Li Rizhi
Encyclopedia
Li Rizhi (died 715) was an official of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
and Wu Zetian
's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Ruizong
.
, Henan
). His family traced its ancestry to the great Warring States Period
Zhao
general Li Mu
. At some point, Li passed the imperial examination
s.
's Tianshou era (690-692), he served as a Sixing Cheng (司刑丞) -- a judge at the supreme court. It was said that at that time, the judges were often cruel, but Li was kind and tried to avoid unjust penalties for defendants. In one case, he spared a defendant from death, but the deputy chief judge, Hu Yuanli (胡元禮) ordered that the defendant be executed. They exchanged dissenting paperwork between themselves four times. Eventually, Hu angrily stated, "As long as I am still here, this defendant will not be spared." Li responded, "As long as I am still here, this defendant will not be executed." They both submitted their opinions to Wu Zetian, and she decided in favor of Li.
, Li Rizhi served as Geishizhong (給事中), an imperial attendant. At that time, his mother was old and ill, and Li personally attended to her and was so worried that his hair turned white. Sometime thereafter, he was given the honorific title Chaosan Daifu (朝散大夫), and Emperor Zhongzong was poised to grant his mother a title as well. However, she died before she could be so honored. As she was set to be buried, the imperial messenger arrived with his mother's commission, and he was so overwhelmed by emotions that he fainted. The official sent to review matters in the circuit that Zheng Prefecture belonged to, Jing Qian (敬濳), heard of this, and was set to report to the emperor Li's great filial piety, but Li declined. After he finished observing the mourning period for his mother, he was recalled to government service to serve as Huangmen Shilang (黃門侍郎), the deputy head of the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng).
In 709, Emperor Zhongzong's powerful daughter Li Guo'er the Princess Anle
had just completed building a new mansion and a magnificent artificial pond that she named Dingkun Pond (定昆池). Emperor Zhongzong personally visited her mansion, and the officials attending to him all wrote poems praising the beauty of the pond. Li Rizhi, however, wrote a poem that had the tenor of trying to correct her behavior, including the lines:
These lines became well-known. (Later, Emperor Zhongzong's brother Li Dan
the Prince of Xiang, after he became emperor in 710, would comment to Li Rizhi, "At that time, not even I dared to say something like that.)
and Li Guo'er, so that Empress Wei could become "emperor" like Wu Zetian, and Li Guo'er could become crown princess. Meanwhile, Emperor Zhongzong's son by a concubine, Li Chongmao
the Prince of Wen was named emperor (as Emperor Shang), but Empress Wei retained power as empress dowager
and regent
. Less than a month later, Emperor Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping
and Li Dan's son Li Longji
the Prince of Linzi rose in rebellion and killed Empress Dowager Wei and Li Guo'er. Li Dan became regent, and he gave Li Rizhi the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin (同中書門下三品), making him a chancellor de facto. Several days later, Li Dan, who was formerly emperor, took the throne again himself (as Emperor Ruizong), displacing Emperor Shang.
In spring 711, after fellow chancellors Yao Yuanzhi
and Song Jing
were removed form office, Li Rizhi and Wei Anshi
became the lead chancellors, and it was said that the reforms that Yao and Song tried to carry out after Emperor Zhongzong's reign were reversed, and that the government was disorganized. Later that year, Li Rizhi was made acting Shizhong (侍中), the head of the examination bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor. In winter 711, as a part of a major governmental reorganization, Li Rizhi and fellow chancellors Wei, Guo Yuanzhen
, Dou Huaizhen
, and Zhang Shuo were removed from their chancellor posts, and Li became the minister of census (戶部尚書, Hubu Shangshu).
It was said that Li Rizhi, contrary to the harshness of supervising officials at the time, never caned his subordinates for faults. One one occasion, a low-level official at the ministry of justice received an imperial edict but forgot to act on it for three days. Li Rizhi became angry and took a cane. After gathering the subordinates, he acted as if he would cane the forgetful subordinate, but then stated, "If I caned you, everyone will state that you are so negligent that you even drew Li Rizhi's anger and was caned by him. Everyone will shame you, and even your wife will abandon you." He then released the subordinate from punishment, and the man and the other subordinates were thankful. However, Li was also criticized for having all of his sons take wives from prominent clans. After his death, his youngest son Li Yiheng (李伊衡) promoted a concubine to be his wife -- an act considered highly violative of Confucian
principles -- and was wasteful and litigious toward his brothers, causing the reputation of the clan to suffer greatly.
