Li Tao (李濤) (c. 898?–961?), courtesy name Xinchen (信臣), formally the Duke of Ju (莒國公), was an official of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period Chu, Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou, states, as well as the Song dynasty. He briefly served as chancellor during Later Han.
Background Assuming that Li Tao died in 961, he would be born in 898, during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang. He was from Wannian (), one of the two counties making up the Tang dynasty capital Chang'an.History of Song, vol. 262. He was a 10th-generation descendant of Li Yi (), an uncle of Tang's founding emperor Emperor Gaozu and was a great-grandnephew of the Tang chancellor Li Hui.Li Tao's biography in the History of Song actually indicated that this 10th generation ancestor was Li Wei (李瑋) and was a son of Emperor Jingzong, but this account seems implausible given that Emperor Jingzong's reign was from 809 to 827 (less than 100 years prior to Li Tao's birth), and his own biography and the biographies of his sons did not indicate that he had a son named Li Wei. See Old Book of Tang, vols. 17, part 1 and 175. The account used here is based on the Zizhi Tongjian, which asserted that Li Tao was a great-grandnephew of Li Hui's, and the Old Book of Tang, vol. 173, which indicated that Li Hui was a descendant of Li Yi's. See also New Book of Tang, vol. 70, part 1, which gave Li Yi's family tree and included Li Tao as a descendant. His grandfather Li Zhen () served as a county magistrate, while his father Li Yuan () served as the director of palace construction (將作監, Jiangzuo Jian). He had at least one younger brother, Li Huan (), who would later be known for literary capabilities.
In 907, the major warlord Zhu Quanzhong seized the throne, ending Tang and establishing Later Liang. Li Yuan, as he was a member of Tang's imperial clan, feared that disaster would come to him, and therefore took Li Tao to the land of Later Liang's vassal state Chu to look for refuge from Chu's ruler Ma Yin. Ma commissioned Li Tao as the magistrate of Hengyang County (衡陽, in modern Hengyang, Hunan). Li Tao's cousin Li Yu () served in the Later Liang imperial guards and apparently informed Zhu about Li Yuan's and Li Tao's flight to Chu. Zhu ordered Ma to send Li Yuan and Li Tao back to Later Liang proper and made Li Tao the magistrate of Heyang County (河陽, in modern Luoyang, Henan).
During Later Tang Early in the Tiancheng era (926–930) of Later Liang's successor state Later Tang's emperor Li Siyuan, Li Tao passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi () class, and thereafter became an assistant to the prefect of Jin Prefecture (晉州, in modern Linfen, Shanxi), and later successively served as an imperial censor with the title of Jiancha Yushi (), and then You Bujue (), a consultant at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). When Li Siyuan's son Li Conghou the Prince of Song was made the military governor (Jiedushi) of Tianxiong Circuit (天雄, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei), Li Tao was made his assistant in his role as governor (觀察使, Guanchashi).Li Conghou became the military governor of Tianxiong in 931 and was recalled to the capital Luoyang to succeed his father in 933, so Li Tao's service under him must have been during those years. See Old History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 45 and Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 278. After about a year of serving at Tianxiong, Li Tao was recalled to the imperial government to serve as an imperial chronicler (起居舍人, Qiju Sheren).
During Later Jin In 936, Later Tang was destroyed and succeeded by Later Jin, with Li Siyuan's son-in-law Shi Jingtang becoming emperor.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 280. In this new administration, Li Tao received the titles of Kaogong Yuanwailang (考功員外郎, a low-level official at the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, Libu)) and editor of imperial history (史館修撰, Shiguan Xiuzhuan). In 937, when the general Zhang Congbin () rebelled against Shi, but was then quickly defeated, one of Zhang Congbin's chief co-conspirators was Zhang Jizuo (). When Shi was set to slaughter Zhang Jizuo's clan on account of his treason, Li cited the fact that Zhang Jizuo's father Zhang Quanyi had been a great benefactor to the people in rebuilding Luoyang to beg Shi to spare his clan; Shi agreed, and ended up limiting the executions to Zhang Jizuo's wife and children.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 281.
There was a subsequent time when Li served as an imperial emissary to Song Prefecture (宋州, in modern Shangqiu, Henan) to review the farms of the prefecture to revise the taxes to be levied there. The official Yuan Zhengci (), who had an estate at Song, sent Li a gift of textile, trying to get Li to overlook his estate. Li instead revealed this to Shi, who honored him for his honesty. As a result, Yuan was demoted a rank, and Li was made the magistrate of Junyi County (), one of the two counties making up the Later Jin capital Kaifeng. He later was made Bibu Langzhong () and then Xingbu Langzhong (刑部郎中, both supervisory positions at the ministry of justice (刑部, Xingbu)), while also serving as an assistant to the director of salt and iron monopolies specifically dealing with salt monopoly.
