Qin and Han · Advisor to Gaozu

Li Yiji 酈食其

Lì Yìjī

Attested BC 205 - BC 200

Passages: 27
Chapters: 7
Histories: 2

Overview

The translated histories identify Li Yiji as a diplomat, envoy, named individual, and official. This record brings together 27 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 Yiji	酈食其	Lì Yìjī
Personal
Alternate name	Li Sheng	酈生
Personal	Li Yiji	酈食其	Li Yiji
Personal name	Li Yiji	酈生
Personal	Li Yiji	酈生	Lì Shēng
Personal name	Li Yiji	酈生	Li Yiji
Alternate name	Lisheng	酈生
Title	Lord Guangye	廣野君	Guǎngyě Jūn
Title	Master Li	酈生	Lì Shēng
Surname		酈	Li
Alternate		酈生	Li Sheng

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · shiji:090:s0025
Sex: male
Explicit · shiji:094:s0052
Value: male
Strongly inferred · hanshu:042:s0022

Roles

Diplomat
Envoy
Named Individual
Official
Scholar

Life and dates

Death

Manner: boiled alive · Authority Person Id: Tian Guang (田廣)
Explicit · shiji:094:s0057
Text: boiled alive by Qi / 亨之
Explicit · hanshu:042:s0086

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 漢王使酈生往說下齊 · Western Year: BC 204
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:094:s0052, shiji:094:s0057
Source Date: Text: 漢王聞魏豹反 · Western Year: BC 205
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:090:s0025
Source Date: Text: 漢興 · Western Year: BC 200
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:025:s0105

Family

Sibling of Li Shang (酈商)
Kinship Term: younger brother / 弟 · Subject Relative Age: younger

Career and standing

Title: Lord Guangye
Explicit · hanshu:001:s0172

Events and relationships

Kind: diplomatic · Role: envoy · Action: persuaded-Qi-to-submit · Other Person Id: Tian Guang (田廣)
Explicit · shiji:094:s0052
Kind: diplomatic · Role: envoy · Action: persuaded · Other Person Id: Wei Bao (魏豹) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 漢王聞魏豹反 · Western Year: BC 205
Explicit · shiji:090:s0025, shiji:090:s0026
Relation: employed-by · Person Id: Emperor Gaozu of Han (高祖) · Function: persuasion
Explicit · hanshu:025:s0105
Type: elder-brother · Person Id: Li Shang (酈商)
Explicit · hanshu:042:s0098

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 1Volume 1: Annals of Emperor Gaozu 1 · 13 passages

沛公西過高陽，酈食其為里監門，曰：「諸將過此者多，吾視沛公大度。」 Pei Gong passed west through Gaoyang. Li Yiji was the village gatekeeper and said: "Many generals have passed through here. I can see that Pei Gong has great magnanimity."

酈生不拜，長揖曰：「足下必欲誅無道秦，不宜踞見長者。」 Li Sheng did not bow but gave a deep bow and said: "If you truly wish to execute the tyrannical Qin, you should not sit cross-legged when receiving elders."

食其說沛公襲陳留。 Yiji persuaded Pei Gong to attack Chenliu by surprise.

沛公以為廣野君，以其弟商為將，將陳留兵。 Pei Gong made him Lord Guangye and appointed his younger brother Shang as general, commanding the Chenliu troops.

願先遣人益張旗幟於山上為疑兵，使酈食其、陸賈往說秦將，啗以利。」 I would first send men to set up more banners on the mountains as decoy troops, while Li Yiji and Lu Jia go to persuade the Qin generals and entice them with advantage."

秋八月，漢王如滎陽，謂酈食其曰：「緩頰往說魏王豹，能下之，以魏地萬戶封生。」 In the eighth month of autumn, the King of Han went to Xingyang and said to Li Yiji: "Go and talk Wei Bao into submission with your eloquence. If you can bring him down, I will enfeoff you with ten thousand households from Wei territory."

食其往，豹不聽。 Li Yiji went, but Bao did not listen.

食其還，漢王問：「魏大將誰也？」 Li Yiji returned. King Han asked: "Who is Wei's chief general?"

曰：「馮敬。」 Li Yiji replied: "Feng Jing."

項羽數侵奪漢甬道，漢軍乏食，與酈食其謀橈楚權。 Xiang Yu repeatedly invaded and seized Han's covered walkway. The Han army lacked food. He consulted with Li Yiji about weakening Chu's power.

