Li Yinheng () was an official of the Chinese Southern Han dynasty, serving as a chancellor.

Background

It is not known when Li Yinheng was born. He came from a prominent aristocratic family, and both his great-grandfather Li Jifu and grandfather Li Deyu were

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 ...

s.''

Book of Southern Han A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many page (paper), pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bookbinding, bound together and protected by a book cover, cover. Th ...

'' (南漢書)
vol. 9
Li Deyu, in particular, was particularly powerful during the reign of

Emperor Wuzong of Tang Emperor Wuzong of Tang (July 2, 814 – April 22, 846), né Li Chan, later changed to Li Yan just before his death, was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, reigning from 840 to 846. Emperor Wuzong is mainly known in modern times for the r ...

, controlling the affairs of state.''

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. 174. After Emperor Wuzong was succeeded by his uncle

Emperor Xuānzong Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (July 27, 810 – September 7, 859) (reigned April 25, 846 – September 7, 859) was an emperor in the latter part of the Tang dynasty of China. Personally named Li Yi, later renamed Li Chen (), and known before his rei ...

, however, Li Deyu lost power and was eventually exiled, as was his son (Li Yinheng's father) Li Ye (李燁). Because of this, Li Yinheng was unable to obtain important offices early in his life. After the fall of the

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 ...

, Li Yinheng served under Zhu Wen, the founding emperor of the succeeding

Later Liang Later Liang may refer to the following states in Chinese history: * Later Liang (Sixteen Kingdoms) (後涼; 386–403), one of the Sixteen Kingdoms * Western Liang (555–587), also known as Later Liang (後梁), a state during the Southern and Nor ...

, as ''You Bujue'' (右補闕), a low-level advisory official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, ''Zhongshu Sheng'').''

Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese title ''Shiguo Chunqiu'' (), is a history of the Ten Kingdoms that existed in southern China after the fall of the Tang Dynasty and before the reunification of China ...

'' (十國春秋)
vol. 62
In 908, Emperor Taizu sent him as an emissary (assisting

Zhao Guangyi Zhao Jiong (20 November 939 – 8 May 997), known as Zhao Guangyi from 960 to 977 and Zhao Kuangyi before 960, also known by his temple name Taizong after his death, was the second emperor of the Song dynasty of China. He reigned from 976 to h ...

) in officially bestowing the office of 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 Qinghai (清海, headquartered in modern

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...

) and Jinghai (靜海, headquartered in modern

Hanoi Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

) Circuits on the warlord Liu Yin, who controlled Qinghai and who was nominally Emperor Taizu's vassal. When Zhao and Li arrived at Qinghai, Liu kept both of them on his staff and did not return them to Later Liang proper.''

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 ...

'', vol. 267. (Li was willing to stay because he saw the Central Plain region as still being in turmoil.) Liu subsequently engaged him in much of the strategic planning and made him an assistant to Liu in Liu's role as military governor.

Career under Liu Yan

In 917, Liu Yin's brother and successor Liu Yan declared himself the emperor of a new state of Yue (soon changed to Han, and therefore the state became historically known as Southern Han). He commissioned Li Yinheng, along with Zhao Guangyi and another official,

Yang Dongqian Yang Dongqian () (died 935''Book of Southern Han'' (南漢書)vol. 9), courtesy name Zhaoxuan (), was an official of the Southern Han dynasty of China, serving as a chancellor. Background It is not known when Yang Dongqian was born. His ancestor ...

, as chancellors with the designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'' (同中書門下平章事), with Li receiving the secondary office of deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, ''Libu Shilang'').''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 270. That was the last historical reference to Li, who was said to have died in office, but with no indication when he did.

Notes and references

* ''

'' (十國春秋)
vol. 62
* ''

'' (南漢書)
vol. 9
* ''

'', vols.

267 __NOTOC__ Year 267 ( CCLXVII) 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 Paternus and Arcesilaus (or, less frequently, year 10 ...

270 __NOTOC__ Year 270 ( CCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Antiochianus and Orfitus (or, less frequently, year 102 ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Yinheng 9th-century births 10th-century deaths Later Liang (Five Dynasties) government officials Southern Han chancellors