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
and Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian , personal name Wu Zhao , often referred to as Tian Hou during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant...
's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Ruizong
Emperor Ruizong of Tang
Emperor Ruizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Dàn , known at times during his life as Li Xulun , Li Lun , Wu Lun , and Wu Dan , was the fifth and ninth emperor of Tang Dynasty...
.
Background
It is not known when Li Rizhi was born, but it is known that his family was from Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, roughly modern ZhengzhouZhengzhou
Zhengzhou , is the capital and largest city of Henan province in north-central China. A prefecture-level city, it also serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational centre of the province, as well as a major transportation hub for Central China...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
). His family traced its ancestry to the great Warring States Period
Warring States Period
The Warring States Period , also known as the Era of Warring States, or the Warring Kingdoms period, covers the Iron Age period from about 475 BC to the reunification of China under the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC...
Zhao
Zhao (state)
Zhao was a significant Chinese state during the Warring States Period, along with six others...
general Li Mu
Li Mu
Li Mu was a prominent military General of Zhao during the Warring States period of China. He, together with Bai Qi, Wang Jian, and Lian Po were known as the Four Greatest Generals in Warring States era.-Career:...
. At some point, Li passed the imperial examination
Imperial examination
The Imperial examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of...
s.
During Wu Zetian's reign
During Wu ZetianWu Zetian
Wu Zetian , personal name Wu Zhao , often referred to as Tian Hou during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant...
's Tianshou era (690-692), he served as a Sixing Cheng (司刑丞) -- a judge at the supreme court. It was said that at that time, the judges were often cruel, but Li was kind and tried to avoid unjust penalties for defendants. In one case, he spared a defendant from death, but the deputy chief judge, Hu Yuanli (胡元禮) ordered that the defendant be executed. They exchanged dissenting paperwork between themselves four times. Eventually, Hu angrily stated, "As long as I am still here, this defendant will not be spared." Li responded, "As long as I am still here, this defendant will not be executed." They both submitted their opinions to Wu Zetian, and she decided in favor of Li.
During Emperor Zhongzong's second reign
Later, during the Shenlong era (705-707) of Wu Zetian's son Emperor ZhongzongEmperor Zhongzong of Tang
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Xiǎn , at times during his life Li Zhe and Wu Xian , was the fourth Emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 684 and again from 705 to 710.Emperor Zhongzong was the son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu...
, Li Rizhi served as Geishizhong (給事中), an imperial attendant. At that time, his mother was old and ill, and Li personally attended to her and was so worried that his hair turned white. Sometime thereafter, he was given the honorific title Chaosan Daifu (朝散大夫), and Emperor Zhongzong was poised to grant his mother a title as well. However, she died before she could be so honored. As she was set to be buried, the imperial messenger arrived with his mother's commission, and he was so overwhelmed by emotions that he fainted. The official sent to review matters in the circuit that Zheng Prefecture belonged to, Jing Qian (敬濳), heard of this, and was set to report to the emperor Li's great filial piety, but Li declined. After he finished observing the mourning period for his mother, he was recalled to government service to serve as Huangmen Shilang (黃門侍郎), the deputy head of the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng).
In 709, Emperor Zhongzong's powerful daughter Li Guo'er the Princess Anle
Princess Anle
Princess Anle , personal name Li Guo'er , was a princess of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. She was the youngest daughter of Emperor Zhongzong and his wife Empress Wei who was greatly favored by her parents and therefore grew very powerful and corrupt during her father's second...
had just completed building a new mansion and a magnificent artificial pond that she named Dingkun Pond (定昆池). Emperor Zhongzong personally visited her mansion, and the officials attending to him all wrote poems praising the beauty of the pond. Li Rizhi, however, wrote a poem that had the tenor of trying to correct her behavior, including the lines:
These lines became well-known. (Later, Emperor Zhongzong's brother Li Dan
Emperor Ruizong of Tang
Emperor Ruizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Dàn , known at times during his life as Li Xulun , Li Lun , Wu Lun , and Wu Dan , was the fifth and ninth emperor of Tang Dynasty...
the Prince of Xiang, after he became emperor in 710, would comment to Li Rizhi, "At that time, not even I dared to say something like that.)
