Zhang Ji , courtesy name Yisun , was a poet born in during the Tang Dynasty. He is credited under the name Chang Tsi as the author of the original Chinese text for the second movement of Das Lied von der Erde by Gustav Mahler. The movement's title is "Der Einsame im Herbst" in German and "The Lonely Soul of Autumn" in English. The lyrics lament the dying of flowers and the passing of beauty.
Zhang is also credited with an untitled work listed as ''Fengqiao Yebo'' in the classic anthology ''Three Hundred Tang Poems''.
The identity of Mahler's Chang Tsi, sometimes Tchang-Tsi and Ts'ien-Ts'i, has not been definitively determined because the Western translation of the name corresponds to several combinations of Chinese characters, and the text as adapted by Mahler, after very free treatment by more than one translator, is hard to match to a specific Chinese original. Some believe he is Chang Tsi whereas others think that he is his companion Chien Chi .
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Yuan Zhen
Yuan Zhen , courtesy name Weizhi , was an important Chinese writer and poet in the middle Tang Dynasty known for his work ''Yingying's Biography''.
A native of Luoyang, Yuan was a descendant of Northern Wei's ruling elites. He lost his father at the age of eight and moved to Fengxiang, near today's with his mother Lady Zheng . Yuan began his writings at the age of fifteen, he was a member of Bai Juyi's literary circle and a key figure in the ancient literature revival. He was a friend of Bai Juyi and also of Xue Tao, a courtesan and famous poet who might have been his lover.
Yuan was the author of ''Yingying's Biography'' which was adapted for operas and songs. In 813, he wrote a grave inscription for Du Fu, which contains some of the earliest known praise for his predecessor's works.
A native of Luoyang, Yuan was a descendant of Northern Wei's ruling elites. He lost his father at the age of eight and moved to Fengxiang, near today's with his mother Lady Zheng . Yuan began his writings at the age of fifteen, he was a member of Bai Juyi's literary circle and a key figure in the ancient literature revival. He was a friend of Bai Juyi and also of Xue Tao, a courtesan and famous poet who might have been his lover.
Yuan was the author of ''Yingying's Biography'' which was adapted for operas and songs. In 813, he wrote a grave inscription for Du Fu, which contains some of the earliest known praise for his predecessor's works.
Yu Xuanji
Yu Xuanji , courtesy names Youwei and Huilan , was a born in Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty. She is distinctive for being the first Chinese poet to break the conventional passive voice of women in poetry and lyrics. She is the first Chinese feminist poet.
Yu was married as a concubine to Li Yi at 16, and after separating three years later she became a courtesan and a Daoist nun. She was a fellow of Wen Tingyun, to whom she addressed a number of poems. She died early, at the age of 26.
In her lifetime, her poems were published as a collection called ''Fragments of a Northern Dreamland'', which has been lost. The forty-nine surviving poems were collected in the Song Dynasty mainly for their freak value in an anthology that also included poems from ghosts and foreigners. Apart from names and dates in her poems, the tabloid-style Little Tablet from the Three Rivers gives the only facts about her life, although these are selacious in detail: that she had an affair with Wen Tingyun, lived a scandalously promiscuous life, and was executed for beating her maid to death.
In the 2000s, her work was translated by Stephen Owen, Justin Hill and David Young.
Yu was married as a concubine to Li Yi at 16, and after separating three years later she became a courtesan and a Daoist nun. She was a fellow of Wen Tingyun, to whom she addressed a number of poems. She died early, at the age of 26.
In her lifetime, her poems were published as a collection called ''Fragments of a Northern Dreamland'', which has been lost. The forty-nine surviving poems were collected in the Song Dynasty mainly for their freak value in an anthology that also included poems from ghosts and foreigners. Apart from names and dates in her poems, the tabloid-style Little Tablet from the Three Rivers gives the only facts about her life, although these are selacious in detail: that she had an affair with Wen Tingyun, lived a scandalously promiscuous life, and was executed for beating her maid to death.
In the 2000s, her work was translated by Stephen Owen, Justin Hill and David Young.
Xue Tao
Xue Tao , courtesy name Hongdu , together with Yu Xuanji and Li Zhi was one of the three famous female from the Tang Dynasty.
Xue was the daughter of a minor government official in Changan, which was the Chinese capital during the Tang Dynasty. Her father, Xue Yun was transferred to Chengdu, when she was still little. Her father died before she became an adult, but it's possible that she got some literary education from him.
Since her mother, Lady Pei did not return to Changan, it is possible that they were too poor to do so. Xue was registered with the guild of courtesans and entertainers in Chengdu.
Her poetry attracted the attention Wei Gao , the military governor of Jiannan and Xichuan Circuit and was made his official hostess. In this position she met poets like Bo Juyi and Yuan Zhen, with whom she became close.
Since Wei Gao left Xue provided for, she was able to live independently until her death. A contemporary wrote that she became a priestess.
Some 450 poems by Xue were gathered in ''The Brocade River Collection'' that survived until the 1300s. About 100 poems of her are known nowadays, which is more than of any other Tang dynasty woman.
Xue was the daughter of a minor government official in Changan, which was the Chinese capital during the Tang Dynasty. Her father, Xue Yun was transferred to Chengdu, when she was still little. Her father died before she became an adult, but it's possible that she got some literary education from him.
Since her mother, Lady Pei did not return to Changan, it is possible that they were too poor to do so. Xue was registered with the guild of courtesans and entertainers in Chengdu.
Her poetry attracted the attention Wei Gao , the military governor of Jiannan and Xichuan Circuit and was made his official hostess. In this position she met poets like Bo Juyi and Yuan Zhen, with whom she became close.
Since Wei Gao left Xue provided for, she was able to live independently until her death. A contemporary wrote that she became a priestess.
Some 450 poems by Xue were gathered in ''The Brocade River Collection'' that survived until the 1300s. About 100 poems of her are known nowadays, which is more than of any other Tang dynasty woman.
Xiao Zhizhong
Xiao Zhizhong was an official of the dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian's sons and and grandsons and . He was known for his willingness to point out corruption in high level officials, but was later himself implicated as a partisan of the powerful Princess Taiping and executed in 713 when Emperor Xuanzong suppressed Princess Taiping's party.
It is not known when Xiao Zhizhong was born, but it is known that his family was from Yi Prefecture . His family traced its ancestry back to Xiao Zhuo , the father of Liu Song's Empress Dowager Xiao Wenshou , whose line then served as officials for Liu Song and its succeeding Southern Dynasties Southern Qi, Liang Dynasty, and Chen Dynasty. Xiao Zhizhong's great-grandfather Xiao Deyan served as the deputy head of the archival bureau during Tang Dynasty, and Xiao Zhizhong's grandfather Xiao Shen and father Xiao Anjie also served as officials, but in lesser positions.
In his youth, Xiao Zhizhong successively served as the sheriff of Yijue and Luoyang Counties -- both parts of the Tang eastern capital Luoyang, which later served as the capital for Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty. On one occasion, when he was set to meet a friend at an intersection, there was a sudden snowstorm, and the people around him all scattered to look for cover, but Xiao, believing that he needed to keep his word to the friend, stayed at the intersection until the friend appeared. At one point during Wu Zetian's reign, he was made ''Jiancha Yushi'' , a low-level imperial censor, when he became known for daring to file an indictment against the Su Weidao, on charges that Su had illegally seized land from his neighbors, and Su was removed from his position. Xiao became well-known for this indictment and began to develop a reputation for being willing to indict powerful people for crimes. On an occasion, when his superior, the chief imperial censor Li Chengjia , stated to the censors, "How can it be that you indict people without informing me?" None of the other censors dared to respond, but Xiao responded, "In the past, there was no supervisor among censors. The censors are supposed to serve as the ears and the eyes of the Son of Heaven, and what they submit should directly reach the emperor. If we have to receive approval from the chief imperial censor, then what would happen when the chief imperial censor is the one who is to be indicted?" Li turned away, embarrassed.
In 705, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup, and her son and crown prince , a former emperor whom she had removed in 694, was restored . Emperor Zhongzong's cousin Wu Sansi, who was also the lover of Emperor Zhongzong's wife , soon became exceedingly powerful, and Xiao Zhizhong became a member of Wu Sansi's party. On account of that, he was promoted to be ''Yushi Zhongcheng'' , the deputy chief imperial censor, and with Wu Sansi's support, he continued to be willing to indict powerful people, including Li Chengjia, Zhu Qinming, and Dou Xijie . He was soon given the additional responsibility as deputy minister of civil service affairs , and continued to serve as deputy chief imperial censor as well. Again with Wu Sansi's support, it was said that he selected officials without outside influence and refused all lobbying and bribes.
In 707, Emperor Zhongzong's son Li Chongjun the Crown Prince, born of a concubine, was angry at insults repeatedly thrown at him by his sister Li Guo'er the Princess Anle and her husband Wu Chongxun and Li Guo'er's repeated attempts to become crown princess to displace him. He rose in rebellion and killed Wu Sansi and Wu Chongxun and then marched on to the palace, seeking to arrest Empress Wei, Li Guo'er, and another concubine of Emperor Zhongzong's, , who also had an affair with Wu Sansi, but was soon defeated and killed in flight. In the aftermaths of Li Chongjun's rebellion, there were investigations into anyone who might have conspired with Li Chongju. The chancellors Zong Chuke and Ji Chuna, aligned with Empress Wei, had the censor Ran Zuyong accuse Emperor Zhongzong's brother the Prince of Xiang and sister Princess Taiping of having conspired with Li Chongjun. Emperor Zhongzong requested Xiao to investigate, but Xiao, weeping, responded:
Emperor Zhongzong accepted Xiao's words and took no further actions on the matter. Later in the year, he made Xiao ''Huangmen Shilang'' , the deputy head of the examination bureau , and also gave Xiao the designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin'' , making Xiao a chancellor ''de facto''. At that time, powerful persons were often able not only to get their family members and friends made officials, but further be made officials near the capital Chang'an. Xiao submitted a petition asking Emperor Zhongzong to stop the practice and have the powerful people's family members and friends be sent out to the prefectures, so that people without powerful connections would have a chance to be promoted. Emperor Zhongzong did not accept his suggestion.
In 709, Xiao was made ''Shizhong'' , the head of the examination bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor and was also responsible for editing the imperial history. Later in the year, he was made ''Zhongshu Ling'' , the head of the legislative bureau , still a chancellor. At that time, Zong and Ji were organizing a faction in supporting Empress Wei, and other chancellors Wei Juyuan, Yang Zaisi, and Li Jiao went along with what this powerful faction wanted to do. Xiao along did not do so and was much praised in popular opinion for this, and Emperor Zhongzong once commented, "Among the chancellors, Zhizhong cares about me the most." Nevertheless, Xiao gave his deceased daughter in a to Empress Wei's deceased brother Wei Xun , and also married a daughter to a son of Empress Wei's uncle Cui Congli . On the day of the wedding, Emperor Zhongzong presided on the Xiao side, and Empress Wei presided on the Cui side, leading to a popular comment, "The Son of Heaven is giving away a daughter, and the Empress is taking in a daughter-in-law." Sometime during Emperor Zhongzong's reign, Xiao was also created the Duke of Zan.
In 710, Emperor Zhongzong died suddenly -- a death that traditional historians believed to be a poisoning by Empress Wei and Li Guo'er, so that Empress Wei could eventually become "emperor" like Wu Zetian, and Li Guo'er could become crown princess. Meanwhile, though, Emperor Zhongzong's son by another concubine, the Prince of Wen, was named emperor , but Empress Wei retained power as empress dowager and regent. Xiao remained chancellor. Less than a month later, Princess Taiping and Li Dan's son the Prince of Linzi rose in rebellion, killing Empress Wei and Li Guo'er. Li Dan became regent over Emperor Shang. Xiao, upon hearing of Empress Wei's death, went to the tomb where his daughter and Wei Xun were jointly buried and dug out his daughter's casket. Still, he was considered a member of Empress Wei's party and was set to be punished, but Princess Taiping spoke on his behalf, and he was only demoted to be the prefect of Xu Prefecture .
Several days later, Li Dan took the throne himself , and Emperor Shang was deposed and again took the title of Prince of Wen. Almost immediately, Xiao Zhizhong was recalled to again serve as ''Zhongshu Ling'', but later in the year was again demoted to be a prefectural prefect, this time to Jin Prefecture . He was said to be an effective governor while serving there. It was said that when am emissary sent by the Eastern Tujue khan Ashina Mochuo went through Jin Prefecture while on the way to Chang'an and saw Xiao, he was surprised by Xiao's appearance and stated to another person, "He should be serving the Son of Heaven. Why is he here at a prefecture?" While at Jin Prefecture, Xiao sent messages to Princess Taiping -- who by now was in a rivalry with Li Longji, whom Emperor Ruizong created crown prince -- offering to join her faction, and Princess Taiping also believed that because one of Xiao's sons died in the coup, he might be discontent and she might be able to use that to her advantage. In 712, at her recommendation, Xiao was recalled to serve as the minister of justice . It was said that his brother-in-law Jiang Qinxu warned him that siding with Princess Taiping was dangerous, but he paid no heed to Jiang's warnings. On another occasion, when he came out of Princess Taiping's mansion, he happened to encounter Song Jing, who was at one point a censor serving under him, and Song semi-joked, "This is not what we expect of you, Professor Xiao." Xiao responded in the manner one would toward a student, "You, Mr. Song, speak capably." However, he did not take Song's warning either.
Later in 712, Emperor Ruizong passed the throne to Li Longji, who took the throne as Emperor Xuanzong, but Emperor Ruizong continued to wield actual power as ''Taishang Huang'' at Princess Taiping's urging. Xiao Zhizhong was soon made the minister of civil service affairs , and in spring 713 was made ''Zhongshu Ling'' again, and again created the Duke of Zan. Soon thereafter, the work ''Xingzuxilu'' , which compiled the family trees of prominent clans, edited by Xiao, Dou Huaizhen, Wei Zhigu, Cui Shi, Lu Xiangxian, Liu Cong , Xu Jian , and Liu Zixuan, was completed, and all of them were awarded with silk.
