早期仕途

李石出自唐朝宗室大鄭王房，是鄭孝王李亮的六世孫，襄邑恭王李神符的五世孫，魏國公、幽州大總管李文暕的玄孫，殿中丞、魏國公李捷的曾孫，虢州刺史李堅的孫子，盛唐令李鵬的兒子。唐憲宗元和十三年（818年），李石中進士。大約憲宗子唐穆宗長慶二年（822年），李石為魏博節度使田布從事。當年，田布因忠于朝廷，面臨士兵意圖兵變的困局，自認為除自殺外別無他法，寫遺表請求朝廷援助另兩個忠于朝廷的將領李光顏和牛元翼，在自殺前將表文交給李石。

田布死後，李石投效涼國公李聽，歷事四鎮。曾充涇原判官。李石擅長辯論，又有方略，擅長為官之道。李聽外出征伐時，李石常留在節度府處理事務。

唐文宗年間

拜相前

唐文宗太和年間，李石曾任鄜坊道軍糧使，表禁商人不得以旗幟、甲冑、五兵入部落，告者可得到罪人財物。三年（829年），李聽時任義成節度使，派李石入朝長安奏事。李石見文宗，對答條理分明，文宗為之所動。後來，文宗召李石回長安任工部郎中，判鹽鐵案。五年（831年），李石守刑部郎中，後又任鹽鐵判官，後令狐楚任河東節度使，請求李石做了他的副手。曾任左補闕。七年（834年）十二月，拜給事中。九年（835年）七月，權知京兆尹事。十月，改任戶部侍郎，判度支事。這使得與和文宗、鄭注合謀屠戮當權宦官的宰相李訓親近的京兆少尹羅立言得以權知府事，控制軍隊。

十二月，文宗、李訓、鄭注的這起被稱為甘露之變的計劃失敗了，宦官屠殺朝臣，李訓、鄭注和李訓的三位同僚宰相王涯、賈餗、舒元輿都被殺。後果是時任朝議郎、守尚書戶部侍郎、判度支、上柱國、賜紫金魚袋的李石和鄭覃被授同中書門下平章事，拜為宰相，李石被任為朝議大夫，仍判度支。

拜相

鄭覃、李石拜相後，以仇士良為首的宦官常引用李訓、鄭注的例子意圖羞辱朝臣。李石、鄭覃指出李訓、鄭注是宦官王守澄推薦給文宗的，以為回擊。宦官的傲氣因此收斂，朝臣們也依賴李石和鄭覃以自保。不久，宦官劉行深及儀仗使田全操等六人巡邊回京，稱回京之日要屠殺官員，長安陷入惶恐。田全操行近長安，中書省官吏稍稍走散，鄭覃建議李石避難，李石拒絕了，說如果連宰相都跑了，恐懼將完全籠罩京城，如果將有災禍，他們是逃不過的。鄭覃同意了。李石審閱公文，泰然自若。當晚，因李石和左金吾將軍陳君賞的維持，局勢安定。當月，文宗御紫宸殿時，鄭覃和李石促成李訓及其他被誅官員的親屬不被追究。

十一月，因宰相從人多在甘露之變中被殺，江西、湖南獻上足以招募120人的制服和糧食，以讓宰相招募從人。李石上表文宗辭謝了兩鎮的進獻：「如果宰相忠正無邪，將得神靈庇佑，即使遇到盜賊，也不會受傷。如果宰相心裡懷著奸邪的念頭，即使有大量護衛，鬼也會殺了他們。臣願意竭力報國，按舊制，用金吾就夠了。臣請求退回兩鎮的進獻。」十二月，新任京兆尹薛元賞拜訪李石，見李石在廳堂與一人爭辯，聲音很大。薛元賞派人打聽，說是神策軍將在訴訟。薛元賞小跑而入，責李石不能制一軍將，令其如此無禮，然後跑出上馬，命左右擒住軍將到下馬橋。仇士良聞訊召薛元賞，薛元賞杖殺軍將後前去，被仇士良指責，薛元賞說中尉和宰相都是大臣，無論是宰相的人無禮于中尉還是中尉的人無禮于宰相都不可饒恕，自己此來願意領死。仇士良知道軍將已死，只能不了了之。

