Heshilie Liangbi

Biography

Family Background and Early Years

Heshilie Liangbi belonged to the Jurchen Heshilie clan and was from the Huipa River region. His great-grandfather was Hulan, his grandfather Tebulu, and his father Taiyu, who held the hereditary office of pulian. The family later moved to Xuanning County of Datong Prefecture on the Western Capital Circuit. The Heshilie were a prominent Jurchen clan whose family held hereditary Meng'an Mouke status.

During the Tianhui era (1123–1137), the Jin court ordered Jurchen students selected from the various circuits and sent to the capital, Shangjing, in present-day Acheng, Heilongjiang, to study the Jurchen script. Heshilie Liangbi and Nahe Chunnian were both selected while still children. On the journey they encountered Grand Councilor Wanyan Xiyin, who had left the capital on official business. Liangbi remarked that since they had traveled a thousand li to the capital to learn the Grand Councilor's script, they ought to meet him. He went into the post station and asked for an audience, bowing below the hall. When Wanyan Xiyin asked whose child he was, Liangbi introduced himself as one of the students recommended by the authorities to study the Grand Councilor's script. Delighted, Xiyin questioned him about his studies. Liangbi answered without fear, and Xiyin declared that the boy would one day become an outstanding instrument of the state, keeping him as a guest for several days.

Early Success and Rise in Office

In 1132, the tenth year of Tianhui, the fourteen-year-old Liangbi was appointed an instructor in Beijing to teach the Jurchen script, with as many as two hundred students. A contemporary saying declared, “Before there was Gushen; after him there was Loushi,” and many of Liangbi's students later became prominent officials. In 1135, at seventeen, he became a clerk in the Department of State Affairs. Exceptionally gifted, he was said to grasp the hidden implications of administrative documents at a glance and to compose even lengthy pieces orally with sound wording and reasoning. Among those who studied the writing created by Wanyan Xiyin, he was regarded as the foremost. He later became an administrator in the Ministry of Personnel.

In the early Tiande era (1149–1150), Liangbi rose to Director in the Ministry of Personnel and then Director of the Right Office. Under the nominal rank of Assistant Director of the Palace Library, he was sent as a New Year's envoy to the ruler of Southern Song. By then Nahe Chunnian had become Assistant Grand Councilor and recommended Liangbi as more capable than himself. Liangbi was therefore appointed Minister of Justice and granted the name Heshilie Liangbi, having previously been called Loushi. Wanyan Liang once said that Left Grand Councilor Zhang Hao was experienced in affairs but not entirely trustworthy, whereas Minister of Justice Loushi was upright in word and conduct and never fawned upon others. He further praised Nahe Chunnian for recommending a man more capable than himself, saying that ordinary men envied their superiors but Chunnian's conduct made him far worthier. Liangbi spoke in a clear, resonant voice, and when Wanyan Liang issued proclamations to his ministers he often had Liangbi convey them, impressing all who heard. Liangbi was therefore frequently summoned for audiences and consultation.

Senior Minister under Wanyan Liang

In the twelfth month of 1157, the second year of Zhenglong, Liangbi became Assistant Grand Councilor. In the seventh month of 1158 he was promoted to Right Assistant Director of the Department of State Affairs, and in the tenth month of 1159 Wanyan Liang granted him the privilege of entering the palace wearing a sword. In the third month of 1160, Liangbi became Left Assistant Director of the Department of State Affairs.

In the ninth month of 1161, Wanyan Liang resolved to launch a major invasion of Song. Liangbi remonstrated against the campaign but was ignored and appointed Grand Commander of the Right Army to accompany the southern expedition. While Wanyan Liang stayed in Huainan, he ordered Liangbi and Army Supervisor Tudan Zhen to pacify the Shangjing and Liaoyou regions. Soon Jin units began fleeing northward, while Wanyan Yong had already proclaimed himself emperor at Liaoyang. Liangbi returned to Bianjing. After Wanyan Liang's defeat at Caishi, he was killed by officers including Wanyan Yuanyi in the eleventh month. Emperor Shizong then appointed Liangbi Military Governor of the Southern Capital and Prefect of Kaifeng, concurrently Commander of Henan.

Distinguished Grand Councilor under Emperor Shizong

In the sixth month of 1162, the second year of Dading, Emperor Shizong recalled Liangbi and appointed him Right Assistant Director of the Department of State Affairs. The emperor reminded him that he had once opposed the Zhenglong invasion of Song and said that the opportunists who had merely clung to office had all been dismissed; now that Liangbi was again employed, he should speak fully on every matter of state without hesitation. Liangbi bowed and thanked him. In the ninth month, after Yi Lawowo was defeated at Xianquan and fled into Xi territory, Shizong ordered Liangbi to carry a gold tablet and four silver tablets to Beijing to pacify Xi and Khitan rebels. He returned after completing the mission in the eleventh month of 1163 and became Left Assistant Director of the Department of State Affairs.