By 713, it was said that Princess Taiping, Dou, Cen Xi, Xiao, Cui; along with other officials Xue Ji, Li Jin the Prince of Xinxing , Li You , Jia Yingfu , Tang Jun ; the generals Chang Yuankai , Li Ci , and Li Qin ; and the monk Huifan , were plotting to overthrow Emperor Xuanzong. It was further said that they discussed, with the lady in waiting Lady Yuan to poison an aphrodisiac that Emperor Xuanzong took regularly known as ''chijian'' ). When this alleged plot was reported to Emperor Xuanzong by Wei, Emperor Xuanzong, who had already received advice from Wang Ju , Zhang Shuo, and Cui Riyong to act first, did so. He convened a meeting with his brothers Li Fan the Prince of Qi, Li Ye the Prince of Xue, Guo Yuanzhen, along with a number of his associates — the general Wang Maozhong , the officials Jiang Jiao and Li Lingwen , his brother-in-law Wang Shouyi , the eunuch Gao Lishi, and the military officer Li Shoude — and decided to act first. On July 29,, Emperor Xuanzong had Wang Maozhong take 300 soldiers to the imperial guard camp to behead Chang and Li Ci. Then, Jia, Li You, Xiao, and Cen were arrested and executed as well.
It was said that Xiao was thrifty in his living style and free of corruption, but did little to give his wealth to others or to host guests, and therefore his salaries were saved. When he was executed, he had considerable properties that were confiscated.
Background
It is not known when Xiao Zhizhong was born, but it is known that his family was from Yi Prefecture . His family traced its ancestry back to Xiao Zhuo , the father of Liu Song's Empress Dowager Xiao Wenshou , whose line then served as officials for Liu Song and its succeeding Southern Dynasties Southern Qi, Liang Dynasty, and Chen Dynasty. Xiao Zhizhong's great-grandfather Xiao Deyan served as the deputy head of the archival bureau during Tang Dynasty, and Xiao Zhizhong's grandfather Xiao Shen and father Xiao Anjie also served as officials, but in lesser positions.
In his youth, Xiao Zhizhong successively served as the sheriff of Yijue and Luoyang Counties -- both parts of the Tang eastern capital Luoyang, which later served as the capital for Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty. On one occasion, when he was set to meet a friend at an intersection, there was a sudden snowstorm, and the people around him all scattered to look for cover, but Xiao, believing that he needed to keep his word to the friend, stayed at the intersection until the friend appeared. At one point during Wu Zetian's reign, he was made ''Jiancha Yushi'' , a low-level imperial censor, when he became known for daring to file an indictment against the Su Weidao, on charges that Su had illegally seized land from his neighbors, and Su was removed from his position. Xiao became well-known for this indictment and began to develop a reputation for being willing to indict powerful people for crimes. On an occasion, when his superior, the chief imperial censor Li Chengjia , stated to the censors, "How can it be that you indict people without informing me?" None of the other censors dared to respond, but Xiao responded, "In the past, there was no supervisor among censors. The censors are supposed to serve as the ears and the eyes of the Son of Heaven, and what they submit should directly reach the emperor. If we have to receive approval from the chief imperial censor, then what would happen when the chief imperial censor is the one who is to be indicted?" Li turned away, embarrassed.
During Emperor Zhongzong's second reign and Emperor Shang's reign
In 705, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup, and her son and crown prince , a former emperor whom she had removed in 694, was restored . Emperor Zhongzong's cousin Wu Sansi, who was also the lover of Emperor Zhongzong's wife , soon became exceedingly powerful, and Xiao Zhizhong became a member of Wu Sansi's party. On account of that, he was promoted to be ''Yushi Zhongcheng'' , the deputy chief imperial censor, and with Wu Sansi's support, he continued to be willing to indict powerful people, including Li Chengjia, Zhu Qinming, and Dou Xijie . He was soon given the additional responsibility as deputy minister of civil service affairs , and continued to serve as deputy chief imperial censor as well. Again with Wu Sansi's support, it was said that he selected officials without outside influence and refused all lobbying and bribes.
In 707, Emperor Zhongzong's son Li Chongjun the Crown Prince, born of a concubine, was angry at insults repeatedly thrown at him by his sister Li Guo'er the Princess Anle and her husband Wu Chongxun and Li Guo'er's repeated attempts to become crown princess to displace him. He rose in rebellion and killed Wu Sansi and Wu Chongxun and then marched on to the palace, seeking to arrest Empress Wei, Li Guo'er, and another concubine of Emperor Zhongzong's, , who also had an affair with Wu Sansi, but was soon defeated and killed in flight. In the aftermaths of Li Chongjun's rebellion, there were investigations into anyone who might have conspired with Li Chongju. The chancellors Zong Chuke and Ji Chuna, aligned with Empress Wei, had the censor Ran Zuyong accuse Emperor Zhongzong's brother the Prince of Xiang and sister Princess Taiping of having conspired with Li Chongjun. Emperor Zhongzong requested Xiao to investigate, but Xiao, weeping, responded:
Emperor Zhongzong accepted Xiao's words and took no further actions on the matter. Later in the year, he made Xiao ''Huangmen Shilang'' , the deputy head of the examination bureau , and also gave Xiao the designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin'' , making Xiao a chancellor ''de facto''. At that time, powerful persons were often able not only to get their family members and friends made officials, but further be made officials near the capital Chang'an. Xiao submitted a petition asking Emperor Zhongzong to stop the practice and have the powerful people's family members and friends be sent out to the prefectures, so that people without powerful connections would have a chance to be promoted. Emperor Zhongzong did not accept his suggestion.
In 709, Xiao was made ''Shizhong'' , the head of the examination bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor and was also responsible for editing the imperial history. Later in the year, he was made ''Zhongshu Ling'' , the head of the legislative bureau , still a chancellor. At that time, Zong and Ji were organizing a faction in supporting Empress Wei, and other chancellors Wei Juyuan, Yang Zaisi, and Li Jiao went along with what this powerful faction wanted to do. Xiao along did not do so and was much praised in popular opinion for this, and Emperor Zhongzong once commented, "Among the chancellors, Zhizhong cares about me the most." Nevertheless, Xiao gave his deceased daughter in a to Empress Wei's deceased brother Wei Xun , and also married a daughter to a son of Empress Wei's uncle Cui Congli . On the day of the wedding, Emperor Zhongzong presided on the Xiao side, and Empress Wei presided on the Cui side, leading to a popular comment, "The Son of Heaven is giving away a daughter, and the Empress is taking in a daughter-in-law." Sometime during Emperor Zhongzong's reign, Xiao was also created the Duke of Zan.
In 710, Emperor Zhongzong died suddenly -- a death that traditional historians believed to be a poisoning by Empress Wei and Li Guo'er, so that Empress Wei could eventually become "emperor" like Wu Zetian, and Li Guo'er could become crown princess. Meanwhile, though, Emperor Zhongzong's son by another concubine, the Prince of Wen, was named emperor , but Empress Wei retained power as empress dowager and regent. Xiao remained chancellor. Less than a month later, Princess Taiping and Li Dan's son the Prince of Linzi rose in rebellion, killing Empress Wei and Li Guo'er. Li Dan became regent over Emperor Shang. Xiao, upon hearing of Empress Wei's death, went to the tomb where his daughter and Wei Xun were jointly buried and dug out his daughter's casket. Still, he was considered a member of Empress Wei's party and was set to be punished, but Princess Taiping spoke on his behalf, and he was only demoted to be the prefect of Xu Prefecture .
During Emperor Ruizong's second reign
Several days later, Li Dan took the throne himself , and Emperor Shang was deposed and again took the title of Prince of Wen. Almost immediately, Xiao Zhizhong was recalled to again serve as ''Zhongshu Ling'', but later in the year was again demoted to be a prefectural prefect, this time to Jin Prefecture . He was said to be an effective governor while serving there. It was said that when am emissary sent by the Eastern Tujue khan Ashina Mochuo went through Jin Prefecture while on the way to Chang'an and saw Xiao, he was surprised by Xiao's appearance and stated to another person, "He should be serving the Son of Heaven. Why is he here at a prefecture?" While at Jin Prefecture, Xiao sent messages to Princess Taiping -- who by now was in a rivalry with Li Longji, whom Emperor Ruizong created crown prince -- offering to join her faction, and Princess Taiping also believed that because one of Xiao's sons died in the coup, he might be discontent and she might be able to use that to her advantage. In 712, at her recommendation, Xiao was recalled to serve as the minister of justice . It was said that his brother-in-law Jiang Qinxu warned him that siding with Princess Taiping was dangerous, but he paid no heed to Jiang's warnings. On another occasion, when he came out of Princess Taiping's mansion, he happened to encounter Song Jing, who was at one point a censor serving under him, and Song semi-joked, "This is not what we expect of you, Professor Xiao." Xiao responded in the manner one would toward a student, "You, Mr. Song, speak capably." However, he did not take Song's warning either.
During Emperor Xuanzong's reign
Later in 712, Emperor Ruizong passed the throne to Li Longji, who took the throne as Emperor Xuanzong, but Emperor Ruizong continued to wield actual power as ''Taishang Huang'' at Princess Taiping's urging. Xiao Zhizhong was soon made the minister of civil service affairs , and in spring 713 was made ''Zhongshu Ling'' again, and again created the Duke of Zan. Soon thereafter, the work ''Xingzuxilu'' , which compiled the family trees of prominent clans, edited by Xiao, Dou Huaizhen, Wei Zhigu, Cui Shi, Lu Xiangxian, Liu Cong , Xu Jian , and Liu Zixuan, was completed, and all of them were awarded with silk.
By 713, it was said that Princess Taiping, Dou, Cen Xi, Xiao, Cui; along with other officials Xue Ji, Li Jin the Prince of Xinxing , Li You , Jia Yingfu , Tang Jun ; the generals Chang Yuankai , Li Ci , and Li Qin ; and the monk Huifan , were plotting to overthrow Emperor Xuanzong. It was further said that they discussed, with the lady in waiting Lady Yuan to poison an aphrodisiac that Emperor Xuanzong took regularly known as ''chijian'' ). When this alleged plot was reported to Emperor Xuanzong by Wei, Emperor Xuanzong, who had already received advice from Wang Ju , Zhang Shuo, and Cui Riyong to act first, did so. He convened a meeting with his brothers Li Fan the Prince of Qi, Li Ye the Prince of Xue, Guo Yuanzhen, along with a number of his associates — the general Wang Maozhong , the officials Jiang Jiao and Li Lingwen , his brother-in-law Wang Shouyi , the eunuch Gao Lishi, and the military officer Li Shoude — and decided to act first. On July 29,, Emperor Xuanzong had Wang Maozhong take 300 soldiers to the imperial guard camp to behead Chang and Li Ci. Then, Jia, Li You, Xiao, and Cen were arrested and executed as well.
It was said that Xiao was thrifty in his living style and free of corruption, but did little to give his wealth to others or to host guests, and therefore his salaries were saved. When he was executed, he had considerable properties that were confiscated.
Wei Zhuang
Wei Zhuang , courtesy name Duanyi , was a Chinese poet and period historical figure, is best known for his poetry in '''' and '''' styles. He was born into a family of minor scholars in Duling county, a town southwest of the capital Changan.
He seems to have begun his official career at the age of forty-four, when he passed the metropolitan examination. His writings of the period are concerned with festive surroundings and friends. In the same year of 880 the Huang Chao's rebellion destroyed the capital and forced the court to remove itself to Sichuan. Wei himself was held captive by the rebels. Wei’s long poem ''Ballad of the Lady Jin'' perhaps recounts these events. Subsequently Wei wandered for ten years. In 894, Wei passed the Jinshi examination, enabling him to secure an official post. However in 896, the Li Maozhen's rebellion led to further dislocations. In 901, proclaimed himself ruler of the court. Wei would eventually become prime minister of the Shu Kingdom. Wei had perhaps perceived the inevitable end of the Tang ruling house and attached himself to the new kingdom in Chengdu. He spent his final years in a compilation of Tang poems as well as his own collected verse.
He seems to have begun his official career at the age of forty-four, when he passed the metropolitan examination. His writings of the period are concerned with festive surroundings and friends. In the same year of 880 the Huang Chao's rebellion destroyed the capital and forced the court to remove itself to Sichuan. Wei himself was held captive by the rebels. Wei’s long poem ''Ballad of the Lady Jin'' perhaps recounts these events. Subsequently Wei wandered for ten years. In 894, Wei passed the Jinshi examination, enabling him to secure an official post. However in 896, the Li Maozhen's rebellion led to further dislocations. In 901, proclaimed himself ruler of the court. Wei would eventually become prime minister of the Shu Kingdom. Wei had perhaps perceived the inevitable end of the Tang ruling house and attached himself to the new kingdom in Chengdu. He spent his final years in a compilation of Tang poems as well as his own collected verse.
Wei Zhigu
Wei Zhigu , formally Duke Zhong of Liang , was an official of the dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a during the reigns of and .
Wei Zhigu was born in 647, during the reign of . His family was from Shen Prefecture , but nothing else is known about his ancestors. In his youth, he was known for honesty and abilities, and he passed the imperial examinations. He was eventually made ''Zhuzuo Lang'' , a low level official at the archival bureau , and was involved in editing imperial histories.
During the ''Chang'an'' era of Emperor Taizong's daughter-in-law Wu Zetian , Wei Zhigu successively served as ''Fengge Sheren'' -- a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government -- and deputy minister of military supplies . He was also made the military advisor to Wu Zetian's son the Prince of Xiang.
In 705, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup, and Li Dan's older brother the Crown Prince, a former emperor, returned to the throne . Soon thereafter, Wei Zhigu was made deputy minister of civil service affairs and was again responsible for editing imperial histories. He also soon received the honorific title ''Yinqing Guanglu Daifu'' . In 706, he left public service to observe a mourning period for his mother, but before the mourning period was over, he was recalled to serve as the prefect of Jin Prefecture .
