夷簡 Yíjiǎn

Li Yijian

Li Yijian, styled Yizhi, was a descendant in the fourth generation of Yuanyi, Prince Hui of Zheng. As a son of the imperial clan he was first appointed Assistant Magistrate of Zheng. When Dezong fled to Fengtian, Zhu Ci made a show of welcoming the Son of Heaven, and sent envoys east through the pass to Hua; the waiting official Li Yi did not dare to question them. Yijian said to him: "Ci will certainly rebel. Earlier five thousand troops of You and Long were sent to relieve Xiangcheng; they are his old men, and he means to call them back. His Majesty is away from the capital, and the troops summoned from the empire have not yet arrived. If these fierce and cunning men return west to help Ci, they will bring us to ruin, and the danger will be great. I ask you to look into it." Li Yi rode hard to Tong Pass and did indeed find the tallies summoning the troops. He reported it to the great general of the pass, Luo Yuanguang, who then beheaded the rebel's envoys, took the false tallies and presented them at the emperor's traveling court. An edict at once appointed Yuanguang Prefect of Hua Prefecture. Yuanguang took the credit, so no one knew of Yijian's part. Edit

Yijian gave up his office and left. He passed the presented scholar examination, passed the examination for outstanding talent, and was appointed Sheriff of Lantian. He was promoted to Investigating Censor. Over a small matter he was demoted to Revenue Administrator of Qian Prefecture. After nine years he became Palace Censor again. In the Yuanhe years he rose to Vice Censor-in-Chief. Yang Ping, Governor of Jingzhao, was arrogant and careless by nature. Earlier, as Surveillance Commissioner of Jiangnan, he had been greedy for wealth; Yijian, then a prefect under him, had not been treated with courtesy by him. Now Yijian exposed his corruption; Ping was demoted to Sheriff of Linhe, and Yijian was granted the gold seal and purple ribbon and, as Vice Minister of Revenue, put in charge of Public Revenue. Edit

Soon afterwards he became acting Minister of Rites and Military Commissioner of Shannan East Circuit. In the Zhenyuan years, five hundred troops of Jiangxi had been taken to garrison Xiangyang and check the right flank of Cai, supplied by the Public Revenue; later nearly all of them had died or deserted, yet their pay went on being drawn every year. Yijian said: "These are names on empty papers. If war comes, will they serve?" He memorialized and had it stopped. After three years he was transferred to command Jiannan Xichuan. Wang Yong, Prefect of Xizhou, had piled up crimes and bribes, and the barbarians under him, in anger, rebelled and left. Yijian drove out Yong and sent a proclamation setting out to them the good and ill that would follow, and the barbarian settlements were pacified again. Earlier, Wei Gao had composed the music Serving the Sage, and Yu Di the music Obeying the Sage, and these were often played in the army. Yijian did away with them, saying that rites and music were not for a feudal lord to make on his own authority. He told his subordinates: "I wish to cover the faults of my predecessors, to leave a warning for those who come after." Edit

In the thirteenth year he was summoned to become Censor-in-chief, and advanced to Vice Director of the Chancellery and Joint Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery. Li Shidao was then in rebellion, and Pei Du was in charge of the state, the emperor relying on him to put down the rebels. Yijian thought his own abilities could not exceed Du's, so he asked for a post outside the capital, and as acting Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs and Manager of Affairs he became Military Commissioner of Huainan. Edit

When Muzong came to the throne, the officials concerned were discussing the temple name, and Yijian proposed: "A ruler with achievements is called zu, one with virtue is called zong. The late emperor had military achievements, and his temple name should be zu." An edict had the high officials and the ritual officials discuss it; they did not agree, and the matter was dropped. Some time later he asked to retire for age, but the court thought Yijian's years and strength still fit for service and did not allow it. He was summoned as Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs but declined to accept, and was again made acting Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs and concurrently Junior Preceptor of the Heir Apparent, with a branch office in the Eastern Capital. He died the next year, aged sixty-seven, and was posthumously made Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent. Edit

Though Yijian rose to high and conspicuous places, he kept himself in check by uprightness and never used flattering words or looks to please others. He governed three regional commands, yet his family had no property or wealth. When ill he did not call a doctor, and as he was dying he gave instructions that he was not to be buried lavishly, that no Buddhist services were to be held, and that no stele was to be set on the spirit road; the grave was only to be marked, and nothing more. People said of him that he conducted himself the same from beginning to end. Edit