(585-658) was born in Shuozhou (now Shuoxian County, Shanxi Province), a general in the Tang Dynasty and one of the twenty-four outstanding figures in Lingyange.
At the end of the great cause of the Sui Dynasty, Wei Chijingde joined Levin's army. When Emperor Yang Di Yang Guang brutally ruled, he was extravagant and dissipated, and a large-scale peasant uprising broke out. Wei Chijingde went out with the army for many times, was known as a warrior, and was awarded the post of doctor in North Korea.
In February of the first year of Yining (6 17), Liu Wuzhou, a captain of Yangyingfu in Mayi (now Shuoxian County, Shanxi Province), killed Wang Rengong, the satrap, rose up against Sui, and sent messengers to join the Turks. In March, Liu Wuzhou proclaimed himself emperor and became the biggest separatist force in the Northern Sui Dynasty. Liu Wuzhou heard that Wei Chijingde could be a good soldier, so he took him to be a general.
After the Tang Dynasty was established by Tang Taigong Li Yuan, the rising prince of Taiyuan, Song Jingang, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, advised Liu Wuzhou to "enter Jinyang (now southwest of Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province) and compete for the world in the south" (Biography of Liu Wuzhou in the Old Tang Dynasty). Liu Wuzhou went to Wude II in March (6 19), and Wei Chijingde was among them when the Turks supported him to send his troops south. In September, Liu Wuzhou occupied Taiyuan. Wei Chijingde went south with Song Jingang and conquered Jinzhou (now Linfen, Shanxi). In October, it captured Huizhou (ruling Yicheng, now Shanxi). At this time, Lu Chongmao, a native of Xiaxian County (now Yuwangcheng, northwest of Xiaxian County, Shanxi Province), rose up and responded to Liu Wuzhou, defeating Tang and Pei Ji. Tang Gaozu's imperial edict, Yong Li, Du Gu Huai 'en, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, the general manager of Shaanxi Province, and Tang Jian, the civil servant, led the troops against Lv Chongmao. The two sides confronted Xia County.
In the same month, Li Shimin, the king of Qin, was ordered to command the Guanzhong army to attack Liu Wuzhou. 1 1 month, crossing the Yellow River from Longmen Pass (now northwest of Hejin, Shanxi Province), stationing troops in Bai Bi, confronting the Song Jingang army, and forming a horns with Tang Jun who stuck to Jiangzhou (now Xinjiang, Shanxi Province), advancing on the Song Jingang army.
In December, Lv Chongmao asked Song Jingang for help, and Song Jingang sent Wei Chijingde to Xiaxian County to meet Lv Chongmao. Wei Chijingde and Lv Chongmao attacked Tang Jun from the inside and defeated Tang Jun. Li, Du Jiahuai, Tang Jian and Liu Shirang, the chief officer of the March, were all captured. In order to save the captured generals, Tang Gaozu pardoned Tang Gaozu, and sent someone to surrender Lv Chongmao and worship Zhou Xia as the secretariat. At the same time let Lv Chongmao secretly get rid of Wei Chijingde. When Wei Chijingde heard the news, he killed Lv Chongmao.
Wei Chijingde and Xunxiang returned to Yizhou after defeating Tang Jun. After learning the news, Yin Kaishan, the minister of the Ministry of Troops, and Qin, the general, intercepted the army in Meiliangchuan (now Xiaxian North, Shanxi). Wei Chijingde was unprepared, and was beheaded by Tang Jun by more than 2000 levels, and he was defeated.
Soon, Wei Chijingde, at the stage of seeking secrets, was fined for riding Puban (now Zhou Pu Town, Southwest Yongji, Shaanxi) to rescue Wang Hangben. Li Shimin personally rode 3000 steps from the path and arrived at Anyi (now northeast of Anyi, Yuncheng, Shanxi) overnight, stopping Wei Chijingde and Xun Xiangjun. Wei Chijingde lost even worse this time. Except himself and Xun Xiang, everyone else was captured by Tang Jun, and General Tang Dugu Huai 'en also took the opportunity to escape.
At that time, Dugu Huaien wanted to oppose Tang independence. He told Tang Jian about it in prison. After DuGuHuaiEn fled back, he was ordered to attack PuBan. After learning the news, Tang Jian was worried that Dugu Huai 'en would turn against Tang, so he persuaded him to send someone to inform him. Tang Gaozu then killed Dugu Wynn. It can be seen that Wei Chijingde had the heart to return to the Tang Dynasty at that time.
