Li Guang, a general from Chengji in Longxi, Gansu, was a descendant of Li Xin, a great general during the Qin Dynasty who hunted down Yan's crown prince. The Lis were known for their archery skills, generation after generation.
In the fourteenth year of Emperor Xiaowen of the Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu invaded Xiaoguan in large numbers. Li Guang, a child from an ordinary family, joined the army to resist the Xiongnu. Due to his excellent equestrian and archery skills and numerous enemy kills, he was appointed as a low-ranking officer in the Han military. Li Guang's younger brother Li Cai also became an elite cavalry officer, and the two brothers both served as imperial bodyguards, receiving an annual salary of eight hundred stones. They were fearless in battle, even taking on wild beasts. Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty sighed, "Damn shame he didn't live in Gaozu's time! A marquisate wouldn't have been enough for him!"
Later, when Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, Li Guang was appointed as the governor of Longxi, and later transferred to the position of Cavalry Commander. During the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms of Wu and Chu, Li Guang served as a valiant cavalry commander, following General Zhou Yafu to suppress the rebellion. He captured the enemy's military flag and achieved great military exploits in Changyi. Prince Liang wanted to confer the title of General on Li Guang, but the rewards were never implemented. Afterwards, Li Guang was transferred to the position of prefect of Shanggu. At that time, the Xiongnu frequently invaded, engaging in battles with the Han army. Sun Kunye, the Duke of Dian, practically begged the emperor, "Li Guang's the best soldier we've got, brave and brilliant, but he's reckless! He keeps picking fights with the Xiongnu one-on-one; I'm worried he'll get himself killed!" Therefore, Li Guang was transferred to the position of prefect of Shangjun.
Later, Li Guang was successively appointed as prefect in various border commanderies, such as Shangjun, Longxi, Beidi, Yanmen, Daijun, and Yunzhong, where he made a name for himself for his courage and skill in battle.
So, the Xiongnu army invaded Shangjun, and the emperor sent a big shot from the palace to give Li Guang some field experience against the Xiongnu. This eunuch, leading dozens of cavalry, ran into three Xiongnu and went straight for them. The three Xiongnu were shooting arrows as they ran, injuring the eunuch and killing almost all of his cavalry. The eunuch, scared stiff, ran to Li Guang for help. Seeing the situation, Li Guang said, "Man, those guys could shoot!" So Li Guang had his men chase after them with a hundred cavalry. The three Xiongnu had lost their horses and were running on foot, going for miles and miles. Li Guang had his men spread out, then personally picked off two of the Xiongnu, taking the last one prisoner, a crack shot, no less. They roped the guy to a horse, then – bam! – thousands of Xiongnu cavalry appeared in the distance. Seeing Li Guang, they figured it was a trap and scrambled up the mountain to set up a defense. Li Guang's hundred men were about to bolt. "We're miles from the main force," Li Guang said. "Run now, and we're all dead meat. If we hold our ground, they'll think we're bait and won't risk an attack." "Charge!" he ordered.
When they were a mile or two away from the Xiongnu camp, Li Guang ordered, "Everybody, off your horses! Loosen those saddles!" The cavalrymen were anxious, "But sir, they outnumber us! What if they attack?" Li Guang replied, "The Xiongnu think we’re going to run. By loosening the saddle now, we show that we’re not going anywhere—that'll keep 'em guessing." Sure enough, the Xiongnu backed off. At that moment, a Xiongnu general riding a white horse came out to protect his troops. Li Guang immediately mounted his horse and charged, with a dozen men at his heels, and took out the general on the white horse. He then returned to his own troops, loosened the saddle, and ordered the soldiers to dismount and rest lying down. As dusk settled, the Xiongnu soldiers became even more puzzled and dared not attack. In the middle of the night, the Xiongnu, convinced the Han were ambushing them, pulled back. When dawn broke, Li Guang returned to the Han army camp. Nobody knew where he’d gone, so no one looked for him.
