Li Di

Career

The date of Li Di’s examination success is disputed: one account places his first-place Presented Scholar result in the second year of the Jingde era (1005), while another gives the second year of the Jingyou era. He was appointed Jiangzuo Jiancheng, served as tongpan of Xuzhou and Yanzhou, and in the fourth year of Jingde (1007) was promoted to Zhuzuo Lang and Director of the Historiography Institute. In the fourth year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era (1011), he became governor of Bozhou; in the eighth year he governed Yongxing Commandery, and in the ninth served as Shaanxi Circuit Transport Commissioner before entering the Hanlin Academy as Hanlin Academician.

Li Di was well versed in the garrisons and grain provisioning of Shaanxi, which brought him to the attention of Emperor Zhenzong. In the first year of Tianxi (1017) he was appointed Jishizhong and Canzhi Zhengshi; in the fourth year (1020) he became Vice Minister of Personnel concurrently serving as Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi, and succeeded Kou Zhun as chief councillor.

He later fell out with Ding Wei and was sent out as governor of Yunzhou. After Renzong’s accession, during Empress Liu’s regency, he was demoted to Assistant Military Commissioner of Hengzhou; accounts differ as to the reason, connecting it either with his offense to Ding Wei or with his opposition to making Liu empress. He was soon recalled as governor of Shuzhou, and later governed Jiangning, Yan, Qing, Henan, and Heyang.

After Renzong assumed personal rule, in the second year of Mingdao he was summoned from the posts of Minister of Works and governor of Heyang to serve as Grand Academician of the Palace of Political Provisions and Acting Director of the Department of State Affairs, and soon returned to the council. In the second year of Jingyou (1035), he was removed from the governorship of Bozhou; after falling out with Lü Yijian, he was sent to govern Mizhou, Xuzhou, and Yanzhou. He retired as Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent and died in the seventh year of Qingli (1047), aged seventy-seven. His offices and titles also included Right Admonition Grandee, Academician of the Jixian Academy, Vice Minister and Minister of Punishments, Grand Academician of the Palace of Political Provisions, Minister of Works, Military Governor, Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent, Taifu, Taichang Siqing, Taichang Shaoqing, Shizhong, Sikong, Shanghujun, Guogong, Zhongshuling, and Shangshuling, as well as Acting Director of the Department of State Affairs and General Superintendent of Grain Storage and Transport.

Family

His family included his great-grandfather Li Zaiqin, grandfather Li Lingxun, father Li Hu, and brother Li Mai. His great-grandmother Pan was the wife of Li Zaiqin, and his grandmother Bai was the wife of Li Lingxun.

His sons were Li Jianzi, Li Yanchun, Li Huizhi, and Li Buzhi; his sons-in-law were Chen Xigu, Zhang Chong, Xiang Jiang, and Wang Duan. Sun Fu was the husband of a niece, and Zhang Dun a grandson. Collateral nephews included Li Suzhi, Li Jizhi, and Li Chengda; grandchildren included Li Tao and Li Xiaoji, while Li Xiaoshou was a nephew-grandson, Li Pei a great-grandson, and Li Minzhi and Li Shi (the wife of Ding Yiqian) were also identified among his direct descendants.

Associations and writing

Li Di was at odds with Ding Wei and Lü Yijian, and his relationship with Lin Te involved opposition and denunciation. Fan Zhongyan composed a sacrificial text for him, Zhang Fangping wrote his spirit-way inscription, and Song Qi sent him a letter; Zhang Geng once sought to recruit Li Di as a staff adviser but was refused. Two poems by Li Di are recorded among the poems transmitted today.