Few people know that Li Shang ranked sixth among the 143 princes of the Western Han Dynasty, with 4,800 households.
His status in the list of heroes is second only to Fan Hao and higher than Xi Juan.
Xiahou Ying, Guan Ying, Fu Kuan, Jin She, Wang Ling, Chen Wu, Wang Su, Xue Ou, Zhou Chang, Ding Fu, Worm Da, Kong Ju (General Kong), and Chen He (General Fei) were all ranked lower than Li Shang.
"Historical Records of Fan Liteng Irrigation Biography": Quzhou Hou Li businessman, Gaoyang people. When Chen Sheng got up, he gathered young people and got thousands. Pei Gong slightly to Chenliu, more than six months, Shang Yi 4,000 people belong to Pei Gong Yuqi.
Li Shang is the younger brother of Li Qishi, a native of Gaoyang County, Chenliu County (now Qi County, Henan), Li Shang is a fierce man, after Chen Sheng raised troops, Li Shang gathered thousands of people, when Liu Bang arrived in Chenliu, Li Shang led 4,000 people to belong to Liu Bang.
Li Shang
Unlike most of Liu Bang's generals, Li Shang relied on his own to pull a team to join Liu Bang, and in the late Qin period, Li Shang, like Yingbu and Peng Yue, was an independent small prince.
Don't underestimate that there are only 4,000 Li Shang, and when Liu Bang raised his army, there were only 3,000 people.
Liu Bang raised troops in his hometown, and Li Shang also raised troops in his hometown, and it seems that Li Shang has a lot of prestige in his hometown of Chenliu.
Li Shang is different from his brother Li Shiqi, Li Shiqi eats with his mouth, acts as a lobbyist for Liu Bang, and provides strategies, while Li Shang eats with his fists and charges for Liu Bang.
"Historical Records: The Biography of Fan Liteng": From attacking the Changshe, he ascended first, and gave the lord a letter to become a king. From Pei Gong to attack the Wu clan, Jue Hejin, and break the Qin army in the east of Luoyang. From the capture of Wan, Sui, set 17 counties. Don't attack the Shun Pass, set Hanzhong.
Li Shang followed Liu Bang to attack Changshe and took the lead in the city, and Liu Bang gave him the title of Xin Chengjun. He followed Pei Gong to attack the Gōu clan, blockaded the Yellow River crossing, and defeated the Qin army east of Luoyang. followed Liu Bang to capture Wan and Sui, and pacified another seventeen counties. He led the army to attack Xunwu alone and pacified Hanzhong.
Li Shang is Li Shiqi's younger brother
Li Shang has the merit of taking the lead, and he is also the first to rush into the enemy's city in a battle, which is the battle merit of a fierce general, after all, the first to rush into the enemy's city faces the greatest danger.
The key is that Li Shang only had one first climb, and then followed Liu Bang to attack Zang Di, and during the Battle of Longtuo, Li Shang took the lead again and defeated Zang Di's army in Yixia.
Liu Bang's subordinates have the most first achievements in Fan Xu, followed by Zhou Bo, and then Li Shang, Cao Shen only has one first achievement, and the generals who have the first to ascend are the basic skills.
However, a general's military talent is not reflected in bravery, and strategy is also an aspect, such as Han Xin, who does not say bravery, but uses soldiers like a god.
When Liu Bang conquered Guanzhong, Li Shang led the army south to Hanzhong alone and pacified Hanzhong.
"Historical Records of Fan Liteng Guan Lie": The king of Han gave Shang Jue Xin Chengjun, and the general was the governor of Longxi. Don't settle in the north and go to the county. Po Yong's general Yan's clan, Zhou's army Yuyi, and Su's army in Niyang.
Li Shang's military exploits were only lower than those of Fan Xu
There are still many opportunities for Li Shang to lead the army to fight alone, and when the Three Qin Dynasty was also set, Li Shang led the army to pacify Beidi and Shangjun alone as the captain of Longxi, and defeated the army led by Yongwang Zhanghan in Yanshi, defeated the army led by Zhou Class in Luyi, and defeated the army led by Su Chan in Niyang.
Li Shang also led troops to pacify Shanggu alone as the right prime minister, and then attacked Dai, and led troops to pacify the Dai and Yan with Zhou Bo and others as the right prime minister and Zhao Xiangguo, and captured Cheng Zong, the prime minister of the Dai Guo, Guo Tong, and captured a total of 19 officials below the general to 600 stones.
