Biography
Family Background and Early Years
Liu Heita came from Zhangnan in Qinghe, northeast of present-day Gucheng County in Hebei. His year of birth is unknown. According to the *Old Book of Tang*, in his youth he was “unruly, fond of drinking, fond of gambling, and did not pursue a livelihood.” His family was poor, sometimes lacking food and clothing, which caused his father and elder brothers deep concern. His fellow townsman Dou Jiande often supported him, and the two formed a close friendship from an early age. The source portrays these circumstances as contributing to a character combining the boldness of a roaming martial adventurer with little regard for the ritual restraints associated with the scholar-official class. As disorder spread in the late Sui and peasant rebellions arose, Liu joined the rebel army of Hao Xiaode and later submitted to Li Mi as a subordinate general.
Shifting Allegiances and Joining Dou Jiande
In 618, the first year of Wude, the Wagang Army collapsed and Li Mi surrendered to the Tang. Liu Heita was captured by Wang Shichong. Having heard of Liu's bravery, Wang appointed him a cavalry commander and placed him in defense of Xinxiang. Liu despised Wang Shichong's character, however, and before long escaped with his men back to Hebei to join his old friend Dou Jiande. Dou was delighted, appointed him a general, enfeoffed him as Duke of Handong Commandery, and ordered him to lead special forces in attacks in different directions. By then Liu had moved among several rebel groups and was skilled at judging changing circumstances. He was both brave in battle and resourceful. Whenever Dou Jiande made military plans, Liu was given particular responsibility for reconnaissance. He frequently infiltrated enemy territory to observe conditions and then struck by surprise when an opportunity arose, achieving repeated successes. In the army he was known as the “Divinely Brave General.”
Dou Jiande's Defeat and a New Rebellion
In May 621, the fourth year of Wude, Dou Jiande was defeated by Tang forces at the Battle of Hulao and the Xia polity collapsed. Liu Heita fled back to his home in Zhangnan, where he grew vegetables for himself and remained behind closed doors. In July, Emperor Gaozu of Tang ordered Dou Jiande executed in Chang'an and also compelled former officers including Fan Yuan, Dong Kangmai, Cao Zhan, Gao Yaxian, and Wang Xiaohu to report to Chang'an. Angered by Dou's execution and aware that, after Wang Shichong's surrender, prominent officers including Shan Xiongxin had been killed, they feared that they too would not survive if they went to the capital and decided to rebel.
They sought divination, and the result was interpreted to mean that success required a leader surnamed Liu. Fan Yuan and the others first approached Liu Ya, a former officer of Dou Jiande. Liu Ya refused, saying that the realm was already at peace and that he was content to farm in the countryside; the group angrily killed him. They then approached Liu Heita and explained their plan. Fan Yuan praised him as “bold and full of unusual strategies, generous and tolerant toward others, and bound to his soldiers by favor,” adding that he had long heard that someone of the Liu surname would become a ruler and that no one else was suitable to gather the former followers of the Prince of Xia. Liu Heita was delighted, slaughtered an ox for a gathering, assembled more than one hundred men, seized Zhangnan county seat, and defeated combined attacks by Dai Yuanxiang, Prefect of Beizhou, and Quan Wei, Prefect of Weizhou, taking their equipment and surviving troops. Former followers of Dou Jiande such as Fan Yuan and Gao Yaxian gradually joined him, bringing his force to two thousand. On July 19 he erected an altar at Zhangnan in Beizhou to sacrifice to Dou Jiande, styled himself General-in-Chief, and formally launched the uprising.
Rapid Expansion and Proclamation as Prince of Handong
After Liu raised troops, many former generals and officials of Dou Jiande killed Tang officials and joined him. In August he captured Liting, where Garrison Guard General Wang Xingmin was killed; Cui Yuanxun of Shenzhou killed Prefect Pei Xi and defected; Xu Yuanlang, Area Commander of Yanzhou, also rebelled. In September Liu heavily defeated the combined forces of Li Shentong, Prince of Huai'an, and Luo Yi, Area Commander of Youzhou. In October he captured Yingzhou and Guanzhou. In November he took Dingzhou and killed Area Commander Li Xuantong. In December he captured Jizhou and killed Area Commander Qu Leng; at Songzhou he also defeated Tang Left Martial Guard General Li Shiji and captured the brothers Xue Wanjun, greatly increasing his power. Illig Qaghan of the Göktürks also sent troops to aid him. The Tang court was alarmed, and on December 15 dispatched Li Shimin, Prince of Qin, and Li Yuanji, Prince of Qi, to campaign against him. Liu's advance continued: within three days he captured Xingzhou, Weizhou, and Shenzhou and killed Pan Daoyi, Area Commander of Weizhou. Within half a year he had recovered all of Dou Jiande's former territory.
