Sui and Tang · Warlord and Military Governor

Li Shidao 李師道

Attested AD 815

Passages: 11
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Li Shidao was a warlord and Military Governor.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 815 元和十年
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 213, passage 77

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Li Shigu (李師古)
elder half-brother 異母兄 · Paternal half siblings
younger half-brother 異母弟 · Paternal half siblings
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 56
Child of Mother of Li Shidao (李師道母)
mother 母
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 213, passage 56
Child of Li Na (李納)
son 子
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 38

Career and standing

acting prefect of Mi Prefecture 知密州
Appointed · Authority Li Shigu (李師古)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 58
acting governor (zhi liuhou) 知留後
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 65
acting Minister of Works and deputy commissioner 檢校工部尚書，為副大使
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 66
Installed
Successor warlord
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 63

Places and affiliations

Tang 唐
Relation Served
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 65
At eastern capital (Luoyang) 東都 · Relation Maintained lodge in
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 76
At Yique and Luhun 伊闕、陸渾 · Relation Bought land in
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 76

Works and attributed material

Offered two tax salt and court officials
Memorial · Author
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 64

Events and relationships

Armored feast plot at Luoyang lodge
Conspiracy · Instigator
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 213, passage 77
Burned Heyin transport depot
Sabotage · Instigator
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 73
Killed
Assassination · Instigator · With Wu Yuanheng (武元衡)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 75
Sent troops ostensibly to aid court but to relieve Cai
Military · Commander · At Shouchun 壽春
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 71
Wounded
Assassination · Instigator · With Pei Du (裴度)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 75
Relation Commander of · Person Men Cha (門察)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 76

Show 4 more source-backed claims

Relation Protege of · Person Li Gongdu (李公度)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 63
Relation Patron of · Person Yuanjing (圓靜)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 76
Relation Protege of · Person Gao Mu (高沐)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 63
Relation Commander of · Person Zi Jiazhen (訾嘉珍)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 76

Source notes

Family since Zhengji harbored fugitives and ruled by terror, taking wives and children as hostages; plotters of submission were exterminated; power held through three generations.
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passages 67-70

References in the histories

Search passages

History

11 passages

New Book of Tang, Chapter 213Volume 213 Biographies 138: Buffer Regions: the Black, Green, and Yellow Seas · 11 passages

子師古、師道。 His sons were Li Shigu and Li Shidao.

師道，異母弟也。 Li Shidao was his younger half-brother.

師古曰：「豈以人情屬師道邪？ Shigu said, "Are you inclined toward Shidao out of mere affection?

及死，沐、公度與家奴卒立之，而請於朝。 After his death, Gao Mu and Li Gongdu, with the household guard, installed Shidao and petitioned the throne for confirmation.

於是制書久不下，師道謀裒兵守境，沐爭止，更上書奉兩稅，守鹽法，請吏朝廷。 When the appointment edict was slow in coming, Shidao prepared to mobilize and hold the borders; Gao Mu dissuaded him and he memorialized anew, pledging the two-tax levy, observance of salt regulations, and acceptance of court-appointed officials.

宰相杜黃裳欲橈削其權，而憲宗方誅劉辟，未皇東討，故命建王審領節度大使，而以師道知留後。 Chief Minister Du Huangchang meant to curb his power, but Xianzong was still crushing Liu Pi in the west and could not yet march east; he therefore named Prince Shen of Jian nominal military commissioner while Shidao served as acting governor.

帝討蔡，詔興諸道兵而不及鄆，師道選卒二千抵壽春，陽言為王師助，實欲援蔡也。 When the emperor campaigned against Cai, he mobilized the circuits but omitted Yun; Shidao sent two thousand elite troops to Shouchun, claiming to reinforce the imperial armies while in fact aiming to aid Cai.

亡命少年為師道計曰：「河陰者，江、淮委輸，河南，帝都，請燒河陰敖庫，募洛壯士劫宮闕，即朝廷救腹心疾，此解蔡一奇也。」 An outlaw youth proposed to Shidao: "Heyin is the depot for Yangzi-Huai grain; Henan holds the capital. Burn the Heyin treasury, recruit bravos from Luoyang to storm the palace—the court will turn to save its heartland, and Cai's siege will be broken."

師道乃遣客燒河陰漕院錢三十萬緡，米數萬斛，倉百餘區。 Shidao sent agents who burned the Heyin transport depot—three hundred thousand strings in cash, tens of thousands of bushels of grain, and more than a hundred warehouses.

又有說師道曰：「上雖志討蔡，謀皆出宰相，而武元衡得君，願為袁盎事，後宰相必懼，請罷兵，是不用師，蔡圍解矣。」 Another adviser told Shidao: "The emperor means to crush Cai, but strategy rests with the chief ministers, and Wu Yuanheng has his ear. Do as Yuan Ang did—strike down the minister the emperor trusts; the court will panic and sue for peace, the armies will stand down, and Cai will be saved."

初，師道置邸東都，多買田伊闕、陸渾間，以舍山棚，遣將訾嘉珍、門察部分之，嵩山浮屠圓靜為之謀。 Earlier Shidao had set up a residence in Luoyang and bought land between Yique and Luhun to lodge his "mountain shed" agents, assigning the generals Zi Jiazhen and Men Cha to organize them; the Mount Song monk Yuanjing masterminded the plot.