Li Tong 李通

Li Tong's courtesy name was Wenda, and he was a man of Pingchun County in Jiangxia Commandery. He was known as a knight-errant between the Yangtze and the Ru River. When he raised troops at Langling together with Chen Gong (陳恭), a man of the same commandery, many people flocked to him. At that time a certain Zhou Zhi, who led a following of more than 2,000 households, was outwardly friendly with Chen Gong and Li Tong but inwardly at odds with them. Li Tong wanted to kill Zhou Zhi, but Chen Gong was reluctant, so Li Tong, knowing that Chen Gong lacked resolve, settled the plan alone. He fixed a day to meet Zhou Zhi and killed him when the drinking was at its height; when Zhou Zhi's followers were thrown into great turmoil, he led Chen Gong in killing their ringleaders and absorbed all their camps. Records, Wei 18 §11

Later, when Chen Gong's brother-in-law Chen He killed Chen Gong and seized his following, Li Tong defeated Chen He's army, cut off his head, and offered it as a sacrifice at Chen Gong's grave. He also captured alive Wu Ba, a great chieftain of the Yellow Turbans, and received the surrender of his followers. When a great famine struck, he poured out his family's wealth in relief and shared dregs and husks with his soldiers, so that all vied to serve him and bandits dared not encroach. Records, Wei 18 §12

Early in the Jian'an era, Li Tong led his entire following to Cao Cao at Xu, was made General of the Household Who Spreads Awe (zhenwei zhonglang jiang), and was stationed on the western border of Runan. When Cao Cao attacked Zhang Xiu, Liu Biao sent troops to help Zhang Xiu, and Cao Cao's army was at a disadvantage. Li Tong led his troops to Cao Cao by night, enabling Cao Cao to fight again, and Li Tong was the first to scale the enemy ranks and inflicted a great defeat on Zhang Xiu's army. For this merit he was appointed Assistant General and enfeoffed as Marquis of Jiangong, and Cao Cao separated two counties from Runan and made Li Tong Chief Commandant of Yang'an. Records, Wei 18 §13

When the elder uncle of Li Tong's wife broke the law, Zhao Yan, Chief of Langling, arrested him and had him sentenced to death. At that time the power of life and death lay with the provincial governors and commandery administrators, so Li Tong's wife and children wept and begged for the man's life, but Li Tong said, 'I am now joining forces with Lord Cao; by duty I cannot set aside the public good for private interest.' He commended Zhao Yan for upholding the law without favor and became his close friend. Records, Wei 18 §14

When Cao Cao faced Yuan Shao at Guandu, Yuan Shao sent an envoy to appoint Li Tong General Who Conquers the South, and Liu Biao also secretly tried to win him over, but Li Tong refused them all. When his relatives and retainers tearfully urged him to go over to Yuan Shao at once, Li Tong gripped the hilt of his sword and rebuked them, saying, 'Lord Cao is wise and perceptive and will surely bring the realm to order; Yuan Shao, though strong, has no method in employing men and will end up as his captive,' and declared that he would not be of two minds even unto death. He then beheaded Yuan Shao's envoy and sent the seal and ribbon to Cao Cao, and he attacked the commandery bandits Qu Gong, Jiang Gong, Shen Cheng and others, crushed their followings, and sent their heads. Records, Wei 18 §14–15

According to the Biography of Zhao Yan, at this time Yuan Shao sent envoys to entice the commanderies of Yu Province, and most accepted his orders, but Yang'an Commandery alone did not waver, and the Chief Commandant Li Tong hastily collected the household levy. When Zhao Yan said that collecting cotton and silk again from those who remained loyal would cause trouble later, Li Tong answered that with Yuan Shao and the General-in-Chief locked in a pressing standoff, if the cotton and silk were not collected and sent, onlookers would say that he was waiting to see which way things turned. Zhao Yan had the collection slowed a little and wrote to Xun Yu, and Cao Cao issued a document to the commandery ordering that all the cotton and silk be returned to the people. Records, Wei 23 §48–50

Li Tong at last pacified the region of the Huai and Ru rivers. He was re-enfeoffed as Marquis of a Chief Village and appointed Administrator of Runan, and when the bandit Zhang Chi and others, more than 5,000 households, gathered at Mount Tao, he attacked and defeated them. Records, Wei 18 §16

When Liu Bei and Zhou Yu besieged Cao Ren at Jiangling and separately sent Guan Yu to cut the northern road, Li Tong led his troops to attack them. Dismounting, he pulled up the abatis and entered the encirclement, fighting as he advanced to meet Cao Ren's army, and his valor was foremost among the generals. Li Tong fell ill on the way and died at the age of forty-two. His fief was posthumously increased by 200 households, bringing it to 400 households in all. Records, Wei 18 §17

When Cao Pi took the throne, he gave Li Tong the posthumous title Marquis Gang, and in an edict praised him: during Yuan Shao's troubles, people south of Xu and Cai harbored disloyal thoughts, but Li Tong held fast to duty without looking back and led the waverers to submit. Saying that although Li Tong's son Li Ji had already inherited the title this was not enough to repay his merit, he made Li Ji General of the Household Who Upholds Righteousness, and Li Ji's elder brother Li Xu, who had been stationed at Fancheng and won merit, General of the Household Who Pacifies Barbarians. Records, Wei 18 §17–18

In his assessment Chen Shou said that Li Tong, Zang Ba, Wen Pin and Lü Qian held and guarded provinces and commanderies, and all displayed both authority and kindness. Records, Wei 18 §92