Li Zhongyan
Encyclopedia
Li Zhongyan (died December 16, 835), known as Li Xun (李訓) in 835, courtesy name initially Zixun (子訓), later Zichui (子垂), pseudonym Hermit Wang (王山人) during the mourning period for his mother, was an official of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
. He became a trusted advisor to Emperor Wenzong
and plotted with Emperor Wenzong to end the hold the powerful eunuchs had on power by slaughtering the eunuchs, but when the effort failed (in an event later known as the Ganlu Incident
), Li Xun and his associates were slaughtered.
, the Book of Tang
and the New Book of Tang
, he was from the same branch of the Li family — the "Greater Guzang Branch" (姑臧大房) — as the chancellors Li Kui
and Li Fengji
, and was two generations below Li Kui and one generation below Li Fengji, although the family tree for the Greater Guzang Branch in the New Book of Tang did not mention Li Zhongyan or any of his male-line ancestors. It was said that Li Zhongyan was tall, handsome, charismatic, well-spoken, dexterous, and good at reading people's emotions. He passed the imperial examination
s in the Jinshi (進士) class; thereafter, he served as an assistant teacher at the imperial university, before serving at as a staff member to the military governor (Jiedushi
) of Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern Luoyang
, Henan
).
's reign (824-827), Li Fengji served as chancellor. Li Zhongyan became a close associate of Li Fengji's, and it was said that shortly after Emperor Jingzong took the throne, Li Zhongyan, along with Li Fengji's other associates Li Yu (李虞) and Zhang Youxin (張又新), participated in manufacturing false evidence against a political enemy of Li Fengji's, the imperial scholar Li Shen
. As a result of Li Fengji's accusations against Li Shen — that when Emperor Jingzong's father Emperor Muzong
died, Li Shen was intending to support Emperor Muzong's brother Li Cong (李悰) the Prince of Shen — Li Shen was exiled. Subsequently, Li Zhongyan, Zhang, Li Xuzhi (李續之), Li Yu, Liu Qichu (劉栖楚), Jiang Qia (姜洽), Zhang Quanyu (張權輿), and Cheng Xifan (程昔范), became known as Li Fengji's "Eight Gates" — i.e., people who wanted to see Li Fengji had to go through them.
In 825, the official Wu Zhao (武昭), displeased that he was not given a position with authority and believing that Li Fengji was the one who prevented his commission, stated to his friend Mao Hui (茅彙), when he was drunk, that he wanted to kill Li Fengji. This declaration was reported to the authorities, and Wu and Mao were arrested. During the investigations, Li Zhongyan tried to induce Mao to implicate the chancellor Li Cheng
, who was not on good terms with Li Fengji. Mao refused to implicate Li Cheng, and reported Li Zhongyan's inducement to the investigating officials. As a result of the investigations, Wu was executed by caning, while Mao, Li Zhongyan, and Li Cheng's relative Li Rengshu (李仍叔) (who had told Wu that Li Fengji was refusing to give him a commission), were executed — in Li Zhongyan's case, to Xiang Prefecture (象州, in modern Laibin
, Guangxi
).
After Emperor Jingzong died around the new year 827 and was succeeded by his brother Emperor Wenzong
, a general pardon was declared, and Li Zhongyan was allowed to return from exile. Later, when his mother died, he stayed at the eastern capital Luoyang
to observe a mourning period.
's close associate Zheng Zhu
, and so Li Fengji gave Li Zhongyan a large amount of money to bribe Zheng. Zheng thereafter introduced Li Zhongyan to Wang, who in turn introduced Li Zhongyan to Emperor Wenzong and informed Emperor Wenzong that Li Zhongyan knew the I Ching
well. As Li Zhongyan was then still supposed to be observing the mourning period for his mother, he could not enter the palace in mourning clothes, so he took on a Taoist monk's robe and took the name of Hermit Wang. It was said that Emperor Wenzong was impressed by Li Zhongyan's appearance, charisma, and ability to speak, and he treated Li Zhongyan well.
