Li Cai

Family and education

His father was 李遂 (d. 1566), his grandfather 李萬平, and his great-grandfather 李與鎬; his mother was 賴氏 and his stepmother 晏氏.

His seven elder brothers were 李栻 (born 1527), 李檟, 李惠, 李格, 李杭, 李悳, and 李椽; his four younger brothers were 李楠, 李慈, 李樞, and 李榛. His wife was 姜氏, followed by a second wife, 丘氏; his son was 李熲.

His examination record includes shengyuan (生員), xianggong juren (鄉貢舉人), and jinshi (進士); the xianggong juren entry is numbered 61, and he placed twelfth in the Second Class of the jinshi examination. His jinshi year is given as the forty-first year of the Jiajing reign, or alternatively as a “嘉靖戊戌進士.”

Career

After the jinshi examination, he was appointed to 刑部主事. His offices also included 兵部郎中, a Guangdong qianshi (僉事), a fushi (副使), a canzheng (參政), a 布政使司參政, an 按察使, a 右僉都御史, and a Yunnan 右參政; his postings included the capital, Guangdong, Erhai Guard, and Yunnan.

During the Longqing era he served as a Guangdong qianshi and repeatedly defeated wokou raiders. In the eleventh year of Wanli he became right canzheng in Yunnan, and in the thirteenth year he became anchashi; while in Yunnan, he brought the two tusi polities of Mengyang and Manmo under control to check Burma. He was later promoted to 右僉都御史 and given responsibility for Yunyang.

Because he assigned office soldiers to serve his students, a disturbance broke out, and he returned to his native place pending investigation; he was later imprisoned in connection with an accusation that he had “虛張功伐” in Yunnan. Accounts differ over his banishment: one says that people from the frontier petitioned the court on his behalf, after which he was ordered to serve at Zhenhai Guard; another says that, after being impeached for “冒功,” he was sent to Zhenhai Guard in Fujian.

Teaching and associations

Originally a disciple of 鄒守益, he took leave and returned home because he felt his learning was incomplete, and discussed learning with 唐樞, 王畿, and 錢德洪. Wherever he went, he gathered students to teach; even in prison, people continued to seek his instruction. 徐即登 and 李廷止 studied under him.

His correspondence included letters he sent to 許孚遠, 胡直, 陳吾德, 張位, 舒化, 曾同亨, and 李贄, as well as letters he received from 王畿.

Works and posthumous associations

His works include 《學古知本圖說》, 《敩學錄》, 《經正錄》, and 《觀我堂稿》; other titles associated with him are 《李見羅書》, 《將就紀》, 《觀我堂摘稿》, and 《正學堂稿》.

高攀龍 and 顧憲成 wrote prefaces to his works, while 湯兆京 and 謝兆申 wrote 祭文 for him.