Li Shenfu

Li Shenfu (李神福; died 904) was a general who served under the major warlord Yang Xingmi the military governor (jiedushi) of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) late in the Chinese Tang dynasty.

He became a soldier in the army of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), which Ming Prefecture belonged to, and was later posted to Huainan Circuit when Gao Pian the military governor of Huainan served as the overall commander of the operations against the agrarian rebel Huang Chao.

[1] In 884, there was an occasion when the agrarian rebel Chen Ru (陳儒) attacked Shu Prefecture (舒州, in modern Anqing, Anhui); Shu's prefect Gao Yu (高澞, Gao Pian's nephew) sought aid from Yang Xingmi.

[3] In 886, Zhang Ao (張翱) the prefect of Shou Prefecture (壽州, in modern Lu'an, Anhui) sent his officer Wei Qian (魏虔) to attack Lu.

Yang sent Li, Tian Jun, and Zhang Xun (張訓) to resist, and they repelled Wei's attack.

[4] In 887, a mutiny by the Huainan officer Bi Shiduo against Gao Pian and Gao's favorite sorcerer Lü Yongzhi triggered an internecine war that had Bi, Lü, Yang Xingmi, and Qin Yan contending for the control of Huainan, which eventually was taken by Sun Ru.

[5] Yang, in turn, advanced south and took Ningguo Circuit (寧國, headquartered in modern Xuancheng, Anhui) and became its military governor.

Later in the year, Yang also sent Li to attack He (和州, in modern Chaohu, Anhui) and Chu (滁洲, in modern Chuzhou, Anhui) prefectures, defeating the Sun-commissioned prefects Kang Wang (康暀) and An Jingsi (安景思); Kang surrendered, and An fled.

He thus sent Li to try to take Zhenhai's capital Hang Prefecture (杭州) in (what he thought to be) the confusion of Qian's death.

[9] In spring 903, Yang Xingmi made Li Shenfu the commander (行軍司馬, Xingjun Sima) of the Huainan army and put him in command of an army to attack Du Hong the military governor of Wuchang Circuit (武昌, headquartered in modern Wuhan, Hubei), with Liu You (劉有) serving as his deputy.

He quickly captured Yongxing (永興, in modern Huanggang, Hubei), cutting off the food supplies for Wuchang.

Zhu thereafter made requests to Cheng Rui the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou, Hubei), Ma Yin the military governor of Wu'an Circuit (武安, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan), and Lei Yanwei the military governor of Wuzhen Circuit (武貞, headquartered in modern Changde, Hunan), asking them to save Du.

In fall 903, Tian and An Renyi (安仁義) the military prefect of Run Prefecture (潤州, in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu) rose against Yang.

He initially treated them well, and he sent an emissary to Li, stating, "If you, Lord, take this opportunity properly, I will divide the lands with you so that we can both be princes.

[10] Tian, hearing that Tai was heading directly toward Xuan Prefecture, withdrew to engage Tai, while leaving Wang Tan, Wang Jian, and Guo Xingcong (郭行悰) at Wuhu (蕪湖, in modern Wuhu, Anhui) to defend against Li.

[10] In summer 904, while sieging E Prefecture, Li fell ill and returned to Huainan's capital Guangling (廣陵).