Background and initial campaign against Li Keyong

Little is known about Helian Duo's background, including his birth year, other than that, as of the time of Emperor Yizong, he was then a Tuyuhun chief and carried the Tang-bestowed title of commandant of Yin Mountains. Later, when Tang imperial forces had to battle a rebellion led by Pang Xun at Xu Prefecture (徐州, in modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu), Helian participated in the campaign.

In 878, the Shatuo chieftain Li Guochang and his son Li Keyong rose against the rule of Emperor Yizong's son and successor Emperor Xizong at Zhenwu (振武, headquartered in modern Hohhot, Inner Mongolia) and Datong (大同, headquartered in modern Datong, Shanxi) Circuits, respectively. Emperor Xizong ordered Helian, as well as the Tang military governors (Jiedushi) Li Jun (李均) the military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi) and Li Keju the military governor of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing), Helian's fellow Tuyuhun chieftain Bai Yicheng (白義誠), and the Sage (薩葛) chieftain Mi Haiwan (米海萬) to attack Li Guochang and Li Keyong. In summer 879, when Li Keyong was personally defending against an attack by Li Keju, Li Keyong left his officer Gao Wenji (高文集) in command of his base at Shuo Prefecture (朔州, in modern Shuozhou, Shanxi). Helian persuaded Gao to submit to the new Tang-commissioned military governor of Datong, Li Zhuo (李琢), and Gao surrendered with the Shatuo chieftain Li Youjin (李友金), Mi, and Shi Jingcun, after arresting fellow officer Fu Wenda (傅文達). When Li Keyong tried to return to Shuo to attack Gao, Li Keju defeated him. Li Zhuo and Helian then attacked Li Guochang at Wei Prefecture (蔚州, in modern Zhangjiakou, Hebei) and defeated him as well. Li Guochang and Li Keyong were forced to flee to the Dada (達靼) tribe, then near the Yin Mountains. For his accomplishments against the Shatuo, Helian was made the prefect of Datong's capital Yun Prefecture (雲州) and the defender of Datong Circuit.

Control of Yun Prefecture

Soon after Helian Duo was commissioned the defender of Datong, he sent bribes to the Dada chiefs, asking them to kill Li Guochang and Li Keyong. Li Keyong, however, found out about this, and was able to impress the Dada chiefs of his archery ability at a banquet, and further proclaimed that he had no intent to stay in Dada lands long, thus alleviating their fears about him. In 882, when Li Keyong tried to recapture Wei Prefecture, Helian and Li Keju battled him, along with Qibi Zhang (契苾璋) the military governor of Zhenwu, but were not able to defeat him.

In 885, by which time Li Keyong, due to his great accomplishments in defeating the major agrarian rebel Huang Chao for the Tang imperial government, had been given the military governorship of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in Taiyuan, Shanxi), both Li Keju and Wang Rong the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei) feared the strength that Li Keyong showed and his alliance with their neighbor Wang Chucun the military governor of Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding, Hebei). They decided to attack and destroy Wang Chucun, and, to prevent Li Keyong from coming to Wang Chucun's aid, they persuaded Helian to attack Li Keyong. Helian did so, but was not able to prevent Li Keyong from aiding Wang Chucun to fight off the Chengde/Lulong invasion. (After the failed attack, Li Keju was defeated by his own officer Li Quanzhong, who mutinied. Li Keju committed suicide and Li Quanzhong succeeded him.)

In 890, Li Keyong launched a major attack against Helian and captured the eastern part of Yun Prefecture. Helian sought aid from Li Quanzhong's son and successor Li Kuangwei, who came to his aid. Li Keyong's officer An Jinjun (安金俊) was killed by an arrow, and Shen Xin (申信) surrendered to Helian. Li Keyong was forced to withdraw.

