Li Jingsui
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Li Jingsui (; 920''
Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese title ''Shiguo Chunqiu'' (), is a history of the Ten Kingdoms that existed in southern China after the fall of the Tang dynasty and before the reunification of China ...
'', vol. 19.
17 September 958''
Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...
'', vol. 294.
Academia Sinica Academia Sinica (AS, ; zh, t=中央研究院) is the national academy of the Taiwan, Republic of China. It is headquartered in Nangang District, Taipei, Nangang, Taipei. Founded in Nanjing, the academy supports research activities in mathemat ...
br>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter
), (),
courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...
Tuishen (), formally Crown Prince Wencheng (), was an imperial prince of the
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state
Southern Tang Southern Tang ( zh, c=南唐, p=Nán Táng) was a Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic state of China that existed during Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Located in southern China, the Southern Tang proclaimed itself to be the successor ...
. He was a son of Southern Tang's founding emperor Li Bian (Emperor Liezu). During the reign of his brother Li Jing (Emperor Yuanzong), he was initially designated the heir, but, having never embraced that role, repeatedly offered to yield the position to Li Jing's son Li Hongji. Eventually, Li Jing agreed, but Li Hongji, still fearing that Li Jing would change his mind again, had Li Jingsui poisoned to death.


During Wu

Xu Jingsui was born in 920, during the reign of
Yang Longyan Yang Longyan () (897 – June 17, 920), né Yang Ying (), also known as Yang Wei (), courtesy name Hongyuan (), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Gaozu of Yang Wu (), was a monarch of the Yang Wu dynasty of China during the Five Dyna ...
the King of Wu. His father, then known as Xu Zhigao, was serving as Wu's junior regent at the Wu capital Guangling (廣陵, in modern
Yangzhou Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, East China. Sitting on the north bank of the Yangtze, it borders the provincial capital Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou, Jiangsu, ...
,
Jiangsu Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...
), with his adoptive father (Xu Jingsui's adoptive grandfather)
Xu Wen Xu Wen () (862''New History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 61. – November 20, 927''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 276.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), courtesy name Dunmei (), formally Prince Zhongwu of Qi (), later further ...
the regent taking up position at
Jinling Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...
and in actual control of the Wu state.''
Old History of the Five Dynasties The ''Old History of the Five Dynasties'' ( zh, t=舊五代史, pinyin=, p=Jiù Wǔdài Shǐ) was an official history mainly focusing on Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Five Dynasties era (907–960), which controlled much of northern C ...
'', vol. 134.
His mother was Xu Zhigao's second wife Lady Song Fujin, who was also the mother of his older brothers Xu Jingtong and
Xu Jingqian Xu Jingqian (徐景遷) (919-937''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms'', vol. 19.), also known in some historical records as Li Jingqian (李景遷) (because his family would, after his death, change the surname to Li), posthumously hono ...
and younger brother Xu Jingda. Xu Jingsui was the third son overall. By 936, Wu's titular ruler was Yang Longyan's younger brother
Yang Pu Yang Pu ( zh, 楊溥; 900 – January 21, 939), also known by his posthumous name as the Emperor Rui of Yang Wu (), was the last ruler of China's Yang Wu dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, and the only one that claimed ...
, who had taken imperial title by that point; Xu Jingsui's father Xu Zhigao was the regent, stationed at Jinling, with Xu Jingtong also there serving as his deputy. The role that Xu Zhigao formerly had during Xu Wen's regency, as junior regent at the Wu capital Guangling, was held by Xu Jingqian, who was Xu Zhigao's favorite son. However, in 936, Xu Jingqian fell ill, and was removed from the junior regency and recalled to Jinling in hopes of recuperation. Xu Jingsui, then 16, was sent to Guangling to serve as junior regent, carrying the titles of ''Menxia Shilang'' () and ''Can Zhengshi'' (), as a ''de facto''
chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 280. (Xu Jingqian would not recover, however, and would die in 937.)