李石先前辭謝進獻的表文常被視為謙遜的典範，但宦官仍控制政府，朝臣旦夕擔心遭到屠殺。開成元年（836年）正月，文宗御紫宸殿，鄭覃、李石奏請免京兆一年租賦、停四節進奉，文宗說要務行其實不崇空文，李石又說「赦書需要在宮內留一本，陛下時時查看。十道黜陟使出發之日要交代公事根本，令他們向外與長吏詳擇施行，才能盡利害之要。」並奏請春季禁用涇陽水，秋冬時再動用。文宗說到百司弛慢，應該整頓，鄭覃答變風俗，當考實效，百司三十年以來多不務實，如同嵇、阮之流不攝職事，李石說這都是天下太平人人無事安逸所致，如今人俗都在以不及王衍為恥。文宗鼓勵鄭覃、李石，二人謝罪。二月，昭義節度使劉從諫上表嚴辭抗議王涯、賈餗無辜並彈劾仇士良之罪，仇士良等宦官才收斂行為，文宗和李石、鄭覃才得以行權。當月宰相們奏事于紫宸殿，文宗說：「從來文格非佳，昨試進士題目是朕自出，所見詩賦似勝去年。」李石說：陛下改詩賦格調以正頹俗，高鍇亦能厲精取士，仰副聖旨。」文宗說：「四方表奏不典實而尚浮巧者，宜罰掌書記。」李石說：「古人因事為文，今人以文害事，懲弊抑末，實在盛時。」李石除拜相外，還被任守中書侍郎、充集賢殿大學士。三月，奏事于紫宸殿，當時正少雨，文宗說：「麥苗得未損否？」李石說：「春澤之時亦未至損，自赦書頒行，遠近皆已來賀，未見有依節文處置事上聞者。臣即進條目，伏望省覽。比者下令不曾及時，今條奏赦書中十一件事最切臣欲提舉，令其必行。」「度支每年有十人，合有得官臣，悉令各守公事，留其舊人，就加守獎，十年間免一百人入任。」四月，兼領諸道鹽鐵轉運使。並判收茶法。

當月，謠傳文宗準備再次讓宰相指揮軍隊對抗宦官，局勢再度緊張。李石建議文宗召宰相和宦官開會，李石和鄭覃得以向宦官解釋事態，仇士良等人對宰相的疑心也稍釋然了。同月，文宗御紫宸殿，問李石：有何人候對？李石說：「有令狐楚、鄭肅等。」奏道：「陛下今日令諸有司官各以公事面奏，未知決事之時，對臣與（鄭）覃伏候，臣等退？」文宗認為無礙，又說：「吏部中事非遷才，安得摭實無濫。且欲變更

，得否？」李石說：「縣令錄事參軍改變即得諸官。且循舊為便。」

五月，文宗御紫宸殿，對宰相們曰：「為政之道，自古是難事。」李石對道：「朝廷法令得行，就容易了。」文宗勤于為政之道，常苦于選曹舞弊，在延英殿對宰相們提及改革吏部，李石對答：「選官可以商量，其他官應該循舊。」文宗說：「循舊如配官，賢不肖如何能甄別？」

同年，前宰相李固言再度拜相，與鄭覃、李石共事，李石請求追複被王守澄和鄭注誣陷謀反遭貶的前宰相宋申錫。鄭覃、李固言贊同李石的表文，文宗同意了，追複宋申錫生前官爵。當年，起居舍人李褒有痼疾請辭，李石奏稱闕官，文宗稱褚遂良為諫議大夫時曾兼此官，要李石推薦在任諫議大夫兼起居舍人，李石遂奏李讓夷、馮定、孫簡、蕭俶。最後文宗任用李讓夷。文宗很懷念李訓，每每對李石、鄭覃、李固言等稱李訓之才：「李訓倫常不如公等，但是天下奇才，公等不及。」