In the first lunar month of 622, the fifth year of Wude, Liu Heita proclaimed himself Prince of Handong at Xiangzhou, established the era name Tianzao, appointed Fan Yuan Left Vice Director, Dong Kangmai Minister of War, and Gao Yaxian General of the Right, restored the former civil and military officials of Dou Jiande's Xia polity to their previous posts, and established his capital at Mingzhou. His laws and administration followed Dou Jiande's example, while the source states that in attacking and fighting he was more bold and decisive.
Battle of Mingshui and Flight to the Göktürks
In February 622, Li Shimin led troops against Liu Heita and camped at Weizhou. Liu repeatedly sent men to challenge the Tang army, but each attempt was repulsed. Alarmed, he abandoned Xiangzhou and withdrew to defenses at Lieren. People in Mingshui County offered to act as internal collaborators for the Tang, and Li Shimin sent Area Commander Luo Shixin into the city to hold it. Liu Heita captured Mingshui County, Luo Shixin was killed, and Liu then occupied Mingzhou.
In March, Li Shimin camped behind the natural protection of the Ming River and pressured Liu while sending detached forces to cut his supply route. Liu challenged him repeatedly, but Li remained behind his defenses to wear down Liu's momentum. When Liu's stores were exhausted, Li judged that he would be forced into a decisive battle. He had the upper Ming River blocked in advance and instructed the officers guarding the dike to break it after half of the enemy had crossed. Liu indeed led twenty thousand infantry and cavalry across the river and formed for battle. When roughly half had crossed, Tang forces broke the dike and released the water. Liu's army collapsed; more than ten thousand were killed and several thousand drowned. Liu, Fan Yuan, and more than one thousand men escaped to the Göktürks. Shandong was pacified.
Borrowing Göktürk Troops and Recovering Hebei
In June 622, Liu Heita borrowed Göktürk troops and rose again, invading Shandong. In July he reached Dingzhou, where former officers Cao Zhan and Dong Kangmai, who had previously fled to Xianyu, gathered forces to support him. Emperor Gaozu sent Li Daoxuan, Prince of Huaiyang, as commander of the Hebei expeditionary army, together with Duke Shi Wanbao, against Liu. In September Liu captured Yingzhou and killed Prefect Ma Kuangwu; Ma Junde of Dongyanzhou also defected with his prefecture. In October Emperor Gaozu sent Li Yuanji, Prince of Qi, to command the campaign. Liu's forces attacked Shu County and Prefect Xu Shanhu of Beizhou was killed; Prefect Liu Junhui of Guanzhou then defected. On October 17, Liu's army met the Tang forces at Xiabo and won a major victory. Li Daoxuan was killed, and Shi Wanbao escaped on a light horse. Li Yuan, Prince of Lujiang and Area Commander of Mingzhou, abandoned the city and withdrew westward. Prefectures north of Xiangzhou joined Liu, and within ten days he had recovered his former towns and again made Mingzhou his capital. In November he captured Cangzhou. The Tang court changed commanders three times and ultimately replaced Li Yuanji with Crown Prince Li Jiancheng. In December Liu captured Hengzhou and killed Prefect Wang Gongzheng; he then unsuccessfully attacked Daming County and confronted the armies of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji at Changle.
Defeat at Raoyang and Execution at Mingzhou
Crown Prince Li Jiancheng adopted a strategy proposed by Wei Zheng, releasing prisoners to encourage defections. Some of Liu Heita's troops were induced to rebel. Liu was defeated and fled by night toward Guantao with several hundred cavalry. On December 25 Tang forces inflicted another major defeat at Guantao, and Liu withdrew to Maozhou, forming a line with his rear against the Yongji Canal. Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji attacked with more than one thousand cavalry; several thousand of Liu's men were cut down into the water and killed, and he fled again. Li Jiancheng ordered cavalry commander Liu Hongji to pursue. The relentless pursuit gave Liu no rest, and the long flight exhausted his soldiers.
On the fifth day of the first lunar month of 623, the sixth year of Wude, Liu reached Raoyang with only a little more than one hundred cavalry. Hungry, he sought to enter the town for food. Zhuge Dewei, whom Liu had appointed Prefect of Raozhou, came out to meet him and invited him inside. Liu initially refused, but Zhuge pretended complete sincerity and respect and, weeping, repeatedly pressed the invitation. Once Liu entered the town, Zhuge ordered troops to seize him and delivered him to Li Jiancheng. Before execution Liu cursed, “You dogs have betrayed me!” He also lamented that he had once escaped with his life and was farming vegetables at home, only to be led into this outcome by Gao Yaxian and the others. In the second lunar month, Li Jiancheng beheaded Liu Heita and his younger brother Liu Shishan together at Mingzhou. Shandong was pacified.