Li Mi, courtesy name Fazhu, is the grandson of Li Yan, the Duke of True Xiang. His grandfather Li Yao was the Duke of Xing during the Zhou Dynasty. His father Li Kuan was a brave and skilled warrior, known for his strategic mind, serving as a general several times from the Zhou Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty, eventually rising to the rank of Duke of Pushan County, a position held by a renowned general. Li Mi was particularly adept at strategizing, excelling in both literary and martial arts, with lofty ambitions; he felt it was his duty to help others. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui in the Kaihuang period, Li Mi inherited his father's title and became the Duke of Pushan. However, he spent all his family wealth on helping relatives and friends, warmly welcoming guests, honoring the wise and virtuous, and was never stingy. He had a deep bond with Yang Xuangan, like brothers bound by life and death. Later, Li Mi transformed his lifestyle to focus on studying, burying himself in books all day, especially fond of military books, able to recite their contents from memory. He studied under the assistant professor of the Imperial Academy, Bao Kai, learning "Records of the Grand Historian" and "Book of Han," studying with such diligence that he often neglected sleep and food, surpassing Bao Kai's other students. In the early period of Emperor Yang of Sui's reign, the court appointed him as the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guard, but he did not like this position and claimed to be ill to return home. Yang Xuangan rebelled in Liyang, secretly sending a servant to summon Li Mi in the capital, asking him and his younger brother Yang Xuanting to come to Liyang. Upon Li Mi's arrival, Yang Xuangan was overjoyed and treated him as his military advisor.
Yang Xuangan discussed the battle plan with Li Mi. Li Mi said, "I have three strategies; you can choose which one to go with. The emperor is leading his troops on a distant campaign to Liaodong, a thousand miles away from Youzhou, with the sea to the south and hostile forces to the north, leaving only one route in between. The situation is extremely perilous. You have troops in your hands now; you can catch them off guard by launching a direct assault on Jizhou, cutting off their vital route. Ahead lies Goguryeo, with no escape route behind them. In less than ten days to two weeks, they will definitely run out of supplies. Once you make your move, they will surrender without a fight; this is the optimal strategy.
Another option is the treacherous terrain of Guanzhong, known as the land of plenty. Wei Wensheng's forces are no cause for concern. Now you should lead a large army, avoiding attacking cities as you pass through, traveling lightly and quickly to enter Guanzhong. Even if the emperor returns to the capital, he will have already lost the strategic position. If we secure the strategic position, victory will be ours; this is the safest strategy, the middle strategy.
If you opt for a nearby target, begin with the Eastern Capital. Tang Yi will surely defend it to the bitter end. In that case, the battle will drag on, and the outcome will be uncertain; this is the least favorable strategy."
Yang Xuangan said, "No, your worst strategy is actually the best one! The families of all the officials are in the Eastern Capital. If we don't take down the Eastern Capital, how can we strike fear across the realm? And if we don't launch attacks and seize territory, how can we demonstrate our strength?" So Li Mi's plan was not adopted. Yang Xuangan attacked the Eastern Capital, and the battles went smoothly. He thought the whole world would respond to him; victory was within reach. Later, Wei Fusis was captured and treated as a trusted confidant, so not all military affairs were fully entrusted to Li Mi. Wei Fusis was not originally one of Yang Xuangan's conspirators, but he ended up being captured in battle. Every time a battle plan was made, Wei Fusis was always ambiguous and attempting to play both sides. Later, when it came to writing proclamations, Wei Fusis categorically refused. Li Mi picked up on Wei Fusis' intentions and said to Yang Xuangan, "Wei Fusis is not one of us at all; he's been sitting on the fence all along. Now that you've taken up arms, having a spy like him by your side and believing his words will only lead to disaster. We need to eliminate him to show everyone where we stand and to stabilize the morale of our troops." Yang Xuangan said, "I don't think that's necessary!" Li Mi knew his words were not accepted, so he said to his trusted followers, "Duke Chu (Yang Xuangan) enjoys rebellion but doesn’t seem interested in winning battles. What are we going to do? We're all going to end up prisoners!" Later, Yang Xuangan got ready to march west, and Wei Fusis eventually managed to escape back to the Eastern Capital.
Li Zixiong kept urging Xuanguan to quickly proclaim himself as king and emperor and come up with a royal title. Xuanguan was indecisive, so he went to consult his advisor, Mi, who said, "In the past, Chen Sheng wanted to proclaim himself as king, but Zhang Er advised him not to rush, and as a result, Chen Sheng ignored him; Cao Cao wanted the emperor to grant him nine privileges, but Xun Yu advised him not to be so ostentatious, and as a result, Cao Cao distanced himself. If I were to advise you directly now, I'm afraid I would also follow in the footsteps of these two and be rejected by you. Furthermore, flattering and fawning is not my style. The key is, since you raised your troops, although you have won several battles, hardly any counties have rallied to your cause. The defenses in the Eastern Capital remain robust, and reinforcements from all over the country are arriving soon. You need to take the lead and swiftly secure the Guanzhong region. If you rush to declare yourself king, it could backfire terribly!" Xuanguan chuckled and brushed off the idea.
