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Li Shou (; 300Li Shou's biography in vol.121 of Jin Shu recorded that he was 44 (by East Asian reckoning) when he died. – September 343 Zizhi Tongjian, vol.97. Emperor Kang's biography in Jin Shu recorded that Li Shou died in the 8th month of that year, which corresponds to 6 Sep to 4 Oct 343 in the Julian calendar.), courtesy name Wukao (武考), also known by his posthumous name as the Emperor Zhaowen of (Cheng) Han ((成)漢昭文帝), was an emperor of the Di-led Chinese Cheng-Han dynasty. He was the cousin of Cheng-Han's founding emperor Li Xiong, but after he overthrew Li Xiong's son Li Qi in 338, he disassociated himself from Li Xiong's regime by renaming the state from Cheng to Han, and further setting up a different imperial ancestral temple. Traditional historians, however, did not consider his regime a separate state and treated the succession from Li Xiong to Li Shou's son Li Shi as a single Cheng-Han state. Li Shou was initially known for lenience and thriftiness—the same virtues commonly associated with Li Xiong—but later imitated the ruling style of Shi Hu, the emperor of Later Zhao, by ruling harshly and extravagantly, greatly inflicting burdens on the people and damaging the Cheng-Han state.
During his reign, Li Qi was constantly suspicious of possible rebellions, and Li Shou frequently worried that Li Qi would kill him, as both Li Qi and Li Yue were apprehensive of him. Therefore, whenever he had to visit the capital Chengdu, he had his subordinates submit false report of attacks by Later Zhao, so that he could then return to his defense post. In 338, Li Shou consulted the hermit Gong Zhuang (龔壯), who advised him to rebel and to declare himself a Jin vassal. Li Shou then further planned an attack with his advisors Luo Heng (羅恆) and Jie Siming (解思明). Li Qi, hearing some rumors of this, several times sent the eunuch Xu Fu (許涪) to spy on Li Shou and also poisoned Li Shou's adoptive brother Li You (李攸). Li Shou, in response, forged a letter from his brother-in-law Ren Diao (任調), which stated that Li Qi was about to arrest and kill Li Shou; he then showed the letter to his soldiers. His soldiers believed the letter and agreed to march on Chengdu.
Li Shou's attack was not anticipated by Li Qi, and further, Li Shou's heir apparent Li Shi, a capital guards officer, opened the gates and welcomed the forces in. Li Shou forced Li Qi to order the execution of Li Yue and several other officials that Li Qi trusted. He then forged an edict by Li Xiong's wife Empress Ren deposing Li Qi and creating him the Duke of Qiongdu. Li Qi committed suicide later that year.
Later in 338, the official Ren Yan (任顏), Empress Dowager Ren's brother, plotted a coup but was discovered and executed. Li Shou used this as an excuse to also execute all of Li Xiong's surviving sons.
In spring 339, Cheng-Han lost Ning Province—which Li Shou himself had captured several years earlier—to Jin. For the next several years, Jin and Cheng-Han would, however, continue to fight over parts of Ning Province.
In 340, Later Zhao's emperor Shi Hu wrote to Li Shou, seeking an alliance against Jin. Li Shou agreed and began to build a fleet and store food supplies, ready to attack, despite opposition by Jie. Gong visited Chengdu and analyzed the situation for Li Shou—that if Jin were destroyed, Li Shou would be forced to submit to Later Zhao as well due to Later Zhao's sheer size. Li Shou thereafter cancelled the plan to attack Jin. Indeed, later that year, the chances of an alliance with Later Zhao was further damaged when Li Shou wrote Shi Hu with arrogant terms, causing Shi Hu much offense.
Early in his reign, Li Shou followed Li Xiong's ruling methods of being lenient, but later, after his messengers to Later Zhao told him about how Shi Hu kept order by harsh laws, Li Shou modified his style to be far harsher and also, in emulation of Shi Hu, started many construction projects. This, just like how Shi Hu burdened his people, burdened the people of Cheng-Han, greatly weakening their loyalty toward the state.
In 343, Li Shou died and was succeeded by Crown Prince Shi.
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