Li Shaohong (李紹宏)

Overview

The translated histories identify Li Shaohong as an administrator, courtier, eunuch, and official. This record brings together 26 passages from 7 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Li Shaohong	李紹宏	Li Shaohong
Surname	Li	李	Li
Personal name	Li Shaohong	李紹宏	Li Shaohong
Alternate name	Li Shaohong	李紹宏	Li Shaohong
Personal name	Ma Shaohong	馬紹宏	Ma Shaohong
Title	Palace Commissioner	宣徽使
Given name	Shaohong	紹宏	Shaohong
Given	Shaohong	紹宏	Shaohong
Personal name	Shaohong	紹宏	Shaohong

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · jiuwudaishi:031:s0167, jiuwudaishi:057:s0008, jiuwudaishi:069:s0082, jiuwudaishi:071:s0055, jiuwudaishi:073:s0089, xinwudaishi:038:s0089
Sex: male
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0115

Roles

Administrator
Courtier
Eunuch
Official
Spy

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 同光三年四月 · Western Year: AD 925
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:073:s0089, jiuwudaishi:073:s0093
Source Date: Text: 同光二年 · Western Year: AD 924
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:031:s0167
Source Date: Text: 同光元年十月 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:072:s0101
Source Date: Text: 同光初 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:069:s0082
Source Date: Text: 四年二月 · Western Year: AD 926
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0094
Source Date: Text: 天成元年二月己丑朔 · Western Year: AD 926
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:072:s0124
Source Date: Text: 天祐十四年 · Western Year: AD 917
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:057:s0008
Source Date: Text: 宣徽使馬紹宏 · Western Interval: Start: AD 923 · End: AD 926
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:038:s0089, xinwudaishi:038:s0092
Western Year: AD 923 · Source Date: Text: 莊宗將建國，置百官，李紹宏薦為魏州推官。
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:071:s0055

Career and standing

Label: Commissioner of the Palace Secretariat / 宣徽使 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 即位之初 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0117
Label: Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs / 樞密使 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天成元年二月己丑朔 · Western Year: AD 926
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0124
Label: acting prefect of Youzhou / 權知州事 · Action: appointed · Place: Youzhou / 幽州
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0116
Label: Chief Palace Attendant / 宣徽使 · Action: appointed
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:057:s0039, jiuwudaishi:057:s0088
Label: inner auditing commissioner / 內勾使 · Action: appointed
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:057:s0090
Label: Inner Auditor / 內勾 · Action: appointed
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0119
Label: Commissioner of the Central Gate / 中門使 · Action: held
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0116
Label: Palace Commissioner / 宣徽使 · Action: held
Explicit · xinwudaishi:038:s0089

Works and attributed material

Kind: memorial · Role: author
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0090
Kind: speech · Role: speaker
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:069:s0082

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: protector · Action: protected · Other Person Id: Li Siyuan (李嗣源)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0123
Kind: espionage · Role: spy · Action: warned-instead · Other Person Id: Li Siyuan (李嗣源)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:038:s0092, xinwudaishi:038:s0093

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: opened-Mingzong-disloyalty · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · xinwudaishi:038:s0093
Assessment: struggled for power; usual eunuch behavior · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:072:s0147

Source notes

From: Ma Shaohong / 馬紹宏 · To: Li Shaohong / 李紹宏 · Reason: chapter uses both Ma Shaohong and Li Shaohong for the same eunuch official
Strongly inferred · jiuwudaishi:072:s0101, jiuwudaishi:072:s0115, jiuwudaishi:072:s0123
From: Ma / 馬 · To: Li / 李 · Reason: imperial bestowal
Explicit · xinwudaishi:038:s0089

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 31Volume 31 Book of Later Tang 7: Zhuangzong Annals 5 · 1 passage

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辛卯，以宣徽南院使、判內侍省、兼內局、特進、左監門將軍同正李紹宏為右領軍衛上將軍。 On xinmao Li Shaohong—Southern Secretariat attendant, Inner Palace overseer, Special Grandee, and Left Gate Guard general—became senior general of the Right Guard.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 57Volume 57 Book of Later Tang 33: Biographies 9: Gao Chongtao · 8 passages

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天祐十四年，用為中門副使，與孟知祥、李紹宏俱參機要。 In the fourteenth year of Tianyou he was appointed Vice Commissioner of the Inner Gate and, together with Meng Zhixiang and Li Shaohong, shared in confidential state affairs.

俄而紹宏出典幽州留事，知祥懇辭要職。 Soon afterward Shaohong was sent to administer Youzhou as resident commissioner, and Zhixiang earnestly sought to relinquish his key post.

宣徽使李紹宏請棄鄆州，與汴人盟，以河為界，無相侵寇。 Chief Palace Attendant Li Shaohong proposed abandoning Yun, concluding a treaty with Liang with the Yellow River as the border and a mutual pledge against raiding.

乃留李紹宏及租庸使張憲守魏州，大軍自楊劉濟河。 He left Li Shaohong and Zhang Xian, Commissioner of Land Tax, to hold Weizhou, while the main force crossed the river from Yangliu.

初，崇韜與李紹宏同為內職，及莊宗即位，崇韜以紹宏素在己上，舊人難製，即奏澤潞監軍張居翰同掌樞密，以紹宏為宣徽使。 Earlier, Guo Chongtao and Li Shaohong had both served in the inner administration. After Zhuangzong's accession, Guo Chongtao—finding that Li Shaohong had always outranked him and that an old associate was difficult to manage—petitioned to have Zhang Juhán, military commissioner of Ze and Lu, share control of Military Affairs, while appointing Li Shaohong Commissioner of the Palace Secretariat.

