Is there really a Jigong in history?

Li Xiuyuan, the prototype of Jigong, is the son of an extraordinary family. Born in an official family, Li Chongju, the seventh ancestor, served as an envoy of the Tang Dynasty. The sixth ancestor, Li Zunxu, was a Xu, who served as General Zuo Longwu and our military ambassador. The figures of the previous generation, such as the Five Ancestors, all held high positions and held prominent positions.

The change of Jingkang, the demise of the Northern Song Dynasty, Kang Jianyan and the Li family also moved to Tiantai County in eastern Zhejiang with this wave of southward migration. Li Xiuyuan's father, Li Maochun, is always charitable. He is a well-known good man in ten miles and eight townships, but he didn't give birth to Li Xiuyuan's precious son until he was nearly forty.

There are also different opinions about why Li Xiuyuan insisted on becoming a monk after he saw through the world of mortals. It is generally believed that Li Xiuyuan's personality and unhappy marriage made him unable to sit still, and he decided to realize his road to great harmony in a firmer way.