Background and early career

It is not known when Li Chan was born. He was a member of Tang Dynasty's imperial Li clan, being a descendant of Li Hu (李虎), the grandfather of Tang's founding emperor Emperor Gaozu who was a general during Northern Zhou and carried the title of Duke of Tang, through Li Hu's son Li Yi (李禕) the Duke of Changping. (As Emperor Gaozu, after founding Tang, posthumously created Li Yi the Prince of Xun, Li Yi's branch of the imperial clan line became known as the Prince of Xun Branch.) Li Chan was a sixth-generation descendant of Li Yi's son Li Shuliang (李叔良) the Prince of Changping. Both Li Chan's grandfather Li Jun'e (李峻崿) and father Li Ruxian (李如仙) served as county magistrates.

Early in the Changqing era (821-824) of Emperor Muzong, Li Chan passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class, and he later passed a special imperial examination for those with good tactics. He thereafter served on the staffs of military governors (Jiedushi) of Yicheng Circuit (义成, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan) and then Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu). He was later recalled to the capital Chang'an, initially to be the census officer at the Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the Chang'an region) government, and then as the officer in charge of military rolls. He was later promoted to be Bujue (补阙), a low-level advisory official in the imperial government, as well as imperial chronicler (起居郎, Qiju Lang). It was said that he was capable in all matters he handled, and particularly impressed the chancellor Li Deyu. He was later made Zhifang Yuanwailang (职方员外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of defense (兵部, Bingbu), but was also put in charge of handling matters for the ministry of census (户部, Hubu). He later served as Libu Yuanwailang (吏部员外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, Libu), but was also put in charge of serving as assisting the minister directly. Yet later he served as Xingbu Yuanwailang (刑部员外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of justice (刑部, Xingbu), but was also put in charge of the administrative affairs of the Office of Imperial Censors (御史台, Yushi Tai). Early in the Kaicheng era (836-840) of Emperor Muzong's son Emperor Wenzong, he was promoted to be Kubu Langzhong (库部郎中), a supervisory official at the ministry of census, and was also put in charge of drafting imperial edicts. He was then promoted to be Zhongshu Sheren (中书舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中书省, Zhongshu Sheng).

During Emperor Wuzongs reign

Emperor Wenzong died in 840 and was succeeded by his brother Emperor Wuzong — and as Emperor Wuzong was named Li Chan (李瀍), albeit a different character than Li Chan's name, Li Chan changed his name to Li Hui to observe naming taboo. Li Deyu became lead chancellor, and thereafter, Li Hui became deputy minister of public works (工部侍郎, Gongbu Shilang), then deputy minister of census (户部侍郎, Hubu Shilang). In 843, he was also made deputy chief imperial censor (御史中丞, Yushi Zhongcheng).

As of 843, Emperor Wuzong was preparing a major campaign against the warlord Liu Zhen, who had taken control of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭义, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi) without imperial sanction after the death of his adoptive father (and biological uncle) Liu Congjian, who had served as Zhaoyi's military governor. Concerned that the three de facto independent circuits north of the Yellow River — Weibo (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei), then governed by He Hongjing; Chengde (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei), then governed by Wang Yuankui; and Lulong (卢龙, headquartered in modern Beijing), then governed by Zhang Zhongwu — would side with Zhaoyi, Emperor Wuzong sent Li Hui to those three circuits to express to them that the imperial government had no intent to intervene in their internal affairs, so as long as they sided with the imperial government in the campaign against Zhaoyi. It was said that Li Hui was capable in speaking and persuasion, and all three circuits accepted the imperial orders. (It was also said that part of Li Hui's mission was to alleviate the adversarial relationship between Zhang and one of the imperial generals, Liu Mian (刘沔) the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河东, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi). Li Hui's biographies in the Old Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang indicated that that part of the mission was successful, but the Zizhi Tongjian indicated that he was unsuccessful, causing Emperor Wuzong to eventually transfer Liu Mian away to avoid creating complications in the Zhaoyi campaign.)

