Li Zitong - Struggle For Modern Jiangsu and Zhejiang

Struggle For Modern Jiangsu and Zhejiang

Li Zitong's activities for the next several years were not clear, other than that he continued to occupy Hailing, and that he, particularly after Emperor Yang of Sui was killed at Jiangdu (江都, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) in a coup led by the general Yuwen Huaji in spring 618 and Yuwen then left Jiangdu, contended for control of the lower Yangtze River region, against Du Fuwei, Shen Faxing (who claimed the title of Prince of Liang), and the former Sui general Chen Leng (陳稜). In fall 619, Li put Jiangdu, then controlled by Chen, under siege. Chen sought help from Shen and Du; Du led forces to relieve Chen personally, while Shen sent his son Shen Guan (沈綸). Accepting the suggestion of his official Mao Wenshen (毛文深), Li tricked Du and Shen Guan into battling each other by launching an attack on Du with soldiers that pretended to be Shen's troops. Neither was then able to assist Chen, and Li soon captured Jiangdu. He claimed the title of Emperor of Wu once he did so.

In 620, Li crossed the Yangtze to attack Shen, who then had his capital at Piling (毗陵, in modern Changzhou, Jiangsu). Li quickly captured Jingkou (京口, in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu), and when Shen sent his general Jiang Yuanchao (蔣元超) against Li, Li defeated and killed Jiang. Shen abandoned Piling and fled to Wu Commandery (吳郡, roughly modern Suzhou, Jiangsu), allowing Li to seize Piling and Danyang (丹楊, roughly modern Nanjing, Jiangsu). Meanwhile, Du Fuwei, who had by that point submitted to Tang Dynasty and was granted the imperial surname of Li by Emperor Gaozu of Tang (Li Yuan) and therefore was known as Li Fuwei, sent his generals Fu Gongshi, Kan Leng (闞稜), and Wang Xiongdan (王雄誕), against Li Zitong. After initial indecisive battles, Li Zitong was defeated, and after he ran out of food supplies, he abandoned Jiangdu, heading first to Jingkou, and then abandoned Jingkou as well and attacked Shen. Shen committed suicide, allowing Li Zitong to take over his territory—roughly modern Zhejiang. Li Zitong placed his capital at Yuhang (餘杭, in modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang). His own old territory and the territory that he had seized from Shen earlier that year, including Danyang and Jingkou, were seized by Li Fuwei.