Li Jiang (李絳) (764 – March 8, 830),

courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...

Shenzhi (深之), formally Duke Zhen of Zhao Commandery (趙郡貞公), was an official of the

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

dynasty

Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

, serving as a

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

during the reign of

Emperor Xianzong Emperor Xianzong of Tang (4 March to 1 April 778''Old Book of Tang'', vol. 14. – 14 February 820; r. 805 – 820), personal name Li Chun, né Li Chun (), was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was the eldest son of Emperor Shunzon ...

Background

Li Jiang was born in 764, during the reign of Emperor Daizong.''

Old Book of Tang The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...

'', vol. 164. His family was part of the prominent Li clan of Zhao Prefecture (趙州, in modern

Shijiazhuang Shijiazhuang (; ; Mandarin: ), formerly known as Shimen and romanized as Shihkiachwang, is the capital and most populous city of China’s North China's Hebei Province. Administratively a prefecture-level city, it is about southwest of Beijin ...

Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...

) — not part of the same clan as

's imperial Li clan, but which had been considered one of the five most prominent

Han Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...

clans of

Northern Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties ...

. It traced its ancestry to the prominent

Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...

state Zhao general

Li Mu Li Mu (; died 229 BC), personal name Zuo (繓), courtesy name Mu (牧), was a Chinese military general of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period. He was named by Chinese historians as one of the four greatest generals of the late Wa ...

, and the line included officials of

Qin Dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first Dynasties in Chinese history, dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin (state), ...

Han Dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

Cao Wei Wei ( Hanzi: 魏; pinyin: ''Wèi'' <

Middle Chinese

: *''ŋjwei^C'' <

Jin Dynasty (266–420) The Jin dynasty (; ) or the Jin Empire, sometimes distinguished as the (司馬晉) or the (兩晉), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed from 266 to 420. It was founded by Sima Yan (Emperor Wu), eldest son of Sima Zhao, who had pr ...

Sui Dynasty The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and layi ...

, and Tang. His grandfather Li Gang () served as a county magistrate, while his father Li Yuanshan () served as a prefectural official. After Li Jiang passed the

imperial examination The imperial examination (; lit. "subject recommendation") refers to a civil-service examination system in Imperial China, administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureaucrats by ...

s, including a special examination in grand speech, he was made ''Xiaoshu Lang'' (), a copyeditor at the archival bureau, and later served as the sheriff of Weinan County (渭南, in modern

Weinan Weinan () is a prefecture-level city in the east central Shaanxi province, China. The city lies on the lower section of the Wei River confluence into the Yellow River, about east of the provincial capital Xi'an, and borders the provinces of Shan ...

Shaanxi Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see #Name, § Name) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichu ...

). Late in the ''Zhenyuan'' era (785-805) of Emperor Daizong's son Emperor Dezong, Li Jiang became an imperial censor with the title ''Jiancha Yushi'' ().

During Emperor Xianzong's reign

Prior to chancellorship

In 807, during the reign of Emperor Dezong's grandson

, Li Jiang was made ''Hanlin Xueshi'' (), an imperial scholar. Later that year, after the rebellion of the warlord Li Qi the military governor (''

Jiedushi The ''jiedushi'' (), or jiedu, was a title for regional military governors in China which was established in the Tang dynasty and abolished in the Yuan dynasty. The post of ''jiedushi'' has been translated as "military commissioner", "legate", ...

'') of Zhenhai Circuit (鎮海, headquartered in modern

Zhenjiang Zhenjiang, alternately romanized as Chinkiang, is a prefecture-level city in Jiangsu Province, China. It lies on the southern bank of the Yangtze River near its intersection with the Grand Canal. It is opposite Yangzhou (to its north) and b ...

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...

