勉 Miǎn
Biography
李勉
李勉，字玄卿，鄭惠王元懿曾孫。父擇言，累為州刺史，封安德郡公，以吏治稱。張嘉貞為益州都督，性簡貴，接部刺史倨甚，擇言守漢州，獨引同榻坐，講繹政事，名重當時。
勉少喜學，內沈雅，外清整。始調開封尉，汴州水陸一都會，俗厖錯，號難治，勉摧奸決隱為有名。從肅宗於靈武，擢監察御史。時武臣崛興，無法度，大將管崇嗣背闕坐，笑語嘩縱，勉劾不恭，帝嘆曰：「吾有勉，乃知朝廷之尊！」遷司膳員外郎。關東獻俘百，將即死，有嘆者，勉過問，曰：「被脅而官，非敢反。」勉入見帝曰：「寇亂之汙半天下，其欲澡心自歸無繇。如盡殺之，是驅以助賊也。」帝馳騎完宥，後歸者日至。
累為河東王思禮、朔方河東都統李國貞行軍司馬，進梁州刺史。勉假王晬南鄭令，晬為權幸所誣，詔誅之。勉曰：「方藉牧宰為人父母，豈以讒殺郎吏乎？」即拘晬，為請得免。晬後以推擇為龍門令，果有名。
羌、渾、奴剌寇州，勉不能守，召為大理少卿。然天子素重其正，擢太常少卿，欲遂柄用。而李輔國諷使下己，勉不肯，乃出為汾州刺史。歷河南尹，徙江西觀察使。厲兵睦鄰，平賊屯。部人父病，為蠱求厭者，以木偶署勉名埋之，掘治驗服，勉曰：「是為其父，則孝也。」縱不誅。入為京兆尹兼御史大夫。魚朝恩領國子監，威寵震赫，前尹黎幹諂事之，須其入，敕吏治數百人具以餉。至是吏請，勉不從，曰：「吾候太學，彼當見享，軍容幸過府，則脩具。」朝恩銜之，亦不復至太學。
尋拜嶺南節度使。番禺賊馮崇道、桂叛將朱濟時等負險為亂，殘十餘州，勉遣將李觀率容州刺史王翃討斬之，五嶺平。西南夷舶歲至才四五，譏視苛謹。勉既廉潔，又不暴征，明年至者乃四十餘柁。居官久，未嘗抆飾器用車服。後召歸，至石門，盡搜家人所蓄犀珍投江中。時人謂可繼宋璟、盧奐、李朝隱；部人叩闕請立碑頌德，代宗許之。進工部尚書，封汧國公。
Li Mian
Li Mian, styled Xuanqing, was a great-grandson of Yuanyi, Prince Hui of Zheng. His father, Zeyan, served as prefect of several prefectures, was enfeoffed as Duke of Ande Commandery, and was praised for his administration. When Zhang Jiazhen was Area Commander-in-chief of Yi Prefecture, he was haughty by nature and treated the prefects under him with great arrogance; but when Zeyan held Han Prefecture, Zhang alone drew him to sit on the same couch and discussed the affairs of government with him, and Zeyan's name was held in high regard in his day. Edit
Mian loved learning from his youth; inwardly he was steady and refined, outwardly clean and orderly. He was first appointed Sheriff of Kaifeng. Bian Prefecture was a great meeting point of water and land routes, its customs mixed and confused, and it was called hard to govern; Mian became known for crushing wrongdoers and bringing hidden matters to judgment. He followed Suzong at Lingwu and was promoted to Investigating Censor. At that time military men had risen suddenly to power and had no sense of rule; the great general Guan Chongsi sat with his back to the palace, laughing and talking noisily without restraint. Mian impeached him for disrespect, and the emperor sighed: "Now that I have Mian, I know the dignity of the court!" He was promoted to Vice Director of the Bureau of Provisions. A hundred captives were sent in from east of the passes and were about to be put to death. One of them sighed, and Mian, passing by, asked why. The man said: "We were forced to take office; we did not dare to rebel." Mian went in to the emperor and said: "The taint of the rebels' disorder covers half the empire. Those who wish to cleanse their hearts and come back of their own accord have no way to do so. If all of these are killed, it will drive the rest to help the rebels." The emperor sent riders galloping to spare and pardon them, and after that those who came back to submission arrived daily. Edit
He served in turn as Marshal to Wang Sili of Hedong and to Li Guozhen, Commander-in-chief of Shuofang and Hedong, and was advanced to Prefect of Liang Prefecture. Mian made Wang Zui acting Magistrate of Nanzheng. Zui was slandered by a powerful favorite, and an edict ordered him put to death. Mian said: "We are relying on governors and magistrates to be fathers and mothers to the people. How can a subordinate official be killed because of slander?" He at once took Zui into custody and pleaded for him, and Zui was spared. Zui was later chosen as Magistrate of Longmen and did indeed make a name. Edit
When the Qiang, the Hun and the Nula raided the prefecture, Mian could not hold it and was summoned to become Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. But the Son of Heaven had always valued his uprightness; he promoted him to Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and meant in time to give him real power. Li Fuguo, however, hinted that Mian should make himself his subordinate, and when Mian would not, he was sent out as Prefect of Fen Prefecture. He served as Governor of Henan and was transferred to Surveillance Commissioner of Jiangxi. He trained his troops, kept good relations with his neighbors, and put down the bandits' strongholds. A man in his territory whose father was ill used sorcery to seek a charm against the illness, writing Mian's name on a wooden figure and burying it. It was dug up, and when tried the man confessed. Mian said: "He did it for his father, so it