As a result of Li Keyong's attack on Helian, Helian and Li Kuangwei submitted petitions to Emperor Xizong's brother and successor Emperor Zhaozong, asking the emperor to declare a general campaign against Li Keyong. They were concurred in by Li Keyong's rival Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), as well as the chancellors Zhang Jun and Kong Wei. Emperor Zhaozong thus declared a general campaign against Li Keyong, with Zhang in command. As part of the operations against Li Keyong, Li Kuangwei and Helian were to attack Li Keyong from the north. They had initial successes, as Li Kuangwei captured Wei Prefecture, and Helian, along with Tufan and Xiajiasi tribesmen, attacked Zhelu Base (遮虜軍, in modern Xinzhou, Shanxi), killing its defender Liu Huzi (劉鬍子). However, Li Keyong then sent a major force under his adoptive sons Li Cunxin and Li Siyuan, and they defeated Li Kuangwei and Helian, capturing Li Kuangwei's son Li Renzong (李仁宗) and Helian's son-in-law, forcing them to withdraw. Zhang's main operations against Li Keyong subsequently collapsed under pressure from Li Keyong. Faced with defeat, Emperor Zhaozong was forced to restore all of Li Keyong's titles.

Li Keyong then attacked Yun Prefecture again in 891, putting it under siege. After Helian ran out of food supplies, he was forced to abandon Yun Prefecture and flee, initially to fellow Tuyuhun tribesmen, and then to Lulong's capital You Prefecture (幽州).

Defeat and death

In fall 892, Helian Duo and Li Kuangwei launched an attack to try to recapture Yun Prefecture. At that time, Li Keyong happened to be at Tianning Base (天寧, in modern Xinzhou), and he immediately ordered his officer Li Junqing (李君慶) to launch an army from his headquarters at Taiyuan, while he himself made a surprise attack against Helian and Li Kuangwei, capturing some 300 Tuyuhun scouts. Soon, when Li Junqing arrived, Li Keyong entered Yun Prefecture, and then again attacked and defeated Helian and Li Kuangwei. Helian and Li Kuangwei were forced to flee.

In summer 893, Li Keyong launched another attack on the Tuyuhun tribesmen. He killed Helian and captured Bai Yicheng, thus ending the Tuyuhun resistance against him.

Notes and references

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 253, 254, 256, 258, 259.

家世、初戰李克用

赫連鐸的家世、生年均不詳。開成年間，其父率種人三千帳歸唐。唐懿宗年間，赫連鐸已是吐谷渾一部落首領，並被唐朝任為陰山府都督。後來唐軍對徐州龐勛叛軍作戰時，赫連鐸也參戰了。

乾符五年（878年），沙陀首領李國昌與兒子李克用分別在振武軍和大同舉事反對唐懿宗的兒子唐僖宗。十月，僖宗命赫連鐸、昭義節度使李均、盧龍節度使李可舉及其他吐谷渾首領如白義誠、薩葛首領米海萬進攻李國昌父子。冬季李國昌正與党項人作戰未決時，赫連鐸乘虛襲振武，盡取其貲械，俘虜其全族。李國昌狼狽率騎五百回雲州，雲州不納，赫連鐸遂取之。李克用輾轉蔚、朔間，兵才三千，屯黃花城新城，赫連鐸引萬人圍之，挖隧道攻打，李克用弟奉誠軍使李克寧奉李克用及諸弟登城血戰，赫連鐸攻城三日，不克，損傷萬計。李國昌從蔚州來救，赫連鐸引去。赫連鐸被拜為大同軍使。六年（879年）五月，當李克用正親自抵禦李可舉進攻時，留部將高文集守朔州。赫連鐸說服高文集歸順朝廷新任的大同節度使李琢，高文集和沙陀首領李友金（李克用族父）及米海萬、安慶都督史敬存綁縛李克用令軍使傅文達投降。李克用想回師朔州攻打高文集，被李可舉所敗。李琢和赫連鐸又攻李國昌于蔚州，敗之。李國昌、李克用被迫逃往陰山附近的達靼部。廣明元年（880年）七月，赫連鐸因此功被任為大同軍部雲州刺史、大同軍防禦使，仍命其進兵討李克用。中和元年（881年），赫連鐸曾領振武軍。

控制雲州

赫連鐸被任為大同軍防禦使後不久即賄賂達靼頭領，要他們殺掉李國昌和李克用。李克用和達靼之間產生猜疑，本人也有所察覺，趁和達靼豪帥遊獵之機箭射馬鞭、樹葉、懸針，表現自己的射術，打動了豪帥，又在和對方喝酒時說自己不會久留，消除了達靼的恐懼。二年（882年）四月，蔚州刺史蘇祐會合赫連鐸準備攻打代州，李克用卻率騎兵五百搶先攻蔚州，赫連鐸、李可舉與振武節度使契苾璋與之交戰，不能取勝。李克用克蔚州。蘇祐屯美女谷，赫連鐸與李可舉眾七萬攻蔚州，營柵相連。李克用直搗其營，入蔚州，燒府庫，棄城而去，屯雁門。