So, Li Guang stayed in the court for a long time. After the death of Emperor Jing, Emperor Wu ascended to the throne. Because Li Guang was very famous, Emperor Wu promoted him from the position of Governor of Shangjun to the Commander of the Weiyang Guard, while Cheng Buxi also became the Commander of the Changle Guard. Cheng Buxi and Li Guang were both previously Governors and Generals of border counties, stationed on the border. The way they led troops in battle was very different. Li Guang led his troops without caring about formations, just finding a place with abundant water and grass to set up camp. The soldiers did as they pleased, a pretty loose and easy bunch, with no military exercises and no tedious paperwork. However, he always sent scouts to spy and never suffered losses. Cheng Buxi, on the other hand, ran a tight ship. His troops moved in an orderly manner, constantly engaged in training exercises, with soldiers not getting a moment of rest, and meticulous paperwork. But he also never suffered losses. Cheng Buxi said, "Li Guang's troops are loose in management, but if the Huns dare to invade, they can resist strongly. His men were happy to fight for him. My men work hard, but the Huns think twice before messing with us." At that time, the famous generals of the Han Dynasty were Li Guang and Cheng Buxi, but the Huns feared Li Guang's strategies more, and the soldiers were more willing to follow Li Guang rather than Cheng Buxi's strict management. During the reign of Emperor Jing, Cheng Buxi was appointed as a high-ranking official for his repeated outspoken advice. He was honest and strictly adhered to rules and regulations. In short, Li Guang's loose style and Cheng Buxi's strict discipline both proved effective, but Li Guang's approach clearly resonated more with his men and intimidated the enemy.
Later, the Han tried to trick the Xiongnu leader, using Mayi city as bait, and sent a large army to ambush in the valley nearby. Li Guang served as Cavalry General and commanded the Guard Commander. But the Chanyu saw right through it, escaped, and the Han army came up empty. Four years later, Li Guang was appointed general and ordered to attack the Xiongnu from Yanmen Pass. The Xiongnu, with their massive army, wiped the floor with Li Guang's troops and took him prisoner. The Chanyu had heard of Li Guang's prowess and ordered, "Bring Li Guang in alive!" After the Xiongnu cavalry captured Li Guang, who was seriously injured, they placed him between two horses, tied him up with ropes, and made him lie there. Ten miles in, Li Guang played dead. Spotting a Xiongnu on a good mount, he jumped on, tossed the guy, grabbed the bow and arrows, and hightailed it south for miles. He then encountered some remnants of his own army and led them back to the pass. Hundreds of Xiongnu cavalry pursued them, but Li Guang shot and killed the pursuers with the stolen bow and arrows while running, thus managing to escape. Upon returning to the Han Dynasty, the government wanted to punish Li Guang for losing many soldiers and being captured by the Xiongnu. The law said he should die, but they let him off the hook and he became a commoner.
Some time later, Li Guang stayed at home for a few years. Li Guang and Pingye, grandson of Yingyin Hou, went hunting together in the southern mountains of Lantian. One night, Li Guang went for a horseback ride and a drink in the fields. When he returned to the Balin Gatehouse, the gatekeeper was drunk and stopped Li Guang. Li Guang's cavalry said, "This is General Li!" The gatekeeper replied, "Even generals cannot travel at night now, let alone an 'old' general!" So Li Guang was forced to spend the night under the pavilion. Not long after, the Xiongnu invasion resulted in the death of the Liaoxi Governor and the defeat of General Han, who was subsequently transferred to Youbeiping. The emperor then summoned Li Guang and appointed him as the Governor of Youbeiping. Li Guang requested to bring the gatekeeper with him, and upon arrival at the camp, he had him executed.
