Li Xiji (李襲吉) | 24 Histories

Overview

Li Xiji was an official and Judge.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Alternate name	Xiji	習吉	Xiji

Life and dates

Death

AD 906 天祐三年六月
Cause stroke / wind illness 風病 · At Taiyuan 太原
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 79

Attested activity

AD 896 三年
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 9
AD 897 to AD 898 乾寧末
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 8
AD 878 to AD 879 乾符末
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 2
AD 885 光啟初
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passages 5-6
AD 896 其年十二月
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 16
AD 891 to AD 906 在武皇幕府垂十五年
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 76

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AD 901 to AD 904 天復中
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 17
AD 906 天祐三年
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 93, passage 9
AD 906 天祐三年六月
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 79
AD 880 to AD 906 廣明大亂之後
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passages 67, 75

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Daughter of Li Xiji (李襲吉女)
daughter 女
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 93, passage 9
Descendant of Li Linfu (李林甫)
descendant 後 · Claimed parentage
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 1
Child of Li Tu (李圖)
father 父
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 1

Key source chapters

Career and standing

chief secretary and prose stylist 掌書記
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passages 6-7
staff officer in the Martial Emperor's headquarters 武皇幕府
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 93, passage 9
staff secretary and literary aide 幕府掌書檄
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 76
headquarters aide 府掾
Appointed · Authority Li Keyong (李克用)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 4
Remonstrance Grand Master 諫議大夫
Appointed · Authority Emperor Zhaozong (昭宗) · Mode named-source-report Source Work Northern Dreams, Trivial Tales 北夢瑣言
Textual variant · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 15
Right Remonstrance Grand Master 右諫議大夫
AD 896 三年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 9

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salt-and-iron judge 鹽鐵判官
AD 878 to AD 879 乾符末 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 2
chief secretary 掌書記
AD 885 光啟初 · Appointed
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passages 5-6
staff officer of the Martial Emperor 武皇幕府
AD 891 to AD 906 垂十五年 · Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 76
magistrate of Yushe 榆社令
Posted · At Yushe 榆社
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 4
deputy military commissioner 節度副使
AD 896 三年 · Promoted
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 9
extraordinary imperial gifts 優賜特異
Bestowed · Authority Emperor Zhaozong (昭宗)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 13
Minister of Rites 禮部尚書
AD 924 同光二年 · Posthumously bestowed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 80

Places and affiliations

Polity Jin of Taiyuan 太原 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 76
Polity Jin/Hedong 河東 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 93, passage 9
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passages 2, 9
At Luoyang 洛陽 · Relation Family settled
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 1
AD 878 to AD 879 乾符末
At Hezhong 河中 · Relation Fled to
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 2
AD 906 天祐三年
At Taiyuan 太原 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 93, passage 9

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AD 906 天祐三年六月
At Taiyuan 太原 · Relation Died at
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 79
At Luoyang 洛陽 · Relation Resided
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 1
At Taiyuan 太原 · Relation Traveled to
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 4
At Weinan 渭南 · Relation Traveled to · Mode named-source-report Source Work Northern Dreams, Trivial Tales 北夢瑣言
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 15
At Yushe 榆社 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 4

Learning and skills

Sat for
AD 878 to AD 879 乾符末 · Credential jinshi examination candidate 進士舉
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 2
Skill prose and documentary writing 筆才 · Level renowned
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passages 60, 62, 75
Skill prose and military writing 文 · Level renowned
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passages 7-8

Works and attributed material

petition of separation 違離表
AD 896 三年 · Relation Author
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passages 10-11
letter to the Liang Founder 貽梁祖書
AD 901 to AD 904 天復中 · Relation Author
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 17
AD 901 to AD 904 天復中
Letter · Author · With Li Keyong (李克用) · Addressed to Liang Founder (梁祖) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passages 17-58
petition of separation 違離表
Memorial · Author · With Li Keyong (李克用) · Addressed to Emperor Zhaozong (昭宗) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passages 10-11
Speech · Speaker · With Zhang Xian (張憲)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 69, passage 5

Events and relationships

Composed letter praised then abused by Liang founder
Literary · Author · With Liang Founder (梁祖)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passages 59-61
Drafted exchanges
AD 897 to AD 898 乾寧末 · Diplomatic writing · Author · With Li Keyong (李克用)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 8
Fell into river and was rescued
AD 896 其年十二月 · Accident · Victim · At Xiayang Ford 夏陽渡
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 16
Fled
AD 878 to AD 879 乾符末 · Flight · Refugee · At Hezhong 河中
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 2
Followed campaign
AD 896 三年 · Military · Staff officer · With Wang Xingyu (王行瑜)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 9
Presented memorial
AD 896 三年 · Court · Envoy memorialist
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passages 13, 15

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Ranked with contemporary secretaries
Literary · Peer
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passages 68, 75
Sat for jinshi
AD 878 to AD 879 乾符末 · Examination · Candidate
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 2
Trial draft pleased Keyong
Examination trial · Candidate · With Li Keyong (李克用)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 6
Visited old ties
Travel · Visitor · At Taiyuan 太原
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 4
AD 878 to AD 879 乾符末
Relation Client of · Person Li Du (李都)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 2
Relation Staff of · Person Martial Emperor (武皇)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 93, passage 9

Assessments and attributes

Assessment erudite, concrete, and forceful in military prose · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 7
Assessment indifferent to rank and gain; encouraged juniors; fair and unbribed · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passages 77-78
Assessment literary men praised his striking lines · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 8

Source notes

Value historical
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 1
From 襲吉 · To 習吉 · Northern Dreams citation writes 習吉
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 60, passage 15

References in the histories

Search passages

History

17 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 60Volume 60 Book of Later Tang 36: Biographies 12: Li Xiji, Wang Jian, Li Jingyi, Lu Rubi, Li Dexiu, Su Xun · 15 passages

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李襲吉，自言左相林甫之後，父圖，為洛陽令，因家焉。 Li Xiji claimed descent from the Left Chancellor Li Linfu. His father Tu served as magistrate of Luoyang, and the family made their home there.