同年，太僕卿段伯倫去世，李石奏稱段伯倫是故忠臣段秀實之子，自古捨身衛社稷的都不如段秀實之賢。文宗憫然，加段伯倫賻贈，且為禮待忠臣後人而輟朝一日。

李石任金部員外郎韓益代他判度支，但十月，韓益貪贓三千餘緡事發被下獄。李石對文宗說：「我認為韓益通曉錢穀之事，才用他，不知他貪婪如此。」文宗說：「宰相只要知人則任用，有過則懲罰，就容易得人。卿對所用的人不掩其惡，可謂公正極了。從前宰相用人喜歡遮蔽對方的過失，不希望他人彈劾，這是大問題。」韓益被貶梧州司戶。李石建議文宗褒賞兩位有德的宦官劉弘逸和薛季稜。

二年（837年），文宗對宰相鄭覃、李固言、李石等感慨人才缺乏，李石答：「十戶的城邑必有忠信之人，怎麼會有大國無人？是貞元年間仕進路塞，所以有才之人有的就去其他地方託身，這是不敘進人才之過。」二月，文宗御紫宸殿，對三宰相說：「《順宗實錄》似未詳實，史官韓愈不是當時人否？」李石說：「韓愈貞元末屈為四門博士。」文宗說西漢司馬遷《與任安書》多怨懟之辭，其所著《武帝本紀》多失實。鄭覃說漢武帝中年大發兵開邊，勞苦生靈，府庫殫竭，司馬遷所述不過分。李石說鄭覃所說的是以漢武帝為例進諫，希望文宗盛德有終。文宗以為然。五月，文宗御紫宸殿，鄭覃、李石奏山南東道節度使殷侑論請就邊境上招當道防秋兵、徐泗濠節度使薛元賞請求保留舊防秋兵二年，文宗都不認可。同月，李德裕代牛僧孺為淮南節度使，牛僧孺將軍事交付副使張鷺後離任。淮南府錢八十萬緡，李德裕奏稱只有四十萬，被張鷺用了一半。牛僧孺對文宗稱冤，文宗詔李德裕核實，李固言發現牛僧孺留下的錢確實是八十萬緡。李石准許李德裕再行核查申辯，李德裕稱諸鎮被代任時按例以半數備水旱、助軍費，自己剛到任時染病，不知道這個慣例，被下屬官吏欺瞞，待罪請求處罰，被赦免。七月，因蘇州刺史盧商改革鹽法、政績上等，李石遷他為潤州刺史、浙西團練觀察使。

文宗喜歡經術，李石因而說士丐《春秋傳》可讀，但文宗說曾見過，是穿鑿之學。

李石後為銀青光祿大夫。因李石和宦官政見不合，仇士良開始深恨他。三年（838年）正月，仇士良派禁軍中的刺客試圖殺害李石，李石白天從親仁里入朝時中流矢，但只傷了皮膚，騎馬逃回，在坊門又遇襲，馬尾被劍砍斷，本人倖免。文宗驚駭，派宦官慰問，賜金瘡藥，派六軍兵士三十人護衛宰相。李石恐懼，屢屢上表請辭宰相、中書侍郎。文宗不情願地答應了，改任李石為中書侍郎、同中書門下平章事、兼江陵尹、充荊南節度管內觀察處置等使，勛如故，加金紫光祿大夫。京兆尹崔珙因不能抓捕兇手，被罰俸，聲望也受到影響。而仇士良愈發肆無忌憚。

罷相後

因仇士良憎恨李石人所共知，李石離京去荊南赴任時，皇家沒有為他設宴以示榮寵，京城士人寒心。李石到荊南後，仍保有同中書門下平章事作為榮銜，辭中書侍郎榮銜，加檢校兵部尚書。

