Li Jiao (Tang dynasty)
Li Jiao (李嶠), courtesy name Jushan, was a Tang dynasty official who later served as chancellor during Wu Zetian’s Zhou dynasty and again under Emperor Zhongzong, Emperor Ruizong, and Emperor Shang. His family came from Zhao Prefecture, and he came from a prominent line; his great-granduncle Li Yuancao had been an official in the Sui dynasty. His father died early, and Li Jiao was known for his filial piety to his mother. He showed talent early, mastering the Five Classics by age 14, and passed the imperial examinations at 19, starting as the sheriff of Anding and then moving to the capital Chang’an with a reputation for literary skill.
As a young official, he served as an imperial censor under Emperor Gaozong and helped the army suppress a rebellion by yielding a demand for surrender at Yong and Yan Prefectures, allowing the campaign to end without a fight. He later became an imperial attendant. In 692 Wu Zetian began her Zhou regime, and when a treason case falsely accused several chancellors, Li Jiao, along with two other officials, urged that the cases be examined and the accused be treated fairly. This angered Wu Zetian and led to his temporary demotion to be a military advisor in Run Prefecture.
Li Jiao was soon recalled to work in the central government as Fengge Sheren, where he helped draft imperial edicts. In 697 he opposed certain recommendations on dealing with Eastern Tujue and, later that year, took on responsibilities for selecting officials and for a reserve list of salaried officials. He also proposed changing how the imperial censorate reviewed local government, though the plan was not carried out. By 698 he was deputy head of the Palace Library and was given the de facto title of chancellor.
In 700 he led a project to compile the Essence of Pearls from the Three Religions, a poetry compilation Wu Zetian used to advance the status of her favored favorites. He briefly lost his chancellor rank when his uncle Zhang Xi became chancellor, then served as principal of the imperial university. By 702–704 he held major roles at Luoyang and in the central offices; in 704 he helped block a Buddhist tax, and was briefly minister of the treasury.
Wu Zetian was overthrown in 705, and Li Jiao was accused of flattering Wu Zetian’s favorites, which led to another demotion to a prefecture. He soon returned to power, serving as deputy minister and then minister of civil service affairs, and he expanded the pool of reserve officials to placate powerful clans. In 706 he again became a chancellor and helped handle a treason case, though he warned that expanding the reserve list was draining the treasury. He remained a key figure through 707–708, even guarding the palace during Li Chongjun’s rebellion and later serving as a scholar and then minister of defense while still a chancellor. He was made the Duke of Zhao.
In 710 Emperor Zhongzong died, and a brief reign of Emperor Shang followed. A coup soon killed Empress Wei and Li Guo’er and restored Emperor Ruizong. Li Jiao kept a stint as chancellor after Ruizong’s return but was soon sent to a provincial post and then retired. In 713 Ruizong learned that Li Jiao had suggested exiling Ruizong’s sons; although some called for Li Jiao’s execution, he was spared, and his son Li Changzhi was given a prefecture. Li Jiao died a few years later at the age of 69 while serving as an advisor to Lu Prefecture.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:03 (CET).