In 710, Emperor Zhongzong died, and after power struggle at court, Li Dan, himself a former emperor, took the throne again . On account of Wei Zhigu's previously having served him, he recalled Wei to the capital Chang'an to serve as ''Huangmen Shilang'' , the deputy head of the examination bureau , and had him resume editing the imperial histories. In 711, he was made ''You Sanqi Changshi'' , a senior advisor at the legislative bureau . At that time, Emperor Ruizong was expending much funds and efforts to build Taoist temples for his daughters Princesses Jinxian and Yuzhen, who had become Taoist nuns. Wei wrote two earnestly-worded petitions asking that the projects be stopped. Emperor Ruizong did not accept them, but thanked him for his honesty and gave him the designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'' , making him a ''de facto''. Also at that time, he was made ''Zuo Sanqi Changshi'' , moving him from the legislative bureau to the examination bureau. He was also made a member of the staff of Emperor Ruizong's crown prince . Soon thereafter, he was made the minister of census .
In 712, Emperor Ruizong passed the throne to Li Longji, who took the throne as Emperor Xuanzong, but Emperor Ruizong retained imperial powers as ''Taishang Huang'' . Soon thereafter, Wei Zhigu was made ''Shizhong'' , the head of the examination bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor. In winter 712, when he accompanied Emperor Xuanzong on a hunt, he wrote a poem that suggested to Emperor Xuanzong that he should not hunt frequently, due to the expense and dangers involved. Emperor Xuanzong wrote an edict thanking him and awarding him with silk.
In 713, Wei was created the Duke of Liang. At that time, the power struggles between Emperor Xuanzong and his aunt Princess Taiping were coming to a head. It was said that Princess Taiping, Dou Huaizhen, Cen Xi, Xiao Zhizhong, Cui Shi; along with other officials Xue Ji, Li Jin the Prince of Xinxing , Li You , Jia Yingfu , Tang Jun ; the generals Chang Yuankai , Li Ci , and Li Qin ; and the monk Huifan , were plotting to overthrow Emperor Xuanzong. It was further said that they discussed, with the lady in waiting Lady Yuan to poison an aphrodisiac that Emperor Xuanzong took regularly known as ''chijian'' ). When this alleged plot was reported to Emperor Xuanzong by Wei, Emperor Xuanzong, who had already received advice from Wang Ju , Zhang Shuo, and Cui Riyong to act first, did so. He convened a meeting with his brothers Li Fan the Prince of Qi, Li Ye the Prince of Xue, Guo, along with a number of his associates — the general Wang Maozhong , the officials Jiang Jiao and Li Lingwen , his brother-in-law Wang Shouyi , the eunuch Gao Lishi, and the military officer Li Shoude — and decided to act first. On July 29, Emperor Xuanzong had Wang Maozhong take 300 soldiers to the imperial guard camp to behead Chang and Li Ci. Then, Jia, Li You, Xiao, and Cen were arrested and executed as well. Dou and Princess Taiping committed suicide. When Emperor Ruizong heard about the incident, he ascended the tower at Chengtian Gate to try to ascertain what was happening, and it was Guo who informed him what happened. Emperor Ruizong subsequently yieldedpowers to Emperor Xuanzong and no longer actively participated in policy decisions thereafter. For Wei's contributions, Emperor Xuanzong enlarged his fief and awarded him with silk. In winter 713, Wei went to the eastern capital Luoyang to carry out a selection process for officials there, and was considered to have done an exceptional job, drawing praises from Emperor Xuanzong. As Emperor Xuanzong carried out major revisions of names of official titles and offices in 713, Wei's title as the head of the examination bureau was changed to ''Huangmen Jian'' , as the bureau itself was renamed ''Huangmen Sheng'' .
That trip to Luoyang, however, would indirectly lead to Wei's fall. By this point, Yao Chong, who had previously served as Wei's superior during Wu Zetian's reign, was again chancellor and was well-trusted by Emperor Xuanzong. While Wei was in Luoyang, two of Yao's sons, then serving as officials at Luoyang, were accepting bribes and using their father's connections with Wei to make requests of Wei, displeasing Wei. Further, Yao aggravated Wei by having Song Jing review the decisions that Wei made while at Luoyang. After Wei returned to Chang'an, he reported what had happened with Yao's sons in Luoyang. Emperor Xuanzong summoned Yao, initially ready to question him, but Yao realized what had happened and preemptively reported on his sons, implying that his sons had only dared to make requests of Wei because of Yao's own good treatment of Wei when Wei was a subordinate. Emperor Xuanzong, now believing that Wei was ungrateful, wanted to remove Wei, but ultimately only demoted Wei to be the minister of public works , no longer a chancellor. Wei died in 715.
Background
Wei Zhigu was born in 647, during the reign of . His family was from Shen Prefecture , but nothing else is known about his ancestors. In his youth, he was known for honesty and abilities, and he passed the imperial examinations. He was eventually made ''Zhuzuo Lang'' , a low level official at the archival bureau , and was involved in editing imperial histories.
During Wu Zetian's reign
During the ''Chang'an'' era of Emperor Taizong's daughter-in-law Wu Zetian , Wei Zhigu successively served as ''Fengge Sheren'' -- a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government -- and deputy minister of military supplies . He was also made the military advisor to Wu Zetian's son the Prince of Xiang.
During Emperor Zhongzong's second reign
In 705, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup, and Li Dan's older brother the Crown Prince, a former emperor, returned to the throne . Soon thereafter, Wei Zhigu was made deputy minister of civil service affairs and was again responsible for editing imperial histories. He also soon received the honorific title ''Yinqing Guanglu Daifu'' . In 706, he left public service to observe a mourning period for his mother, but before the mourning period was over, he was recalled to serve as the prefect of Jin Prefecture .
During Emperor Ruizong's second reign
In 710, Emperor Zhongzong died, and after power struggle at court, Li Dan, himself a former emperor, took the throne again . On account of Wei Zhigu's previously having served him, he recalled Wei to the capital Chang'an to serve as ''Huangmen Shilang'' , the deputy head of the examination bureau , and had him resume editing the imperial histories. In 711, he was made ''You Sanqi Changshi'' , a senior advisor at the legislative bureau . At that time, Emperor Ruizong was expending much funds and efforts to build Taoist temples for his daughters Princesses Jinxian and Yuzhen, who had become Taoist nuns. Wei wrote two earnestly-worded petitions asking that the projects be stopped. Emperor Ruizong did not accept them, but thanked him for his honesty and gave him the designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'' , making him a ''de facto''. Also at that time, he was made ''Zuo Sanqi Changshi'' , moving him from the legislative bureau to the examination bureau. He was also made a member of the staff of Emperor Ruizong's crown prince . Soon thereafter, he was made the minister of census .
During Emperor Xuanzong's reign
In 712, Emperor Ruizong passed the throne to Li Longji, who took the throne as Emperor Xuanzong, but Emperor Ruizong retained imperial powers as ''Taishang Huang'' . Soon thereafter, Wei Zhigu was made ''Shizhong'' , the head of the examination bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor. In winter 712, when he accompanied Emperor Xuanzong on a hunt, he wrote a poem that suggested to Emperor Xuanzong that he should not hunt frequently, due to the expense and dangers involved. Emperor Xuanzong wrote an edict thanking him and awarding him with silk.
In 713, Wei was created the Duke of Liang. At that time, the power struggles between Emperor Xuanzong and his aunt Princess Taiping were coming to a head. It was said that Princess Taiping, Dou Huaizhen, Cen Xi, Xiao Zhizhong, Cui Shi; along with other officials Xue Ji, Li Jin the Prince of Xinxing , Li You , Jia Yingfu , Tang Jun ; the generals Chang Yuankai , Li Ci , and Li Qin ; and the monk Huifan , were plotting to overthrow Emperor Xuanzong. It was further said that they discussed, with the lady in waiting Lady Yuan to poison an aphrodisiac that Emperor Xuanzong took regularly known as ''chijian'' ). When this alleged plot was reported to Emperor Xuanzong by Wei, Emperor Xuanzong, who had already received advice from Wang Ju , Zhang Shuo, and Cui Riyong to act first, did so. He convened a meeting with his brothers Li Fan the Prince of Qi, Li Ye the Prince of Xue, Guo, along with a number of his associates — the general Wang Maozhong , the officials Jiang Jiao and Li Lingwen , his brother-in-law Wang Shouyi , the eunuch Gao Lishi, and the military officer Li Shoude — and decided to act first. On July 29, Emperor Xuanzong had Wang Maozhong take 300 soldiers to the imperial guard camp to behead Chang and Li Ci. Then, Jia, Li You, Xiao, and Cen were arrested and executed as well. Dou and Princess Taiping committed suicide. When Emperor Ruizong heard about the incident, he ascended the tower at Chengtian Gate to try to ascertain what was happening, and it was Guo who informed him what happened. Emperor Ruizong subsequently yieldedpowers to Emperor Xuanzong and no longer actively participated in policy decisions thereafter. For Wei's contributions, Emperor Xuanzong enlarged his fief and awarded him with silk. In winter 713, Wei went to the eastern capital Luoyang to carry out a selection process for officials there, and was considered to have done an exceptional job, drawing praises from Emperor Xuanzong. As Emperor Xuanzong carried out major revisions of names of official titles and offices in 713, Wei's title as the head of the examination bureau was changed to ''Huangmen Jian'' , as the bureau itself was renamed ''Huangmen Sheng'' .
That trip to Luoyang, however, would indirectly lead to Wei's fall. By this point, Yao Chong, who had previously served as Wei's superior during Wu Zetian's reign, was again chancellor and was well-trusted by Emperor Xuanzong. While Wei was in Luoyang, two of Yao's sons, then serving as officials at Luoyang, were accepting bribes and using their father's connections with Wei to make requests of Wei, displeasing Wei. Further, Yao aggravated Wei by having Song Jing review the decisions that Wei made while at Luoyang. After Wei returned to Chang'an, he reported what had happened with Yao's sons in Luoyang. Emperor Xuanzong summoned Yao, initially ready to question him, but Yao realized what had happened and preemptively reported on his sons, implying that his sons had only dared to make requests of Wei because of Yao's own good treatment of Wei when Wei was a subordinate. Emperor Xuanzong, now believing that Wei was ungrateful, wanted to remove Wei, but ultimately only demoted Wei to be the minister of public works , no longer a chancellor. Wei died in 715.
Wei Anshi
Wei Anshi , formally Duke Wenzhen of Xun , was an official of the dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a several times, during the reigns of Wu Zetian, her sons and , and her grandson .
Wei Anshi was born in 651, early in the reign of . His family was from the Tang Dynasty capital Chang'an, and his great-grandfather Wei Xiaokuan was a renowned general for Western Wei and Northern Zhou. His grandfather Wei Jin was an official for Northern Zhou's successor and Tang's predecessor Sui Dynasty and, after Sui's destruction in 619, served one of the competing claimants for the throne, Wang Shichong the Emperor of Zheng, before eventually surrendering to and serving Tang's founder . Wei Anshi's father Wei Wan and uncles Wei Kun and Wei Sui also served as officials during Tang.
It is not known when it occurred, but at some point Wei Anshi passed the imperial examination and served as the sheriff of Qianfeng County . The high level official Su Liangsi favored his talent. In 689, by which time Emperor Gaozong's son was emperor , Wei was serving as military recruiter at the capital prefecture Yong Prefecture and Su was serving as . Su told him, "You have great talent and should be used for great things. For you to work in local government is a waste." Su then recommended him to Empress Dowager Wu, and Empress Dowager Wu made him a reserve official at the ministry of rites and magistrate of Yongchang County , as well as military advisor to the prefect of Bing Prefecture . It was said that Empress Dowager Wu personally issued an edict, "I heard that when you are at your post, you are deliberate in your handling of important matters. I also heard that your good governance was greater than even capable officials, and that your kindness and understanding were renowned among the officials. Your capability greatly comforts me." He was soon made the prefect of Bing Prefecture, and he later served as prefect of De Prefecture and then Zheng Prefecture . He was known for his seriousness, and he rarely laughed. He was also said to be honest and strict, and wherever he was, the people and the subordinates respected and feared him.
In 700, by which time Wu Zetian was carrying the title of "emperor" , Wei Anshi was recalled to then-capital Luoyang to serve as ''Wenchang You Cheng'' , one of the secretaries general at the executive bureau of government , but was soon made ''Luantai Shilang'' , the deputy head of the examination bureau and given the designation ''Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi'' , making him a chancellor ''de facto''. At that time, Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi and lovers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were powerful, and Wei Anshi several times publicly tried to rebuke them. There was an occasion when, at an imperial feast that Wei was attending, Zhang Yizhi brought in several merchants , led by one Song Bazi , and began gambling with them. Wei kneeled down to Wu Zetian and stated, "Merchants are low in status and should not be allowed to attend imperial gatherings." He then had the guards expel the merchants, and this shocked the people who attended, who were fearful for Wei. However, Wu Zetian, because Wei was being honest and forthright, praised him.
In 703, while Wu Zetian was at Chang'an, she made Wei the official in charge of Luoyang. In 704, she made Wei acting ''Nayan'' , the head of the examination bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor. In the fall of that year, he filed an indictment against Zhang Yizhi, and Wu Zetian ordered that he and another chancellor, Tang Xiujing, investigate the case, but before their investigation was complete, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup in 705, and Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were killed in the coup, mooting the investigation.
After Wu Zetian was overthrown, her son the Crown Prince, also a former emperor, was restored to the throne . Soon after Emperor Zhongzong's restoration, Wei Anshi was made the minister of justice , but was no longer a chancellor. Two months later, however, as part of a government reorganization, he was made the minister of civil service affairs and given the designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin'' , again making him chancellor ''de facto''. A month later, he was made ''Zhongshu Ling'' , the head of the legislative bureau and a post also considered one for a chancellor. He was also created the Duke of Xun and made the secretary general of Emperor Zhongzong's brother Li Dan the Prince of Xiang.
