Li Ying (Eastern Han)

In this Chinese name, the family name is Li.

Li Ying (Chinese: 李膺; pinyin: Lǐ Yīng; 110 - c.November 169),[1] courtesy name Fuli (符礼),[2] was a Confucian scholar and official during the Eastern Han dynasty. He was implicated during the first Disaster of the Partisan Prohibitions during the reign of Emperor Huan of Han, and eventually killed during the second Disaster during the reign of Emperor Ling.

Background

Li Ying was from Yingchuan Commandery. Due to his personality, he had few friends, except for Xun Shu (荀淑; grandfather of Xun Yu) and Chen Shi from the same commandery, whom he regarded as mentors as well.[3]

Li Ying's grandfather Li Xiu (李脩) served as Grand Commandant during the reign of Emperor An of Han,[4] while his father Li Yi (李益) was Chancellor (国相) of the state of Zhao.[5] The mother of Zhong Hao's (Zhong Yao's grandfather) paternal nephew Zhong Jin (鍾瑾; son of an elder brother of Zhong Hao) was a paternal aunt of Li Ying.[6]

Service under Emperors Shun, Chong and Zhi

Between December 142 and July 146, after being nominated as a xiaolian, Li Ying was recruited as an official by Hu Guang (胡广), who was then situ.[7][8]

Service under Emperor Huan

After his recruitment by Hu Guang, Li Ying was able to pass the government certification test and was appointed Inspector of Qingzhou. Many officials in the province, fearing his severity, abandoned their posts. After Qingzhou, Li Ying was appointed Administrator of Yuyang Commandery; after a short stint at Yuyang, he was appointed Administrator of Shu Commandery. While at Shu Commandery, he resigned, citing his mother's advanced age.[9]

In c.August 156, with the Xianbei raiding Yunzhong Commandery, Li Ying was appointed General Who Crosses the Liao (River) by Emperor Huan when the emperor heard of his abilities. When Li reached the border, the raiders were so in awe of him that they released the populace they had captured previously.[10][11]

In c.159, Li Ying was made Intendant of Henan Commandery.[12]

In 166, Li Ying handled a murder case: Zhang Cheng (張成), a fortune teller in Luoyang, had foretold that a general pardon would be forthcoming, and he therefore instructed his son to commit the murder.[13] Li Ying, by then one of the foremost Confucian scholars in government who was serving as the governor of the capital province, arrested the Zhangs, but at this time a general pardon was issued.[14] Li, in anger, disregarded the pardon and executed the Zhangs anyway.[15] He was then accused by palace eunuchs of plotting treason with students at the Imperial University and associates in the provinces who opposed the eunuchs.[16] Emperor Huan was furious, arresting Li and his followers, who were only released from prison the following year (167) due to pleas from the General-in-Chief Dou Wu (Emperor Huan's father-in-law).[16] However, Li Ying and hundreds of his followers were proscribed from holding any offices and were branded as partisans (黨人).[16]

During Emperor Ling's reign

In January 168, Emperor Huan died without issue. In February, after Empress Dowager Dou Miao (Emperor Huan's widow) consulted her father and Chen Fan, Liu Hong, then Marquis of Jiedu Village (解瀆亭侯), was selected as the next emperor; he would posthumously be known as Emperor Ling.

In October 168, Chen Fan and Dou Wu plotted against the eunuchs, but their plan was leaked; they were then both killed.[17] With Dou Wu eliminated and the Empress Dowager under house arrest, the eunuchs renewed the proscriptions against Li Ying and his followers; in 169, they had hundreds more officials and students prohibited from serving office, sent their families into exile, and had Li Ying executed.[18]

Anecdote

In the early 160s,[19] when he was 10 years old (by East Asian reckoning), Kong Rong paid a visit to Li Ying, who received no one but the very eminent and his own relatives. Claiming to be a relative, Kong Rong was brought before Li Ying, who asked how they were related. Kong Rong answered that his ancestor Confucius was a student and friend of Laozi (whose family name was said to be Li (李)). Another guest present, Chen Wei (陈炜), was not impressed, commenting that a person who showed great ability at a young age might not grow up to be especially capable. Kong Rong immediately retorted, "I suppose you were really smart when you were young." Li Ying laughed at this and predicted the child would grow up to be a great man.[20]

