Li Huaiguang[1] (Chinese: 李懷光; 729 – September 19, 785[2]) was a leading general of Mohe extraction of Tang China.
Li Huaiguang's father was originally named Ru Chang (茹常), but due to his accomplishments while serving as a soldier at Shuofang Circuit (朔方, headquartered in modern Yinchuan, Ningxia), was given the imperial surname of Li and a new personal name of Jiaqing (嘉慶).
[3] Li Huaiguang started his military service when he was young, and he was known for his abilities in martial arts, his bravery, and his strength.
[3] In 763, during the reign of Emperor Suzong's son Emperor Daizong, by which time Pugu Huai'en had taken over the Shuofang army and was in a confrontational posture against the imperial government and another military governor, Xin Yunjing (辛雲京) the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), Pugu, who was then at Hezhong (河中, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), had a number of Shuofang officers take up strategic positions, and in these maneuvers, Li was stationed at Jin Prefecture (晉州, in modern Linfen, Shanxi).
[4] In 767, when Guo, under Emperor Daizong's instruction, made a sudden attack against the rebellious general Zhou Zhiguang (周智光), the military governor of Tonghua Circuit (同華, headquartered in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), Guo had Li and Hun Jian command the advance troops, although even before Li and Hun could attack, Zhou's own subordinates killed him and surrendered.
[3][6] It was said that at this time, there was an incident during Guo's absence that Li wanted to forge an imperial edict to execute several senior officers, including Wen Ruya (溫儒雅).
[6] Initially, he had difficulty in getting some senior officers whose reputations matched his own — Shi Kang (史抗), Wen Ruya, Pang Xianhe (龐仙鶴), Zhang Xianming (張獻明), and Li Guangyi (李光逸) — to obey him.
[7] In 780, after a plan by the powerful chancellor Yang Yan to build forts in the no man's land between Tang and Tibetan territory was opposed by Duan Xiushi the military governor of Jingyuan Circuit (涇原, headquartered in modern Pingliang, Gansu), Yang persuaded Emperor Dezong to strip Duan of his command and recall him.
[7] In 781, Emperor Dezong gave Li the command of the previously pared-down Shuofang Circuit (which was given to Chang Qianguang in the 779 division) in addition to Binning.
[8] In 782, with Tian Yue, Zhu Tao (Zhu Ci's brother), Wang Wujun, and Li Na resisting imperial authorities, Emperor Dezong ordered Li to take his Binning and Shuofang soldiers to attack Tian's Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei).
He initially had successes against Zhu, but Wang took the opportunity to charge against his troops, cutting them off from each other, and eventually the imperial forces were routed.
Emperor Dezong gave Li Huaiguang the honorary chancellor designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事).
[8] In fall 783, JIngyuan soldiers, then at Chang'an to be ready for deployment against the rebels in the east, mutinied when they were angry they did not get rewards.
[9][10] By the time that Li Huaiguang arrived in Chang'an's vicinity, Fengtian was under intense siege by Qin troops under Zhu Ci.
Li Huaiguang sent his officer Zhang Shao (張韶) to Fengtian to inform Emperor Dezong of his impending arrival, and then attacked Qin forces at Liquan (醴泉, in modern Xianyang) and defeated them.
When Zhu Ci heard the news, he, in fear, lifted the siege on Fengtian and withdrew back to Chang'an.
Li Huaiguang, believing that these were actually signs of distrust, threw the iron certificate onto the ground and stated:[12] The holy one [(i.e., Emperor Dezong)] is suspecting me.
[12] In fall 784, after Li Sheng had destroyed Zhu's regime (which Zhu had renamed Han) and recaptured Chang'an, allowing Emperor Dezong to return to Chang'an, the imperial eunuch messenger Yin Yuanzhen (尹元貞) was able to persuade Li Huaiguang to resubmit to Emperor Dezong.
Li Huaiguang declared to the soldiers that he was ready to resubmit to Tang and offer tributes to Emperor Dezong, but thereafter did nothing for another month.
[15] In fall 785, under Ma's persuasion, Xu surrendered Changchun Palace, allowing imperial troops to continue to advance to Hezhong.