Wei Chi Jingde was Li Shimin's proud general and made great military achievements for Li Tang's Jiangshan. It later evolved into one of the two gods of China. However, many people do not know that Wei Chi Jingde is not a Central Plains person, and his ancestors are Khotanese or royal families.
Khotan is an ancient country in the Western Regions, and the current name you must be familiar with, "Hotan", a famous jade-producing place. In the Han and Tang dynasties, Khotan was a major foothold of the Central Plains Dynasty in running the Western Regions, and it was also the center of the spread of Han culture in the Western Regions.
The ancestors of the Khotanese people may be a branch of the Aryan people, and the royal family is surnamed Wei Chi, no wonder Wei Chi Jingde is tall and tall, and has superior courage.
Although Khotan was far away in the western region, he was very loyal to the Tang Dynasty, and two Wei Chi kings were given the surname "Li", and one Wei Chi Sheng, who left the king and led troops to quell the rebellion for the Tang.
Wei Chisheng once went to Chang'an Liang to meet Li Longji, and the prosperity of Chang'an and the opening up of the Tang Dynasty conquered Wei Chisheng. Even after returning to Khotan, Wei Chisheng still remembered Chang'an and vigorously promoted Tang Dynasty culture in the country.
The Anshi Rebellion began, and the main force of the Anxi Tang Army was transferred to the interior. Wei Chisheng knew that this was a large-scale rebellion, and the Tang army needed more troops to quell the rebellion, so he decided to send troops to Datang to assist in the war.
Wei Chisheng mobilized 5,000 men and horses from all over the country, and for the small countries in the western region, so many troops were already the main elite force of the standing army, and no more would affect the country's normal defense. He asked his younger brother Wei Chiyao to act as the state administrator and personally lead the army to the Tang Dynasty.
The Khotanese people were reluctant to let Wei Chisheng leave, fearing that he would never be able to return to his hometown again. Wei Chisheng left his most beloved little daughter behind to reassure everyone.
After Wei Chisheng's Khotanese army arrived in Datang, Li Longji had abdicated, and Emperor Suzong of Tang praised Wei Chisheng's act of serving the king and granted him the post of special advance and palace.
The Khotanese army assisted the Tang army in many battles and made many achievements in counterinsurgency. After the Anshi Rebellion subsided, the imperial court, in recognition of the merits of the Khotanese army, promoted Wei Chisheng to the rank of Grand General of the Hussars. After the end of the war, the imperial court allowed the Khotanese army to return to their hometown.
Wei Chisheng asked the army to return and ceded the throne to his younger brother, while he himself remained in the Tang Dynasty. He loves Datang and wants to further strengthen the relationship between Khotan and Datang. Emperor Li Yu of the Tang Dynasty agreed to his request and made him the Prince of Wudu County.
When Wei Chiyao heard the news, he immediately went to the Tang Dynasty and asked his brother's son to be the heir to the throne. Wei Chisheng believed that his son had lived in the Tang Dynasty for a long time, did not know Khotan, and should not inherit the throne. In the end, the imperial court listened to Wei Chiyao's advice and asked Wei Chiyao to re-select an heir.
One of the Wei Chi brothers was loyal to the Tang Dynasty, and the other was not greedy for the throne, which was rumored to be a good story in Chang'an. The ancient kingdom of Khotan was loved and respected by all parties in Datang.
References: New Book of Tang, Vol. 110, Liechuan No. 35, New Book of Tang, Vol. 221, Liechuan No. 146