襲吉乾符末應進士舉，遇亂，避地河中，依節度使李都，擢為鹽鐵判官。 Near the end of the Qianfu reign Xiji entered the jinshi examinations, but with rebellion abroad he fled to Hezhong and entered the service of Military Commissioner Li Du, who raised him to salt-and-iron judge.

襲吉訪舊至太原，武皇署為府掾，出宰榆社。 Xiji followed old ties to Taiyuan, where the Martial Emperor Li Keyong named him a headquarters aide and later sent him out to govern Yushe county.

或有薦襲吉能文，召試稱旨，即署為掌書記。 Someone praised Xiji's literary gifts; summoned for a trial draft, he pleased the prince at once and was named chief secretary on the spot.

襲吉博學多通，尤諳悉國朝近事，為文精意練實，動據典故，無所放縱，羽檄軍書，辭理宏健。 Xiji was erudite and widely read, with a specialist's grasp of recent court history. His prose was tight and concrete, every line anchored in precedent, never florid; whether drafting battle orders or field reports, his style was vigorous and commanding.

自武皇上源之難，與梁祖不協，乾寧末，劉仁恭負恩，其間論列是非，交相聘答者數百篇，警策之句，播在人口，文士稱之。 From the Shangyuan crisis through the rupture with the Liang Founder and, late in Qianning, Liu Rengong's betrayal, Xiji drafted hundreds of letters debating blame and merit between the rival camps. His sharpest lines passed from mouth to mouth, and men of letters spoke of him with admiration.

及師還渭北，武皇不獲入覲，為武皇作違離表，中有警句云：「穴禽有翼，聽舜樂以猶來； When the army withdrew north of the Wei, the Martial Emperor was denied an imperial audience. Xiji wrote his master's petition of separation, with lines that ran: "Even a bird that nests in caves will spread its wings; hearing the music of Shun, it would still return;

洎襲吉入奏，麵詔諭之，優賜特異。 When Xiji presented the memorial in person, the emperor received him with a personal audience and lavished extraordinary gifts upon him.

〈（《北夢瑣言》：習吉從李克用至渭南，令其入奏，帝重其文章，授諫議大夫，使上事北省以榮之。）〉 (Northern Dreams, Trivial Tales: Xiji accompanied Li Keyong to Weinan and was sent to present a memorial at court. The emperor prized his prose, named him Remonstrance Grand Master, and had him report to the northern secretariat as a mark of honor.)

其年十二月，師還太原，王珂為浮梁於夏陽渡，襲吉從軍，時笮斷航破，武皇僅免，襲吉墜河，得大冰承足，沿流七八里，還岸而止，救之獲免。 That December, as the army marched back to Taiyuan, Wang Ke threw a pontoon bridge across the Xiayang ford and Xiji went with the column. The bridge cables snapped mid-crossing; the Martial Emperor barely escaped with his life. Xiji plunged into the river, caught a great slab of ice underfoot, and drifted seven or eight li downstream before he could claw his way ashore and be pulled out alive.

天復中，武皇議欲修好於梁，命襲吉為書以貽梁祖，書曰： During the Tianfu reign the Martial Emperor resolved to reopen relations with Liang and charged Xiji to draft a letter to the Liang Founder. It read:

如吾之智算，得襲吉之筆才，虎傅翼矣！」 If a mind like mine had Xiji's pen, it would be a tiger given wings!"

及翔為報書，詞理非勝，由是襲吉之名愈重。 Jing Xiang drafted the reply, but his prose could not match Xiji's; Xiji's reputation rose all the higher.

錢塘有羅隱，魏博有李山甫，皆有文稱，與襲吉齊名於時。 Qiantang had Luo Yin and Weibo had Li Shanfu; all were famed for their writing and ranked with Xiji in that age.

襲吉在武皇幕府垂十五年，視事之暇，唯讀書業文，手不釋卷。 Xiji served in the Martial Emperor's headquarters for nearly fifteen years; in whatever leisure his duties allowed he read and wrote without setting a book down.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 69Volume 69 Book of Later Tang 45: Biographies 21: Zhang Xian, Wang Zhengyan, Hu Zhuang, Cui Yisun, Meng Hu, Sun Yue, Zhang Yanlang, Liu Yanhao, Liu Yanlang · 1 passage

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嘗袖行所業，謁判官李襲吉，一見欣歎。 Once he carried his writings in his sleeve and called on the judge Li Xiji, who at a single meeting expressed delighted admiration.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 93Volume 93 Book of Later Jin 19: Biographies 8: Lu Zhi, Li Zhuanmei, Lu Zhan, Cui Zhuo, Xue Rong, Cao Guozhen, Zhang Renyuan, Zhao Xi, Li Xia, Yin Yuyu, Zheng Yunsou · 1 passage

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天祐三年，北遊太原，時李襲吉在武皇幕府，以女妻之。 In the third year of Tianyou he went north to Taiyuan, where Li Xiji was then serving on the Martial Emperor's staff and gave him his daughter in marriage.