Li Bi (李泌) | 24 Histories

Overview

Li Bi was a Tang Chancellor and Transport Reformer.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 784 to AD 789 唐刺史李泌始導西湖
Uncertain · History of Song 96, passage 64
AD 787 to AD 789 建中三年之後
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 55, passages 138-139
AD 784 to AD 789 德宗
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 150, passage 99
AD 780 to AD 805 德宗時
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 138, passage 224
AD 762 to AD 777 曩為元載所疾
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 138, passage 226
AD 787 to AD 789 李泌增百官俸
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 55, passage 150

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AD 787 to AD 789 至李泌量閑劇稍增之
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 146, passage 145
AD 785 to AD 805 貞元
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 146, passage 63
AD 785 to AD 789 貞元年間
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 53, passage 95
AD 785 to AD 789 陜虢觀察使…及為宰相
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 194, passages 163, 167

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Chief Minister 宰相
AD 787 及為宰相 · Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 167
Chancellor 相
AD 780 to AD 805 德宗時 · Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 138, passage 224
Chancellor 宰相
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 55, passage 139
Observation Commissioner of Shan-Guo 陜虢觀察使
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 163
Tang prefect 唐刺史
Held
Directly stated · History of Song 96, passage 64
Entered
Demoted · At Jiangxi 江西
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 138, passage 226

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Song 96, passage 64; New Book of Tang 138, passage 224; New Book of Tang 146, passage 63; New Book of Tang 194, passage 167
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 53, passage 95; New Book of Tang 55, passage 139
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 146, passage 145
At Hangzhou 杭 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · History of Song 96, passage 64
At Jiangxi 江西 · Relation Exiled to
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 138, passage 226

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Dezong (德宗) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 138, passages 226-228

Events and relationships

Adjusted salaries by post workload
AD 787 to AD 789 至李泌量閑劇稍增之 · Administrative · Minister
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 146, passage 145
Built transport roads and Wei River barges near Sanmen
Administrative · Official
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 53, passage 95
Did not press
Political · Patron
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 166
First channeled West Lake water and made six wells
Hydraulic · Builder · At West Lake 西湖
Directly stated · History of Song 96, passage 64
Horse bite incident while riding with ying
Personal · Participant · With Lu Ying (路應)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 138, passage 227
Increased monthly salaries and restored hand attendant assessments
Political · Chancellor
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 55, passage 139

Show 9 more source-backed claims

Instituted Household Ministry Discount Fee of twenty cash per string
Fiscal · Policy maker
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 55, passage 143
Recommended to emperor
Political · Advocate · With Yang Cheng (陽城)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 167
Sent envoy with edict
Political · Agent · With Han Jie (韓傑)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 165
Sent gifts
Patronage · Patron · With Yang Cheng (陽城)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 163
Sought to recruit
Appointment · Recommender · With Yang Cheng (陽城)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 164
Relation Enemy of · Person Yuan Zai (元載)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 138, passage 226
Relation Recommender of · Person Yang Cheng (陽城)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passages 164, 167
Relation Patron of · Person Li Jifu (李吉甫)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 146, passage 63
Relation Superior of · Person Han Jie (韓傑)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 165

Assessments and attributes

Assessment admired Jifu's ability · With Li Jifu (李吉甫) · Mode named-person-speech Speaker Li Bi (李泌)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 146, passage 63
Assessment known as one who had won the ruler's favor · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 138, passage 224
Assessment long felt ashamed before Ying's forbearance and wished to repay him · Mode self-report Speaker Li Bi (李泌)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 138, passage 228

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 55, passage 139; New Book of Tang 194, passage 163
After his salary increase, contemporaries thought salaries could not be reduced
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 55, passage 150

References in the histories

Search passages

History

15 passages

History of Song, Chapter 96Volume 96 Treatises 49: Rivers and Canals 6 · 1 passage

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初，杭近海，患水泉咸苦，唐刺史李泌始導西湖，作六井，民以足用。 Long ago Hangzhou lay near the sea, and its springs ran brackish and bitter. Tang prefect Li Bi first channeled West Lake water and dug six wells, giving the people an adequate supply.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 53Volume 53 Treatises 43: Finance and Economics 3 · 1 passage

