Li Wei

Li Wei (; died November 20, 879), courtesy name Maoxiu, was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xizong. Background and early career It is not known when Li Wei was born. He was from the Guzang Branch of the Li clan of Longxi, which, like the Tang dynasty's imperial clan, claimed ancestry from Li Gao, the founder of the Sixteen Kingdoms period state Western Liang—with the Tang imperial clan descended from Li Gao's second son Li Xin (Western Liang's second duke) and Li Wei's ancestors descended from Li Gao's eighth son Li Fan and Li Fan's son, the prominent Northern Wei general Li Bao. Subsequent male-line ancestors of Li Wei's served as officials of Northern Wei, the Sui dynasty, and Tang. Li Wei's grandfather Li Shanggong served as the director of the archival bureau (秘書監, Mishu Jian), while his father Li Jingsu served on the staff of a crown prince. Li Wei himself passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class late in Emperor Wenzong's Kaifeng era (836–840) and was made an assistant to the military governor (jiedushi) of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan, Hubei). At some point thereafter, he apparently served as an assistant to the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi). Late in the Huichang era (841–847) of Emperor Wenzong's brother and successor Emperor Wuzong, he passed a special imperial examination for those who made good rulings and was thereafter made an imperial censor with the title Jiancha Yushi. He thereafter served as director of imperial palace affairs (殿中監, Dianzhong Jian). In 853, by which time Emperor Wuzong's uncle Emperor Xuānzong was emperor, Li Wei became in charge of the affairs of the Office of Censors. Thereafter, he became in charge of drafting imperial edicts and was made Zhongshu Sheren, a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). During Emperor Yizong's reign In 864, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong's son Emperor Yizong, Li Wei was put in charge of the imperial examinations for that year at the ministry of rites (禮部, Libu). In 865, he was made the deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, Libu Shilang), and he was subsequently made Shangshu You Cheng, one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng).