Li Rusong

Li Rusong (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of the Ming dynasty who was from Tieling, Liaodong. He was the commander-in-chief of the Ming army in the first half of the Imjin War that took place in the Korean peninsula. Upon the request of the Korean King Seonjo of Joseon, the Ming Wanli Emperor sent reinforcements to support the Korean military in its war effort against the Japanese invasion masterminded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. [1] His father, Li Chengliang, who was also a Ming general, was known for defending Liaodong from the Jurchens.[2] Based on historical documents, Li Rusong's 6th generation ancestor Li Ying (李英) was originally from Chosan (초산군 / 楚山郡) in present-day North Korea, however there are historical documents which state that the further ancestors of the Li family were from central China who moved to Korea during wartime.

In this Chinese name, the family name is Li.
Li Rusong
Chinese李如松
Zimao
(courtesy name)
Chinese子茂
Zhonglie
(posthumous name)
Chinese忠烈

Military career

Li Rusong's first rise of fame was in early 1592, when he managed to defeat a major rebellion at Ningxia. The Ming army had been unable to move the rebels holed up in the city for the first 6 months, but after Li arrived the city fell within 3 months. Li was able to divert the waters of the Yellow River directly into the city, which led to its fall. He was immediately appointed the chief general of the expedition into Korea after this; he led a force of some 36,000 into Korea in the last few days of 1592. Together with Ming administrator Song Yingchang, Li Rusong was generally successful in Korea, first retaking the city of Pyongyang in a direct assault within two weeks of setting off (on January 8 of 1593), and then took back the city of Kaesong a couple week later. As he marched south towards the Korean capital of Hanyang (漢陽) in later January, the Ming army clashed with the Japanese forces in the Battle of Byeokjegwan, which resulted in the Ming army being pushed back briefly. Within two months after this he succeeded in recapturing Hanyang. He ordered Chinese and Korean troops to refrain from killing all Japanese soldiers and grant them the right to retreat.

Sword

Li is also honoured as the inventor of a sword skill called jedok geom in Korean, which he presumably used during his stay in Korea. The Koreans published his sword-style in their martial arts manuals called Muyesinbo (1759) and Muyedobotongji (1791).

Death

In April 1598, the Mongols invaded the Ming province of Liaodong from the north when Li Rusong was leading a small scouting group around its forests. Surrounded by thousands of Mongol cavalry, he could not escape, and was captured and subsequently killed. He was posthumously given the title of Zhonglie (忠烈) (Lord of Fidelity).

See also

Notes
  1. http://www.tianyabook.com/lishi2005/mingshi/020.htm 冬十月壬寅，李如松提督蓟、辽、保定、山东军务，充防海御倭总兵官，救朝鲜。-《明史》
  2. http://www.read126.cn/194c6894-51d5-4df3-a4bc-fa1282139f82!39f5412a-ad19-49c8-bffc-bceba1682122.html 成梁英毅骁健，有大将才。家贫，不能袭职，年四十犹为诸生。巡按御史器之，资入京，乃得袭。积功为辽东险山参将。隆庆元年，士蛮大入永平。成梁赴援有功，进副总兵，仍守险山。寻协守辽阳。三年四月，张摆失等屯塞下，成梁迎击斩之，歼其卒百六十有奇。-《明史》


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