Li Shang

Biography

Family Background and Early Life

Li Shang was from Gaoyang County in Chenliu Commandery. His elder brother Li Yiji was locally known for his love of reading despite his poverty and had served as a village gatekeeper, earning the reputation of a “mad scholar.” The family was not prominent and the brothers did not come from an established aristocratic clan. In 209 BCE, the first year of Qin Ershi, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang rebelled at Dazexiang, prompting armed uprisings across the empire. Li Shang gathered young men around Gaoyang, recruited followers, and built an independent local force numbering several thousand. At this time Liu Bang was advancing west through the Chenliu region. Li Yiji joined Liu Bang and recommended his younger brother. After Liu Bang captured Chenliu, Li Shang formally entered his service with more than four thousand men.

Entering the Passes with Liu Bang and the Chu–Han Contention

After joining Liu Bang, Li Shang immediately participated in fighting against Qin. He followed Liu Bang in attacking Changshe and was first over the walls, for which he received the title Lord Xincheng. He later fought at Goushi, blockaded a Yellow River crossing, and helped inflict a major defeat on Qin forces east of Luoyang. During Liu Bang’s westward advance, Li Shang participated in the capture of Wan and Rang and in pacifying seventeen other counties. He then independently led troops against Xunguan and pacified Hanzhong Commandery, helping secure the region south of Guanzhong for Liu Bang.

In 206 BCE, when Xiang Yu divided the former Qin realm and Liu Bang became King of Han with his capital at Nanzheng, Liu Bang appointed Li Shang Commandant of Longxi while retaining his military role. As Commandant of Longxi, Li Shang independently pacified Beidi and Shang commanderies, defeated troops under one of Zhang Han’s subordinate commanders at Yanshi, defeated Zhou Lei’s forces at Xunyi, and defeated Su Zu at Niyang. These victories helped the Han consolidate Guanzhong and eliminate remaining Three Qin forces. Liu Bang rewarded him with six thousand households in Wucheng County.

Li Shang then followed Liu Bang east against Xiang Yu. After five months of campaigning he fought at Juye against Xiang Yu’s commander Zhongli Mo and distinguished himself in battle. Liu Bang granted him the seal of Chancellor of Liang and increased his fief by four thousand households. As Chancellor of Liang he continued fighting Xiang Yu for two years and three months and captured Huling. During the Chu–Han Contention, Li Shang was mainly responsible for regional military operations. Although not one of Liu Bang’s central strategists or supreme commanders, he was capable of independent command and contributed substantially to the final defeat of Xiang Yu.

Suppression of Early Han Revolts and Enfeoffment

In 202 BCE, Xiang Yu died at Wujiang and Liu Bang became emperor. That autumn, King Zang Tu of Yan rebelled and Li Shang accompanied Liu Bang on campaign. At Longtu, Li Shang fought in the front ranks and was first over the fortifications, then defeated Zang Tu’s forces near Yi. For this service he received the additional title Right Chancellor, was made a marquis with a hereditary covenant, and was granted five thousand households at Zhuo as Marquis of Zhuo. He then independently pacified Shanggu and campaigned in Dai, after which Liu Bang gave him the seal of Chancellor of Zhao. Holding the titles Right Chancellor and Chancellor of Zhao, he joined Marquis of Jiang Zhou Bo and others in pacifying Dai and Yanmen commanderies, capturing the Dai chancellor Cheng Zong, acting chancellor Guo Tong, and nineteen officials from general rank down to the six-hundred-shi grade.

After returning, Li Shang served as a general guarding Liu Taigong, Liu Bang’s father and Retired Emperor, for one year and seven months. In 197 BCE, when Chen Xi rebelled as chancellor of Dai, Li Shang attacked him as Right Chancellor and captured Dongyuan. In 196 BCE, when King Ying Bu of Huainan rebelled, Li Shang again followed Liu Bang, led an assault against two forward positions, and helped break the rebel army. Liu Bang then transferred his fief to Quzhou and increased it to 5,100 households, withdrawing the earlier Zhuo fief. The source credits Li Shang overall with breaking three enemy armies, pacifying six commanderies and seventy-three counties, and capturing a chancellor, an acting chancellor, a senior general, two junior commanders, and nineteen officials between the two-thousand-shi and six-hundred-shi ranks.