In April of the third year of Wude (620), the Song Jingang army, which had been at loggerheads with Tang Jun for about five months, was finally forced to retreat northward with the phase-finding department as the garrison because Liang Mo was cut off. Li Shimin led the army in pursuit and defeated Song Jingang's army. Song Jingang led more than 20,000 soldiers to Jiexiu (now Shaanxi), and went out to attack Ximen. Song Jingang fled in panic. Liu Wuzhou gave up Bing (governing Jinyang, now southwest of Taiyuan, Shanxi), and Song Jingang fled to the Turks, who later killed them. Wei Chijingde gathered down archers and stuck to Jiexiu. Knowing that he was brave, he ordered Li Daozong, the king of the city, to surrender. Wei Chijingde followed Jiexiu and Yong 'an (now Huoxian County, Shaanxi Province) into the Tang Dynasty. Li Shimin was glad to see Wei Chijingde step down and appointed Wei Chijingde as the commander-in-chief of the right-wing government, so that he could continue to command Kibaki's 8,000 aides and participate in the camp. Li Shimin's excessive trust aroused the dissatisfaction of general Tang Jun. Qu Tutong, the marshal of the March in Li Shimin, was afraid that Wei Chijingde would make the same mistake. He repeatedly mentioned this matter to Li Shimin, but was rejected by Li Shimin.
In July, the king of Qin was ordered to lead the army eastward, and Wang Huishi, commander of Luoyang garrison in Sui Dynasty. In September, Xiang Xun and some old generals in Liu Wuzhou defected and fled. The generals in the Tang Dynasty also began to doubt Wei Chijingde and thought that Wei Chijingde would rebel, so they put him in the army. On the 21st, Zuo Fu shot Qu Tutong and Shang Kaishan and said, "Jingde has just returned to China, and his feelings are not attached. This man is brave, healthy and jealous for a long time. Now that you are guessed right, you will have resentment. If you stay, you will regret it. Please kill it immediately. " Li Shimin said, "What I see is different. If Jingde is pregnant with an enemy's plan, is it after the phase search? " Li Shimin immediately released Wei Chijingde, led him into the inner room, and presented him with Jinbao, saying, "Husbands should treat each other warmly, so don't doubt it. I don't listen to slanders at all, which is detrimental to loyalty and morality. It is right for me to do so. The soldiers want to go, and this is a gift to show their kindness. " (Biography of Wei Chijingde in Old Tang Dynasty) Li Shimin's remarks made Weichi Gong very excited. From then on, he worked for Li Shimin all his life and became a model of the relationship between monarch and minister.
On the same day, when he led 500 cavalry to patrol the battlefield and went to Wei Xuan Wuling (Luoyang North Mangshan), he was surrounded by more than 10 thousand cavalry led by Wang who suddenly arrived. Dan Xiong Xin, a veteran of Wang's, is very close to him. At this critical moment, Wei Chijingde jumped onto his horse in time, stabbed Dan Xiong Xin and saved Li Shimin. The king, seeing it, led his troops back a little and took advantage of it to guard deus ex. So he led the cavalry into the king's army and fought bravely, like nobody's business. When Qu Tutong led Tang Jun to defeat Wang Jun, he captured its champion general Chen Zhilve alive, beheaded him 1 1,000 soldiers (it is said that there were more than 3,000 soldiers), captured several soldiers and 6,000 soldiers, and Wang escaped alone. After the war, Li Shimin said to Wei Chijingde, "If you testify against the public, you are rebellious. Heaven will seduce me, and I will only protect it. If you are lucky, you will be rewarded soon! " (Biography of Wei Chijingde in Old Tang Dynasty) A basket of gold and silver was specially sent. Since then, the relationship between monarch and minister has become closer.
Wei Chijingde is proficient in martial arts, especially in one unique skill: he is good at "avoiding the enemy", that is, taking the enemy and stabbing him. Every time a single rider rushes into the enemy lines, the enemy can't help hurting Wei Chijingde, and Wei Chijingde often walks into the enemy lines and stabs the enemy to death. Therefore, Li Shimin was rescued from the tight encirclement that day and was not injured.