In spring 706, Wei was made the minister of the treasury , no longer a chancellor. In 709, he was made ''Shizhong'' (侍中, the new title for the head of the examination bureau and was therefore chancellor again.
In 710, while Wei Anshi served as chancellor, Emperor Zhongzong suddenly died -- a death that traditional historians believed to be a poisoning carried out by Emperor Zhongzong's powerful wife and daughter Li Guo'er the Princess Anle, so that Empress Wei could eventually be emperor like Wu Zetian and Li Guo'er could become crown princess. For the time being, however, Emperor Zhongzong's son by a concubine, the Prince of Wen, was made emperor , with Empress Wei serving as empress dowager and regent. Less than a month later, a coup led by Emperor Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping and nephew the Prince of Linzi killed Empress Wei and Li Guo'er. In short order, Emperor Shang was deposed, and Li Dan returned to the throne. Shortly after Emperor Ruizong's return to the throne, Wei Anshi was removed from his post as ''Shizhong'' and made an advisor to Li Longji, now crown prince, as well as ''Zuo Pushe'' , one of the heads of the executive bureau .
As of 711, discord began to develop between Li Longji and Princess Taiping, as they vied in their struggle to influence Emperor Ruizong. Traditional historians believed that Princess Taiping was beginning to gather a faction of officials around her, intending to find fault with Li Longji as to remove him from being crown prince. She tried to include Wei in her faction, repeatedly having her son-in-law Tang Jun invite him to her mansion, but he repeatedly declined. On one occasion, when Emperor Ruizong met with Wei alone, he told Wei, "I have heard that the officials are all loyal only to the Eastern Palace . You should investigate this." Wei responded:
Emperor Ruizong was surprised and took no further action. However, Princess Taiping was behind a curtain and heard this, and she spread rumors against Wei, hoping that he would be arrested and tried, but the chancellor Guo Yuanzhen stopped the investigations into Wei. Later that year, after the chancellors Yao Chong and Song Jing were removed for having proposed that Princess Taiping be settled outside the capital and that two princes with potential claims to be crown prince -- Li Chengqi the Prince of Song and Li Shouli the Prince of Bin be sent out of the capital to serve as prefectural prefects, Wei again became ''Shizhong'' and was said to be largely in charge of civil service affairs, along with Li Rizhi. It was said that under Wei's and Li Rizhi's oversight, the civil service affairs, which had fallen into a state of confusion during Emperor Zhongzong's reign and which Song and Yao had tried to streamline, again became unwieldy. Soon thereafter, Wei was again made ''Zhongshu Ling''. Four months later, he was made advisor to Li Longji and ''Zuo Pushe'' , but retained chancellor status with the designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin''. It was said that, however, his actual powers were limited, as Princess Taiping, who was very influential on Emperor Ruizong's decisions at the time, seeing that Wei would not join her faction, decided to pile honors and titles on him but strip him of actual authority. Three months later, as part of a major governmental reorganization, Wei, along with Guo, Dou Huaizhen, Li Rizhi, and Zhang Shuo, were removed from their chancellor posts, with Wei acting only as ''Zuo Pushe'' and also put in charge of Luoyang .
Sometime after Wei was removed from his chancellor post, his daughter, who had married the junior official Li Yuancheng , died. Wei's wife Lady Xue suspected a servant girl of Li Yuancheng's, with whom Li Yuancheng had a sexual relationship but who had since married another person, had murdered her daughter, and therefore had people seize the servant girl and pound her to death. The imperial censor Yang Maoqian submitted an indictment against Wei, and he was demoted to be the prefect of Pu Prefecture , and then moved to Qing Prefecture . While Wei was at Pu Prefecture, Jiang Jiao , an official who was particularly close to Li Longji, who had become emperor in 712 when Emperor Ruizong decided to retire, made requests to Wei, which Wei rejected, drawing Jiang's ire.
In 714, Jiang Jiao's brother Jiang Hui , then imperial censor, pointing out that at the time that Wei Wen and Zong Chuke altered Emperor Zhongzong's will to remove Emperor Ruizong as coregent, Wei Anshi, Wei Sili, Zhao Yanzhao, and Li Jiao were all chancellors and did nothing to stop them, had his subordinate Guo Zhen file an indictment against the former chancellors. These former chancellors were all demoted, with Wei Anshi reduced to being the secretary general of Mian Prefecture . Once Wei Anshi arrived at Mian Prefecture, Jiang Hui then filed another indictment, accusing Wei Anshi of having embezzled governmental property while being in charge of building Emperor Zhongzong's tomb, and he sent investigators to Mian Prefecture to investigate. Wei Anshi sighed and said, "They just want me to die." He soon died in anger and fear. Later in the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, when his son Wei Zhi had become a powerful official, he was posthumously conferred a number of honors, including the restoration of the title of Duke of Xun.
Background
Wei Anshi was born in 651, early in the reign of . His family was from the Tang Dynasty capital Chang'an, and his great-grandfather Wei Xiaokuan was a renowned general for Western Wei and Northern Zhou. His grandfather Wei Jin was an official for Northern Zhou's successor and Tang's predecessor Sui Dynasty and, after Sui's destruction in 619, served one of the competing claimants for the throne, Wang Shichong the Emperor of Zheng, before eventually surrendering to and serving Tang's founder . Wei Anshi's father Wei Wan and uncles Wei Kun and Wei Sui also served as officials during Tang.
It is not known when it occurred, but at some point Wei Anshi passed the imperial examination and served as the sheriff of Qianfeng County . The high level official Su Liangsi favored his talent. In 689, by which time Emperor Gaozong's son was emperor , Wei was serving as military recruiter at the capital prefecture Yong Prefecture and Su was serving as . Su told him, "You have great talent and should be used for great things. For you to work in local government is a waste." Su then recommended him to Empress Dowager Wu, and Empress Dowager Wu made him a reserve official at the ministry of rites and magistrate of Yongchang County , as well as military advisor to the prefect of Bing Prefecture . It was said that Empress Dowager Wu personally issued an edict, "I heard that when you are at your post, you are deliberate in your handling of important matters. I also heard that your good governance was greater than even capable officials, and that your kindness and understanding were renowned among the officials. Your capability greatly comforts me." He was soon made the prefect of Bing Prefecture, and he later served as prefect of De Prefecture and then Zheng Prefecture . He was known for his seriousness, and he rarely laughed. He was also said to be honest and strict, and wherever he was, the people and the subordinates respected and feared him.
During Wu Zetian's reign
In 700, by which time Wu Zetian was carrying the title of "emperor" , Wei Anshi was recalled to then-capital Luoyang to serve as ''Wenchang You Cheng'' , one of the secretaries general at the executive bureau of government , but was soon made ''Luantai Shilang'' , the deputy head of the examination bureau and given the designation ''Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi'' , making him a chancellor ''de facto''. At that time, Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi and lovers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were powerful, and Wei Anshi several times publicly tried to rebuke them. There was an occasion when, at an imperial feast that Wei was attending, Zhang Yizhi brought in several merchants , led by one Song Bazi , and began gambling with them. Wei kneeled down to Wu Zetian and stated, "Merchants are low in status and should not be allowed to attend imperial gatherings." He then had the guards expel the merchants, and this shocked the people who attended, who were fearful for Wei. However, Wu Zetian, because Wei was being honest and forthright, praised him.
In 703, while Wu Zetian was at Chang'an, she made Wei the official in charge of Luoyang. In 704, she made Wei acting ''Nayan'' , the head of the examination bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor. In the fall of that year, he filed an indictment against Zhang Yizhi, and Wu Zetian ordered that he and another chancellor, Tang Xiujing, investigate the case, but before their investigation was complete, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup in 705, and Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were killed in the coup, mooting the investigation.
During Emperor Zhongzong's second reign
After Wu Zetian was overthrown, her son the Crown Prince, also a former emperor, was restored to the throne . Soon after Emperor Zhongzong's restoration, Wei Anshi was made the minister of justice , but was no longer a chancellor. Two months later, however, as part of a government reorganization, he was made the minister of civil service affairs and given the designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin'' , again making him chancellor ''de facto''. A month later, he was made ''Zhongshu Ling'' , the head of the legislative bureau and a post also considered one for a chancellor. He was also created the Duke of Xun and made the secretary general of Emperor Zhongzong's brother Li Dan the Prince of Xiang.
In spring 706, Wei was made the minister of the treasury , no longer a chancellor. In 709, he was made ''Shizhong'' (侍中, the new title for the head of the examination bureau and was therefore chancellor again.
During Emperor Shang's reign and Emperor Ruizong's second reign
In 710, while Wei Anshi served as chancellor, Emperor Zhongzong suddenly died -- a death that traditional historians believed to be a poisoning carried out by Emperor Zhongzong's powerful wife and daughter Li Guo'er the Princess Anle, so that Empress Wei could eventually be emperor like Wu Zetian and Li Guo'er could become crown princess. For the time being, however, Emperor Zhongzong's son by a concubine, the Prince of Wen, was made emperor , with Empress Wei serving as empress dowager and regent. Less than a month later, a coup led by Emperor Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping and nephew the Prince of Linzi killed Empress Wei and Li Guo'er. In short order, Emperor Shang was deposed, and Li Dan returned to the throne. Shortly after Emperor Ruizong's return to the throne, Wei Anshi was removed from his post as ''Shizhong'' and made an advisor to Li Longji, now crown prince, as well as ''Zuo Pushe'' , one of the heads of the executive bureau .
As of 711, discord began to develop between Li Longji and Princess Taiping, as they vied in their struggle to influence Emperor Ruizong. Traditional historians believed that Princess Taiping was beginning to gather a faction of officials around her, intending to find fault with Li Longji as to remove him from being crown prince. She tried to include Wei in her faction, repeatedly having her son-in-law Tang Jun invite him to her mansion, but he repeatedly declined. On one occasion, when Emperor Ruizong met with Wei alone, he told Wei, "I have heard that the officials are all loyal only to the Eastern Palace . You should investigate this." Wei responded:
Emperor Ruizong was surprised and took no further action. However, Princess Taiping was behind a curtain and heard this, and she spread rumors against Wei, hoping that he would be arrested and tried, but the chancellor Guo Yuanzhen stopped the investigations into Wei. Later that year, after the chancellors Yao Chong and Song Jing were removed for having proposed that Princess Taiping be settled outside the capital and that two princes with potential claims to be crown prince -- Li Chengqi the Prince of Song and Li Shouli the Prince of Bin be sent out of the capital to serve as prefectural prefects, Wei again became ''Shizhong'' and was said to be largely in charge of civil service affairs, along with Li Rizhi. It was said that under Wei's and Li Rizhi's oversight, the civil service affairs, which had fallen into a state of confusion during Emperor Zhongzong's reign and which Song and Yao had tried to streamline, again became unwieldy. Soon thereafter, Wei was again made ''Zhongshu Ling''. Four months later, he was made advisor to Li Longji and ''Zuo Pushe'' , but retained chancellor status with the designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin''. It was said that, however, his actual powers were limited, as Princess Taiping, who was very influential on Emperor Ruizong's decisions at the time, seeing that Wei would not join her faction, decided to pile honors and titles on him but strip him of actual authority. Three months later, as part of a major governmental reorganization, Wei, along with Guo, Dou Huaizhen, Li Rizhi, and Zhang Shuo, were removed from their chancellor posts, with Wei acting only as ''Zuo Pushe'' and also put in charge of Luoyang .
During Emperor Xuanzong's reign
Sometime after Wei was removed from his chancellor post, his daughter, who had married the junior official Li Yuancheng , died. Wei's wife Lady Xue suspected a servant girl of Li Yuancheng's, with whom Li Yuancheng had a sexual relationship but who had since married another person, had murdered her daughter, and therefore had people seize the servant girl and pound her to death. The imperial censor Yang Maoqian submitted an indictment against Wei, and he was demoted to be the prefect of Pu Prefecture , and then moved to Qing Prefecture . While Wei was at Pu Prefecture, Jiang Jiao , an official who was particularly close to Li Longji, who had become emperor in 712 when Emperor Ruizong decided to retire, made requests to Wei, which Wei rejected, drawing Jiang's ire.
In 714, Jiang Jiao's brother Jiang Hui , then imperial censor, pointing out that at the time that Wei Wen and Zong Chuke altered Emperor Zhongzong's will to remove Emperor Ruizong as coregent, Wei Anshi, Wei Sili, Zhao Yanzhao, and Li Jiao were all chancellors and did nothing to stop them, had his subordinate Guo Zhen file an indictment against the former chancellors. These former chancellors were all demoted, with Wei Anshi reduced to being the secretary general of Mian Prefecture . Once Wei Anshi arrived at Mian Prefecture, Jiang Hui then filed another indictment, accusing Wei Anshi of having embezzled governmental property while being in charge of building Emperor Zhongzong's tomb, and he sent investigators to Mian Prefecture to investigate. Wei Anshi sighed and said, "They just want me to die." He soon died in anger and fear. Later in the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, when his son Wei Zhi had become a powerful official, he was posthumously conferred a number of honors, including the restoration of the title of Duke of Xun.
Wang Fanzhi
Wang Fanzhi, was a Chinese Buddhist poet born in during the Tang Dynasty. He is the putative author of two collections of early Tang vernacular poetry. The language can be dated to the 8th century. Very few of the poems were known until the Dunhuang manuscripts were discovered in the early 20th century.
The first collection of moralistic verse, "the 92 poems collection", exists in 5 complete manuscripts.
The second collection, "the three-juan collection", has not been found in a complete copy, but has been reconstructed from seven manuscripts. These manuscripts contains poems of a higher artistic value. The content can be compared with the poems in the collection.
The first collection of moralistic verse, "the 92 poems collection", exists in 5 complete manuscripts.
The second collection, "the three-juan collection", has not been found in a complete copy, but has been reconstructed from seven manuscripts. These manuscripts contains poems of a higher artistic value. The content can be compared with the poems in the collection.
Wang Bo
Wang Bo , courtesy name Zi'an , was a Chinese poet in the Tang Dynasty.
His forward way of thinking is reflected in the quote "" which is one of the mottos of Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong.