The credit statistics of Li Shang are as follows:
If you don't break the army three, the county is six, the county is seventy-three, and the prime minister, the prime minister, the minister, the general, the general are one each, and the junior general is two, and the two thousand stones have been lowered to six hundred stones and nineteen people.
In total, Li Shang defeated a total of 3 enemy armies, surrendered 6 counties and 73 counties in Pingding, and captured 1 prime minister, 1 general each, 2 junior generals, and 19 officials from less than 2,000 to 600 stones.
Take the records of Fan Hao and Guan Ying to compare Li Shang's.
Infant Irrigation Record: Whoever gets two people from 2,000 stones, 16 don't break the army, 46 people who surrender to the city, 1 Dingguo, 2 counties, 52 counties, two generals, one person each from Zhuguo and Xiangguo, and 10 people from 2,000 stones.
Fan Hao was the most courageous general under Liu Bang
Guan Ying captured a total of 2 officials with 2,000 stone with Emperor Gao, and led his troops to break 16 enemy armies, surrendered 46 cities, pacified 1 vassal state, 2 counties, and 52 counties, captured 2 generals, 1 person each from the Zhu State and Xiangguo, and 10 officials with 2,000 stones.
Fan Xu's record: from, beheaded one hundred and seventy-six levels, and captured two hundred and eighty-eight people. Don't, the broken army is seven, the city is five, the county is six, the county is fifty-two, there is one prime minister, twelve generals, and two thousand stones have been lowered to three hundred stones and eleven people.
When Fan Xu followed Liu Bang in the battle, he beheaded 176 enemy heads and captured 188 enemy soldiers. He led his troops to fight alone, defeated 7 enemy armies, captured 5 cities, pacified 6 counties and 52 counties, and captured 1 enemy prime minister, 12 generals, and 11 officials from less than 2,000 to 300 stones.
Li Shang's merits are lower than Fan Xu's higher than those of Guan Bao, and there are only 4 people in front of Fan Xu, namely: Xiao He, Cao Shen, Zhang Ao (Zhang Er's son, Liu Bang's son-in-law), Zhou Bo, among these four people, only Cao participated in Zhou Bo who made meritorious contributions to the march and battle.
In other words, among the military generals, Li Shang ranked fourth, second only to Cao Shen, Zhou Bo, and Fan Xu.
But unlike Cao Shen, Zhou Bo, and Fan Xu, Li Shang joined Liu Bang as an independent small prince, and he brought 4,000 soldiers and horses as soon as he came, and Cao Shen, Zhou Bo, and Fan Xu were only Liu Bang's generals.
Li Shang led the army to join Liu Bang alone
Even if it is the soldier immortal Han Xin, who is also Liu Bang's general, the difference between the generals and the princes is that they are alone, the generals cannot be alone, they can only fight with the main general, and the princes can be alone.
Alone here does not refer to leading an army to fight alone, but to completely complete the process of war alone, including raising food, preparing materials, ensuring logistics, managing the army and training troops, marching and fighting, and so on.
Li Shang finally achieved the right prime minister, the prince and the general, and Li Shang did everything except that he was not crowned king.
Sima Qian's evaluation of Li Shang:
Siege field battles, retribution, hey, business strength, not only spurred, but also get rid of difficulties.
Attacking the city, fighting in the field, and retributing the merits, Fan Hao and Li Shang were the generals who contributed the most, not only obeying the drive of the Han King at any time, but also often getting out of danger with the Han King.
Li Shang ranked sixth in the list of meritorious heroes of the Western Han Dynasty
Sima Qian regarded Fan Xu and Li Shang as the generals who contributed the most, and it can be said that Li Shang was essentially a fierce general similar to Fan Xu.
"Historical Records: The Biography of Fan Liteng": The world is called Li's condition and sold over...... The situation is sold, and the internal aid of Wuyang. Teng Guan is more king, and Yiye multiplies.
However, Sima Qian said in the historical records that Li Shang's son Li sent betrayed his friend, which was not fair enough, Li Ji was a friend of Lu She, and after the death of Empress Lu, Zhou Bo sent someone to threaten Li Shang in order to kill the Lu family, and asked his son Li to send to deceive Lu She, so that Zhou Bo was able to enter the camp of the Northern Army and successfully kill Zhu Lu.
First of all, Li Shang was threatened by Zhou Bo to let Li send it to deceive Lu She.
Secondly, the killing of Zhu Lu was politically correct at that time, if Zhu Lu was not killed, the Liu family would not be able to keep the country, and of course the heroes would not be able to keep the title.
Nowadays, "Li consignment seller" has become an idiom, which began in Sima Qian's historical records, which is unjust.