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Li Tao

Li Tao was a direct descendant of Li Si (李偲), Emperor Taizong of Tang's grandson who narrowly escaped death from the persecution of Empress Wu Zetian and settled in Meizhou (眉州, today's Meishan, Sichuan) in the 8th century.

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He went home to mourn his father in 1147 and became the prefectural judge of Yazhou (雅州; modern Ya'an, Sichuan) 3 years later.

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Li Tao's father Li Zhong (李中), a 15th-generation descendant of Li Si, passed the imperial examination in Song Dynasty in 1109 and was well known for his knowledge in history and the classics.

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But his greatest passion was in the field of history: he devoted himself in the learning of The Spring and Autumn Annals, looked up to Sima Guang and strongly believed that history should be written as a guide for Confucian ethics.

see also