Political Activity around Liu Bang’s Death

In 195 BCE, Liu Bang died at Changle Palace. Empress Lü and Shen Yiji reportedly planned to keep his death secret while killing meritorious generals. When news of the plan leaked, it reached Li Shang. He immediately went to Shen Yiji and warned that Chen Ping and Guan Ying commanded one hundred thousand troops at Xingyang, while Fan Kuai and Zhou Bo had another two hundred thousand troops pacifying Yan and Dai. If they learned that Liu Bang was dead and the generals were being killed, they would unite and march back against Guanzhong. With the ministers rebelling within and regional lords outside, he warned, the Han court would quickly collapse. Shen Yiji conveyed the warning to Empress Lü. After weighing the danger, she announced Liu Bang’s death four days later and proclaimed a general amnesty, allowing Emperor Hui to succeed smoothly. Li Shang’s intervention therefore helped prevent a direct clash between the founding generals and the Lü faction during the transition.

Later Years and Death

During the reign of Emperor Hui and the regency of Empress Lü, Li Shang was in poor health and largely withdrew from active government. His son Li Ji became a close friend of Lü Lu. In 180 BCE, after Empress Lü died, veteran ministers Zhou Bo and Chen Ping planned to eliminate the Lü clan. Lü Lu, as a general, controlled the Northern Army, and Zhou Bo, although Grand Commandant, could not enter its camp. Zhou Bo and Chen Ping therefore had Li Shang seized and forced Li Ji to deceive Lü Lu. Li Ji told Lü Lu that Zhou Bo had taken control of the Southern Army and advised him to surrender his command to protect himself. Lü Lu believed him and went out with Li Ji, allowing Zhou Bo to enter the Northern Army and seize control. The Lü clan was then eliminated. Li Shang died later that year and received the posthumous title Marquis Jing. Because Li Ji had betrayed his friend Lü Lu under coercion, contemporaries used the phrase “Li Kuang sold out his friend.”

Major Activities

Military Campaigns

Li Shang was one of the important generals of the early Han. His military career covered the anti-Qin campaigns, the Chu–Han Contention, and the suppression of early Han revolts. During the anti-Qin fighting he followed Liu Bang at Changshe, Goushi, and Luoyang and independently pacified Hanzhong. During the Chu–Han Contention he fought as Commandant of Longxi and Chancellor of Liang in Guanzhong, Juye, Huling, and elsewhere. After the establishment of Han, he participated in the suppression of Zang Tu, Chen Xi, and Ying Bu and independently pacified Shanggu, Dai, and Yanmen. The Records of the Grand Historian credits him with breaking three enemy armies, pacifying six commanderies and seventy-three counties, and capturing senior civil and military officials.

Political Activity

After Liu Bang’s death, Empress Lü and Shen Yiji reportedly considered killing meritorious generals. Li Shang warned through Shen Yiji that such killings could cause heavily armed commanders such as Chen Ping, Guan Ying, Fan Kuai, and Zhou Bo to rebel and place the Han court in danger from both internal and external enemies. Empress Lü accepted the warning, announced Liu Bang’s death, and Emperor Hui succeeded smoothly. Both the Records of the Grand Historian and the Book of Han record the episode. Later historians have interpreted the effect of Li Shang’s intervention differently, but it objectively helped avert a large-scale internal confrontation. After Empress Lü’s death, Li Shang’s son Li Ji, under coercion from Zhou Bo and Chen Ping, deceived Lü Lu and helped create the conditions for eliminating the Lü clan. Li Shang himself did not directly participate in the coup, but his family was closely connected to it.

Relations with Contemporaries

Li Shang, Xiao He, Cao Shen, Zhou Bo, Fan Kuai, Guan Ying, and others were all founding meritorious officials of the Han and fought for many years under Liu Bang. He directly cooperated with Zhou Bo in pacifying Dai and Yanmen. His elder brother Li Yiji was an important persuader for Liu Bang and was boiled to death by King Tian Guang of Qi while on a diplomatic mission during the Chu–Han Contention. Li Shang also had direct dealings with Empress Lü and Shen Yiji and delivered his warning through Shen after Liu Bang’s death. His son Li Ji was a friend of Lü Lu, a relationship later exploited by Zhou Bo and Chen Ping to induce Lü Lu to surrender military authority.

