Li Jiang (; 764 – March 8, 830), courtesy name Shenzhi (深之), posthumous name Duke Zhen of Zhao Commandery (趙郡貞公), was a Chinese politician of the Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xianzong.
Background Li Jiang was born in 764, during the reign of Emperor Daizong.Old Book of Tang, vol. 164. His family was part of the prominent Li clan of Zhao Prefecture (趙州, in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei)—not part of the same clan as Tang dynasty's imperial Li clan, but which had been considered one of the five most prominent Han clans of Northern Wei.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 140. It traced its ancestry to the prominent Warring States period state Zhao general Li Mu, and the line included officials of the Qin dynasty, the Han dynasty, the state of Cao Wei, the Jin dynasty (266–420), the Northern Wei, the Sui dynasty, and the Tang dynasty His grandfather Li Gang () served as a county magistrate, while his father Li Yuanshan () served as a prefectural official.New Book of Tang, vol. 72.
After Li Jiang passed the imperial examinations, including a special examination in grand speech, he was made Xiaoshu Lang (), a copyeditor at the archival bureau, and later served as the sheriff of Weinan County (渭南, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi). Late in the Zhenyuan era (785–805) of Emperor Daizong's son Emperor Dezong, Li Jiang became an imperial censor with the title Jiancha Yushi ().
During Emperor Xianzong's reign
Prior to chancellorship In 807, during the reign of Emperor Dezong's grandson Emperor Xianzong, Li Jiang was made Hanlin Xueshi (), an imperial scholar. Later that year, after the rebellion of the warlord Li Qi the military governor (jiedushi) of Zhenhai Circuit (鎮海, headquartered in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu) was suppressed, the officials in charge confiscated Li Qi's wealth. At the suggestion of Li Jiang and fellow imperial scholar Pei Ji, Emperor Xianzong agreed to have Li Qi's wealth deemed to substitute for the taxes that the people of Zhenhai would have submitted that year (as Li Jiang and Pei reasoned that Li Qi extracted the wealth from the people). Later that year, when Emperor Xianzong discussed with Li Jiang an accusation by the chancellor Li Jifu that another chancellor, Zheng Yin, was in secret communications with the warlord Lu Congshi (), the military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), Li Jiang pointed out that Zheng had a reputation for faithfulness and would not be conspiring with a warlord. As a result, Emperor Xianzong took no actions against Zheng. Yet later that year, when Emperor Xianzong was set to marry his daughter Princess Puning to Yu Jiyou (), the son of another warlord, Yu Di, the military governor of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan, Hubei), Li Jiang opposed, pointing out that Yu Di was of Xianbei extraction, and Yu Jiyou was not even born of Yu Di's wife—but Emperor Xianzong overruled him, as he used the marriage to bring Yu Di into the imperial fold.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 237.
In 808, at Li Jiang's and Pei's suggestion, Emperor Xianzong, when declaring a general pardon, did not send eunuchs out to the circuits as messengers, to avoid the eunuchs demanding bribes and disturbing the circuits. In 809, during a drought, Li Jiang and fellow imperial scholar Bai Juyi made several recommendations—decreasing taxes, decreasing the number of ladies in waiting, disallowing regional governors from submitting tributes (so that they would not extract wealth from the people), and the banning of slave-capture in the southern regions of the realm. Emperor Xianzong accepted their suggestions. In 809, at the suggestion of Li Jiang and his fellow imperial scholars that Emperor Xianzong should have a crown prince, Emperor Xianzong created his oldest son Li Ning crown prince. Later that year, when the military governor Pei Jun () submitted a tribute of silver vessels despite the regulations banning the tributes, Li Jiang and Bai pointed out to Emperor Xianzong that if his edicts were to be taken seriously, he needed to decline the tribute; Emperor Xianzong thus transferred the silver vessels to the bureau of finances, but thereafter ordered the circuits not to inform the imperial censors on tributes, despite Bai's objections. Meanwhile, as Wang Shizhen the military governor of Chengde (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei), had just recently died, Emperor Xianzong considered using the opportunity to seize control of Chengde (which had been ruled in a de facto independence from the imperial government), rather than allowing Wang's son Wang Chengzong to inherit the circuit. Li Jiang and the other imperial scholars opposed, pointing out that Chengde would be more difficult of a target than Zhangyi Circuit (彰義, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan), then ruled by Wu Shaoyang. However, Emperor Xianzong, persuaded by the powerful eunuch Tutu Chengcui, prepared for a campaign against Chengde anyway. Meanwhile, later that year, after Tutu headed a project to rebuild Anguo Temple () and built a grand monument, intending to use it to praise Emperor Xianzong, Li Jiang pointed out that in history, the truly great rulers did not establish monuments for themselves. Emperor Xianzong thus ordered the monument destroyed.
