Li Qi (Five Dynasties)
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Li Qi (Chinese: 李琪; 871[1] – October 26, 930?[2][3][4]), courtesy name Taixiu (台秀), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty and its successor states Later Liang and Later Tang of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, serving as a chancellor during Later Liang.
Li Qi was born in 871, during the reign of Emperor Yizong of Tang. His ancestors had been Tang dynasty officials for generations, and his fifth-generation ancestor Li Cheng (李憕) was particularly well known for his faithfulness to Tang during the An-Shi Rebellion, during the early stage of which he served as the defender of the eastern capital Luoyang and was killed by An Lushan for refusing to surrender, after An captured the city. Li Qi's father Li Hu (李縠) served as a secretary to Wang Duo, who was the overall commander of Tang forces against the great rebellion led by Huang Chao during the reign of Emperor Yizong's son Emperor Xizong.[1]
When Li Qi was 12, he was already writing poems well enough that he became known to Wang, but Wang had some suspicions whether the child actually wrote the poems himself, or someone else wrote them for him. On one occasion, when Wang invited Li Hu to a meal at his office, he secretly sent a messenger to go test Li Qi, requiring him to write a poem dedicated to the three great subjects who helped Emperor Gao of Han in establishing the Han dynasty (i.e., Xiao He, Han Xin, and Zhang Liang). Li Qi wrote the poem quickly. Wang was greatly shocked by the child's talent and was particularly impressed with the final stanza, and he stated, "This child has great talent. He will dominate the field of literature."[1]
During the subsequent reign of Emperor Xizong's brother Emperor Zhaozong, the official Li Xi and Li Xi's son were both well known for their literary abilities. At that time, Li Qi was 17, and he submitted a scroll of his poems to Li Xi. Li Xi read his poems and was surprised. He welcomed Li Qi into his mansion and stated to him, "I had been disappointed that, in the recent years, when the literati wrote poems, they only wrote several lines without giving their poems titles. You, son, not only wrote beautiful sentences, but wrote just as beautiful titles. I am afraid of you." After this incident, Li Qi became even more well-known. At some point, he passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class. (His older brother Li Ting (李珽) also did at some point.) Later, early in Emperor Zhaozong's Tianfu era (901–904), he further passed a special imperial examination for those who were well-learned and capable of writing. He then served as the sheriff of Wugong County (武功, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi). He later successively served as a surveyor for the director of supplies; Zuo Shiyi (左拾遺), a low-level consultant at the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng); and an imperial censor with the title of Dianzhong Shi Yushi (殿中侍御史). It was said that ever since he began serving as an imperial censor, if he saw an inappropriate policy, he would submit a petition discussing it, and that his writing was so beautiful that the reader would be entranced by it.[1]
Service during the Later Liang
During the subsequent Later Liang, both Li Qi and his older brother Li Ting were well known to Later Liang's founder Emperor Taizu, who made Li Ting Chongzheng Xueshi (崇政學士), a scholar at the office of palace communications. Li Qi was promoted from his Zuo Shiyi position, initially to be the higher rank of Zuo Bujue (左補闕), and then later an imperial scholar (翰林學士, Hanlin Xueshi). He was eventually promoted to be the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang) and chief imperial scholar (翰林學士承旨). It was said that during Emperor Taizu's numerous campaigns against rival states Qi and Jin, Li Qi often accompanied him and was responsible for issuing orders and edicts. During this time, Li Qi gained the reputation for valuing his promises, discovering talents, rewarding the good, and having harmony in his household.[1]
During the subsequent reign of Emperor Taizu's son Zhu Zhen, Li served successively as the deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang), deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, Lǐbu Shilang), and deputy minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎, Lìbu Shilang, note different tone). He also was put in charge, along with other officials Feng Xijia (馮錫嘉), Zhang Chong (張充), and Chi Yinxiang (郗殷象), of drafting the a chronicle of Emperor Taizu's reign. He was later made deputy chief imperial censor (御史中丞, Yushi Zhongcheng), and then Shangshu You Cheng (尚書右丞), one of the secretaries general at the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng).[1]
In 920, Li Qi was made Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng), and given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor. It was said that he was in alliance with Zhu's close associates Zhao Yan and Zhang Hanjie (張漢傑), and, because of that association, was often accepting bribes. He was also described to be careless, while his chancellor colleague Xiao Qing was described as careful.[5] However, due to Li's talent, Zhu listened to him more than did Xiao.[1] Xiao secretly collected evidence of Li's faults. He was soon able to show Zhu that whenever acting officials bribed Li, Li would make them full officials. Zhu, in anger, wanted to exile Li, but due to Zhao's and Zhang's intercession, Li was only removed from his chancellor post and given the post Taizi Shaobao (太子少保) — an advisor to the Crown Prince, but an honorary post because there was no crown prince at that time.[5]