Why did Xu Shiji change his name to Li Ji? What kind of person is he?

Xu Maogong, styled Xu Shiji, was granted the surname Li by Tang Gaozu Li Yuan due to his outstanding contributions, thus becoming Li Shiji. Later, to avoid the emperor's taboo, he changed his name to Li Ji.

In the novel "Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties", Xu Maogong is described as a "semi-immortal" figure with exceptional wisdom and ability to calculate and predict. In reality, Li Ji was also an outstanding wise man with remarkable abilities and profound strategies. He assisted the heroes of Wagang, Zhai Rang and Li Mi, to ambush the famous general Zhang Xutuo of the Sui army, capture the Liyang Warehouse, recruit 200,000 soldiers, and defeat the rebel general Yu Wenji of the Sui dynasty, demonstrating exceptional military planning and command capabilities.

Li Ji demonstrated loyalty and righteousness in the process of pacifying Wang Shichong. Although he could have directly given the territory and population occupied by the Wagang army to Li Yuan to gain credit, he instead gave these things to Li Mi to be handed over to Li Yuan. Li Yuan was deeply moved and considered Li Ji to be a "pure minister who values loyalty and gratitude".

After submitting to the Tang dynasty, Li Ji's abilities were more widely used. Under the leadership of Li Shimin, he campaigned east and west, advised and strategized, pacified Dou Jiande, subdued Wang Shichong, defeated Liu Hei'e, captured Xu Yuanlang, and eliminated Fu Gongji, making great contributions to the unification of the Tang dynasty.

After the Tang dynasty unified the country, Li Ji was ordered to garrison in Bingzhou (now Taiyuan, Shanxi) for sixteen years. Together with other famous generals such as Li Jing, he defeated the Turkic army several times, capturing more than 50,000 people, ensuring the safety of the western border. He also led the army to conquer Goguryeo, and the court established the Andong Duhufu to govern this region. Li Shimin praised Li Ji's role as "far superior to building the Great Wall".

Once, Li Ji fell seriously ill, and the doctor said that the ashes of his beard could cure the illness. Li Shimin immediately cut off his beard, burned it into ashes, and mixed it with medicine for him, showing the great favor he bestowed upon him.

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