Lai Hu'er
來護兒
Personal details
Bornunknown
Yangzhou
Died618
Yangzhou
ChildrenLai Heng, Lai Ji
Parent
  • Lai Famin (father)
OccupationGeneral in Sui dynasty
Courtesy nameChongshan (崇善)
TitleDuke of Rong (榮國公)

Lai Hu'er, courtesy name Chongshan, titled Duke of Rong, was a general in Sui dynasty of China. He played an important role in the conquest of Chen dynasty in 589, as well as the campaigns against Goguryeo led by Emperor Yang.

In history

Lai Hu'er was born in Guangling (today's Yangzhou) during the late Southern and Northern Dynasties period. His parents died when he was young, and he was adopted by Aunt Wu, the wife of his father's elder brother.[1] In 581, Yang Jian overthrew the Northern Zhou dynasty and established Sui dynasty. To prepare for the war against Chen dynasty in the south, Sui dynasty ordered the general He Ruobi to lead a troop to guard Shouzhou, a city near Guangling. Lai Hu'er thus had a chance to join the Sui army.[2][3] He Ruobi sent Lai Hu'er to Chen dynasty as a spy. Lai Hu'er made several contributions as a spy and was promoted to be a Da Dudu (Chinese: 大都督; lit. 'Grand commander of troops'). In 589, Sui launched massive campaigns against the Chen dynasty in order to unify China. Lai Hu'er took part in this war and was further promoted to be a high-ranked official in the military after the war.

In 590, because people in the previous Chen dynasty were unaccustomed of Sui's laws, they rebelled against Sui under the leadership of Gao Zhihui. The Emperor Wen of Sui ordered Yang Su and Lai Hu'er to put down the rebellion. During the campaign, Lai Hu'er provided a good strategy that eventually helped Sui defeat the rebels. After this campaign, Lai Hu'er was promoted to be the Grand General, given a title of Duke of Xiangyang County, and appointed to be the governor of Quanzhou. In the same year, Lai Hu'er defeated some other remnants forces of Gao Zhihui and was promoted to Duke of Yongning Prefecture.[4]

In 604 after Emperor Yang became the new emperor, Lai Hu'er was promoted to be a top general of the royal guard army in the central court. His title was also promoted to be Duke of Rong. He was the favorite general to Emperor Yang. When Emperor Yang was touring the empire, he always let Lai Hu'er to be his personal guard outside of the palace. During his service as a senior general, he discovered the talent of Qin Shubao and predicted that Qin would eventually be a great general.[5][6]

In 612, Emperor Yang launched his first campaign against Goguryeo. In this campaign, Lai Hu'er was appointed to be the Chief Commander of Pyongyang Circuit. He led the naval force of Sui dynasty to attack Goguryeo, and defeated the Goguryeo army 30 kilometers away from the Pyongyang city.[7] He then ordered his troops to attack Pyongyang. His vice commander Zhou Fashang suggested that they should be careful because Goguryeo people were good at ambushing. Lai Hu'er did not take that suggestion. He marched towards the Pyongyang city with 40,000 men, and was ambushed by Goguryeo army outside of the city. Fortunately, Zhou Fashang reinforced him with the rest of the Sui troops so that Lai Hu'er managed to retreat back to the harbor. After other circuits of Sui dynasty attacking the Goguryeo from land were all defeated in Liaodong, Lai Hu'er retreated back to Sui dynasty.[8]

In 613, Emperor Yang launched the second campaign against Goguryeo. Lai Hu'er, again, was ordered to lead the navy as the Chief Commander of Canghai Circuit to attack Pyongyang from the sea.[9] Not long after the campaign started, Yang Xuangan rebelled against Sui in Luoyang. Lai Hu'er decided to draw back from Korea immediately and to encircle Yang Xuangan with some of other Sui generals such as Yuwen Shu. His vice commander Zhou Fashang was afraid that if they draw back without the permission from the emperor, they would be punished. Lai said that Goguryeo was only like a minor illness, but Yang Xuangan was like a life-threatening disease to Sui dynasty.[10] Then, he took his men back to Sui dynasty and eventually suppressed Yang Xuangan along with other Sui forces. The emperor was pleased with his decision and promoted him to be a chancellor.[11]

In 614, during the third campaign against Goguryeo, Lai Hu'er led the navy for the third time and defeated Goguryeo army during a battle at Sabi. King Yeongyang of Goguryeo was scared by Lai's attack and thus surrendered to Emperor Yang. Lai planned to continue attacking the Goguryeo, but the emperor accepted Goguryeo's surrender and asked Lai to withdraw.[12]

In 615, when Emperor Yang was touring the northern border of the emperor, he was encircled by Tujue at Yanmen. Lai Hu'er led his troop to protect the general at Yanmen, and successfully held the city until reinforcements led by other Sui generals such as Li Shimin and Wang Shichong arrived. In 618, when Emperor Yang was touring the Jiangdu, Yuwen Huaji led a military mutiny. Emperor Yang was killed. Lai Hu'er was also killed during the fight in order to protect the emperor. Most of his sons were also executed by Yuwen Huaji after the mutiny.

