早期经历

李义琰出自陇西李氏定著四房之一的姑臧房，是常州刺史李玄道族孙，唐朝瘿陶县县令李玄德之子。先祖从陇西迁徙道崤山以东。李义琰少年时即中进士，补太原尉，在名将并州都督李绩帐下效力。由于李绩功勋卓著，他的其他部将害怕他，不敢和他争论，但李义琰不怕，当廷与李绩争辩，并得到了李绩的尊敬。

唐高宗年间

李义琰曾出使高丽，高丽王据榻召见，李义琰不拜，说：「我是天子使者，可以当小国之君，奈何傲慢地见我？」高丽王词穷，为之加礼。后来李义琰的从祖弟监察御史李义琛出使，高丽王也坐著召之，李义琛匍匐拜伏。时人由是看出他们兄弟的优劣。

唐高宗麟德年间（664年 - 665年），李义琰任白水令，被认为是能吏，后被提拔为司刑员外郎，再任中书侍郎。上元二年（675年）三月，高宗为慢性病（可能是高血压）所苦，想让强势的武皇后（即后来的武则天）摄政，宰相郝处俊坚决反对，李义琰也说：「郝处俊之言至忠，陛下宜听之。」最终高宗放弃了这一想法。李义琰身长八尺，博学多识，高宗每有顾问，言皆切直。

上元三年（676年）四月，李义琰被授同中书门下三品，为实质宰相。仪凤二年（677年）三月，他又兼太子右庶子，辅佐太子李贤。仪凤年间，官号复旧，又敕李义琰与左仆射刘仁轨、右仆射戴至德、侍中张文瓘、中书令李敬玄、右庶子郝处俊、黄门侍郎来恒、左庶子高智周、吏部侍郎裴行俭、马载、兵部侍郎萧德昭、裴炎、工部侍郎李义琛、刑部侍郎张楚、金部郎中卢律师等，删缉格式，于仪凤二年二月九日撰定奏上，即《永徽留本司格后》。永隆元年（680年）八月，李贤得罪武后，被控谋反并被废黜，他的同党宰相张大安也被贬官，但高宗赦免了其馀的太子属官，改让他们辅佐新太子李哲。宰相薛元超等都为此手舞足蹈，但李义琰却不以为然，反而自责失职导致李贤倒台并哭泣，人们因此赞扬他。

李义琰家没有中卧室，弟弟岐州司功参军李义璡得知后就买了木材给他。后来李义璡来到京城，发现哥哥并未用他送的木头造卧室，于是向哥哥问究竟。李义琰说：「我自认为做宰相不够资格，如果我再造一间华美的卧室，会带来灾祸的，这哪里是爱我呢？」李义璡说：「当了县丞廷尉级小官的人尚且想建新房，哥哥你如今荣耀而有权，为什么要住在小屋里，让下属们蒙羞呢？」李义琰答：「不是这样的。很难把所有的事情都做到完美，好运也不会再来。我现在是荣耀的官员，如果扩建府邸，除非我的品德已经完美了，否则便会自招灾祸。我不是不想要一间新卧室，是怕带来灾祸啊。」最后他一直没建新卧室，一次雨后，这些木材都腐烂了，李义琰将其丢弃。

永淳年间，李义琰为中书侍郎。弘道元年（683年）三月，李义琰改葬父母，让舅舅迁旧墓。唐高宗闻讯，大怒：「李义琰只因荣耀了，就欺凌舅舅，这种人不能用来秉政！」李义琰闻知，感到不安，自称有足疾，请求退隐，高宗批准了，并授以银青光禄大夫荣衔致仕。李义琰即将在东都洛阳附近退隐，很多官员在城门外设宴为他饯行，时人称场面堪比当年汉朝疏广、疏受叔侄的欢送会。

武后摄政时期

同年，唐高宗驾崩，武后以太后身份为唐中宗（即李哲）摄政，嗣圣元年（684年）又因中宗不顺从而将其废黜，改立另一亲子唐睿宗。睿宗垂拱年间（685年 - 689年），朝廷想复起李义琰任怀州刺史。但李义琰自知先前曾阻止武后摄政，已得罪武后，没有应召。垂拱四年（688年），李义琰在家中去世。

唐德宗年间，李义琰得以续图凌烟阁。

评价

• 《旧唐书》

　• 史臣论曰：义琰腐材而不营第舍，可谓有俭德矣。

　• 赞曰：二李（李敬玄、李义琰）、二乐（乐彦玮、乐思晦），俱号公清。权臣独抗，美第不营。以兹辅弼，无愧德声。

家庭

儿子

• 李超，雍州录事参军

孙子

• 李询甫，李超长子，尚书郎

• 李询仲，李超第四子，魏县县令

注释

Background

It is not known when Li Yiyan was born. His family was from Wei Prefecture (魏州, part of modern Handan, Hebei), but his ancestors were said to be originally from Longxi (陇西, in modern Tianshui, Gansu), thus sharing an origin with Tang Dynasty's imperial Li clan, but he was considered sufficiently distant not to be considered an imperial clan member. His father Li Xuande (李玄德) served as the county magistrate of Yingtao County (瘿陶, in modern Xingtai, Hebei).