) was suppressed, the officials in charge confiscated Li Qi's wealth. At the suggestion of Li Jiang and fellow imperial scholar Pei Ji, Emperor Xianzong agreed to have Li Qi's wealth deemed to substitute for the taxes that the people of Zhenhai would have submitted that year (as Li Jiang and Pei reasoned that Li Qi extracted the wealth from the people). Later that year, when Emperor Xianzong discussed with Li Jiang an accusation by the

Li Jifu Li Jifu () (758 – November 18, 814), courtesy name Hongxian (), formally Duke Zhongyi of Zhao (), was a Chinese cartographer, historian, and politician during the Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xianzong. Backgr ...

that another chancellor, Zheng Yin was in secret communications with the warlord Lu Congshi () the military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern

Changzhi Changzhi () is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Shanxi Province, China, bordering the provinces of Hebei and Henan to the northeast and east, respectively. Historically, the city was one of the 36 administrative areas (see Administrat ...

Shanxi Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...

), Li Jiang pointed out that Zheng had a reputation for faithfulness and would not be conspiring with a warlord. As a result, Emperor Xianzong took no actions against Zheng. Yet later that year, when Emperor Xianzong was set to marry his daughter Princess Puning to Yu Jiyou (), the son of another warlord,

Yu Di Yu Di (; died 818), courtesy name Yunyuan (允元), formally initially Duke Li of Yan () and later Duke Si of Yan (), was a Chinese diplomat, military general, politician, and warlord during the Tang dynasty. He was a powerful warlord at the end ...

the military governor of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern

Xiangfan Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei province, China and the second largest city in Hubei by population. It was known as Xiangfan from 1950 to 2010. The Han River runs through Xiangyang's centre and divides the city no ...

Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...

), Li Jiang opposed, pointing out that Yu Di was of

Xianbei The Xianbei (; ) were a Proto-Mongolic ancient nomadic people that once resided in the eastern Eurasian steppes in what is today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeastern China. They originated from the Donghu people who splintered into the ...

extraction, and Yu Jiyou was not even born of Yu Di's wife — but Emperor Xianzong overruled him, as he used the marriage to bring Yu Di into the imperial fold.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 237. In 808, at Li Jiang's and Pei's suggestion, Emperor Xianzong, when declaring a general pardon, did not send

eunuchs A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium ...

out to the circuits as messengers, to avoid the eunuchs demanding bribes and disturbing the circuits. In 809, during a drought, Li Jiang and fellow imperial scholar

Bai Juyi Bai Juyi (also Bo Juyi or Po Chü-i; ; 772–846), courtesy name Letian (樂天), was a renowned Chinese poet and Tang dynasty government official. Many of his poems concern his career or observations made about everyday life, including as g ...

made several recommendations — decreasing taxes, decreasing the number of

ladies in waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom sh ...

, disallowing regional governors from submitting tributes (so that they would not extract wealth from the people), and the banning of slave-capture in the southern regions of the realm. Emperor Xianzong accepted their suggestions. In 809, at the suggestion of Li Jiang and his fellow imperial scholars that Emperor Xianzong should have a

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

, Emperor Xianzong created his oldest son

Li Ning Li Ning (born March 10, 1963 in Liuzhou, Guangxi) is a Chinese retired gymnast, billionaire entrepreneur, and the founder of the eponymous sportswear company Li-Ning. Gymnastics career Li started training at the age of eight and was select ...

crown prince. Later that year, when the military governor Pei Jun () submitted a tribute of silver vessels despite the regulations banning the tributes, Li Jiang and Bai pointed out to Emperor Xianzong that if his edicts were to be taken seriously, he needed to decline the tribute; Emperor Xianzong thus transferred the silver vessels to the bureau of finances, but thereafter ordered the circuits not to inform the imperial censors on tributes, despite Bai's objections. Meanwhile, as

Wang Shizhen Wang Shizhen is the name of: *Wang Shizhen (Tang dynasty) (759–809), Tang dynasty warlord, de facto ruler of Chengde * Wang Shizhen (Ming dynasty) (1526–1590), Ming dynasty poet, writer, artist and litterateur. *Wang Shizhen (Beiyang government ...

the military governor of Chengde (成德, headquartered in modern

), had just recently died, Emperor Xianzong considered using the opportunity to seize control of Chengde (which had been ruled in a ''de facto'' independence from the imperial government), rather than allowing Wang's son

Wang Chengzong Wang Chengzong () (died 820) was a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty who served a military governor (''Jiedushi'') of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei). He, like his grandfather Wang Wujun and father Wang ...

to inherit the circuit. Li Jiang and the other imperial scholars opposed, pointing out that Chengde would be more difficult of a target than Zhangyi Circuit (彰義, headquartered in modern

Zhumadian Zhumadian (; postal: Chumatien) is a prefecture-level city in southern Henan province, China. It borders Xinyang to the south, Nanyang to the west, Pingdingshan to the northwest, Luohe to the north, Zhoukou to the northeast, and the province of An ...

