Background and service during Tang Dynasty

Li Qi was born in 871, during the reign of Emperor Yizong of Tang. His ancestors had been Tang Dynasty officials for generations, and his fifth-generation ancestor Li Cheng (李憕) was particularly well known for his faithfulness to Tang during the An-Shi Rebellion, during the early stage of which he served as the defender of the eastern capital Luoyang and was killed by An Lushan for refusing to surrender, after An captured the city. Li Qi's father Li Hu (李縠) served as a secretary to Wang Duo, who was the overall commander of Tang forces against the great rebellion led by Huang Chao during the reign of Emperor Yizong's son Emperor Xizong.

When Li Qi was 12, he was already writing poems well enough that he became known to Wang, but Wang had some suspicions whether the child actually wrote the poems himself, or someone else wrote them for him. On one occasion, when Wang invited Li Hu to a meal at his office, he secretly sent a messenger to go test Li Qi, requiring him to write a poem dedicated to the three great subjects who helped Emperor Gao of Han in establishing Han Dynasty (i.e., Xiao He, Han Xin, and Zhang Liang). Li Qi wrote the poem quickly. Wang was greatly shocked by the child's talent and was particularly impressed with the final stanza, and he stated, "This child has great talent. He will dominate the field of literature."

During the subsequent reign of Emperor Xizong's brother Emperor Zhaozong, the official Li Xi and Li Xi's son were both well known for their literary abilities. At that time, Li Qi was 17, and he submitted a scroll of his poems to Li Xi. Li Xi read his poems and was surprised. He welcomed Li Qi into his mansion and stated to him, "I had been disappointed that, in the recent years, when the literati wrote poems, they only wrote several lines without giving their poems titles. You, son, not only wrote beautiful sentences, but wrote just as beautiful titles. I am afraid of you." After this incident, Li Qi became even more well-known. At some point, he passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class. (His older brother Li Ting (李珽) also did at some point.) Later, early in Emperor Zhaozong's Tianfu era (901-904), he further passed a special imperial examination for those who were well-learned and capable of writing. He then served as the sheriff of Wugong County (武功, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi). He later successively served as a surveyor for the director of supplies; Zuo Shiyi (左拾遺), a low-level consultant at the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng); and an imperial censor with the title of Dianzhong Shi Yushi (殿中侍御史). It was said that ever since he began serving as an imperial censor, if he saw an inappropriate policy, he would submit a petition discussing it, and that his writing was so beautiful that the reader would be entranced by it.

Service during Later Liang

During the subsequent Later Liang, both Li Qi and his older brother Li Ting were well-known to Later Liang's founder Emperor Taizu, who made Li Ting Chongzheng Xueshi (崇政學士), a scholar at the office of palace communications. Li Qi was promoted from his Zuo Shiyi position, initially to be the higher rank of Zuo Bujue (左補闕), and then later an imperial scholar (翰林學士, Hanlin Xueshi). He was eventually promoted to be the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang) and chief imperial scholar (翰林學士承旨). It was said that during Emperor Taizu's numerous campaigns against rival states Qi and Jin, Li Qi often accompanied him and was responsible for issuing orders and edicts. During this time, Li Qi gained the reputation for valuing his promises, discovering talents, rewarding the good, and having harmony in his household.

During the subsequent reign of Emperor Taizu's son Zhu Zhen, Li served successively as the deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang), deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, Lǐbu Shilang), and deputy minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎, Lìbu Shilang, note different tone). He also was put in charge, along with other officials Feng Xijia (馮錫嘉), Zhang Chong (張充), and Chi Yinxiang (郗殷象), of drafting the a chronicle of Emperor Taizu's reign. He was later made deputy chief imperial censor (御史中丞, Yushi Zhongcheng), and then Shangshu You Cheng (尚書右丞), one of the secretaries general at the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng).