唐武宗年間

五年（840年），唐文宗崩，弟唐武宗繼位，授李石檢校尚書右僕射榮銜。

會昌三年（843年）十月，武宗正征討控制昭義的軍閥劉稹，注意到昭義鄰鎮河東節度使劉沔、盧龍節度使張仲武有隙，調劉沔至義成，因李石曾任河東節度副使而任李石為檢校司空、平章事，兼太原尹、北都留守，充河東節度、管內觀察等使以代之，封爵隴西郡伯。劉稹遣軍將賈群來見李石，呈上李石堂兄洺州刺史李恬的信說：「劉稹願舉族歸命于相公，奉劉從諫的喪事歸葬東都。」李石囚賈群，將書信內容上報。時任宰相的李德裕以李石名義回信，要劉稹面縛來降。

劉沔離任河東時帶走了所有儲藏的財物，李石到任時，府庫一空。十一月，因榆社行營都將王逢奏稱兵少請求增援，朝廷又下令河東以二千兵增援之，李石召回劉沔之前屯于橫水柵防回鶻奇襲的1500士兵，由都將楊弁統領。春節前三日，橫水柵士兵到了，但因府庫一空，李石不能按慣例給他們作為派往前線的士兵應得的兩匹絹賞賜；他只能從自己的財產中拿出絹，但只足以人手一匹。隨從忠武節度使王宰的監軍宦官呂義忠又發牒文催促士兵趕赴前線，不讓他們留在太原過年。士兵們憤怒沮喪，楊弁趁機作亂，讓士兵劫掠城中並控制太原，殺都頭梁季葉，士兵推楊弁為留後。四年（844年）正月，李石只得出逃汾州。楊弁隨後釋放賈群，和劉稹結盟。

楊弁作亂後，武宗遣中使馬元貫宣諭河東，馬元貫又受楊弁賄賂而意欲保全他。朝臣立即呼籲停止討伐昭義，連王宰也請求接受劉稹投降。李德裕反對，重申只有劉稹全家自縛才接受其投降，雖然馬元貫奏稱楊弁軍多，李德裕指出既然李石招不到兵，楊弁也不可能短期內招到很多兵，馬元貫詞窮。在認為楊弁作亂不應得到寬容的李德裕的進一步建議下，武宗下令轉移戰事焦點，先對付楊弁。因此，他命令李石和呂義忠從鄰近州縣調集軍隊，意圖收複太原，命河東行營都知兵馬使王逢將河東軍留在榆社，率先前義武、宣武、兗海派出的軍隊進軍太原，同時命成德軍節度使王元逵分兵向太原。榆社的河東兵慌了，怕一旦太原陷落，他們的家人會被其他鎮的士兵屠戮，于是便主動擁戴呂義忠攻楊弁。楊弁奪太原不到一個月，呂義忠的河東軍就收複太原，拘禁楊弁，送往長安處決。

楊弁亂平後，李石被崔元式所代，被任為太子少傅，就職于東都洛陽。會昌五年（845年）正月，他被任檢校司徒、充東都留守、判東都尚書省事、畿汝都防禦使。因太微宮正殿坍塌，他以廢棄的弘敬寺為太廟，迎唐朝歷代先帝神主祔之。十月，中書省奏稱氾水縣武牢關驛像年代已久，希望以李石為充修東都太廟使，令其在洛陽選擇好畫家增飾並在開工之日差一名分司官員薦告，獲准。六年（846年）四月，奏修奉太廟完畢、所司已迎奉太微宮神主祔廟。唐宣宗大中元年（847年）秋季前，他在洛陽去世，享年六十二，具體日期不詳。贈尚書右僕射。