Feeling anxious, Xuanguan went to consult Mi again, "What should we do now?" Mi said, "Yuan Hong (referring to Yuan Hongsi) is commanding a strong force in Longyou; we can publicly declare that Yuan Hong has rebelled and then send someone to meet you, so you can enter the pass legitimately and confuse everyone." Xuanguan then issued orders according to Mi's plan, leading his army westward. Upon reaching Shan County, he aimed to besiege Hongnong Palace, but Mi cautioned him again, "This time you're luring everyone west; military actions must be quick, especially with the pursuers closing in. How will you safeguard yourself if you haven't taken the pass ahead, and there is no place to defend behind? Everyone will scatter!" Xuanguan didn't listen this time, still surrounded Hongnong Palace, but after three days of fighting, they couldn't capture it, so they retreated westward. By the time they reached Wanxiang, the pursuers had finally caught up.
The rebellion led by Xuan Gan failed, and Mi secretly infiltrated Guanzhong. He and Xuan Gan's uncle Xun hid in the home of Fengyi Xun's wife. Before long, they were betrayed by their neighbors, so they were arrested and imprisoned in Jingzhao Prefecture's jail. At that time, Emperor Yang of Sui was in Gaoyang Palace, and Mi along with his accomplices were taken to Gaoyang Palace to meet the emperor.
On the way, Mi said to his subordinates, "Our lives are like morning dew, short-lived. If we make it to Gaoyang, we're definitely going to be executed. We are still on the road; we can still find a way to escape; why just wait to be killed?" Everyone thought it made sense. Many of his men had money, so Mi secretly took out the money and showed it to the escorting soldiers, saying, "If we die, all this money will be left to you, hoping you can help us with our burial. The rest will be a token of our gratitude to you." The soldiers, greedy for money, agreed.
As they got closer to the outskirts, the guards began to relax, and Mi secretly bought wine and meat, feasting every night and making a ruckus, and the soldiers didn't care. When they got to Handan, they spent the night in a village. Mi and six others escaped by climbing over the wall and sought refuge with the bandit leader Hao Xiaode on the plains. Hao Xiaode didn’t take them seriously, and they even reached the point of eating tree bark because of the famine. Wang Zhongbo secretly returned to Tianshui, while Mi went to Huaiyang, settled in a village, and took on the name Liu Zhiyuan, recruiting disciples to teach.
After a few months, Mi felt depressed and unwilling, so he wrote a five-character poem:
The golden phoenix dances at the festival's start,
The jade dew withers in the late forest.
On this night, the poor scholar,
Empty heart, oppressed heart.
Looking out, many feelings,
Generous, alone, touching the heart.
What is the point of touching the heart? Regretfully thinking about the past.
The customs of the Qin are still unsettled,
What can we hope for from the ways of the Han!
Fan Kuai in the market, ordinary people,
Xiao He, a pen and ink official.
When the time is right, the name will be passed down for eternity.
A message for the heroes of the world,
A life wasted, truly shameful.
After finishing writing the poem, he cried for a long time. Some people thought he was strange, so they told Magistrate Zhao about him. The county office dispatched officials to arrest him, but he escaped and sought refuge with his sister's husband, Qiu Junming, the county magistrate of Yongqiu. Later, Qiu Junming's nephew, Huaiyi, betrayed him, and the emperor issued an order for his arrest. He escaped again, but Qiu Junming was sentenced to death as a result.
Zhai Rang, the leader of this band of outlaws, amassed over ten thousand followers. Among them was a man who knew Zhai Rang's secret, a former subordinate of General Xuangang under the Wa Gang Army, who secretly urged Zhai Rang to take action against himself. Zhai Rang was alarmed and hurriedly sought advice from Wang Bodang on how to deal with the situation. Wang Bodang suggested that Zhai Rang negotiate with the smaller bands of outlaws, and they all surrendered at the mere mention of his words. Zhai Rang began to regard Wang Bodang with newfound respect and called him to discuss matters together.
Wang Bodang advised Zhai Rang, "We have many people now, but no food. If we run into a formidable enemy, our entire force could be annihilated. It's better to go directly to Xingyang, regroup our troops, store food, and wait until our forces are strong before fighting for territory." Zhai Rang heeded his advice and led his troops to breach Jindi Pass, raiding several counties surrounding Xingyang. Many cities fell into their hands. The magistrate of Xingyang, King Xuan, and Zhang Xuduo, who was stationed in Xingyang, came to fight Zhai Rang. Zhai Rang suffered multiple defeats at the hands of Zhang Xuduo several times, and when he heard that Zhang Xuduo was coming again, he was terrified and wanted to make a hasty retreat. Wang Bodang remarked, "While Zhang Xuduo may be brave, he lacks intelligence, and he has grown overconfident after winning several battles in a row. We can fight him and capture him. Prepare your formation and await his arrival. I guarantee I can help you defeat him!" Zhai Rang had no choice but to prepare for battle, while Wang Bodang discreetly dispatched over a thousand men to lie in ambush within the woods.
