Liu Ji

Liu Ji (died January 18, 646), courtesy name Sidao, was a Chinese politician who served as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Taizong in the Tang dynasty. Late in his reign, Taizong heavily relied on Liu Ji. However, around the new year 646, Liu Ji was accused of planning to seize power after Taizong's death, so the emperor ordered him to commit suicide. Background Very little is known about Liu Ji's family background, other than his family was from Jiangling (江陵, in modern Jingzhou, Hubei). It is not known when he was born. Late in Sui Dynasty, when a descendant of the imperial house of Liang Dynasty, Xiao Xi, rose in 617 against the rule of Emperor Yang near Jiangling, claiming to be rebuilding Liang Dynasty, Liu became his subject and served under him as the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government. In or before 621, Xiao sent Liu to the modern Guangdong region to persuade cities to submit to Liang rule, and 50 some cities did so. However, before Liu could return to Jiangling, Jiangling came under the attack of the Tang Dynasty general Li Xiaogong, and Xiao was forced to surrender. Liu thus submitted to Tang rule with those 50 odd cities. Emperor Gaozu of Tang made him the secretary general at Nankang Prefecture (南康州, roughly modern Zhaoqing, Guangdong). Service under Emperor Taizong Liu Ji's activities for the next decade were not clear. In 633, it was said that he was promoted to be a mid-level official at the examination bureau of the government (門下省, Menxia Sheng) and created the Baron of Qingwan. In 641, he was made the deputy imperial censor, when he submitted a petition outlining what he saw as faults by the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng) in avoiding nepotism. It was said that soon after he submitted the petition, he was made a deputy head of the executive bureau. In 639, he was made the deputy head of the examination bureau, and he was given the additional bestowment of Canzhi Zhengshi, making him, while not titularly a chancellor, a de facto one. It was said that Liu was blunt in his actions and words. During an imperial feast, when Emperor Taizong, playing with his officials, wrote some calligraphy and held it out to give to an official, Liu bypassed everyone by climbing up onto the imperial seat and grabbing it from Emperor Taizong. When he was then accused of being disrespectful to the emperor, Emperor Taizong laughed it off and gave him the calligraphy.