Some people say, "The essence of human beings is a repeating machine." But behind this repetition of other people's words, there is no human almost natural competitiveness. Because of this competitive spirit, Dong Shi once served in the footsteps of the Yan people, and the Yan people once went to Handan to learn. It is also because of this competitive spirit that the rankings of the heroes of the past generations are very noisy. Especially in Li Tang, who is full of talents, the question of who is the first fierce general has made posterity quarrel for thousands of years. But in the last century, the debate was finally settled by the excavation of a tombstone.
I. Li Tang's First Fierce General's "Struggle"
In your impression, who is the first fierce general of Li Tang? Is it Li Yuanba, who is in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, or Xue Rengui, who is handsome and sassy? Was it the founding general Li Ji (i.e., Li Shijie), or Wei Chigong (i.e., Wei Chi Jingde) or Qin Qiong (i.e. Qin Shubao), who had already transformed into a door god? Maybe you had an answer. But when these raptors are put together, you don't know who to put first.
This entanglement doesn't just bother you alone. In the seventeenth year of Zhenguan (643), Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, in order to praise the heroes of the early Tang Dynasty, selected twenty-four people and presented their portraits to Ling Yan Pavilion. Among them, the top-ranked martial artist was the famous Duke of Eguo, Chi Gong. But Li Ji, Qin Qiong, etc. are also on the list. Although these three people ranked first among the twenty-four heroes of Ling Yan Pavilion, Li Ji had been given the surname of guo, and Qin Qiong and Wei Chigong became the door gods alongside. So if you have to compare, they are really difficult to distinguish.
Later, from the end of Zhenguan to the time of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, the most powerful warrior in the dynasty was none other than Xue Rengui. Although he was a generation later than Li Ji and Wei Chigong, Xue Rengui's record was not bad at all. "Good strategy to rest the gang", "three arrows to fix the Heavenly Mountain", "the courage of the gods to harvest Liaodong", "benevolent government and Goryeo kingdom", "love the people of Xiangzhou City", "take off the hat and retreat from all enemies"... In terms of folk popularity, Xue Rengui even surpassed Li Ji and so on.
However, if he is more famous, Li Yuanba, who is active in various Sui and Tang stories, has become Xue Rengui's opponent. Although Li Yuanba is a literary figure, he is not a real warrior general that Li Ji and Xue Rengui have generally existed. However, because he was portrayed as the first fierce general of Li Tang, Li Yuanba became an important symbol of the group of warriors in the sui and Tang dynasties. To a certain extent, he is even the new Li Tang First Fierce General who cannot be shaped by people because they cannot choose who is stronger, such as Li Ji, Wei Chigong, and Xue Rengui. But then again, Li Yuanba is not a real historical figure after all. Therefore, who is Li Tang's well-deserved first fierce general, which has been discussed by posterity for thousands of years, there is no conclusion.
2. The discovery of the epitaph of Qin Qiong's descendants
But as the saying goes, "As long as the spirit does not slip, there are always more ways than difficulties." At the end of the last century, a tomb from the early Tang Dynasty was found in Shandong and an epitaph was found in it. This epitaph titled "Tomb Inscription and Preface of the Tomb of the Emperor of the Qin Dynasty of the Tang Dynasty Of Yixing County, Changzhou", although not from any well-known tomb, provides an important support for us to answer the above questions.
This fang epitaph belongs to Qin Huaidao, a figure who at first glance is unknown. But his father was the famous Qin Qiong. In Qin Huaidao's epitaph, there are more than a hundred records of Qin Qiong's life: "Kao Shubao, the general of Sui Longjun, from Gaozu Shenyao Emperor to capture Lieutenant Chi Jingde, worshiped the pillar state, the commander of the terracotta warriors, and gave the right three unified armies of Qin Province, and in addition to the general of Zuo Wuwei, the 700 households of Yizhou were sealed, the Duke of Hu was renamed, and the governor of the three prefectures of Xu Yusi was given to accompany the burial of Zhaoling." Be diligent in Ye Zan, and transport Tao in the military. The beauty of merit is pushed by the government and the public; the glory of pampering is valued by the gentry. Before his death, he sat on the seal of the thatched earth; the coat of arms after the death, and the gift of the castle".
And not only the epitaph of Qin Qiong's son tells about Qin Qiong's bravery. The epitaph of Qin Qiong's grandson Qin Hui also devotes a lot of space to praising the might of his grandfather. The excavation date of Qin Hui's epitaph is unknown, but today it is stored in the Elephant Ceramics Museum in Zhengzhou, Henan. Compared with Qin Huaidao's epitaph, Qin Hui's epitaph is from the hands of monks, and there are many dictionaries, so it is not easy to understand. However, the praise for Qin Shubao jumped on the paper: "Born with virtue, praise the king's genus, chant the song, the contract of the wind and clouds, the achievement of the creation, the appreciation of the mountains and rivers, the portrait of fame, and immortality." Can make a monk who has no worldly desires "blow" such a "rainbow fart", Qin Qiong's position in the hearts of the people at that time can be imagined.
Third, why Qin Qiong became the first fierce general
Judging from the epitaphs of Qin Huaidao and Qin Xi's father and son, Qin Qiong's founding achievements are as "immortal" as Li Ji and Wei Chigong. This was also the basic condition for him to be ranked among the twenty-four heroes of Ling Yan Pavilion like the other two. However, Qin Qiong was a little better than the other two- "From Gaozu Shenyao Emperor to Capture Lieutenant Chi Jingde".
The battle between Qin Qiong and Li Ji and Wei Chigong took place in the spring of the third year of Wu De (620). At that time, Song Jingang, who was an enemy of Li Yuan, was defeated due to lack of grain and grass, and Li Shimin immediately sent Qin Qiong and Li Ji to fight a decisive battle with him. Wei Chi Jingde was serving in the Song Jingang army. The war ended with a great victory for Li Shimin's army, Song Jingang fled in a hurry, and Wei Chi Jingde had no choice but to surrender, leaving the world with the record that Qin Qiong "captured Wei Chi Jingde from Emperor Yao of Gaozu".
Wei Chigong was captured by Qin Qiong, not by Li Ji, and the comparison between the three of them could be settled through the epitaphs of the descendants of the Qin family. As for Xue Rengui, whose title was only to the Duke of Pingyang County, and Li Yuanba, who had never really existed at all, it was even more unsightly in front of Qin Qiong, the Duke of Yiguo, who had captured Chi Gong.
Resources:
[1] He Yihao; Original flaws; HE Fei. Tomb of Qin Qiong and Sun Qin and The Tang Dynasty monk Zhanran[j].Central Plains Cultural Relics,2015,(06):92-98.