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陝虢觀察使李泌益鑿集津倉山西逕為運道，屬于三門倉，治上路以回空車，費錢五萬緡，下路減半； Shan-Guo commissioner Li Bi cut a haul road west of Jijin Granary linked to Sanmen, rebuilt the upper track for empty carts at fifty thousand strings and the lower at half that;

New Book of Tang, Chapter 55Volume 55 Treatises 51: Finance and Economics 4 · 3 passages

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李泌為相，又增百官及畿內官月俸，復置手力資課，歲給錢六十一萬六千余緡，文官千八百九十二員，武官八百九十六員。 Chancellor Li Bi then restored and raised monthly pay for officials throughout the capital region, reinstated attendant-service assessments, and spent more than 616,000 strings a year on 1,892 civil and 896 military posts.

李泌以度支有兩稅錢，鹽鐵使有筦榷錢，可以擬經費，中外給用，每貫墊二十，號「戶部除陌錢」。 Li Bi treated the Revenue Bureau's two-tax receipts and the Salt and Iron Commissioner's monopoly receipts as funds that could meet current expenses. For disbursements inside and outside the capital, twenty cash were deducted from every string, a levy known as the "Household Ministry Discount Fee."

自李泌增百官俸，當時以為不可朘削矣，然有名存而職廢、額去而俸在者。 After Li Bi's raise many believed salaries could never be cut again, yet titles lingered after duties vanished and pay continued after posts were abolished.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 138Volume 138 Biographies 63: · 2 passages

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德宗時，李泌為相，號得君。 Under Dezong, Li Bi served as chancellor and was known as a favorite of the emperor.

泌乃言：「曩為元載所疾，謫江西，路嗣恭與載厚，臣嘗畏之。 Bi replied, "Long ago Yuan Zai hated me and had me demoted to Jiangxi. Lu Sigong was close to Zai, and I feared him.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 146Volume 146 Biographies 71: Two Li's · 2 passages

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李泌、竇參器其才，厚遇之。 Li Bi and Dou Can admired his ability and treated him with great favor.

大歷時，權臣月奉至九千緡者，州刺史無大小皆千緡，宰相常袞始為裁限，至李泌量閑劇稍增之，使相通濟。 In the Dali era powerful ministers received monthly salaries of up to nine thousand strings; prefects of every rank received one thousand strings; Chancellor Chang Gun first imposed limits, and Li Bi later adjusted salaries slightly according to the demands of each post so that all could be balanced.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 150Volume 150 Biographies 75: Li, Chang, Zhao, Cui, Qi, Lu · 1 passage

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李泌薦之，對殿中，占奏明辯，通古今，德宗欽悅，拜給事中。 Li Mi recommended him. When he faced the emperor in the hall his memorial replies were clear and eloquent and showed mastery of antiquity and the present. Emperor Dezong was deeply pleased and appointed him Drafting Attendant.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 194Volume 194 Biographies 119: Outstanding Conduct · 5 passages

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陜虢觀察使李泌數禮餉，城受之。 Li Mi, observation commissioner of Shan-Guo, often sent him gifts of food, which Cheng accepted.

泌欲辟致之府，不起，乃薦諸朝，詔以著作佐郎召，並賜緋魚。 Mi wished to summon him to headquarters but he would not go; Mi then recommended him to court, and an edict summoned him as assistant compiler, bestowing crimson robe and fish tally.

泌使參軍事韓傑奉詔至其家，城封還詔，自稱「多病老憊，不堪奔奉，惟哀憐」。 Mi sent staff officer Han Jie to deliver the edict to his home; Cheng sealed and returned the edict, writing: "Much ill and old exhaustion—I cannot hasten to serve; only beg compassion."

泌不敢強。 Mi did not dare press him.

及為宰相，又言之德宗，於是召拜右諫議大夫，遣長安尉楊寧賫束帛詣其家。 When Mi became chief minister he again spoke of Cheng to Emperor Dezong; Cheng was then summoned as right remonstrator, and Chang'an magistrate Yang Ning was sent with silks to his home.