In 920, Li Qi was made Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng), and given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor. It was said that he was in alliance with Zhu's close associates Zhao Yan and Zhang Hanjie (張漢傑), and, because of that association, was often accepting bribes. He was also described to be careless, while his chancellor colleague Xiao Qing was described as careful. However, due to Li's talent, Zhu listened to him more than did Xiao. Xiao secretly collected evidence of Li's faults. He was soon able to show Zhu that whenever acting officials bribed Li, Li would make them full officials. Zhu, in anger, wanted to exile Li, but due to Zhao's and Zhang's intercession, Li was only removed from his chancellor post and given the post Taizi Shaobao (太子少保) — an advisor to the Crown Prince, but an honorary post because there was no crown prince at that time.

Service during Later Tang

During Emperor Zhuangzongs reign

In 923, Later Tang (i.e., Jin, whose prince Li Cunxu had earlier declared himself emperor (as Emperor Zhuangzong), claiming to be the legitimate successor to Tang) captured the Later Liang capital Daliang in a surprise attack; Zhu Zhen committed suicide as the city fell, ending Later Liang, and Later Tang took over Later Liang's territory. It was said that Emperor Zhuangzong had heard of Li Qi's fame before and wanted to give him important offices. In particular, many advisors to Emperor Zhuangzong believed that Guo Chongtao, then the dominating figure at court as Emperor Zhuangzong's chief of staff, was insufficiently well-versed in civilian matters and that he should supplement himself with prior officials with Tang government experience. These advisors tended to recommend Xue Tinggui (薛廷珪) and Li as potential chancellors; however, Guo opposed both, on the grounds that Xue was overly extravagant and Li was too careless. Instead, at Guo's and Doulu Ge's recommendations, Zhao Guangyin and Wei Shuo were made chancellors. Li then successively served as minister of worship (太常卿, Taichang Qing) and the minister of civil service affairs (吏部尚書, Lìbu Shangshu).

In 925, due to major flooding at that time, Emperor Zhuangzong was concerned at the lack of food supplies for his armies. He requested opinion from the imperial officials, and Li Qi submitted a petition in which he advocated properly setting a budget before military actions, reducing tax burdens on the farmers to encourage farming, and filling government coffers by having those who are willing to give money to the government be given titles and offices. Emperor Zhuangzong much approved of Li's suggestions, but the suggestions were not actually implemented. Still, Emperor Zhuangzong made him the director of budgeting (國計使, Guojishi) and was said to be considering promoting him to greater office, when Emperor Zhuangzong himself was killed in a mutiny at the Later Tang capital Luoyang.

During Emperor Mingzongs reign

Emperor Zhuangzong's adoptive brother Li Siyuan, the leader of another major mutiny, soon arrived at Luoyang and took over control of the city, initially with the title of regent. He was preparing to take the throne himself, when a question arose as to what he would be claiming to be the emperor of. His associates Li Shaozhen and Kong Xun, believing that Tang's Mandate of Heaven had ended, advocated that he change the name of the state. Li Siyuan himself, however, felt that his life and career were so connected to Emperor Zhuangzong, his grandfather Li Guochang, and father Li Keyong, such that he could not just become disconnected with them. Li Qi pointed out, if the name of the state was changed, then Li Siyuan would effectively be turning his back on three generation of lords that he served after, and that given his status as an adoptive son, he could take the throne under the Tang name and use the ceremony of an enthroned heir. Li Siyuan agreed, and subsequently took the throne as Emperor Mingzong.

After Emperor Mingzong's taking the throne, his chief of staff An Chonghui became the dominant figure at court. There was an incident where the minor official Ma Yan (馬延) accidentally collided with his train, An had Ma executed on the spot. When Li Qi, who was then apparently serving as the deputy chief imperial censor (御史中丞, Yushi Zhongcheng) reported this to Emperor Mingzong, Emperor Mingzong reacted, at An's request, by issuing an edict blaming the executed-Ma for the incident and declaring that the people should be careful in respecting the senior officials of the state. (It was said that initially, Li was even hesitant to report this incident to Emperor Mingzong at all, and first had the chancellor Ren Huan notify An the reasons why he had to report it, and even then was circumspect in his report.)