By fall 834, Li Zhongyan's mourning period was over. Emperor Wenzong wanted to make him an imperial scholar, but this was vehemently opposed by the chancellor Li Deyu
, who pointed to Li Zhongyan's past, causing Emperor Wenzong to be displeased. Li Deyu's fellow chancellor Wang Ya
, who initially agreed with Li Deyu, seeing Emperor Wenzong's displeasure, changed his mind and no longer opposed Li Zhongyan's commission — and, indeed, when Emperor Wenzong subsequently changed Li Zhongyan's commission to be one for an assistant teacher at the imperial university (a lower post, probably to placate Li Deyu) and advisory officials Zheng Su (鄭肅) and Han Ci (韓佽) sealed the edict and were set to return the edict to him for reconsideration, as was their prerogative, Wang persuaded them not to do so. Subsequently, because Wang, Li Zhongyan, and Zheng Zhu all resented Li Deyu, they had Li Deyu's political enemy, the former chancellor Li Zongmin
, recalled from his post as military governor of Shannan West Circuit (山南西道, headquartered in modern Hanzhong
, Shaanxi
), to the capital Chang'an
to again serve as chancellor. Soon thereafter, Li Deyu was removed from his chancellor position and sent out to be the military governor of Shannan West. On the same day, Li Zhongyan was made an assistant imperial scholar, over the objections of a number of advisory officials, including Zheng Su and Han.
In winter 834, Li Zhongyan changed his name to Li Xun.
Meanwhile, while Emperor Wenzong appeared to be outwardly respectful to Wang and other eunuchs who helped him take the throne, he was in fact resentful of their hold on power. Zheng and Li Xun figured out what the emperor was thinking, and thereafter began to plot with Emperor Wenzong on eliminating the powerful eunuchs — and Emperor Wenzong associated with them because he felt that they, as officials recommended by Wang, would not draw suspicions from the eunuchs. It was under their suggestion that, in spring 835, Emperor Wenzong partially diverted Wang's power by giving the command of one of the eunuch-controlled Shence Armies to Wang's rival Qiu Shiliang
.
There was, at the time, a rumor spread in Chang'an that Zheng Zhu was making immortality
pills for Emperor Wenzong, and that the pills required infant hearts and livers as ingredients, causing much panic among the people. Zheng accused family members of the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the Chang'an region) Yang Yuqing (楊虞卿) of spreading the rumors, and Emperor Wenzong, incensed, arrested Yang. When Li Zongmin, who had previously refused to give Zheng an office he wanted, tried to intercede on Yang's behalf, Emperor Wenzong ordered Li Zongmin to leave his presence, and soon had him exiled.
It was said that Li Xun and Zheng drafted a master plan for reforming the state that had details and which impressed Emperor Wenzong, which called first for eliminating the eunuchs, then for recovery of the territory lost to Tufan, and then for destruction of the warlords north of the Yellow River
. It was said that they became so powerful that they were carrying out reprisals against anyone they disliked — and that those persons were accused to be partisans of Li Deyu or Li Zongmin, and as Emperor Wenzong disfavored Li Deyu's and Li Zongmin's factionalism
, those accused of being associates were easily chased out of government.
In summer 835, Li Xun took on the additional post as Bingbu Langzhong (兵部郎中), a supervisory official at the ministry of defense (兵部, Bingbu) and also became responsible for drafting imperial edicts, while also remaining as assistant imperial scholar.
It had long been rumored that the death of Emperor Wenzong's grandfather Emperor Xianzong
was at the hands of the eunuch Chen Hongzhi (陳弘志), who was, by this point, serving as the eunuch monitor of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan
, Hubei
). Under Li Xun's advice, Emperor Wenzong recalled Chen from Shannan East, and when Chen reached Qingni Station (青泥驛, in modern Xi'an
, Shaanxi
), Emperor Wenzong had a cane sent to Qingni and ordered that Chen be caned to death.