His forward way of thinking is reflected in the quote "" which is one of the mottos of Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong.
Tung-shan
Tung-shan Liang-chieh was an ancient Ch'an master who is the credited founder of the Tsao-tung Cha'n lineage, also known as Soto Zen which was brought to Japan by Dogen Zenji. He was the dharma successor of Ungan Donjo . He is said to have attained enlightenment when, wading a river, he glimpsed his reflection in the water. He appears in Case 43 of the Blue Cliff Record. He is the author of the Verses of the Five Ranks.
Su Weidao
Su Weidao , was an official of the dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, twice serving as during Wu Zetian's reign.
Su Weidao might have been born in 648, at the end of the reign of . His family was from Zhao Prefecture . In his youth, he was well known in the locale for his literary talent, along with Li Jiao, also from Zhao Prefecture. After he passed the imperial examination, he was made the sheriff of Xianyang County . Pei Xingjian , then the deputy minister of civil service affairs, was impressed by his talent, and in 679, when Pei was set to command an army against Western Tujue's Shixing Khan Ashina Duzhi , who had just rebelled against Tang Dynasty, Pei invited Su to serve as his secretary. Around that time, the official Pei Judao had just been made a general commanding the imperial guards, and, after searching for a talented person to write a thanksgiving submission to then-reigning , found Su. The submission that Su wrote on Pei Judao's behalf was said to be well-written in an intricate manner, and he became famous.
In 694, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong's wife Wu Zetian, Su Weidao was serving as ''Fengge Sheren'' , a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government , when he was promoted to be the deputy head of the legislative bureau and given the designation ''Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi'' , making him a ''de facto''. Soon thereafter, when Wu Zetian's lover Huaiyi was commissioned to command an army against Eastern Tujue, Su and fellow chancellor Li Zhaode were commissioned to assist Huaiyi. In late 694, Wu Zetian, displeased with the power Li had, exiled Li, and fellow chancellor Zhou Yunyuan and the assistant chief judge of the supreme court, Huangfu Wenbei , then submitted articles of impeachment against Su and several fellow chancellors -- Doulu Qinwang, Wei Juyuan, Du Jingjian, and Lu Yuanfang -- for not being able to curb Li Zhaode's power. The five chancellors so accused were all demoted to be prefectural prefect -- in Su's case, to be the prefect of Ji Prefecture .
However, Su was soon recalled to be deputy minister of civil service affairs . In 698, he was again made ''Fengge Shilang'' and chancellor with the designation ''Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi''. It was said that despite Su's abilities, he just tried to get by as a chancellor and rarely made key decisions. He had once stated, "It is not good to stand on principles or insist on things. It is better to be ambiguous." This caused him to be nicknamed "Ambiguous Su." However, he was praised for his loving relations with his brother Su Weixuan , also an official. At times, Su Weixuan would make requests of him that he would deny, and Su Weixuan, displeased, would insult him, but he would take no offense from the insults.
In 701, both Su and fellow chancellor Zhang Xi were imprisoned -- Zhang on accusations of corruption, while Su's alleged crimes were not specified in historical records. When Zhang reported to prison, he rode a horse to prison and acted normally. After he was placed within the special unit for high level officials who were imprisoned, he continued to sleep on a regular bed and eat regular food. Su, on the other hand, walked to prison, slept on a thin mattress, and ate very simple foods. When Wu Zetian received reports, she pardoned Su and allowed him to resume his posts, while initially sentencing Zhang to death but then commuting the death penalty to exile.
In 704, Su requested a leave to go back to Zhao Prefecture to bury his father. Wu Zetian ordered the local government to supply his funeral needs, but Su used this opportunity to take over neighbors' lands and destroy their tombs. He further forced people into labor beyond what was permitted by Wu Zetian. The censor Xiao Zhizhong submitted an article of impeachment, and she demoted Su to be the prefect of Fang Prefecture . He was then made the secretary general at Yi Prefecture .
Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup 705, and her son the Crown Prince, formerly emperor, was restored to the throne . During the coup, Wu Zetian's lovers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were killed. Su was accused of flattering the Zhangs and demoted to be the prefect of Mei Prefecture , but he was soon restored to his position as secretary general of Yi Prefecture. Before he could depart for Yi Prefecture, however, he died and was buried with honors.
Background
Su Weidao might have been born in 648, at the end of the reign of . His family was from Zhao Prefecture . In his youth, he was well known in the locale for his literary talent, along with Li Jiao, also from Zhao Prefecture. After he passed the imperial examination, he was made the sheriff of Xianyang County . Pei Xingjian , then the deputy minister of civil service affairs, was impressed by his talent, and in 679, when Pei was set to command an army against Western Tujue's Shixing Khan Ashina Duzhi , who had just rebelled against Tang Dynasty, Pei invited Su to serve as his secretary. Around that time, the official Pei Judao had just been made a general commanding the imperial guards, and, after searching for a talented person to write a thanksgiving submission to then-reigning , found Su. The submission that Su wrote on Pei Judao's behalf was said to be well-written in an intricate manner, and he became famous.
During Wu Zetian's reign
In 694, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong's wife Wu Zetian, Su Weidao was serving as ''Fengge Sheren'' , a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government , when he was promoted to be the deputy head of the legislative bureau and given the designation ''Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi'' , making him a ''de facto''. Soon thereafter, when Wu Zetian's lover Huaiyi was commissioned to command an army against Eastern Tujue, Su and fellow chancellor Li Zhaode were commissioned to assist Huaiyi. In late 694, Wu Zetian, displeased with the power Li had, exiled Li, and fellow chancellor Zhou Yunyuan and the assistant chief judge of the supreme court, Huangfu Wenbei , then submitted articles of impeachment against Su and several fellow chancellors -- Doulu Qinwang, Wei Juyuan, Du Jingjian, and Lu Yuanfang -- for not being able to curb Li Zhaode's power. The five chancellors so accused were all demoted to be prefectural prefect -- in Su's case, to be the prefect of Ji Prefecture .
However, Su was soon recalled to be deputy minister of civil service affairs . In 698, he was again made ''Fengge Shilang'' and chancellor with the designation ''Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi''. It was said that despite Su's abilities, he just tried to get by as a chancellor and rarely made key decisions. He had once stated, "It is not good to stand on principles or insist on things. It is better to be ambiguous." This caused him to be nicknamed "Ambiguous Su." However, he was praised for his loving relations with his brother Su Weixuan , also an official. At times, Su Weixuan would make requests of him that he would deny, and Su Weixuan, displeased, would insult him, but he would take no offense from the insults.
In 701, both Su and fellow chancellor Zhang Xi were imprisoned -- Zhang on accusations of corruption, while Su's alleged crimes were not specified in historical records. When Zhang reported to prison, he rode a horse to prison and acted normally. After he was placed within the special unit for high level officials who were imprisoned, he continued to sleep on a regular bed and eat regular food. Su, on the other hand, walked to prison, slept on a thin mattress, and ate very simple foods. When Wu Zetian received reports, she pardoned Su and allowed him to resume his posts, while initially sentencing Zhang to death but then commuting the death penalty to exile.
In 704, Su requested a leave to go back to Zhao Prefecture to bury his father. Wu Zetian ordered the local government to supply his funeral needs, but Su used this opportunity to take over neighbors' lands and destroy their tombs. He further forced people into labor beyond what was permitted by Wu Zetian. The censor Xiao Zhizhong submitted an article of impeachment, and she demoted Su to be the prefect of Fang Prefecture . He was then made the secretary general at Yi Prefecture .
During Emperor Zhongzong's second reign
Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup 705, and her son the Crown Prince, formerly emperor, was restored to the throne . During the coup, Wu Zetian's lovers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were killed. Su was accused of flattering the Zhangs and demoted to be the prefect of Mei Prefecture , but he was soon restored to his position as secretary general of Yi Prefecture. Before he could depart for Yi Prefecture, however, he died and was buried with honors.
Shide (monk)
Shide was a minor Tang Dynasty poet in Guoqing Temple, in the Tiantai Mountain range on the East China Sea coast; roughly contemporary with and Fenggan, but younger than either. He was close friends with both and together they formed the "Tiantai Trio". Shide lived as a lay monk, and worked most of his life in the kitchen of Guoqing Temple.
An apocryphal story relates how Shide received his name: Once, Fenggan was travelling between Guoqing Temple and the village of Tiantai, when at the redstone rock ridge called 'Red Wall' he heard some crying. He investigated, and found a ten-year old boy who had been abandoned by his parents; and picked him up and took him back to the temple, where the monks would raise him.
Shide wrote an unknown number of poems, but 49 have survived. They are short; and rarely exceed 10 lines. They are typically on a Buddhist subject, and executed in a style reminiscent of Hanshan's. Indeed, Shide's Poems 44 and 45 have often been considered to really have been written by Hanshan; not impossible as the two were especially good friends- see Poem 33:
''We slip into Tientai caves,''
''We visit people unseen-''
''Eat magic mushrooms under the pines.''
''We talk about the past and present''
''And sigh at the world gone mad.''
''Everyone going to Hell''
''And going for a long time.''
The case for Poems 44 and 45 being misattributed is further strengthened by the fact that Poem 45 is otherwise the only poem in Shide's canon which contains motifs- which are common in Hanshan's poetry. See Poem 45:
''Up high the trail turns steep,''
''The towering pass stands sheer;''
''Stone Bridge is slick with moss.''
''Clouds keep flying past,''
''A cascade hangs like silk,''
''The Moon shines in the pool below.''
''I'm climbing Lotus Peak again,''
''To wait for that lone crane once more.''
Common subjects include back-sliding monks and the foolishness of worldly people in both short-sightedness and their sins; like in Poems 43, 38 and 30, respectively:
''By and large the monks I meet''
''Love their wine and meat.''
''Instead of climbing straight to Heaven''
''They slip back down to Hell.''
''They chant a sutra or two''
''To fool the laymen in town,''
''Unaware the laymen in town''
''Are more perceptive than them.''
''People crowd in the dust,''
''Enjoying the pleasures of the dust.''
''I see them in the dust''
''And pity fills my heart.''
''Why do I pity their lot?''
''I think of their pain in the dust.''
''Take these mortal incarnations''
''These comical-looking forms''
''With faces like the silver moon''
''And hearts as black as pitch.''
''Cooking pigs and butchering sheep,''
''Bragging about the flavor,''
''Dying and going to Frozen-Tongue Hell''
''Before they stop telling lies.''
Other subjects included him and his friends. See Poems 27 and 39, respectively:
''Partial to pine cliffs and lonely trails,''
''An old man laughs at himself when he falters.''
''Even now after all these years,''
''Trusting the current 'like an unmoored boat'.''
''A young man studied letters and arms''
''And rode off to the Capital,''
''Where he learned the Hsiung-nu had been vanquished;''
''And all he could do was wait.''
''So to kingfisher cliffs he retired,''
''And sits in the grass by a stream''
''While valiant men chase red cords''
''And monkeys ride clay oxen.''
And sometimes he simply wrote about the Tiantai mountain range where he lived. See his final poem, Poem 49:
''Woods and springs make me smile;''
''No kitchen smoke for miles.''
''Clouds rise up from rocky ridges,''
''Cascades tumble down.''
''A gibbon's cry marks the way,''
''A tiger's roar marks the way.''
''Pine wind sighs so softly,''
''Birds discuss sing-song.''
''I walk the winding streams,''
''And climb the peaks alone.''
''Sometimes I sit on a boulder,''
''Or lie and gaze at trailing vines.''
''But when I see a distant village,''
''All I hear is noise.''
An apocryphal story relates how Shide received his name: Once, Fenggan was travelling between Guoqing Temple and the village of Tiantai, when at the redstone rock ridge called 'Red Wall' he heard some crying. He investigated, and found a ten-year old boy who had been abandoned by his parents; and picked him up and took him back to the temple, where the monks would raise him.
Poetry
Shide wrote an unknown number of poems, but 49 have survived. They are short; and rarely exceed 10 lines. They are typically on a Buddhist subject, and executed in a style reminiscent of Hanshan's. Indeed, Shide's Poems 44 and 45 have often been considered to really have been written by Hanshan; not impossible as the two were especially good friends- see Poem 33:
''We slip into Tientai caves,''
''We visit people unseen-''
''Eat magic mushrooms under the pines.''
''We talk about the past and present''
''And sigh at the world gone mad.''
''Everyone going to Hell''
''And going for a long time.''
The case for Poems 44 and 45 being misattributed is further strengthened by the fact that Poem 45 is otherwise the only poem in Shide's canon which contains motifs- which are common in Hanshan's poetry. See Poem 45:
''Up high the trail turns steep,''
''The towering pass stands sheer;''
''Stone Bridge is slick with moss.''
''Clouds keep flying past,''
''A cascade hangs like silk,''
''The Moon shines in the pool below.''
''I'm climbing Lotus Peak again,''
''To wait for that lone crane once more.''
Common subjects include back-sliding monks and the foolishness of worldly people in both short-sightedness and their sins; like in Poems 43, 38 and 30, respectively:
''By and large the monks I meet''
''Love their wine and meat.''
''Instead of climbing straight to Heaven''
''They slip back down to Hell.''
''They chant a sutra or two''
''To fool the laymen in town,''
''Unaware the laymen in town''
''Are more perceptive than them.''
''People crowd in the dust,''
''Enjoying the pleasures of the dust.''
''I see them in the dust''
''And pity fills my heart.''
''Why do I pity their lot?''
''I think of their pain in the dust.''
''Take these mortal incarnations''
''These comical-looking forms''
''With faces like the silver moon''
''And hearts as black as pitch.''
''Cooking pigs and butchering sheep,''
''Bragging about the flavor,''
''Dying and going to Frozen-Tongue Hell''
''Before they stop telling lies.''
Other subjects included him and his friends. See Poems 27 and 39, respectively:
''Partial to pine cliffs and lonely trails,''
''An old man laughs at himself when he falters.''
''Even now after all these years,''
''Trusting the current 'like an unmoored boat'.''
