Li Guangbi
By spring 761, however, Yu and Pugu Huai'en, now in command of the Shuofang forces, were advocating that a campaign be launched to recapture Luoyang, and despite Li Guangbi's opposition, Emperor Suzong ordered Li Guangbi to attack Luoyang. Li Guangbi, despite his reluctance, thus advanced toward Chang'an with Pugu, Yu, and Wei Boyu (衛伯玉). He and Pugu, however, disagreed in regards to camp formation, with him wanting to put the camp in the hills and Pugu wanting to do so in the plains. Yan forces thus took advantage and launched a major attack on them, thoroughly routing Tang forces. All of the Tang generals, including Li Guangbi, Pugu, Yu, and Wei all fled. Li Baoyu (李抱玉), whom Li Guangbi had left at Heyang, also abandoned Heyang, and Heyang fell into Yan hands. (Soon after the Yan victory, however, Shi was assassinated and succeeded by his own son Shi Chaoyi, and Yan forces were unable to take advantage of the victory over Tang forces.) Li Guangbi requested a demotion, and he was demoted to the honorary title of "Kaifu Yitong Sansi" (開府儀同三司) and the honorary chancellor of title of "Shizhong", and was made the military governor of Hezhong Circuit (河中, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), but almost immediately again made "Taiwei" again and made the deputy supreme commander, but only of the Henan region (i.e., area south of the Yellow River). Emperor Suzong also had him take over the commands of the expeditionary forces from the Huai River and Yangtze River region, taking up position at Linhuai (臨淮, in modern Huai'an, Jiangsu), with Shi Chaoyi seeking to expand toward the southeast. Once he arrived at his post, Li Guangbi was able to lift the siege that Yan forces were putting on Songzhou, stopping Yan advances in the region. Moreover, several Tang generals who had been staying in the region and not reporting to their proper posts—Tian Shengong (田神功), Shang Heng (尚衡), and Yin Zhongqing (殷仲卿), fearing LI Guangbi, soon reported to their posts. Emperor Suzong created Li Guangbi the Prince of Linhuai. Li Guangbi himself took up position at Xu Prefecture (徐州, roughly modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu) and made it his headquarters. He also sent an army to defeat the rebellion of Yuan Chao (袁晁), who had captured Tai Prefecture (臺州, roughly modern Taizhou, Zhejiang) and surrounding prefectures.