After fighting with Zhang Xuduo, Zhai Rang's army was outmatched and began to fall back, at which point Wang Bodang launched a surprise attack from behind. Zhang Xuduo's army was defeated, and Wang Bodang and Zhai Rang joined forces to attack, defeating Zhang Xuduo and killing him right there. Therefore, Zhai Rang appointed Wang Bodang to command the military camp and form another unit. Wang Bodang said to Zhai Rang, "Now the court is incompetent, the world is in chaos, there are rebellions everywhere, and the people are starving. With your abilities and the elite troops you command, you should take the opportunity to pacify the world, eliminate the bad guys; why stay holed up in the mountains like a petty bandit? Now the people in the capital are losing faith, and the court officials are doing their own thing. If you lead the army yourself, directly attack Xingluo Warehouse, and distribute food to the poor, won't the people of the world come to you? We could muster a million-strong army in just a day. This is a chance we can't afford to miss!" Zhai Rang said, "I'm just a simple country guy; I never thought I could be involved in something this big. If we can really do as you say, you lead the troops first, and I'll bring up the rear with the main army. After successfully capturing the warehouse, we can discuss the next steps." Wang Bodang and Zhai Rang led seven thousand elite soldiers, set off from Yangcheng in the spring of the thirteenth year of Dali, crossed Fangshan, launched a surprise attack on Xingluo Warehouse from Luokou, and successfully captured the warehouse. They opened the warehouse, allowing people to take food as they wished, and people of all ages flooded in to grab food.
Liu Changgong led twenty-five thousand troops to attack Mizhou, but ended up being defeated, with only Liu Changgong himself managing to escape. Therefore, everyone supported Zhai Rang from Mizhou as the new leader. Zhai Rang lived in Luokou, which had a city wall that stretched forty miles. Fang Yanzao took over Yuzhou, causing panic in the Eastern Capital (Luoyang). Everyone bestowed the title of Duke of Wei upon Zhai Rang. Zhai Rang initially declined, but after persistent urging from his subordinates, he finally agreed. He then set up an altar, officially ascended the throne, declared a new era, and appointed officials, with Fang Yanzao as Left Chief Historian, Bing Yuanzhen as Right Chief Historian, Yang Defang as Left Sima, and Zheng Detao as Right Sima. Zhai Rang himself was appointed as Minister of Personnel, Duke of Dongju. Other generals were also rewarded accordingly.
Meanwhile, a bandit named Meng Rang came from Changbai Mountain, burned down Fengdu City in the Eastern Capital, and then fled. Zhai Rang captured Gong County, arrested the magistrate Chai Xiaohu, and appointed him as the Army Protector. The military officer Pei Renji surrendered to Zhai Rang with the stronghold of Wulao, and Zhai Rang sent Pei Renji and Meng Rang with over twenty thousand men to launch an attack to retake Luocang. They succeeded in capturing Luocang and even burned Tianjin Bridge, and then began to loot. The Eastern Capital sent troops to pursue them, but Pei Renji and his men were defeated and only managed to escape with their lives. Zhai Rang personally led thirty thousand troops to attack the Eastern Capital, where Duan Da, Gao Pi, and Liu Changgong led seventy thousand troops to resist. In a battle at the old capital, the imperial forces were defeated, and Zhai Rang regained control of Luocang. Not long after, Zheng Detao and Yang Defang both died, and Zhai Rang appointed Zheng Ting as Left Sima and Zheng Qianxiang as Right Sima.
Chai Xiahe said to Zhai Rang, "The terrain of the Qin State is separated by mountains, rivers, and rivulets. Western Chu was destroyed because it was backed by Qin land, while Han Emperor Gaozu rose to power by seizing Guanzhong. In my opinion, we should have Pei Renji defend Luoyang, you should defend Luokou, and personally lead elite troops to attack Chang'an. The people will surely rally to your side, and you will certainly achieve victory without a fight. Once Chang'an is occupied, our hold on the territory will be secure, the army will be strong, and then we can move eastward, sweeping through Jing and Luoyang with ease, and the realm will be ours. But now heroes are rising left and right. I'm worried that someone will beat us to it. If we let this chance slip away, we’ll be kicking ourselves!" Zhai Rang said, "I have also thought about your idea for a long time. It is indeed a good plan. But the foolish emperor is still on the throne, and he has many troops. My troops are all from Shandong, and they haven't even captured Luoyang yet. How can they be willing to follow me westward? My generals all come from bandit backgrounds. If I let them stay and vie for power, it’ll spell disaster." Chai Xiahe said, "You are right, I haven’t thought it through completely. Since the main army cannot advance westward for the time being, I’ll head out to scout the route first." Zhai Rang nodded in agreement. Chai Xiahe led dozens of cavalry to Shan County, where he was joined by tens of thousands of mountain bandits.
