He Gui facts for kids

He Gui (born in 858, died in 919) was an important general in ancient China. He lived during a time called the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. This was a period when China was divided into many smaller states. He Gui served the Later Liang state. He was known for leading their armies against their main enemy, the Jin state, from 917 until his death. His courtesy name was Guangyuan.

Early Life and Beginnings

He Gui was born in 858 in a place called Puyang. We know the names of some of his male ancestors, like his great-grandfather He Yan, grandfather He Hua, and father He Zhongyuan. From a young age, He Gui was very ambitious. He decided to become a soldier during a time of trouble in the late Tang dynasty. He quickly became an officer under a leader named Zhu Xuan. Zhu Xuan was the head of Pu Prefecture, which is in modern Heze, Shandong.

Serving Under Zhu Xuan

In 882, a military leader named Han Jian attacked Tianping Circuit. This was the area where Pu Prefecture was located. The leader of Tianping, Cao Cunshi, was killed in battle. Zhu Xuan took charge of the army. He successfully defended Tianping's main city, Yun Prefecture, against Han Jian's attacks.

The emperor at the time, Emperor Xizong of Tang, made Zhu Xuan the new military governor of Tianping. Zhu Xuan then made He Gui the commander of both the cavalry (soldiers on horseback) and infantry (soldiers on foot).

By 887, Zhu Xuan was fighting against his former friend, Zhu Quanzhong. He Gui often led Zhu Xuan's army in these battles. In 895, Zhu Quanzhong's army surrounded Zhu Jin, who was Zhu Xuan's cousin. Zhu Jin was trapped in Yan Prefecture. He Gui and other officers were sent to attack Cao Prefecture. They hoped this attack would force Zhu Quanzhong to stop the siege on Yan.

However, they met Zhu Quanzhong's main army and were badly defeated. He Gui and two other officers were captured. Zhu Quanzhong showed them to Zhu Jin, hoping he would surrender. But Zhu Jin tricked and killed one of Zhu Quanzhong's relatives. This made Zhu Quanzhong's army lose morale, and he had to retreat. Zhu Quanzhong executed the other captured officers. But he spared He Gui because he had heard about He Gui's skills. He Gui then became an officer in Zhu Quanzhong's army. It is said that He Gui secretly promised to be loyal to Zhu Quanzhong for saving his life.

Serving Under Zhu Quanzhong

In 903, He Gui joined Zhu Quanzhong's fight against Wang Shifan. After Zhu Quanzhong won, He Gui was made the head of Cao Prefecture. He also helped Zhu Quanzhong in his campaigns against Zhao Kuangning and Zhao Kuangming in 905. After these areas were conquered, He Gui became the acting military governor of Jingnan.

Later, when Lei Yangong attacked Jingnan's capital, Jiangling, He Gui chose to defend the city from inside. Zhu Quanzhong saw this as a sign of weakness. So, he called He Gui back and replaced him with Gao Jichang.

Later Liang Service

During Emperor Taizu's Reign

In 907, Zhu Quanzhong took control of the imperial court. He forced the last Tang emperor, Emperor Ai of Tang, to give up the throne to him. This ended the Tang dynasty and started a new state called Later Liang. Zhu Quanzhong became Emperor Taizu of Later Liang. He Gui continued to serve in the army and received many promotions.

In 909, he became the military prefect of Xing Prefecture. In 910, he was made the head of Ze Prefecture. He also became the acting military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit. The capital of Zhaoyi, Lu Prefecture, was controlled by Later Liang's main enemy, the Jin state. He Gui was also given the title of marquess. In 912, he became the head of Xiang Prefecture. Soon after, he was called back to the Later Liang government to lead the Left Longhu Army.

During Zhu Zhen's Reign

In 916, Emperor Taizu's son, Zhu Zhen, was the emperor. Weibo Circuit, an area that had been part of Later Liang for a long time, rebelled. They were unhappy because Zhu Zhen wanted to divide their area into two smaller circuits. Weibo Circuit then surrendered to the Jin state. The Jin prince, Li Cunxu, took control of Weibo. Later Liang tried to get it back. In one battle, He Gui and another general, Wang Tan, recaptured Chan Prefecture. They captured the Jin-appointed leader, Li Yan, and brought him to Emperor Zhu Zhen.

Later in 916, Qing Prefecture also turned against Later Liang and surrendered to the Qi state. Emperor Zhu Zhen ordered He Gui to lead an army to fight back. He Gui quickly captured Ning and Yan prefectures from Qi. In the fall of 917, Qing Prefecture also fell to him. Emperor Zhu Zhen rewarded He Gui by making him the military governor of Xuanyi Circuit. He also gave him an important honorary title, Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi, which was like being a chancellor. Soon after, Zhu Zhen made He Gui the overall commander of all Later Liang forces. These forces were positioned on the northern border, facing the Jin state.

He Gui soon had a disagreement with one of his generals, Xie Yanzhang. He Gui was known for his skill with infantry, and Xie was known for his skill with cavalry. He Gui didn't like that Xie had a similar reputation. In late 918, He Gui and Xie were looking at a battlefield. He Gui pointed out a good spot for a camp. Later, the Jin army used that exact spot to set up their camp. He Gui suspected Xie of telling the Jin army. He Gui wanted to fight the Jin army directly. Xie, however, argued that they should not attack directly. He thought they should take good positions and wait for the Jin army to make a mistake. This made He Gui even more suspicious of Xie.

He Gui secretly reported his suspicions to Emperor Zhu Zhen. Then, He Gui and another general, Zhu Gui, set a trap for Xie and two other cavalry commanders. They killed them, claiming they had committed treason.

When Li Cunxu of Jin heard that He Gui had killed Xie, he was very happy. He saw it as a mistake by He Gui that weakened the Later Liang army. Li Cunxu decided to attack Daliang, the Later Liang capital, directly. He abandoned his camp near He Gui's army and marched west. He Gui also marched west.

The armies met and fought at Huliu Slope. At first, the Jin army was winning. One of He Gui's generals, Wang Yanzhang, tried to retreat. But the Jin army mistakenly thought Wang's troops were their own and believed they had been defeated. This caused a huge panic in the Jin army, leading to many deaths. After this initial confusion, He Gui tried to take a hill. Li Cunxu realized the hill was important and personally fought to capture it. Jin generals Li Sizhao and Li Jianji then led a charge from the hill, crushing the Later Liang troops. Both sides suffered heavy losses in this battle.

In the summer of 919, He Gui led another attack against the Jin city of Desheng. This city was split into two parts by the Yellow River. He Gui placed his boats on the river, chaining them together to block access between the two parts of the city. He then surrounded the southern part of the city. When Li Cunxu arrived at the northern city, he couldn't cross the river to help. However, Li Jianji led a group of soldiers who bravely attacked the Later Liang boats. They cut the chains with axes and fire, breaking up He Gui's blockade. This allowed the Jin army to cross the river and rescue the southern city. He Gui was forced to retreat. He died later that year and did not launch another attack on Jin. He was given special honors after his death.