光啟元年（885年）三月時，李克用因幫助唐朝擊敗黃巢農民軍立下大功，已被任為河東節度使，李可舉和成德節度使王鎔害怕李克用及其盟友義武節度使王處存（與李可舉、王鎔相鄰）的勢力。李可舉、王鎔決定先消滅王處存，為免李克用來援，說服赫連鐸攻打李克用。但赫連鐸雖然敗李克用將安元信于居庸關，卻未能阻止李克用發兵救王處存，成德、盧龍軍被擊退。此戰失敗後，李可舉被發起兵變的部將李全忠所敗而自焚，李全忠自稱盧龍留後。

文德元年（888年），昭義節度使孟方立督部將奚忠信率兵三萬攻遼州，以金錢聯合赫連鐸。正逢契丹攻赫連鐸，赫連鐸軍未能如期與昭義軍會師，奚忠信被李克用大敗，本人也被擒。

大順元年（890年）二月，李克用大舉進攻赫連鐸，攻陷雲州東城。赫連鐸向李全忠之子和繼任者李匡威求援，李匡威發兵三萬來救。李克用部將邢洺團練使安金俊中箭陣亡，河東萬勝軍使申信投降赫連鐸。盧龍軍到來後，李克用被迫撤退。赫連鐸屢引李匡威與河東爭雲州、代州，連年用兵。

由于李克用攻打赫連鐸，四月，赫連鐸與李匡威上表僖宗的弟弟和繼任者唐昭宗，請求昭宗討伐李克用，稱李克用和先前因另立皇帝而伏誅的靜難節度使朱玫同謀，並得到李克用的對頭宣武軍節度使朱全忠及宰相張濬、孔緯的贊同。五月，昭宗宣布討伐李克用，以張濬為招討。作為作戰的一部分，李匡威和赫連鐸作為正副北面招討使從北面進攻李克用。他們最初取勝，九月，李匡威攻陷蔚州，赫連鐸聯合吐蕃和黠戛斯部落十萬人攻打遮虜軍，殺軍使劉鬍子。但隨後李克用屯渾河川，由養子李存孝敗赫連鐸于樂安，又派出由養子李存信、李嗣源率領的大軍擊敗二人攻打雁門的三萬蕃、漢兵，俘獲李匡威的兒子武州刺史李仁宗和赫連鐸的女婿，俘獲、斬殺達數萬人，迫使二人退兵。在李克用的壓迫下，在主戰場的張濬也崩潰了。眼看戰敗，昭宗只得恢復了李克用的一切官爵。

二年（891年）四月，李克用再攻雲州，以騎將薛阿檀為前鋒，設伏于河上。赫連鐸以精騎追薛阿檀，到河，伏兵發，赫連鐸大敗，將賈塞兒被擒，李克用遂圍雲州，挖塹，分兵出井陘，屯常山，大掠深、趙。趁李匡威正救王鎔，李克用急攻赫連鐸，七月，赫連鐸缺糧，只得棄城逃遁，先投靠吐谷渾部落，再逃到盧龍軍部幽州。李克用駐兵雲州。

敗亡

景福元年（892年）八月，赫連鐸、李匡威率軍八萬反攻天成軍，想複奪雲州。李克用正北巡到天寧軍，派部將李君慶從太原發兵，李克用親自奇襲赫連鐸、李匡威，擒獲吐谷渾巡邏騎兵三百餘人。不久，李君慶兵到，李克用入雲州，再敗赫連鐸、李匡威，二人只得逃跑。

典義兒軍的李克用養子李存審從李克用討赫連鐸，冒刃死戰，一度血流滿袖。

乾寧元年（894年）六月，李克用再攻吐谷渾于新城，在雲州殺赫連鐸，俘白義誠，就此終結了吐谷渾人的抵抗。

注釋及參考文獻