At that time, Li Yuanji, King of Qi, was also good at riding horses. When he heard about Wei Chijingde's technology, he strongly disapproved and asked to compete with Wei Chijingde. Before the tournament, Li Yuanji ordered his men to take off the blade and stab each other with a pole. Wei Chijingde said, "Even if you add a blade, you can't hurt it. Please don't remove it, Jingde is willing to be the blade. " (Biography of Wei Chijingde in the Old Tang Dynasty) After they met, Li Yuanji stabbed Wei Chijingde many times with his own blade, but failed to hit. Li Shimin, watching from the sidelines, said, "Which is more difficult?" Wei Chijingde replied, "It's hard to get." (Biography of Wei Chijingde in Old Tang Dynasty) So Li Shimin ordered Weichi Gong to capture Li Yuanji. Li Yuanji's prancing horse was going to stab it, but Wei Chijingde won it three times at once. Li Yuanji has always been brave. Although he marveled at his skill, he felt ashamed.
Li Shimin, king of Qin, chose 1000 elite cavalry as Qin Bing because of his long-term overseas expeditions. They are all dressed in black armor, so-called Xuanjia team. Every time he took the lead, Li Shimin put on black armor and led the black armor team as a pioneer, waiting for an opportunity to attack, invincible, and the enemy was frightened. After returning to the Tang Dynasty, he led the Xuanjia team to protect Li Shimin with Qin and Zhai. In the first month of the fourth year of Wude (62 1), Qu Tutong and Zanhuang returned to patrol the camp and suddenly met Wang Jun. Fighting is unfavorable. Immediately led the Xuanjia team to rescue, defeated Wang's army, captured its rider Ge alive, and captured more than 6,000 people. Wang fled back to Luoyang.
In March, Dou Jiande, the king of Xia, led more than 65,438+10,000 troops to help Luoyang in the west, keeping pace with thousands of people from the kingdom, entering Hulao Pass (now west of Sishui Town, Xingyang, Henan Province) and building a palace in Banzhu (now south bank of the Yellow River near Niukouyu, Henan Province, northwest of gao yang cun), echoing Wang Yao and threatening Tang Jun. Li Shimin ordered Li Yuanji, King of Qi, and others to continue to besiege Luoyang, and on 25th, he drove 3,500 soldiers into Hulao Pass.
26, led five hundred out of Hulao Pass, reconnaissance to more than 20 miles east of Dou Jiande barracks, set an ambush along the way, respectively by Li Shiji, and qin. Then, together with Wei Chijingde, only four riders were taken to move on. Li Shimin said to Wei Chijingde: "I hold a bow and arrow, and the public will follow me, even if there are millions of people!" He added, "It is the best policy for thieves to see me pay back the money." (History as a Mirror, Volume 189) When he was three miles away from his camp, he suddenly met Dou Jun. Li Shimin shouted "I am the king of Qin" and shot a general with a bow. Dou Jiande's army was frightened, and Dou Jiande quickly sent five or six thousand cavalry to chase it. The four cavalry were stunned when they saw it. Li Shimin said, "Your brother, I will be the temple with Jingde." ("History as a Mirror" Volume 189) So Wei Chijingde followed Li Shimin behind the house and fought and retreated. When the pursuer wants to catch up, lead a bow and shoot one person. The pursuer stopped at the sight of fear and then chased him. So many times, there are dead people every time. Li Shimin shot several people before and after, while Wei Chijingde killed a dozen people while protecting Li Shimin. Dou Jiande army dare not push again. When Li Shiji and others attacked him, they took more than 300 steps to capture his warriors Yin Qiu and Shi Zan.
Dou Jiande's army was stuck in a tiger prison for more than 20 days and was not allowed to go west. After several skirmishes, it was defeated and the soldiers were homesick. On the second day of May, the Dou Jiande Army beat gongs and drums to challenge the lair. Wang Wan, the nephew of Wang, rode an emperor's horse when he was in the Dou Jiande army. His armor was very bright. Wang Wan rode to the front to show off on purpose. Li Shimin is a horse lover and can't help admiring: "What a good horse he rides." (Biography of Wei Chijingde in Old Tang Dynasty) When Wei Chijingde saw this scene, he asked to take the horse away. Li Shimin quickly stopped: "Can you lose a brave man at once?" (History as a Mirror (Volume 189)) But determined to lead Gao Zansheng and Liang straight into Dou Jun, captured Wang Wan alive and returned with BMW. Although Dou Jun was crowded, no one dared to stop him. Until noon, Dou Jun was hungry and tired. When Li Shimin saw the time was ripe, he ordered the attack. The foot soldiers of Dou Jun quickly disintegrated, and Dou Jiande was also captured by Tang Jun. Tang Jun's main force returned to Luoyang. Seeing that the tide was gone, Wang was forced to surrender on the ninth day of May, with more than 2,000 princes and ministers.