''A young man studied letters and arms''
''And rode off to the Capital,''
''Where he learned the Hsiung-nu had been vanquished;''
''And all he could do was wait.''
''So to kingfisher cliffs he retired,''
''And sits in the grass by a stream''
''While valiant men chase red cords''
''And monkeys ride clay oxen.''
And sometimes he simply wrote about the Tiantai mountain range where he lived. See his final poem, Poem 49:
''Woods and springs make me smile;''
''No kitchen smoke for miles.''
''Clouds rise up from rocky ridges,''
''Cascades tumble down.''
''A gibbon's cry marks the way,''
''A tiger's roar marks the way.''
''Pine wind sighs so softly,''
''Birds discuss sing-song.''
''I walk the winding streams,''
''And climb the peaks alone.''
''Sometimes I sit on a boulder,''
''Or lie and gaze at trailing vines.''
''But when I see a distant village,''
''All I hear is noise.''
Shen Quanqi
Shen Quanqi , also known as Yunqing , was a Tang Dynasty poet, born in the prefecture of Neihuang , province of Xiangzhou , which is known today as the province of Henan.
In 675, Shen Quanqi obtained a magistrate degree. He then served several positions as a scholar at the imperial court, and was appointed by the ruler Zhang Yizhi . However, the Wuzhou Dynasty was overthrown, and ruler Zhang Yizhi was executed. As a result, Shen Quanqi was arrested and imprisoned on charges of bribery and corruption. He was then released, but sent in exile to Huanzhou , which is known today as Hoan Ch?u in Vietnam. Eventually he was called back to resume his duties at the imperial court.
He made numerous contributions to Chinese poetry, including the Five-verse poems . He was also known to write together with poet Song Zhiwen , and the two were known as the "Shen-Song" pair.
In 675, Shen Quanqi obtained a magistrate degree. He then served several positions as a scholar at the imperial court, and was appointed by the ruler Zhang Yizhi . However, the Wuzhou Dynasty was overthrown, and ruler Zhang Yizhi was executed. As a result, Shen Quanqi was arrested and imprisoned on charges of bribery and corruption. He was then released, but sent in exile to Huanzhou , which is known today as Hoan Ch?u in Vietnam. Eventually he was called back to resume his duties at the imperial court.
He made numerous contributions to Chinese poetry, including the Five-verse poems . He was also known to write together with poet Song Zhiwen , and the two were known as the "Shen-Song" pair.
Shangguan Yi
Shangguan Yi , courtesy name Youshao , formally Duke of Chu , was an official of the dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as during the reign of . In 664, with Emperor Gaozong displeased with his wife for her controlling behavior, Shangguan proposed that Empress Wu be deposed, a proposal that Emperor Gaozong was initially receptive to but disavowed once Empress Wu discovered it. Empress Wu then had Shangguan accused of plotting treason with Emperor Gaozong's oldest son, the former crown prince Li Zhong , and Shangguan was executed. His granddaughter Shangguan Wan'er later served as a key secretary to Empress Wu and a concubine to her son .
It is not known when Shangguan Yi was born. His family was initially from what would eventually become Shan Prefecture , but as his father Shangguan Hong served as the deputy director of Emperor Yang of Sui's palace at the secondary capital Jiangdu , the Shangguan household relocated to Jiangdu and settled there.
Late in Emperor Yang's ''Daye'' era , Shangguan Hong was killed by the general Chen Leng . Shangguan Yi was still young at the time, and he escaped death by going into hiding. Thereafter, he became a Buddhist monk and spent much time on studying the sutras. He also studied the , and was said to be literarily talented.
Early in the reign of succeeding Tang Dynasty's second emperor , Yang Gongren was serving as the acting commandant at Yang Prefecture , when Yang became impressed with Shangguan's talents and recommended him for the imperial examination. Emperor Taizong also heard of Shangguan's talent, and made him an imperial scholar and later an official at the archival bureau. As Emperor Taizong himself liked to write, he often had Shangguan review his drafts and also write responses to them; he also often invited Shangguan to imperial feasts. Shangguan also participated in the writing of the ''Book of Jin'', the official history of the Jin Dynasty , a project led by the Fang Xuanling. After the project was complete, he became an imperial historian and was awarded with linen.
After Emperor Taizong's death in 649, Emperor Taizong's son became emperor . Sometime thereafter, he made Shangguan Yi the deputy director of the archival bureau. In 662, he promoted Shangguan to be ''Xi Tai Shilang'' , the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government , along with the honorific title ''Yinqing Guanglu Daifu'' . He also gave Shangguan the designation ''Tong Dong Xi Tai Sanpin'' , making him a chancellor ''de facto''. It was said that Shangguan was by now particularly known for his poetry, particularly a style featuring five characters per line; his poetry was said to be decorated and delicate -- a style that was then often imitated and became known as the Shangguan Style. It was said that Shangguan was arrogant because of his talent, and became the object of much jealousy.
By 664, Emperor Gaozong was said to be deeply fearful and resentful of his powerful second wife , as she interfered with his decisions. After the eunuch Wang Fusheng reported to Emperor Gaozong that Empress Wu had, against strict regulations, engaged the Taoist monk Guo Xinzhen to engage in sorcery, Emperor Gaozong was angry, and he summoned Shangguan to ask for advice on what to do. Shangguan suggested, "The empress has no control of herself, and the entire empire is dissatisfied with her. Please depose her." Emperor Gaozong agreed and had Shangguan draft an edict deposing her. However, because among Emperor Gaozong's attendants were her allies, she found out, and she immediately appeared before him to defend herself. As Emperor Gaozong was caught red-handed with the draft edict in his hand, Emperor Gaozong was ashamed, and he reconciled with her. He further blamed Shangguan for the idea, to divert Empress Wu's displeasure. As Shangguan had served on the staff of Emperor Gaozong's first crown prince Li Zhong (who was not born of Empress Wu and who was displaced by Empress Wu's son Li Hong in 656 while Li Zhong was the Prince of Chen, and later both Shangguan and Wang served on Li Zhong's staff while Li Zhong was crown prince, Empress Wu had her ally Xu Jingzong accuse Shangguan, Wang, and Li Zhong of plotting to kill Emperor Gaozong. Around the new year 665, Shangguan and Wang were both arrested and executed. Also kllled was Shangguan's son Shangguan Tingzhi . Li Zhong was thereafter forced to commit suicide. Shangguan's assets were seized, and his family were taken as servants. A number of officials close to Shangguan, including fellow chancellor Liu Xiangdao, were demoted.
Shangguan Tingzhi's daughter Shangguan Wan'er, who was also literarily talented, became a palace servant. Empress Wu favored her talent and made her a secretary. After Empress Wu had seized the throne herself but then was overthrown by her son in 705, Emperor Zhongzong took Shangguan Wan'er as a concubine. She became powerful, as Emperor Zhongzong often had her draft his edicts. For this reason, Emperor Zhongzong posthumously awarded both Shangguan Yi and Shangguan Tingzhi a number of honors and reburied them with honor.
Background
It is not known when Shangguan Yi was born. His family was initially from what would eventually become Shan Prefecture , but as his father Shangguan Hong served as the deputy director of Emperor Yang of Sui's palace at the secondary capital Jiangdu , the Shangguan household relocated to Jiangdu and settled there.
Late in Emperor Yang's ''Daye'' era , Shangguan Hong was killed by the general Chen Leng . Shangguan Yi was still young at the time, and he escaped death by going into hiding. Thereafter, he became a Buddhist monk and spent much time on studying the sutras. He also studied the , and was said to be literarily talented.
During Emperor Taizong's reign
Early in the reign of succeeding Tang Dynasty's second emperor , Yang Gongren was serving as the acting commandant at Yang Prefecture , when Yang became impressed with Shangguan's talents and recommended him for the imperial examination. Emperor Taizong also heard of Shangguan's talent, and made him an imperial scholar and later an official at the archival bureau. As Emperor Taizong himself liked to write, he often had Shangguan review his drafts and also write responses to them; he also often invited Shangguan to imperial feasts. Shangguan also participated in the writing of the ''Book of Jin'', the official history of the Jin Dynasty , a project led by the Fang Xuanling. After the project was complete, he became an imperial historian and was awarded with linen.
During Emperor Gaozong's reign
After Emperor Taizong's death in 649, Emperor Taizong's son became emperor . Sometime thereafter, he made Shangguan Yi the deputy director of the archival bureau. In 662, he promoted Shangguan to be ''Xi Tai Shilang'' , the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government , along with the honorific title ''Yinqing Guanglu Daifu'' . He also gave Shangguan the designation ''Tong Dong Xi Tai Sanpin'' , making him a chancellor ''de facto''. It was said that Shangguan was by now particularly known for his poetry, particularly a style featuring five characters per line; his poetry was said to be decorated and delicate -- a style that was then often imitated and became known as the Shangguan Style. It was said that Shangguan was arrogant because of his talent, and became the object of much jealousy.
By 664, Emperor Gaozong was said to be deeply fearful and resentful of his powerful second wife , as she interfered with his decisions. After the eunuch Wang Fusheng reported to Emperor Gaozong that Empress Wu had, against strict regulations, engaged the Taoist monk Guo Xinzhen to engage in sorcery, Emperor Gaozong was angry, and he summoned Shangguan to ask for advice on what to do. Shangguan suggested, "The empress has no control of herself, and the entire empire is dissatisfied with her. Please depose her." Emperor Gaozong agreed and had Shangguan draft an edict deposing her. However, because among Emperor Gaozong's attendants were her allies, she found out, and she immediately appeared before him to defend herself. As Emperor Gaozong was caught red-handed with the draft edict in his hand, Emperor Gaozong was ashamed, and he reconciled with her. He further blamed Shangguan for the idea, to divert Empress Wu's displeasure. As Shangguan had served on the staff of Emperor Gaozong's first crown prince Li Zhong (who was not born of Empress Wu and who was displaced by Empress Wu's son Li Hong in 656 while Li Zhong was the Prince of Chen, and later both Shangguan and Wang served on Li Zhong's staff while Li Zhong was crown prince, Empress Wu had her ally Xu Jingzong accuse Shangguan, Wang, and Li Zhong of plotting to kill Emperor Gaozong. Around the new year 665, Shangguan and Wang were both arrested and executed. Also kllled was Shangguan's son Shangguan Tingzhi . Li Zhong was thereafter forced to commit suicide. Shangguan's assets were seized, and his family were taken as servants. A number of officials close to Shangguan, including fellow chancellor Liu Xiangdao, were demoted.
Shangguan Tingzhi's daughter Shangguan Wan'er, who was also literarily talented, became a palace servant. Empress Wu favored her talent and made her a secretary. After Empress Wu had seized the throne herself but then was overthrown by her son in 705, Emperor Zhongzong took Shangguan Wan'er as a concubine. She became powerful, as Emperor Zhongzong often had her draft his edicts. For this reason, Emperor Zhongzong posthumously awarded both Shangguan Yi and Shangguan Tingzhi a number of honors and reburied them with honor.
Shangguan Wan'er
Shangguan Wan'er , imperial consort rank ''Zhaorong'' , posthumous name Wenhui , was the granddaughter of Shangguan Yi and was one of the women most famous in for her talent. She was a , writer and politician of the Tang Dynasty, as well as an imperial consort of .
Shangguan Wan'er's grandfather Shangguan Yi had become a prominent official early in the reign of and had become in 662. In 664, Emperor Gaozong was angry at the level of influence that his second wife was exerting over policies, and he consulted Shangguan Yi, who recommended that he depose Empress Wu. However, when Empress Wu discovered this, Emperor Gaozong changed his mind and instead blamed Shangguan Yi. At Empress Wu's instigation, her allies, the chancellor Xu Jingzong falsely accused Shangguan Yi of plotting with Emperor Gaozong's son Li Zhong, on whose staff Shangguan had served at one time, as well as the eunuch Wang Fusheng against Emperor Gaozong. Li Zhong was forced to commit suicide, while Wang, Shangguan Yi, and Shangguan Wan'er's father Shangguan Tingzhi were put to death.
After Shangguan Yi's and Shangguan Tingzhi's deaths, Shangguan Wan'er and her mother Lady Zheng -- a sister of the official Zheng Xiuyuan -- were spared but became slaves in the inner imperial palace. As Shangguan Wan'er grew older, learned to read and write from her mother, and she read extensively and showed talent for writing prose and poetry at an early age, as well as in matters of civil service regulations. After Empress Wu stumbled upon poems written by the 13-year-old Shangguan Wan'er in the crown prince's study, Empress Wu summoned Shangguan Wan'er and asked her to compose an essay based on a given theme right on the spot. Shangguan Wan'er performed marvellously, and the Empress was so impressed that she appointed Wan'er her personal secretary.
Later, after Emperor Gaozong's death in 683, Empress Wu became empress dowager and deposed, in succession, her two sons, and . In 690, she took the title of "emperor" herself, abolishing Tang Dynasty and establishing her own Zhou Dynasty. Particularly after the era ''Wansuitongtian'' Shangguan Wan'er, as Wu Zetian's secretary, was in charge of drafting imperial edicts, and her writing style was said to be exceedingly beautiful. On one occasion, she was supposed to be put to death after disobeying Wu Zetian's order; Wu Zetian, caring for her because of her talent, spared her, but tattooed her face. Thereafter, Wu Zetian usually consulted with her on the officials' petitions and important affairs of state.
In 705, a coup led by Zhang Jianzhi, Cui Xuanwei, Jing Hui, Huan Yanfan, and Yuan Shuji removed Wu Zetian and returned Emperor Zhongzong to the throne. At that time, Shangguan Wan'er became an imperial consort, as a concubine of Emperor Zhongzong, carrying the rank of ''Jieyu'' , the 14th rank for an imperial consort. Emperor Zhongzong put her in charge of drafting edicts and other imperial orders. She carried on an affair with Emperor Zhongzong's cousin and Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi the Prince of Liang, however, and through her, Wu Sansi became a trusted advisor of Emperor Zhongzong and a lover of Emperor Zhongzong's wife as well. Subsequently, at her suggestion, Empress Wei submitted formal proposals to Emperor Zhongzong to require the people to observe three-year mourning periods for their mothers who had been divorced by their fathers and reducing the period where a man was considered an adult male from the ages to 20 to 59, to the ages of 22 to 58, in order to try to gain the people's gratitude. Emperor Zhongzong approved the proposals.
