Li Mian (Chinese: 李勉; 717 – September 14, 788[1][2]), courtesy name Xuanqing (玄卿), formally Duke Zhenjian of Qian (汧貞簡公), was a Chinese judge, military general, musician, poet, and politician during the Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong.

Li Mian followed Emperor Suzong to Lingwu, and was made Jiancha Yushi (監察御史), an imperial censor.

At that time, everything at Emperor Suzong's court, including his palace, was makeshift, and the officers lacked discipline.

On one occasion, the officer Guan Chongsi (管崇嗣) was sitting with his back to the palace, considered a disrespectful posture.

"[5] In 757, after Tang forces recaptured Chang'an and were attacking east and seeking to recapture the eastern capital Luoyang, which had become the Yan capital, there was an occasion when over 100 Yan captives were delivered to Chang'an, to be executed on Emperor Suzong's orders.

Li Mian submitted a petition stating:[6] Currently, the greatest evil has not been wiped out yet, and over half of the realm had been tainted by the bandits.

They have heard that Your Imperial Majesty has risen like a dragon, and they all want to change their hearts to receive your holy grace.

Subsequently, after Tang forces recaptured Luoyang, Li Mian served as the deputy mayor of Henan Municipality (河南, i.e., the Luoyang region), and later successively served as military commander under the generals Wang Sili (王思禮) and Li Guozhen (李國貞).

Emperor Suzong approved of him and made him the deputy minister of worship (太常卿, Taichang Qing).

"[3] In 767, Li Mian was in Chang'an to pay homage to Emperor Daizong, and was made the mayor of Jingzhao as well as the chief imperial censor (御史大夫, Yushi Daifu).

At that time, the powerful eunuch Yu Chao'en was the monitor of the armies as well as acting principal of the imperial university (國子監, Guozi Jian).

Li Mian's predecessors as mayor all, when Yu visited the university, held feasts with food sufficient for several hundred people.

At that time, two rebels, Feng Chongdao (馮崇道) and Zhu JIshi (朱濟時), had been holding more than 10 prefectures.

[3][9] It was said that because Li Mian was honest in his governance of the circuit, previously, only four or five foreign merchant ships would arrive in Guang Prefecture per year, but toward the end of his term, because Li Mian did not demand bribes, more than 40 foreign merchant ships would arrive each year.

This led popular opinion at the time to compare him to such honest officials of the past such as Song Jing, Lu Huan (盧奐), and Li Chaoyin (李朝隱).

In 775, Emperor Daizong made him the minister of public works (工部尚書, Gongbu Shangshu) and created him the Duke of Qian.

[9] In 776, Tian Shenyu (田神玉) the acting military governor of Biansong Circuit (汴宋, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), died.

Emperor Dezong made Li Mian an honorary chancellor with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事).

Before Liu and Tang could reach Xu Prefecture, however, Emperor Dezong sent an edict ordering them to stop.

From that point on, Yongping itself was in a precarious position, unable to aid Geshu and finding it difficult to stand against Li Xilie.

[14] By fall 784, with Li Mian repeatedly requesting punishment, Emperor Dezong removed him from the overall command of the three circuits and the military governorship of Yongping, but recalled him to Chang'an (which had been recaptured by that point) to serve as chancellor as well as acting Situ (司徒, one of the Three Excellencies).

Emperor Dezong's trusted senior advisor Li Mi pointed out that while Li Mian was not a capable general, he was a capable governor that the people loved and respected, and that he, by transferring the command to Liu, contributed to Liu's subsequent victory.