Thereafter, under the plan by Li Xun and Zheng, Emperor Wenzong was set to commission Zheng as the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji
, Shaanxi
), so that he could gather forces to use in a plot against the eunuchs. The chancellor Li Guyan
opposed, and Emperor Wenzong reacted by simultaneously commissioning Li Guyan as the military governor of Shannan West and Zheng as the military governor of Fengxiang. Li Xun, however, was himself jealous of Zheng at this point, and so actually secretly planned to eliminate Zheng after the plot against the eunuchs would succeed. As a result, when selecting a staff for Zheng, he selected officials who were considered mild in their disposition, rather than those considered to be able. Shortly after Zheng's commission, Li Xun and Shu Yuanyu
(who investigated Yang Yuqing) were named chancellors with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事). Meanwhile, at Li Xun's and Zheng's advice, Emperor Wenzong gave Wang Shoucheng the honorific title of monitor of the Shence Armies and stripped him of military command.
Wang Shoucheng's death was a part of further planning by Emperor Wenzong, Li Xun, and Zheng — the plan was that when Wang was set to be buried on December 20, 835, Zheng, who claimed that he was grateful to Wang, would take his personal guards, who were armed with sharp axes, with him to attend the funeral. At the funeral, the guards would then surround the eunuchs and slaughter them. However, Li Xun discussed the plan with his associates, and he concluded that if that were to happen, Zheng would receive all of the credit, and therefore he resolved to act before Zheng would, planning to kill Zheng as well after he succeeded. To that end, Li Xun had Guo Xingyu (郭行餘) made the military governor of Binning Circuit (邠寧, headquartered in modern Xianyang
, Shaanxi
); Wang Fan (王璠) made the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
, Shanxi
); Luo Liyan (羅立言) made the acting mayor of Jingzhao; and Han Yue (韓約) made a general of the imperial guards; he had the four of them gather troops to be ready to act against the eunuchs. It was said that only Li Xun, Guo, Wang Fan, Luo, Han, Li Xiaoben (李孝本) the deputy chief imperial censor, and Shu were aware of Li Xun's plans.
On December 14, Li Xun acted. six days before the scheduled funeral for Wang, Han reported to Emperor Wenzong, at the imperial meeting hall Zichen Hall (紫宸殿), that there had been sweet dew (甘露, ganlu in Chinese) that appeared on a pomegranate tree outside the headquarters of Zuo Jinwu (左金吾), one of the Wei Army (衛軍) headquarters — viewed as a sign of divine favor. Emperor Wenzong then went to nearby Hanyuan Hall (含元殿) and ordered the imperial officials, including Li Xun, to examine the purported sweet dew. Li Xun soon returned and stated that it appeared that there was no sweet dew; at Li Xun's suggestion, Emperor Wenzong ordered Qiu and his fellow Shence Army commander Yu Hongzhi (魚弘志) to lead the eunuchs in examining the sweet dew. When Qiu and Yu arrived at the Zuo Jinwu headquarters, however, Han had lost his composure, and Qiu realized that something was wrong when he saw soldiers converging and the noise of weapons clanging. He and the other eunuchs immediately ran back to Hanyuan Hall and seized Emperor Wenzong. Li Xun tried to grab onto Emperor Wenzong's litter
to stop the eunuchs from taking Emperor Wenzong back to the palace, and the soldiers under Luo and Li Xiaoben battled the eunuchs, killing a number of them, but the eunuchs were able to escort Emperor Wenzong back to the imperial palace. Knowing that he had lost this gambit, Li Xun put on the green uniform of chancellors' attendants and fled.