Meanwhile, in addition to Empress Wei and Consort Shangguan, Empress Wei's daughter the Princess Anle became very powerful as well, as she was Emperor Zhongzong's favorite daughter, and she had married Wu Sansi's son Wu Chongxun . She often humiliated her brother Li Chongjun the Crown Prince on account that Li Chongjun was not born of Empress Wei, at times calling him "slave." She also often suggested to Emperor Zhongzong that he depose Li Chongjun and make her crown princess. In summer 707, Li Chongjun's anger erupted, and he, along with the ethnically Mohe general Li Duozuo and Emperor Zhongzong's cousin Li Qianli the Prince of Cheng, rose in rebellion, first killing Wu Sansi and Wu Chongxun. He then attacked the palace, seeking to arrest Consort Shangguan. Consort Shangguan, Empress Wei, Li Guo'er, and Emperor Zhongzong were protected by the imperial guards, and when Li Chongjun hesitated at what to do next, his forces collapsed, and he and his cohorts were killed.
Meanwhile, Consort Shangguan's nephew Wang Yu had been warning her, through her mother Lady Zheng, that her continued behavior in working with the Wus and Empress Wei would eventually bring disaster on her and her clan. Consort Shangguan initially took no heed, but after Li Chongjun had demanded, by name, to arrest her during the 707 coup attempt, she became fearful, and she began to distance herself from Li Guo'er and Empress Wei, aligning herself more with Emperor Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping. Despite this, she and her mother Lady Zheng, along with Li Guo'er, Empress Wei, the senior Ladies Chai and Helou, the sorceress Diwu Ying'er , and Lady Zhao of Longxi, were described as powerful and corrupt women at court, selling governmental offices at will. Consort Shangguan and the other imperial consorts were also said to, against regulations, establish mansions outside the palace.
In 708, Emperor Zhongzong established an imperial academy, with four imperial scholars, eight assistant scholars, and 12 associate scholars, selecting officials with literary talent to serve as the imperial scholars. He often held feasts that would also serve as literary competitions, and he had Consort Shangguan serve as the judge at these competitions. Late in the year, he promoted her to the rank of ''Zhaorong'', the sixth rank among imperial consorts. In addition to writing poems in her own name, she was also said to have written poems in the names of Emperor Zhongzong, Empress Wei, Li Guo'er, and Li Guo'er's sister Princess Changning. The poems were said to be beautiful and often recited by people who heard them.
By spring 709, Consort Shangguan was having an affair with the official Cui Shi, and on account of that relationship, she recommended him to be a chancellor. Emperor Zhongzong agreed. By summer, however, Cui and another chancellor, Zheng Yin, were charged with corruption. As a result, Cui was set to be exiled to be the military advisor to the prefect of Jiang Prefecture . However, Consort Shangguan, Li Guo'er, and Li Guo'er's new husband Wu Yanxiu then spoke on his behalf secretly, and Emperor Zhongzong instead made Cui the prefect of Xiang Prefecture .
In fall 710, Emperor Zhongzong died suddenly -- a death that traditional historians assert to be a poisoning carried out by Empress Wei and Li Guo'er, to allow Empress Wei to seize power and eventually take the throne and Li Guo'er to become crown princess. In the aftermath of Emperor Zhongzong's death, Empress Wei, who initially kept the death secret, tried to consolidate power, while Consort Shangguan and Princess Taiping were consulting each other in posthumously drafting a will for Emperor Zhongzong. Under their plan, Emperor Zhongzong's youngest son the Prince of Wen would inherit the throne; Empress Wei would serve as empress dowager and regent, assisted by Li Dan the Prince of Xiang . Once the will was promulgated, however, two chancellors closely aligned with Empress Wei -- her cousin Wei Wen and Zong Chuke -- objected and ordered the will revised, and Empress Dowager Wei became sole regent for Li Chongmao , without participation by Li Dan in the regency.
Meanwhile, Zong, Wu Yanxiu, and other officials Zhao Lüwen and Ye Jingneng , were advocating to Empress Dowager Wei that she take the throne. They also believed that Li Dan and Princess Taiping were in the way and should be removed. The official Cui Riyong leaked their plans to Li Dan's son the Prince of Linzi, and Li Longji quickly formed a plan with Princess Taiping and her son Xue Chongjian to act first. Less than a month after Emperor Zhongzong's death, they launched a coup, quickly killing Empress Wei, Li Guo'er, and Empress Wei's clan members. When Li Longji's soldiers, commanded by his associate Liu Youqiu, reached the pavilion where Consort Shangguan lived, Consort Shangguan came out of the pavilion to greet Liu and Li Longji, presenting to them the original will of Emperor Zhongzong that she had drafted, seeking to be spared. Li Longji refused to spare her, however, and she was dragged out and beheaded.
Soon, under the suggestion by Princess Taiping, Li Longji, and Li Longji's brother Li Chengqi the Prince of Song, Emperor Shang was removed from the throne, and Li Dan took the throne again. In 711, he restored Consort Shangguan's title as ''Zhaorong'', and gave her the posthumous name of Wenhui . Sometime after Emperor Ruizong in turn yielded the throne to Li Longji , Emperor Xuanzong ordered that Consort Shangguan's works be collected into a 20-volume collection, and he had the chancellor Zhang Yue write the preface to the collection.
Childhood
Shangguan Wan'er's grandfather Shangguan Yi had become a prominent official early in the reign of and had become in 662. In 664, Emperor Gaozong was angry at the level of influence that his second wife was exerting over policies, and he consulted Shangguan Yi, who recommended that he depose Empress Wu. However, when Empress Wu discovered this, Emperor Gaozong changed his mind and instead blamed Shangguan Yi. At Empress Wu's instigation, her allies, the chancellor Xu Jingzong falsely accused Shangguan Yi of plotting with Emperor Gaozong's son Li Zhong, on whose staff Shangguan had served at one time, as well as the eunuch Wang Fusheng against Emperor Gaozong. Li Zhong was forced to commit suicide, while Wang, Shangguan Yi, and Shangguan Wan'er's father Shangguan Tingzhi were put to death.
After Shangguan Yi's and Shangguan Tingzhi's deaths, Shangguan Wan'er and her mother Lady Zheng -- a sister of the official Zheng Xiuyuan -- were spared but became slaves in the inner imperial palace. As Shangguan Wan'er grew older, learned to read and write from her mother, and she read extensively and showed talent for writing prose and poetry at an early age, as well as in matters of civil service regulations. After Empress Wu stumbled upon poems written by the 13-year-old Shangguan Wan'er in the crown prince's study, Empress Wu summoned Shangguan Wan'er and asked her to compose an essay based on a given theme right on the spot. Shangguan Wan'er performed marvellously, and the Empress was so impressed that she appointed Wan'er her personal secretary.
As Wu Zetian's secretary
Later, after Emperor Gaozong's death in 683, Empress Wu became empress dowager and deposed, in succession, her two sons, and . In 690, she took the title of "emperor" herself, abolishing Tang Dynasty and establishing her own Zhou Dynasty. Particularly after the era ''Wansuitongtian'' Shangguan Wan'er, as Wu Zetian's secretary, was in charge of drafting imperial edicts, and her writing style was said to be exceedingly beautiful. On one occasion, she was supposed to be put to death after disobeying Wu Zetian's order; Wu Zetian, caring for her because of her talent, spared her, but tattooed her face. Thereafter, Wu Zetian usually consulted with her on the officials' petitions and important affairs of state.
As imperial consort
In 705, a coup led by Zhang Jianzhi, Cui Xuanwei, Jing Hui, Huan Yanfan, and Yuan Shuji removed Wu Zetian and returned Emperor Zhongzong to the throne. At that time, Shangguan Wan'er became an imperial consort, as a concubine of Emperor Zhongzong, carrying the rank of ''Jieyu'' , the 14th rank for an imperial consort. Emperor Zhongzong put her in charge of drafting edicts and other imperial orders. She carried on an affair with Emperor Zhongzong's cousin and Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi the Prince of Liang, however, and through her, Wu Sansi became a trusted advisor of Emperor Zhongzong and a lover of Emperor Zhongzong's wife as well. Subsequently, at her suggestion, Empress Wei submitted formal proposals to Emperor Zhongzong to require the people to observe three-year mourning periods for their mothers who had been divorced by their fathers and reducing the period where a man was considered an adult male from the ages to 20 to 59, to the ages of 22 to 58, in order to try to gain the people's gratitude. Emperor Zhongzong approved the proposals.
Meanwhile, in addition to Empress Wei and Consort Shangguan, Empress Wei's daughter the Princess Anle became very powerful as well, as she was Emperor Zhongzong's favorite daughter, and she had married Wu Sansi's son Wu Chongxun . She often humiliated her brother Li Chongjun the Crown Prince on account that Li Chongjun was not born of Empress Wei, at times calling him "slave." She also often suggested to Emperor Zhongzong that he depose Li Chongjun and make her crown princess. In summer 707, Li Chongjun's anger erupted, and he, along with the ethnically Mohe general Li Duozuo and Emperor Zhongzong's cousin Li Qianli the Prince of Cheng, rose in rebellion, first killing Wu Sansi and Wu Chongxun. He then attacked the palace, seeking to arrest Consort Shangguan. Consort Shangguan, Empress Wei, Li Guo'er, and Emperor Zhongzong were protected by the imperial guards, and when Li Chongjun hesitated at what to do next, his forces collapsed, and he and his cohorts were killed.
Meanwhile, Consort Shangguan's nephew Wang Yu had been warning her, through her mother Lady Zheng, that her continued behavior in working with the Wus and Empress Wei would eventually bring disaster on her and her clan. Consort Shangguan initially took no heed, but after Li Chongjun had demanded, by name, to arrest her during the 707 coup attempt, she became fearful, and she began to distance herself from Li Guo'er and Empress Wei, aligning herself more with Emperor Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping. Despite this, she and her mother Lady Zheng, along with Li Guo'er, Empress Wei, the senior Ladies Chai and Helou, the sorceress Diwu Ying'er , and Lady Zhao of Longxi, were described as powerful and corrupt women at court, selling governmental offices at will. Consort Shangguan and the other imperial consorts were also said to, against regulations, establish mansions outside the palace.
In 708, Emperor Zhongzong established an imperial academy, with four imperial scholars, eight assistant scholars, and 12 associate scholars, selecting officials with literary talent to serve as the imperial scholars. He often held feasts that would also serve as literary competitions, and he had Consort Shangguan serve as the judge at these competitions. Late in the year, he promoted her to the rank of ''Zhaorong'', the sixth rank among imperial consorts. In addition to writing poems in her own name, she was also said to have written poems in the names of Emperor Zhongzong, Empress Wei, Li Guo'er, and Li Guo'er's sister Princess Changning. The poems were said to be beautiful and often recited by people who heard them.
By spring 709, Consort Shangguan was having an affair with the official Cui Shi, and on account of that relationship, she recommended him to be a chancellor. Emperor Zhongzong agreed. By summer, however, Cui and another chancellor, Zheng Yin, were charged with corruption. As a result, Cui was set to be exiled to be the military advisor to the prefect of Jiang Prefecture . However, Consort Shangguan, Li Guo'er, and Li Guo'er's new husband Wu Yanxiu then spoke on his behalf secretly, and Emperor Zhongzong instead made Cui the prefect of Xiang Prefecture .
Death
In fall 710, Emperor Zhongzong died suddenly -- a death that traditional historians assert to be a poisoning carried out by Empress Wei and Li Guo'er, to allow Empress Wei to seize power and eventually take the throne and Li Guo'er to become crown princess. In the aftermath of Emperor Zhongzong's death, Empress Wei, who initially kept the death secret, tried to consolidate power, while Consort Shangguan and Princess Taiping were consulting each other in posthumously drafting a will for Emperor Zhongzong. Under their plan, Emperor Zhongzong's youngest son the Prince of Wen would inherit the throne; Empress Wei would serve as empress dowager and regent, assisted by Li Dan the Prince of Xiang . Once the will was promulgated, however, two chancellors closely aligned with Empress Wei -- her cousin Wei Wen and Zong Chuke -- objected and ordered the will revised, and Empress Dowager Wei became sole regent for Li Chongmao , without participation by Li Dan in the regency.
Meanwhile, Zong, Wu Yanxiu, and other officials Zhao Lüwen and Ye Jingneng , were advocating to Empress Dowager Wei that she take the throne. They also believed that Li Dan and Princess Taiping were in the way and should be removed. The official Cui Riyong leaked their plans to Li Dan's son the Prince of Linzi, and Li Longji quickly formed a plan with Princess Taiping and her son Xue Chongjian to act first. Less than a month after Emperor Zhongzong's death, they launched a coup, quickly killing Empress Wei, Li Guo'er, and Empress Wei's clan members. When Li Longji's soldiers, commanded by his associate Liu Youqiu, reached the pavilion where Consort Shangguan lived, Consort Shangguan came out of the pavilion to greet Liu and Li Longji, presenting to them the original will of Emperor Zhongzong that she had drafted, seeking to be spared. Li Longji refused to spare her, however, and she was dragged out and beheaded.
Posthumous recognition
Soon, under the suggestion by Princess Taiping, Li Longji, and Li Longji's brother Li Chengqi the Prince of Song, Emperor Shang was removed from the throne, and Li Dan took the throne again. In 711, he restored Consort Shangguan's title as ''Zhaorong'', and gave her the posthumous name of Wenhui . Sometime after Emperor Ruizong in turn yielded the throne to Li Longji , Emperor Xuanzong ordered that Consort Shangguan's works be collected into a 20-volume collection, and he had the chancellor Zhang Yue write the preface to the collection.
