Sui and Tang · Military Officer and Rebel

Li Chulin 李楚琳

Attested AD 783

Passages: 3
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Li Chulin was a Military Officer and Rebel.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 783 會德宗出奉天
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 150, passages 171, 173

Career and standing

Joined
Rebel
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 173

Events and relationships

Killed Zhang Yi and joined rebels
AD 783 夜殺鎰以應賊 · Military · Mutineer · With Zhang Yi (張鎰)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 173

Assessments and attributes

Assessment naturally fierce and unruly · 素慓悍 · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 171

References in the histories

New Book of Tang, Chapter 150Volume 150 Biographies 75: Li, Chang, Zhao, Cui, Qi, Lu · 3 passages

會德宗出奉天，鎰儒緩不知兵，部將李楚琳者，素慓悍，欲介賊為亂。 When Emperor Dezong fled to Fengtian, Zhang Yi was a bookish man, slow-moving and ignorant of war. A subordinate general named Li Chulin was naturally fierce and unruly and wanted to join the rebels in raising trouble.

映與齊抗請先事誅之，鎰不用，更示寬大，徐謂楚琳曰：「欲以君使外，若何？」 Ying and Qi Kang urged that Chulin be killed first. Yi refused and instead tried a show of leniency, saying slowly to Chulin: "I would like to send you on assignment elsewhere. What do you say?"

楚琳恐，夜殺鎰以應賊，映雅為軍中慕賴，故得免。 Chulin grew afraid. That night he killed Yi and went over to the rebels. Ying had long been respected and trusted in the army, and so he escaped unharmed.