| | Li Shan, courtesy name Cisun, was a native of Nanyang. He was originally a choutou from the same county as Li Yuan. During the middle of the Jianwu era, a plague broke out, and members of Yuan's family died one after another. Only the orphan Xu had been born just several months earlier, yet he inherited assets worth millions. The various slaves and servants secretly conspired to plot against Xu in order to kill him and divide the property. Shan then secretly carried Xu away, hiding in the border area of Shanyang Xiaqiu, personally feeding and nursing him, producing breast milk to sustain his life. Xu, as a child, treated him with the same reverence as an elder master; whenever there was something to do, he would always kneel respectfully and ask for permission first before proceeding. The local community was moved by his conduct, and all followed suit in cultivating righteousness. When Xu reached the age of ten, Shan returned with him to his native county, restored the former family business, and reported the slaves and servants to the local officials, who arrested and executed them all. At that time Zhongli Yi was the magistrate of Xiaqiu; he submitted a memorial recommending an account of Shan's virtuous conduct.
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