Xi Kui was an important litterateur in the mid-Tang dynasty who excelled in imperial examinations and literary writing. He had close contacts with famous literati such as Han Yu, Bai Juyi, Liu Yuxi and Lu Chang. His bibliographical record in the extant documents, however, is rather sketchy. Fortunately, his newly-discovered epitaph clarifies his biographical information, including the year of his birth and death, family, participation in the imperial examinations，literary creation and social network. It can serve as a source for studying the protogenic environment of the mid-Tang literature. Firstly, the epitaph records the literary pedigree of Xi Kui. His grandfather Xi Yu, a famous poet in the high-Tang, was a member of the most prestigious literary group in the Kai Yuan period together with literati such as Zhang Yue, Zhang Jiuling and Han Xiu. Many famous literati such as Yan Zhenqing brothers and Xiao Yingshi won his recognition. Xi Yu's literary achievements and status also influenced his clansmen and descendants. Li Zhou, one of his grandsons, was an essayist who had contacts with famous poets like Du Fu, Cen Shen, Liu Changqing，Liang Su and Dugu Ji. Xi Kui's literary pedigree profoundly influenced his literary creation. Secondly, the epitaph recorded the literary activities of Xi Kui. From the epitaph and his extant literary work, his literary creation was closely related to his participation in the imperial examinations and his official experiences. Xi Kui was a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations. His existing poems and odes are representative of his literary talent. After passing the imperial examinations, he served as Guang Wen Guan, a position which many famous literati took in the Tang Dynasty. Xi Kui's literary influence contributed to his appointment to the official post, which, in turn positively impacted his literary creation and elevated his literary status. Later, he served as an official in charge of secretarial matters and was responsible for issuing government decrees, drafting imperial edicts and authoring eulogies on the feats of the emperor. While writing these official documents, Xi Kui was able to follow his own concept of literature and demonstrate his unique personality. Finally, literary communication is an important aspect for studying the relationship between Xi Kui and the literature of Mid-Tang Dynasty. According to the extant documents, well-renowned Tang writers such as Han Yu, Bai Juyi, Yuan Zhen, Liu Yuxi and Lu Chang all had contacts with Xi Kui. In addition, as is shown by the epitaph, the writer of the epitaph, Chen Feng, passed the imperial examination in the same year as Xi Kui and was a close friend of his. The calligrapher of the epitaph, Pei Lin, was adept in literature and calligraphy. Both Chen Feng and Pei Lin were famous literati at that time and this connection significantly helps us understand Xi Kui's activities, social network, and the literary value of epitaphs. In sum, the epitaph of Xi Kui was indicative of the environment wherein literary work was created in the Tang Dynasty. It demonstrates four interconnected aspects of the emergence and development of Tang Dynasty literature: family background, imperial examination, literary network and personal experience.