As Roving General During The Anshi Rebellion
Later in 757, when Emperor Xuanzong's son Emperor Suzong had taken over as emperor, a joint Tang and Huige army recaptured Chang'an and Luoyang from Yan, then under the rule of An Lushan's son An Qingxu (An Lushan having been assassinated by An Qingxu earlier in the year). An Qingxu fled to Yecheng and put up his defense there. A number of Tang generals, including, in addition to Dong Qin, Guo Ziyi, Lu Jiong (魯炅), Li Huan (李奐), Xu Shuji (許叔冀), Li Siye, Ji Guangchen (季廣琛), Cui Guangyuan (崔光遠), Li Guangbi, and Wang Sili (王思禮), converged on Yecheng and put it under siege, although Tang forces were unable to capture Yecheng quickly. In spring 759, the Yan general Shi Siming, who had briefly submitted to Emperor Suzong but then turned against Tang again, attacked Tang forces at Yecheng and caused them to collapse and scatter, and then killed An Qingxu, taking over as Yan's emperor. He then attacked south. With Guo blamed for the collapse at Yecheng, Li Guangbi was put in overall command of Tang forces in the region, and he put Xu in charge of defending Bian Prefecture (汴州, in modern Kaifeng, Henan). Dong, along with Tian, Liang Pu (梁浦) and Liu Congjian (劉從諫), served under Xu. When Shi arrived at Bian Prefecture and initially defeated Xu, however, Xu surrendered, along with Dong, Tian, Liang, and Liu. Shi had long been impressed by Dong, and he patted Dong's back and stated, "Before, I had only a left hand. Now that I have you, lord, I also have a right hand." When Dong subsequently accompanied Shi in capturing Luoyang and then attacking the key outpost Heyang (河陽, near Luoyang), however, he took the opportunity to flee from Shi's camp and rejoin Li Guangbi, then defending Heyang. Emperor Suzong made Dong the military commander of the Shanxi (陝西) and Shence (神策) Armies, and bestowed on him not only the imperial surname of Li, but also a new personal name, Zhongchen (meaning, "faithful subject"). He also created Li Zhongchen the Duke of Longxi and awarded him with much treasure. Li Zhongchen and another military commander of Shence Army, Wei Boyu (衛伯玉), subsequently defended Shan Prefecture (陝州, in modern Sanmenxia, Henan) against the attacks by Shi's general Li Guiren (李歸仁) and were able to repel Li Guiren.
Emperor Suzong died in 762 and was succeeded by his son Emperor Daizong. Soon thereafter, Li Zhongchen was made the military governor of Huaixi Circuit (淮西, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan), governing over 12 prefectures. He subsequently joined other Tang and Huige generals in recapturing Luoyang from Shi Siming's son and successor Shi Chaoyi, forcing Shi Chaoyi to flee. (Shi Chaoyi would subsequently commit suicide, ending the Anshi Rebellion.) After Huige's Dengli Khan Yaoluoge Yidijian returned to his own realm, the remaining Huige generals An Ke (安恪) and Shi Diting (石帝庭) gathered groups of bandits and pillaged the region. Emperor Daizong commissioned Dong to destroy them, and he did, before returning to Huaixi.
Read more about this topic: Li Zhongchen
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