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

), then ruled by

Wu Shaoyang Wu Shaoyang () (died September 29, 814) was a Chinese military general and politician of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, who, after seizing control of Zhangyi Circuit (彰義/彰义, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan) in 809, governed it in a ''de ...

. However, Emperor Xianzong, persuaded by the powerful eunuch

Tutu Chengcui Tutu Chengcui (吐突承璀; died 820), courtesy name Renzhen (仁貞), was a powerful eunuch of the Chinese Tang dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Xianzong. Background It is not known when Tutu Chengcui was born—or whether he was originally ...

, prepared for a campaign against Chengde anyway. Meanwhile, later that year, after Tutu headed a project to rebuild Anguo Temple () and built a grand monument, intending to use it to praise Emperor Xianzong, Li Jiang pointed out that in history, the truly great rulers did not establish monuments for themselves. Emperor Xianzong thus ordered the monument destroyed. Late in 809, Emperor Xianzong resolved to allow Wang Chengzong to inherit the circuit, after Wang informed the imperial official sent to visit him, Pei Wu (), that he would submit two of Chengde's six prefectures to imperial control. When Wang subsequently reneged on the promise, Emperor Xianzong ordered a campaign against Wang and was set to punish Pei Wu, but Li Jiang pointed out that it was not Pei Wu's fault that Wang reneged and further pointed out that the accusations against Pei Wu appeared to be intending to harm Pei Ji (who had by then become a chancellor) as well. Emperor Xianzong agreed and took no actions against Pei Wu. It was said that Li Jiang often pointed out to Emperor Xianzong that the eunuchs were interfering with governance. In 810, when eunuchs injured the official Yuan Zhen () in a confrontation, Emperor Xianzong demoted Yuan despite the objections of Li Jiang and fellow imperial scholar

Cui Qun Cui Qun (崔群) (772 – August 30, 832''Old Book of Tang'', vol. 17, part 2.), courtesy name Dunshi (敦詩), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xianzong. Background Cui Qun ...

. Later in 810, after Tutu, working with Lu's subordinate

Wu Chongyin Wu Chongyin () (761 – November 30, 827), courtesy name Baojun (), formally Duke Yimu of Zhangyi (), was a Chinese military general and politician of the Tang Dynasty. Background Wu Chongyin was born in 761, during the reign of Emperor Suzong. ...

, arrested Lu at a feast that Tutu held for Lu, Emperor Xianzong, at Li Jiang's recommendation, transferred Meng Yuanyang () the military governor of Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern

Jiaozuo Jiaozuo ( ; postal: Tsiaotso) is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Henan province, China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the south, Xinxiang to the east, Jiyuan to the ...

) to Zhaoyi and made Wu the military governor of Heyang, rather than directly giving Zhaoyi to Wu, under the rationale that if Wu were given Zhaoyi, effectively, the imperial government had not regained authority over Zhaoyi. After the campaign against Chengde, which Tutu commanded and which Lu encouraged, thereafter ended later that year, it was at Li Jiang's insistence that Emperor Xianzong demoted Tutu. However, when Li Jiang continued to criticize Tutu for interfering in political matters, Emperor Xianzong became angry on one occasion. When Li Jiang, weeping, pointed out that it was his responsibility to do try to report honest advice to the emperor, Emperor Xianzong's anger dissipated and praised Li Jiang for his faithfulness, and he made Li Jiang ''Zhongshu Sheren'' (), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, ''Zhongshu Sheng'').''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 238. During these years that Li Jiang served as imperial scholar, he was promoted in his titles several times, but remained imperial scholar, and it was said that he was earnest in his responsibilities as correcting the emperor. In 811, it was said that because the eunuchs disliked having Li Jiang at the Hanlin Institute (where the imperial scholars resided), Li Jiang was made the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, ''Hubu Shilang''). On one occasion, when Emperor Xianzong asked him why he was not submitting surpluses to the imperial treasury like prior deputy ministers of census, he pointed out that there should not be such a thing as surpluses — that any property that the ministry of census was in charge of was governmental property in any case. Emperor Xianzong approved of his honesty. In summer of that year, at Li Jifu's suggestion, Emperor Xianzong commissioned Li Jiang, along with Duan Pingzhong (),