Li Xun fled to the Zhongnan Mountain (終南山) to try to seek refuge with the Buddhist monk Zongmi
, with whom he was friendly. Zongmi wanted to give Li Xun a tonsure
and disguise him as a monk, but Zongmi's followers urged him not to accept Li Xun. Li Xun thus exited Zhongnan Mountain and tried to flee to Fengxiang. He was, however, intercepted on the way by the defender of Zhouzhi (盩厔, in modern Xi'an), Song Chu (宋楚), who arrested him and had him delivered to Chang'an. When Li Xun's escort reached Kunming Pond (昆明池), Li Xun, fearful that the eunuchs would torture and humiliate him, told the officer escorting him:
The officer agreed and cut off his head to deliver it to Chang'an. Subsequently, at the grand public executions for Wang Ya, Wang Fan, Luo, Guo, Jia Su
, Shu, and Li Xiaoben, Li Xun's head was raised by the Left Shence Army soldiers escorting Wang Ya, Wang Fan, Luo, and Guo. Li Xun's brother Li Zhongjing (李仲景) and cousin Li Yuangao (李元臯) were also killed, as were the rest of Li Xun's household. The bodies of Li Xun's household were exposed to the elements. It was only after a new year had passed that Emperor Wenzong ordered the Jingzhao Municipal Government to have the bodies buried in two mass graves.
It was said that after Li Xun's death, Emperor Wenzong missed him greatly, and often complimented his abilities to the subsequent chancellors Li Shi
and Zheng Tan
.
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...
. He became a trusted advisor to Emperor Wenzong
Emperor Wenzong of Tang
Emperor Wenzong of Tang , personal name Li Ang , né Li Han , was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 827 to 840. Emperor Wenzong was the second son of Emperor Muzong and younger brother of Emperor Jingzong...
and plotted with Emperor Wenzong to end the hold the powerful eunuchs had on power by slaughtering the eunuchs, but when the effort failed (in an event later known as the Ganlu Incident
Ganlu Incident
The Ganlu Incident referred to an incident on December 14, 835, where then-reigning Emperor Wenzong of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, angry about the power that the powerful eunuchs had, conspired with the chancellor Li Xun and the general Zheng Zhu to slaughter the eunuchs...
), Li Xun and his associates were slaughtered.
Background
It is not known when Li Zhongyan was born. According to his biographies in the official histories of Tang DynastyTang 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...
, the Book of Tang
Book of Tang
The Book of Tang , Jiu Tangshu or the Old Book of Tang is the first classic work about the Tang Dynasty. The book began when Gaozu of Later Jin ordered its commencement in 941...
and the New Book of Tang
New Book of Tang
The New Book of Tang , is a classic work of history about the Tang Dynasty edited by Ouyang Xiu and Song Qi and other official scholars of the Song Dynasty. The emperor called for a revision of the former Book of Tang in 1044. The New Book was presented to the throne in 1060. It was given its...
, he was from the same branch of the Li family — the "Greater Guzang Branch" (姑臧大房) — as the chancellors Li Kui
Li Kui (chancellor)
Li Kui , courtesy name Duanqing , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Suzong.- Background :...
and Li Fengji
Li Fengji
Li Fengji , courtesy name Xuzhou , formally Duke Cheng of Zheng or Duke Cheng of Liang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Xianzong, Emperor Xianzong's son Emperor Muzong, and grandson Emperor Jingzong...
, and was two generations below Li Kui and one generation below Li Fengji, although the family tree for the Greater Guzang Branch in the New Book of Tang did not mention Li Zhongyan or any of his male-line ancestors. It was said that Li Zhongyan was tall, handsome, charismatic, well-spoken, dexterous, and good at reading people's emotions. He 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 in the Jinshi (進士) class; thereafter, he served as an assistant teacher at the imperial university, before serving at as a staff member to the military governor (Jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) of Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
, 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...
).
Early involvement in politics
During Emperor JingzongEmperor Jingzong of Tang
Emperor Jingzong of Tang , personal name Li Zhan , was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 824 to 827...
's reign (824-827), Li Fengji served as chancellor. Li Zhongyan became a close associate of Li Fengji's, and it was said that shortly after Emperor Jingzong took the throne, Li Zhongyan, along with Li Fengji's other associates Li Yu (李虞) and Zhang Youxin (張又新), participated in manufacturing false evidence against a political enemy of Li Fengji's, the imperial scholar Li Shen
Li Shen
Li Shen , courtesy name Gongchui , formally Duke Wensu of Zhao , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wuzong.- Background :...