At that time, Zhai Rang's army was formidable, and every time they marched, they fought with the official army. As a result, Zhai Rang was hit by a stray arrow, lying in his tent. After a few days, troops sent from the capital came to attack, and Zhai Rang's army was defeated, abandoning Luocang and retreating to Luokou. Upon hearing Zhai Rang had retreated, Chai Xiaohuo’s men scattered. Chai Xiaohuo rode back to Zhai Rang's side. The emperor sent Wang Shichong with fifty thousand elite troops from Jianghuai to attack Zhai Rang, who put up a resistance but was ultimately defeated. Chai Xiaohuo drowned in the Luoshui, which left Zhai Rang heartbroken. Wang Shichong camped on the west side of Luoyang, in a standoff with Zhai Rang for more than a hundred days. The county magistrate of Wuyang, Yuan Baozang, the rebel chief of Liyang, Li Wenxiang, the rebel chief of Huanshui, Zhang Sheng, the rebel chief of Qinghe, Zhao Junde, and the rebel chief of Pingyuan, Hao Xiaode, all surrendered to Zhai Rang, together breaking through Liyang and occupying it. Zhou Faming, along with the people from Jianghuai region, surrendered to Zhai Rang, as did the rebel leaders of Qijun, Xu Yuanlang, Rencheng hero Xu Shiren, Huaiyang governor Zhao Ta, and many others, amounting to hundreds, if not thousands.
Zhai Rang's subordinate Wang Ruxin counseled Zhai Rang to assume the position of Grand Chancellor, to seize all power and secrets. Zhai Rang's brother Zhai Kuan advised him, "Only the emperor can be the emperor; how can you share the throne with anyone else? If you can't do it, I will!" Dou Jiande was aware of this conspiracy to assassinate Zhai Rang.
Just at that moment, Wang Shichong arrived with his troops, and Zhai Rang emerged to confront them, but he was driven back several hundred paces by Wang Shichong. Dou Jiande and Shan Xiongxin led their elite troops to charge forward, driving Wang Shichong away. Zhai Rang wanted to pursue the victory and attack Wang Shichong's camp, but it was getting dark, and Dou Jiande resolutely held him back.
The next day, Zhai Rang brought several hundred followers to Dou Jiande's camp to celebrate with a feast. Dou Jiande prepared a lavish banquet to welcome him and arranged for his men to eat. All the exits were ambushed, and Zhai Rang was completely unaware. Dou Jiande invited Zhai Rang to shoot and took out a good bow. Just as Zhai Rang was about to shoot with a full bow, Dou Jiande ordered his warrior Cai Jian to kill him from behind, and Zhai Rang collapsed to the ground. Then, Dou Jiande also killed Zhai Rang's brother Zhai Kuan and Wang Ruxin, and many of Zhai Rang's men were also killed. Zhai Rang's general Xu Shijie was gravely wounded in the chaos, and Dou Jiande quickly intervened to save Xu Shijie's life. Shan Xiongxin and the others fell to their knees, pleading for mercy, and Dou Jiande let them go and reassured them. Then, Dou Jiande led his several hundred followers to Zhai Rang's camp. Wang Bodang, Bing Yuanzhen, and Shan Xiongxin entered the camp and announced Zhai Rang's death. Everyone froze in place. Dou Jiande then appointed Xu Shijie, Shan Xiongxin, and Wang Bodang to command Zhai Rang's army. Before long, Wang Shichong launched a night raid on Cangcheng but was decisively defeated by Dou Jiande's forces, and the military officer Fei Qingnu also met his end.
Wang Shichong relocated his camp to the north of Luoyang, opposite Gong County, and then constructed a floating bridge across the Luo River, taking all his troops to attack Dou Jiande. Dou Jiande only brought a thousand cavalry to resist and retreated when he found himself unable to win. Wang Shichong seized the opportunity to advance towards the city, and Dou Jiande selected a few hundred elite soldiers, dividing them into three teams to attack. The imperial forces withdrew slightly, but their own people trampled and fell into the water, leading to the deaths of tens of thousands, including the generals Yang Wei, Wang Bian, Huo Shiju, Liu Changgong, Liang Dezong, Dong Zhitong, and others. Wang Shichong managed to escape but did not dare return to the eastern capital of Luoyang and fled to Heyang. That night, it rained and snowed heavily, with snow accumulating to over a foot deep, and his followers suffered heavy casualties.
