Li Tao

Li Tao (李濤) (c. 898?–961?), courtesy name Xinchen (信臣), formally the Duke of Ju (莒國公), was an official of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period Chu, Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou, states, as well as the Song dynasty. He briefly served as chancellor during Later Han.

Background Assuming that Li Tao died in 961, he would be born in 898, during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang. He was from Wannian , one of the two counties making up the Tang dynasty capital Chang'an. He was a 10th-generation descendant of Li Yi , an uncle of Tang's founding emperor Emperor Gaozu and was a great-grandnephew of the Tang chancellor Li Hui. His grandfather Li Zhen served as a county magistrate, while his father Li Yuan served as the director of palace construction (將作監, Jiangzuo Jian). He had at least one younger brother, Li Huan , who would later be known for literary capabilities. After about a year of serving at Tianxiong, Li Tao was recalled to the imperial government to serve as an imperial chronicler (起居舍人, Qiju Sheren). In this new administration, Li Tao received the titles of Kaogong Yuanwailang (考功員外郎, a low-level official at the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, Libu)) and editor of imperial history (史館修撰, Shiguan Xiuzhuan).

There was a subsequent time when Li served as an imperial emissary to Song Prefecture (宋州, in modern Shangqiu, Henan) to review the farms of the prefecture to revise the taxes to be levied there. The official Yuan Zhengci , who had an estate at Song, sent Li a gift of textile, trying to get Li to overlook his estate. Li instead revealed this to Shi, who honored him for his honesty. As a result, Yuan was demoted a rank, and Li was made the magistrate of Junyi County , one of the two counties making up the Later Jin capital Kaifeng. He later was made Bibu Langzhong and then Xingbu Langzhong (刑部郎中, both supervisory positions at the ministry of justice (刑部, Xingbu)), while also serving as an assistant to the director of salt and iron monopolies specifically dealing with salt monopoly. and, after Zhang Shi's death, took Zhang Shi's wife as a concubine. (This was a reference to how Fan had rebelled against Shi but was induced into surrendering by promise of an iron certificate guaranteeing his life, but Shi had later subsequently implicitly permitted Yang to have Fan killed.) In anger, Shi walked away. Li subsequently returned to Luoyang and wrote a poem lamenting this incident.

During Later Han During Liu Zhiyuan's reign Emperor Taizong claimed to be the emperor of China as well, but soon, there were numerous rebellions that rose against him, and he withdrew from Daliang. The most prominent of the rebels was Liu Zhiyuan, who declared himself emperor of a new state later known as Later Han at his base at Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi). When Liu approached Luoyang, Li Tao, along with the other Later Jin officials, went to Luoyang to welcome him, Liu inquired of him of the status of the imperial treasury in light of the Liao incursion. Li was able to give a detail report, and Liu was pleased by his knowledge. Once Liu entered Daliang, he made Li an imperial scholar (翰林學士, Hanlin Xueshi). (Meanwhile, Li Tao's brother Li Huan was taken to Liao proper, and later served as an imperial scholar under Emperor Taizong's nephew Emperor Shizong and son Emperor Jingzong.)

During Liu Chengyou's reign In 948, Liu Zhiyuan died and was succeeded by his son Liu Chengyou. and when the chancellors, led by Su Fengji, wanted to promote officials and fill unfilled positions, Yang saw the requests as wasteful and often rejected them, causing the chancellors to be displeased. In spring 948, Li Tao submitted a petition to Liu Chengyou suggesting that Yang and Guo Wei (who was then deputy chief of staff) be given military commands outside the capital and that key matters be decided by Su Fengji and Su Yugui. When Yang and Guo heard of this, they went to see Liu Chengyou's mother (Liu Zhiyuan's wife) Empress Dowager Li, stating to her, "Your subjects have followed the deceased emperor ever since difficult times. Now, the Son of Heaven is accepting other people's word and wants to send us out. Given that there are troubles west of the pass [(i.e., in the Guanzhong region, where the general Wang Jingchong was fostering a rebellion)], how can we, your subjects and ignore the affairs of the state? If we are not to remain, we hope to at least remain until the deceased emperor's burial." Empress Dowager Li was angered, and she went to Liu Chengyou, stating to him, "These are the old and accomplished subjects of the state. Why are you listening to others and expelling them?" When Liu Chengyou blamed the matter on the chancellors in general, Li Tao took the blame by himself, and was relieved of his chancellor position.

By late 950, Liu Chengyou himself had tired of the control the senior officials had on his government. He thereafter had Yang, Shi Hongzhao the commander of the imperial guards, and Wang Zhang the director of the financial agencies executed. Guo was, at that time, serving as the defender of Yedu, and therefore not killed, but Liu had Guo's family, as well as the family of Guo's assistant Wang Jun, slaughtered. When Guo thereafter rebelled and attacked Daliang, Empress Dowager Li lamented, "I did not accept Li Tao's words. Now we are facing destruction." Thereafter, Liu tried to engage Guo in battle, but was killed in battle. Guo entered Daliang and, after persuading Empress Dowager Li that he would continue to treat her as a mother, she ordered that the throne be yielded to him.

During Later Zhou Guo Wei gave Li Tao the title of Taizi Binke (太子賓客 — advisor to the Crown Prince, but completely honorary as a title as there was no crown prince at the time). Upon Guo Rong's death later that year, Li was made the deputy director of the emperor's funereal matters. Guo Zongxun also created Li the Duke of Ju. In the new administration, Li Tao received the title of minister of defense (兵部尚書, Bingbu Shangshu). He fell ill in 961, Li died shortly after (impliedly, in 961), and was given posthumous honors. (However, the biography of his brother Li Huan indicated that Li Huan died in 962 while still in Liao service and that Li Tao published a collection of Li Huan's writings, appearing to imply that Li Tao died after Li Huan, but not explicitly stating so, although it could also be read as that Li Tao published Li Huan's works sometime before.)

Notes and references

History of Song, vol. 262. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 281, 283, 285, 287, 288, 289, 290, 294. Xu Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 2.