By spring 927, after Doulu Ge and Wei Shuo were removed from chancellor positions, there were discussions at court as to who would replace them. By this point, An had come to trust Kong greatly, and at Kong's suggestion, An first recommended Zheng Jue, who was made chancellor, and then recommended Cui Xie. Ren, however, favored Li, but because Zheng disliked Li, Kong became against Li, stating to An, "Li Qi is well-versed in literature, but is corrupt. A chancellor should be upright and tolerant, so that he could be a leader to the officials." At a subsequent discussion before Emperor Mingzong, An and Ren got into a heated argument over the merits of Cui and Li. Eventually, Emperor Mingzong commissioned Cui and Feng Dao as chancellors, bypassing Li.

After this dispute, it was said that Li became much suspected by the chancellors, such that they examined his submissions carefully to look for faults. For example, in 929, when Emperor Mingzong was returning to Luoyang from Bian Prefecture (汴州, i.e., Daliang), Li Qi, as the highest-ranked official then at Luoyang, led a group of officials to welcome him. Apparently to praise Emperor Mingzong and the general Wang Yanqiu, who had just defeated the rebellious Wang Du and Wang Du's allied Khitan troops, the military governor (Jiedushi) of Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered at Ding Prefecture (定州), in modern Baoding, Hebei), Li, in his submission to Emperor Mingzong, wrote the sentence, "the violent gang of Khitan has been defeated, and the rebellious city of Zhending (真定) has fallen," and in doing so confused Zhending — the capital of Yiwu's neighboring circuit Chengde (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei) — with Ding Prefecture. When this was pointed out, Li was punished with having one month of salary withheld from him. Also, when the general Huo Yanwei (i.e., Li Shaozhen, who changed his name from the Emperor Zhuangzong-bestowed imperial clan name back to his birth name) died, Li was put in charge of drafting the tomb monument text. As both Li and Huo served Later Liang, Li described Huo's career during Later Liang as if it were under Later Tang, despite that Later Tang officially viewed Later Liang as an illegitimate regime. The chancellors rebuked him and had Emperor Mingzong issue an order for revision.

It was said that Li Qi, while learned and talented, did not have restraint over his behavior and was overly aggressive in the government despite his actually knowing that doing so was risky, because he lacked an ability to calm himself. He was eventually ordered into retirement with the title of Taizi Taifu (太子太傅) — senior advisor to the Crown Prince, but an entirely honorary position since there was no crown prince at the time. He died in 930, at his mansion at Fushan Block (福善里) in Luoyang. Before his death, he compiled a 10-volume collection of edicts that he had written, and published it with the title of Collection of the Golden Door (金門集), and it was said that the work was popular among the people.

家世和效力唐朝

李琪出自隴西李氏敦煌房，五世祖李憕在天寶末年為禮部尚書、東都洛陽留守，在安史之亂中以忠誠顯名，拒絕投降安祿山，洛陽失守時遇害。曾祖李寀，唐憲宗元和年間官至給事中。祖父李敬方，為唐文宗諫議大夫。父李縠，唐僖宗廣明年間，為統軍對黃巢大規模變軍作戰的諸道行營兵馬都統王鐸都統判官，因功為諫議大夫。

李琪十三歲時，已以詞賦詩頌為王鐸所知，但王鐸懷疑那些詩非李琪本人所作而是他人代筆。一次他設宴于公署，邀請李縠，秘密派人去李家，以《漢祖得三傑賦》為題測試李琪，李琪立即寫就，結尾寫道：「得士則昌，非賢罔共，龍頭之友斯貴，鼎足之臣可重，宜哉項氏之敗亡，一范增而不能用。」王鐸讀後為之驚駭，說：「這孩子是大器啊，將來主宰文壇。」十四歲時，再次謁見王鐸，王鐸說：「剛才蜀中詔命到，用夏州拓跋思恭為收複都統，可以作一首詩嗎？」李琪秉筆立就：「飛騎經巴棧，洪恩及夏台。將從天上去，人自日邊來。此處金門遠，何時玉輦回。蚤平關右賊，莫待詔書催。」王鐸更奇之，因而抓著李琪的手曰：「這真是鳳手啊。」次年，丁母憂，流寓齊魯之地，然糠照薪（燒糠照明），把夜晚當白天一樣寫文章，讀書數千卷，期間作詩賦。光啟元年（885年）唐僖宗因內亂出奔，李琪私下作賦：「哀痛不下詔，登封誰上書。」

