Li Yu (李愚) (died October 24, 935?History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 47.Academia Sinica Chinese-Western Calendar Converter.October 24, 935 was the day when then-reigning emperor Li Congke declared a one-day cancellation of imperial gatherings due to Li Yu's death; it is not clear whether it was the date of Li Yu's death.), courtesy name Zihui (子晦), known in his youth as Li Yanping (李晏平), was a Chinese essayist, historian, and politician of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period states Later Liang and Later Tang, serving as a chancellor during Later Tang.
During Tang dynasty It is not known when Li Yu was born. His family claimed ancestry from the prominent Li clan of Zhao Commandery ()—specifically, from the western branch of the Zhao Commandery Lis, and had been scholars for generations prior to him. His father Li Zhanye () had submitted himself for imperial examinations in the Jinshi class but was unable to pass them. When disturbances swept the territory of the Tang dynasty, then, he took refuge in Wudi (無棣, in modern Binzhou, Shandong) and settled there, teaching his children and grandchildren with the Classic of Poetry and Book of Documents.History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 67. Li Yu was apparently born in Wudi, as he was said to be from there.New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 54.
Li Yu was said to be solemn and careful beyond his years even when he was a child, and after he grew up, he became studious in both the Confucian classics and history. As he admired the Spring and Autumn period statesman Yan Ying, he initially named himself Li Yanping (as Yan had the posthumous name of Ping).Chinese Encyclopedia Online, Yan Ying. His writing was in a style that emphasized integrity, taking on attributes of the writings of Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan. He came to emphasize, for himself, proper conduct and careful speech.
At one point, because he was then poor, Li tried to obtain an acting commission as an official. Lu Yanwei, who was then the military governor of Yichang Circuit (義昌, headquartered in modern Cangzhou, Hebei), commissioned him as a county secretary at Anling County (安陵—modern location not completely clear, but part of Jing Prefecture (), whose seat was also in modern Cangzhou).As Lu Yanwei started the control of the circuit in 885 and was officially military governor from 890 to 894, Li's service under him must have been sometime during those years. See Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 258, 259, 261. He subsequently left his service under Lu when his mother died, to observe a mourning period, and took this as an opportunity to leave the region to try to head to the capital Chang'an, apparently with the intent of sitting for imperial examinations. However, as the Tang court was then under severe turmoil, the imperial examinations were cancelled for several years, and he ended up as a traveler in the region between Hezhong Municipality (河中, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi) and Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi).
Around the new year 901, then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong of Tang was removed from the throne in a coup by powerful eunuchs, led by Liu Jishu and Wang Zhongxian (), who declared Emperor Zhaozong's son Li Zhen (not same person) emperor. Li submitted a petition to Han Jian the military governor of Zhenguo Circuit (鎮國, headquartered at Hua Prefecture), urging him to launch an army to try to rescue and restore the deposed emperor. Han, while not accepting his proposal, was impressed by his writing and treated him well, intending to retain him on staff, but Li declined and left.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 262.
At a later time—by which time Emperor Zhaozong had been restored, but then was forcibly seized eunuchs led by Han Quanhui and Zhang Yanhong () to the territory of their ally Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), precipitating an attack by Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) on the region—Li Yu, in order to flee this turmoil, went to take up residence at the eastern capital Luoyang. At that time, Li Yangu () the grandson of the statesman Li Deyu was living at his grandfather's old mansion, and Li Yu took refuge with him. Li Yu's own family members personally cut wood in order to support the household, and they did not depend on others for support. The year that the official Xue Tinggui () was in charge of the imperial examinations, Li Yu sat for the examinations and passed in the Jinshi class, as well as a special examination for grand speech. He was made a military advisor at Henan Municipality (河南, i.e., the Luoyang region), and thereafter took up residence at a country mansion on the Luo River.
Around 905—by which point Zhu had not only captured Emperor Zhaozong, forced him to move the capital to Luoyang, but further had assassinated Emperor Zhaozong and made Emperor Zhaozong's son Emperor Ai emperor, and then was having further designs on the throne—Zhu's chancellor ally Liu Can was, pursuant to Zhu's wishes, carrying out slaughters against established Tang aristocratic families.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 265. Li Yu, in fear of this trend, fled north of the Yellow River and became a traveler in the region, along with his clansman Li Yanguang ().
During Later Liang Zhu Quanzhong seized the throne in 907, establishing Later Liang.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 266. Later, his son Zhu Zhen was emperor, and Zhu Zhen favored scholars. By that point, Li Yanguang was serving as a teacher inside the palace, and he often spoke to the emperor of Li Yu's virtues and knowledge. Zhu Zhen thus summoned Li Yu in or about 916, and, impressed with Li Yu. He initially made Li Yu Zuo Shiyi (), a consultant at the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng), and later a scholar serving under the emperor's chief of staff (崇政使, Chongzhengshi). He had Li Yu participate in policy decisions.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 269. Li Yu was also successively given posts as Shangbu Yuanwailang () and then Sixun Yuanwailang (). During this time that Li Yu served under the chief of staff, an imperial examinee, Zhang Li (), came to depend on him.
