Li Jifu (李吉甫) | 24 Histories

Overview

Li Jifu was a Tang Chancellor and Canal Administrator.

PeriodSui and Tang

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Death

AD 814 吉甫卒
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 81; Old Book of Tang 157, passage 109

Attested activity

AD 813 元和八年
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 285
AD 813 元和八年
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 258
AD 807 to AD 814 元和年間
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 53, passage 104
AD 814 吉甫卒
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 81; Old Book of Tang 157, passage 109
AD 807 to AD 813 唐
Directly stated · History of Song 96, passage 180
AD 811 復入相
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 104

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AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗時
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 45, passage 212
AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗時
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 175, passage 22
AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗朝
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 146
AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗朝
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 173
AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗朝為相
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 56, passages 214-215
AD 807 to AD 814 時李吉甫任宰相
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 181, passage 110
AD 811 to AD 814 李吉甫復入相
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passages 76, 79-80
AD 807 to AD 814 李泌增俸之後
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 55, passages 150-151
AD 806 to AD 814 甫之為相也
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 99

Key source chapters

Career and standing

chancellor 相
AD 811 復入相 · Held again
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 104
Chancellor 宰相
AD 813 元和八年 · Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 285
Chancellor 宰相
AD 813 元和八年 · Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 258
Chancellor 宰臣
AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗朝 · Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 146; Old Book of Tang 157, passage 173
chief minister 宰相
AD 807 to AD 814 時李吉甫任宰相 · Held
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 181, passage 110
Chancellor 宰相
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 45, passage 212; New Book of Tang 55, passage 151

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chancellor 相
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 76; New Book of Tang 56, passage 214
chief minister 相
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 99

Places and affiliations

AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗朝
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 173
Tang 唐
Relation Served
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 45, passage 212
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passages 76, 146, 258; Old Book of Tang 157, passage 104; History of Song 96, passage 180; New Book of Tang 56, passage 214; New Book of Tang 181, passage 110
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 285; Old Book of Tang 160, passage 99
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 53, passage 104; New Book of Tang 55, passage 151

Works and attributed material

Praised
AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗朝 · Speech · Speaker · With Yuan Gao (袁高)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 146
AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗朝
Speech · Speaker · With Yuan Gao (袁高) · Paraphrased
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 173
Speech · Speaker · With Xianzong (憲宗)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 56, passages 215-216

Events and relationships

Abolished gates set barrages managed ponds
Water conservancy · Administrator · Outcome grain transport flowed freely 漕運通流
Directly stated · History of Song 96, passage 180
Built the Pingjin Weir and reopened the grain route
Administrative · Official
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 53, passage 104
Commended
AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗朝 · Political · Chancellor · With Yuan Gao (袁高)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 146
Fixed evaluation transfer grades
Administrative · Reformer
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 45, passages 212-215
Praised loyal forthrightness
AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗朝 · Political · Recommender · With Yuan Gao (袁高)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 173
Proposed reducing idle title salaries; became permanent policy
Political · Chancellor
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 55, passage 151

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Refused posthumous office
Political · Authority · With Pei Ji (裴垍)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 76
Refused posthumous office
Political · Chancellor · With Pei Ji (裴垍)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 104
Requested moving garrison to old Tiede City
AD 813 元和八年 · Policy · Proposer · At old Tiede City 天德故城 · Outcome Not carried out
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passages 285, 292
Requested moving garrison to old Tiede City
AD 813 元和八年 · Policy · Proposer · At Western Shouxiang City 西受降城 · Outcome Not carried out
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passages 258, 265
Urged stricter punishments
Court debate · Speaker · With Xianzong (憲宗)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 56, passages 215-216
Relation Rival of · Person Pei Ji (裴垍)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 104
Relation Colleague of · Person Li Jiang (李絳)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 56, passage 214
Relation Resented by · Person Wu Runa (吳汝納)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 181, passage 110

Assessments and attributes

Assessment effective water manager whose lock-and-pond system kept grain transport flowing · Mode quotation Speaker Xiang Ziyin (向子諲)
Directly stated · History of Song 96, passage 180
Assessment not comparable to Di; no crime of treason and murder as chief minister · Mode named-source-report Speaker Wang Yanwei (王彥威)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passages 99-100

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 146; New Book of Tang 45, passage 212; New Book of Tang 55, passage 151; New Book of Tang 56, passage 214; New Book of Tang 181, passage 110
Value historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passages 173, 285

References in the histories

Search passages

History

20 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 157Volume 153 Biographies 103: Yao Nanzhong, Liu Nai, Yuan Gao, Duan Pingzhong, Xue Cuncheng, Lu Tan · 5 passages

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李吉甫復入相，與垍宿嫌，不加贈官； When Li Jifu returned as chancellor, he bore an old grudge against Ji and granted no posthumous office;

或讒於吉甫，此以論奏。 Some told Jifu the memorial was motivated by family ties.

