Li Jianji (李建及) | 24 Histories

Overview

Li Jianji was a general and Military Officer.

Life and dates

Death

AD 920 是歲
At Taiyuan 太原
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 36

Age

57
AD 920 是歲
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 36

Attested activity

AD 885 to AD 888 光啟中
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 3
AD 920 十七年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passages 33, 36
AD 919 十六年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 19
AD 917 十四年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 13
AD 910 天祐七年
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 5

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Wang Zhi (王質)
father 父
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 2

Career and standing

prefect of Daizhou 代州刺史
AD 920 十七年三月 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 33
commandant of the Kuangwei Army 匡衛軍都校
AD 910 天祐七年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 5
acting Sikong 檢校司空
Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 18
prefect of Liaozhou 遼州刺史
Appointed
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 12

Places and affiliations

Polity Jin / Later Tang 晉/後唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passages 3, 7
At Xu Prefecture 許州
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 1

Events and relationships

Burned fleet
Military · Commander · At Desheng 德勝 · With He Gui (賀瑰)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passages 19, 22-26
Held bridge
Military · Commander · At Baixiang 柏鄉 · With Han Zhui (韓追)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passages 6-8
Relation Served · Person Li Hanzhi (李罕之)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 3

Assessments and attributes

Item imperial robe and gold belt 禦衣金帶 · Relation Bestowed · With Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang (後唐莊宗)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 27

Source notes

granted surname and given name
From Wang 王 · To Li Jianji 李建及
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 65, passages 2, 4

References in the histories

Search passages

History

18 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 65Volume 65 Book of Later Tang 41: Biographies 17: Li Jianji, Shi Junli, Gao Xinggui, Zhang Tingyu, Wang Sitong, Suo Zitong · 18 passages

Open chapter

李建及，許州人。 Li Jianji was from Xu Prefecture.

本姓王，父質。 His family name had originally been Wang; his father was named Zhi.

建及少事李罕之為紀綱，光啟中，罕之謁武皇於晉陽，因選部下驍勇者百人以獻，建及在籍中。 As a young man Jianji served Li Hanzhi as a camp officer. During the Guangqi reign Hanzhi called on the Martial Emperor at Jinyang and presented a hundred picked warriors from his command; Jianji was among them.

莊宗登高而望，鎮、定兵將衄，謂建及曰：「如賊過橋，則勢不可遏，卿計若何？」 Emperor Zhuangzong took a vantage point and saw the Zhen and Ding lines buckling. He asked Jianji, "If they get across that bridge we cannot stop them—what do you advise?"

建及於部選士二百，挺槍大噪，禦汴軍，卻之於橋下。 Jianji picked two hundred men from his command, charged with leveled spears and a thunderous cry, and threw the Bian troops back from the bridge.

二月，王師攻魏，魏人夜出犯我營，建及設伏待之，扼其歸路，盡殪之。 In the second month the imperial army besieged Wei. Wei forces raided the camp by night; Jianji laid an ambush, cut off their retreat, and wiped them out.

劉鄩之營莘縣，月餘不出，忽一旦縱兵攻鎮、定之營，軍中騰亂，建及率銀槍勁兵千人赴之，擊敗汴軍，追奔至其壘。 Liu Yan had camped at Huaxian and for more than a month refused battle, then one day suddenly struck the Zhen and Ding encampment. As the army churned in panic, Jianji rushed up with a thousand silver-spear veterans, routed the Bian force, and chased them to their walls.

元城之戰，建及首陷其陣，授天雄軍教練使。 At Yuancheng Jianji led the breach of the enemy line and was made drill instructor of the Tianxiong Army.

十二月，從攻楊劉，自寅至午，汴軍嬰城拒守，建及自負葭葦堙塹，率先登梯，遂拔之。 In the twelfth month he took part in the assault on Yangliu. From dawn to midday the Bian garrison held the walls. Jianji carried bundles of reeds to fill the ditch, was first on the scaling ladder, and the city fell.

胡柳之役，前軍逗撓，際晚，汴軍登土山，建及一戰奪之。 At Huliu the forward units stalled. Toward dusk the Bian troops seized a hillock; Jianji retook it in a single clash.

建及橫槊當前，曰：「賊大將已亡，乘此易擊，王但登山，觀臣破賊！」 Jianji planted his spear in their path and said, "Their chief commander is already dead—this is the moment to hit them while they are easy prey. Your Majesty has only to take the hill and watch me smash the foe!"