While Li Guang was governor of Youbeiping, the Xiongnu, having heard of his exploits, dubbed him the "Flying General of the Han," and for several years they did not dare to enter Youbeiping. Li Guang went out hunting and saw a stone in the grass, mistaking it for a tiger. He shot arrows at it, and the arrows buried into the stone, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be just a stone. He tried several more arrows, but couldn't penetrate the stone. Rumors of a tiger circulated around Li Guang's county, and he had personally shot and killed a tiger before. When he finally faced a tiger in Youbeiping, it jumped, wounding him, but he ultimately killed it.
Li Guang was a straight shooter. When he received rewards, he would distribute them to his subordinates and share meals with his soldiers. Throughout his life, Li Guang served as an official for over forty years, but his family had no surplus wealth. He never discussed his family's finances. Li Guang was tall with arms like a gorilla's, and he had a natural talent for archery. Even though his descendants and others tried to learn, no one could reach his level. Li Guang was not good with words and rarely spoke. When interacting with others, he would draw battle formations on the ground and entertain himself by competing in archery. Archery was his game, right up until the end. When leading troops in battle, if soldiers did not have enough to eat or drink, Li Guang would not consume anything himself. He was kind and not strict, so the soldiers loved and willingly served under him. He only fired when his enemy was close enough to guarantee a hit, and he almost always got his man. But this caution cost him, leading to many setbacks, and he was once injured while hunting fierce beasts.
After some time, Shi Jian died, and the emperor summoned Huo Qubing to replace him as the Prefect of Langzhong. In the sixth year of Yuanshuo, Huo Qubing was promoted to Grand General and joined the expedition to Dingxiang to fight the Xiongnu. While other generals captured many prisoners and got promoted and rewarded with land, Huo Qubing's army came back empty-handed.
Two years later, Huo Qubing left Youbeiping with four thousand cavalry as the Langzhongling. Zhang Qian, the Marquis of Bowang, along with ten thousand cavalry, took a different route. After traveling hundreds of miles, the Xiongnu King of the Left, with forty thousand cavalry, surrounded Huo Qubing. Huo Qubing's troops panicked. Huo Qubing had a subordinate charge into the battle. The subordinate led a few dozen cavalry into the Xiongnu formation, fought their way out from both sides, and returned to report to Huo Qubing: "Those Xiongnu are pushovers!" The soldiers were relieved. Huo Qubing formed a circular formation facing the enemy. The Xiongnu attacked fiercely, arrows falling like a hail of arrows. A swathe of Han soldiers fell, and arrows were running out. Huo Qubing ordered his soldiers to draw their bows but not to shoot easily. He used his heavy crossbow to shoot and kill several Xiongnu leaders, sending them into a rout. By nightfall, the men were white as sheets, but Huo Qubing remained calm and continued to organize the army. From then on, the soldiers admired his bravery. The next day brought another fierce battle, but the Xiongnu broke and ran when Zhang Qian's reinforcements arrived. Huo Qubing's army barely escaped annihilation, returning utterly exhausted. According to the laws of the Han Dynasty, Marquis of Bowang Zhang Qian should have been executed for delaying the military operation, but he bought his life, becoming a commoner. Despite their victory, Huo Qubing's men received no reward.