While the Zhaoyi campaign was going on, Emperor Wuzong's administration was also dealing with Dangxiang incursions. Under Li Deyu's proposal, which Emperor Wuzong accepted, Emperor Wuzong's son Li Qi (李岐) the Prince of Yan was nominally made the supreme commander over six circuits (i.e., the six circuits affected by the Dangxiang incursions) and chief comforter of the Danxiang. Li Hui was made the deputy commander, to be in actual command of the operations, working with Zheng Ya (郑亚), who was made the secretary general.

In 844, after Liu Zhen was killed by his own officer Guo Yi (郭谊), who then surrendered Zhaoyi to the imperial forces, Li Deyu wanted to use the opportunity to carry out reprisals against his political enemies, the former chancellors Li Zongmin and Niu Sengru, and therefore, even though no evidence was found at Zhaoyi that Li Zongmin and Niu were in secret communications with Liu Congjian, had Liu Congjian's secretary Zheng Qing (郑庆) claim that Liu Congjian would burn letters from Li Zongmin and Niu after reading them. Emperor Wuzong had Zheng report to the Office of the Imperial Censors, and subsequently, Li Hui and Zheng Ya, handling the investigations, indicated that they believed Zheng Qing's accusations. In anger, Emperor Wuzong had Li Zongmin and Niu exiled.

In 845, Li Hui was made Zhongshu Shilang (中书侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau, and chancellor de facto with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中书门下平章事). He also continued to oversee the ministry of census.

During Emperor Xuānzongs reign

Emperor Wuzong died in 846 and was succeeded by his uncle Emperor Xuānzong. As Emperor Xuānzong despised Li Deyu for his hold on power, he had Li Deyu removed from his chancellor post and sent out of the capital. Li Hui, meanwhile, remained as chancellor and oversaw the building of Emperor Wuzong's tomb, but in 847 was also sent out of the capital to serve as the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan). That winter, with Li Deyu accused of having wrongly killed Wu Xiang (吴湘) on charges of corruption and forced marriage with a commoner — a case that both Li Hui and Zheng Ya were both involved in reviewing and affirming the death sentence of — Li Hui was demoted to be the governor (观察使, Guanchashi) of Hunan Circuit (湖南, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan) and prefect of its capital Tan Prefecture (in modern Changsha, Hunan). Emperor Xuānzong was then set to further give him the empty title of Taizi Binke (太子宾客), an advisor to the Crown Prince (there being no crown prince at the time) and having his office at the eastern capital Luoyang, when an imperial attendant objected to it as being an overly lenient punishment. Li Hui was thereafter demoted to be the prefect of Fu Prefecture (抚州, in modern Fuzhou, Jiangxi). (It was from Emperor Xuānzong's edict that it could be attested that Li Hui carried the title of Duke of Longxi, which was not otherwise mentioned in his biographies.)

Divergent accounts of late career and death

It is from this point on that the Old Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang accounts substantially diverged as to the rest of Li Hui's career and life. According to the Old Book of Tang, after the main chancellors of Emperor Xuānzong's reign, Bai Minzhong and Linghu Tao, were no longer chancellors — which would probably mean sometime around 861, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong's son Emperor Yizong, as that was the end of Bai's second term as chancellor, Li Hui was recalled to Chang'an to serve as the minister of defense (兵部尚书, Bingbu Shangshu), and then again sent out to Xichuan to serve as its military governor. He died there and was given posthumous honors, including the posthumous name of Wenyi (文懿, "civil and benevolent"). The New Book of Tang, however, indicated that Li Hui died at Fu Prefecture, and that in 855 Emperor Xuānzong, still emperor at that point, posthumously restored the offices of governor of Hunan and ministry of defense to him.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 173.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 131.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 247, 248.