李石之弟李福，歷任義成軍節度使、刑部、戶部尚書、山南東道節度使，唐僖宗時同平章事（拜相）。

李石在荊南時的賓佐崔鉉在會昌年間為宰相。

作品

• 《開成承詔錄》二卷。

• 《世系手記》一卷。

• 《樂善錄》十卷。

• 《司牧安驥集》三卷、《司牧安驥方》一卷。

軼聞

《雲笈七籤》卷一百一十三：李石未發達時很喜歡道家。曾游嵩山，在荒草之間聽到有人呻吟，一看，是病鶴。鶴說著人話：「我已經成仙了，遇到厄運，被樵夫所傷，一隻腳就要斷了，需要人血數合，才能痊癒。你有仙骨，所以相托。」李石就脫了衣服想刺傷自己放血。鶴說：「世間人少，公也不是純人。」拔下睫毛說：「拿去東都，用它照，就知道了。」李石在途中用睫毛看自己，是馬的頭。到了洛陽，遇到很多人，都不是人，都是狗、豬、驢、馬的頭。偶爾在橋上看到一個老翁騎驢，用睫毛照，是人。李石恭敬作揖，說了病鶴的事。老翁欣然下驢，割手臂自刺出血。李石用小瓶盛放，拿去鶴的所在，塗在傷處，撕裂衣服為它裹傷。鶴謝道：「公將要做明君的宰相，不久就是日子了，謹慎不要墮落初心。」李石下拜，鶴沖天而去。

《太平廣記》《類說》等將此事主角記作李松、李相公、李衛公。

子孫

• 李奇

• 李贛

注釋及參考文獻

Background

It is not known when Li Shi was born. He was a member of the Tang imperial Li clan, as his ancestry came from Li Liang (李亮), one of the sons of Li Hu (李虎), the father of Tang's founding emperor Emperor Gaozu. His grandfather Li Jian (李堅) served as a prefectural prefect, while his father Li Peng (李鵬) served as a county magistrate.

Early career

In 818, during the reign of Emperor Xianzong, Li Shi passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class. As of 822, during the reign of Emperor Xianzong's son Emperor Muzong, Li Shi was serving as a staff member under Tian Bu the military governor of Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei). That year, when Tian, loyal to the imperial government but facing soldiers ready to mutiny against him for being loyal, felt he had no choice but to commit suicide, he wrote a final petition urging immediately imperial assistance to two other generals loyal to the imperial government, Li Guangyan and Niu Yuanyi (牛元翼) and entrusted the petition to Li Shi, before committing suicide.

After Tian's death, Li Shi served on the staff of Li Ting (李聽) the Duke of Liang, and he followed Li Ting at four different circuits. It was said that Li Shi was good at speaking and had strategies, and was particularly capable in his administrative skills. Whenever Li Ting was out conducting campaigns, Li Shi often remained at headquarters to oversee operations in Li Ting's absence.

During Emperor Wenzongs reign

Before chancellorship

In 829, by which time Emperor Muzong's son Emperor Wenzong was emperor, when Li Ting was serving as the military governor of Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan), there was an occasion when Li Ting sent Li Shi to the capital Chang'an to submit reports. When Li Shi met Emperor Wenzong, he spoke well, impressing Emperor Wenzong. Subsequently, Emperor Wenzong recalled Li Shi to Chang'an to serve as Gongbu Langzhong (工部郎中), a supervisory official at the ministry of public works (工部, Gongbu), and also had him serve as acting director of the salt and iron monopolies. In 831, Li Shi was made Xingbu Langzhong (刑部郎中), a supervisory official at the ministry of justice (刑部, Xingbu). Subsequently, when Linghu Chu served as the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), at his request, Li Shi was made his deputy military governor. In 834, Li Shi was made an imperial attendant (給事中, Jishizhong). In summer 835, Li Shi was made acting mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (i.e., the Chang'an region). In winter 835, he was made the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang), and was also acting director of finances. (This was done to allow the deputy mayor Luo Liyan, a close associate of the chancellor Li Xun, who was plotting with Emperor Wenzong and Zheng Zhu to slaughter the powerful eunuchs, to serve as acting mayor and control the troops under the mayor's command.)

Soon thereafter, the plot by Emperor Wenzong, Li Xun, and Zheng Zhu (later known as the Ganlu Incident) failed, with the eunuchs slaughtering many imperial officials, including Li Xun, Zheng, and three of Li Xun's chancellor colleagues — Wang Ya, Jia Su, and Shu Yuanyu. In the aftermaths of the incident, Li Shi and Zheng Tan were made chancellors with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi, and Li Shi retained his authorities as the director of finances as well.