Initially, Li Guang's younger brother, Li Cai, worked together with Li Guang under Emperor Xiao Wen. When Emperor Jing became emperor, Li Cai was promoted to a high-ranking official position due to his military achievements. During the reign of Emperor Xiao Wu, he even rose to the position of Prime Minister. In the fifth year of Yuanshuo, Li Cai was appointed as the Light Cavalry General and accompanied the Grand General to fight against the Right Shanyu, achieving great success and being granted the title of Marquis of Le'an. In the second year of Yuanshou, he succeeded Gongsun Hong as Prime Minister. Li Cai was a pretty average guy, nowhere near as famous as Li Guang, but Li Guang had never received any titles or fiefs; his highest official position was one of the nine highest-ranking ministers, while Li Cai became a Marquis and rose to one of the three highest-ranking officials. Many of the officers and soldiers under Li Guang were also granted marquis titles. Li Guang once drank and chatted with Wang Shuo, who understood omens, saying, "Since the Han Dynasty began fighting against the Xiongnu, I, Li Guang, have never been absent. Those junior officers, their abilities are not top-notch, but because they have achieved merit in fighting against the Xiongnu, dozens of marquis titles have been granted. I've done as much as they have, if not more, so why am I getting nothing? Is it destined that I cannot be granted a marquis title? Or is it the will of heaven?" Wang Shuo asked him, "General, think about it yourself, is there something you can't get over?" Li Guang said, "I once served as the Prefect of Longxi; the Qiang people rebelled, and I deceived them into surrendering; more than 800 people surrendered, but on the same day, I killed them all. Even now, I still deeply regret this." Wang Shuo said, "There's nothing worse than killing surrendering soldiers; that is the reason why, General, you cannot be granted a marquis title!" Two years later, the Grand General and the Cavalry General led a large-scale attack on the Xiongnu, and Li Guang requested to go to battle multiple times. The Emperor thought he was too old and did not agree; it was only after a long time that he agreed, allowing him to become the front general. This was in the fourth year of Yuanshou.
Li Guang followed General Wei Qing to fight against the Xiongnu. After crossing the border, Wei Qing captured a prisoner and learned the location of the Chanyu's headquarters. Wei Qing then led the elite troops straight to the Chanyu's headquarters, while ordering Li Guang and the Right General to take the eastern route. The eastern route was longer and more arid, making prolonged camping difficult for the army. Li Guang volunteered and said, "I'm a former general, but now General Wei Qing has transferred me to the eastern route. I've been fighting against the Xiongnu since I was young, and now that I finally have the opportunity to face the Chanyu head-on, I hope to lead the charge and be the first to take down the Chanyu!"
Wei Qing actually understood in his heart. The Emperor had secretly told him that Li Guang was old and had bad luck, and he didn't want him to directly confront the Chanyu, fearing that it would not achieve the desired effect. At that time, Gongsun Ao had recently been stripped of his marquis title and was now a lieutenant general. He was also going on the expedition with Wei Qing, and Wei Qing wanted Gongsun Ao to face the Chanyu, so he transferred Li Guang from his position as a former general. Li Guang saw through this and tried to explain to Wei Qing, but Wei Qing didn't listen. He had his chief clerk deliver a letter to Li Guang, which read, "Get to your troops and follow the orders in this letter!" Li Guang left without thanking Wei Qing, feeling very angry. When he returned to his troops, he led the soldiers and the Right General on the eastern route.
The troops got lost, and some soldiers even went missing, resulting in them falling behind the main army. The main army engaged the Chanyu, who escaped before they could catch him, and then returned. They headed south through the Mulberry Camp and encountered the former general and the Right General's troops. After meeting with the main army, Li Guang returned to his camp. The main army sent their chief clerk with rations and wine, and also to ask Li Guang and the Right General why they were lost. Wei Qing wanted to report the situation of the battle to the Emperor. Before Li Guang could explain, the main army summoned him to camp for questioning and demanded an explanation. Li Guang said, "It wasn't the lieutenants' fault; I got us lost. I'll take the rap."
Returning to the camp, Li Guang said to his men, "I have been fighting the Xiongnu since I was young, having fought in over seventy-odd battles. Finally, I had the opportunity to fight against the Chanyu (the Xiongnu leader) with the Grand General, but he transferred me to a distant route, and we lost our way. Isn't that fate?! Besides, I am over sixty years old and do not have the energy to deal with those paper-pushers anymore." After saying this, he fell on his sword! Li Guang's soldiers and officers, as well as the entire army, were in tears. Upon hearing this news, regardless of whether they knew Li Guang or not, people of all ages wept. Meanwhile, Right General Shi Qi was condemned to death, but paid a fine to escape execution and lived as a commoner.