Wei Guanzhi Wei Guanzhi (韋貫之) (760 – November 13, 821), né Wei Chun (韋純), courtesy name Guanzhi (貫之) or Zhengli (正理), was a Chinese politician and writer. He served as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xianzong. Background Wei Ch ...

, and Xu Mengrong (), to revise the salary scales of imperial officials.

As chancellor

In winter 811, Emperor Xianzong made Li Jiang ''Zhongshu Shilang'' (), the deputy head of the legislative bureau, and ''de facto'' chancellor with the title ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'' (), because he had heard that Li Jifu, as chancellor, often based his decisions on his personal likes and dislikes. It was said that Li Jifu was often flattering the emperor, while Li Jiang was direct in his opinions, and the two therefore often argued before Emperor Xianzong. Emperor Xianzong often agreed with Li Jiang, causing a rift between Li Jiang and Li Jifu. In 812, when Li Jiang sent the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the region of the Tang capital

Chang'an Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin Shi ...

), Yuan Yifang (), whom Li Jifu had promoted, out of Chang'an to serve as the governor (觀察使, ''Guanchashi'') of Fufang Circuit (鄜坊, headquartered in modern

Yan'an Yan'an (; ), alternatively spelled as Yenan is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanbei region of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Shanxi to the east and Gansu to the west. It administers several counties, including Zhidan (formerly Bao'an ...

) because he despised Yuan for having flattered Tutu Chengcui, Yuan accused Li Jiang of favoring the deputy mayor Xu Jitong (), who had passed the imperial examinations in the same year that Li Jiang did. Emperor Xianzong was skeptical of Yuan's accusations, and subsequently, when Li Jiang stated that he had no particular reason to favor those who passed the imperial examinations in the same year, Emperor Xianzong sent Yuan on his way. Also in 812,

Tian Ji'an Tian Ji'an (781 or 782– September 21, 812), courtesy name Kui and formally the Prince of Yanmen, was a general of the Tang Dynasty, who, as military governor (''Jiedushi''), ruled Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei) ...

the military governor of Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern

Handan Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Hebei province, China. The southernmost prefecture-level city of the province, it borders Xingtai on the north, and the provinces of Shanxi on the west, Henan on the south and Shando ...

), which had also had ''de facto'' independence from the imperial government, died. Li Jifu advocated preparing for a campaign against Weibo to seize it, while Li Jiang believed that soon there would be an uprising from a Weibo officer to seize control of Weibo from Tian Ji'an's young son

Tian Huaijian Tian Huaijian () (b. 802) was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who, in his childhood, briefly served as the ruler of Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei), which had been held by his family for generations. The ...

and thus believed that preparing for a campaign was unnecessary. Emperor Xianzong agreed with Li Jiang. Soon thereafter, the Weibo officer Tian Xing seized control of Weibo from Tian Huaijian and submitted to the imperial government.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 239. At Li Jiang's suggestion, Emperor Xianzong immediately named Tian Xing military governor, rather than just acting military governor, and awarded a large amount of monetary rewards to the Weibo soldiers. Tian Xing thereafter became a key general in various imperial campaigns against warlords. Also at Li Jiang's suggestion, Emperor Xianzong commissioned a project to put fields in the border Zhenwu (振武, headquartered in modern

Hohhot Hohhot,; abbreviated zh, c=呼市, p=Hūshì, labels=no formerly known as Kweisui, is the capital of Inner Mongolia in the north of the People's Republic of China, serving as the region's administrative, economic and cultural center.''The Ne ...

Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...

) and Tiande (天德, headquartered in modern

Bayan Nur Bayannur or Bayannao'er (; mn, ''Bayannaɣur qota'', Mongolian Cyrillic Баяннуур хот) is a prefecture-level city in western Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. Until 1 December 2003, the area was called Bayannur League. Ba ...

) Circuits to use. It was said that after some four years, a large amount of fields were created, greatly reducing the expenses of shipping food to the border defense troops. After a Tufan attack on the western border, Li Jiang also advocated that the command of imperial

Shence Army The Shence Army () was a Tang dynasty (618–907) army unit established in 754 CE by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, and based in Chang'an, forming the core of the imperial guards responsible for protecting the emperor. The command of the Shence Arm ...

soldiers, sent to the western borders to support the local troops, be given to the local commanders, rather than having the eunuchs in command of Shence Army maintain control. Emperor Xianzong initially agreed with Li Jiang, but due to the eunuchs' opposition did not actually carry out the plan. In 813, with Li Jifu and Li Jiang continuing to often argue and fellow chancellor

Quan Deyu Quan Deyu (; 759 – September 30, 818), courtesy name Zaizhi (), formally Duke Wen of Fufeng (), was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xianzong. Biography Ancestry, birth and early l ...

not taking sides, Emperor Xianzong lost respect for Quan and stripped Quan of his chancellor position. Meanwhile, in fall 813, when Li Guangjin () the military governor of Zhenwu requested permission to reconstruct the walls of the Eastern Surrender Fort (東受降城, in modern Hohhot), which had been destroyed by a

Yellow River The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Standard Beijing Mandarin, Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the List of rivers by length, sixth-longest river system in the world at th ...

flood in 812, Emperor Xianzong, at Li Jifu's suggestion, instead sent the soldiers originally stationed at the Eastern Surrender Fort to Tiande Circuit, despite the objections of Li Jiang and Lu Tan () that the Eastern Surrender Fort was a strategically important spot that the Tang armies should continue to station. However, Li Jiang also used the opportunity to report to Emperor Xianzong the serious issue that the border armies actually lacked soldiers despite their apparent grand numbers — such that while 400 soldiers were supposed to be transferred to Tiande from the Eastern Surrender Fort, only 50 soldiers actually went (because although a 400-strong force existed on paper, there were actually only 50 soldiers there). Emperor Xianzong ordered a review of the border defense rolls, but it was said that because Li Jiang soon thereafter left the chancellorship, the review was never carried out. Also in 813, Li Jiang was created the Baron of Gaoyi. He soon offered to resign his chancellorship due to a foot ailment. In 814, Emperor Xianzong accepted the resignation and made him the minister of rites (禮部尚書, ''Lǐbu Shangshu''). (However, it was also said that Emperor Xianzong, in doing so, was keenly aware of the long-running feud between Li Jiang and Tutu Chengcui. He had demoted Tutu out of the capital before making Li Jiang chancellor, and it was said that he demoted Li Jiang in order to recall Tutu to the capital, and Tutu was indeed soon thereafter recalled.)

After chancellorship

After Li Jiang's removal from chancellorship, he continued to give Emperor Xianzong advice. For example, soon thereafter, he suggested that

Huigu The Uyghur Khaganate (also Uyghur Empire or Uighur Khaganate, self defined as Toquz-Oghuz country; otk, 𐱃𐰆𐰴𐰕:𐰆𐰍𐰕:𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣, Toquz Oγuz budun, Tang-era names, with modern Hanyu Pinyin: or ) was a Turkic empire that e ...

's proposal of having a Tang princess marry Huigu's

Baoyi Khan Baoyi Qaghan or Alp Bilge Qaghan was the eighth ruler of Uyghurs. His personal name is not known, therefore he is often referred as his Tang dynasty invested title Baoyi () which was invested on 22 June 808. Reign He was known as a zealous Manic ...

