Name

He was sometimes called Zhong Wang (忠王 Zhōng Wáng). This title was bestowed after he refused a bribe from a Qing general officer to kill Hong Xiuquan, the founder and leader of the rebellion.

Taiping Rebellion

Second rout of the Jiangnan Army Group

Army Group Jiangnan (江南大營) was an important Qing army barracks in Nanjing. Forces led by Li Xiucheng besieged the barracks in an attempt to force its occupants to surrender. Li Xiucheng, besides; in the second encirclement, the Qing army commanded 200,000 soldiers to fight with Taiping forces from March 1858, but they were routed by Li Xiucheng in May 1860. After that, Li went on to occupy all of Jiangsu provinces except Shanghai.

Two attacks on Shanghai

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• Battle of Shanghai (1861), the second time

Nanking

Li worked together with fellow Taiping General Chen Yucheng to defend and release the capital during the siege of Nanking in 1860.

Escape from Suzhou

Li Xiucheng's palace in Suzhou is the only one from the Taiping Rebellion that exists today. In July 1863, Li ordered his daughter's husband, Tan Shaoguang, to capture Suzhou. But Li Hongzhang led the Huai Army combined by the "Ever Victorious Army," which, having been raised by an American named Frederick Townsend Ward, was placed under the command of Charles George Gordon. With this support, Li Hongzhang gained numerous victories leading to the surrender of Suzhou.

Determining battle: lead defend capital Nanjing

Donkey Jiang

According to one legend, three months after Donkey Jiang (蔣驢子) became the manager of Li Xiucheng's stables in 1864 — and before the fall of Nanjing — Li Xiucheng took his wealth (including much plunder) to Donkey Jiang. At Li's request, Jiang quickly transported that wealth outside the Nanjing area, planning to meet back up with Li later. Jiang delivered on his promise to accompany the transport with 20 horses and an ox, but Li was captured and executed before he could rendezvous with Jiang. Jiang was left with wealth that he was able to bring back to Nanjing after the war.

Writing

Loyal Prince Li Xiucheng In His Own Words (《忠王李秀成自述》) is his autobiographical account written shortly before his execution.

Lis sword

When Li withdrew from Suzhou, his sword - the symbol of power - was given to his young brother Li Shixian. Li Shixian took this sword, but it was confiscated when Li was captured by Charles George Gordon in Liyang.

When Charles George Gordon returned to the UK with Li's sword, he presented it to Queen Victoria's cousin, Chief Commander of the Military the Duke of Cambridge.

On 30 August 1961, the sword ended up in the hands of a history professor at the University of London. In 1981, this sword was returned to China where it is currently stored in the National Museum of China.

Children

Li Xiucheng had a son Li Ronfar and three daughters. Li's daughters married Taiping generals, including Tan Shaoguang and Chen Binwen.

Sources

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• Tiān Guó Zwi(天國志)

• 李秀成：太平天国后期军事统帅

早年

李秀成是漢族客家人。幼時貧寒負債尤多，十歲後便要工作幫補家計。少年曾隨舅父讀過三年私塾，所用教材乃當時中國民間廣為流傳的《三國演義》，之後也曾從洪秀全研讀四書。到了二十六至二十七歲間，聽到洪秀全開始傳播拜上帝會，李秀成也信了教。

軍事生涯

1851年金田起義。1853年李秀成被升為軍帥，同年改任監軍，其後屢次升職。1858年天王洪秀全再設五軍主將，李秀成被封為後軍主將，於隔年被封為「忠王」。李秀成愛惜將才，對部下的缺點常予以包容，故部下對他衷心擁護。陳玉成對李昭壽的土匪作風很反感，李秀成卻經常給予寬容。李秀成明知李昭壽、郜永寬、松王陳德風、妻舅宋永祺等有叛意，事先不加阻止，事後不加指責，乃至為其開脫。最終造成郜永寬等刺殺譚紹光，開城降清。