During Southern Tang


During Li Bian's reign

In 937, Yang Pu yielded the throne to Xu Zhigao, ending Wu. Xu Zhigao took the throne as emperor of a new state of
Southern Tang Southern Tang ( zh, c=南唐, p=Nán Táng) was a Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic state of China that existed during Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Located in southern China, the Southern Tang proclaimed itself to be the successor ...
. He created Xu Jingsui, who had arrived at Jinling as part of the procession of Wu officials offering the throne to him on Yang's behalf, the Prince of Ji. He also commissioned Xu Jingsui the titles of ''Shizhong'' (), defender of the eastern capital (as Jinling became the Southern Tang capital, with Guangling becoming the eastern capital with the name of Jiangdu (), and mayor of Jiangdu. He had Xu Jingsui lead the officials who were assigned offices in Jiangdu back to Jiangdu. In 938, Xu Zhigao recalled Xu Jingsui to Jinling, to participate in the matters of the office of chancellors, overseeing the executive bureau of government (尚書省, ''Shangshu Sheng'').''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 281. When Yang died later in 938, it was Xu Jingsui that Xu Zhigao sent to attend to the funeral train. Xu Jingsui was overcome with grief, and those who saw him were touched. In 939, Xu Zhigao changed his surname back to his birth name of Li, and took a new name of Li Bian. His children also changed their names to Li, and Xu Jingsui thus took the name of Li Jingsui. Not long after, Li Jingsui's title was changed to Prince of Shou.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 282. In 942, when the senior statesman
Song Qiqiu Song Qiqiu (887–959), courtesy name Zisong, formally Duke Chouliao of Chu (), was the chief strategist of Emperor Liezu of Southern Tang (Xu Zhigao/Li Bian), the founding emperor of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state So ...
insisted on taking over the executive bureau, Li Bian had Li Jingsui yield the oversight of the executive bureau to him, and instead had Li Jingsui oversee the legislative (中書省, ''Zhongshu Sheng'') and examination (門下省, ''Menxia Sheng'') bureaus instead, but also having Li Jingsui's older brother Li Jingtong (whose name had been changed to Li Jing by this point) oversee all three bureaus. Shortly after, Song's close associate Xia Changtu () was involved in a corruption scandal, but Song initially did sentence him to death. Li Bian, in anger, personally ordered Xia's death. Song thus resigned his oversight over the executive bureau and was no longer meeting the emperor. Li Bian had to send Li Jingsui to his mansion to comfort him and promise to make him the military governor of Zhennan Circuit (鎮南, headquartered in modern
Nanchang Nanchang is the capital of Jiangxi, China. Located in the north-central part of the province and in the hinterland of Poyang Lake Plain, it is bounded on the west by the Jiuling Mountains, and on the east by Poyang Lake. Because of its strate ...
,
Jiangxi ; Gan: ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = , translit_lang1_type3 = , translit_lang1_info3 = , image_map = Jiangxi in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_caption = Location ...
) in order for him to come to the palace, upon which Song was given the Zhennan command.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 283.


