously bestowing the title of King Jing upon Zhang Lu. After he declared himself emperor, he posthumously conferred the title of Emperor Jing upon Zhang Lu, with the temple name of Shizu.
Li Liu, styled Xuantong, was the fourth brother of Zhang Lu. He loved learning from a young age and was skilled in both horseback riding and archery. Colonel He Pan of the Eastern Qiang believed that Li Liu was as valiant as Ben Yu and recommended him to be the Eastern Qiang Inspector. Later, he fled to Yizhou to escape the chaos of war, and the Governor of Yizhou, Zhao Xin, held him in high regard. Zhao Xin sent him to recruit troops, and Li Liu recruited several thousand young men from his local community. After Zhao Xin's death, Li Liu joined Zhang Lu in pacifying the refugees, defeated Chang Jun in Mianzhu, and quelled Zhao Xin's rebellion in Chengdu. He was rewarded by the court, appointed as General of Valiant Might, and granted the title of Marquis of Wuyang.
During Zhang Lu's reign, Li Liu was appointed as General of Zhen Dong and stationed at Dongying, often referred to as the Eastern Protector. Zhang Lu often had Li Liu lead the elite troops and face off against Luo Shang. After Zhang Lu captured a small city in Chengdu, he allowed refugees from six counties to enter the city in batches, with the brave men tasked with overseeing the villages. Li Liu said to Zhang Lu, "Your Highness, you are both brave and mighty, having captured the small city, but the mountainous and marshy areas are not fully under control, and there is not much food and supplies. It is advisable to select the sons of prominent families in the prefectures as captives, send them to Guanghan, keep them in two camps under close watch, recruit elite soldiers, and strictly defend." He also wrote a letter to Zhang Lu's Sima Shang Dun, explaining in detail the principles of surrender and defending against the enemy. However, Zhang Lu did not listen to him.
After Zhang Lu's death, many people in the Shu region revolted, and the refugees were very afraid. Li Liu, together with his nephews, Zhang Dang and Zhang Xiong, gathered the remnants of defeated soldiers and returned to Chizu County. Li Liu defended Dongying, while Zhang Dang and Zhang Xiong held the defense of Beiyin. Li Liu declared himself Grand General, Grand Commander, and Governor of Yizhou.
During the Song Dynasty, a naval force of thirty thousand troops was stationed in Dianjiang. The vanguard Sun Fu captured Deyang, taking Prefect Qian Shuo and Ren Zang prisoner; they escaped to Fuling County. Luo Shang sent Commander Chang Shen to deploy troops at Piqiao and instructed Zuo Fan, Huang Hong, and He Chong to assault the northern camp from three different directions. Liu Shen led his forces to assault Shen Zha, capturing it, and Chang Shen's soldiers scattered and fled. Pursuing them to Chengdu, Luo Shang closed the city gates and mounted a defense, but Liu Shen pursued him on horseback. He was fatally wounded by Luo Shang's spear and died in battle. With both Dang and Te Du also killed in combat, and with Sun Fu and Song Dai's army arriving, Liu Shen was filled with fear. Prefect Li Han urged Liu Shen to surrender, and Liu Shen was contemplating surrender. Xiong and Li Xiang took turns urging him not to, but he did not listen and even sent his son Liu Shi and Li Han's son Hu Zhi to Sun Fu's camp. Hu Li, Li Han's other son and Hu Zhi's brother, heard that his father was planning to surrender and rushed back from Zitong to try to dissuade him, but he arrived too late. He and Xiong discussed the possibility of launching a surprise attack on Sun Fu's army. Hu Li said, "If we succeed, let's agree to alternate leadership for three years." Xiong said, "The plan must be decided now. If the two elders do not agree, what are we to do?" Hu Li said, "We must control them now. If we can't control them, then we must take decisive action. Although your uncle is your elder, at this point, there is no other way. Your father is in my custody; there’s nothing more to discuss!" Xiong felt a surge of excitement and launched an attack on Luo Shang's army. Luo Shang held the city. Xiong crossed the river, killed the Prefect of Wenshan, Chen Tu, and then advanced into Pixian. Liu Shen also relocated his camp to that area.
The common people of Shu all hid away, helping each other and forming defensive fortifications. The towns were empty, and there was little to be found in the wilderness. The soldiers were both hungry and exhausted. Fan Changsheng from Fuling led more than a thousand households to Qingcheng Mountain. Xu Yu from Fuling, a soldier under Luo Shang, requested to be appointed as the governor of Wenshan, wanting to unite with Fan Changsheng and others to launch an attack against the enemy. Luo Shang disagreed, and Xu Yu was angry, requesting to go to Jiangxi. He ended up surrendering to the soldiers and persuaded Fan Changsheng and others to provide food for the soldiers. Fan Changsheng agreed, so the morale of the soldiers was revived. The soldiers held Xiong in high regard, thinking he had the demeanor of an elder, often saying, "The one destined to revitalize my family is certainly this person." He urged his sons to show him respect. He fell ill and told his generals, "The valiant General Gao Ming is compassionate and wise, with unique insight and decisiveness, enough to accomplish great things. But the vanguard is brave and good at war, probably favored by heaven. You should collaborate with the vanguard and allow him to become the King of Chengdu." After saying this, he passed away at the age of fifty-six. The generals unanimously supported Xiong as their leader. Xiong became emperor, posthumously honoring him with the title Qin Wenwang.
Li Xiang, styled Xuan Xu, was the third son in his household. He was renowned for his straightforward nature since childhood. He served as the county's postmaster and registrar, performing exceptionally well and earning a stellar reputation. In the fourth year of Yuankang, he was recognized as Filial and Incorrupt, but he declined nonetheless. Later, due to his superb equestrian skills, he was recommended to be a good general, but he declined nonetheless. The local authorities believed that Li Xiang was talented in both civil and military affairs and recommended him as an outstanding talent, but he resolutely declined due to illness. The local authorities did not relent, submitting his name, and the commander insisted on his conscription. He had no choice but to comply and was appointed as the commander of the central cavalry. He was an exceptional horseman, and his strength was astonishing. At that time, people likened him to Wenyang. When Luoyang was in chaos, he stepped down from his position citing illness.
Li Xiang was known for his righteousness and generosity, always eager to help others overcome their difficulties. Everyone in the region depended on him. Later, he fled with refugees from the six counties to Liangzhou and Yizhou. Along the way, he always went out of his way to care for the hungry and sick, providing discreet assistance to the impoverished, winning the affection of many. Upon their arrival in Shu, Zhao Xin held him in high regard, often discussing military strategies and praising him, frequently telling his confidants, "Li Xuan Xu is like the modern-day Guan Yu and Zhang Fei!" When Zhao Xin began to harbor rebellious intentions, he considered Li Xiang a trusted confidant, appointing him as a military commander and tasking him with recruiting strong men from the six counties, ultimately gathering over ten thousand recruits. In recognition of his efforts to pacify the rebellious Qiang, Li Xiang was named General of Mighty Bandits, awarded a red flag and a curved canopy, granted the title of Marquis of Yangquan Pavilion, and rewarded with a fortune of one million coins and fifty horses. On the day he was killed, the people from the six counties wept openly. He was fifty-five at the time.
