李勉
Emperor Dezong soon took a harder line against the military governors of several circuits which were effectively governed independently from the imperial government — Li Zhengji's Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong), Li Baochen's Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei), Tian Yue's Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei), and Liang Chongyi's Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan, Hubei). After Li Baochen and Li Zhengji both died in 781, he refused to let their respective sons, Li Weiyue and Li Na, inherit their fathers' positions, and those semi-independent circuits mobilized to prepare for war against the imperial government. As part of the preparation for war, Emperor Dezong divided Yongping, making three of its seven prefectures — Song (宋州, in modern Shangqiu, Henan), Bo (亳州, in modern Bozhou, Anhui), and Ying Prefectures — into a new Xuanwu Circuit, giving Si Prefecture (泗州, in modern Huai'an, Jiangsu) to Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), and adding Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, in modern Zhengzhou, Henan) to Yongping. He also made Li Mian the overall commander of the forces not only of his own circuit, but also of Xuanwu and Heyang (河陽, headquartered in modern Luoyang) Circuits. When Liu Qia (劉洽) the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit was subsequently able to put LI Na under siege at Pu Prefecture, Li Mian persuaded Li Na to offer to submit to imperial authority, but Emperor Dezong, convinced of victory at that point, refused to accept Li Na's surrender. Subsequently, Li Na was able to regroup and continue to resist the imperial government. When Emperor Dezong subsequently ordered Li Xilie to attack Li Na, Li Xilie, who was secretly aligned with Li Na, pretended to be ready to attack Pinglu through Yongping, and he requested Li Mian to permit him passage, while he was preparing to launch a surprise attack on Yongping instead. Li Mian prepared to welcome Li Xilie through his circuit but mobilized his own troops to prepare for an attack. Li Xilie, realizing that Li Mian was taking precautions, did not attack Yongping at this point.