唐昭宗年間，官員李谿父子以文學知名。李琪時年十八，將一軸賦裝在袖子裡謁見李谿。李谿覽賦驚異，反穿鞋子迎李琪進門，取出李琪所作《調啞鐘》《捧日》等賦，說：「我曾擔心近年文士所作辭賦都在數句之後都沒有賦題，吾子入句見題，而且句子對偶典麗，籲！可畏啊。」此事後，李琪更知名，中進士。兄李珽也中進士。乾寧二年（895年），唐昭宗封河東節度使李克用為晉王，以薛廷珪、李琪為冊使前往河東軍部太原。天複（901年—904年）初，李琪考博學弘詞，居第四等，授武功縣尉，闢轉運巡官，遷左拾遺、殿中侍御史。每看到不當政策，他就上章議論，文章秀麗，讀者忘倦。昭宗逃難時，李琪隱居荊、楚間，自隱來歷，號華原李長官。堂兄李光符為宜都長官，曾厭薄他。李琪寂寞，每臨流踞石、摘樹葉時試草制詞，籲嗟怏悵，將樹葉投入水中。

效力後梁

後梁代唐後，李琪、李珽兄弟齊名，為梁開國皇帝後梁太祖所知，李珽被其任為崇政學士，李琪則被征為左補闕，再入為翰林學士，獲賜大硯瓦。開平（907年—911年）初年，兩浙百姓上言請為尚父、吳越國王錢鏐立生祠，太祖同意，令李琪撰生祠堂碑以賜。乾化二年（912年）二月，太祖至貝州，命四丞相、李琪及其學士同僚盧文度、知制誥竇賞等十五人扈從。累遷戶部侍郎、翰林承旨。太祖多對敵國岐、晉及燕趙等地用兵，李琪常隨駕居帳中，專掌文書，作文合太祖意，寵遇過人。其名播于海內。他重諾，憐才，獎善，家門和睦。

梁末帝朱瑱貞明年間，李琪歷任兵部、禮部、吏部侍郎，受命與馮錫嘉、張充、郗殷象同撰《梁太祖實錄》三十卷，但敘述不工，事多漏略。遷御史中丞，累擢尚書左丞。李琪不喜要員劉昌素為人，因而善待與劉昌素同年進士卻互相詬罵不親近的盧損。李琪的妹妹瞎了一隻眼睛，長年嫁不出去，就嫁給盧損，盧損慕李琪聲譽而娶其妹。

貞明六年（920年），李琪被任為中書侍郎，授同中書門下平章事，為實質宰相。盧損也受到提拔，累遷至右司員外郎。儒生王延以所作賦謁見李琪，李琪看後欣然說：「最近作賦到這個地步的人很難得，王生升我堂矣。」薦為即墨縣令。于是士人稱讚王延。李琪仗著朱瑱近臣皇姐夫租庸使、戶部尚書趙岩、國舅張漢傑的勢力，收受賄賂。李琪性疏俊，倜儻負氣，不拘小節，而同僚宰相蕭頃謹慎細密。但因李琪有才，中書省多按他而非蕭頃的意思辦事。蕭頃秘密收集李琪的錯誤。他很快對朱瑱奏稱凡有攝官對李琪行賄，李琪就任他們為正職官。朱瑱大怒，想把李琪流放到遠方，但因趙岩、張漢傑左右，只罷為太子少保，當是沒有皇太子，這隻是榮銜。

