Li Jing (571[1] – July 2, 649[2]), courtesy name Yaoshi,[3] posthumously known as Duke Jingwu of Wei (also spelled as Duke of Wey), was a Chinese military general, strategist, and writer who lived in the early Tang dynasty and was most active during the reign of Emperor Taizong.

Near the end of the reign of Emperor Yang, Li Jing served as the vice prefect of the Mayi Commandery (馬邑, roughly modern Shuozhou, Shanxi), when he served under the general Li Yuan the Duke of Tang, who was in charge of the nearby important city of Taiyuan (太原, in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi) against Eastern Tujue forces.

At the execution, Li Jing yelled, "You, duke, rose in order to eliminate tyrannical rule for the people.

In 619, Li Jing participated in a campaign against one of Tang's major enemies, Wang Shichong the Emperor of Zheng, and was promoted for his accomplishments.

When he first reached Jin Prefecture (金州, roughly modern Ankang, Shaanxi), he encountered bandits in the mountain, who had several times defeated Li Yuàn (李瑗, note different tone and character than Emperor Gaozu's name (淵, yuān)) the Prince of Lujiang (Emperor Gaozu's distant nephew).

Meanwhile, in spring 620, around the same time, Ran Zhaoze (冉肇則) the leader of the Kaishan Tribe (開山蠻), rebelled against Tang rule and attacked Kui Prefecture.

After defeating the Liang general Wen Shihong (文士弘), Li Xiaogong put Jiangling under siege, cutting off Xiao Xian's communications with the armies in the rest of his territory.

Li Jing advanced to Gui Prefecture (桂州, roughly modern Guilin, Guangxi) and was able to persuade several of the most major warlords of the region, including Feng Ang (馮盎), Li Guangdu (李光度), and Ning Zhenzhang (甯真長) to submit to Tang.

In fall 623, the Tang general Fu Gongshi, who had served as the deputy of the powerful general Li Fuwei the Prince of Wu as the military governor of the lower Yangtze region, rebelled against Tang rule while Li Fuwei was at Chang'an, declaring himself the Emperor of Song.

Fu ordered his generals Feng Huiliang (馮慧亮) and Chen Dangshi (陳當世) to take up position at Mount Bowang (博望山, in modern Ma'anshan, Anhui, preparing for the assault, instructing Feng and Chen not to engage Li Xiaogong, but to wear him down.

In fear, Ashina Duobi retreated to Qikou (磧口, in modern Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia).

Ashina Duobi sent messengers to Emperor Taizong, offering to submit and to pay homage to him later, but was still considering fleeing further with his forces.

They defeated and captured most of Ashina Duobi's remaining forces and killed his wife, Sui's Princess Yicheng.

In recognition of Li Jing's great victory, Emperor Taizong issued a general pardon and ordered his people to feast for five days.

When Li Jing returned to the capital, however, the imperial censor Xiao Yu[8] accused him of allowing his soldiers to plunder the Eastern Tujue treasury.

A more plausible explanation is that Taizong didn't trust his high officials, especially the generals, and Li Jing was very sure about it.

Emperor Taizong created Murong Shun the new khan, and Tang forces largely withdrew, although Li Daliang remained.

In 637, as a part of Emperor Taizong's scheme to bestow prefectures on his relatives and great generals and officials as their permanent domains, Li Jing's title was changed to Duke of Wei, and he was given the post of prefect of Pu Prefecture (濮州, roughly modern Heze, Shandong), to be inherited by his heirs.

Soon, however, with many objections to the system, the strongest of which came from Zhangsun Wuji, Emperor Taizong cancelled the scheme, although Li Jing's title remained Duke of Wei.

In 640, Li Jing's wife died, and Emperor Taizong ordered that a large tomb, made in the shape of Mount Tie (鐵山) in Eastern Tujue territory and Mount Jishi (積石山) in Tuyuhun territory, under the precedents that the great Han dynasty generals Wei Qing and Huo Qubing had their tombs built in the shapes of mountains in Xiongnu territory to commemorate their victories, be constructed for Li Jing's wife (as Li Jing would eventually be buried there as well).

As one of the best generals and strategists of the Tang dynasty remaining undefeated in his career, Li Jing wrote several books about military doctrines.

[10] Although most of his work is not preserved today, fractions of them were cited by the Tongdian, an encyclopedia about the historic system of politics in China.

[11] One of the Seven Military Classics of China, Duke Li of Wei Answering Emperor Taizong of Tang (唐太宗李衛公問對/唐太宗李卫公问对, Táng Tàizōng Lǐ Wèigōng Wènduì), is a purported dialogue between Li Jing and Emperor Taizong about strategies, policies, and tactics.

The novel Romance of Sui and Tang (隋唐演義), written by the Qing dynasty author Chu Renhuo (褚人獲), for example, had Li prominently featured.

Li Jing, who was a famous Tang dynasty military general and strategist, was well known for utilizing warfare tactics that were thought to be created by the goddess Jiutian Xuannu.