Emperor Liezu of Southern Tang

After changing name back to Li Meanwhile, a movement began among Xu Gao's officials to petition to have him change his surname back to Li, but he initially declined, citing that he did not want to forget Xu Wen's grace to him. Xu Gao took the name of Li Bian, and effectively claimed to be the legitimate successor to the Tang throne and that he was a descendant of Li Ke the son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang. He honored his biological father Li Rong, as well as three other ancestors, as emperors, and their wives as empresses. Xu Wen continued to be honored posthumously as emperor, and was only subordinate to Emperors Gaozu and Taizong in the imperial temples, with all three designated as ancestors whose temples would not be destroyed. Later in the year, he wanted to create Li Jing, now with the title of Prince of Qi, crown prince, but Li Jing declined, and he bestowed additional titles on Li Jing.

In 940, Li Jinquan, Later Jin's military governor of Anyuan Circuit (安遠, headquartered in modern Xiaogan, Hubei), rebelled against Later Jin, and sought aid from Southern Tang. Li Bian sent the generals Li Chengyu and Duan Chugong to aid Li Jinquan, but with instructions not to pillage and to, with haste, escort Li Jinquan back to Southern Tang territory safely. However, in violation of Li Bian's instructions, Li Chengyu seized Li Jinquan's wealth and tried to defend the city, and subsequently engaged and was defeated by the Later Jin general Ma Quanjie . Duan was killed in battle, while Li Chengyu was executed by Ma. Some 4,000 Southern Tang soldiers were lost. This caused Li Bian to be saddened for days and blaming himself for not giving even harsher warnings to Li Chengyu. When Later Jin's emperor Shi Jingtang subsequently tried to return the 570 Southern Tang captives to Southern Tang, Li Bian refused to accept them, citing, in a letter to Shi, that they violated his orders. They remained at Later Jin subsequently.

Around the same time, Min's emperor Wang Xi and his brother Wang Yanzheng, who controlled Jian Prefecture, were embroiled in a civil war. Li Bian sent the official Shang Quangong to Min on a diplomatic mission to try to help end the Min civil war. Under Shang's mediation, the Wang brothers swore an oath of peace, but in reality continued to hate each other.

In 942, at Song's request, Song was allowed to exercise his authority as chancellor, and further was given the authority to oversee the executive bureau, while Li Jingsui oversaw the legislative (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng) and examination (門下省, Menxia Sheng) bureaus, with Li Jing further reviewing all three bureaus. Soon, however, there was an incident when Song's close associate Xia Changtu embezzled governmental funds, but Song spared him from death. Li Bian, in anger, ordered Xia's death, and Song, in fear, claimed to be ill, and was relieved of his executive bureau responsibilities. On a subsequent occasion when Song, at his invitation, came to dinner, they got into an argument, but Li Bian subsequently wrote a letter to Song, stating, "Our impatient nature is something you knew well, Zisong [(Song's courtesy name). How can it be that we were dear to each other in youth and hateful to each other in old age?" He subsequently made Song the military governor of Zhennan Circuit (鎮南, headquartered in modern Nanchang, Jiangxi).

As Li Bian himself, while serving as regent of Wu, had often revised laws to try to improve Tang laws, he ordered the judges and the executive bureau to reorganize the laws into a 30-volume work entitled, the Laws of Shengyuan (Shengyuan being his era name). In fall 942, he ordered that those laws be officially promulgated.

Over the years, Li Bian had been tempted to make Li Jingda, whom he considered decisive and capable, his heir, and Song had also often praised Li Jingda's abilities. However, as Li Jing was older, he eventually decided against making Li Jingda his heir. Meanwhile, his youngest son Li Jingti was born of his favorite concubine Consort Zhong, and once, when Li Bian was angry with Li Jing for being occupied with musical instruments, Consort Zhong tried to persuade him to divert succession from Li Jing and making Li Jingti his heir. Finding Consort Zhong's suggestion highly inappropriate, he expelled Consort Zhong out of the palace and had her remarried.

Also over the years, Li Bian had been taking alchemists' medicines, believing that they would allow him to have long life, but the medicines were in fact making his temper flare frequently and health deteriorate. By spring 943, he was quite ill, but pretended to be not ill and continued to be presiding over imperial gatherings. On March 30, 943, he was so ill that the imperial physician had to summon Li Jing to his presence to attend to him. He stated to Li Jing, "I took these medications made of gold and rocks to try to lengthen my lifespan, but instead they harmed me. You should be cautious of this." He died that night. Li Jing initially did not announce his death and only had an edict issued in his name, making Li Jing regent, but soon thereafter announced his death and took the throne.

Legacy While the kingdom Xianzhu founded did not succeed in reuniting the Chinese realm, it played an important part in the consolidation of politics with the absorption of Min and Chu. It also became one of the leading centers of learning, along with Chengdu of the Later Shu and Hangzhou of Wuyue.

Personal information

Parents: Father: Li Rong (d. 893), posthumously honored Emperor Xiaode with the temple name of Qingzong (honored 938) Mother: Lady Liu, posthumously honored Empress Degong (honored 938) Adoptive Father: Xu Wen, Prince Zhongwu of Qi during Wu, further posthumously honored Emperor Wu (honored 937), initially with the temple name of Taizu (honored 937) then Yizu (honored 938) Adoptive Mother: Lady Li, posthumously honored Empress Mingde (honored 937) Wives Consort Shun, of the Wang clan (順妃 王氏) Empress Yuanjing, of the Song clan (元敬皇后 宋氏, d. 945), personal name Fujin (福金) Li Jing, Crown Prince (太子 李景; 916 – August 12, 961), 1st son Xu Jingqian, Prince Gaoping (高平郡王 徐景遷, 919–937), 2nd son Li Jingsui, Crown Prince Wencheng (文成太弟 李景遂, 920 – 17 September 958), 3rd son Li Jingda, Crown Prince Zhaoxiao (昭孝太弟 李景達, 924–957), 4th son Consort Dowager Xu, of the Zhou clan (許太妃 周氏) Lady of Bright Countenance, of the Ji clan (昭容吉氏) Lady Chong, of the Chong clan (种氏, 921–971), personal name Shiguang (時光) Li Jingti, Prince Zhaoshun of Jiang (江昭順王 李景逷, 938–968), 5th son Lady Meng, of the Meng clan (孟氏) Children: Princess Yongxing (永興公主), 4th daughter Married Yang Lian, Crown Prince of Wu (太子 楊璉), son of Yang Pu, Emperor Rui (楊溥) Princess Fengcheng (豐城公主) Princess Shengtang (盛唐公主), 7th son Married a son of Yan Keqiu (严可求) Princess Taihe (太和公主), wife of Yan Xu Princess Jianchang (建昌公主) Princess Yushan (玉山公主) Princess Xingguo (興國公主) Married Ma Renyu Pottery Dancers. 943 CE. From tomb of Li Bian, founder of Southern Tang dynasty