Gao Lishi (高力士) | 24 Histories

Overview

Gao Lishi was an eunuch and Courtier.

PeriodSui and Tang

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 752 十一載…其冬
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 104, passages 229, 237
AD 712 to AD 756 玄宗
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 123, passage 270
AD 713 to AD 720 玄宗朝
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 123, passages 146, 148
AD 720 to AD 731 高力士
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 121, passage 201

Key source chapters

New Book of Tang, Chapter 121 Volume 121 Biographies 46: Liu, Zhong, Cui, and the Two Kings 4 passages
New Book of Tang, Chapter 123 Volume 123 Biographies 48: Li, Xiao, Lu, Wei, Zhao, He 3 passages
Old Book of Tang, Chapter 104 Volume 100 Biographies 50: Yin Sizhen, Li Jie, Jie Wan, Bi Gou, Su Xiang, Zheng Weizhong, Wang Zhiyin, Lu Congyuan, Li Chaoyin, Pei Cui, Wang Qiu 2 passages

Career and standing

palace attendant 內侍
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 104, passage 229

Works and attributed material

Hypothetical speech · Speaker · With Emperor Xuanzong (玄宗) · Direct quotation · Negated true
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 123, passages 270-272
Speech · Speaker · Speaker Gao Lishi (高力士) · With Emperor Xuanzong (玄宗)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 123, passage 148

Events and relationships

Held banquet
AD 752 十一載…其冬 · Ritual · Host · At pool pavilion of Cui Huitong 崔惠童池亭
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 104, passage 229
Signaled to stop
Personal · Restrainer · With Ge Shuhan (哥舒翰)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 104, passage 237
Relation Rival of · Person Wang Maozhong (王毛仲)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 121, passage 201

Assessments and attributes

Assessment mediocre man who could not expose the emperor's delusion · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 123, passage 270

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 104, passage 229

References in the histories

Search passages

History

9 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 104Volume 100 Biographies 50: Yin Sizhen, Li Jie, Jie Wan, Bi Gou, Su Xiang, Zheng Weizhong, Wang Zhiyin, Lu Congyuan, Li Chaoyin, Pei Cui, Wang Qiu · 2 passages

Open chapter

其冬，祿山、思順、翰並來朝，上使內侍高力士及中貴人於京城東駙馬崔惠童池亭宴會。 That winter all three came to court; the emperor had Gao Lishi and other eunuchs entertain them at the pool pavilion of Cui Huitong east of the capital.

翰欲應之，高力士目翰，翰遂止。 Han started to reply; Gao Lishi caught his eye and Han held his tongue.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 121Volume 121 Biographies 46: Liu, Zhong, Cui, and the Two Kings · 4 passages

Open chapter

高力士、楊思勖等銜之。 Gao Lishi, Yang Sixu, and others bore him a grudge.

嘗生子，帝命力士就賜，仍授子五品官，還，問曰：「毛仲喜乎？」 When a son was born the emperor sent Lishi with gifts and made the boy a fifth-rank official; returning, he asked, "Is Maozhong pleased?"

力士奏：「毛仲熟視臣曰：『是子亦何辱三品官？』」 Lishi reported, "Maozhong glared at me and said, 'Why would that boy be disgraced with only third rank?'"

力士等知帝怒，它日，從容曰：「北門奴官皆毛仲所與，不除之，必起大患。」 Knowing the emperor's wrath, Lishi later said gently, "The northern gate officers are all Maozhong's men; leave them and disaster will follow."

New Book of Tang, Chapter 123Volume 123 Biographies 48: Li, Xiao, Lu, Wei, Zhao, He · 3 passages

Open chapter

然玄宗賢其為人，後得源乾曜，亟用之，謂高力士曰：「若知吾進乾曜遽乎？ Yet Emperor Xuanzong esteemed his character; later, when he obtained Yuan Qianyao, he quickly employed him and said to Gao Lishi, "Do you know how swiftly I advanced Qianyao?

力士曰：「彼不嘗負陛下乎？」 Lishi said, "Did he not once betray Your Majesty?"

力士誠腐夫庸人，不能發擿天子之迷，若曰「至忠賢於初，固不繆於末； Lishi was truly a mediocre man who could not expose the emperor's delusion. Had he said, "Zhizhong was worthy at the start and surely not wrong at the end;