However, Li was also said to be so strict in his behavior that he ran afoul of powerful people (as he refused to placate them), including the emperor himself. For example, Zhu Youliang () the Prince of Heng, an older cousin of the emperor's, was so honored at court at that time that even Li Yu's superior, the chief of staff Li Zhen, kneeled to him. However, Li Yu refused to do so, and would only give the prince a lengthy bow. This apparently offended Zhu Youliang, and when Zhu Zhen heard of this, he summoned Li Yu, rebuking him, "The Prince of Heng is an older brother to me. I would have to kneel to him. Is it appropriate for you to only bow to him?" Li responded, "As a family member, Your Imperial Majesty may kneel to the Prince of Heng. Li Zhen and the others were also kneeling to him because they had served as household staff members. I had no such experience with the Prince, and I did not dare to bend my knees to him." There was also a time when Hua Wenqi () the military governor of Dingchang Circuit (定昌, headquartered in modern Linfen, Shanxi) was accused of illegally seizing a man's wealth. The man's family appealed to the imperial court, and Hua, after being indicted, confessed. Zhu Zhen, thinking back of the services that Hua had rendered to Zhu Quanzhong, did not want to punish Hua, but Li Yu insisted on continuing to prosecute Hua. Zhu eventually issued an edict rebuking Hua but not carrying out substantive punishment, other than ordering the return of the seized wealth. During the middle of Zhu Zhen's Zhenming era (915-921), there was a time when a servant of the official Li Xiao () battered another person to death. Li Xiao was faulted for the death (apparently of failure to properly supervise his servant). Li Yu argued on Li Xiao's behalf, pointing that Li Xiao was not involved in the incident and that the servant's crime should not be faulted to him. This displeased Zhu, who removed Li Yu from his imperial government posts and sent him out to Xuanhua Circuit (宣化, headquartered in modern Nanyang, Henan), to serve as the circuit governor's secretary. Also around this time, Zhang, who had previously depended on Li Yu, defected to Later Liang's archrival to the north, Jin, and became a secretary under Jin's prince Li Cunxu. During the time that Zhang associated with other Jin officials, he often praised Li Yu, particularly citing specific essays that Li Yu had written, causing the officials at the Jin court to be impressed with Li Yu.
During Later Tang
During Li Cunxu's reign In 923, Li Cunxu declared himself the emperor of a new Later Tang. He soon thereafter launched a surprise attack on the Later Liang capital Daliang, catching it defenseless; Zhu Zhen, believing that he could not save himself, committed suicide as the city fell, ending Later Liang. Li Cunxu shortly after established the capital of his new dynasty at Luoyang.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 272. Then-military governor of Xuanhua sent Li Yu, with a petition submitting to Later Tang rule, to Luoyang. The Later Tang officials, who had previously heard about Li Yu from Zhang Li, welcomed him. Shortly after, he was made Zhuke Langzhong (), a supervisory official at the ministry of rites (禮部, Libu). Several months later, he was made an imperial scholar (翰林學士, Hanlin Xueshi).
In 925, Li Cunxu launched a major attack on Later Tang's southwestern neighbor Former Shu, putting his son Li Jiji the Prince of Wei in titular command of the operations but with his chief of staff Guo Chongtao in actual command.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 273. Li Yu volunteered for duty on this campaign, and he and Ren Huan were made chief strategists on Guo's staff. On the campaign, Later Tang's army ran into initial difficulties with terrain, but Li Yu advocated quick advancement, as he believed that Former Shu's emperor Wang Zongyan had lost the faith of his subjects due to his frivolous rule, and a quick advancement will cause Former Shu's morale to collapse. Guo agreed with him and ordered quick advancement. On the campaign, Li Yu was also in charge of military correspondences. After the Later Tang army conquered Former Shu later in 925, Li Yu, for his contributions, was given the additional office of Zhongshu Sheren (), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng).
During Li Siyuan's reign However, after the victory, Li Cunxu and his wife Empress Liu came to suspect Guo Chongtao of planning rebellion, and they ordered the deaths of Guo and Guo's ally, the major general Zhu Youqian—which in turn precipitated mutinies across the empire,Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 274. eventually resulting in Li Cunxu's death in a mutiny at Luoyang itself in 926. Li Jiji tried to take his army and return to Luoyang to take over imperial government, but with his own soldiers deserting him, committed suicide. Li Cunxu's adoptive brother Li Siyuan, who had previously rebelled against Li Cunxu himself, arrived at Luoyang and declared himself emperor.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 275.