Yangzhou Established and Liyang County Restored, 620 CE

Background

In the last years of the Sui dynasty the region between the Huai and the Yangtze was disturbed by fighting. The gazetteer's entry for the third year of Wude records two matters together: the making of Lishui and Jiangning into Yangzhou, and the attack of Li Zitong on Jingkou and the Danyang commanderies, which Du Fuwei answered by sending Fu Gongshi.

Time and place

The gazetteer records:

唐高祖武德三年庚辰，以溧水、江宁二县置扬州。县不废，仍隶之，等为上。又析溧水东境为溧阳。是年李子通攻京口、丹阳诸郡，俱降。杜伏威遣辅公祏击之，克丹阳，进屯溧水。今县南有杜城山及古战场，相传为屯军处也。

Translated: In the third year of the Wude era of Emperor Gaozu of Tang, a gengchen year, Lishui and Jiangning were made into Yangzhou. The county was not abolished but remained under it, and its rank was set as superior. The eastern part of Lishui was also separated off as Liyang. In the same year Li Zitong attacked Jingkou and the Danyang commanderies, which all surrendered; Du Fuwei sent Fu Gongshi against him; he took Danyang and advanced to encamp at Lishui. South of the county seat there are today Ducheng Mountain and an old battlefield, said by tradition to be the place where the troops were encamped.

The third year of Wude is 620 CE.

The standard history

The Jiu Tangshu, juan 40, "Treatise on Geography, Part 3," records the Tang administrative affiliations of Lishui and corroborates this entry:

上元（武德）三年，於（江寧）縣置揚州，仍置東南道行臺，改江寧為歸化。 溧水……武德三年，屬揚州。九年，屬宣州。

Translated: In the third year of Wude, Yangzhou was established at Jiangning, together with a Southeastern Circuit branch administration, and Jiangning was renamed Guihua. ... Lishui ... in the third year of Wude belonged to Yangzhou; in the ninth year, to Xuanzhou.

The same juan, under Yangzhou, also has "in the third year of Wude, Du Fuwei submitted, and Yangzhou was established at Jiangning County of Runzhou". The treatise seats Yangzhou at Jiangning (Guihua), slightly different from the gazetteer's "Lishui and Jiangning were made into Yangzhou". Fudan's CHGIS, on the Jiu Tangshu and the Jingding Jiankang Zhi, dates Yangzhou to 620, seated at Guihua County and governing the four counties of Guihua (Jiangning), Lishui, Liyang and Anye, until it was renamed Jiangzhou in 624.

What happened

Lishui and Jiangning were made into Yangzhou, with Lishui County kept and remaining under it at the superior rank, and the eastern part of Lishui was separated off as Liyang, restoring that county. In the same year Li Zitong attacked Jingkou and the Danyang commanderies, all of which surrendered; Du Fuwei sent Fu Gongshi against him, and Fu Gongshi took Danyang and advanced to encamp at Lishui.

Consequences

Liyang County was restored and stood alongside Lishui once more, both names continuing in later ages. The gazetteer links Ducheng Mountain south of the county seat, and an old battlefield there, with the encampment of that year.

Uncertainties

First, the gazetteer prefaces the identification of Ducheng Mountain with "said by tradition". It is a tradition, not an established fact, and this entry keeps that qualifier.

Second, "its rank was set as superior" is the gazetteer's note on the Tang county grade; the source does not explain the system, and this entry only repeats it.

Third, the seat and the counties of the new Yangzhou are disputed: the gazetteer has "Lishui and Jiangning were made into Yangzhou", the Jiu Tangshu seats it at Jiangning (Guihua), and CHGIS has it governing the four counties of Guihua, Lishui, Liyang and Anye. The three readings are set side by side without preference.

Fourth, a search of the Jiu Tangshu, "Treatise on Geography," found no explicit statement of "Lishui and Jiangning were made into Yangzhou" or of "eastern Lishui was separated off as Liyang" — the treatise records only that Lishui "in the third year of Wude belonged to Yangzhou"; the restoration of Liyang in 620 rests on CHGIS and the Liyang City government's history. The confidence level is set to medium.