In July, Liu Heita, the former headquarters of Dou Jiande, rose up against the Tang Dynasty and quickly occupied most counties in Hebei and parts of Henan. On the fourth day of September, the Turks invaded Yuanzhou (now Guyuan, Ningxia) again, and Wei Chijingde was the chief officer in the Tang Dynasty to repel it. 1February 15, Li Shimin was ordered to conquer Liu Heita.
In March of the fifth year of Wude (622), Li Shimin camped south of Mingshui again. Liu Heita challenged many times, but Li Shimin refused to defeat him. At this point, the two sides have been deadlocked for more than 60 days. Liu Heita secretly led an army to attack Li Shiji's army, and Li Shimin led Lueyang Gong Li Daozong to attack Liu Heita's army to rescue Li Shiji. The result was surrounded by Liu Heita. At this time, Wei Chijingde led the soldiers rushed into the encirclement, broke the bandit array and rescued Li Shimin and Li Daozong. On 26th, Tang Jun defeated Liu Heita and Liu Heita fled to Turkey. Then Wei Chijingde drew Xu Yuanlang, and Xu Yuanlang led an army to respond to Liu Heita. Because of his work, Wei Chijingde was awarded Qin Zuoerwei.
After the great cause of Tang Yitong was basically completed, the Turks in the north continued to invade the south and became the main enemies of the Tang Dynasty. Wei Chijingde also made many achievements in the war with the Turks. As early as September of four years, Wei Chijingde had already repelled the Turkish army. On the ninth day of July in the sixth year of Wude (623), the Turks invaded Yuanzhou. On the 11th, he attacked Shuozhou, and the right Wuhou Li was defeated and was ordered to lead troops to rescue. On July 12th, the seventh year of Wude (624), the Turks harassed Longzhou (now Longxian County, Shaanxi Province), and Wei Chijingde (then the Guards) was ordered to attack the Turks again.
In the process from Taiyuan to the unification of the whole country, Li Shimin made great achievements and gained high prestige, forming a political group with Qin Wei as the core. Qin is one of them, posing a serious threat to Prince Li. Li Jian became a prince and heir to the throne, and became friends with Li Yuanji, king of Qi, and opposed Li Shimin together. In June of the seventh year of Wude, Li took Li Yuan to Renzhi Palace (now Yijun, Shaanxi Province) for the summer, and instigated Yang Wengan, a close confidant, to launch a rebellion in an attempt to get rid of it and seize the throne, but the rebellion was quickly quelled and Li Yuan was reprimanded. In June of the ninth year of Wude (626), Li poisoned the banquet, causing sudden pain in his heart and vomiting blood for several liters.
In view of the large number of samurai in Qin Gong, Li and Li Yuanji wanted to buy off the generals, thinking that they had been used. Because Wei Chijingde is a general under Li Shimin, he first laid hands on Wei Chijingde. Li first bribed a high-ranking official, Hou Lu, and sent someone to tell him, "I would like to be a relative of the old man and hope to make friends with you." And give a cart of gold and silver utensils. However, Wei Chijingde refused, saying, "Respect for virtue begins with obscurity. When the Sui Dynasty died, the world collapsed and there was nowhere to go. For a long time, crimes went unpunished. I paid tribute to the king of Qin with my life, and now it's renamed as the official residence. I want to repay my kindness with my own body. In your highness's vanity, I dare not return it. If you promise your highness privately, it is half-hearted and forget your loyalty. What's the use of your highness? " (Biography of Wei Chijingde in the Old Tang Dynasty) Li was furious when he heard the news, and he never talked with each other again. Afterwards, Wei Chijingde told Li Shimin about it, and Li Shimin said to him: "The simple hearts of the masses are as gloomy as a mountain, and it is difficult to accumulate wealth, so the feelings of the masses cannot be moved. It's better to take care of it than to send it. If not, I am afraid of public anxiety. Knowing it is a good policy. " (Biography of Wei Chijingde in Old Tang Dynasty) Li Yuanji and others are deeply jealous of Wei Chijingde, and it will be very difficult to know that he wants to get rid of Li Shimin around Li Shimin. If he can't be soft-hearted, then he has to be hard. Li Yuanji sent an assassin to kill Wei Chijingde. When Wei Chijingde found out, he deliberately left several heavy doors open, but he still lay down. The assassin sneaked into Wei Chijingde's yard several times, but when I saw this scene, he was afraid to do so. When Li Yuanji saw that the assassination failed, he framed Tang Gaozu Tang Gaozu in front of him. Tang Gaozu was also trying to cut off Li Shimin's wings, so he arrested Wei Chijingde in a letter and prepared to ask for punishment. Li Shimin heard the news and came to the rescue. After many efforts, Wei Chijingde was released. In this way, Li and Li Yuanji failed to combine carrot and stick. Li and Li Yuanji's plan to buy off officials of Qin State, such as Duan, also failed (while Li's Ministry Chang He and Prince Chang were bought off with a large sum of money). So they framed Du Ruhui, the counselor of the Qin government, and were expelled from the Qin government by Tang Gaozu. At this point, Li Shimin's confidant is only Sun Chang Wuji, who is still in Fu Qin. Hou Jijun, general of Sun Chang Wuji, Gao Shilian and Yongzhou, tried to kill Li and Li Yuanji day and night, but he still hesitated.