Chancellorship

At the time that Zheng Tan and Li Shi served as chancellors, the eunuchs, led by Qiu Shiliang, often tried to humiliate the imperial officials by citing the examples of Li Xun and Zheng Zhu. It was said that Li Shi and Zheng Tan responded by pointing out that Li Xun and Zheng Zhu had initially been recommended to Emperor Wenzong by the eunuch Wang Shoucheng. Thereafter, it was said that the eunuchs' arrogance subsided somewhat, and the imperial officials depended on Li Shi and Zheng Tan to protect them. Soon thereafter, there was an incident in which, when the eunuch Tian Quancao (田全操) returned to the capital, he had remarked that when he got to the capital he would slaughter the officials, causing a general panic in Chang'an. Zheng suggested to Li Shi that they find refuge when Tian was approaching Chang'an, but Li Shi refused, pointing out that if even the chancellors fled, the panic would overtake the capital entirely, and that if there were to be disaster, they would not be able to get away anyway. Zheng agreed. Subsequently, Zheng and Li Shi urged that the relatives of Li Xun and the other executed officials be no longer pursued.

Meanwhile, as many of the chancellors' guards were killed in the Ganlu Incident, the governors of Jiangxi (江西, headquartered in modern Nanchang, Jiangxi) and Hunan (湖南, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan) offered uniforms and salaries for 120 guards to allow the chancellors' guard corps to be reassembled. Li Shi submitted a petition to Emperor Wenzong declining the two circuits' offer:

(Li Shi's petition was often viewed traditionally as a model of modesty, but the modern historian Bo Yang severely criticized it for overly arrogant language that did not conform with Li Shi's own behavior several years later.)

However, the eunuchs continued to be in control of the government, and it was said that the imperial officials worried about being slaughtered on a daily basis. It was not until spring 836, when Liu Congjian the military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), submitted harshly worded petitions protesting the innocence of Wang Ya and Jia Su and accusing Qiu of crimes, did Qiu and the other eunuchs began to cut back on their behavior and allow Emperor Wenzong, as well as Li Shi and Zheng, to exercise their authority. In addition to being chancellor, Li Shi was given the office of Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎, the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng)), as well as acting director of salt and iron monopolies, and imperial scholar at Jixian Hall (集賢殿).

In spring 836, there was an incident when there were rumors that Emperor Wenzong was prepared to give the chancellors commands of the armies to again act against the eunuchs, and tensions rose again. It was only after Li Shi proposed that Emperor Wenzong convene a meeting between the chancellors and the eunuchs, allowing Li Shi and Zheng to explain what was happening to the eunuchs, that Qiu and the others were less suspicious of the chancellors.

Also in 836, with Li Guyan, a former chancellor, serving again as chancellor with Zheng and Li Shi, Li Shi advocated the posthumous rehabilitation of the former chancellor Song Shenxi, whom Wang Shoucheng and Zheng Zhu had previously accused of treason, leading to Song's exile. Zheng and Li Guyan joined Li Shi in his petition, and Emperor Wenzong agreed, restoring Song's offices posthumously.

Meanwhile, Li Shi had commissioned the official Han Yi to take over, on an acting basis, his responsibilities as director of finances, but Han was corrupt and, after the corruption was discovered, was imprisoned. Li Shi stated to Emperor Wenzong, "I thought that Han Yi was familiar with monetary and food supply matters, and that was why I used him. I did not know that he is this greedy." Emperor Wenzong responded, "Chancellors are supposed to use those whom they know the abilities of and punish those who have faults. Only then can you find capable people. You, Lord, do not hide the wickedness of those you commissioned, and this is righteousness. In the past, when chancellors commissioned people, they often hid their faults and stopped them from being indicted. That was a major problem." Subsequently, Han was exiled. Li Shi also suggested that Emperor Wenzong show greater favor to two eunuchs who were virtuous, Liu Hongyi and Xue Jileng (薛季稜).

As Li Shi had been willing to stand up to the eunuchs on policy issues, Qiu began to resent him deeply. In 838, Qiu sent assassins to try to kill Li Shi, but the assassination failed. Despite the failure, Li Shi became fearful and offered to resign his chancellor position. Emperor Wenzong reluctantly agreed, making Li Shi the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou, Hubei) instead, as well as the mayor of Jingnan's capital Jiangling Municipality (江陵).

