[1][2]), courtesy name Sunzhi (損之), was a Chinese politician of the Tang dynasty, serving twice as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenzong.
The officials that Emperor Xianzong put in charge of the examinations, Yang Yuling (楊於陵) and Wei Guanzhi ranked them high.
[6] In 817, when the chancellor Pei Du went to the frontline to oversee the imperial campaign against the warlord Wu Yuanji and, as part of his responsibilities, was made the military governor (Jiedushi) of Zhangyi Circuit (彰義, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan), which Wu then held, he had a large number of imperial officials serve on his staff, and he had Li Jifu serve as his secretary in his capacity as military governor; it was said that it was because of Li Zongmin's service under Pei that he later began to receive prominence.
[6][10] After the end of the campaign, Li Zongmin was made Jiabu Langzhong (駕部郎中), a supervisory official at the ministry of rites, and was also put in charge of drafting edicts.
Meanwhile, at that time his father was also moved from being the ministry of imperial clan affairs (宗正卿) to be the prefect of Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), and their simultaneous commissions were considered to be an honor.
Meanwhile, Li Zongmin's junior colleague at the legislative bureau, Yang Rushi (楊汝士) and the deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, Lǐbu Shilang) Qian Hui (錢徽) were in charge of overseeing the imperial examinations.
The military governor Duan Wenchang (a former chancellor) and the imperial scholar Li Shen both made secret pleas to Qian for certain examinees.
However, when the results were announced, the examinees that Duan and Li Shen recommended were not given passing results, while among those passing the examinations were Zheng Lang, the brother of the examination bureau (門下省, Menxia Sheng) official Zheng Tan; Pei Zhuan (裴譔) the son of the military governor Pei Du (also a former chancellor); Li Zongmin's son-in-law Su Chao (蘇巢); and Yang Rushi's brother Yang Yinshi (楊殷士).
In Li Zongmin's case, he was demoted to be the prefect of Jian Prefecture (劍州, in modern Guangyuan, Sichuan).
In winter 823, he was made acting deputy minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎, Lìbu Shilang, note different tone than the ministry of rites), and was apparently responsible for the imperial examinations the following year, for following the imperial examinations in 824, he was made acting deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang).
However, it was said that because Li Zongmin was favored by powerful eunuchs,[10] due to his association with Shen Yi, the husband of Emperor Xianzong's daughter Princess Xuancheng,[12] and, through Shen, the female palace scholar Song Ruoxian (宋若憲) and the powerful eunuch Yang Chenghe (楊承和) the director of palace communications,[13] Li Zongmin was made the deputy head of the legislative bureau (中書侍郎, Zhongshu Shilang) and chancellor de facto with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事).
[10] In 832, Li Deyu, after a well-regarded stint as the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan), was recalled to Chang'an, to serve as the minister of defense, and it was believed that because Emperor Wenzong was impressed by his service at Xichuan, Li Deyu would soon be chancellor.
Li Deyu further used this to accuse others of being associated with Yang Yuqing in order to eject people he disfavored from the imperial government.
[10] Soon thereafter, Li Zongmin was sent out of Chang'an to serve as the military governor of Shannan West Circuit (山南西道, headquartered in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi) as well as the mayor of its capital Xingyuan Municipality (興元), although he retained the Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi designation as an honorary title.
Soon thereafter, Zheng revealed that Li Zongmin had first become chancellor through the intercessions of Shen, Song, and Yang Chenghe, and Li Zongmin was further demoted to be the secretary general of Chu Prefecture (處州, in modern Lishui, Zhejiang), and then the census officer at Chao Prefecture (潮州, in modern Chaozhou, Guangdong).
In the aftermath of the argument, Li Zongmin was moved to be the prefect of Hang Prefecture (杭州, in modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang) but not recalled to the capital.