Li Tingji

Life

Early in life, he entered the Taixue as a tribute student. In the fourth year of Longqing (1570), he placed first in the Shuntian provincial examination; in the eleventh year of Wanli (1583), he again placed first in the metropolitan examination, took second in the jinshi ranking as the bangyan, and received appointment as a compiler.

His recorded family included his great-grandfather Li Minfu (李敏輔), grandfather Li Pu (李璞), father Li Zongyu (李宗禹), and mother Chen; his younger brother was Li Tingcai (李廷材), his wife Lin, and his sons Li Qitong (李啟同) and Li Qixiong (李啟熊). He was a student of Huang Motang (黃墨堂).

After his appointment as a compiler, he rose through the offices to jijiu, making strictness the guiding principle of instruction. He later became Vice Minister of Personnel in Nanjing, concurrently overseeing the Ministries of Revenue and Works with meticulous administrative management, and was summoned as Left Vice Minister of Rites. In the twenty-fifth year of Wanli, he served as Junior Vice Director of the Directorate of the Heir Apparent; in the following year, he became Vice Minister of Personnel in Nanjing.

His entry into the Grand Secretariat is dated either to the thirty-fourth year of Wanli (1606) or to the thirty-fifth year. At that point he was Minister of Rites concurrently serving as Grand Academician of the Eastern Pavilion and participating in state deliberations; he later became Grand Academician of the Wenyuan Cabinet and served as chief grand councillor. Accounts of his time in the Grand Secretariat and in power also differ: one gives six months in the Secretariat and nine months in power, while another gives six years in the Secretariat and nine months in power.

Political conflict and retirement

After entering the Grand Secretariat, court critics accused him of privately exchanging favors with Shen Shixing, Shen Yiguan, and others; memorials of impeachment followed, and Li Tingji repeatedly requested permission to leave office and ceased attending to affairs until his request was granted in the fortieth year of Wanli. In the thirty-sixth year of Wanli (1608), officials discussing the culpability of chief grand councillor Zhu Geng also implicated Li Tingji; he shut himself in for several months, while the newly appointed grand councillor Ye Xianggao handled the Secretariat’s affairs.

Attacks continued for several years. Li Tingji resolved to resign, sold his Beijing property to provide relief to the poor, sent his relatives back to Quanzhou, and secluded himself in Zhenwu Temple; he sought retirement for five full years and submitted 120 memorials, but the emperor remained unresponsive, and he eventually returned to his native place on his own. In the fortieth year of Wanli (1612), he was finally permitted to retire; in the ninth month he was advanced to Grand Protector of the Heir Apparent and returned home, dying four years later and receiving the posthumous honors of Lesser Protector and Wenjie.

Character and public affairs

Li Tingji was regarded as incorruptible and firm in matters, but also as stubborn and lacking a sense of the larger situation. During his participation in government, Sichuan Grand Coordinator Qiao Bixing wanted to attack An Yaochen of Zhenxiong but could not resolve the dispute with the Guizhou authorities; Li Tingji firmly advocated withdrawing the troops, after which nothing came of the expedition, and commentators praised his judgment.

Writings and associations

He wrote the twenty-eight-juan Li Wenjie ji. The collection preserves letters sent to Yang Daobin (楊道賓), replies to Ye Xianggao (葉向高), and a letter from Tang Xianzu (湯顯祖); Zhao Shiqing (趙世卿) and Tao Wangling (陶望齡) wrote prefaces to works by him.