Late in 809, Emperor Xianzong resolved to allow Wang Chengzong to inherit the circuit, after Wang informed the imperial official sent to visit him, Pei Wu (), that he would submit two of Chengde's six prefectures to imperial control. When Wang subsequently reneged on the promise, Emperor Xianzong ordered a campaign against Wang and was set to punish Pei Wu, but Li Jiang pointed out that it was not Pei Wu's fault that Wang reneged and further pointed out that the accusations against Pei Wu appeared to be intending to harm Pei Ji (who had by then become a chancellor) as well. Emperor Xianzong agreed and took no actions against Pei Wu. It was said that Li Jiang often pointed out to Emperor Xianzong that the eunuchs were interfering with governance. In 810, when eunuchs injured the official Yuan Zhen () in a confrontation, Emperor Xianzong demoted Yuan despite the objections of Li Jiang and fellow imperial scholar Cui Qun. Later in 810, after Tutu, working with Lu's subordinate Wu Chongyin, arrested Lu at a feast that Tutu held for Lu, Emperor Xianzong, at Li Jiang's recommendation, transferred Meng Yuanyang () the military governor of Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern Jiaozuo, Henan) to Zhaoyi and made Wu the military governor of Heyang, rather than directly giving Zhaoyi to Wu, under the rationale that if Wu were given Zhaoyi, effectively, the imperial government had not regained authority over Zhaoyi. After the campaign against Chengde, which Tutu commanded and which Lu encouraged, thereafter ended later that year, it was at Li Jiang's insistence that Emperor Xianzong demoted Tutu. However, when Li Jiang continued to criticize Tutu for interfering in political matters, Emperor Xianzong became angry on one occasion. When Li Jiang, weeping, pointed out that it was his responsibility to do try to report honest advice to the emperor, Emperor Xianzong's anger dissipated and praised Li Jiang for his faithfulness, and he made Li Jiang Zhongshu Sheren (), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng).Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 238. During these years that Li Jiang served as imperial scholar, he was promoted in his titles several times, but remained imperial scholar, and it was said that he was earnest in his responsibilities as correcting the emperor.
In 811, it was said that because the eunuchs disliked having Li Jiang at the Hanlin Institute (where the imperial scholars resided), Li Jiang was made the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang). On one occasion, when Emperor Xianzong asked him why he was not submitting surpluses to the imperial treasury like prior deputy ministers of census, he pointed out that there should not be such a thing as surpluses—that any property that the ministry of census was in charge of was governmental property in any case. Emperor Xianzong approved of his honesty. In summer of that year, at Li Jifu's suggestion, Emperor Xianzong commissioned Li Jiang, along with Duan Pingzhong (), Wei Guanzhi, and Xu Mengrong (), to revise the salary scales of imperial officials.
As chancellor In winter 811, Emperor Xianzong made Li Jiang Zhongshu Shilang (), the deputy head of the legislative bureau, and de facto chancellor with the title Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (), because he had heard that Li Jifu, as chancellor, often based his decisions on his personal likes and dislikes. It was said that Li Jifu was often flattering the emperor, while Li Jiang was direct in his opinions, and the two therefore often argued before Emperor Xianzong. Emperor Xianzong often agreed with Li Jiang, causing a rift between Li Jiang and Li Jifu. In 812, when Li Jiang sent the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the region of the Tang capital Chang'an), Yuan Yifang (), whom Li Jifu had promoted, out of Chang'an to serve as the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Fufang Circuit (鄜坊, headquartered in modern Yan'an, Shaanxi) because he despised Yuan for having flattered Tutu Chengcui, Yuan accused Li Jiang of favoring the deputy mayor Xu Jitong (), who had passed the imperial examinations in the same year that Li Jiang did. Emperor Xianzong was skeptical of Yuan's accusations, and subsequently, when Li Jiang stated that he had no particular reason to favor those who passed the imperial examinations in the same year, Emperor Xianzong sent Yuan on his way.
Also in 812, Tian Ji'an the military governor of Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei), which had also had de facto independence from the imperial government, died. Li Jifu advocated preparing for a campaign against Weibo to seize it, while Li Jiang believed that soon there would be an uprising from a Weibo officer to seize control of Weibo from Tian Ji'an's young son Tian Huaijian and thus believed that preparing for a campaign was unnecessary. Emperor Xianzong agreed with Li Jiang. Soon thereafter, the Weibo officer Tian Xing seized control of Weibo from Tian Huaijian and submitted to the imperial government.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 239. At Li Jiang's suggestion, Emperor Xianzong immediately named Tian Xing military governor, rather than just acting military governor, and awarded a large amount of monetary rewards to the Weibo soldiers. Tian Xing thereafter became a key general in various imperial campaigns against warlords. Also at Li Jiang's suggestion, Emperor Xianzong commissioned a project to put fields in the border Zhenwu (振武, headquartered in modern Hohhot, Inner Mongolia) and Tiande (天德, headquartered in modern Bayan Nur, Inner Mongolia) Circuits to use. It was said that after some four years, a large amount of fields were created, greatly reducing the expenses of shipping food to the border defense troops. After a Tufan attack on the western border, Li Jiang also advocated that the command of imperial Shence Army soldiers, sent to the western borders to support the local troops, be given to the local commanders, rather than having the eunuchs in command of Shence Army maintain control. Emperor Xianzong initially agreed with Li Jiang, but due to the eunuchs' opposition did not actually carry out the plan.