. As a result of Li Fengji's accusations against Li Shen — that when Emperor Jingzong's father Emperor Muzong
Emperor Muzong of Tang
Emperor Muzong of Tang , personal name Li Heng , né Li You , was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 821 to 824. Emperor Muzong was the son of Emperor Xianzong...
died, Li Shen was intending to support Emperor Muzong's brother Li Cong (李悰) the Prince of Shen — Li Shen was exiled. Subsequently, Li Zhongyan, Zhang, Li Xuzhi (李續之), Li Yu, Liu Qichu (劉栖楚), Jiang Qia (姜洽), Zhang Quanyu (張權輿), and Cheng Xifan (程昔范), became known as Li Fengji's "Eight Gates" — i.e., people who wanted to see Li Fengji had to go through them.
In 825, the official Wu Zhao (武昭), displeased that he was not given a position with authority and believing that Li Fengji was the one who prevented his commission, stated to his friend Mao Hui (茅彙), when he was drunk, that he wanted to kill Li Fengji. This declaration was reported to the authorities, and Wu and Mao were arrested. During the investigations, Li Zhongyan tried to induce Mao to implicate the chancellor Li Cheng
Li Cheng (Tang Dynasty)
Li Cheng , courtesy name Biaochen , formally Duke Miao of Pengyuan , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Jingzong.-Background:...
, who was not on good terms with Li Fengji. Mao refused to implicate Li Cheng, and reported Li Zhongyan's inducement to the investigating officials. As a result of the investigations, Wu was executed by caning, while Mao, Li Zhongyan, and Li Cheng's relative Li Rengshu (李仍叔) (who had told Wu that Li Fengji was refusing to give him a commission), were executed — in Li Zhongyan's case, to Xiang Prefecture (象州, in modern Laibin
Laibin
Laibin is a prefecture-level city in the central part of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.-Geography and climate:Laibin is located in central Guangxi province. The Hongshui River or Red River and Rongjiang, both tributaries of the Xijiang, meet in Laibin. Its area is 13,400 km²...
, Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
).
After Emperor Jingzong died around the new year 827 and was succeeded by his brother Emperor Wenzong
Emperor Wenzong of Tang
Emperor Wenzong of Tang , personal name Li Ang , né Li Han , was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 827 to 840. Emperor Wenzong was the second son of Emperor Muzong and younger brother of Emperor Jingzong...
, a general pardon was declared, and Li Zhongyan was allowed to return from exile. Later, when his mother died, he stayed at the eastern capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
to observe a mourning period.
Association with Emperor Wenzong
At some point, Li Fengji, who wanted to be chancellor again, consulted Li Zhongyan. Li Zhongyan claimed to be friendly to the powerful eunuch Wang ShouchengWang Shoucheng
Wang Shoucheng was a powerful eunuch of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, wielding substantial powers during the reigns of Emperor Xianzong, Emperor Muzong, Emperor Jingzong, and Emperor Wenzong...
's close associate Zheng Zhu
Zheng Zhu
Zheng Zhu , probably né Yu Zhu , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He became a trusted advisor to Emperor Wenzong due to treatments he provided Emperor Wenzong for the emperor's illnesses, and thereafter plotted with Emperor Wenzong and Li Xun to slaughter the powerful eunuchs...
, and so Li Fengji gave Li Zhongyan a large amount of money to bribe Zheng. Zheng thereafter introduced Li Zhongyan to Wang, who in turn introduced Li Zhongyan to Emperor Wenzong and informed Emperor Wenzong that Li Zhongyan knew the I Ching
I Ching
The I Ching or "Yì Jīng" , also known as the Classic of Changes, Book of Changes and Zhouyi, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts...
well. As Li Zhongyan was then still supposed to be observing the mourning period for his mother, he could not enter the palace in mourning clothes, so he took on a Taoist monk's robe and took the name of Hermit Wang. It was said that Emperor Wenzong was impressed by Li Zhongyan's appearance, charisma, and ability to speak, and he treated Li Zhongyan well.
