Cui Li

Biography

The Siege of Kaifeng and Mutiny

Cui Li was a military commander from Jiangling in Dezhou (modern Dezhou, Shandong) who rose to Marshal of the Western Sector in the Jurchen Jin capital of Nanjing (Kaifeng). In late 1232 CE, during the massive Mongol encirclement under Subutai, Jin Emperor Aizong broke out of the siege toward Guide, leaving Chancellor Wanyan Nushen and Vice-Commissioner Wanyan Xienian'abu to manage the desperate defense. In January 1233 CE, as starvation and plague decimated the civilian population, Cui Li mobilized his military police to stage an armed coup. Breaching the ministry buildings, Cui's mutineers assassinated Wanyan Nushen and Xienian'abu. Cui Li installed himself as Grand Preceptor and Generalissimo, seizing dictatorial control of Kaifeng.

Betrayal of the Capital and Imperial Clan

Cui Li immediately sent envoys to Mongol supreme general Subutai, surrendering the fortress of Kaifeng without further resistance. To curry favor with his new masters, Cui systematically pillaged the palaces and gentry residences. He rounded up the imperial family—including Prince of Liang Wanyan Congke, Prince of Jing Wanyan Shouchun, Empress Dowager, empresses, and over five hundred royal princes and consorts—and delivered them under armed escort to Subutai's northern camps, where the males were systematically slaughtered and females forced into captivity. Cui established a reign of terror in the ruins of Kaifeng, executing critics and forcing prominent scholars, including Yuan Haowen, to compose inscriptions celebrating his "virtue."

The Assassination by Li Boyuan

Cui Li's arrogance and extortion aroused universal fury. In January 1234 CE, as Mongol garrisons prepared to enter Kaifeng, loyalist battalion commander Li Boyuan organized an internal plot with patriotic officers. Faking loyalty, Li Boyuan approached Cui Li near the central avenue, suddenly struck Cui down with a concealed sword, and decapitated him on the spot. Cui's brother Cui Jian was killed simultaneously. Li Boyuan affixed Cui Li's head to a pike and paraded it through the boulevards of Kaifeng, while thousands of weeping citizens pelted the remains with stones. The History of Jin permanently consigns Cui Li to the Biographies of Traitors.

Major Activities

The January 1233 CE Mutiny in Kaifeng

Assassinated chief loyalist ministers Wanyan Nushen and Xienian'abu during the height of the Mongol siege, seizing the capital.

Betrayal and Extradition of the Jurchen Imperial Clan

Delivered over five hundred Jin royal princes, empresses, and consorts to Mongol execution and captivity at Subutai's camps.

Tyrannical Misrule and Death at Kaifeng

Imposed brutal taxation and erected panegyric monuments until his decapitation by loyalist commander Li Boyuan in 1234 CE.

Personal Relations

• Brother: Cui Jian (Renegade officer slain alongside Cui Li).
• Assassinated Regents: Wanyan Nushen and Wanyan Xienian'abu.
• Avenging Patriot: Li Boyuan (Battalion commander who ambushed and decapitated Cui Li).
• Mongol Supreme Commander: Subutai (Accepted Cui Li's surrender).
• Betrayed Royal Victims: Wanyan Congke (Prince of Liang) and Imperial Consorts.

Historical Assessment

• Toqto'a (History of Jin): Condemned Cui Li as a heinous traitor who surrendered the capital, enslaved the imperial family, and earned eternal historical damnation.
• Liu Qi (Gui Qian Zhi): Recorded his brutal cruelty and extortion, noting that all citizens celebrated when his severed head was raised on a pike.
• Ke Shaomin (New History of Yuan): Acclaimed Li Boyuan's heroic execution of Cui Li as an act of cosmic justice against a monster.