Dou Jiande then repaired Jin Yong City and settled down with more than 300,000 troops. He subsequently launched an attack on Shangchun Gate, and the defender Wei Jin sallied forth from the city to engage in battle, but was defeated and captured by Dou Jiande. His subordinates urged Dou Jiande to declare himself emperor, but he did not agree. As the rebels besieged the eastern capital of Luoyang, Dou Jiande led his troops to rescue, but retreated after the two sides fought.
After a while, Yuwen Huaji killed the emperor and led over a hundred thousand troops northward from Jiangdu towards Liyang. Li Mi personally commanded twenty thousand infantry and cavalry to resist. At this time, Prince Yang Dong declared himself emperor and sent envoys to bestow titles upon Li Mi, granting him numerous official positions, including Grand Commandant, Prefect of the Masters of Writing, Grand Secretary of the Southeastern Circuit, Commander-in-Chief, and Duke of Wei, requesting that he first defeat Yuwen Huaji and then assist the court in the capital. Li Mi sent envoys to express his gratitude.
Yuwen Huaji met Li Mi, who knew that Yuwen Huaji's army was short of food and wanted to fight quickly and decisively. Therefore, he did not engage in a direct confrontation but blocked his retreat, preventing him from fleeing west. Li Mi sent Xu Shijie to guard the warehouse city, and Yuwen Huaji attacked the warehouse city but was unable to capture it. Li Mi and Yuwen Huaji spoke across the river, with Li Mi scolding Yuwen Huaji: "You were originally a servant of the Xiongnu, grew up in a small border town, and your father, brothers, and sons have all benefited greatly from the Sui Dynasty, living in wealth for several generations. Your wife is still a princess, honored and prominent; no one in the court can compare to you. You have enjoyed such generous treatment from the country, so you should repay the country in kind. How can you not advise the emperor when he acts immorally, but instead follow rebellion, commit cruelty, harm future generations, support rival factions, proclaim yourself emperor, insult the empress, and harm the innocent? You don't even have the loyalty of Zhuge Zhan, but instead do bad things like Huo Yu. Heaven and earth will not tolerate you, and even the spirits will not protect you. You oppress good people—what are you trying to achieve? Now you should surrender to me quickly, and you can still save your descendants."
Yuwen Huaji did not speak, lowered his head for a long time, then stared wide-eyed and said loudly, "If we want to fight, let's fight; why write letters to talk?" Li Mi said to his men, "Yuwen Huaji is so timid; he actually wants to be an emperor. He is simply the same as Zhao Gao and Dong Zhuo; I can easily deal with him." Yuwen Huaji intensified the production of siege weapons and fiercely attacked Liyang warehouse city. Li Mi led five hundred light cavalry to rush over to support. The defenders of the warehouse city also came out of the city to cooperate, burning Yuwen Huaji's siege weapons, and the fire burned all night without going out. Li Mi knew that Yuwen Huaji's food was running out, so he pretended to make peace with him, deliberately making him relax his guard. Yuwen Huaji didn't see through it and was very pleased, allowing the soldiers to eat and drink to their heart's content, and even expected Li Mi to send him food.
As a result, one of Li Mi's subordinates committed a crime and fled to Yuwen Huaji, revealing Li Mi's situation to him, infuriating Yuwen Huaji. At that time, his supplies had run out, so he crossed the Yongji Canal and fought Li Mi at Tongshan from dawn until dusk. Li Mi was hit by a stray arrow and fell in Jixian. Yuwen Huaji raided Jijun, marched north to Weixian, and his generals, including Chen Zhilue and Zhang Tongren, gradually surrendered to Li Mi. Initially, Yuwen Huaji left the supplies in Dongjun and appointed Wang Gui, his Minister of Punishments, to guard them. At that time, Wang Gui led the entire county to surrender to Li Mi, who appointed Wang Gui as the governor of Huazhou. Li Mi led his troops westward, sent his secretary, Li Jian, to the Eastern Capital, and captured Hong Da, who killed Yang Guang, to present to Prince Yang Dong of Yue. Prince Yang Dong of Yue appointed Li Jian as the Assistant Minister of Agriculture and asked him to convey the order to summon Li Mi to the capital. Upon arriving in Wenxian, Li Mi learned that Wang Shichong had already killed Yuan Wendu, Lu Chu, and others, and he returned to Jinyong City.
After Wang Shichong became the powerful minister, he started generously rewarding his soldiers, repairing weapons and gear, and gradually lifted the army's morale. However, his elite troops were short on clothing and food, and Wang Shichong himself also faced food shortages, so he sought to buy food from the Wagang Army. Initially, the Eastern Capital had run out of food, and hundreds of people flocked to the Wagang Army every day. Once the Wagang Army got food, fewer people surrendered, and Li Mi regretted his choice and halted the food trade.