效力後唐

莊宗年間

天祐二十年（923年），李克用之子晉王李存勖稱帝，自稱唐朝合法繼承者，建立後唐，即莊宗皇帝。同光元年（923年），他突襲攻克梁都城大梁，朱瑱自殺，梁亡，全境為唐所並。莊宗素聞李琪名，欲大任。議者以為主導朝政的樞密使郭崇韜以勛臣身份為宰相，不知朝廷典故，當用唐朝名家輔佐之。李琪與禮部尚書薛廷珪因曾為晉王冊禮使，有德望也有文才，都被推薦為宰相。但郭崇韜反對他們，指薛廷珪浮華、李琪粗疏。在郭崇韜和宰相豆盧革推薦下，尚書左丞趙光胤和禮部侍郎韋說被任為宰相。梁舊臣也多嫉妒忌恨李琪。二年（924年）三月，李琪被任為刑部尚書。九月，奏請廢止後梁法律，行唐文宗時法律《開成格》。

三年（925年）六月，充昭宗、少帝改卜園陵禮儀使。七月，充大行皇太后山陵禮儀使，以刑部尚書、判太常卿兼判吏部尚書銓事改任為吏部尚書，依前判太常卿。九月，郭崇韜出兵伐前蜀前，奏稱如果宰相有缺，首推鄴都副留守張憲，其次則身為中原士族富有文學的李琪、御史中丞崔居儉，可擇而任之。十月，莊宗奉皇太后尊謚寶冊赴西京長安錄座，以李琪讀寶文，百官素服列隊于長壽宮門外奉慰。當年秋，大水，莊宗憂心軍糧不足，閏十二月，徵集百官意見，李琪上疏數千言，引古田租之法和從權救弊之道，主張在用兵前合理預算，減輕農民稅負以鼓勵農事，對給政府送錢的人授以官爵，可充國庫。莊宗很贊同，下詔褒獎，敕令有司執行，卻沒有得到貫徹。四年（926年）二月，莊宗命李琪為國計使，將用為輔相，但四月卻在洛陽的興教門之變中被殺。

明宗年間

另一起兵變的領導者莊宗養兄李嗣源很快到洛陽接管，始稱監國，又準備稱帝，但不知是否當改國號。其近臣武寧節度使李紹真、樞密使孔循認為唐朝國祚已盡，建議改國號。李嗣源卻認為自己的一生和莊宗及莊宗祖父李國昌、父李克用關繫緊密，與他們是一家人。李琪指出改國號則是背棄三代舊主，李嗣源作為李克用養子是可以繼承後唐帝位的，宜用以嗣子身份于柩前即位之禮。李嗣源同意了，即位為明宗皇帝。明宗初即位，命百官每五天隨宰相入見內殿，稱為「起居」，李琪認為不是舊禮，請求罷之，只是每月朔望日才召百官入閣賜食。但天成元年（926年）五月明宗仍宣詔在朔望入閣以外仍恢復五日起居，並成為定例。

樞密使安重誨主導朝政。六月，李琪在吏部尚書、判太常卿事任上被任為御史大夫。當月，安重誨前驅過御史台門，被殿直馬延不慎衝撞，安重誨斬之于馬前再上奏。李琪害怕安重誨，不敢彈劾，又怕諫官議論，托宰相任圜先知會安重誨，再報告明宗，但仍然遲疑不敢直言。七月，明宗則在安重誨請求下，下詔責馬延衝撞重臣，戒諭中外。李琪又奏論四夷來朝之禮，經太常寺討論，明宗下詔大蕃入朝時按舊儀，于正殿排比鋪陳立仗，百官排班，于正門引入使者對見。十月，三上表請辭。