, which Emperor Xianzong had declined previously due to the expenses involved, should be accepted, to further affirm the alliance between Tang and Huigu. His suggestion, however, was not accepted. In 815, he was sent out of the capital to serve as the prefect of Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan), but soon recalled to serve as the minister of defense (兵部尚書, ''Bingbu Shangshu''). He later, when his mother died, left governmental service to observe a mourning period for her. In 819, he returned to government service and was made the governor of Hezhong Circuit (河中, headquartered in modern

Yuncheng Yuncheng is the southernmost prefecture-level city in Shanxi province, People's Republic of China. It borders Linfen and Jincheng municipalities to the north and east, and Henan (Luoyang and Jiyuan to the east, Sanmenxia to the south) and Shaan ...

), which typically was governed by a military governor, but as the chancellor in power at the time,

Huangfu Bo Huangfu Bo (皇甫鎛) (died 820) was a Chinese economist and politician. He served as an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xianzong. He was viewed by traditional historians as a wicked offici ...

, disliked Li Jiang, Li Jiang was only given a governor title.

During Emperor Muzong's reign

In 820, after Emperor Xianzong died and was succeeded by his son Emperor Muzong, Huangfu Bo was exiled, and Li Jiang was recalled to again serve as minister of defense. He was soon made the chief imperial censor (御史大夫, ''Yushi Daifu''). As Emperor Muzong was often spending time on tours and games, Li Jiang tried to correct his behavior, but Emperor Muzong would not follow his advice. He therefore offered to resign, but was instead again made the minister of defense. In 821, he was made the minister of civil service affairs (吏部尚書, ''Lìbu Shangshu'', note different tone than the minister of rites). Later in the year, he was made the defender of the eastern capital Luoyang. In 822, he was made the military governor of Yanhai Circuit (兗海, headquartered in modern

Jining Jining () is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Shandong province. It borders Heze to the southwest, Zaozhuang to the southeast, Tai'an to the northeast, and the provinces of Henan and Jiangsu to the northwest and south respectively. Jining ...

Shandong Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...

). In 823, he was again made the defender of Luoyang. In 824, he was given the title of acting ''Sikong'' (司空, one of the

Three Excellencies The Three Ducal Ministers (), also translated as the Three Dukes, Three Excellencies, or the Three Lords, was the collective name for the three highest officials in Ancient China and Imperial China. These posts were abolished by Cao Cao in 208 AD a ...

). Around this time, he also served for some time as the military governor of Dongchuan Circuit (東川, headquartered in modern

Mianyang Mianyang (; formerly known as Mienchow) is the second largest prefecture-level city of Sichuan province in Southwest China. Located in north-central Sichuan covering an area of consisting of Jiangyou, a county-level city, five counties, and thre ...

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

).''New Book of Tang'', vol. 152.

During Emperor Jingzong's reign

Early in the ''Baoli'' era (824-826) of Emperor Muzong's son Emperor Jingzong, Li Jiang was recalled to serve as ''Zuo Pushe'' (), one of the heads of the executive bureau (尚書省, ''Shangshu Sheng''). In 825, when Liu Wu the military governor of Zhaoyi died and left a request to let his son

Liu Congjian Liu Congjian () (803–843''New Book of Tang'', vol. 214.), formally the Duke of Pei (), was a Chinese military general and politician of the Tang Dynasty who is most known for his term as the military governor (''Jiedushi'') of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭 ...

inherit the circuit, Li Jiang opposed, believing that the imperial government should send a replacement for Liu Wu quickly, and that if that occurred, Liu Congjian would not dare to resist. However, it was said that because the chancellor in power at the time,

Li Fengji Li Fengji (; 758 – February 27, 835), courtesy name Xuzhou (虛舟), formally Duke Cheng of Zheng (鄭成公) or Duke Cheng of Liang (涼成公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Em ...

, and the powerful eunuch

Wang Shoucheng Wang Shoucheng (王守澄) (died November 3, 835) was a powerful eunuch of the Tang dynasty of China, wielding substantial powers during the reigns of Emperor Xianzong, Emperor Muzong, Emperor Jingzong, and Emperor Wenzong. By 835, however, two ...

