He and Sun Kewang first aided Ming loyalists by suppressing a rebellion in Yunnan in 1648, they then made strikes to stop the advance of the Qing army in Sichuan and Huguang.
The Qing however chose to order Wu Sangui to push into Sichuan, and captured Chongqing and then Zunyi in Guizhou in 1658.
[5] In March 1659, Li Dingguo's army was defeated by Wu Sangui and Jobtei near Yunnan-fu, and had to retreat to northern Burma, while the Yongli Emperor sought refuge with the Burmese king Pindale Min and reached Ava in June 1659.
[6] In December 1661 and the following January, Wu Sangui and the Manchu duke Aisingga entered Burma and defeated Li, who withdrew eastwards.
[8] His last words, said to his son Li Sixing (李嗣興) and his generals Jin Tongwu (靳統武) and Ma Siliang (馬思良), were: "Rather die in wilderness than surrender!