適之 Shìzhī

Li Shizhi

Li Shizhi was a grandson of Prince Min of Hengshan; his first name was Chang. At the beginning of Shenlong he was promoted to Leader of the Left Guard. In the Kaiyuan era he rose through several posts to Prefect of Tongzhou, where he was known for getting things done. The Investigation Commissioner, Han Chaozong, spoke of him at court, and he was promoted to Area Commander-in-chief of Qinzhou. He was moved to be Prefect of Shanzhou and then Governor of Henan. His government was not harsh or petty, and those under him found it easy. Emperor Xuanzong was troubled that every year the floods of the Gu and Luo rivers used up the people's labour service, and by edict had Shizhi build three great dykes with palace funds, called Shangyang, Jicui and Yuepi; after that the waters could do no harm. The achievement was recorded on a carved stone, with the text written, by edict, by Lin, Prince of Yong, and the heading by the Heir Apparent, Ying. He was promoted to Censor-in-Chief. In the twenty-seventh year he also became Administrator of Youzhou, in charge of the affairs of the military commission. Because his grandfather had been deposed and his father, Xiang, had been banished in the time of Empress Wu, their burials had been incomplete; now he asked that they be buried beside the Zhao Mausoleum within its gate towers, and an edict allowed it. The documents of commendation and the ceremonial objects shone through the capital, and those on the roads sighed in admiration. He was promoted to Minister of Justice. Shizhi loved guests and could drink more than a dou of wine without becoming disorderly. He feasted and amused himself at night and decided affairs by day, and no case was left waiting on his desk. Edit

In the first year of Tianbao he replaced Niu Xianke as Chancellor of the Left and was given in time the title Duke of Qinghe County. He contended for power with Li Linfu and the two did not get on. Linfu was secretly vicious, and he said to Shizhi in a friendly way: "There is gold at Mount Hua; mining it could make the state rich, but His Majesty does not know of it yet." Shizhi was careless by nature and believed him, and some days later mentioned it to the emperor in conversation. The emperor was pleased and asked Linfu about it. Linfu replied: "I have known of it for a long time. But Mount Hua is the mountain of Your Majesty's natal destiny, the dwelling of your royal aura, and it must not be dug into; so I did not dare to report it." The emperor thought Linfu cared for him, and thought less of Shizhi as not close to him. After that Huangfu Weiming, Wei Jian, Pei Kuan and Han Chaozong, all close friends of Shizhi, were framed by Linfu and found guilty. Shizhi was afraid and could not rest easy, so he gave up his duties as chief minister and asked for a sinecure. He was dismissed with the title Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, and was glad, thinking he had escaped disaster. Soon after, implicated in the case of Wei Jian, he was demoted to Governor of Yichun. Just then the Censor Luo Xishi, under a secret edict, was killing Wei Jian and the others at their places of banishment, and the prefectures were in terror. When Luo was passing through Yichun, Shizhi was afraid and took poison and killed himself. Edit