In the seventh month of 1164, Liangbi memorialized that he had identified thirty-two men whose services since the founding generation had never been properly rewarded and proposed graded honors. Emperor Shizong ordered that men already holding fifth-rank or higher office be reported to the throne, while those of sixth rank or below and those without office should receive appropriate promotion from the Department of State Affairs. Thereafter outstanding service was rewarded more fully. Liangbi was promoted to Participant in Determining Government Matters and enfeoffed as Duke of Zong.

At the time, Meng'an Mouke households on the two Shandong circuits were intermingled with the general population. Shizong ordered Liangbi to reorganize their settlement so that Meng'an Mouke households and commoners would live separately. Where landholdings overlapped, Liangbi exchanged state land for commoners' fields, after which disputes ceased.

In the eleventh month of 1166, on the birthday of Crown Prince Wanyan Yungong, Shizong held a banquet in the Eastern Palace and invited Liangbi and Heshilie Zhining. The emperor said that peace on the frontiers and tranquility at home and abroad were due to his generals and grand councilors. Liangbi replied that although he and his colleagues were untalented, since they occupied the posts of grand councilors they could only exhaust all their strength in service. Shizong was pleased. In the twelfth month Liangbi became Right Grand Councilor and Supervisor of the Compilation of the State History.

Shizong told Liangbi that court diaries and records from the Wanyan Liang period were incomplete. The good and evil of rulers, he said, served as admonition and warning for ten thousand generations; if records were lost, what would later ages have to consult? He therefore ordered the historians to search widely for material. Liangbi supervised the project, and in the eighth month of 1167 the Veritable Records of Emperor Taizong were completed. Shizong stood to receive the work and awarded Liangbi a gold belt and twenty bolts of fine patterned silk, while Zhang Jingren, Cao Wangzhi, Liu Zhongyuan, and the other co-compilers were also rewarded.

When Shizong discussed the merits of ministers past and present, he told his grand councilors that many officials had been killed unjustly during the Huangtong and Zhenglong eras. Since he entrusted them with major state affairs, they were not to violate principle and thereby ruin themselves, nor blindly comply and thereby mislead him. They should be loyal and filial, correct his errors, rescue him from mistakes, and assist him in bringing about peace. Liangbi replied that they had received exceptional favor and, though of limited ability, dared not fail to devote themselves fully; they considered the emperor's repeated admonition a great blessing.

Liangbi also proposed buying horses at frontier trade markets without restricting the sex of the animals. Official horse stocks were low, he argued, and if an emergency arose on the frontier it would be too late to requisition horses from the people. Shizong accepted the proposal.

In 1168, when palace guards were being selected, Shizong heard complaints that the process had been unfair and wanted to punish the responsible officials. Liangbi argued that men should not be punished indiscriminately on the basis of rumor, and the emperor desisted.

In 1169 Liangbi was promoted to Left Grand Councilor and continued supervising the state history. During his time at the head of government he repeatedly persuaded Shizong to moderate harsh measures. After the remaining followers of Yi Lawowo had been suppressed, for example, Shizong wanted to execute them all, but Liangbi argued that coerced followers should be pardoned, and the emperor accepted his advice.

Later Years and Death

In 1178, the eighteenth year of Dading, Liangbi retired on account of age and returned home. He died in the sixth month at the age of sixty. Emperor Shizong posthumously made him Prince of Jinyuan Commandery and granted the title Chengmin. In 1194, the fifth year of Mingchang, he was enshrined in Emperor Shizong's temple court.

Major Activities

Political Activities

Liangbi had already entered the highest levels of government under Wanyan Liang, serving during the Zhenglong era as Assistant Grand Councilor and as Right and Left Assistant Director of the Department of State Affairs. He opposed Wanyan Liang's invasion of Song; although his advice was rejected, later events were presented as vindicating his judgment. After Emperor Shizong's accession, Liangbi became a core chief minister and successively served as Right Assistant Director, Left Assistant Director, Participant in Determining Government Matters, Right Grand Councilor, and Left Grand Councilor, remaining in the highest offices for more than a decade. His major work included the following.

First, he pacified Xi and Khitan rebels. In 1162, after Yi Lawowo's defeat and flight into Xi territory, Liangbi traveled to Beijing bearing gold and silver tablets and completed a pacification mission that helped stabilize the north.

Second, he reorganized mixed settlement by Meng'an Mouke households and commoners. On the two Shandong circuits, overlapping settlement and land boundaries repeatedly produced disputes. Liangbi used state land to exchange for commoner holdings so that Meng'an Mouke households and commoners could live separately, after which lawsuits ceased.

Third, he requested rewards for unrecognized founding contributors. Liangbi identified thirty-two men whose achievements had never been formally rewarded and asked for graded honors. Shizong approved, and outstanding services were thereafter recognized.

Fourth, he proposed purchasing horses at frontier trade markets. Since official horse stocks were low and emergency requisition from the people would come too late if the frontier became troubled, he asked that the government buy horses at the markets without distinction between mares and stallions. Shizong accepted the proposal.