家世及早期仕途

李躔出自唐朝宗室郇王房，为唐高祖叔父追封郇王李禕之子长平郡王李叔良六世孙。李躔祖父李峻崿官至泗水令，父李如仙官至奉先令。

唐穆宗长庆（821年-824年）初年，李躔中进士，又登贤良方正制科能直言极谏第四等，在义成、淮南幕府为从事、掌书记，又召回长安为监察御史，又为京兆府户曹，转司录参军。后又升为补阙、起居郎，因有吏才，能处理一切经手的事务，为宰相李德裕所欣赏。授职方员外郎，判户部案，又改任吏部员外郎，判南曹，又改刑部员外郎，知御史台杂事，赐绯。唐文宗开成（836年-840年）初年在殿中御史任上得考功员外郎知制诰张次宗推荐，升库部郎中，知制诰，拜中书舍人，赐金紫服。

唐武宗年间

开成五年（840年）唐文宗崩，弟唐武宗继位，因武宗名李瀍，李躔改名李回以避讳。李德裕成为首相，李回拜工部侍郎，转户部侍郎，判本司事。会昌三年（843年），以刑部侍郎兼御史中丞。奏监察御史郑亚为刑部郎中知杂事。也曾因水灾受命与宰相及左仆射王起同审理御史台京兆府囚徒。

同年，唐武宗准备大举讨伐在养父和伯父昭义节度使刘从谏死后未经朝廷授权即控制昭义的军阀刘稹。武宗担心河北实质独立的三镇何弘敬治下的魏博、王元逵治下的成德、张仲武治下的卢龙和昭义结盟，七月，原本在延英殿宣诏派鸿胪卿张贾为使，但李德裕等宰相认为张贾虽然有才且懂军务，但性刚负气可能导致不愉快，建议改派李回，若御史台缺人，则可派兵部侍郎郑涯。于是武宗派李回充幽州、镇、魏等道宣慰，宣慰三镇，只要和朝廷联合对抗昭义军，就并无干涉内政之意。因李回有辩才，三镇皆服从朝廷命令发兵讨刘稹。此外，李回还受命出使卢龙军部幽州缓和张仲武和河东节度使刘沔之间的敌对关系，两唐书<李回传>都称他成功完成了这个任务，但《资治通鉴》称他并不成功，武宗最终调走刘沔以免昭义战事横生枝节。张仲武本怀疑刘稹无辜，但在李回说了刘从谏的恶行、僭越、奢侈后，义愤，认为刘氏应当为朝廷诛灭。

昭义战事进行的同时，武宗还要处理党项族入侵。武宗采纳李德裕建议，十一月，以子兖王李岐为灵、夏等六道元帅兼安抚党项大使，李回为安抚党项副使和事实上的主事者，史馆修撰郑亚为元帅判官，赍诏书前往安抚党项及六镇百姓。期间李回曾奏闻黠戛斯与唐朝相约夹击回鹘馀部事。

会昌四年（844年），因李德裕指出朝廷只宣慰了河朔三镇而没有派使者宣慰忠武节度使王宰、河中节度使石雄，推荐李回再为使宣慰二人及问清破敌期限。李回到蒲东督战，王宰、石雄在道左谒见，李回看著左右呼叫直史，责令破敌期限，王宰等震恐，约定六十天取潞州，否则死。五十七天后，刘稹被部下都押牙郭谊所杀，后者以昭义投降朝廷军。李德裕想趁机报复政敌前宰相封州刺史李宗闵和太子太傅东都留守牛僧孺。他未能在昭义找到两人私通刘从谏的证据，就让刘从谏孔目官郑庆称刘从谏每次读完李、牛的书信就将其焚毁。武宗将郑庆交御史台审问，受理此案的李回和郑亚都认为郑庆所言为真。武宗怒贬李、牛。

