Li Fengji - During Emperor Jingzong's Reign

During Emperor Jingzong's Reign

In spring 824, Emperor Muzong died and was succeeded by Li Zhan (as Emperor Jingzong). Before Emperor Jingzong formally took the throne, Li Fengji served as regent for three days. After Emperor Jingzong took the throne, he had his associates accuse Li Shen and Du Yuanying of having supported Emperor Muzong's brother Li Cong (李悰) the Prince of Shen as Emperor Muzong's successor. Emperor Jingzong, believing Li Fengji's associates, exiled Li Shen to be the military advisor to the prefect of Duan Prefecture (端州, in modern Zhaoqing, Guangdong), and further agreed to eventually put Li Shen to death. Only after the imperial scholar Wei Chuhou submitted a petition defending Li Shen and Emperor Jingzong himself discovered a prior petition by Li Shen supporting him as crown prince did Emperor JIngzong stop further actions against Li Shen. It was said that by this point, LI Fengji's close associates included Zhang Youxin, Li Zhongyan, Li Xuzhi (李續之), Li Yu (李虞), Liu Qichu (劉栖楚), Jiang Qia (姜洽), Zhang Quanyu (張權輿), and Cheng Xifan (程昔範). Many people who wanted greater offices flattered these associates of Li Fengji's, and the people who resented Li Fengji at the time referred to these eight associates as the "eight passes" (八關, Ba Guan) (i.e., without going through them, one could not meet Li Fengji). It was at this time that Li Fengji was created the Duke of Liang. In summer 824, per Li Fengji's recommendations, Li Cheng was also made chancellor, along with Dou Yizhi.

In 825, during an incident where the county magistrate Cui Fa (崔發), after eunuchs had attacked commoners, arrested the eunuchs involved, Emperor Jingzong had Cui arrested and battered. Despite a subsequent general pardon that pardoned all prisoners, Cui remained held after the pardon. Only after Li Fengji interceded on Cui's behalf, pointing out that Cui's mother was nearly 80 years old and had gotten ill over Cui's imprisonment, was Cui released.

Li Fengji continued to resent Li Shen, and after Emperor Jingzong issued another general pardon in summer 825, initially, the edict that Li Fengji drafted allows exiled officials who had previously moved toward the capital be allowed to be moved again — but intentionally failed to mention officials who had not previously been moved, to prevent Li Shen from being moved. When Wei pointed this out, Emperor Jingzong revised the edict to allow such movements, and Li Shen thus was moved closer to the capital to serve as the secretary general of Jiang Prefecture (江州, in modern Jiujiang, Jiangxi).

By fall 825, Li Fengji and Li Cheng had grown to dislike each other. Meanwhile, Li Cheng's relative Li Rengshu (李仍叔) had informed the official Wu Zhao (武昭), who had been stuck in an undesirable position — serving as the secretary general of Emperor Jingzong's granduncle Li Shen (李紳 — not the same person as the official that Li Fengji resented) the Prince of Yuan — that Li Cheng had wanted to give him a better position, but Li Fengji blocked the move. Wu thus resented Li Fengji, and one day, after he got drunk, he told his friend Mao Hui (茅彙) that he wished to kill Li Fengji. This remark was overheard and reported. Li Fengji's associate Li Zhongyan tried to induce Mao into implicating Li Cheng. Mao refused. In the subsequent investigation, Li Zhongyan's attempt to induce Mao to bear false testimony was revealed. As a result of the investigations, Wu was executed by caning, Li Rengshu was demoted, and Mao and Li Zhongyan were both exiled.

Meanwhile, around the same time, Liu Wu the military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), had died, and his will recommended his son Liu Congjian to succeed him. Despite the senior official Li Jiang's advice that Liu Wu's request be rejected, Li Fengji and Wang Shoucheng decided that Liu Wu's request should be granted. As a result, Emperor Jingzong commissioned Liu Congjian as the acting military governor and eventually the military governor of Zhaoyi.

Meanwhile, in spring 826, Emperor Jingzong recalled Pei Du to the capital to be chancellor again, despite Li Fengji's associates' various attempts to attack Pei, including intimations that Pei had been prophesied to be emperor and had treasonous ambitions. In winter 826, Li Fengji was sent out of the capital to again serve as the military governor of Shannan East Circuit, carrying an honorary chancellor title. He invited Li Xu to be his deputy and Zhang Youxin to be his military commander. However, it was soon discovered that Li Fengji had previously hidden a fugitive, Tian Pi (田伾). As a result, Li Fengji was punished by being stripped of three months salary, while both Li Xu and Zhang were demoted.