豆盧革和韋說都被罷相後，二年（927年）正月，朝廷議論代之者。當時安重誨很信任孔循，在孔循推薦下，安重誨推薦太子賓客鄭玨，鄭玨被任為宰相，安重誨再推薦太常卿崔協。任圜欲用李琪，但鄭玨素來厭惡李琪，孔循也因而反對李琪，對安重誨說：「李琪不是沒文學，但是不廉。宰相應該端重有器度，才足為官員之首。朝論認為莫如崔協。」後來安重誨與任圜在明宗面前熱烈爭論崔協和李琪的優點。安重誨私下對任圜說：「現在正缺人，讓崔協暫且當一下可以嗎？」任圜說：「李琪才藝相當于時下一百人，而讒夫巧言阻其進用，忌害其能，明公舍李琪而相崔協，猶如棄蘇合丸而取蛣蜣轉丸。」安重誨笑而止。孔循每天說李琪的短處而稱讚崔協，最終明宗任崔協和端明殿學士馮道為宰相，忽略了李琪。李琪託病三度上章請老，朝廷不允，二月，除授（拜官授職）尚書右僕射。同年刑部侍郎、權判太常卿馬縞奏請明宗別立親廟，追尊生身父祖為「皇」，得李琪等認可，但明宗想追尊生身父祖為皇帝，李琪等又請追尊明宗生身父祖為皇帝，曾祖、高祖為皇。在鄭玨合群議所奏下，最後明宗追尊四代生身先祖為皇帝。李琪上書中書省稱按《開元禮》「上事日合有恩賜百官酒食」「僕射上事日，中書、門下率百官送上」，中書省下發太常寺，太常寺說查《開元禮》無「送上」之文，亦無恩賜酒食之事。

前次拜相之爭後，李琪為宰相們所疑，他們仔細檢查他的上表，尋找錯漏，導致李琪所奏事多被阻攔。三年（928年）五月，為太子少傅，當時並無皇太子，這完全是榮銜。四年（929年），明宗討滅叛將義武軍節度使王都，從汴州回洛陽，李琪時為東都留守，奏請率百官至偃師奉迎。為讚揚明宗和北面招討使王晏球敗王都及其契丹盟軍，李琪在所進《賀平中山王都表》中寫道「敗契丹之凶黨，破真定之逆城」，將義武軍軍部定州誤作鄰鎮成德軍的軍部真定，被馮道指責，罰俸一月。平盧節度使、改回原名霍彥威的李紹真去世，李琪奉命撰《霍彥威神道碑》，因與霍彥威都曾效力後梁，李琪將霍彥威在梁的履歷寫得如同在唐一般，出于個人感情不稱梁為偽朝。中書省為此指責他，並奏請明宗下詔重修，明宗從之。

李琪因善作文而自負，顯貴後，在牙版上刻金字「前鄉貢進士李琪」，常置于座側。李琪雖博學多才，卻不持重，不知進退收斂，明知具有攻擊性是冒險之舉，仍然因不能自我鎮靜而為之。最終以太子太傅致仕，當時仍無皇太子，故仍是榮銜。長興元年（930年）四月，明宗御文明殿受冊徽號為聖明神武文德孝恭皇帝，李琪時為特進、太子少傅、上柱國、酒泉郡開國侯、食邑一千戶。十月，李琪卒于洛陽福善里家中。生前，他將所作詔書編為十卷，名為《金門集》，大行于世。子李貞，官至邑宰。

作品

• 《梁啟聖匡運同德功臣、淮南鎮海鎮東等軍節度使、淮南浙江東西等道觀察處置營田招討安撫兼鹽鐵製置發運等使、開府儀同三司尚父守尚書令、揚杭越等州大都督府長史、上柱國吳越王錢公生祠堂碑》

• 《:s:長蘆崇福禪寺僧堂上梁文》

• 《皇天大政論》十卷

• 《金門集》十卷

• 《應用集》三卷

• 《玉堂遺範》三十卷

評價

• 《舊五代史》史臣曰：夫相輔之才，從古難得，蓋文學政事，履行謀猷，不可缺一故也。如數君子者，皆互有所長，亦近代之良相也。如齊公（趙光逢）之明節，李琪之文章，足以圭表搢紳，笙簧典誥，陟之廊廟，宜無愧焉！

注釋及參考文獻