Fifth, he repeatedly persuaded Shizong not to take excessive action. He argued for clemency toward coerced followers of Yi Lawowo rather than wholesale execution, and he also stopped the emperor from punishing palace-guard selection officials merely because of rumors.

Cultural Contributions

Liangbi was proficient in the Jurchen script and belonged to the scholarly line associated with the script created by Wanyan Xiyin. From 1132 he served as an instructor in Beijing, teaching as many as two hundred students. Contemporaries praised him with the saying, “Before there was Gushen; after him there was Loushi,” and many of his pupils later achieved prominence.

In 1166 Liangbi became Right Grand Councilor and Supervisor of the Compilation of the State History. He directed work on the Veritable Records of Emperor Taizong, which was completed and presented in the eighth month of 1167. Shizong attached great importance to the project and explicitly ordered the historians to search widely for material because the court records of the Wanyan Liang period were incomplete. Liangbi also supervised or participated in the compilation of the Veritable Records of Emperor Xizong.

Diplomatic Activities

In the early Tiande era, Liangbi traveled to Southern Song as a New Year's envoy under the nominal title of Assistant Director of the Palace Library, his first recorded diplomatic mission. In policy toward Western Xia, he opposed the attempt of Western Xia strongman Ren Dejing to divide the state, thereby supporting the Jin–Western Xia tributary relationship.

Relations with Contemporaries

Liangbi and Nahe Chunnian were selected together as children to study the Jurchen script in the capital and maintained a close relationship. When Nahe Chunnian was Assistant Grand Councilor he recommended Liangbi as more capable than himself, enabling Liangbi to become Minister of Justice. Wanyan Liang praised Chunnian for recommending someone more talented than himself.

Liangbi and Heshilie Zhining were both prominent chief ministers under Emperor Shizong and were frequently banqueted and praised together. Shizong's statement that “the frontiers are without incident and all within and beyond are at peace; this is the achievement of the generals and grand councilors” referred to them. The History of Jin likewise states that “Liangbi and Zhining were known as worthy grand councilors in Shizong's time.”

Liangbi served alongside Shi Ju as grand councilor, and the two disagreed over the separation of Meng'an Mouke households from commoners. Liangbi favored exchanging state land for commoner land to allow kin groups to live together, while Shi Ju argued that the people were settled in their livelihoods and should not be disturbed. Shizong ultimately adopted Liangbi's proposal.

Personal Relations

Family

• Great-grandfather: Hulan
• Grandfather: Tebulu
• Father: Taiyu, hereditary pulian, later moved to Xuanning

Teachers and Associates

• Wanyan Xiyin: creator of the Jurchen script; appreciated Liangbi in his youth and predicted that he would become “an outstanding instrument of the state”
• Nahe Chunnian: selected with Liangbi to study the Jurchen script in the capital and later recommended him for advancement

Ruler–Minister Relations

• Wanyan Liang: Liangbi held major offices under him and unsuccessfully opposed the invasion of Song
• Wanyan Yong, Emperor Shizong of Jin: Liangbi served as grand councilor for more than a decade; ruler and minister worked closely together; Shizong is recorded here as saying that Liangbi’s “conduct and speech were upright, without flattery”

Colleagues

• Heshilie Zhining: prominent commander under Shizong, jointly praised with Liangbi as a worthy grand councilor
• Shi Ju: fellow grand councilor who differed with Liangbi over the settlement of Meng'an Mouke households
• Wanyan Shoudao: Left Assistant Director of the Department of State Affairs who discussed Meng'an Mouke settlement with Liangbi

Historical Assessment

Jin / Contemporary

• Wanyan Xiyin: “This boy will one day become an outstanding instrument of the state.” (History of Jin, biography of Heshilie Liangbi)
• Wanyan Liang: “Minister of Justice Loushi is upright in word and conduct and flatters no one.” (History of Jin, biography of Heshilie Liangbi)
• Emperor Shizong Wanyan Yong reminded Liangbi that he had opposed the Zhenglong invasion of Song and told him to speak fully on all state matters without further hesitation. (History of Jin, biography of Heshilie Liangbi)

Yuan and Ming Periods

• The History of Jin states: “Liangbi and Zhining were known as worthy grand councilors in Shizong's time.”
• Yuan-period writers described him as a chief minister experienced in affairs and diligent in office, grouping him with Zhang Hao and Shi Ju.

Qing Period

• Qing historian Zhao Yi, in Notes on the Twenty-Two Histories, mentioned Liangbi together with Heshilie Zhining, Shi Ju, and other capable ministers of Emperor Shizong, though without a separate extended discussion.

Modern Scholarship

• Volume 6 of Cai Meibiao and others' General History of China treats Liangbi as an important chief minister under Emperor Shizong who contributed to political stabilization and economic recovery.
• Li Xihou and Bai Bin, in History of Liao, Jin, and Western Xia, list him among the principal ministers of the Dading-era prosperity.
• Modern scholarship generally regards Liangbi as one of the most outstanding political figures of the mid-Jin period, whose fiscal and administrative ability provided major support for Dading-era prosperity.