紹宏大失所望，泣涕憤鬱。 Li Shaohong was bitterly disappointed and wept in frustration.

崇韜乃置內勾使，應三司財賦，皆令勾覆，令紹宏領之，冀塞其心。 Guo Chongtao then created the post of inner auditing commissioner, putting all revenues of the three fiscal bureaus under audit and assigning Li Shaohong to head it, hoping to mollify him.

紹宏怏悵不已。 Li Shaohong remained aggrieved and unsatisfied.

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

Open chapter

李紹宏曰：「邦計國本，時號怨府，非張憲不稱職。」 Li Shaohong said, "State revenue is the root of the realm; it is called the office of complaints—none but Zhang Xian is fit for the post."

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 71Volume 71 Book of Later Tang 47: Biographies 23: Ma Yu, Si Kongting, Cao Tingyin, Xiao Xifu, Yao Zongzhi, Jia Fu, Ma Gao, Luo Guan, Chun Yuyan, Zhang Ge, Xu Ji, Zhou Xuanbao · 1 passage

Open chapter

莊宗將建國，置百官，李紹宏薦為魏州推官。 As Zhuangzong prepared to found his dynasty and fill the bureaucracy, Li Shaohong recommended him as investigating officer at Weizhou.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 72Volume 72 Book of Later Tang 48: Biographies 24: Zhang Chengye, Zhang Juhan, Ma Shaohong, Meng Hangqiong · 9 passages

Open chapter

十月，莊宗將渡河，留居翰與李紹宏同守魏州。 In the tenth month, as Zhuangzong prepared to cross the river, he left Juhan and Li Shaohong to hold Weizhou together.

馬紹宏，閹官也。 Ma Shaohong was a eunuch.

初與孟知祥同為中門使，及周德威薨，莊宗兼領幽州，令紹宏權知州事。 At first he and Meng Zhixiang served together as Commissioners of the Central Gate. When Zhou Dewei died, Zhuangzong also took command of Youzhou and ordered Shaohong to act as prefect.

即位之初，郭崇韜勳望高，舊在紹宏之下，時征潞州監軍張居翰與崇韜並為樞密使，紹宏失望，乃以為宣徽使。 At the beginning of his reign Guo Chongtao's merit and prestige were high, though he had formerly ranked below Shaohong. Zhang Juhan, army supervisor of Luzhou, was summoned and made Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs together with Chongtao. Shaohong was disappointed and was instead made Commissioner of the Palace Secretariat.

紹宏以己合當樞密任，常鬱鬱側目於崇韜。 Shaohong believed he ought to have held the Bureau of Military Affairs post and constantly glowered sidelong at Chongtao.

崇韜知其慊也，乃置內勾之目，令天下錢穀薄書，悉委裁遣。 Chongtao knew he was discontented and therefore created the post of Inner Auditor, putting all revenue and grain account books throughout the realm under Shaohong's review and disposition.

據《通鑒》，李嗣源為謠言所屬，危殆者數四，賴宣徽使李紹宏左右營護，以是得全。 According to the 《Zizhi Tongjian》, Li Siyuan was targeted by slander and was several times in mortal danger; he survived only because Palace Secretariat Commissioner Li Shaohong protected him on every side.

天成元年二月己丑朔，以宣徽南院使李紹宏為樞密使。）〉 On the first day of the second month, jichou, of the first year of Tiancheng, Li Shaohong, Commissioner of the Southern Court of the Palace Secretariat, was made Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs.)〉

如紹宏之爭權，漢瓊之構禍，乃宦者之常態也，又何足以道哉！ As for Shaohong's struggle for power and Hanqiong's sowing of disaster — these are the usual ways of eunuchs. What is there worth mentioning!

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 73Volume 73 Book of Later Tang 49: Biographies 25: Mao Zhang, Nie Yu, Wen Tao, Duan Ning, Kong Qian, Li Ye · 3 passages

Open chapter

其年，契丹寇幽州，命宣徽使李紹宏監護諸軍，以禦契丹，凝與董璋戍瓦橋關。 That year the Khitan raided Youzhou. Li Shaohong, commissioner of the Palace Secretariat, was appointed to oversee the armies against them; Ning and Dong Zhang garrisoned Waqiao Pass.

凝巧事紹宏，紹宏嘗乘間奏凝蓋世奇才，可以大任，屢請以兵柄委之。 Ning skillfully ingratiated himself with Shaohong, who on one occasion memorialized that Ning was a rare genius fit for great responsibility and repeatedly asked that military command be entrusted to him.

四年二月，趙在禮據鄴城，李紹宏請用凝為大將，莊宗許之，令具方略條奏。 In the second month of the fourth year Zhao Zaili seized Ye City. Li Shaohong asked that Ning be appointed commander; Emperor Zhuangzong agreed and ordered him to submit a detailed plan.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 38Volume 38 Biographies 18: Zhang Chengye, Zhang Juhan · 3 passages

Open chapter

有宣徽使馬紹宏者，嘗賜姓李，頗見信用。 Palace Commissioner Ma Shaohong, once given the Li surname, won real favor.

莊宗頗疑其有異志，陰遣紹宏伺其動靜，紹宏反以情告明宗。 Zhuangzong suspected him and sent Shaohong to spy; Shaohong warned Mingzong instead.

明宗自魏而反，天下皆知禍起於魏，孰知其啟明宗之二心者，自紹宏始也！ When Mingzong rebelled from Wei the world blamed Wei—few knew Shaohong planted the seed.