Although Li Mi controlled the granaries, he did not have a treasury. The soldiers did not receive rewards even after winning battles, and Li Mi favored the soldiers who had just surrendered, causing military morale to gradually decline. At that time, Li Mi sent Bing Yuanzhen, who came from a humble background, known for his greed and stinginess, to guard the Xingluo granary. Yuwen Wen despised him and often told Li Mi, "If you don't kill Bing Yuanzhen, your crisis will not be resolved." Li Mi did not respond, but Bing Yuanzhen learned of Yuwen Wen's words and secretly plotted to betray Li Mi. Yang Qing learned of this and told Li Mi, but Li Mi was somewhat skeptical.
At this time, Wang Shichong led his entire army to engage in a decisive battle. Li Mi left Wang Bo to guard Jinyong City and led his elite troops to Yanshi, north of Mangshan, to set up defenses and await Wang Shichong. After Wang Shichong's army arrived, he sent hundreds of cavalry to cross the Yuh River, and Li Mi sent Pei Xingyan to lead the army to meet them. The battle lasted until dusk, and both sides temporarily separated. Pei Xingyan, Sun Changle, Cheng Yaojin, and more than a dozen brave generals were seriously injured, angering Li Mi. Wang Shichong secretly crossed the river at night and set up his formation the next morning. Li Mi discovered this and hastily fought back, which resulted in a major defeat. He fled to Luokou with more than 10,000 troops. Wang Shichong surrounded Yanshi at night, and the defending general Zheng Ding was betrayed by his subordinates, opening the city gates and surrendering to Wang Shichong.
Li Mi planned to enter Luokou granary city, but Bing Yuanzhen had already secretly guided Wang Shichong's army over. Li Mi knew about this but chose not to act on it. He agreed with everyone to wait until Wang Shichong's army had crossed halfway over the Luo River before launching an attack. When Wang Shichong's army arrived, Li Mi's reconnaissance cavalry failed to detect them in time. By the time they were prepared to engage, Wang Shichong's army had already crossed the river completely. Knowing he couldn't resist, Li Mi fled on horseback. Ultimately, Bing Yuanzhen also surrendered the city to Wang Shichong.
The Mizhou army gradually dispersed, much like the situation in Liyang. Someone said to the governor of Mizhou, "When we killed Zhai Rang, Xu Shijie almost died. His wound hasn't healed yet; can he be trusted?" Hearing this, the governor of Mizhou quickly dismissed the idea. Meanwhile, Wang Bodang abandoned Jinyang City and fled to Heyang. The governor of Mizhou led light cavalry troops across the Yellow River to join him, saying, "We’ve been defeated! Everyone has suffered so much alongside me; I will take my own life to atone for my failures!" Everyone cried, unable to hold their heads up. The governor of Mizhou said again, "If you’re willing to stick by me, let’s return to Guanzhong together. Even though I have no achievements to speak of, you all will surely be able to keep your wealth and status." His aide Liu Xie said, "In the past, you surrendered to the Han Dynasty and were responsible for supplying food. You have ties with the families in Chang'an. Although you did not participate in the uprising, you blocked the army of the Eastern Capital and cut off the Sui Dynasty's retreat, allowing the Tang Dynasty to seize the capital without a battle. That’s still a contribution on your part!" Everyone agreed, so the governor of Mizhou surrendered to the Tang Dynasty and was granted the title of Duke of Xingguo and appointed as Guangluqing.
Pei Renji, from Hedong, courtesy name Deben. His grandfather Pei Bofeng was the governor of Fenzhou in the Zhou Dynasty, and his father Pei Ding was an official of the same rank. Pei Renji was brave and skilled in battle from a young age, proficient in both horseback riding and archery. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, he served as the emperor's personal guard. In the wars against the Chen Dynasty, he always led the charge and achieved great success, which earned him the title of Yitong and rewards of thousands of bolts of silk. Later, he became a trusted confidant of Prince Han Liang. When Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, Prince Han Liang rebelled, and Pei Renji tried to dissuade him from doing so. Furious, Prince Han Liang had him imprisoned. After the prince's defeat, Emperor Yang of Sui admired him and promoted him to the position of commander of the imperial guards. Several years later, he was promoted to the rank of military officer and accompanied General Li Jing to suppress the rebellion of the barbarian tribe Xiangsido in Qian'an, achieving great success, which earned him the title of Silver Blue Minister and rewards of slaves and five hundred bolts of silk. He later defeated the Tuyuhun in Zhangye and was promoted to the rank of Gold Purple Minister. He also killed Mohe raiders and was promoted to the rank of Left Minister. Finally, he took part in the campaign against Goguryeo, ultimately being promoted to the rank of Minister of Rites.
