Name

He was sometimes called Zhong Wang (忠王 Zhōng Wáng). This title was bestowed after he refused a bribe from a Qing general officer to kill Hong Xiuquan, the founder and leader of the rebellion.

Taiping Rebellion

Second rout of the Jiangnan Army Group

Army Group Jiangnan (江南大营) was an important Qing army barracks in Nanjing. Forces led by Li Xiucheng besieged the barracks in an attempt to force its occupants to surrender. Li Xiucheng, besides; in the second encirclement, the Qing army commanded 200,000 soldiers to fight with Taiping forces from March 1858, but they were routed by Li Xiucheng in May 1860. After that, Li went on to occupy all of Jiangsu provinces except Shanghai.

Two attacks on Shanghai

•

• Battle of Shanghai (1861), the second time

Nanking

Li worked together with fellow Taiping General Chen Yucheng to defend and release the capital during the siege of Nanking in 1860.

Escape from Suzhou

Li Xiucheng's palace in Suzhou is the only one from the Taiping Rebellion that exists today. In July 1863, Li ordered his daughter's husband, Tan Shaoguang, to capture Suzhou. But Li Hongzhang led the Huai Army combined by the "Ever Victorious Army," which, having been raised by an American named Frederick Townsend Ward, was placed under the command of Charles George Gordon. With this support, Li Hongzhang gained numerous victories leading to the surrender of Suzhou.

Determining battle: lead defend capital Nanjing

Donkey Jiang

According to one legend, three months after Donkey Jiang (蒋驴子) became the manager of Li Xiucheng's stables in 1864 — and before the fall of Nanjing — Li Xiucheng took his wealth (including much plunder) to Donkey Jiang. At Li's request, Jiang quickly transported that wealth outside the Nanjing area, planning to meet back up with Li later. Jiang delivered on his promise to accompany the transport with 20 horses and an ox, but Li was captured and executed before he could rendezvous with Jiang. Jiang was left with wealth that he was able to bring back to Nanjing after the war.

Writing

Loyal Prince Li Xiucheng In His Own Words (《忠王李秀成自述》) is his autobiographical account written shortly before his execution.

Lis sword

When Li withdrew from Suzhou, his sword - the symbol of power - was given to his young brother Li Shixian. Li Shixian took this sword, but it was confiscated when Li was captured by Charles George Gordon in Liyang.

When Charles George Gordon returned to the UK with Li's sword, he presented it to Queen Victoria's cousin, Chief Commander of the Military the Duke of Cambridge.

On 30 August 1961, the sword ended up in the hands of a history professor at the University of London. In 1981, this sword was returned to China where it is currently stored in the National Museum of China.

Children

Li Xiucheng had a son Li Ronfar and three daughters. Li's daughters married Taiping generals, including Tan Shaoguang and Chen Binwen.

Sources

• *

• Tiān Guó Zwi(天国志)

• 李秀成：太平天国后期军事统帅

早年

李秀成是汉族客家人。幼时贫寒负债尤多，十岁后便要工作帮补家计。少年曾随舅父读过三年私塾，所用教材乃当时中国民间广为流传的《三国演义》，之后也曾从洪秀全研读四书。到了二十六至二十七岁间，听到洪秀全开始传播拜上帝会，李秀成也信了教。

军事生涯

1851年金田起义。1853年李秀成被升为军帅，同年改任监军，其后屡次升职。1858年天王洪秀全再设五军主将，李秀成被封为后军主将，于隔年被封为「忠王」。李秀成爱惜将才，对部下的缺点常予以包容，故部下对他衷心拥护。陈玉成对李昭寿的土匪作风很反感，李秀成却经常给予宽容。李秀成明知李昭寿、郜永宽、松王陈德风、妻舅宋永祺等有叛意，事先不加阻止，事后不加指责，乃至为其开脱。最终造成郜永宽等刺杀谭绍光，开城降清。

1860年，李秀成在击破清军的江南大营后，乘胜攻下江苏南部多个地方，于苏州建忠王府，遗址现为旅游景点。同年下半年，在援救安庆的军事行动中，李秀成率军西进，次年上半年进至湖北东南部，在附近地方招兵30万人，在知道其它地方的太平军吃败仗后，放弃进攻武汉三镇，改向东进军。这次退兵可以说是一个重大错误，错失了与陈玉成联攻安庆解围的良机（后来李秀成被清军囚禁时，曾国藩的幕僚曾就退兵一事问李秀成，并说李如果进攻武昌，安庆之围便可解除了，李初时答兵力不足，最后说希望攻占杭州以巩固后方）。1861年底，李秀成攻下杭州，浙江巡抚王有龄悬梁自尽，太平军攻占浙江大部份地区。李秀成不嗜杀，攻下杭州，「当即传令诸军」，对「被获满洲兵将」不准杀害，不愿投降者，给路费，「准其回国」。王有龄自杀后，李秀成「费银三千两，」送其棺木护送回乡。

1862年李秀成率军攻上海，在清军和洋人联合抵抗下，太平军虽然有些进展，兵至现今上海思南路一带，久攻之下仍未能占领上海。此时清军开始包围天京，李在下半年时奉命调集大军回救天京，猛攻四十多天仍未能击退清军，被迫撤退。赖文光、洪仁玕对李攻上海即颇不以为然（洪力主上海是外交问题应与英法外交谈判处理，不应军事攻占，李不听劝，不幸洪预见言中）。

1863年上半年，天王洪秀全命李秀成率军渡过长江攻安徽，企图以进攻清军后方迫使包围天京的清军撤退，由于军中粮食不足，加上天京外围据点接连失守，李秀成被逼退回江南，太平军在该次出征损失惨重，「前后失去战士数万馀人」，故湘军得增益7万兵力围攻天京。李秀成搜刮有不少金银财宝，李鸿章入居苏州，见忠王府「内外四五十间，纯用金银装饰。」不禁叹道: 「琼楼玉宇，曲栏洞房，真如神仙府宅。」天京危急，洪秀全命李秀成交出银两时，他一次就拿出了七万两巨款。苏州失守后，天京形势更为危急，年底时李秀成建议洪秀全「让城别走」，遭洪秀全拒绝。直至天京失守，李秀成留守天京。

后记

1864年初湘军完全包围天京并于7月19日破城，李秀成带领幼天王洪天贵福突围。李秀成于危急时将座骑骏马让给洪天贵福，自己改乘劣马而被追上。失散后走到一座山上，因财物露白而被人发现，最后被人捉送至曾国荃的清军营。曾国荃动用割其臂股肉的残酷刑罚。

李秀成在狱中写下数万字的自述，全书无结尾。自述原稿卷末第74页以后的内容部份被撕去，有传言谓他在被囚期间曾经游说曾国藩反清自立但未遂。1864年8月7日，被曾国藩下令处刑于江宁，免凌迟，处以斩首，终年40岁。在临刑前，李秀成毫无戚容，谈笑自若，并写有十句绝命诗叙其尽忠之意。李鸿章写信予曾国藩，表示在阅览完《李秀成自述》后，也感动赞誉李秀成是「英雄人物」。

其他

今苏州尚存太平天国忠王府旧址。

李秀成从苏州撤退到南京以前，将天王洪秀全赐予他的佩剑交给堂弟侍王李世贤。1864年，李世贤在溧阳战败，此剑落入查理·戈登手中。戈登将此剑赠予维多利亚女王的堂兄弟剑桥公爵。英国太平天国史研究专家、英中友好协会委员柯文南在1961年3月找到并购买了这把宝剑，1962年8月将它赠予中国政府，现由中国国家博物馆收藏。

影视形象