So, Li Guang had three sons. The eldest was named Li Danghu, the second Li Jiao, and the third Li Gan. They all served as guards by the emperor's side. One time, the emperor was joking with Han Yan, who, despite being young, showed a lack of respect towards him. Li Danghu then hit Han Yan, who quickly ran away. The emperor thought Li Danghu was truly brave! Unfortunately, Li Danghu kicked the bucket early. Later, the emperor appointed Li Jiao as the county magistrate, but both brothers had already died before Li Guang. Li Danghu left behind a son born after his father's death named Li Ling. When Li Guang died, Li Gan was following General Huo Qubing. The year after Li Guang's death, Li Cai was arrested for desecrating the emperor's tomb and committed suicide before being questioned. Li Gan, as a junior officer, followed General Huo Qubing to fight against the Xiongnu, capturing the flag of the Xiongnu King and killing many Xiongnu people. The emperor rewarded him with the title of Marquis and gave him a fief of two hundred households, appointing him as the Prefect of Langzhong in place of Li Guang. Some time later, Li Gan, resentful of General Wei Qing for causing his father's death, laid into Wei Qing, but Wei Qing kept mum about it. Shortly after, Li Gan accompanied the emperor to Shangyong to hunt at Ganquan Palace. General Huo Qubing, who was the emperor's favorite, shot him dead. At that time, the emperor said a deer did it, but everyone knew better. Over a year later, Huo Qubing also passed away. Interestingly, Li Gan's daughter became a maid by the Crown Prince's side, a real favorite, while Li Gan's son Li Yu also gained the favor of the Crown Prince. Unfortunately, both father and son loved money, and that's how the Li family went downhill.
After Li Ling grew up, he was selected as the commander of the Jianzhang cavalry, responsible for managing the cavalry. He was skilled in archery and cared for his soldiers. The Emperor believed that the Li family had been generations of military generals, so he allowed Li Ling to lead eight hundred cavalry. One time, he made a reconnaissance mission two thousand li deep into Xiongnu territory to survey the terrain at Juyan, but returned without encountering any enemies. The Emperor appointed him as the Cavalry Captain, commanding five thousand soldiers from the Danyang and Chu regions to train in archery at Jiuquan and Zhangye to defend against the Xiongnu.
When Li Ling was a few years old, in the autumn of the second year of Han Emperor Wu, General Li Guangli led thirty thousand cavalry to attack the Xiongnu Righteous King near the Qilian Mountains. In order to divert the Xiongnu's forces and prevent them from concentrating against Li Guangli, Li Ling was sent with five thousand troops to an area over a thousand li north of Juyan Pass to distract the enemy.
As the agreed time for Li Ling to return approached, the Chanyu (the Xiongnu leader) led eighty thousand troops to surround Li Ling's forces. Outnumbered eight to one, with their arrows spent and half their men dead, they managed to inflict casualties on over ten thousand Xiongnu soldiers. Fighting and retreating for eight days, when they were within a hundred li of Juyan Pass, the Xiongnu blocked their path. Li Ling's army was low on food, reinforcements had not arrived, and the Xiongnu launched a fierce attack, pressing Li Ling to surrender. Li Ling said, "I'm screwed!" and surrendered to the Xiongnu. His entire army was captured, with only over four hundred men escaping back.
The Chanyu, impressed by Li Ling's reputation and bravery in battle, married his daughter to Li Ling and esteemed him highly. When the Han court heard of this, they executed Li Ling's mother, wife, and children. Since then, the Li family's name was dragged through the mud, and those who worked under the Li family in Longxi were disgraced.
Sima Qian said: They say, "A good leader leads by example; a bad one can't even get people to follow orders." Was he talking about General Li? When I saw General Li, he seemed like a regular guy, not good with words. When he passed away, everyone mourned him, whether they knew him or not. This shows that he was loyal, honest, and genuinely kind to those officials! This is like the old saying: "Peach and plum trees don't talk, but people make a path to them." It's a small saying, but it speaks volumes.
