Li Mi was one of the famous peasant uprising leaders in the last years of the Sui Dynasty, and he had launched many uprisings during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang to fight against political and social injustices in the last years of the Sui Dynasty.
His army defeated the Sui army in several battles, controlled large areas of the region, and gained substantial popular support.
He once had an army of 200,000, including famous generals Qin Qiong and Xu Shiwei, but why did he die overnight?
Li Mi met this important person at a low point in his life
"This night is poor, and Yu Tao hurts his heart." - "Huaiyang Feeling" Li Mi.
In 616, Li Mi and Yang Xuangan established their own anti-Sui army in Henan and jointly rose against the Sui Dynasty.
The anti-Sui uprising lasted for two years, and by 618 the rebel army began to split for a variety of reasons, and the relationship between Li Mi and Yang Xuangan also arose. Soon after, Yang Xuangan died of his wounds in battle. The split of the rebel army and the death of Yang Xuangan greatly weakened the strength of the rebel army.
After that, the large army sent by the Sui Dynasty took the opportunity to counterattack, and the rebel army was forced to retreat. After the failure of the uprising, Li Mi was arrested, and Li Mi was able to use his plan. After taking off, he wrote this five-word poem "Huaiyang Feeling" in exile. After that, he remained anonymous in Huaiyang and was depressed. And just when Li Mi's life was at a low ebb, he met a man named Wang Bodang.
At the Games, Wang Bodang was considered a powerful figure in Huaiyang, and Wang Bodang saw Li Mi's talent and ability, so he recommended him to join Wagangzhai, hoping that he could show his talents and skills. Li Mi joined Wagangzhai in 618.
Anti-Sui Rebels: Wagangzhai
"Once the time of the Games, it has been passed down through the ages." - "Huaiyang Feeling" Li Mi.
Wagangzhai is a group of bandits and frustrated soldiers who were originally wandering abroad - founder: Zhai Rang.
Wagangzhai was originally an ordinary hill, which was later occupied by these insurgents and became their base. The leader Zhai Rangyuan was a simple and kind peasant who rebelled because of the oppression and exploitation of the Sui Dynasty, and he led some patriots to preach the "righteous spirit of the green forest" and call on the masses to rise up against the Sui Dynasty.
The Wagangzhai uprising soon received a wide response, and many people with lofty ideals came to take refuge, making the strength of the Wagangzhai rebel army grow rapidly. Relying on the local mountainous terrain, they adopted guerrilla tactics, often attacking Sui troops and officials. The morale of the rebel army was high, military discipline was strictly enforced, and many victories were achieved, and it was known as the "Odd Army in the Mountains".
After Li Mi joined Wagangzhai, he soon showed his talent and became an important figure in the village, commanding the anti-Sui rebel army of Wagangzhai to fight against the Sui Dynasty.
However, the Wagangzhai uprising also suffered many setbacks. In order to annihilate this rebel army, the Sui Dynasty sent troops to attack several times, but they were all defeated by the rebel army. The Sui Dynasty finally mobilized a large number of troops and surrounded Wagangzhai.
Although the rebel army resisted heroically, it was still unable to resist the fierce offensive of the Sui army, and finally the Wagangzhai was breached, and Zhai Rang and many rebel soldiers were killed.
The attack of the Sui army caused heavy losses to Wagangzhai, and the number of rebels also suffered many casualties. After Li Mi took over Wagangzhai, he took a series of measures to consolidate his position, and when he took power, he prepared for another rebellion against the Sui Dynasty.
He continued to expand his sphere of influence, constantly recruiting new troops and strengthening his power. In addition, he adopted some impassioned political propaganda, calling on people to join the anti-Sui ranks and jointly overthrow the Sui Dynasty.
The rebel army of Wagangzhai sprang up, growing in power and numbers, and the anti-Sui rebel army reached hundreds of thousands, and Li Mi led the army to rebel against the Sui Dynasty again, and within a few months attacked the Sui capital Luoyang. After that, Li Mi's rebel army was huge, becoming one of the three strongest rebel armies in the last years of the Sui Dynasty.
The Battle of Li Mi Luoyang: The tragedy of an anti-Sui fighter
In the last years of the Sui Dynasty, corruption and tyranny became the focus of popular discontent.
Li Mi led the Wagangzhai rebels to rebel against the injustices of the Sui government and the pursuit of democracy and freedom.
Li Mi's original intention was supported by many, and he defeated the Sui army several times, controlled large areas, and attacked all the way to Luoyang. There were many famous generals in his army, such as Qin Qiong and Xu Shiwei. Their courage and determination inspired countless people and became a symbol of resistance to tyranny.
However, over time, Li Mi's army was gradually weakened by the Sui army, and his subordinates gradually separated.
After months of siege in Luoyang, it seemed that the overthrow of the Sui Dynasty was imminent, but the rebels in Wagangzhai also suffered heavy casualties, and the attack on Luoyang lacked sufficient food and grass supplies, almost "exhausted the food". On the other hand, the Sui army had sufficient food and grass reserves to support their long-term battles on the battlefield.
Although Li Mi had a large army, they were mostly composed of civilians and lacked training and equipment. In contrast, the army of the Sui Dynasty had a long war experience, advanced weapons and equipment, so it had a great advantage in battle.
After that, Li Mi's subordinates began to lose confidence, and many began to betray him. In the end, Li Mi's confidant Liu Rengong surrendered to the Sui Dynasty and betrayed Li Mi to the Sui Dynasty.
The Sui Dynasty sent all its troops to carry out a counteroffensive and quickly eliminated the main force of the rebels, and Li Mi's army was defeated in the face of the Sui counterattack, which eventually led to their defeat.
After Li Mi was arrested, he hid his sword in his clothes on the way to the capital, and on the way to the capital, he suddenly drew his sword and chose to commit suicide.
The Battle of Luoyang took place in the late Sui Dynasty, in the fourteenth year of Tianbao, and Li Mi's performance in this war was disputed.
First of all, Li Mi's defeat was due to not fully understanding the Turkic fortifications and military strength. He lacked sufficient intelligence and intelligence analysis capabilities, and therefore insufficient knowledge of the Turkic situation, resulting in his attack plan not being sufficiently adjusted and prepared, and not adequately coordinated in combat.
In addition, his army was not united enough and did not cooperate enough, which led to slow progress in siege warfare and also provided enough opportunities for the Turks to counterattack.
Finally, the failure of this uprising fully exposed the problems of the leadership of Li Mi's army at that time.
Although the Wagang army led by Li Mi had an army of 200,000 and famous generals such as Qin Qiong and Xu Shiwei, due to internal rivalry among the leadership and lack of political wisdom, it eventually led to the destruction of the entire army. It also serves as a warning to the military's leadership and emphasizes the importance of leadership.
The failure of the uprising and rebellion made the political turmoil in the last years of the Sui Dynasty more intense, which eventually led to the demise of the Sui Dynasty. The demise of the Sui Dynasty laid the foundation for the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, which developed and progressed greatly in political, economic, cultural and other aspects, becoming one of the glorious periods in Chinese history.
bibliography
- "General Guide to Governance"
- "Li Mi's War with the Sui Dynasty" (Palace Museum Journal, No. 2, 2016).
- "The Peasant Uprising in the Late Sui Dynasty and Li Mi" (Monthly Journal of History, No. 7, 2013).