In 941, there was an infamous incident where Zhang Yanze the military governor of Zhangyi Circuit (彰義, headquartered in modern Pingliang, Gansu) executed his secretary Zhang Shi () cruellyZizhi Tongjian, vol. 282. and, after Zhang Shi's death, took Zhang Shi's wife as a concubine. After Zhang Shi's father Zhang Duo () went to Shi Jingtang's then-location Yedu (鄴都, i.e., Tianxiong's capital) to plead to the emperor about what happened to his son, Shi removed Zhang Yanze from his post as military governor of Zhangyi. However, even though Zhang Yanze's successor Wang Zhou () then reported that Zhang Yanze had committed 26 crimes at Zhangyi (in addition to what he did to Zhang Shi), Shi took no further actions against Zhang Yanze, on account of Zhang Yanze's past battlefield accomplishments and the fact that Zhang Yanze was related by marriage with the powerful general Yang Guangyuan. A number of officials, including Li, complained bitterly, going as far as to prostrate themselves in front of the palace to plead that Zhang receive the death penalty. When Shi summoned Li to his presence, Li spoke harshly in tone and words, drawing Shi's anger, and Shi ordered him to leave. Li initially did not withdraw and continued arguing, causing Shi to respond, "I already promised to Zhang Yanze that he would not die." Li responded, "Your Imperial Majesty does not want to turn against your words promising life to Zhang Yanze. But, where is Fan Yanguang's iron certificate [(i.e., promise of life)]?"Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 283. (This was a reference to how Fan had rebelled against Shi but was induced into surrendering by promise of an iron certificate guaranteeing his life, but Shi had later subsequently implicitly permitted Yang to have Fan killed.) In anger, Shi walked away. Li subsequently returned to Luoyang and wrote a poem lamenting this incident.
When Shi Jingtang died later in the year and was succeeded by his adoptive son (biological nephew) Shi Chonggui, Li was accused of not visiting the emperor's casket, and was removed from his post. Soon, he was recalled to government service to serve as the magistrate of Luoyang County (the other county making up Luoyang). He then successively served as Tuntian Langzhong (屯田郎中, a supervisory official at the ministry of public works (工部, Gongbu)), and then Zhifang Langzhong (職方郎中, a supervisory official at the ministry of defense (兵部, Bingbu)), and then Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人, a mid-level official at the legislative bureau).
During the Liao incursion Around new year 947, Later Jin was destroyed by the Khitan Liao dynasty's Emperor Taizong — with Zhang Yanze, who had surrendered to Liao, serving as Emperor Taizong's forward commander in taking Liao troops into the Later Jin capital Daliang. Zhang executed a number of Later Jin officials that he had grudges with. Li Tao, believing that he could not escape, decided to go see Zhang, sending a note requesting a meeting and stating, "Li Tao, who had requested that the Taiwei [(太尉, the title that Zhang carried in the Liao government)] be executed, is requesting an audience and asking for death." Zhang gladly received him and stated, "Are you afraid now, Sheren?" Li responded, "Tao's fear today is like the fear that Your Honor had then. If Emperor Gaozu [(i.e., Shi Jingtang)] had followed my words, how can such things happen?" Zhang laughed, drank with him, and released him.Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 285.
During Later Han During Liu Zhiyuan's reign Emperor Taizong claimed to be the emperor of China as well, but soon, there were numerous rebellions that rose against him, and he withdrew from Daliang. The most prominent of the rebels was Liu Zhiyuan, who declared himself emperor of a new state later known as Later Han at his base at Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi).Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 286. When Liu approached Luoyang, Li Tao, along with the other Later Jin officials, went to Luoyang to welcome him, Liu inquired of him of the status of the imperial treasury in light of the Liao incursion. Li was able to give a detail report, and Liu was pleased by his knowledge. Once Liu entered Daliang, he made Li an imperial scholar (翰林學士, Hanlin Xueshi). (Meanwhile, Li Tao's brother Li Huan was taken to Liao proper, and later served as an imperial scholar under Emperor Taizong's nephew Emperor Shizong and son Emperor Jingzong.)
Later in 947, Liu, who had initially upon his uprising made his staff members Su Fengji and Su Yugui his chancellors, was considering naming additional chancellors. When he asked Su Fengji for recommendations, Su Fengji, who was friendly with Li, recommended Li, pointing out Li's earlier insistence for Zhang Yanze's death that Liu agreed with. At that time, it happened that Liu was facing the problem of the rebellion of Du Chongwei at Yedu, with the generals that Liu sent to attack Du, Gao Xingzhou and Murong Yanchao, having discord among themselves. Li submitted a petition asking Liu to head to Yedu to oversee the siege himself, and Liu was pleased with the proposal and found Li to be wise. Liu thereafter named both Li and Dou Zhengu chancellors with the title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (), with Li receiving additional titles of minister of census (戶部尚書, Hubu Shangshu) and Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎, deputy head of the legislative bureau).Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 287.
During Liu Chengyou's reign