Li Baozhen

Li Baozhen (733–794), né An Baozhen, courtesy name Taixuan, formally the Prince of Yiyang, was a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He initially distinguished himself as deputy for his cousin Li Baoyu, and after Li Baoyu's death came into command of his own. He played substantial roles in fighting the rebellions during Emperor Dezong's reign against Zhu Tao, Wang Wujun, Tian Yue, and Li Na; and later in persuading Wang, Tian, and Li to again submit to Emperor Dezong. Background An Baozhen was born in 733, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. He was probably the 10th-born son. His family was originally from Parthia but had lived for generations in the Hexi region, and his great-grandfather An Xiuren was a contributor to Tang Dynasty's establishment, having assisted his brother An Xinggui in overthrowing one of the contenders for supremacy during the transition from Sui to Tang, Li Gui the Emperor of Liang and united Li Gui's Liang state to Tang. The An family was known for its capability in tending horses, and a number of An family members moved to the region around the Tang capital Chang'an and became students of literature, having intermarried with scholar-bureaucratic families. It was said that An Baozhen was a deep thinker yet decisive. He later served under his third cousin An Baoyu (a great-grandson of An Xinggui's). In 757, during the Anshi Rebellion, An Baoyu requested a surname change because he did not want to share a surname with the rebel Yan state's emperor An Lushan. Emperor Xuanzong's son and successor Emperor Suzong agreed and bestowed the imperial surname of Li on An Baoyu. Presumably, An Baozhen's surname was also changed to Li at the time, as Emperor Suzong also permitted the entire clan to have its designated home changed to the capital Chang'an at the time. During Emperor Daizong's reign After Emperor Suzong died in 762 and was succeeded by his son Emperor Daizong, Li Baoyu, who already had a command as a military governor (Jiedushi), was given the additional command of Zelu Circuit (澤潞, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), and it was said that he valued Li Baozhen's service under him. At one point, Li Baozhen was made the secretary general of Fen Prefecture (汾州, in modern Linfen, Shanxi), when it appeared that the general Pugu Huai'en, who controlled the region and commanded the powerful army of Shuofang Circuit (朔方, headquartered in modern Yinchuan, Ningxia), was set on rebelling against Emperor Daizong.