Li Zhongchen

Li Zhongchen (李忠臣) (716 – July 8, 784), né Dong Qin (董秦), was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who was known, for most of his career, as both a supporter of the imperial cause but also a corrupt and violent military governor (Jiedushi). He was later expelled by his own army and, because of his service to imperial causes, kept by Emperor Daizong and Emperor Dezong as an official at the Tang capital Chang'an. In 783, he joined Zhu Ci's rebel Qin state, and after Zhu's defeat in 784 was captured and executed.

Dong Qin was born in 716, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. His family was from You Prefecture (幽州, roughly modern Beijing). He claimed that his great-grandfather Dong Wenyu (董文昱) was a prefectural prefect; his grandfather Dong Xuanjiang (董玄獎) was an officer under the Protectorate General to Pacify the East; and his father Dong Shenjiao (董神嶠) served as a military recruiting officer. Dong Qin became a soldier when he was young and was said to be unusually capable and strong. He successively served three military governors (Jiedushi) stationed at You Prefecture — Xue Chuyu (薛楚玉), Zhang Shougui (張守珪), and An Lushan, and because of his accomplishments received repeated promotions, eventually receiving a title as general and forward commander at one of the circuits that An governed, Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Chaoyang, Liaoning).

In 755, An Lushan rebelled against Emperor Xuanzong's rule, and soon captured the Tang eastern capital Luoyang and declared himself emperor of a new state of Yan. The military governor of Pinglu, Lü Zhihui (呂知誨), was a follower of An's, and he trapped and killed the deputy Protectorate General to Pacify the East, Fumeng Lincha (夫蒙靈詧). In response, Dong Qin and his colleagues Liu Kenu (劉客奴) and Wang Xuanzhi (王玄志) killed Lü and took over the circuit, remaining in remote contact with Yan Zhenqing, one of the few Tang generals resisting Yan forces north of the Yellow River. When Yan informed the Tang imperial government of the situation, Liu was made the military governor to replace Lü, Wang made the deputy protectorate general to replace Fumeng, and Dong was made the military commander of the circuit (兵馬使, Bingmashi). The Pinglu army subsequently made a number of harassing attacks against An's original base at Fanyang (范陽, i.e., modern Beijing), and Dong distinguished himself in these battles, including a victory over the Xi general Abuli (阿布離) when the Xi allied with Yan. Subsequently, after Liu suffered a defeat and returned to Pinglu, Wang, for reasons lost to history, poisoned Liu to death. In spring 757, Wang sent Dong with an army over the Bohai Sea, on simple rafts, to join the general Tian Shen'gong (田神功) to attack Pingyuan (平原, roughly modern Dezhou, Shandong) and Le'an (樂安, roughly modern Binzhou, Shandong) Commanderies, recapturing them from Yan forces. The Tang general in overall command in the area, Li Xian (李銑), exercising imperial authority, made Dong the governor of Pingyuan Commandery. (Dong would not again return to Pinglu from this point on.)

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