Li Guangbi[1] (李光弼; 708 – August 15, 764),[2] formally Prince Wumu of Linhuai (臨淮武穆王), was a Chinese military general, monarch, and politician during the Tang dynasty.

After his father died, he inherited the title of the Duke of Ji, and was praised for not entering his wife's room (i.e., abstaining from sexual relations) during the observation of the mourning period.

At the start of Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao era (742-756), Li Guangbi became the discipline officer at Shuofang Circuit (朔方, headquartered in modern Yinchuan, Ningxia).

An was impressed by him and wanted to give a daughter to him in marriage, but Li declined and feigned an illness in order to resign and return to the capital Chang'an under Geshu's assistance.

In winter 755, An Lushan, the military governor of Fanyang Circuit (范陽, headquartered in modern Beijing), rebelled, and quickly proceeded south toward the Tang eastern capital Luoyang.

Emperor Xuanzong recalled An Sishun, who was An Lushan's cousin, to Chang'an, and gave the military governorship of Shuofang to Guo Ziyi.

In spring 756, Emperor Xuanzong made Li the military governor of Hedong and had him and Guo advance from Shuofang east, intending to capture An Lushan's territory north of the Yellow River.

An, fearing that his army's morale would be destroyed, considered leaving Luoyang and returning north to battle Li and Guo himself.

Meanwhile, Li and Guo heard only of the news that Tong Pass had fallen, but did not know what had happened afterwards, and they decided to withdraw back west of the Taihang Mountains.

Around the new year 758, after Emperor Suzong recaptured Chang'an from Yan forces, he gave Li the title of Sikong (司空), one of the Three Excellencies.

[4] In fall 758, Li went to Chang'an to visit Emperor Suzong and was given the additional title of Shizhong (侍中) as honorary chancellor.

Soon thereafter, he and several other key commanders, including Guo, Lu Jiong (魯炅), Li Huan (李奐), Xu Shuji (許叔冀), Li Siye, Ji Guangchen (季廣琛), Cui Guangyuan (崔光遠), Dong Qin, and Wang Sili (王思禮), rendezvoused at Yecheng to put An Qingxu under siege.

Because both Li Guangbi and Guo had great contributions, Emperor Suzong did not make either of them the overall commander of the forces, but commissioned the eunuch Yu Chao'en to serve as the surveyor of the troops.

Li Guangbi himself took up position at Xu Prefecture (徐州, roughly modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu) and made it his headquarters.

In winter 762, by which time Emperor Suzong had died and had been succeeded by his son Emperor Daizong, with Tang forces converging on Luoyang to try to recapture it from Shi Chaoyi, Li Guangbi headed toward Luoyang, with Pugu and Huige forces heading east as well, joined by the generals Guo Ying'ai (郭英乂) and Li Baoyu.

Meanwhile, though, because Li Guangbi feared false accusations from Yu Chao'en and another eunuch, Cheng Yuanzhen, he was refusing to visit Chang'an to pay homage to Emperor Daizong.

His fears grew after another general, Lai Tian (來瑱), was ordered to commit suicide due to Cheng's accusations.

He did not visit his wife's bedchambers during mourning period for his father, and even when he became duke and prince he served his stepmother with great piety.

Alas, while LI Guangbi died in humiliation due to his failure to give up authority, but it was true that false accusations lead to great apprehension.