By fall 834, Li Zhongyan's mourning period was over. Emperor Wenzong wanted to make him an imperial scholar, but this was vehemently opposed by the chancellor Li Deyu
Li Deyu
Li Deyu , courtesy name Wenrao , formally the Duke of Wei , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of brothers Emperor Wenzong and Emperor Wuzong and their uncle Emperor Xuānzong...
, who pointed to Li Zhongyan's past, causing Emperor Wenzong to be displeased. Li Deyu's fellow chancellor Wang Ya
Wang Ya
Wang Ya , courtesy name Guangjin , formally Duke of Dai , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Xianzong and Emperor Xianzong's grandson Emperor Wenzong...
, who initially agreed with Li Deyu, seeing Emperor Wenzong's displeasure, changed his mind and no longer opposed Li Zhongyan's commission — and, indeed, when Emperor Wenzong subsequently changed Li Zhongyan's commission to be one for an assistant teacher at the imperial university (a lower post, probably to placate Li Deyu) and advisory officials Zheng Su (鄭肅) and Han Ci (韓佽) sealed the edict and were set to return the edict to him for reconsideration, as was their prerogative, Wang persuaded them not to do so. Subsequently, because Wang, Li Zhongyan, and Zheng Zhu all resented Li Deyu, they had Li Deyu's political enemy, the former chancellor Li Zongmin
Li Zongmin
Li Zongmin , courtesy name Sunzhi , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving twice as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenzong...
, recalled from his post as military governor of Shannan West Circuit (山南西道, headquartered in modern Hanzhong
Hanzhong
Hanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), to the capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
to again serve as chancellor. Soon thereafter, Li Deyu was removed from his chancellor position and sent out to be the military governor of Shannan West. On the same day, Li Zhongyan was made an assistant imperial scholar, over the objections of a number of advisory officials, including Zheng Su and Han.
In winter 834, Li Zhongyan changed his name to Li Xun.
Meanwhile, while Emperor Wenzong appeared to be outwardly respectful to Wang and other eunuchs who helped him take the throne, he was in fact resentful of their hold on power. Zheng and Li Xun figured out what the emperor was thinking, and thereafter began to plot with Emperor Wenzong on eliminating the powerful eunuchs — and Emperor Wenzong associated with them because he felt that they, as officials recommended by Wang, would not draw suspicions from the eunuchs. It was under their suggestion that, in spring 835, Emperor Wenzong partially diverted Wang's power by giving the command of one of the eunuch-controlled Shence Armies to Wang's rival Qiu Shiliang
Qiu Shiliang
Qiu Shiliang , courtesy name Kuangmei , formally the Duke of Chu , was an eunuch official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, becoming particularly powerful after the Ganlu Incident — an event in which Emperor Wenzong tried, but failed, to seize power back from powerful eunuchs by slaughtering...
.
There was, at the time, a rumor spread in Chang'an that Zheng Zhu was making immortality
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
pills for Emperor Wenzong, and that the pills required infant hearts and livers as ingredients, causing much panic among the people. Zheng accused family members of the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the Chang'an region) Yang Yuqing (楊虞卿) of spreading the rumors, and Emperor Wenzong, incensed, arrested Yang. When Li Zongmin, who had previously refused to give Zheng an office he wanted, tried to intercede on Yang's behalf, Emperor Wenzong ordered Li Zongmin to leave his presence, and soon had him exiled.
It was said that Li Xun and Zheng drafted a master plan for reforming the state that had details and which impressed Emperor Wenzong, which called first for eliminating the eunuchs, then for recovery of the territory lost to Tufan, and then for destruction of the warlords north of the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
. It was said that they became so powerful that they were carrying out reprisals against anyone they disliked — and that those persons were accused to be partisans of Li Deyu or Li Zongmin, and as Emperor Wenzong disfavored Li Deyu's and Li Zongmin's factionalism
Niu-Li Factional Struggles
Niu-Li Factional Struggles referred to the phenomenon that persisted at court in the middle-late Tang Dynasty of China — largely viewed to have started during the reign of Emperor Muzong, circa 821, but having its seeds in the events of his father Emperor Xianzong — between two court factions...