会昌五年（845年）五月，李回以户部侍郎判户部事累加中书侍郎，授同中书门下平章事为实质宰相，充集贤殿大学士，仍判户部。转门下侍郎，历户、吏二部尚书。

唐宣宗年间

会昌六年（846年），唐武宗崩，叔唐宣宗继位。宣宗不满李德裕专权，罢其相位，遣出京城。李回维持相位，为武宗山陵使，但大中元年（847年）八月他也被遣出京城任成都尹、西川节度使。李商隐《樊南文集》有《为荥阳公上西川李相公状》。大中二年（848年）正月，李德裕被弹劾误以盗用粮钱及强娶民女之罪杀江都令吴湘，李回和郑亚当时在覆核和确认对吴湘处以死刑时都有责任，李回因而以剑南西川节度、光禄大夫、检校吏部尚书、同平章事、成都尹、上柱国、陇西郡开国公、食邑二千户被贬为湖南观察使、潭州刺史。当月，李商隐曾为他作《为湖南座主陇西公贺马相公登庸启》以贺新任宰相马植。李回不久又以湖南都团练观察处置等使、光禄大夫、行潭州刺史兼御史大夫、上柱国、陇西郡开国公、食邑二千户被贬为行太子宾客空衔（当时并无皇太子），分司东都洛阳。有给事中反对，认为惩罚过轻，于是九月又贬持节贺州诸军事、贺州刺史。后又迁抚州刺史。

后期仕途和过世的分歧记载

李回后来的生涯和经历在两唐书中自此出现了分歧。据《旧唐书》，宣宗年间的主要宰相白敏中、令狐綯卸任后，大约在白敏中第二次拜相任期结束时即唐懿宗年间的咸通二年（861年），李回被召回长安任兵部尚书，又再次被遣出为成都尹、西川节度使，在那里过世，赠司徒，谥文懿。但《新唐书》称李回卒于抚州，大中九年（855年），唐宣宗追复他为湖南观察使，赠刑部尚书。

《唐摭言》载：太和初年李回任京兆府参军时，不送刚中进士的魏谟，魏谟很记恨。会昌年间李回为刑部侍郎，魏谟为御史中丞，提起当初李回不送魏谟之事，李回说如今也不送，魏谟更愤恨。李回被贬为建州刺史，魏谟拜相，李回的上疏魏谟都不采纳。后来李回将一衙官杖责停职，衙官愤恨自己因停职损失收入，逃到京城找宰相喊冤，宰相们都不问，旁人告知魏谟素与李回有隙，可找魏谟。于是衙官找到魏谟，论事二十馀件，第一件是李回娶同姓女入门。当时李回已迁邓州刺史，行到九江，被御史问罪，只得回建州，最终因罪被贬为抚州司马，卒于任上。

郁贤皓《唐刺史考全编》未列李回任抚州刺史及第二次任西川节度使事，且据大中五年十月魏谟拜相直至十一年罢相，考证李回被贬建州刺史当在魏谟拜相时。《稽神录》载建州有梨山庙，被当地人称为「故相李回之庙」，李回去世当年，建安人都梦到李回乘白马入梨山。此记载可佐证李回曾被贬建州刺史。六年邓州刺史为苏庄，九年刺史为薛弘宗，李回被迁邓州刺史当在此间。

作品

• 《文武常参官准例置引马奏》

• 《常参官兼宪官序立依前遵守奏》

评价

• 《旧唐书》史臣曰：惟回奉使命而喻籓臣，救危邦而除宿憾。

• 《新唐书》赞曰：周之卿士，周、召、毛、原，皆同姓国也。唐宰相以宗室进者九人。林甫奸谀，几亡天下。李程和柔，在位无所发明。其馀以材称职，号贤宰相。秦、隋弃亲侮贤，皆二世而灭。周、唐任人不疑，得亲亲用贤之道，飨国长久。呜呼盛欤！

子孙

• 滑州观察巡官李知柔

• 兴平尉李埙，字潜光

• 山南东道节度掌书记李筠，字礼符

　• 江陵令李少微

• 李小驾

族曾孙李涛、李瀚。

注释及参考文献