Inheriting the post from his father Li Zhengji, he served as the military governor (jiedushi) of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Tai'an, Shandong) semi-independently from the imperial government.
Li Zhengji proceeded to, despite nominally submitting to imperial authority, rule Pinglu effectively as a semi-independent realm.
In light of this, Li Weiyue prepared for war against the imperial government, and Li Zhengji, Tian Yue (Tian Chengsi's nephew and successor), and Liang Chongyi the military governor of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangyang, Hubei), who had made an alliance to support each other in attempts to be able to pass their circuits to their descendants, prepared for war as well.
In anger, Li Na attacked Xu Prefecture, joined by an army from Weibo, but was defeated by joint forces commanded by Liu Qia (劉洽); the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit; Qu Huan (曲環), a commander of the directly-imperially-controlled Shence Army (神策軍); Li Cheng (李澄), an officer of Yongping Circuit (永平, headquartered in modern Kaifeng); and Tang Chaochen (唐朝臣), an officer of Shuofang Circuit (朔方, then headquartered in modern Yinchuan, Ningxia).
[8] By winter 782, both Zhu and Wang (who was also displeased that he was not made a military governor despite his killing of Li Weiyue) were openly rebelling against the imperial government.
They advanced south to aid Tian and dealt the imperial forces, under the commands of Li Huaiguang the military governor of Shuofang Circuit, Ma Sui the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), and Li Baozhen the military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), forcing them to lift the siege on Wei Prefecture.
Meanwhile, in fall 782, soldiers from Jingyuan Circuit (涇原, headquartered in modern Pingliang, Gansu), at Chang'an to await deployment to the east, mutinied after Emperor Dezong did not give them rewards that they believed they deserved, forcing Emperor Dezong to flee to Fengtian (奉天, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi).
[9][10] While Emperor Dezong was at Fengtian, he sent messengers to Li Na, Tian Yue, and Wang Wujun, offering to pardon them if they submitted to him.
After Emperor Dezong issued a general pardon in spring 784, Li Na, Tian, and Wang all renounced their princely titles and nominally resubmitted to Tang imperial authority.
Emperor Dezong then commissioned Li Na as the military governor of Pinglu and, later in the year, gave him the honorary chancellor designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事) and created him the Prince of Longxi.
[10][11] Meanwhile, Li Xilie, who by this point had claimed the title of emperor of a new state of Chu, was putting Chen Prefecture (陳州, in modern Zhoukou, Henan) under siege, but could not capture it quickly.
Tian Xu feared this, and, under suggestion by his staff member Sun Guangzuo (孫光佐), he sent gifts to Li Na to please him and persuade him to send Tian Chao to Chang'an — and further suggested Li Na to accept the surrender of the prefect of the previously Pinglu-controlled Di Prefecture, Zhao Gao (趙鎬), who had previously submitted to Wang Wujun's Chengde Circuit but who later refused to follow Wang's orders.