, those accused of being associates were easily chased out of government.
In summer 835, Li Xun took on the additional post as Bingbu Langzhong (兵部郎中), a supervisory official at the ministry of defense (兵部, Bingbu) and also became responsible for drafting imperial edicts, while also remaining as assistant imperial scholar.
It had long been rumored that the death of Emperor Wenzong's grandfather Emperor Xianzong
Emperor Xianzong of Tang
Emperor Xianzong of Tang , personal name Li Chun , né Li Chun , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty...
was at the hands of the eunuch Chen Hongzhi (陳弘志), who was, by this point, serving as the eunuch monitor of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan
Xiangfan
Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province of the People's Republic of China. It was formed from two famous ancient cities, Xiangyang and Fancheng...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
). Under Li Xun's advice, Emperor Wenzong recalled Chen from Shannan East, and when Chen reached Qingni Station (青泥驛, in modern Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), Emperor Wenzong had a cane sent to Qingni and ordered that Chen be caned to death.
Thereafter, under the plan by Li Xun and Zheng, Emperor Wenzong was set to commission Zheng as the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji
Baoji
Baoji is a prefecture-level city in Shaanxi province, China.-Geography:The prefecture-level city of Baoji has a population of 3,716,731 according to the 2010 Chinese census, inhabiting an area of . The city itself has a population of approximately 800,000. Surrounded on three sides by hills,...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), so that he could gather forces to use in a plot against the eunuchs. The chancellor Li Guyan
Li Guyan
Li Guyan , courtesy name Zhongshu , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving two terms as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenzong.- Background and early career :It is not clear when Li Guyan was born...
opposed, and Emperor Wenzong reacted by simultaneously commissioning Li Guyan as the military governor of Shannan West and Zheng as the military governor of Fengxiang. Li Xun, however, was himself jealous of Zheng at this point, and so actually secretly planned to eliminate Zheng after the plot against the eunuchs would succeed. As a result, when selecting a staff for Zheng, he selected officials who were considered mild in their disposition, rather than those considered to be able. Shortly after Zheng's commission, Li Xun and Shu Yuanyu
Shu Yuanyu
Shu Yuanyu was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving briefly as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenzong...
(who investigated Yang Yuqing) were named chancellors with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事). Meanwhile, at Li Xun's and Zheng's advice, Emperor Wenzong gave Wang Shoucheng the honorific title of monitor of the Shence Armies and stripped him of military command.
Ganlu Incident and death
In winter 835, at Li Xun's and Zheng Zhu's advice, Emperor Wenzong sent poisoned wine to Wang Shoucheng to poison him to death.Wang Shoucheng's death was a part of further planning by Emperor Wenzong, Li Xun, and Zheng — the plan was that when Wang was set to be buried on December 20, 835, Zheng, who claimed that he was grateful to Wang, would take his personal guards, who were armed with sharp axes, with him to attend the funeral. At the funeral, the guards would then surround the eunuchs and slaughter them. However, Li Xun discussed the plan with his associates, and he concluded that if that were to happen, Zheng would receive all of the credit, and therefore he resolved to act before Zheng would, planning to kill Zheng as well after he succeeded. To that end, Li Xun had Guo Xingyu (郭行餘) made the military governor of Binning Circuit (邠寧, headquartered in modern Xianyang
Xianyang
Xianyang is a former capital of China in Shaanxi province, on the Wei River, a few kilometers upstream from Xi'an. It has an area of...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
); Wang Fan (王璠) made the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
); Luo Liyan (羅立言) made the acting mayor of Jingzhao; and Han Yue (韓約) made a general of the imperial guards; he had the four of them gather troops to be ready to act against the eunuchs. It was said that only Li Xun, Guo, Wang Fan, Luo, Han, Li Xiaoben (李孝本) the deputy chief imperial censor, and Shu were aware of Li Xun's plans.
