Gazetteer: Li Gu, a five-generation and famous minister of the Northern Song Dynasty

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Li Gu (903–960), courtesy name Weizhen, was a native of Ruyin, Yingzhou (present-day Fuyang, Anhui), and a famous courtier from the fifth dynasty to the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty.

In his early years, Li Gu studied hard and was talented, and reading only needed to be browsed once, which was like a long-term accumulation of familiar habits. At the age of twenty-seven, he was promoted to Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎) and Pingzhangshi (平章事) after the establishment of the Later Zhou Dynasty.

In the first year of the Later Zhou Dynasty (954), he added the Right Servant Shooter and the Scholar of jixian Dian, and from The Zhou Shizong to Taiyuan, after the class, he was promoted to the position of Sikong and Menxia Shilang. In the following year, he summoned the former army of the Camp of The Southern Province to deploy, and also knew the affairs of the Lu and Shouzhou provinces, and led an army to attack the Southern Tang.

Dehuainan and other places. Later, due to illness, he returned to the dynasty and was relegated to Sikong.

After Emperor Gong of Zhou ascended the throne, he added the three divisions of Fu Yi and entered the title of Duke of Zhao.

During Li Gu's tenure as an official, he was thick and resolute, bold in his duties, and was known for his knowledge of people and good appointments when "Park (Wang Pu) could recommend soldiers and Gu could know people". Later, Li Gu went out to Huainan, accompanied by Li Fang, who was in charge of the military zhang. Li Gu looked at the chapter he was going to play, was clear and reasonable, was brilliant, and did things steadily and comprehensively, so he said to him: "Your official title in japan should be like mine." After returning to the dynasty, Li Gu then recommended Li Fang to Zhou Shizong, who said: "I have known for a long time that there is this person." Promoted to the main guest foreign lang, later, Li Fang indeed became the prime minister.　　

Lee Gu is friendly with celebrity Han Hee-jae. Han Xizai wants to do something to Jiangnan, and when the two break up in Zhengyang, they raise a glass and drink bitterly. Han Xizai said to Li Gu, "If the State of Wu uses me as a mirror, I will definitely drive to the Central Plains for a long time." Li Gu knew that he was "young and debauched, and did not observe the name of the censor", although he was talented, he was not the talent of the prime minister. Sui smiled and replied, "If Zhongyuan can use me as a phase, I will take Wu Guo as a probe to take things." "It is also said that they later said these words in correspondence. Later, Zhou Shizong did use Li Gu as a mirror and used his strategy to seize the land of Huainan in southern Tang, while Han Xizai was in southern Tang, but he did nothing in the end. As the prime minister, Li Gu is not only able to know people and do good job, but also a loyal and patriotic man, concerned about the well-being of the people, full of political talent and reform spirit. In the first year of the Later Zhou Dynasty (951), Li Gu served as a servant of the household department. Soon after, he was appointed as Zhongshu Shilang and Ping Zhangshi. At that time, the official government banned cowhide laws very strictly, and violators were punished by death. Proceeding from actual needs, Li Gu calculated the amount of leather used each year, and then decided to reform the old system, stipulating that every ten acres of land should be handed over to the government every year, and the excess leather should be handed over to the government every year, allowing the people to use and buy and sell it themselves. This measure not only ensures the collection of the government, but also gives the people a certain degree of autonomy, which is supported and supported by the government and the people.

Li Gu also carried out reforms in agricultural policy, and he asked the imperial court to abolish the tun tian system, which had been implemented for a long time during the war, and to implement a system of paying taxes and serving in the prefectures and counties. This policy measure has given the prefecture and county administration a certain degree of autonomy, and mobilized the enthusiasm of the government and the peasants, that is, to benefit the country and the people.

In the first year of the Later Zhou Dynasty (954), the Yellow River burst into flooding, and Li Gu was ordered by the dynasty to lead the military and civilians of several prefectures to rescue and control the water, and after several months of hard work, he finally blocked the flooding of the yellow water, completed the embankment on time, protected the lives and property of the people, and won the praise of the government and the public.

In his lifetime, Li Gu was a heavy vassal of the three dynasties in the five dynasties, thick and resolute, loyal to his life, Wu Ke Anbang, Wen Ke to govern the country, to know difficulties and take responsibility, to make great contributions to the world, and to be valued by the world. In the first year of Jianlong (960), he died of illness and died at the age of 57.

Sima Guang (Zizhi Tongjian): Li Gu shen yi had a strategy, discussed in front of the emperor, was generous in his words, and was good at making suggestions to open his mind.

The History of Song lists Li Gu as the twenty-first.