吉甫卒，裴度擢為刑部侍郎，俄知吏部選事。 After Jifu died, Pei Du promoted him to Vice Minister of Justice and soon put him in charge of personnel selection.

憲宗朝，宰臣李吉甫嘗言高之忠鯁，詔贈禮部尚書。 In the Xianzong reign Chancellor Li Jifu spoke of Gao's loyal forthrightness, and an edict posthumously made him Minister of Rites.

元和八年，西受降城為河徙浸毀，宰相李吉甫請移兵於天德故城。 In Yuanhe 8 Western Shouxiang City was damaged when the river shifted. Chancellor Li Jifu proposed moving the garrison to old Tiede City.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 160Volume 156 Biographies 106: Yu Di, Han Hong, Wang Zhixing · 1 passage

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若以李吉甫有賜謚之例，則甫之為相也，有犯上殺人之罪乎？ If one cites Li Jifu's precedent of a granted posthumous name, did Jifu as chief minister ever commit crimes of treason and murder?

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

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昔唐李吉甫廢閘置堰，治陂塘，泄有餘，防不足，漕運通流。 In Tang times Li Jifu abolished gates, built barrages, managed ponds and reservoirs, discharged surplus water and conserved shortages, and grain transport flowed freely.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 45Volume 45 Treatises 40: Selecting and Appointing Officials 2 · 1 passage

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憲宗時，宰相李吉甫定考遷之格，諸州刺史、次赤府少尹、次赤令、諸陵令、五府司馬、上州以上上佐、東宮官詹事諭德以下、王府官四品以上皆五考。 Under Xianzong, Li Jifu set review standards: prefects, secondary-capital officials, tomb directors, capital marshals, senior prefectural aides, Eastern Palace staff from grand tutor down, and fourth-rank princely officials—all required five reviews.

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

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節度使李吉甫築平津堰，以洩有餘，防不足，漕流遂通。 Commissioner Li Jifu built the Pingjin Weir to spill excess water and hold back shortages, and the grain route opened again.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 55Volume 55 Treatises 51: Finance and Economics 4 · 1 passage

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宰相李吉甫建議減之，遂為常法。 Chancellor Li Jifu proposed trimming such payments, and the reduction became permanent policy.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 56Volume 56 Treatises 52: Punishment and Law · 3 passages

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是時，李吉甫、李絳為相。 At this time Li Jifu and Li Jiang served as chancellors.

吉甫言：「治天下必任賞罰，陛下頻降赦令，蠲逋負，賑飢民，恩德至矣。 Jifu said, "To govern the realm one must rely on rewards and punishments. Your Majesty has frequently issued amnesties, remitted overdue taxes, and relieved the hungry—Your kindness could scarcely be greater.

吉甫之言過矣。」 Jifu has gone too far."

New Book of Tang, Chapter 175Volume 175 Biographies 100: Dou, Liu, Two Zhangs, Yang, Xiong, Bai · 6 passages

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武元衡、李吉甫皆所厚善，故召拜吏部郎中。 Wu Yuanheng and Li Jifu both favored him, and he was recalled as Director in the Ministry of Personnel.

群引呂溫、羊士諤為御史，吉甫以二人躁險，持不下。 Qun nominated Lü Wen and Yang Shie as censors; Jifu judged them reckless and would not confirm them.

群忮狠，反怨吉甫。 Qun was spiteful and turned his resentment on Jifu.

吉甫節度淮南，群謂失恩，因擠之。 When Jifu went out to Huainan as military commissioner, Qun thought he had fallen from grace and worked to squeeze him out.

陳登者，善術，夜過吉甫家，群即捕登掠考，上言吉甫陰事。 A man named Chen Deng, versed in divination, visited Jifu's house at night; Qun seized him, tortured him, and accused Jifu of clandestine affairs.

憲宗面覆登，得其情，大怒，將誅群，吉甫為救解，乃免，出為湖南觀察使。 Xianzong examined Deng face to face, learned the facts, flew into a rage and nearly put Qun to death; Jifu interceded, he was spared, and was demoted to observation commissioner of Hunan.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 181Volume 181 Biographies 106: Chen, Three Li's, Cao, Liu · 1 passage

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時李吉甫任宰相，汝納怨之，後遂附宗閔黨中。 Li Jifu was then chief minister; Runa bore him a grudge and later joined Li Zongmin's faction.