Background and early career

It is not known when Li Wei was born. He was from the Guzang Branch of the Li clan of Longxi, which, like the Tang dynasty's imperial clan, claimed ancestry from Li Gao, the founder of the Sixteen Kingdoms period state Western Liang—with the Tang imperial clan descended from Li Gao's second son Li Xin (Western Liang's second duke) and Li Wei's ancestors descended from Li Gao's eighth son Li Fan (李翻) and Li Fan's son, the prominent Northern Wei general Li Bao (李寶). Subsequent male-line ancestors of Li Wei's served as officials of Northern Wei, the Sui dynasty, and Tang. Li Wei's grandfather Li Shanggong (李上公) served as the director of the archival bureau (秘書監, Mishu Jian), while his father Li Jingsu (李景素) served on the staff of a crown prince.

Li Wei himself passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class late in Emperor Wenzong's Kaifeng era (836–840) and was made an assistant to the military governor (jiedushi) of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan, Hubei). At some point thereafter, he apparently served as an assistant to the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi). Late in the Huichang era (841–847) of Emperor Wenzong's brother and successor Emperor Wuzong, he passed a special imperial examination for those who made good rulings and was thereafter made an imperial censor with the title Jiancha Yushi (監察御史). He thereafter served as director of imperial palace affairs (殿中監, Dianzhong Jian). In 853, by which time Emperor Wuzong's uncle Emperor Xuānzong was emperor, Li Wei became in charge of the affairs of the Office of Censors. Thereafter, he became in charge of drafting imperial edicts and was made Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng).

During Emperor Yizongs reign

In 864, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong's son Emperor Yizong, Li Wei was put in charge of the imperial examinations for that year at the ministry of rites (禮部, Libu). In 865, he was made the deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, Libu Shilang), and he was subsequently made Shangshu You Cheng (尚書右丞), one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng). As he considered Emperor Yizong overly devout in Buddhism—with the emperor often holding grand feasts for large groups of Buddhist monks in the palace—he submitted a lengthy petition asking the emperor to curb his ways. Emperor Yizong praised him for the advice, but did not follow it. Li Wei later served as the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the region of the capital Chang'an), and then the minister of worship (太常卿, Taichang Qing). Yet later, he served as the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), then of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu). When his term as the military governor of Huainan was over, the people petitioned to have him remain as military governor, and Emperor Yizong agreed to a one-year extension.

During Emperor Xizongs reign

At some point, Li Wei was recalled to Chang'an, and in 875, by which time he was chief imperial censor (御史大夫, Yushi Daifu), he was made Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau, and given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor de facto.

Little is known about Li Wei's acts as a chancellor. In 878, he was removed from his chancellor position and made the defender of the eastern capital Luoyang. In 879, after Cui Jikang (崔季康) the military governor of Hedong was killed in a mutiny, and Cui's successor Li Kan (李侃) was not well liked by the soldiers, the imperial government decided that, because Li Wei had previously treated the people of Hedong well when he served there, to make him military governor. He arrived there late in 879 but died just three days after arrival.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 178.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 181.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 252, 253.

生平

早期仕途

唐文宗開成五年（840年）為禮部侍郎李景讓所選，中進士，被任為山南東道節度使從事。唐武宗會昌（840年－846年）末年，因通過書判拔萃考試，拜監察御史，轉殿中監。唐宣宗大中年間曾在將仕郎守殿中侍御史任上被任為侍御史，七年（853年），以員外郎知御史台雜事，不久知制誥，轉郎中，正拜中書舍人。

唐懿宗年間

唐懿宗咸通五年（864年）十月，權知禮部貢舉。六年（865年），拜禮部侍郎，累次升官轉尚書右丞。不久拜京兆尹、太常卿。七年（866年）尚在京兆尹任。八年（867年）十月，懿宗以中書舍人劉允章權知禮部貢舉，以時任吏部侍郎李蔚、盧匡、兵部員外郎薛崇、司勛員外郎崔殷夢考吏部宏詞選人。唐懿宗常在宮中設大宴招待大群僧人，以旃檀為二高座，賜安國寺給僧人，每逢八日就給一萬僧人賜飯。李蔚認為他過度熱衷佛教，上了一篇長疏，引狄仁傑、姚元崇、辛替否所言，請求懿宗改變方針。懿宗下詔嘉獎他，但沒有遵從。九年（868年）正月，出為檢校刑部尚書、汴州刺史、御史大夫，充宣武節度、汴宋亳觀察處置等使。曾兼亳州太清宮使，十年（869年）九月，傳變軍首領龐勛及其餘黨因太上老君顯靈而覆滅，李蔚上奏此事，詔李蔚謝老君並公告天下。任內潛心學道，修建道觀。十一年（870年）十一月，遷檢校吏部尚書、揚州大都督府長史，兼淮南節度副大使、知節度事。十二年（871年），在軍部廣陵建大旆。任用鹽鐵小吏吳堯卿。任期滿受代時，百姓去宮門請求讓他留任，于是懿宗同意讓他多留任一年。闢殿中侍御史柳玭為掌書記。任上，他還建造了水池和亭子，命名亭子為「賞心亭」。

唐僖宗年間

後李蔚被召回長安。乾符元年（874年）四月，為吏部尚書。二年（875年）六月，在御史大夫、吏部尚書任上被拜為中書侍郎，授同中書門下平章事，為實質宰相，與崔彥昭、鄭畋同列。九月，由銀青光祿大夫進金紫光祿大夫。

李蔚在宰相任內的作為幾無記載，僅知賞識有詩名的羅隱，及遷河南縣令張讀為駕部郎中、知制誥。乾符五年（878年）九月以門下侍郎、吏部尚書罷為檢校尚書左僕射、檢校司空、充東都留守、東畿汝都防禦使。乾符六年（879年），河東節度使崔季康在兵變中被殺，繼任者李侃不為士兵所喜，八月，朝廷因李蔚曾任太原從事，在太原府有惠政，任時任特進、檢校司空、東都留守的李蔚為檢校司徒、同平章事，兼太原尹、北都留守、充河東節度觀察，兼代北行營招討供軍等使。閏十月，李蔚到任，但次日就病倒，兩天後即暴斃而死。如前任竇澣、李侃一樣，他雖以重臣鎮守太原，也未能遏制當時生亂的沙陀勢力。

《新唐書·陸龜蒙傳》稱李蔚、盧攜素日交好隱士陸龜蒙，拜相後召拜左拾遺，詔書才下，陸龜蒙卒。但李蔚早在乾符五年即罷相，陸龜蒙約卒于中和元年（881年），盧攜也在之前的廣明元年（880年）被罷相、自殺，此記載存疑。

家族

李蔚出自隴西李氏姑臧房，李蔚祖父李上公官至司農卿，元和初年為陝虢觀察使。父李景素官至太子庶子。

子李渥，禮部侍郎；李洵；李涗，字殷澤。

從孫李戴。李戴子李貽業。

延伸閱讀