Li Zhongyan (李仲言) (died December 16, 835[1][2]), known as Li Xun (李訓) in 835, courtesy name initially Zixun (子訓), later Zichui (子垂), pseudonym Hermit Wang (王山人) during the mourning period for his mother, was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty.
[3][4][5] It was said that Li Zhongyan was tall, handsome, charismatic, well-spoken, dexterous, and good at reading people's emotions.
On the same day, Li Zhongyan was made an assistant imperial scholar, over the objections of a number of advisory officials, including Zheng Su and Han.
[2] Meanwhile, while Emperor Wenzong appeared to be outwardly respectful to Wang and other eunuchs who helped him take the throne, he was in fact resentful of their hold on power.
[2] It was said that Li Xun and Zheng drafted a master plan for reforming the state that had details and which impressed Emperor Wenzong, which called first for eliminating the eunuchs, then for recovery of the territory lost to Tufan, and then for destruction of the warlords north of the Yellow River.
Shortly after Zheng's commission, Li Xun and Shu Yuanyu (who investigated Yang Yuqing) were named chancellors with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事).
Meanwhile, at Li Xun's and Zheng's advice, Emperor Wenzong gave Wang Shoucheng the honorific title of monitor of the Shence Armies and stripped him of military command.
[2] On December 14,[1] Li Xun acted, six days before the scheduled funeral for Wang, Han reported to Emperor Wenzong, at the imperial meeting hall Zichen Hall (紫宸殿), that there had been sweet dew (甘露, ganlu in Chinese) that appeared on a pomegranate tree outside the headquarters of Zuo Jinwu (左金吾), one of the Wei Army (衛軍) headquarters—viewed as a sign of divine favor.
Emperor Wenzong then went to nearby Hanyuan Hall (含元殿) and ordered the imperial officials, including Li Xun, to examine the purported sweet dew.
Li Xun soon returned and stated that it appeared that there was no sweet dew; at Li Xun's suggestion, Emperor Wenzong ordered Qiu and his fellow Shence Army commander Yu Hongzhi (魚弘志) to lead the eunuchs in examining the sweet dew.
Knowing that he had lost this gambit, Li Xun put on the green uniform of chancellors' attendants and fled.
[2] Li Xun fled to the Zhongnan Mountain (終南山) to try to seek refuge with the Buddhist monk Zongmi, with whom he was friendly.
He was, however, intercepted on the way by the defender of Zhouzhi (盩厔, in modern Xi'an), Song Chu (宋楚), who arrested him and had him delivered to Chang'an.
It was only after a new year had passed that Emperor Wenzong ordered the Jingzhao Municipal Government to have the bodies buried in two mass graves.