272 Beijing Opera Performers - Li Mi - Number 117

Li Mi

Beijing Opera - "Duanmi Cave"

Li Mi with a purple six-tenth dace stars in the list-opera "Duanmi Cave." In Three States (San Guo, Spring Autumn), there was a state of Shu, and Liu Bei was the king. Another king (Liu Chan) followed Liu Bei of the State of Shu. Li Mi was his minister. In AD 263, Sima Zhao defeated the state Shu, Li Mi became a minister of a dead state. Without a future, Li Mi stayed at home, took care of his grandma Li (her family name, not Mrs. Liu). In AD 265, Sima Zhao invited Li Mi to be his minister. Why did Sima Zhao do that?

Because Sima Zhao wanted to defeat the State Wu, in order to appease the people of State Wu, he put Li Mi in the very important position.

Why didn't Li Mi want to be a minister for Sima Zhao. There were three reasons: one, Li Mi had an old grandma at home, and she needed to be taken care of; two, Li Mi was the minister of old State Shu, he missed State Shu, and he was not convinced of Sima Zhao defeating the State Wu; three, Sima Zhao just set up period Jin, he didn't know about Sima Zhao, so he didn't know if it was lucky to work for Sima Zhao. Li Mi didn't want to be a minister; it was not the right time to be the minister.

Li Mi didn't want to be a minister in the Jin period, But Sima Zhao always urged him. If he didn't do as Sima Zhao said, Sima Zhao might kill him. So Li Mi wrote to Sima Zhao, expressed his piety, wrote about his grandma really needed his care.

Courtesy of my good Student Alicia Ting Ting Chai.