, had both received bribes from Liu Congjian, they allowed Liu Congjian to inherit the circuit regardless. It was said that Li Jiang despised wicked individuals without compromise, and there was an incident in which, on the street, the deputy chief imperial censor Wang Bo (), despite being less senior in rank, refused to yield to him, leading to Li Jiang initiating a debate on whether the deputy chief imperial censor needed to yield to a ''Pushe''. Li Fengji disliked Li Jiang, and therefore had Li Jiang made ''Taizi Shaoshi'' (), an advisor to the Crown Prince, and had Li Jiang's office transferred to Luoyang.

During Emperor Wenzong's reign

After Emperor Jingzong died in 826 and was succeeded by his brother Emperor Wenzong, Li Jiang was recalled to serve as the minister of worship (太常卿, ''Taichang Qing''). In 828, he was made the military governor of Shannan West Circuit (山南西道, headquartered in modern

Hanzhong Hanzhong (; abbreviation: Han) is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Shaanxi province, China, bordering the provinces of Sichuan to the south and Gansu to the west. The founder of the Han dynasty, Liu Bang, was once enfeoffed as the ...

) and the mayor of its capital Xingyuan Municipality (), and he was created the Duke of Zhao Commandery. After

Nanzhao Nanzhao (, also spelled Nanchao, ) was a dynastic kingdom that flourished in what is now southern China and northern Southeast Asia during the 8th and 9th centuries. It was centered on present-day Yunnan in China. History Origins Nanzha ...

forces made a major attack on

Chengdu Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively Romanization of Chi ...

, the capital of the neighboring Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu) in winter 829, Li Jiang was ordered to reinforce Xichuan forces, Li Jiang retained some 1,000 soldiers and was ready to send them to Xichuan. However, before the soldiers could head to Xichuan, the Nanzhao forces withdrew. As Shannan West had a set quota of soldiers, Li Jiang could not retain these soldiers, and in spring 830, after distributing wheat to them, he decommissioned them. When the soldiers went to bid farewell to the eunuch monitor of the army, Yang Shuyuan (), Yang, who had long resented Li Jiang for not respecting him, wanted to incite a mutiny against Li Jiang, and therefore aroused their anger by pointing out how little they received. These soldiers, thus incited, attacked Li Jiang's headquarters. Li Jiang, who did not expect this to happen, could not defend against the attack, but when his staff members suggested that he flee the city, he refused, pointing out that as the commander of the region, he could not abandon it. The soldiers killed him and his staff and further slaughtered his household. Yang submitted a false report accusing Li Jiang of having caused the mutiny by embezzling the salary of the soldiers. The imperial officials defended Li Jiang, and Kong Minxing () submitted a report on how Yang incited the mutiny. When the new military governor, Wen Zao (), arrived at Shannan West, he led these mutineers into a trap by holding a feast for them, and then slaughtering them, offering their heads to Li Jiang and the staff members as sacrifices. Yang was spared but exiled.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 244. Emperor Wenzong awarded Li Jiang posthumous honors.

Notes and references

* ''

'', vol. 164. * ''

New Book of Tang The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...

'', vol. 152. * ''

Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...

'', vols.

237 Year 237 ( CCXXXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Perpetuus and Felix (or, less frequently, year 990 '' Ab urbe con ...

238 __NOTOC__ Year 238 ( CCXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Pius and Pontianus (or, less frequently, year 991 ''Ab ...

239 __NOTOC__ Year 239 ( CCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gordianus and Aviola (or, less frequently, year 992 ''A ...

244 __NOTOC__ Year 244 (Roman numerals, CCXLIV) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Tiberius Pollenius Armenius Peregrinus, Arm ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Li Jiang 764 births 830 deaths Chancellors under Emperor Xianzong of Tang Tang dynasty jiedushi of Taining Circuit Tang dynasty jiedushi of Dongchuan Circuit Tang dynasty jiedushi of Shannan West Circuit Mayors of Hanzhong