食其欲立六國後以樹黨，漢王刻印，將遣食其立之。 Li Yiji wanted to establish descendants of the six kingdoms in order to build a bloc of allies. The King of Han had seals carved and was about to send Li Yiji to install them.

漢王使酈食其說齊王田廣，罷守兵與漢和。 King Han sent Li Yiji to persuade King Qi Tian Guang to dismiss his guarding troops and make peace with Han.

齊王亨酈生，東走高密。 King Qi had Li Yiji boiled alive and fled east to Gaomi.

Book of Han, Chapter 25Volume 23: Treatise on Punishment and Law · 1 passage

任蕭、曹之文，用良、平之謀，騁陸、酈之辯，明叔孫通之儀，文武相配，大略舉焉。 Gaozu employed Xiao He and Cao Shen in civil administration, used Zhang Liang and Chen Ping for strategy, gave free rein to Lu Jia and Li Yiji in persuasion, and established Shusun Tong’s ceremonial system; civil and military complemented each other, and the broad program was realized.

Book of Han, Chapter 42Volume 33: Wei Bao, Tian Dan and Hán Xin (King of Han) · 6 passages

漢王謂酈生曰：「緩頰往說之。」 The Han king told Li Yiji, "Use soft persuasion and go win him over."

酈生至，豹謝曰：「人生一世間，如白駒過隙。 When Li Yiji arrived, Wei Bao excused himself, saying, "A human life is but a white colt flashing past a crevice.

會漢使酈食其往說王廣及相橫，與連和。 Meanwhile Han envoy Li Yiji went to persuade King Guang and Chancellor Tian Heng to make an alliance.

王廣、相橫以酈生為賣己而亨之。 King Guang and Chancellor Tian Heng believed Li Yiji had sold them out and therefore boiled him alive.

橫謝曰：「臣亨陛下之使酈食其，今聞其弟商為漢將而賢，臣恐懼，不敢奉詔，請為庶人，守海島中。」 Tian Heng declined, saying, "I boiled Your Majesty's envoy Li Yiji. Now I hear his younger brother Shang is a valued Han general. I am afraid and dare not obey; I ask only to remain a commoner and stay on an island at sea."

又吾亨人之兄，與其弟併肩而事主，縱彼畏天子之詔，不敢動搖，我獨不媿於心乎？ Moreover, I boiled Li Yiji, and now I would serve as minister alongside his younger brother. Even if he fears the emperor's edict and does not act, how could I not be ashamed at heart?

Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 1 passage

若夫燕之用樂毅，秦之任李斯，酈食其之下齊，說行如流，曲從如環，所欲必得，功若丘山，海內定，國家安，是遇其時也，子又何怪之邪？ When Yan used Yue Yi, when Qin trusted Li Si, when Li Yiji talked Qi into surrender, advice flowed like water and rulers bent like rings on a chain; every wish was granted, achievements piled up like mountains, and the realm knew peace. Those men simply met their moment. What is odd about that?

Book of Han, Chapter 117Volume 100a: Afterword and Family History 1 · 1 passage

拔足揮洗，揖酈生之說； he broke off his bath to salute Li Yiji's plea;

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 90Biographies of Wei Bao and Peng Yue · 2 passages

漢王聞魏豹反，方東憂楚，未及擊，謂酈生曰：「緩頰往說魏豹，能下之，吾以萬戶封若。」 When the King of Han learned of Wei Bao's rebellion, he was preoccupied with the threat from Chu to the east and could not spare forces for an attack. He said to Li Yiji, "Go and talk Wei Bao into submission. If you succeed, I shall grant you a fief of ten thousand households."

酈生說豹。 Li Yiji went to persuade Bao.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 94Biography of Tian Dan, King of Qi · 3 passages

橫定齊三年，漢王使酈生往說下齊王廣及其相國橫。 After Heng had held Qi for three years, the King of Han sent the persuader Li Yiji to talk King Guang of Qi and his Chancellor Heng into surrendering.

齊王廣、相橫怒，以酈生賣己，而亨酈生。 King Guang and Chancellor Heng were furious, convinced that Li Yiji had sold them out. They had him boiled alive.

田橫因謝曰：「臣亨陛下之使酈生，今聞其弟酈商為漢將而賢，臣恐懼，不敢奉詔，請為庶人，守海島中。」 Tian Heng declined, saying, "I boiled Your Majesty's envoy Li Yiji alive. Now I hear that his younger brother Li Shang serves as a Han general and is a man of ability. I am terrified and dare not obey the summons. I beg leave to remain a commoner and keep to my island."