Li Yiyan himself passed the imperial examinations when he was young, and subsequently served as the sheriff of Taiyuan County. At that time, he served under the famed general Li Shiji, who served as the commandant at Bing Prefecture (并州, i.e., Taiyuan). Because of Li Shiji's accomplishments and reputation, the other subordinate officials were all fearful of him and dared not to speak on important matters with him, but Li Yiyan was said to be unafraid of the commandant and was willing to discuss matters of importance. As a result, Li Shiji respected him.

During Emperor Gaozongs reign

During the Linde era (of Emperor Gaozong's reign (664-665), Li Yiyan served as the magistrate of Baishui County (白水, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi) and was said to be capable as a county magistrate. He was subsequently promoted to be a mid-low-level official at the ministry of justice, and was eventually promoted to the post of Zhongshu Shilang (中书侍郎) -- deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (中书省, Zhongshu Sheng) -- during the Shangyuan era (674-676). In 675, when Emperor Gaozong, because of his chronic illness (which might have been hypertension), considered making his powerful wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) regent plenipotentiary, the chancellor Hao Chujun vehemently opposed, and Li concurred with Hao, eventually leading to Emperor Gaozong abandoning the idea.

In 676, Li was given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin (同中书门下三品), making him a chancellor de facto. In 677, he was also made a member of the staff of Emperor Gaozong's crown prince Li Xian. In 680, when Li Xian offended Empress Wu and was deposed on accusation of treason, Li's fellow chancellor and fellow staff member Zhang Da'an was demoted, but Emperor Gaozong pardoned the rest of the staff and retained them for the new crown prince Li Zhe. The staff, including fellow chancellor Xue Yuanchao, all danced in gratitude (as pursuant to ceremonies of thanksgiving at the time), but Li did not dance but was instead blaming himself for Li Xian's downfall—and this led to much praise from the people.

It was said around the same time that Li's mansion did not have a central bedroom. At that time, his brother Li Yijin (李义璡) was serving on staff of the prefecture of Qi Prefecture (岐州, roughly modern Baoji, Shaanxi), and when Li Yijin heard this, he bought good wood and delivered them to Li Yiyan. On a subsequently occasion, when Li Yijin was visiting the capital, he saw that Li Yiyan had not yet used the wood to build a central bedroom, and he asked Li Yiyan about it. Li Yiyan responded, "I feel inadequate as a chancellor, and if I build an impressive bedroom, this would bring disaster on me. How is this loving me?" Li Yijin responded, "Even when a person becomes a county magistrate or sheriff, he would want to build a new house. My brother, you are honored and powerful, why do you live in a small house to bring shame to your subordinates?" Li Yiyan further responded, "Not everything should be perfect, and blessings will not be doubled. Since I am an honored official, if I expand my mansion, unless I am fully virtuous, I will bring disaster on myself. It is not that I do not want a new bedroom, but that I am afraid of disaster." He therefore never constructed a new bedroom, and eventually, the wood decayed after rain.

In 683, Li Yiyan was moving his parents' tomb, and he asked his maternal uncle to move his maternal ancestors' tombs. When Emperor Gaozong heard this, he angrily remarked, "Li Yiyan is leaning on his uncle just because he is honored. This person should not be again in charge of important things!" When Li heard this, he became disconcerted, and he requested retirement on account of foot illness, which Emperor Gaozong granted, and Emperor Gaozong further gave him the honorific title Yinqing Guanglu Daifu (银青光禄大夫). As Li was about to retire to the vicinity of the eastern capital Luoyang, many officials held a feast in his honor just outside the city gates, and this scene was compared to the grand sendoff that was held for the Han Dynasty officials Shu Guang (疏广) and his nephew Shu Shou (疏受), who retired at the height of their careers.

During Empress Dowager Wus regency

Emperor Gaozong died in 683, and Empress Wu, as empress dowager, subsequently served as regent over Emperor Zhongzong (Li Zhe), whom she deposed in 684 due to his disobedience to her, and created Emperor Ruizong, both her sons. Early on Emperor Ruizong's Chuigong era (685-689), a recall of Li Yiyan was made, asking him to serve as the prefect of Huai Prefecture (怀州, roughly modern Jiaozuo, Henan), but Li, knowing that he had previously offended Empress Dowager Wu by opposing her regency, was apprehensive and did not accept the recall. He died in 688.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 81.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 105.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 202, 203.