Li Zhongchen - Service at Pinglu Circuit

Service At Pinglu Circuit

In 755, An Lushan rebelled against Emperor Xuanzong's rule, and soon captured the Tang eastern capital Luoyang and declared himself emperor of a new state of Yan. The military governor of Pinglu, Lü Zhihui (呂知誨), was a follower of An's, and he trapped and killed the deputy Protectorate General to Pacify the East, Fumeng Lincha (夫蒙靈詧). In response, Dong Qin and his colleagues Liu Kenu (劉客奴) and Wang Xuanzhi (王玄志) killed Lü and took over the circuit, remaining in remote contact with Yan Zhenqing, one of the few Tang generals resisting Yan forces north of the Yellow River. When Yan informed the Tang imperial government of the situation, Liu was made the military governor to replace Lü, Wang made the deputy protectorate general to replace Fumeng, and Dong was made the military commander of the circuit (兵馬使, Bingmashi). The Pinglu army subsequently made a number of harassing attacks against An's original base at Fanyang (范陽, i.e., modern Beijing), and Dong distinguished himself in these battles, including a victory over the Xi general Abuli (阿布離) when the Xi allied with Yan. Subsequently, after Liu suffered a defeat and returned to Pinglu, Wang, for reasons lost to history, poisoned Liu to death. In spring 757, Wang sent Dong with an army over the Bohai Sea, on simple rafts, to join the general Tian Shen'gong (田神功) to attack Pingyuan (平原, roughly modern Dezhou, Shandong) and Le'an (樂安, roughly modern Binzhou, Shandong) Commanderies, recapturing them from Yan forces. The Tang general in overall command in the area, Li Xian (李銑), exercising imperial authority, made Dong the governor of Pingyuan Commandery. (Dong would not again return to Pinglu from this point on.)