Descendants

Li Ying was recorded to have a son, Li Zan (李瓒),[21] who was Chancellor of Dongping. Li Zan was impressed with Cao Cao's abilities before the latter became famous. At his deathbed, he told those who had gathered around him (including his son Li Xuan [李宣]), "Times will soon become chaotic; of the Tianxia's heroes, none surpass Cao Cao. I am good friends with Zhang Miao, while you all are maternal relatives of Yuan Shao. But, do not become their followers; you all must go to Cao Cao." Li Zan's sons followed their father's advice, and survived the turbulent end of the Han dynasty.[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ Li Ying's biography in Houhanshu and vol.56 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded that he claimed to be 60 (by East Asian reckoning) just before his imprisonment and death in prison. Tongjian also recorded that he died in the 10th month of the 2nd year of the Jianning era; the month corresponds to 7 Nov to 6 Dec 169 in the Julian calendar.
  2. ^ (李膺字符礼...) Houhanshu, vol.67
  3. ^ (....颖川襄城人也。....膺性简亢，无所交接，唯以同郡荀淑、陈寔为师友。) Houhanshu, vol.67
  4. ^ Emperor An's biography in Book of the Later Han recorded that Li Xiu was made Grand Commandant on 31 Jan 111 ([永初]五年春正月.....甲申，光禄勋李修为太尉。) and dismissed on 23 Oct 114 ([元初元年]九月乙丑，太尉李修罢。).
  5. ^ (祖父脩，安帝时为太尉。父益，赵国相。) Houhanshu, vol.67
  6. ^ (皓兄子瑾母，膺之姑也。) Houhanshu, vol.62
  7. ^ (初举孝廉，为司徒胡广所辟，...) Houhanshu, vol.67
  8. ^ Emperor Shun's biography in Book of the Later Han recorded that Hu Guang was appointed situ on 12 Dec 142 ([汉安元年]十一月壬午，司隶校尉赵峻为太尉，大司农胡广为司徒。); he was then appointed Grand Commandant on 30 Jul 146 ([本初元年闰月]戊子，司徒胡广为太尉，...) .
  9. ^ (举高第，再迁青州刺史。守令畏威明，多望风弃官。复征，再迁渔阳太守。寻转蜀郡太守，以母老乞不之官.) Houhanshu, vol.67
  10. ^ (永寿二年，鲜卑寇雲中，桓帝闻膺能，乃复征为度辽将军。) Houhanshu, vol.67
  11. ^ ([永寿二年]秋，七月，檀石槐寇云中。以故乌桓校尉李膺为度辽将军。膺到边，羌、胡皆望风畏服，先所掠男女，悉诣塞下送还之。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.53. The month corresponds to 4 Aug to 2 Sep 156 in the Julian calendar.
  12. ^ (延熹二年征，再迁河南尹。) Houhanshu, vol.67
  13. ^ De Crespigny, Rafe. "Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling Part 3" (PDF). Asian Studies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2012. Zhang Cheng of Henei was an expert at divination by the wind. He calculated that there was going to be an amnesty, and so he told his son to kill a man.
  14. ^ De Crespigny, Rafe. "Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling Part 3" (PDF). Asian Studies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2012. The Colonel Director of Retainers Li Ying immediately ordered [the son's] arrest, but then the amnesty came and he was allowed to escape punishment.
  15. ^ De Crespigny, Rafe. "Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling Part 3" (PDF). Asian Studies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2012. Li Ying was still more angry and resentful, and in the end he found out the full situation and had the man killed.
  16. ^ a b c de Crespigny (2007), 602.
  17. ^ (蕃因与窦武谋之，....及事泄，曹节等矫诏诛武等。) Houhanshu, vol.66
  18. ^ de Crespigny (2007), 511.
  19. ^ Since Kong Rong's birth year was either 151 or 153, this anecdote happened in either 160 or 162.
  20. ^ (年十岁，随父诣京师。时河南尹李膺以简重自居，不妄接士宾客，敕外自非当世名人及与通家，皆不得白。融欲观其人，故造膺门。语门者曰：“我是李君通家子弟。”门者言之。膺请融，问曰：“高明祖父尝与仆有恩旧乎？”融曰：“然。先君孔子与君先人李老君同德比义，而相师友，则融与君累世通家。”众坐莫不叹息。太中大夫陈炜后至，坐中以告炜。炜曰：“夫人小而聦了，大未必奇。”融应声曰：“观君所言，将不早惠乎？”膺大笑曰：“高明必为伟器。”) Houhanshu, vol.70
  21. ^ Xie Cheng recorded this son's name as "Li Gui" (李珪).
  22. ^ (膺子瓒，位至东平相。初，曹操微时，瓒异其才，将没，谓子宣等曰：“时将乱矣，天下英雄无过曹操。张孟卓与吾善，袁本初汝外亲，虽尔勿依，必归曹氏。”诸子从之，并免于乱世。) Houhanshu, vol.67


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