In the rendition, Xu Maogong, whose full name is Xu Shixun (徐世勣) and Zi Maogong (勣功) in the history of the canon, was later given a surname after he submitted to Li Tang, thus changing his name to Li Shixun; after Li Zhi ascended the throne, in order to show filial piety to his father, he asked not to use the words "Shi and Min", so Li Shixun was called Li Ji from then on.
The real Li Shijian is actually not the legendary half-immortal, but a standard general and military expert, he and Li Jing are called "Er Li", which is a symbol of the strong military strength of the early Tang Dynasty, and also a meritorious elder of the Tang Dynasty who expanded its territory and achieved great martial arts.
What is even more rare is that as a soldier, Li Shixun's body is full of wisdom, and at all the key points in his life, he has played the right chess and chosen the right direction. Perhaps because of this, he will be called "cunning" by some people.
Let's look at Li Shixun's experience in emotional intelligence.
In his early years, when he followed Zhai Rang to the grass, Li Shixun, who was only 17 years old, showed an eye beyond his peers, and at his suggestion, the team "did not eat the nest grass" and deliberately ran away from home, but the song/Zheng counties were plundered. In this way, the Wagang Army did not offend its fellow villagers and protect its wings, but also earned a lot of money and a great scale, thus attracting Li Mi to join and transform into a benchmark military group at the end of the Sui Dynasty;
Many years later, when Li Mi and Zhai Rang were infighting, several Wagang elders were killed, Shan Xiongxin was frightened to kneel down and beg for forgiveness, while Li Shixun should be distinguished in military ability, behave in a humble manner in ordinary days, evade the poison of Li Mi's family, and even continue to be entrusted with heavy use;
However, when Li Mi later defected to the Li Tang Dynasty, but died of suicide because of attempting to betray him, Li Shixun, who was guarding the side of the town and holding a heavy army, soberly judged the situation and chose to continue to serve the Li Tang regime. However, he also made a clear distinction between public and private, and frankly requested to handle the funeral for Li Mi, which was generally but not unkind and unsympathetic, which made Li Yuan's father and son greatly appreciate it.
During the defense of Liyang for the Tang Dynasty, Li Shixun was outnumbered and defeated by Dou Jiande, the Hebei emperor. Also a native of Shandong (east of Kunshan), Dou Jiande valued the well-known Li Shixun and, after taking his father hostage, appointed him to continue to guard Liyang. However, Li Shixun once again made a precise judgment on the development of the situation, and he determined that although Dou Jiande had a fierce momentum, due to the lack of a systematic program and a mature structure, the future development prospects were slim, so he took the opportunity to flee back to Chang'an in coordination with the captured King of Li Clan. This kind of taking sides that broke through the local concept not only reflected Li Shiji's political vision, but also showed loyalty to Li Shiji, making his career smoother.
Later, Dou Jiande and Wang Shichong were pacified, Li Yuan was rewarded for meritorious deeds, Li Shimin was made a general, and Li Shixun was a subordinate general, and the two of them wore gold armor together, won victory at the Taimiao Temple, and enjoyed the top glory of the soldiers; after the unification of the Central Plains, he entered the general and entered the picture, was active in the political arena of the Tang Dynasty for many years, and was listed in the Lingyange Meritorious Service.
Among the heroes of the early Tang Dynasty, Li Shixun also had a special status: the representative of Shandong Haoqiang. He was born as a landlord and later became a general of Wagangzhai, and after Li Mi's death, he commanded most of the old department of Wagang; later, after Dou Jiande, Wang Shichong, Liu Heimin, Shan Xiongxin and other Shandong Haojie were killed one after another, Li Shixun and Wei Zheng became the de facto representatives of the Shandong Haoqiang landlord clique.
The Li Tang Dynasty came from the Guanlong clique in the west, and the reason why Li Shimin was successful was that he had his back to Guanlong and successfully won the support of the Shandong clique in the process of conquest of the world. Therefore, later, he entrusted Wei Zheng and Li Shixun with heavy responsibilities for many years, in fact, he not only admired their talents, but also considered uniting people's hearts and eliminating barriers.
Before his death, Li Shimin once again tested Li Shixun, and for no reason he sent Li Shixun, who was then the prime minister (Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin), to other places to test his loyalty and his level of understanding of the leader's intentions; before giving the order, he even instructed his son Li Zhi to kill Li Shixun if he had the slightest hesitation; if there was no complaint, he could reuse it in the future.
Mr. Lee's feedback was textbook: He left immediately after receiving the order, and did not even go home to get clothes and say hello. This superb sense of political acumen and the grasp of the imperial mind made it difficult for most full-time top civilian officials to match.
After enduring this test, Li Shixun and his eldest son Wuji Yiwu Yiwen, who were also representatives of Shandong Haoqiang and Guan Long cliques, became the ministers of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Li Zhi. They were conscientious and loyal to the Lee dynasty, but a few years later they were in the opposite direction.
In 655, Li Zhi wanted to change the Wu clan to the throne on the grounds that Empress Wang could not have children. Li Zhi's uncle, Sun Wuji, who was also the elder of the Former Emperor, thought that this was an important matter involving the stability of the Super Gang and the will of the Former Emperor, so he fiercely opposed it; Li Shixun was even more scheming, he understood that Li Zhi's determination had been decided and the reasons were sufficient, so he first pretended to be ill and did not attend the meeting, and then when Li Zhi privately asked himself, he said: "There is no need to ask outsiders about this Family Affair of Your Majesty", expressing his firm support for Li Zhi.
Therefore, when the eldest son Wuji was gradually excluded and eliminated for offending Li Zhi and his wife, Li Shiji's position became more and more stable. In 668, as a commander-in-chief, he attacked Goguryeo and fulfilled Li Shimin's long-cherished wish; this was also the last time he opened up territory for the Tang Dynasty, and at the end of the next year, he died of illness at the age of 76.
After Li Shixun's death, Li Zhi built a mausoleum for him in the form of Yin Mountain, Iron Mountain, and Wude Mountain, in recognition of his merits in destroying the Turks and Xue Yantuo (of the same specifications as Li Jing).
In addition to his meritorious service, Li Shixun's loyalty to the Li Tang Dynasty was also unquestionable. Before his death, he deliberately instructed his brother that if his descendants had any misdeeds, they could discipline him severely instead of himself, and even fight or kill.
However, Li Shixun's fears have become a reality. In 684, as Wu Zetian's ambitions to usurp the throne became apparent, Li Jingye, the grandson of Li Ji, raised an army in Yangzhou, and Li Shixun, who had long been buried in the land, was implicated and punished by Wu Zetian for depriving him of his official title, removing the surname Of Li, and "dissecting the coffin", that is, digging up the grave, dissecting the coffin, and exposing the bones.
20 years later, When Emperor Zhongzong of Tang was restored to the throne, he "remembered the Yuanxun and cherished his life forever", remembered Li Shixun's outstanding contributions to the Tang Dynasty, and believed that "the crimes are not compatible, and the general code of the country" could not be overturned because of the faults of his descendants, so he ordered the relevant departments to "quickly raise the grave, all the officials, and it is appropriate to recover".
Although the political struggle in the court is cruel, for a hero like Li Shixun who has made outstanding contributions to the country and even has great kindness to himself, Wu Zetian's behavior of "dissecting the grave and cutting the coffin" is indeed too vicious, except to vent her anger and scare people, she really can't find any reason for her. If the rulers treat heroes and talents in this way, when their own dynasty is once again facing a crisis, who can they expect to stand up?