During Li Jing's reign

Li Bian died in 943. Li Jing, as the oldest son, was expected to be the heir, and while he initially offered the throne to Li Jingsui instead, Li Jingsui earnestly declined, and Li Jing thereafter took the throne. He created Li Jingsui the greater title of Prince of Yan. Shortly after, Li Jing, believing that it was Li Bian's will that he pass the throne in succession to Li Jingsui and Li Jingda, created Li Jingsui (who then was also carrying the titles of ''Zhongshu Ling'' (), mayor of Jinling, and military governor of Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered in modern
Handan Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Hebei province, China. The southernmost prefecture-level city of the province, it borders Xingtai on the north, and the provinces of Shanxi on the west, Henan on the south and Shando ...
,
Hebei Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...
) — a completely honorary title as Tianxiong was under the rule of Southern Tang's northern neighbor Later Jin) the Prince of Qi — a title that Li Bian and Li Jing successively carried before they became emperor. He also had Li Jingsui take up residence at the eastern palace — traditionally, the residence for the
Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...
— thereby effectively designating him as heir. He also publicly declared his intention to pass the throne to Li Jingsui and Li Jingda (who took over the title of Prince of Yan). Both Li Jingsui and Li Jingda repeatedly declined their new titles, but were not allowed to. However, Li Jingsui still had no desire to be heir, and decided to take, as his
courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...
, Tuishen — from the ''
Tao Te Ching The ''Tao Te Ching'' () or ''Laozi'' is a Chinese classic text and foundational work of Taoism traditionally credited to the sage Laozi, though the text's authorship and date of composition and compilation are debated. The oldest excavated por ...
'' passage "withdraw your body after you complete your accomplishment" (功成名遂身退, ''gongchengming suishentui'') — to show his lack of desire to be heir. (Li Jing's close associate
Feng Yanji Feng Yanji () (per the ''Zizhi Tongjian'Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 283. and the '' History of Song' History of Song'', vol. 478.) or Feng Yansi () (per the ''New History of the Five Dynasties'New History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 62. and ...
wanted to use this opportunity to block off the other officials' access to Li Jing, and therefore persuaded Li Jing to issue an edict that the officials could only meet with and report to Li Jingsui; however, when the senior imperial guard officer Jia Chong (), weeping, pointed out that this meant that Li Jing would not be able to see what was actually occurring in the imperial administration (which was what Feng wanted) and that, if the edict took effect, Jia himself would never be able to see the emperor again, Li Jing withdrew the edict.) In 947, Li Jing formally created Li Jingsui Crown Prince. (Li Jingda received the title of Prince of Qi, and Li Jing's oldest son
Li Hongji Li Zicheng (22 September 1606 – 1645), born Li Hongji, also known by his nickname, the Thunder King, was a Chinese peasant rebel leader who helped overthrow the Ming dynasty in April 1644 and ruled over northern China briefly as the Yongc ...
, previously the Prince of Nanchang, became the Prince of Yan.) There was an occasion when Li Jingsui was meeting with his staff, but was paying attention to jade while staff member Zhang Yi () wanted to discuss his (Li Jingsui's) behavior. Zhang, in anger, grabbed a jade cup that Li Jingsui was holding and threw it on the ground, breaking it and shocking the entire staff. Instead of becoming angry, Li Jingsui apologized, and thereafter treated Zhang better.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 286. On a subsequent occasion, when Li Jing wanted to send Zhang on an embassy, over the sea, to Liao, Li Jingsui personally wrote a petition to Li Jing urging against it, stating, "Zhang Yi is man who can support the state. He should be kept around to offer advice day and night. He should not be sent over the unpredictable sea." Li Jing, however, responded, "Zhang Yi is an unusual man, such that even the god of the sea would fear him." He sent Zhang on the embassy anyway. By 958, Southern Tang had lost a war against
Later Zhou Zhou, known as the Later Zhou (; ) in historiography, was a short-lived Chinese imperial dynasty and the last of the Five Dynasties that controlled most of northern China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Founded by Guo Wei ...
(the successor state to
Later Han Later Han (後漢) may refer to two dynastic states in imperial China: *Eastern Han (25–220), the second period of the Han dynasty, also called Later Han * Later Han (947–951), a dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period See al ...
, which had succeeded Later Jin), and had been forced to cede its territory north of the
Yangtze River The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...
to Later Zhou, as well as formally submit as a subject). Li Jingsui used this opportunity to submit, 10 times, petitions offering to yield his crown prince position, particularly citing his own lack of contributions to the military effort and Li Hongji's contributions in repelling the attack of Later Zhou's vassal state
Wuyue Wuyue (; ) was a Dynasties in Chinese history, dynastic state of China and one of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period#Ten Kingdoms, Ten Kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of History of China, Chinese history. It wa ...
during the war. Li Jing accepted his petition and created Li Hongji Crown Prince to succeed him. Li Jingsui was created the Prince of Jin, and was given the additional titles of ''Tiance Shangjiangjun'' (), generalissimo of Jiangnan West Circuit (i.e., Zhennan, but Li Jing intentionally using the more archaic Tang title for it for impressive effect), grand commandant of Zhennan's capital Hong Prefecture (), ''Taiwei'' (), and ''Shangshu Ling'' (). Upon Li Jingsui's arrival at Zhennan, he, citing the fact that, given the recent losses to Later Zhou, Zhennan was now potentially exposed to war as well, requested an official as his deputy. Li Jing thus sent Li Zhenggu () to Zhennan to serve as his deputy military governor. However, Li Zhenggu was arrogant and dominant, such that even though Li Jingsui was himself magnanimous and relaxed, he became unable to bear Li Zhenggu as time went by. He considered killing Li Zhenggu and then report to Li Jing to confess, but was urged not to by his close associates. He became unhappy, however. Meanwhile, Li Hongji, as crown prince, had sometimes carried out unlawful deeds. Li Jing, angry, had once caned Li Hongji, and, as he did, stated, "I will summon Jingsui back!" There also happened be a time when false accusations were laid against the son of Li Jingsui's staff member Yuan Congfan (), such that Li Jingsui was considering executing Yuan's son. When Li Hongji heard of this, he secretly sent Yuan poison to encourage Yuan to poison Li Jingsui. On a day after Li Jingsui returned to his mansion after playing polo and was thirsty, Yuan gave him milk laced with poison. Li Jingsui drank it and died. Li Jing was greatly saddened. His servants, wanting to lessen his sadness, falsely stated to him that when Li Jingsui fell ill, he stated, "
Shangdi Shangdi (), also called simply Di (), is the name of the Chinese Highest Deity or "Lord Above" in the Chinese theology, theology of the classical texts, especially deriving from Shang dynasty, Shang theology and finding an equivalent in the lat ...
is having me replace Xu Jingyang (i.e., the
Taoist Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...
deity Xu Xun)." Li Jing believed them, and did not look into the matter further. He posthumously honored Li Jingsui as a crown prince.


Notes and references

* ''
Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese title ''Shiguo Chunqiu'' (), is a history of the Ten Kingdoms that existed in southern China after the fall of the Tang dynasty and before the reunification of China ...
'', vol. 19. * ''
Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...
'', vols.
280 __NOTOC__ Year 280 ( CCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Messalla and Gratus (or, less frequently, year 1033 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 280 ...
,
281 __NOTOC__ Year 281 ( CCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probus and Tiberianus (or, less frequently, year 1034 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination ...
,
282 Year 282 ( CCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Probus and Victorinus (or, less frequently, year 1035 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 282 for th ...
,
283 Year 283 ( CCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Carus and Carinus (or, less frequently, year 1036 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 283 for this y ...
, 286, 294. {{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Jingsui 920 births 958 deaths Politicians from Yangzhou Generals from Jiangsu Yang Wu chancellors Yang Wu regents Southern Tang imperial princes Mayors of Nanjing Zhennan jiedushi Assassinated Chinese politicians Deaths by poisoning Southern Tang chancellors Southern Tang jiedushi Weibo jiedushi People assassinated in the 10th century