1860年，李秀成在擊破清軍的江南大營後，乘勝攻下江蘇南部多個地方，於蘇州建忠王府，遺址現為旅遊景點。同年下半年，在援救安慶的軍事行動中，李秀成率軍西進，次年上半年進至湖北東南部，在附近地方招兵30萬人，在知道其它地方的太平軍吃敗仗後，放棄進攻武漢三鎮，改向東進軍。這次退兵可以說是一個重大錯誤，錯失了與陳玉成聯攻安慶解圍的良機（後來李秀成被清軍囚禁時，曾國藩的幕僚曾就退兵一事問李秀成，並說李如果進攻武昌，安慶之圍便可解除了，李初時答兵力不足，最後說希望攻佔杭州以鞏固後方）。1861年底，李秀成攻下杭州，浙江巡撫王有齡懸樑自盡，太平軍攻佔浙江大部份地區。李秀成不嗜殺，攻下杭州，「當即傳令諸軍」，對「被獲滿洲兵將」不准殺害，不願投降者，給路費，「准其回國」。王有齡自殺後，李秀成「費銀三千兩，」送其棺木護送回鄉。

1862年李秀成率軍攻上海，在清軍和洋人聯合抵抗下，太平軍雖然有些進展，兵至現今上海思南路一帶，久攻之下仍未能佔領上海。此時清軍開始包圍天京，李在下半年時奉命調集大軍回救天京，猛攻四十多天仍未能擊退清軍，被迫撤退。賴文光、洪仁玕對李攻上海即頗不以為然（洪力主上海是外交問題應與英法外交談判處理，不應軍事攻佔，李不聽勸，不幸洪預見言中）。

1863年上半年，天王洪秀全命李秀成率軍渡過長江攻安徽，企圖以進攻清軍後方迫使包圍天京的清軍撤退，由於軍中糧食不足，加上天京外圍據點接連失守，李秀成被逼退回江南，太平軍在該次出征損失慘重，「前後失去戰士數萬餘人」，故湘軍得增益7萬兵力圍攻天京。李秀成搜刮有不少金銀財寶，李鴻章入居蘇州，見忠王府「內外四五十間，純用金銀裝飾。」不禁嘆道: 「瓊樓玉宇，曲欄洞房，真如神仙府宅。」天京危急，洪秀全命李秀成交出銀兩時，他一次就拿出了七萬兩巨款。蘇州失守後，天京形勢更為危急，年底時李秀成建議洪秀全「讓城別走」，遭洪秀全拒絕。直至天京失守，李秀成留守天京。

後記

1864年初湘軍完全包圍天京並於7月19日破城，李秀成帶領幼天王洪天貴福突圍。李秀成於危急時將座騎駿馬讓給洪天貴福，自己改乘劣馬而被追上。失散後走到一座山上，因財物露白而被人發現，最後被人捉送至曾國荃的清軍營。曾國荃動用割其臂股肉的殘酷刑罰。

李秀成在獄中寫下數萬字的自述，全書無結尾。自述原稿卷末第74頁以後的內容部份被撕去，有傳言謂他在被囚期間曾經遊說曾國藩反清自立但未遂。1864年8月7日，被曾國藩下令處刑於江寧，免凌遲，處以斬首，終年40歲。在臨刑前，李秀成毫無戚容，談笑自若，並寫有十句絕命詩敘其盡忠之意。李鴻章寫信予曾國藩，表示在閱覽完《李秀成自述》後，也感動讚譽李秀成是「英雄人物」。

其他

今蘇州尚存太平天國忠王府舊址。

李秀成從蘇州撤退到南京以前，將天王洪秀全賜予他的佩劍交給堂弟侍王李世賢。1864年，李世賢在溧陽戰敗，此劍落入查理·戈登手中。戈登將此劍贈予維多利亞女王的堂兄弟劍橋公爵。英國太平天國史研究專家、英中友好協會委員柯文南在1961年3月找到並購買了這把寶劍，1962年8月將它贈予中國政府，現由中國國家博物館收藏。

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