Personal Relations

• Elder brother: Li Yiji, envoy and persuader under Liu Bang; executed by boiling on the order of King Tian Guang of Qi during the Chu–Han Contention. After becoming emperor, Liu Bang remembered Li Yiji’s service and enfeoffed his son Li Jie as Marquis of Wusui.
• Son: Li Ji, courtesy name Kuang; friend of Lü Lu, later coerced by Zhou Bo and Chen Ping into deceiving him; contemporaries referred to the episode as “Li Kuang sold out his friend.” He inherited the title Marquis of Quzhou.
• Grandson: Li Jian, enfeoffed Marquis Miu and posthumously titled Marquis Jing.
• Great-grandson: Li Suicheng, inherited the marquisate and received the posthumous title Marquis Kang.
• Great-great-grandson: Li Shizong, also called Li Tazong, inherited the marquisate and received the posthumous title Marquis Huai.
• Fifth-generation descendant: Li Zhonggen, inherited the marquisate and served as Grand Ceremonial Minister; his state was abolished after he broke the law.
• Liu Bang: Li Shang joined him and fought under his command for many years; Liu successively granted him the titles Lord Xincheng, Marquis of Zhuo, and Marquis of Quzhou.
• Empress Lü: Li Shang sent advice through Shen Yiji after Liu Bang’s death, persuading her to announce the death and proceed with the funeral. During her regency, Li Shang was too ill to manage regular affairs.
• Zhou Bo and Chen Ping: After Empress Lü’s death, they detained Li Shang and coerced Li Ji into deceiving Lü Lu during the elimination of the Lü clan.
• Zhou Bo: Fought alongside Li Shang in pacifying Dai and Yanmen.
• Guan Ying and Fan Kuai: Fellow founding generals whose large commands Li Shang cited when warning of the danger of killing meritorious officers after Liu Bang’s death.
• Shen Yiji: Li Shang used him to convey his warning to Empress Lü after Liu Bang’s death.
• Lü Lu: Although Li Ji was Lü Lu’s friend, he was coerced into deceiving him after Empress Lü’s death, causing Lü Lu to lose control of the Northern Army and ultimately be killed.

Historical Assessment

Han and Contemporary Assessments

• Sima Qian’s Records of the Grand Historian, “Biographies of Fan, Li, Teng, and Guan,” credits Fan Kuai and Li Shang with important military achievements in siege and field warfare and also recognizes Li Shang’s contribution in helping resolve the crisis after Liu Bang’s death.
• Ban Gu’s Book of Han records Li Shang’s military achievements and enfeoffment and places him among Fan Kuai, Teng Gong, Guan Ying, and other founding generals.
• Lu Ji’s “Eulogy for the Meritorious Officials of Emperor Gaozu of Han” praises Li Shang for joining Liu Bang through his elder brother Li Yiji, fighting in the founding wars, and helping suppress the revolts of Zang Tu and Ying Bu.

Wei-Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties, Sui, and Tang Periods

• Western Jin writer Lu Ji included Li Shang among the early Han founding meritorious officials in his eulogy and praised his military record.
• Pei Yin of Liu Song, in the Collected Explanations of the Records of the Grand Historian, cited Xu Guang and others in examining details of Li Shang’s titles and fiefs and treated him as an important early Han marquis.
• Tang scholar Sima Zhen’s Seeking the Obscure in the Records of the Grand Historian annotated accounts concerning Li Shang and organized his life within the Shiji tradition of founding officials.

Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Periods

• Song scholar Wang Yizhi’s Chronology of the Western Han records Li Shang’s activities in chronological form, although the surviving evidence does not clearly preserve a separate overall judgment of him.
• Qing scholar Zhao Yi, in Notes on the Twenty-Two Histories, cited Li Shang’s enfeoffment as Marquis of Quzhou when discussing the system of rewarding Han founding officials.
• Qing scholar Qian Daxin, in Critical Comparisons of the Twenty-Two Histories, examined textual variations concerning Li Shang in the Records of the Grand Historian and Book of Han, including the dates of his titles and the size of his fief.

Modern Assessments

• Lü Simian’s History of the Qin and Han discusses Li Shang’s warning to Empress Lü after Liu Bang’s death and regards it as important to stabilizing early Han politics.
• Modern scholars examining the relationship between the founding officials and the Lü clan often use Li Shang and his son Li Ji to illustrate the choices faced by meritorious families during the Lü Clan disturbance.
• Li Shang’s tomb survives at Gaoyang in present-day Qi County, Henan, and is listed as a local protected cultural site, providing material evidence for the study of Qin-Han burial practices.