During Emperor Shang's reign and Emperor Ruizong's second reign
In 710, Emperor Zhongzong died suddenly -- a death that traditional historians believed to be a poisoning carried out by his wife Empress WeiEmpress Wei (Zhongzong)
Empress Wei was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. She was the second wife of Emperor Zhongzong, who reigned twice, and during his second reign, she tried to emulate the example of her mother-in-law Wu Zetian and seize power...
and Li Guo'er, so that Empress Wei could become "emperor" like Wu Zetian, and Li Guo'er could become crown princess. Meanwhile, Emperor Zhongzong's son by a concubine, Li Chongmao
Emperor Shang of Tang
Emperor Shang , also known as Emperor Shao , personal name Li Chongmao , was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 710....
the Prince of Wen was named emperor (as Emperor Shang), but Empress Wei retained power as empress dowager
Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...
and regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
. Less than a month later, Emperor Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping
Princess Taiping
Princess Taiping was a princess of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and her mother Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty. She was the youngest daughter of Wu Zetian and Emperor Gaozong and was powerful during the reigns of her mother and her elder brothers Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong , particularly...
and Li Dan's son Li Longji
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
the Prince of Linzi rose in rebellion and killed Empress Dowager Wei and Li Guo'er. Li Dan became regent, and he gave Li Rizhi the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin (同中書門下三品), making him a chancellor de facto. Several days later, Li Dan, who was formerly emperor, took the throne again himself (as Emperor Ruizong), displacing Emperor Shang.
In spring 711, after fellow chancellors Yao Yuanzhi
Yao Chong
Yao Chong , né Yao Yuanchong , known 700s-713 by the courtesy name of Yuanzhi , formally Duke Wenxian of Liang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor under four sovereigns—Wu Zetian, her sons Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong,...
and Song Jing
Song Jing
Song Jing , formally Duke Wenzhen of Guangping , was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as the chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Ruizong and Emperor Xuanzong...
were removed form office, Li Rizhi and Wei Anshi
Wei Anshi
Wei Anshi , formally Duke Wenzhen of Xun , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor several times, during the reigns of Wu Zetian, her sons Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong, and her grandson Emperor Shang.- Background :Wei Anshi...
became the lead chancellors, and it was said that the reforms that Yao and Song tried to carry out after Emperor Zhongzong's reign were reversed, and that the government was disorganized. Later that year, Li Rizhi was made acting Shizhong (侍中), the head of the examination bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor. In winter 711, as a part of a major governmental reorganization, Li Rizhi and fellow chancellors Wei, Guo Yuanzhen
Guo Yuanzhen
Guo Yuanzhen , formal name Guo Zhen but went by the courtesy name of Yuanzhen, was an official, general, and diplomat of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Ruizong and Emperor Xuanzong.- Background :Guo Yuanzhen was...
, Dou Huaizhen
Dou Huaizhen
Dou Huaizhen , known by his courtesy name Dou Congyi during the reign of Emperor Zhongzong , posthumously renamed Du Huaizhen , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Ruizong and Emperor Xuanzong.-...
, and Zhang Shuo were removed from their chancellor posts, and Li became the minister of census (戶部尚書, Hubu Shangshu).
During Emperor Xuanzong's reign
In 712, Emperor Ruizong passed the throne to Li Longji, who took the throne as Emperor Xuanzong. Later that year, Li Rizhi, who was then the minister of justice (刑部尚書), requested retirement, and the request was approved. Prior to making the request, he did not tell his wife, and when he returned home, he began to prepare moving to a country residence. His wife, surprised, stated, "We do not have much asset, and your sons and brothers have not had a chance to become officials in government. Why do you wish to resign?" He responded, "I am a simple scholar, and what I have already exceeds what I should have. Human desires can never be fulfilled, and I should not pamper my heart." Once he retired to the countryside, he did not spend time managing assets, but rather built ponds and pavilions, and often invited younger scholars to discuss things with them. He died in 715.It was said that Li Rizhi, contrary to the harshness of supervising officials at the time, never caned his subordinates for faults. One one occasion, a low-level official at the ministry of justice received an imperial edict but forgot to act on it for three days. Li Rizhi became angry and took a cane. After gathering the subordinates, he acted as if he would cane the forgetful subordinate, but then stated, "If I caned you, everyone will state that you are so negligent that you even drew Li Rizhi's anger and was caned by him. Everyone will shame you, and even your wife will abandon you." He then released the subordinate from punishment, and the man and the other subordinates were thankful. However, Li was also criticized for having all of his sons take wives from prominent clans. After his death, his youngest son Li Yiheng (李伊衡) promoted a concubine to be his wife -- an act considered highly violative of Confucian
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
principles -- and was wasteful and litigious toward his brothers, causing the reputation of the clan to suffer greatly.