Friends who are familiar with the history of the Tang Dynasty know that in the early years of the Tang Dynasty, two super military figures appeared, one was Li Shimin of Tang Taizong, and the other was Li Jing, the Duke of Wei and the "God of War". But strangely, Li Jing, the "god of war" who died in Zhenguan for twenty-three years (649), gradually withdrew from the Tang Dynasty military circles after the ninth year of Zhenguan (635) and no longer led troops to fight. What's going on here?
In the impression of many people, Li Jing and Tang Taizong Li Shimin are a generation, and some dog-blood vulgar film and television dramas even let Wei Jingwugong Li Jing and Tang Taizong Li Shimin engage in "love triangle" around a woman. However, according to historical records, Li Jing was born in the sixth year of the Northern Zhou Dynasty (571), only five years younger than Li Yuan, and nearly twenty-six years older than Tang Taizong, who was born in the seventeenth year of the Kai Emperor (597).
In the first year of the Tang Dynasty (618), Li Shimin, the King of Qin, was twenty years old, and Li Jing, the third guard of the Qin Dynasty, was already forty-six years old. Compared with Li Shimin, the king of Qin who became famous at a young age, Li Jing is an authentic instrument of late success. In the fourth year of WuDe (621), Li Jing pacified almost the entire southern half of the tang for the Tang Dynasty. Li Jing, in the fourth year of Wude (621), was already a veteran general in his fifties.
After Emperor Taizong of Tang ascended the throne, he appointed Li Jing as the Head of shangshu and crown prince Zuo Wei, and in the second year of Zhenguan (628), he appointed Li Jing as the Inspector Ofs' Order. Li Jing officially entered the core decision-making level of the Tang Dynasty. In the fourth year of Zhenguan (630), Li Jing ushered in the most glorious record of his military career - the destruction of the Eastern Turks. Li Jing, who destroyed the Eastern Turks, was already a veteran general in his sixties at that time.
In the ninth year of Zhenguan (635), Li Jing destroyed Tuguhun and drew a perfect end to his military career. Li Jing was already sixty-four years old at this time, and it was time to retire now, so Li Jing naturally chose to retire. In addition to military teaching and theoretical research, Li Jing basically stopped participating in military affairs. In the twenty-third year of Zhenguan (649), Li Jing died of illness at the age of seventy-nine.