On December 14, Li Xun acted. six days before the scheduled funeral for Wang, Han reported to Emperor Wenzong, at the imperial meeting hall Zichen Hall (紫宸殿), that there had been sweet dew (甘露, ganlu in Chinese) that appeared on a pomegranate tree outside the headquarters of Zuo Jinwu (左金吾), one of the Wei Army (衛軍) headquarters — viewed as a sign of divine favor. Emperor Wenzong then went to nearby Hanyuan Hall (含元殿) and ordered the imperial officials, including Li Xun, to examine the purported sweet dew. Li Xun soon returned and stated that it appeared that there was no sweet dew; at Li Xun's suggestion, Emperor Wenzong ordered Qiu and his fellow Shence Army commander Yu Hongzhi (魚弘志) to lead the eunuchs in examining the sweet dew. When Qiu and Yu arrived at the Zuo Jinwu headquarters, however, Han had lost his composure, and Qiu realized that something was wrong when he saw soldiers converging and the noise of weapons clanging. He and the other eunuchs immediately ran back to Hanyuan Hall and seized Emperor Wenzong. Li Xun tried to grab onto Emperor Wenzong's litter
Litter (vehicle)
The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of persons. Examples of litter vehicles include lectica , jiao [较] , sedan chairs , palanquin , Woh , gama...
to stop the eunuchs from taking Emperor Wenzong back to the palace, and the soldiers under Luo and Li Xiaoben battled the eunuchs, killing a number of them, but the eunuchs were able to escort Emperor Wenzong back to the imperial palace. Knowing that he had lost this gambit, Li Xun put on the green uniform of chancellors' attendants and fled.
Li Xun fled to the Zhongnan Mountain (終南山) to try to seek refuge with the Buddhist monk Zongmi
Zongmi
Guifeng Zongmi was a Tang dynasty Buddhist scholar-monk, installed as fifth patriarch of the Huayan school as well as a patriarch of the Heze lineage of Southern Chan.He wrote a number of vitally important essays on the contemporary situation of Buddhism in Tang China, and is one of the most...
, with whom he was friendly. Zongmi wanted to give Li Xun a tonsure
Tonsure
Tonsure is the traditional practice of Christian churches of cutting or shaving the hair from the scalp of clerics, monastics, and, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, all baptized members...
and disguise him as a monk, but Zongmi's followers urged him not to accept Li Xun. Li Xun thus exited Zhongnan Mountain and tried to flee to Fengxiang. He was, however, intercepted on the way by the defender of Zhouzhi (盩厔, in modern Xi'an), Song Chu (宋楚), who arrested him and had him delivered to Chang'an. When Li Xun's escort reached Kunming Pond (昆明池), Li Xun, fearful that the eunuchs would torture and humiliate him, told the officer escorting him:
The officer agreed and cut off his head to deliver it to Chang'an. Subsequently, at the grand public executions for Wang Ya, Wang Fan, Luo, Guo, Jia Su
Jia Su
Jia Su , courtesy name Zimei , formally the Baron of Guzang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving briefly as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenzong...
, Shu, and Li Xiaoben, Li Xun's head was raised by the Left Shence Army soldiers escorting Wang Ya, Wang Fan, Luo, and Guo. Li Xun's brother Li Zhongjing (李仲景) and cousin Li Yuangao (李元臯) were also killed, as were the rest of Li Xun's household. The bodies of Li Xun's household were exposed to the elements. It was only after a new year had passed that Emperor Wenzong ordered the Jingzhao Municipal Government to have the bodies buried in two mass graves.
It was said that after Li Xun's death, Emperor Wenzong missed him greatly, and often complimented his abilities to the subsequent chancellors Li Shi
Li Shi (Tang Dynasty)
Li Shi , courtesy name Zhongyu , formally the Count of Longxi , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenzong...
and Zheng Tan
Zheng Tan
Zheng Tan , formally the Duke of Yingyang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenzong. He was viewed as a Li Faction leader in the Niu-Li Factional Struggles....
.