Li Wei

Li Wei (; died November 20, 879 ), courtesy name Maoxiu , was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xizong.

Background and early career It is not known when Li Wei was born. He was from the Guzang Branch of the Li clan of Longxi, which, like the Tang dynasty's imperial clan, claimed ancestry from Li Gao, the founder of the Sixteen Kingdoms period state Western Liang —with the Tang imperial clan descended from Li Gao's second son Li Xin (Western Liang's second duke) and Li Wei's ancestors descended from Li Gao's eighth son Li Fan and Li Fan's son, the prominent Northern Wei general Li Bao . Subsequent male-line ancestors of Li Wei's served as officials of Northern Wei, the Sui dynasty, and Tang. Li Wei's grandfather Li Shanggong served as the director of the archival bureau (秘書監, Mishu Jian), while his father Li Jingsu served on the staff of a crown prince.

During Emperor Yizong's reign In 864, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong's son Emperor Yizong, Li Wei was put in charge of the imperial examinations for that year at the ministry of rites (禮部, Libu). In 865, he was made the deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, Libu Shilang), and he was subsequently made Shangshu You Cheng , one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng). As he considered Emperor Yizong overly devout in Buddhism—with the emperor often holding grand feasts for large groups of Buddhist monks in the palace—he submitted a lengthy petition asking the emperor to curb his ways. Emperor Yizong praised him for the advice,

During Emperor Xizong's reign At some point, Li Wei was recalled to Chang'an, and in 875, by which time he was chief imperial censor (御史大夫, Yushi Daifu), he was made Zhongshu Shilang , the deputy head of the legislative bureau, and given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi , making him a chancellor de facto.

Little is known about Li Wei's acts as a chancellor. In 878, he was removed from his chancellor position and made the defender of the eastern capital Luoyang. In 879, after Cui Jikang the military governor of Hedong was killed in a mutiny, and Cui's successor Li Kan was not well liked by the soldiers, the imperial government decided that, because Li Wei had previously treated the people of Hedong well when he served there, to make him military governor. He arrived there late in 879 but died just three days after arrival.

Notes and references

Old Book of Tang, vol. 178. New Book of Tang, vol. 181. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 252, 253.