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Li Nong (died June 3504th month of the 6th year of the Yong'he era, per vol.98 of Zizhi Tongjian. The month corresponds to 23 May to 20 Jun 350 in the Julian calendar.) was a Chinese military general and politician of the Later Zhao and Ran Wei dynasties during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He was a notable official under Later Zhao's emperor Shi Hu, fighting against the Jin and Former Yan dynasties. When the conflict between Shi Hu's family and his adopted ethnic Han Chinese grandson Ran Min (who later changed his name to Ran Min) arose in 349, he allied with the latter, and together they brought upon the destruction of Later Zhao, ending what was virtually a 20-year-long unity in northern China. However, just a year after, Li Nong and his family were executed by Ran Min for unspecified reasons.
In 339, the Jin commander, Yu Liang, who had long intended to launch a campaign against Later Zhao, unknowingly provoked Shi Hu by camping at Zhucheng (邾城, in modern Huanggang, Hubei). Knowing that an invasion was imminent, Shi Hu ordered five of his generals, of which Li Nong and Shi Min were a part of, led by Kui An to attack Jingzhou and Yangzhou and Yu's base at Zhucheng. In the attack, Li Nong managed to capture Jin territories south of the Mian river(沔水, a historical name for the Han River) together with Kui An. The overall assault was a major success for Later Zhao, as many Jin generals and soldiers either died or surrendered and territorial gains were made while Yu Liang decided to call off his invasion upon hearing the losses.(九月，石季龍將夔安、李農陷沔南，張貉陷邾城，因寇江夏、義陽，征虜將軍毛寶、西陽太守樊俊、義陽太守鄭進並死之。夔安等進圍石城，竟陵太守李陽距戰，破之，斬首五千餘級。安乃退，遂略漢東，擁七千餘家遷于幽冀。) Book of Jin, volume 7.
The same year, Li Nong was stationed at Lingzhi and appointed Commissioner Bearing Credentials, Chief of military affairs in Liaoxi and Beiping, General Who Conquers the East, and Governor of Yingzhou. He attacked the Former Yan city of Fancheng (凡城, in modern Kazuo County, Liaoning) but was repelled by Yue Wan.(虎以撫軍將軍李農為使持節、監遼西、北平諸軍事、征東將軍、營州牧，鎮令支。農帥眾三萬與征北大將軍張舉攻燕凡城。) Zizhi Tongjian, volume 96.
With his eldest and favourite dead, he was left with his youngest son Shi Shi, whose mother was Consort Liu, a favorite of Shi Hu. Shi Hu had Li Nong set a petition to have the ministers choose Shi Shi as Crown Prince. In 349, Shi Hu declared himself as emperor and granted a general amnesty. However, this amnesty did not include Shi Xuan's guards who were exiled to Liangzhou after his execution. In response, their captain Liang Du (梁犢) rebelled, and they marched towards Luoyang, defeating the Later Zhao generals in their way. Li Nong was made Grand General and sent to stop Liang Du's advance but was also defeated and forced to retreat. Fortunately for Shi Hu, Liang Du was eventually killed by Yao Yizhong.(季龍末，梁犢敗李農于滎陽，季龍大懼，馳召弋仲。) Book of Jin, volume 116.
Meanwhile, the Jin dynasty took notice of the Shi family's internal strife. The Jin minister Chu Pou was made Grand Commander to take advantage of it. As the people of Lu Commandery offered their surrender to the Jin forces, Chu Pou sent Wang Kan (王龕) and Li Mai (李邁) to gather them. Li Nong fought them at Dai slope (代陂, east of present-day Tengzhou, Shandong) where he captured Wang Kan and killed Li Mai. The defeat forced Chu Pou to retreat south.(褚裒遣部將王龕、李邁及石遵將李農戰于代陂，王師敗績，王龕爲農所執，李邁死之。八月，褚裒退屯廣陵，西中郎將陳逵焚壽春而遁。) Book of Jin, volume 8.
Although Shi Min had been a staunch supporter of Shi Zun, their relationship broke down when Zun did not appoint Min as the Crown Prince despite his promise. Discussions were made between Shi Zun, Empress Dowager Zheng, and the other princes on getting rid of Shi Min. However, one prince, Shi Jian decided to alert Shi Min of his plans. Shi Min forced Li Nong to conspire with him, and together they surrounded Shi Zun's house. They executed him along with the Empress Dowager and their loyal ministers.(十一月，石閔劫司空李農及右衛王基，密謀其廢遵。) Annals of the Sixteen Kingdoms, volume 2.
In 350, Shi Min renamed the state of Zhao to Wei (衛) and changed the name of the Shi clan to Li, intending to eradicate the clan through a prophecy. This caused panic among the Shi and their ministers, who all fled to the Prince of Xinxing, Shi Zhi in Xingtai. Most of Zhao's administrators such as Fu Hong and Yao Yizhong refused to submit to Shi Min and either broke away from the regime or joined forces with Shi Zhi. Finally, Shi Jian made one last attempt at killing Shi Min and Li Nong. He sent a eunuch to General Zhang Chen (張沈) to organize an attack on Yecheng but instead, the eunuch betrayed Shi Jian and revealed the plan, causing Shi Min and Li Nong to rush back to the capital. Shi Jian was executed and the remaining members of the Shi clan in the city were eradicated.(閔與李農率騎三萬討張賀度于石瀆，鑒密遣宦者齎書召張沈等，使承虛襲鄴。宦者以告閔、農，閔、農馳還，廢鑒殺之，誅季龍孫三十八人，盡殪石氏。鑒在位一百三日。) Book of Jin, volume 107.
Li Nong would not hold his new titles for long, as he and his three sons were executed as a part of a government purge by Ran Min. The exact reasons for his death were unknown.(石祗聞鑒死，僭稱尊號于襄國，諸六夷據州郡擁兵者皆應之。閔遣使臨江告晉曰：「胡逆亂中原，今已誅之。若能共討者，可遣軍來也。」朝廷不答。閔誅李農及其三子，並尚書令王謨、侍中王衍、中常侍嚴震、趙升等。) Book of Jin, volume 107.
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