was filial." He let him go without punishment. He entered the capital as Governor of Jingzhao and concurrently Censor-in-chief. Yu Chao'en was in charge of the Directorate of Education, and his power and favor were overwhelming; the previous governor, Li Gan, had served him with flattery, and whenever Chao'en was to come, ordered his officials to prepare food for several hundred people to feast him. Now the officials asked for instructions, and Mian would not allow it, saying: "I shall wait on him at the Imperial University, where he should be the one to provide the feast. If the Army Inspector deigns to visit my office, then I shall prepare a meal." Chao'en resented it, and did not come to the Imperial University again. Edit
Soon he was appointed Military Commissioner of Lingnan. The bandit of Panyu, Feng Chongdao, and the rebel general of Gui, Zhu Jishi, and others, holding strong positions, rose in revolt and ravaged more than ten prefectures. Mian sent his general Li Guan to lead Wang Hong, Prefect of Rong Prefecture, against them, and they were beheaded, and the Five Ranges were at peace. The ships of the southwestern foreigners arriving each year had numbered only four or five, because inspection was harsh and strict. Mian was honest and did not levy duties harshly, and the next year more than forty ships arrived. Though long in office, he never had his utensils, carriages or clothing polished or adorned. Later, when summoned back, on reaching Shimen he searched out all the rhinoceros horn and treasures his household had collected and threw them into the river. People of the time said he could be ranked after Song Jing, Lu Huan and Li Chaoyin. The people of his territory came to the palace gates asking to set up a stele praising his virtue, and Daizong permitted it. He was advanced to Minister of Works and enfeoffed as Duke of Qian. Edit
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滑亳節度使令狐彰且死，表勉為代，從之。勉居鎮且八年，以舊德方重，不威而治，東諸帥暴桀者皆尊憚之。田神玉死，詔勉節度汴宋，未行，汴將李靈耀反，魏將田悅以兵來，叩汴而屯，勉與李忠臣、馬燧合討之。淮西軍據汴北，河陽軍壁其東，大將杜如江、尹伯良與悅戰匡城，不勝。徙壘與靈耀合，忠臣將軍李重倩夜攻其營，與河陽軍合噪，賊不陣潰，悅走河北，靈耀奔韋城，為如江所禽，勉縛以獻，斬闕下。既而忠臣專汴，故勉還滑臺。明年，忠臣為麾下所逐，復詔勉移治汴。德宗立，就加同中書門下平章事。俄為汴宋、滑亳、河陽等道都統。
建中四年，李希烈圍襄城，詔勉出兵救之，帝又遣神策將劉德信以兵三千援接。勉奏言：「賊以精兵攻襄城，而許必虛，令兵直搗許，則襄圍解。」不待報，使其將唐漢臣與德信襲許，未至數十里，有詔詰讓，二將懼而還，次扈澗，不設備，為賊所乘，殺傷什五，輜械盡亡。漢臣走汴，德信走汝。勉懼東都危，復遣兵四千往戍，賊斷其後不得歸。於是希烈自將攻勉，勉氣索，嬰守累月，援莫至，裒兵萬人潰圍出，東保睢陽。
興元元年，勉固讓都統，以檢校司徒平章事召。既見帝，素服待罪，詔不許，勉內愧，取充位而已，不敢有所與。貞元初，帝起盧杞為刺史，袁高還詔不得下。帝問勉曰：「眾謂盧杞奸邪，朕顧不知，謂何？」勉曰：「天下皆知，而陛下獨不知，此所以為奸邪也。」時韙其對，然自是益見疏。居相二歲，辭位，以太子太師罷。卒，年七十二，贈太傅，謚曰貞簡。
勉少貧狹，客梁、宋，與諸生共逆旅，諸生疾且死，出白金曰：「左右無知者，幸君以此為我葬，余則君自取之。」勉許諾，既葬，密置余金棺下。後其家謁勉，共啟墓出金付之。位將相，所得奉賜，悉遺親黨，身沒，無贏藏。其在朝廷，鯁亮廉介，為宗臣表。禮賢下士有終始，嘗引李巡、張參在幕府，後二人卒，至宴飲，仍設虛位沃饋之。遣戍兵，常視其資糧，春秋存問家室，故能得人死力。善鼓琴，有所自制，天下寶之，樂家傳《響泉》、《韻磬》，勉所愛者。
When Linghu Zhang, Military Commissioner of Hua and Bo, was about to die, he memorialized asking that Mian replace him, and this was done. Mian held that command for nearly eight years. Grave and upright from his long-standing virtue, he governed without show of force, and the violent and unruly commanders in the east all respected and feared him. When Tian Shenyu died, an edict made Mian Military Commissioner of Bian and Song. Before he could set out, Li Lingyao, a general of Bian, rebelled, and Tian Yue, a general of Wei, came with troops and camped close to Bian. Mian joined Li Zhongchen and Ma Sui in attacking them. The Huaixi army held the north of Bian, and the Heyang army built walls on its east. The great generals Du Rujiang and Yin Boliang fought Yue at Kuangcheng without success. Yue moved his camp to join Lingyao. Li Zhongqian, a general under Zhongchen, attacked their camp by night and raised a shout together with the Heyang army; the rebels broke without forming ranks. Yue fled north of the Yellow River, and Lingyao fled to Weicheng, where he was captured by Rujiang. Mian bound him and presented him, and he was beheaded below the palace gates. Soon afterwards Zhongchen took Bian for himself, so Mian returned to Huatai. The next year Zhongchen was driven out by his own men, and an edict again moved Mian's seat to Bian. When Dezong came to the throne, he was made Joint Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery while remaining at his post. Soon he became Commander-in-chief of the circuits of Bian and Song, Hua and Bo, Heyang and others. Edit