At that time, the Turks shot tens of thousands of cavalry into the city and besieged Wucheng (now northwest of Yuxian County, Shanxi Province). Li took the opportunity to recommend Li Yuanji to supervise the Northern Expedition, and ordered him to lead the right Wuwei general Yi Li (* * *) to the rescue. Li Yuanji called on Qin Fuyong to deploy,, Duan and Qin to weaken his strength and then seize the opportunity to get rid of it. Li Shimin learned from Wang Chang that Li wanted to kill Li Yuanji when he was leaving, so he told the civil servants and military commanders of the Qin government about it. After Wei Chijingde knew it, he and Sun Chang Wuji advised Li Shimin: "If your majesty doesn't hurry, it will be harmed and the country will be in danger." Li Shimin sighed after hearing this: "We all know that the Second Palace is in danger of losing flesh and blood and destroying relatives. Although I deeply doubt that the disaster is in an instant, I can't bear the same feeling. If you want to wait for it first and then discuss it with righteousness, what is public will? " Wei Chijingde said: "People are afraid of death, and people serve the king with death, which is a gift from heaven. If heaven doesn't take it, it's hard for heaven to tolerate it. Although there are small favors, forgetting the big plans of the country will not be afraid of disasters and avoid death. You will lose the festival when people and ministers are in trouble, and you will lack the things of sages, righteousness and righteousness. I am stupid, please punish me first. If the king doesn't obey, you can't escape, you can't fight, and you are killed. Because of the success of defeat, the wise look up; Turn the corner, the wise man takes the lead. If Jingdezhen escapes today, Wuji is willing to go with him. " (Biography of Wei Chijingde in Old Tang Dynasty) But Li Shimin hasn't decided yet. Sun Chang Wuji added: "If you don't follow the words of respecting morality, you will know that respecting morality does not belong to the king. What if you are defeated today? " Li Shimin said: "What I said can't be completely abandoned, and the public is more interested." Wei Chijingde added: "Wang Jin is suspicious and unwise; Indecision in the face of difficulties is not courage. If Wang Zong doesn't respect morality, please make up your mind. Where is his motherland? What is his life like? Besides, there are more than 800 warriors outside, and now they know that they have entered the palace and are accused of being armored. The situation has passed, why should Wang resign? " (Biography of Wei Chijingde in Old Tang Dynasty)
Persuaded by everyone, Li Shimin finally decided to strike first. But to discuss with Fang and Du Ruhui carefully, they were called over, but they were not allowed to enter again because they had been driven out of Qin Fu. Li Shimin asked Sun Chang to summon them secretly, but the two men said, "You can't serve the king. If you slap yourself now, you will be devastated and dare not obey. " (Biography of Wei Chijingde in the Old Tang Dynasty) Li Shimin was furious when he heard the news and said to Wei Chijingde, "Ling Xuan, Ruhui, don't you carry me?" Then he took off his sabre and gave it to Wei Chijingde, and said, "Go and see if it has a heart, but cut off its head." (Biography of Wei Chijingde in the Old Tang Dynasty) Knowing that Fang and Du Ruhui were important ministers, they played a great role in the success or failure of the uprising, so they told them together with Wuji: "The king has made up his mind to stop thieves, and public participation is appropriate. We shouldn't wait for four people to go together. " (Biography of Wei Chijingde in the Old Tang Dynasty) Fang and Du Ruhui were also governors, so they put on official clothes and makeup, and entered the Qin government together with Wuji. In order to prevent others from seeing him, Wei Chijingde returned to Fu Qin by another way.
On the third day of June, a secret performance was held, and all the concubines in Yuanji's harem wanted to kill him, as if to avenge Wang and Dou Jiande. Tang Gaozu got a fright, claiming that he would ask death early tomorrow morning.