Lai Hu'er was one of the prototypes that inspired the creation of the popular fictional figure Yang Lin. Folk tale writers in ancient China mixed stories of Lai Hu'er, Zhang Xutuo and Yang Shuang and created the story of Yang Lin that would be one of the most celebrated fictional figures in the folk culture. In some other versions of folk tales, Lai Hu'er was portrayed as a great warrior whose weapon was a steel spear.

Family

Notable ancestors:

Great Grandfather:

Grandfather:

  • Lai Yi: A mid-ranked general in Liang dynasty

Father:

Sons: Lai Hu'er had 12 sons. Six of them were recorded in the history with names. Other sons were all killed by Yuwen Huaji during the mutiny in Jiangdu.

  • Lai Kai: the eldest son. A mid-ranked official in the central court of Sui dynasty, and was killed by Yuwen Huaji.
  • Lai Yuan: the second son. Joined the rebellion of Yang Xuangan, and was defeated by Lai Hu'er and Yuwen Shu.
  • Lai Hong: the fifth son. A high-ranked official in the central court of Sui dynasty, and was killed by Yuwen Huaji.
  • Lai Zheng: the sixth son. Duke of Xiangyang County. Killed by Yuwen Huaji.
  • Lai Heng: the eleventh son. Survived in the Jiangdu Mutiny, and became a chancellor in Tang dynasty.
  • Lai Ji: the twelfth son. Survived in the Jiangdu Mutiny, and became a chancellor in Tang dynasty.[14]

Notable descendant:

  • Monk Benzhi

References

  1. ↑ History of the Northern Dynasties: 護兒未識而孤，養於世母吳氏。吳氏提攜鞠養，甚有慈訓。
  2. ↑ Book of Sui:賀若弼之鎮壽州也，常令護兒為間諜，授大都督。
  3. ↑ History of the Northern Dynasties:及開皇初，宇文忻、宇若弼等鎮廣陵，並深相禮重。除大都督，領本鄉兵。
  4. ↑ History of the Northern Dynasties:十一年，高智慧據江南反，以子總管統兵隋楊素討之。賊據浙江岸為營，周亙百餘裡，船艦被江，鼓噪而進。護兒言于素曰：“吳人累銳，利在舟楫。必死之賊，難與爭鋒。公且嚴陣以待之，勿與接刃，請假奇兵數千，潛度江，掩破其壁，使退無所歸，進不得戰，此韓信破趙之策也。”素以為然。護兒乃以輕舸數百，直登江岸，襲破其營，因縱火，煙焰張天。賊顧火而懼，素因是動，一鼓破之。智慧將逃於海，護兒追至閩中，餘黨皆平。進位大將軍。除泉州刺史，封襄陽縣公。
  5. ↑ History of the Northern Dynasties:煬帝嗣位，被追入朝。仍除右驍衛大將軍。尋遷左。又改上柱國為光祿大夫，徙右翊衛大將軍，進封榮國公，恩禮隆密，朝臣無比。
  6. ↑ New Book of Tang:始為隋將來護兒帳內，母喪，護兒遣使襚吊之。吏怪曰：“士卒死喪，將軍未有所問，今獨吊叔寶何也？”護兒曰：“是子才而武，志節完整，豈久處卑賤邪？”
  7. ↑ History of the Northern Dynasties:遼東之役，以護兒為平壤道行軍總管，兼檢校東萊郡太守，率樓船指滄海。入自浿水，去平壤六十裡，高麗主高元掃境內兵以拒之。
  8. ↑ Zizhi Tongjian:護兒欲乘勝趣其城，副總管周法尚止之，請俟諸軍至俱進。護兒不聽，簡精甲四萬，直造城下。高麗伏兵于羅郭內空寺中，出兵與護兒戰而偽敗，護兒逐之入城，縱兵俘掠，無複部伍。伏兵發，護兒大敗，僅而獲免，士卒還者不過數千人。高麗追至船所，周法尚整陳待之，高麗乃退。
  9. ↑ History of the Northern Dynasties:明年，又出滄海道，師次東萊，會楊玄感反，進攻洛陽，護兒聞之，召裨將周法尚等議旋軍討逆。
  10. ↑ Zizhi Tongjian:洛陽被圍，心腹之疾；高麗逆命，猶疥癬耳
  11. ↑ History of the Northern Dynasties: 於是護兒與宇文述破玄感於閿鄉，斬平之。還，加開府儀同三司，賜物五千段、黃金千兩、奴婢百人，贈父法敏東陽郡太守、永甯縣公。
  12. ↑ History of the Northern Dynasties:十一年，又率師渡海，破高麗奢卑等二城。高麗舉國來戰，護兒大破之。將趣平壤，高元震懼，使執叛臣斛斯政詣遼東城下請降。帝許之，詔護兒旋軍。
  13. ↑ History of the Northern Dynasties:本南陽新野人，漢中郎將歙十八世孫也。曾祖成，魏新野縣侯，後歸梁，徙居廣陵，因家焉。位終六合令。
  14. ↑ New Book of Tang: 濟異母兄恒，上元中，為黃門侍郎、同中書門下三品，父本驍將，而恒、濟俱以學行稱，相次知政事。時虞世南子昶無才術，曆將作少匠、工部侍郎，主工作。許敬宗曰：“護兒兒作相，世南男作匠，文武豈有種邪？”
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