The emperor went to Jiangdu, and Li Mi occupied Luokou. He then sent Wang Renji as the envoy of Henan, stationed in Wulao to hold off Li Mi. Later, Zhang Xutiao, the commander defending Xingyang, was killed by Li Mi, and Wang Renji took in Zhang's troops to fight against Li Mi, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy each time. By that time, the Sui Dynasty had descended into chaos, and there were little to no rewards for those who distinguished themselves. Seeing that the enemy was very powerful and his soldiers were tired and exhausted, Wang Renji distributed the seized supplies among his soldiers. The imperial censor, Xiao Huaijing, constantly obstructed him, and everyone was very angry with him. Xiao Huaijing secretly made reports against Wang Renji, attempting to report him. Fearing for his safety, Wang Renji had Xiao Huaijing killed, and then surrendered himself and his forces to Li Mi. Li Mi granted him the title of Duke of Hedong. His son, Wang Xingyan, was an exceptional warrior, so Li Mi appointed him as the Duke of Jiang County, demonstrating particular trust in both father and son.
Wang Shichong was running out of food in the Eastern Capital, so he took all his troops to Yanshi to confront Li Mi in battle. Li Mi asked his generals for advice, and Wang Renji said, "Wang Shichong has come out in full force; Luoyang is surely left unguarded. We can divide our forces to secure key routes and prevent him from heading east. Then, we will select thirty thousand elite soldiers to march west along the river to threaten the Eastern Capital. If Wang Shichong retreats, we will hold our position; if he comes back, we will pressure him again. This way, we preserve our strength and wear him down, following the principles of war: 'He advances, we retreat; he retreats, we advance; we fight to wear him out; we attack where he is unprepared.' " Li Mi said, "You've only seen one point, not the other. The army in the Eastern Capital has three unbeatable advantages: first, they are well-equipped; second, they are determined to fight; and third, they are out of food and have no choice but to engage. We will wait for them to show a weakness; they won’t be able to escape. In less than ten days, Wang Shichong's head will be displayed in my camp!" Shan Xiongxin and other generals misjudged the enemy and all insisted on going into battle. Wang Renji strongly opposed, but his objections fell on deaf ears. Li Mi had no choice but to disregard the generals' advice, leading to a catastrophic defeat, and Wang Renji was taken captive by Wang Shichong.
Wang Shichong saw that both Wang Renji and his son were very brave, so he was very kind to them and even gave his niece in marriage to Wang Xingyan. Later, Wang Shichong declared himself emperor, appointing Wang Renji as the Deputy Minister of Rites and Wang Xingyan as the Left General. Every time Wang Xingyan went to battle, he was unbeatable and earned the title "the enemy of ten thousand men." Wang Shichong was afraid of his reputation and became somewhat suspicious of him. Wang Renji knew Wang Shichong's thoughts and grew increasingly anxious, so he conspired with the Deputy Minister of Rites, Yu Wenru, the Director of the Imperial Kitchen, Chen Qian, and the Secretary, Cui Deben, to rebel. They planned for Chen Qian to threaten Wang Shichong with a dagger during a meal, with Wang Xingyan leading the troops downstairs to provide support. Just before they were about to act, General Zhang Tongren learned of their plan and informed Wang Shichong, which led to the deaths of Wang Renji and the others at Wang Shichong's hands.
Historical records indicate that ancient emperors who prospered did not rely solely on luck, but possessed exemplary virtues and deep benevolence. Their virtues moved heaven and earth, and they achieved great feats that helped the people overcome difficulties; otherwise, their reign could not endure. After the decline of the Zhou Dynasty, the Sui Dynasty began its rise to prominence. Father and son, Yang Jian and Yang Guang, rendered significant service to the royal family, pacifying the southern vassal states, eliminating the Eastern Xia, controlling the political power, and stabilizing the national situation, thereby ushering in an era of peace and prosperity, thereby solidifying the empire.
At that time, the Xiongnu were overbearing and aggressive, and the state of Wu refused to pay tribute. They were vying for dominance at Huangchi and watering their horses at the Qingwei River. Yang Jian was busy with domestic and foreign affairs, so he had to entrust tasks to capable individuals and assign military responsibilities to brave and skillful generals. Civil and military officials worked together and made joint efforts. As a result, he conquered the barbaric minority tribes in the south, eliminated rebellious bandits, used the Five Mountains as a shield and the Four Seas as borders, spreading his benevolence throughout the world and earning widespread renown.
Yang Guang inherited his father's foundation and secured this stable realm. He fortified his position along the Yiluo River, strengthened the Xiaohan Pass, and ruled over vast territories. He believed he was destined by heaven, but he overlooked the hard-earned nature of the land and did not focus on governing the country or caring for the people. Instead, he was obsessed with showcasing his military might abroad. He ignored the counsel of others, only believed in his own perverse reasoning, did not learn from past lessons, and did not value moral cultivation. Therefore, he launched massive construction projects, dug canals, built roads, planted willow and mulberry trees, and even decorated with gold.