In the fourth year of Jianzhong, Li Xilie besieged Xiangcheng, and an edict ordered Mian to send troops to relieve it; the emperor also sent the Shence general Liu Dexin with three thousand troops to support him. Mian memorialized: "The rebel is attacking Xiangcheng with his best troops, so Xu must be empty. If our troops strike straight at Xu, the siege of Xiang will be lifted." Without waiting for a reply he sent his general Tang Hanchen with Dexin to make a surprise attack on Xu. When they were still some tens of li short of it, an edict came rebuking them; the two generals took fright and turned back. They camped at Hujian without taking precautions, and the rebels fell on them; half were killed or wounded, and all their baggage and weapons were lost. Hanchen fled to Bian and Dexin to Ru. Mian, fearing for the Eastern Capital, sent another four thousand troops to garrison it, but the rebels cut off their rear and they could not return. Then Xilie himself led an attack on Mian. Mian's spirit failed; he held out behind his walls for several months, and no relief came. He gathered ten thousand men, broke out through the siege, and went east to hold Suiyang. Edit
In the first year of Xingyuan, Mian firmly declined the post of Commander-in-chief and was summoned as acting Grand Minister of Education and Manager of Affairs. When he saw the emperor, he wore plain clothes and awaited punishment, but an edict would not allow it. Mian was ashamed at heart and merely filled his post, not daring to take part in anything. At the start of Zhenyuan, the emperor brought Lu Qi back as a prefect, and Yuan Gao returned the edict so that it could not be issued. The emperor asked Mian: "Everyone says Lu Qi is wicked, but I do not see it. What do you say?" Mian said: "The whole empire knows it, and Your Majesty alone does not; that is exactly what makes him wicked." People of the time thought his answer right, but from then on he was kept at a greater distance. After two years as chief minister he resigned his post and left it as Grand Preceptor of the Heir Apparent. He died at seventy-two and was posthumously made Grand Mentor, with the posthumous name Zhenjian. Edit
In his youth Mian was poor and in straitened circumstances. He lived as a guest between Liang and Song, sharing an inn with some students. One of the students fell ill and, about to die, brought out some silver and said: "No one here knows of this. I beg you to use it to bury me, and keep what is left for yourself." Mian promised. After the burial he secretly placed the rest of the silver under the coffin. Later the man's family came to see Mian, and together they opened the grave, took out the silver and handed it to them. When he held the posts of general and chief minister, all the salary and gifts he received he gave away to his relatives and friends, and when he died he left no savings. At court he was blunt, open, honest and incorruptible, a model for ministers of the imperial clan. He honored worthy men and treated scholars humbly from first to last. He once brought Li Xun and Zhang Can onto his staff; after the two of them died, at feasts he still set empty places for them and poured libations. When he sent troops to garrison duty, he always looked into their supplies and provisions, and in spring and autumn sent to ask after their families, so he was able to win men's service to the death. He was good at playing the zither and made some himself, which the empire treasured; the musicians' families hand down Echoing Spring and Resonant Chime, the ones Mian loved. Edit
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Source: 新唐书 卷一百三十一 列传第五十六 宗室宰相 (New Book of Tang, juan 131, Biographies 56: Chancellors of the Imperial Clan)
Wikipedia: Li Mian · Chinese Wikipedia: 李勉 · Baidu Baike: 李勉 (an article of the same name, not checked to be him)
Source
From the historical record: the notes below say where · tang-zongshi-01149
Notes (2)
- [Source] 新唐书 卷七十下 表第十下 宗室世系下 New Book of Tang, juan 70B, Table 10B: Genealogical Table of the Imperial Clan, part 2
- [Collation note] 表中此格作「勉字玄卿，相德宗」。 The table’s cell reads: “Miǎn; courtesy name Xuánqīng; Chief Minister under Dezong”.