Li Mi

Li Bi or Li Mi, courtesy name Changyuan (長源), formally the Marquess of Ye County (鄴縣侯), was a Chinese historian, poet, and politician during the Tang dynasty. Li was a trusted advisor and close friend to Emperor Suzong of Tang, whom he aided in suppressing the An Lushan Rebellion, and later served as chancellor and chief civil official under Emperor Dezong. An accomplished man of letters, Li was a dedicated Taoist practitioner who cut an unusual figure at court, disentangling himself from political intrigue by leading an eremitic lifestyle and often eschewing high office to serve as personal counsellor to Emperor Suzong and his successors, Emperor Daizong and Emperor Dezong. Li's strategies helped stabilize the Tang state during a chaotic era marked by rebellion, warfare, and tension with foreign powers, though his influence and perceived eccentricity drew criticism from contemporary rivals and some traditional historians. Li is one of the 40 prominent figures memorialized in the Wu Shuang Pu by Jin Guliang.