On the morning of the 4th, nine generals, including Hou, Zhang, Liu Shili, Gong Sunwuda, Dugu, Du Junchuo, Zheng Rentai and Li Mengchang, were ambushed in Xuanwu Gate (north main entrance of Chang 'an Taiji Palace). When Li and Li Yuanji walked to the temple by the lake, they felt the change, so they dismounted hurriedly and prepared to return to the East Palace and pray. Li Shimin greeted them from behind, and Li Yuanji drew his bow and shot at them. In desperation, he couldn't control the string and didn't succeed once. Take the opportunity to shoot Li. At this moment, Wei Chijingde arrived with 70 riders, and shot arrows at Li Yuanji from both sides. Li Yuanji fell off his horse and fled into the Woods. Li Shimin ran after the horse, but his clothes caught on a branch and he fell to the ground. Li Yuanji said, immediately arrived, seize the bow and kill Li Shimin. At this critical moment, Wei Chijingde arrived in time, swaggering and yelling at Li Yuanji. Li Yuanji saw Wei Chijingde, let go of Li Shimin, and wanted to go to Wude Hall. Wei Chijingde chased and shot Li Yuanji. At this time, 2000 soldiers from the East Palace General, Deputy Guards, Zhifu Zuoqi Xie led the East Palace and Qifu stormed Xuanwu Gate, and the situation was critical. At this critical juncture, Wei Chijingde arrived at the government with Yuanji's head, and the East Palace and the soldiers who prayed for blessings were scattered.
At this point, Tang Gaozu Tang Gaozu was rowing in the sea pool, and Li Shimin ordered Wei Chijingde to stay in the palace with armor. Wei Chijingde armor and spears, all the way to Tang Gaozu. When Tang Gaozu saw Wei Chijingde wearing makeup, he was shocked and asked, "Who is the troublemaker today? Why did you come here? " Wei Chijingde replied, "The King of Qin betrayed the Prince and the King of Qi and sent troops to punish him. He was afraid that his majesty would disturb him and sent his officials to stay in the guard. " (Biography of Wei Chijingde in Old Tang Dynasty) Li Yuansong was relieved, but it's no use crying over spilt milk, so we have to say that Li Shimin did the right thing. At that time, there was still a war in Miyagi's Nanya, Beimen area, Taiuterus and the vicinity of the king of Qin Mi, so Wei Chijingde asked Tang Gaozu to do it, saying that "all the soldiers killed the king of Qin". Tang Gaozu saw that the tide was gone and had to obey. At this point, the Xuanwu Gate incident ended with Li Shimin's total victory. Wei Chijingde made great contributions, and Li Yuan also called him: "The Qing Dynasty contributed to the peace and stability of the country." (Biography of Wei Chijingde in Old Tang Dynasty) also gave him many treasures.
On the seventh day, Li Yuan made Li Shimin the Crown Prince. Wei Chijingde was awarded the prince's left-back rank for his work. At that time, 100 many people close to Li and Li Yuanji were arrested, and all the generals demanded that these people be punished. Wei Chijingde is firmly opposed to this. He said: "Those who committed crimes are two murderers, and now they have been punished. If you support the party, this is not a safe policy. " (Biography of Wei Chijingde in Old Tang Dynasty) With his repeated efforts, none of these people were convicted.
On the eighth day of August, Li Yuan abdicated. On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, Li Shimin proclaimed himself Emperor Taizong. At this time, suddenly, the original Turkic Valerie Khan thought that Li Shimin was just the throne, the internal contradictions had not been completely solved, and the ruling order was not yet stable. So he joined hands with Tuguhun Khan to invade the Tang side on a large scale, and soon arrived in Jingzhou (Ding 'an, now the north bank of Jinghe River in Jingchuan, Gansu) and Wugong (now Wugong Town in the northwest of Wugong, Shaanxi). On 24th, the Turkish army entered Gaoling County (now Shaanxi). At that time, the strength of the Tang Dynasty in Chang 'an was far less than that of the Turks, and reinforcements from all over the country could not arrive in time. The situation is very critical. Wei Chijingde was appointed as the chief officer of Jingzhou Road. In Jingyang (present-day Shaanxi), he fought against the Turks, broke the Turks, captured the Turks in Jin (official name), and beheaded them for more than a thousand steps. On the 28th, valerian Khan led an army to the north bank of Weihe Bridge, and Emperor Taizong led Gao Shilian and Fang to ride straight to Weihe River, denouncing valerian Khan for breaking his promise. Suddenly, various Tang Jun arrived one after another, and the standard armor covered the sky. Emperor Taizong ordered the troops to be deployed quickly, but he still talked to Li Han alone. Seeing that Tang Jun's lineup was neat, Valerie Khan seemed ready, greatly frightened, and asked for peace. On the 30th, Li Shimin and Jie Li met at the temporary bridge, slaughtered horses and bled, and gave a lot of gold and silk. Subsequently, Jie Li led the army to withdraw from the north. It is not difficult to see that Wei Chijingde's victory did not damage the main force of the Turks, but it dealt a blow to the Turks in morale and played an important role in Emperor Taizong's retreat from the Turks.
