Li Tong (Wenda)

For other people named Li Tong, see Li Tong.

Li Tong (168–209), courtesy name Wenda, was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Li Tong came to serve Cao Cao when the latter was at war with rival warlords Liu Biao and Zhang Xiu. During the battle of Battle of Nan Commandery in 208, Li Tong broke through the defence lines guarded by Guan Yu and supported Cao Ren at Jiangling. He fell sick during this time and eventually succumbed to illness. He had two sons: Li Xu (李緒) and Li Ji (李基).

Li Tong
李通
Administrator of Runan (汝南太守)
In office ? (?)–209 (209)
Monarch	Emperor Xian of Han
Chancellor	Cao Cao (from 208)
Commandant of Yang'an (陽安都尉)
In office ? (?)–? (?)
Monarch	Emperor Xian of Han
Major-General (裨將軍)
In office ? (?)–209 (209)
Monarch	Emperor Xian of Han
Personal details
Born	168[a] Xinyang, Henan
Died	209 (aged 41)[a] Jiangling County, Hubei
Children	Li Xu Li Ji
Occupation	General
Courtesy name	Wenda (文達)
Posthumous name	Marquis Gang (剛侯)
Peerage	Marquis of a Chief Village (都亭侯)
Childhood name	Wanyi (萬億)

In this Chinese name, the family name is Li.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Li Tong was defeated and slain by Ma Chao in a duel during the Battle of Tong Pass in 211.

See also

• Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms

Notes

1. Li Tong's biography in the Sanguozhi recorded that he died of illness around the time of the Battle of Jiangling in 209. He was 42 years old (by East Asian age reckoning) when he died.^[1] By calculation, his year of birth should be 168.

References

1. (劉備與周瑜圍曹仁於江陵， ... 通道得病薨，時年四十二。) Sanguozhi vol. 18.

• Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
• Luo, Guanzhong (14th century). Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo Yanyi).
• Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).