Background
Liu Ji was born in 757 — during the Anshi Rebellion, when Fanyang Circuit (范陽, later known as Lulong), where his father Liu Peng was from, was governed by the rebel state Yan, which rivaled Tang Dynasty, then ruled by Emperor Suzong. Liu Ji had at least two younger brothers, Liu Yong (劉澭) and Liu Yuan (劉源). After Yan's destruction in 763, Fanyang, renamed Lulong, was nominally reintegrated into Tang, but was then governed successively by Li Huaixian and Zhu Xicai, both of whom ruled it de facto independently from the Tang imperial government. In 772, Liu Peng's cousin Zhu Ci became military governor after assassinating Zhu Xicai, and Liu Peng thereafter successively served under Zhu Ci and his brother Zhu Tao.
Liu Ji himself visited the capital Chang'an in his youth and passed the imperial examinations. In 785, after Zhu Tao died, Liu Peng succeeded him. Liu Ji served as the prefect of Mo Prefecture (莫州, in modern Cangzhou, Hebei) under his father. Later in 785, when Liu Peng grew ill, Liu Yong was by Liu Peng's side, and he quickly summoned Liu Ji back from Mo Prefecture and supported him to succeed their father. The emperor at that time, Emperor Suzong's grandson Emperor Dezong, thus made Liu Ji acting military governor. Liu Peng died soon thereafter, and Liu Ji succeeded him.
Read more about this topic: Liu Ji (general)
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