In September, Wei Chijingde was made Duke of Wu. In October, Emperor Taizong made great contributions, and Weichi Gong and Sun Chang Wuji tied for the first place in the Xuanwu Gate Incident, each with a million silks; In order to thank Wei Chijingde for saving his life, Emperor Taizong gave all the property of King Mi of Qi to Wei Chijingde. Also worship Wei Chijingde as the right general; In addition, Wei Chijingde also sealed 1300 households, which is just as famous as Sun Chang Wuji, Wang Junkuo, Fang, Du Ruhui, etc., second only to Peiji's 1500 households (The Book of the Old Tang Dynasty and records, the time to commend heroes is the first year of Zhenguan, but the Book of the Old Tang Dynasty is recorded as the ninth year of Wude in October.
In the first month of the first year of Zhenguan (627), General Tianjie and Wang Liyi rebelled against the Tang Dynasty, and Emperor Taizong ordered Wei Chijingde and official minister Sun Chang Wuji to lead the army to conquer. Before the soldiers arrived, Li Yi was killed by his men, so he returned to Li.
Because of Wei Chijingde's unswerving temperament, he is proud of taking credit. Every time he met Fang, Du Ruhui, Wuji and others, he often taunted them face to face, talked about their strengths and weaknesses, and sometimes even argued fiercely on the field, so his relationship with these people gradually deteriorated. Since then, Wei Chijingde has left Beijing as a local official. In the third year of Zhenguan (629), Wei Chijingde became the secretariat of Xiangzhou (now Xiangfan, Hubei). In the fifth year of Zhenguan (63 1), Wei Chijingde, Wuji, Fang Lingxuan and Du Ruhui were the founding fathers and served as county magistrates. In the sixth year of Zhenguan (in 632, it was recorded in the second book of Tang Dynasty as eight years of Zhenguan), but according to Zi Jian (volume 194), it was the secretariat of the same state in the sixth year of Zhenguan, so it was the secretariat of Zhenguan for six years) and moved to the same state (governing Feng Yi, now Dali, Shaanxi).
On September 29th, the sixth year of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong gave a big banquet, and Wei Chijingde, who was already the secretariat of the same state, also returned to Beijing for dinner. During the dinner, Wei Chijingde saw someone sitting on him and was furious. He said, "What merits do you have?" (Biography of Wei Chijingde in Old Tang Dynasty) At that time, Li Daozong, the duke, sat on Wei Chijingde's head and begged him again and again. Wei Chijingde flew into a rage and beat up Li Daozong. Li Daozong was caught off guard and almost lost one eye. Emperor Taizong was very unhappy and advised Wei Chijingde: "When I look at the history of the Han Dynasty, I find that there are very few people who won all the victories because of the great-grandfather's contribution, and I always feel particularly grateful. Since he was in a big position, he has always wanted to save his hero and make his descendants endless. However, it was only when Qing held an official position and violated the Constitution that it was not the fault of Han ancestors that Han He was killed. National affairs, only rewards and punishments, countless lines, self-cultivation and no regrets. " (Biography of Wei Chijingde in the Old Tang Dynasty) Wei Chijingde kowtowed and apologized after hearing these sincere words, and then restrained his behavior.
In the 11th year of Zhenguan (637), Emperor Taizong was made a hero, so it can be a hereditary secretariat. Book worship Wei Chijingde for Xuanzhou secretariat, changed to Hubei frenzy.