He sent troops west to Yumen Pass, east to Jieshi Mountain, excavated mountains and filled valleys, opening up waterways all the way to the sea. The people were exhausted, the corvee had no end, and the people's hearts across the nation were filled with anxiety, like startled birds and fleeing schools of fish. He first attacked Yanci to the west, then campaigned against Liuqiu to the south, and led his army to attack Goguryeo multiple times. He believed he had instilled fear across the realm and that no one dared to oppose him. He considered himself a wise monarch whose accomplishments eclipsed those of all past emperors. He did not rely on his relatives or be constrained by his ministers, believing he could surpass legendary figures like Xuanyuan and Tang Yao, swallow up the Zhou and Han dynasties, and have descendants for generations to come, believing that he alone could achieve such greatness, unmatched by anyone in history.
However, he estranged talented generals, harbored suspicions against loyal and upright ministers, was afraid to hear reports of theft, and detested hearing rumors of war. He engaged in warfare without regard for the balance of power between friend and foe. Generals with insufficient troops were executed for cowardice, while those who fought bravely were covertly eliminated due to their significant accomplishments. Some met their end through poisoned wine, while even those who had merits received no rewards, and those who made no mistakes could still face punishment. Yang Guang himself was caught in a constant state of dilemma, living in constant fear.
Most of the thieves in Shandong were laborers who owned neither land nor property. They did not have the ambitions of the uprisings led by Chen Sheng and Zhang Jiao. They rose up because they could not bear Yang Guang's endless exploitation and the hardships of their lives. They did not understand military banners, formations, or marching into battle. They fought solely for survival, and with widespread public grievance, rebellion and banditry erupted everywhere, scattering like stars across the sky, numbering in the thousands. Opportunistic heroes seized the moment, and even with brave soldiers and talented generals, they could not resist and fell in battle.
Yang Guang, gripped by terror, severed all ties with the capital, seeking refuge in the rivers and lakes, emulating the Yongjia Rebellion of the Jin Dynasty. However, calamity befe
It is said that at the beginning of the Sui Dynasty, compared to the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, the difference in territorial area, population, military strength, and food storage was vast! The Nine Tripods were light in the hands of the founding emperor, as light as a feather; but in the hands of Emperor Yang, they were as heavy as Mount Tai, making it hard for people to breathe! In terms of dangerous terrain, the rugged terrain of Liaodong pales in comparison to that of the Yangtze River; in terms of talent and strategy, Goguryeo cannot compare to the Chen Kingdom.
The founding emperor pacified Jiangnan, unified the country, and achieved significant accomplishments; while Emperor Yang campaigned in Liaodong, but ultimately lost the entire country. Why is this? They did similar things, but their intentions were very different! The founding emperor attacked the Turks in the north, pacified the Baiyue in the south, fought for more than ten years, and the people suffered, but every time he used force, he focused on ensuring the people's peace and happiness, how to make them suffer less, so the people lived and worked in peace and happiness, and the army had no complaints. His genuine care for the people led to the prosperity of the Sui Dynasty.
Emperor Yang, on the other hand, inherited the foundation of a peaceful and prosperous era, but became engrossed in luxury, cruelly exploited the people, treated the common people as grass, and treated the ministers as enemies. For the sake of distant fame, he exhausted the resources nearby, ignored the country's safety even when the enemy was at the gates, played around after battles, ignoring the nation's peril. When Heaven wanted to destroy him, the people suffered, thieves ran rampant, and disasters ensued; he completely lost the people's hearts, so the Sui Dynasty quickly perished.
Look, ask the elders, carefully study their actions, the reasons for the founding emperor's prosperity and Emperor Yang's downfall are evident here! The rise and fall of the Sui Dynasty is similar to that of the Qin Dynasty. Qin Shi Huang unified the six states, the founding emperor unified the country; Qin Er Shi was tyrannical, Emperor Yang was cruel; both fell due to uprisings, meeting their ends at the hands of commoners. From start to finish, their stories are strikingly similar!
Xuange is the son of the prime minister, enjoying the country's grace. Your Majesty, you have made a mistake. He should be doing his utmost to support you. However, instead of considering how to serve the country, he first thought about seizing power. He even drew inspiration from the deeds of Yi Yin and Huo Guang, but wanted to emulate the ambitions of Mang and Zhuo. As a result, both heaven and earth were enraged, and he quickly failed. His brothers all suffered the cruel punishment of being butchered into a meat paste, and his ancestors faced the excruciating fate of being reduced to ashes. This is too tragic!
Li Mi found himself in chaotic times, lost his support, and wanted to seize control of Hangu Pass and the Honggu Canal. Within a month, he gathered tens of thousands of troops, defeated Wang Shichong, and his name spread like wildfire. Although fate was against him, and the heavens turned a blind eye, in the end, events unfolded contrary to his hopes, and he failed to establish a kingdom. However, his noble efforts garnered public support, and his legacy continues to endure. That's quite impressive! However, his superficiality and cunning ultimately brought about his downfall. Can his strategies and character even hold a candle to those of Chen Sheng and Xiang Yu?
