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Li Jinglong
Early Ming duke and son of Li Wenzhong who led the Jianwen emperor's armies to defeat against the Prince of Yan and then opened Nanjing's Jinchuan Gate to him
At dusk on a hilltop, a large tent stands open with a table holding a map marked with small stones inside, a saddled horse tethered outside, and fire stands burning; campfires dot the river plain below, and one tiny sentry stands on the slope.
Also known as Xiaozi Jiujiang
- Roles
- Commanders
Li Jinglong, childhood name Jiujiang, was the son of the founding general Li Wenzhong and inherited the title Duke of Cao. He trained troops in Huguang, Shaanxi and Henan, bought horses from the western tribes and took charge of the Left Chief Military Commission. When the Prince of Yan rebelled in 1399 and Geng Bingwen was beaten, the Jianwen emperor made Li grand general over an army said to number half a million; Yan forces routed him at Zhengcunba that year and at the Baigou River in 1400. Recalled without punishment, he was sent to offer land for peace as Yan troops crossed the Yangzi, then joined Zhu Hui, Prince of Gu, in opening Nanjing's Jinchuan Gate to them. In 1404 the Yongle emperor stripped him of his title on a charge of plotting rebellion and confined him at home with dozens of relatives. The Ming History (Mingshi) says he once fasted ten days without dying and lived on until late in the Yongle reign.
Life and times
Dates Dates unknown; died late in the Yongle era