On the seventh day of February in the 13th year of Zhenguan (639), Wei Chijingde was appointed as the governor of Yinzhou (now Fuxian County, Shaanxi Province). Emperor Taizong once said to Wei Chijingde, "What's wrong with people or their words?" Wei Chijingde said angrily, "I am honest! I conquered all directions from your majesty and fought many battles. What survives today is the most advanced dysprosium. The world has been decided, and it is even more doubtful! " Then take off your clothes and show your scars. Seeing this, Emperor Taizong burst into tears and said excitedly, "I don't doubt your name, so you don't hate it!" ("Zi Tongzhi Jian" Volume 195)
Emperor Taizong also said to Wei Chijingde, "What if I want to marry my wife?" Wei Chijingde kowtowed and said, "My wife is humble, but she has been poor for a long time. Although I don't study, I heard that the ancients were rich and it was not easy to get a wife. This is not what I want. " (History as a Mirror, Volume 195) Emperor Taizong had to give up. From this incident, it is not difficult to see that Wei Chijingde never forgets the quality of roots, which is worth learning by future generations.
Since then, Wei Chijingde has been appointed commander-in-chief of Zhou Xia (treating Yanqing, now Baicheng in the northeast of Jingbian, Shaanxi).
In February (643), the seventeenth year of Zhenguan, Wei Chijingde requested to go home for the aged. On 25th, the court appointed Wei Chijingde as the third division of Kaifuyi, and five days later he went to the court. On 28th, Emperor Taizong ordered the painting of twenty-four heroes in Lingyange, all life-size, among which Wei Chijingde ranked seventh.
On February 12th, the 19th year of Zhenguan (645), Emperor Taizong set out from Luoyang and personally levied Korea. 17, Emperor Taizong sent a letter to the Prince to supervise the country. At this time, Wei Chijingde, who has retired at home, wrote a letter saying: "If you drive to Liaozuo, the Crown Prince will be guarded in Dingzhou, Tokyo and Xijing, where the treasury is located, but no one is there. Liaodong road is far away, and I'm afraid the mystery will change. Moreover, the small border countries are not strong enough to work hard, so please ask the good generals of the Committee to destroy them in time. " (Biography of Wei Chijingde in Old Tang Dynasty) This is a good suggestion, but Emperor Taizong was determined to make contributions and did not adopt it. On the contrary, he asked Wei Chijingde to take his official position as the leader of Zuo Ma Jun, and go to Korea with Emperor Taizong. Wei Chijingde didn't make many achievements in this expedition, but defeated the North Korean army in Phantom Mountain with Emperor Taizong. After returning to Beijing, Wei Chijingde still returned to his hometown to provide for the aged.
In his later years, Wei Chijingde was superstitious about magic. He set up an alchemist at home, taking mica powder to live forever. And "Go through the pool platform, worship Luo Qi, and enjoy the pleasure of clearing business to support yourself" (Biography of Old Tang Book Wei Chijingde), and enjoy your old age. At the same time, he refused guests and kept away from outsiders for 16 years.
In the year of Qingyuan in Tang Gaozong (658), Li Zhi and Tang Gaozong made great contributions to Wei Chijingde, and posthumously awarded their father the secretariat of Youzhou (governing Jixian County, now southwest of Beijing).
In the same year (65438+February 25th, AD 658) 1 1 25th, Wei Chijingde died at home at the age of 74. To this end, Tang Gaozong abandoned the DPRK for three days, allowing all officials who owned more than five products in Beijing to participate in condolences. At the same time, Wei Chijingde was appointed as the commander-in-chief of Stuart and Bing, as a loyal soldier and the secret weapon of Dongyuan. Give lessons, jade treasure, biography and burial to Zhao Mausoleum (Emperor Taizong Mausoleum, in the northeast of Liquan County, Shaanxi Province).
Comments: As a general in the early Tang Dynasty, Wei Chijingde never commanded a large army to fight, but after he joined Li Shimin, he risked his life for many times to save Li Shimin from danger with superb martial arts, and made great achievements. Especially in the Xuanwu Gate incident, it not only killed Li Yuanji, saved Li Shimin's life, but also ordered the high-impedance, and the whole army was under the command of Li Shimin, and the internal and external fighting was decided, which can be described as saving the day. At the same time, Wei Chijingde also has foresight and insight. For example, after the Xuanwumen incident, he advocated releasing the prince's confidant and not killing him. This quickly eased the internal contradictions, and at the same time reserved a large number of talents like Wei Zhi for Li Shimin. To some extent, it can even be said that without Wei Chijingde, there would be no Li Shimin, and there would be no prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. In character, Wei Chijingde is simple and honest. Since returning to Li Shimin, he has never had second thoughts, going through fire and water for him. Refusing to marry the princess shows noble qualities. Because of this, later generations regarded him as a door god, and painting has been passed down to this day. Although taking credit is Wei Chijingde's shortcoming, on the other hand, it also shows that he has shown his simplicity and lack of scheming.