After chancellorship

As it was commonly known that Qiu Shiliang resented Li Shi, when Li Shi was departing Chang'an to head to Jingnan, no imperial feast was held in his honor, causing much distress among the gentlemen of the capital. When Li Shi arrived at Jingnan, where he continued to carry the Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi title as an honorary title, he declined the honorary title of Zhongshu Shilang.

During Emperor Wuzongs reign

After Emperor Wenzong died in 840 and was succeeded by his brother Emperor Wuzong, Emperor Wuzong bestowed the additional honorary title of acting You Pushe (右僕射) on Li Shi.

In 843, in the middle of Emperor Wuzong's campaign against the warlord Liu Zhen, who controlled Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), Emperor Wuzong, concerned that there was resentment between two of Zhaoyi's nearby circuit governors — Liu Mian the military governor of Hedong and Zhang Zhongwu the military governor of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing), moved Liu to Yicheng Circuit and made Li Shi the military governor of Hedong to replace Liu. Li Shi was also made acting Sikong (司空, one of the Three Excellencies) and the mayor of Hedong's capital Taiyuan. He was created the Count of Longxi as well, and allowed to continue to carry the honorary title of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi.

When Liu departed Hedong, he took all the stored wealth in the Hedong treasury with him, so upon Li Shi's arrival, the treasury was empty. Meanwhile, under orders of the imperial government to supply additional forces on the Zhaoyi front, Li Shi recalled 1,500 soldiers that Liu had previously stationed at Hengshui Fence (橫水柵, in modern Datong, Shanxi) to defend against Huigu raiders, under the command of the officer Yang Bian. Three days before the Chinese New Year, the Hengshui Fence soldiers arrived, but as the circuit treasury was empty, Li Shi could not give them the silk rewards that the soldiers being sent on a campaign were accustomed to receive; rather, he had to take silk out of his own personal wealth, but was only able to pay half as much. Further, the eunuch monitor Lü Yizhong, then with Wang Zai, was sending messages forcing the soldiers to get underway without staying at Taiyuan for New Year. The soldiers were angry and distressed, and Yang took this opportunity to start an uprising. He had the soldiers pillage the city and take control of the city of Taiyuan. Li Shi was forced to flee to Fen Prefecture (汾州, in modern Linfen, Shanxi). Yang subsequently entered into an alliance with Liu Zhen.

In light of Yang's uprising, there were immediate calls among the imperial officials to stop the campaign against Zhaoyi, and even Wang Zai was calling for accepting Liu's surrender. The chancellor Li Deyu opposed, and again reiterated that Liu's surrender should only be accepted if he and his family bound themselves. Under further advice by Li Deyu, who argued that Yang's uprising could not be tolerated, Emperor Wuzong ordered that the focus of the campaign be shifted, to concentrate on Yang first. To those ends, he ordered Li Shi and Lü to gather troops from nearby prefectures and try to recapture Taiyuan, while ordering Wang Feng to leave Hedong troops at Yushe and instead take troops previously sent by Yiwu (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding, Hebei), Xuanwu, and Yanhai (兗海, headquartered in modern Jining, Shandong) Circuits to head toward Taiyuan. He also ordered Wang Yuankui to divert troops toward Taiyuan as well. This set a panic into the Hedong soldiers at Yushe, who were fearful that the soldiers from other circuits would slaughter their families if Taiyuan fell, so they volunteered to attack Yang with Lü as their commander. In less than a month after Yang took over Taiyuan, the Hedong troops under Lü recaptured the city and arrested Yang, who was subsequently delivered to Chang'an and executed.

After Yang's rebellion was put down, Li Shi was replaced with Cui Yuanshi. He was thereafter made an advisor to the Crown Prince, but to have his office at the eastern capital Luoyang. In 845, he was made acting Situ (司徒, one of the Three Excellencies), as well as the defender of Luoyang. He died while at Luoyang at the age of 61, but the date of death was not specified.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 172.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 131.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 242, 245, 246, 247.