Li Si'an (李思安) | 24 Histories

Overview

Li Si'an was a general.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Zhenchen	貞臣	Zhēnchén

Life and dates

Death

AD 912 乾化二年
Demoted to Liuzhou registrar then granted death at Xiangzhou · Authority the Founder (太祖) · At Xiangzhou 相州
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 128

Attested activity

AD 911 to AD 912 乾化元年秋至乾化二年正月
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passages 126, 128, 131
AD 883 唐中和三年
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 109
AD 907 開平元年春
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 121

Career and standing

cavalryman under Yang Yanhong 汴將楊彥洪騎士
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 107
deputy Tread-White commander 副王虔裕為踏白將
Appointed · Authority the Founder (太祖)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 112
Xiangzhou prefect 相州刺史
AD 911 乾化元年秋 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 126
acting Left Vice Director 檢校左僕射
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 118
Bozhou prefect 亳州刺史
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 118
all-armies commander 諸軍都指揮使
Promoted
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 118

Show 1 more source-backed claim

stripped of all ranks and bound as a common household 盡奪其官爵，委本郡以民戶係焉
Punished · Authority the Founder (太祖)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 123

Places and affiliations

At Zhangting in Chenliu 陳留張亭里
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 106

Events and relationships

Attacked Youzhou in spring of Kaiping 1 and terrified Yan, then failed for months at Lu with many desertions
AD 907 開平元年春 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passages 121-122
Crossed the Huai, took Tianchang and Gaoyou, resisted Sun Ru, and pressed Chuzhou
Military · Commander · With Sun Ru (孫儒)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 117
Went first alone against Chao and Cai; pursued Chao in defeat; saved Tangbin at Zheng; captured Liu Xingshi
Military · Scout · With Huang Chao (黃巢), Qin Zongquan (秦宗權), Li Tangbin (李唐賓), Liu Xingshi (柳行實)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passages 113-116
Relation Subordinate of · Person Yang Yanhong (楊彥洪)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 107
Relation Deputy of · Person Wang Qianyu (王虔裕)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 112
Relation Subordinate of · Person the Founder (太祖)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 109

Assessments and attributes

Assessment disappointed at not receiving a military commission, he idled and ignored government · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 127
Assessment fierce; in command either won crushing victory or suffered crushing defeat · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 120
seven feet tall before manhood; skilled with the flying lance
Physical description
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passages 108, 110

Source notes

Zizhi Tongjian says he was stripped at Xiangzhou in Kaiping/Qianhua 1, then in year 2 first month at Huojia demoted to Liuzhou registrar, exiled to Yazhou, and ordered to die
Field death · Source Work Zizhi Tongjian
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passages 130-131
From unattested original name · To Si'an 思安 · Reason name bestowed by the Founder, style Zhenchen
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 19, passage 109

References in the histories

Search passages

History

12 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 19Volume 19 Book of Later Liang 19: Biographies 9: Shi Shucong, Zhu Yougong, Wang Zhongshi, Zhu Zhen, Li Si'an, Deng Jiyun, Huang Wenjing, Hu Gui, Li Dang, Li Zhongyin, Fan Jushi · 12 passages

Open chapter

李思安，陳留張亭里人也。 Li Si'an came from Zhangting in Chenliu.

唐中和三年，太祖鎮汴，嘗大閱戎旅，睹其材，甚偉之，因錫名思安，字貞臣。 In Zhonghe 3 of Tang, when the Founder held Bian he reviewed the troops, admired his build, and gave him the name Si'an, styled Zhenchen.

思安善飛槊，所向披靡，每從太祖征伐，常馳馬出敵陣之後，測其厚薄而還。 Si'an wielded the flying lance to devastating effect and often rode alone behind enemy lines to test their strength before returning.

時巢、蔡合從，太祖每遣偵邏，必率先獨往。 While Huang Chao and the Cai rebels were allied, Si'an always went ahead alone whenever the Founder sent scouts.

巢敗走，思安領所部百餘人追賊，殺戮掩奪，眾莫敢當。 When Chao fled in defeat, Si'an led a hundred-odd men in pursuit, killing and looting until none dared face him.

尋領軍襲蔡寇於鄭，都將李唐賓馬躓而墜，思安援槊刺追者，唐賓復其騎而還。 He later struck Cai rebels at Zheng; when Li Tangbin was thrown, Si'an speared the pursuers so Tangbin could remount and escape.

思安為性勇悍，每統戎臨敵，不大勝，必大敗。 Fierce by nature, Si'an in command either won a crushing victory or suffered a crushing defeat.

太祖嘗因命將授鉞，謂左右曰：「李思安當敵果敢，無出其右者，然每遇藩方擇材，吾將用之，則敗聞必至，如是者二三矣，則知飛將數奇，前史豈虛言哉！」 Once, as he gave axes to his generals, the Founder told his attendants: "Li Si'an is matchless in a fight, yet whenever I post him to a frontier command defeat follows—two or three times now. The old books were right about unlucky flying generals!"

思安自謂當擁旄仗鉞，及是殊不快意，但日循晏安，無意為政。 Si'an had expected a military commission; bitterly disappointed, he idled in comfort and ignored government.

及太祖北征，以候騎之誤，落然無所具，而復壁壘荒圮，帑廩空竭，太祖怒，貶柳州司戶，尋賜死於相州。 On a northern campaign the Founder arrived unexpectedly; Si'an had nothing ready, his walls were broken, and his stores were bare. The Founder demoted him to Liuzhou registrar and soon had him executed at Xiangzhou.

〈（《通鑒》：開化元年丙午，至相州，刺史李思安不意帝猝至，落然無具，坐削官爵。 (The 《Zizhi Tongjian》 says: In Qianhua 1, on the bingwu day, the Emperor reached Xiangzhou; Prefect Li Si'an, caught unprepared, was stripped of rank on the spot.

二年正月丁卯，帝至獲嘉，追思李思安去歲供饋有闕，貶柳州司戶，尋長流思安於崖州，賜死。）〉 In the first month of the second year, dingmao day, at Huojia he recalled Si'an's short rations the year before, demoted him to Liuzhou registrar, then exiled him to Yazhou and ordered his death.)