Pi Rixiu
Pi Rixiu was a Tang Dynasty poet. His courtesy names ware Yishao and Ximei , and he wrote under the pen name Lumengzhi . Pi was a contemporary of poet Lu Guimeng; these two poets are often referred to as Pi-Lu.
He was born at Xiangyang, Hubei. In 867, he obtained a degree of . After traveling to Suzhou in 868, he became Suzhou magistrate in 869. Later, he participated in the defeat of the Huang Chao's rebellion, and subsequently retired in southern China.
He was born at Xiangyang, Hubei. In 867, he obtained a degree of . After traveling to Suzhou in 868, he became Suzhou magistrate in 869. Later, he participated in the defeat of the Huang Chao's rebellion, and subsequently retired in southern China.
Pei Yaoqing
Pei Yaoqing , courtesy name Huanzhi , formally Marquess Wenxian of Zhaocheng , was a poet and politician of the dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a during the reign of . He had friendly relationship with fellow chancellor Zhang Jiuling, and when another chancellor, Li Linfu, managed to convince Emperor Xuanzong that both Zhang and Pei were engaging in factionalism, both were removed, although Pei continued to serve in important positions in the imperial administration until his death in 743. He was known for improving the food transportation system between the capital Chang'an and the eastern capital Luoyang, obviating the need for the emperor to periodically move between the two capitals.
Pei Yaoqing was born in 681, during the reign of . His family traced its ancestry to a line of officials of Han Dynasty, Jin Dynasty , Western Liang, Southern Qi, Northern Wei, Sui Dynasty, and Tang Dynasty. Pei Yaoqing's grandfather Pei Shen served as a county magistrate during Tang, and his father Pei Shouzhen served as a prefectural prefect.
Pei Yaoqing was said to be intelligent well-learned even in childhood, being able to read complex text when he was only a few years old. He later passed a special imperial examination for boys, and in his youth became an assistant secretary at the archival bureau . He later served as the communications for Emperor Gaozong's son the Prince of Xiang. Li Dan respected him, and made him and his colleague Wei Liqi consultants. After Li Dan, a former emperor, returned to the throne in 712 , he made Pei ''Guozi Zhubu'' , the secretary general at the imperial university.
Early in the ''Kaiyuan'' era of Emperor Ruizong's son , Pei Yaoqing was made the magistrate of Chang'an County -- one of the two counties making up the Tang capital Chang'an. At that time, Chang'an County put governmental funds in trust with rich households to have them manage the funds for the government, leading to much trouble for both government and the people. Pei ended the practice and retrieved the funds from the rich households, reducing both corruption and burden on these households. He served as magistrate of Chang'an County for two years, and it was said that he drew a balance between strictness and laxity. When he left that office, the people missed him greatly.
In 725, Pei became the prefect of Ji Prefecture . That year, Emperor Xuanzong offered sacrifices to heaven and earth at Mount Tai, and as he went through the various prefectures, the prefectural prefects were rushing to offer him tributes -- but Emperor Xuanzong was impressed by three prefects -- Wang Qiu , Cui Mian , and Pei, who offered no luxury items -- and in Pei's case, what he offered was several hundred suggestions, all of which were aiming toward correcting Emperor Xuanzong's behavior. Emperor Xuanzong was particularly impressed with one of the suggestions, which stated, "If you cause great harm to the people, then you cannot say that the realm is peaceful." Emperor Xuanzong promoted the three of them -- in Pei's case, to be the prefect of the more important Ding Prefecture . At the time that his promotion was announced, he was overseeing a project to repair the Yellow River levees. Instead of departing immediately for Ding Prefecture, he delayed his departure to make sure that the levees would be complete. He later successively served as the prefect of Xuan and Ji Prefectures, before being recalled to Chang'an to serve as the deputy minister of census .
In 732, Emperor Xuanzong commissioned his second cousin Li Hui the Prince of Xin'an to command an army against Khitan and Xi tribes which would not submit to Tang suzerainty, with Pei as Li Hui's deputy. After Li Hui scored a major victory over both the Khitan and the Xi, Emperor Xuanzong ordered Pei to tour the Xi tribes that were submissive and which had participated in the campaign, to award a large amount of silk to them. Pei, realizing that such a journey would be filled with danger as other tribes might become aware and might attack, proceeded quickly on the trip and divided his train into several groups, awarding the silk quickly and then returning to Tang territory. Indeed, hearing about Pei's tour, Eastern Tujue and Shiwei forces launched a raid against him, but by the time that they arrived, Pei had already returned to Tang territory. In winter 732, he was made the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality , which encompassed Chang'an.
In fall 733, there was much raining in the Guanzhong region , causing flooding and rise in food prices. Emperor Xuanzong considered going to the eastern capital Luoyang, to decrease the need to requisition food supplies, and he summoned Pei to discuss with him. Pei suggested revising the food shipment scheme at that time to reduce the need for such journeys. Pei's proposal included several points:
* At that time, most of the food supply was coming from south of the Yangtze River and were shipped by ships from the region, which were unfamiliar with the waters in the Yellow River region, the journeys were often slow, often causing thefts or embezzlement. Under Pei's proposal, a large food storage would be built at Hulao, where Bian River joined Yellow River, and the ships from the Yangtze region would offload their supplies at Hulao.
* The food supply would then be shipped from Hulao to Luoyang on either the Yellow River or the Luo River .
* One large food storage would be built on each side of Sanmenxia. The food supplies intended for Chang'an would be shipped from Luoyang to Sanmenxia and stored there.
* A road would be built from Sanmenxia upstream to the Wei River, allowing food to be shipped on land when the water flow was unsuitable for shipping on water.
* Once the food supply had been shipped to the Wei River either on land or on water, the food could then be shipped easily to Chang'an.
Emperor Xuanzong agreed with the proposal. Later that year, when he removed the s Xiao Song and Han Xiu from their chancellor positions, he made Pei and Zhang Jiuling new chancellors to succeed them. Specifically, Pei was made ''Huangmen Shilang'' , the deputy head of the examination bureau of government with the chancellor ''de facto'' designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'' . He was also made the director of food supply shipments .
In 734, Zhang proposed that private citizens be allowed to mint money. Pei opposed, pointing out that the quality of the coins would be greatly reduced. Emperor Xuanzong, with opposition also from , decided not to allow private minting. Later that year, Pei was made ''Shizhong'' , the head of the examination bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor. Pursuant to Pei's proposal, a shipping station was built at the point where the Yellow River and the Bian River joined, with two large food storages -- Heyin Storage to the east and Boyai Storage to the west. At Sanmenxia, Jijin Storage was built to the east, and Yan Storage was built to the west. A road 18 '''' long was built from Sanmenxia to the Wei River. With Pei's plan implemented, the government received considerably savings during the next three years, and Pei's subordinates suggested that he submitted the surpluses to the emperor as a tribute. Pei stated, "This is money saved for the government. How can I use it to ingratiate the emperor?" Instead, he saved the money for future transportation improvements. However, at that time, an incident occurred where there were strange apparitions appearing in the Luoyang Palace, and Emperor Xuanzong did not want to stay at Luoyang. On or right before November 9, 736, he summoned the chancellors to ask them whether he could depart for Chang'an immediately. Pei and Zhang, pointing out the fact that it was harvest season and that the imperial train would interfere with harvest, requested a one-month delay. After Pei and Zhang exited, however, Li Linfu remained personally and stated his agreement with the departure, arguing that the farmers could be compensated by relieving their taxes. Emperor Xuanzong was pleased and immediately departed for Chang'an.
* Emperor Xuanzong was, then, impressed with Niu Xianke, the military governor of Shuofang Circuit , wanted to make him the minister of defense. Zhang, who pointed out that Niu was not well-learned and had started from the ranks of low-level administrators -- contrary to the Tang tradition of going through the imperial examinations -- opposed, and then further opposed the creation of a title. Eventually, despite Zhang's opposition, Emperor Xuanzong, with concurrence from Li LInfu, created Niu the Duke of Longxi.
* Li LInfu was associating with Emperor Xuanzong's favorite concubine and trying to have Emperor Xuanzong make her son Li Mao the Prince of Shou crown prince to replace Emperor Xuanzong's then-crown prince Li Ying, who had long lost Emperor Xuanzong's favor. With Zhang strenuously opposing such a move, Li Ying remained in his position.
* The deputy minister Xiao Jiong , whom Li Linfu recommended, was demoted on the suggestion of Zhang and Zhang's friend Yan Tingzhi , who further offended Li Linfu by refusing to meet with him. Soon thereafter, there was an incident where Wang Yunyan , the husband of Yan's ex-wife, was accused of corruption. Yan tried to intercede on Wang's behalf, and this was discovered.
Li Linfu thus made accusations to Emperor Xuanzong that Zhang and Pei were engaging in factionalism. Around the new year 737, Emperor Xuanzong removed Pei and Zhang from their chancellor posts, making them ''Chengxiang'' -- the heads of the executive bureau instead. Niu was made chancellor to replace them, serving with Li Linfu. At the same time, Pei was created the Marquess of Zhaocheng.
Later in 737, there was an incident in which the Yang Jun the prefect of Yi Prefecture , was accused of corruption and received a death sentence. Emperor Xuanzong commuted the sentence to caning for 60 times and exile to Gu Prefecture . Pei submitted a petition, pointing out that while caning instead of death was grace already, public caning nevertheless was undignified for someone who had been an honored official. Emperor Xuanzong agreed and commuted the caning as well.
In 740, Emperor Xuanzong, impressed at the military accomplishments of the general Gai Jiayun , the military governor of Hexi and Longyou Circuits, summoned him to the capital to reward him and commissioned him to plan an attack on Tufan. Gai, happy about the imperial favor, lingered in Chang'an and did not immediately depart. Pei submitted a petition, pointing out that while Gai was brave, he was becoming arrogant and unattentive in light of imperial favors. He suggested that Gai's commission be cancelled, or, in the least, that Emperor Xuanzong order Gai to immediately return to his command. Emperor Xuanzong did the latter. Later, as Pei predicted, Gai was unable to prevail over Tufan.
Pei continued to serve as ''Pushe'' for the next several years. He died in 743 and was given posthumous honors.
Background
Pei Yaoqing was born in 681, during the reign of . His family traced its ancestry to a line of officials of Han Dynasty, Jin Dynasty , Western Liang, Southern Qi, Northern Wei, Sui Dynasty, and Tang Dynasty. Pei Yaoqing's grandfather Pei Shen served as a county magistrate during Tang, and his father Pei Shouzhen served as a prefectural prefect.
Pei Yaoqing was said to be intelligent well-learned even in childhood, being able to read complex text when he was only a few years old. He later passed a special imperial examination for boys, and in his youth became an assistant secretary at the archival bureau . He later served as the communications for Emperor Gaozong's son the Prince of Xiang. Li Dan respected him, and made him and his colleague Wei Liqi consultants. After Li Dan, a former emperor, returned to the throne in 712 , he made Pei ''Guozi Zhubu'' , the secretary general at the imperial university.
During Emperor Xuanzong's reign
Early in the ''Kaiyuan'' era of Emperor Ruizong's son , Pei Yaoqing was made the magistrate of Chang'an County -- one of the two counties making up the Tang capital Chang'an. At that time, Chang'an County put governmental funds in trust with rich households to have them manage the funds for the government, leading to much trouble for both government and the people. Pei ended the practice and retrieved the funds from the rich households, reducing both corruption and burden on these households. He served as magistrate of Chang'an County for two years, and it was said that he drew a balance between strictness and laxity. When he left that office, the people missed him greatly.
In 725, Pei became the prefect of Ji Prefecture . That year, Emperor Xuanzong offered sacrifices to heaven and earth at Mount Tai, and as he went through the various prefectures, the prefectural prefects were rushing to offer him tributes -- but Emperor Xuanzong was impressed by three prefects -- Wang Qiu , Cui Mian , and Pei, who offered no luxury items -- and in Pei's case, what he offered was several hundred suggestions, all of which were aiming toward correcting Emperor Xuanzong's behavior. Emperor Xuanzong was particularly impressed with one of the suggestions, which stated, "If you cause great harm to the people, then you cannot say that the realm is peaceful." Emperor Xuanzong promoted the three of them -- in Pei's case, to be the prefect of the more important Ding Prefecture . At the time that his promotion was announced, he was overseeing a project to repair the Yellow River levees. Instead of departing immediately for Ding Prefecture, he delayed his departure to make sure that the levees would be complete. He later successively served as the prefect of Xuan and Ji Prefectures, before being recalled to Chang'an to serve as the deputy minister of census .
In 732, Emperor Xuanzong commissioned his second cousin Li Hui the Prince of Xin'an to command an army against Khitan and Xi tribes which would not submit to Tang suzerainty, with Pei as Li Hui's deputy. After Li Hui scored a major victory over both the Khitan and the Xi, Emperor Xuanzong ordered Pei to tour the Xi tribes that were submissive and which had participated in the campaign, to award a large amount of silk to them. Pei, realizing that such a journey would be filled with danger as other tribes might become aware and might attack, proceeded quickly on the trip and divided his train into several groups, awarding the silk quickly and then returning to Tang territory. Indeed, hearing about Pei's tour, Eastern Tujue and Shiwei forces launched a raid against him, but by the time that they arrived, Pei had already returned to Tang territory. In winter 732, he was made the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality , which encompassed Chang'an.
In fall 733, there was much raining in the Guanzhong region , causing flooding and rise in food prices. Emperor Xuanzong considered going to the eastern capital Luoyang, to decrease the need to requisition food supplies, and he summoned Pei to discuss with him. Pei suggested revising the food shipment scheme at that time to reduce the need for such journeys. Pei's proposal included several points:
* At that time, most of the food supply was coming from south of the Yangtze River and were shipped by ships from the region, which were unfamiliar with the waters in the Yellow River region, the journeys were often slow, often causing thefts or embezzlement. Under Pei's proposal, a large food storage would be built at Hulao, where Bian River joined Yellow River, and the ships from the Yangtze region would offload their supplies at Hulao.
* The food supply would then be shipped from Hulao to Luoyang on either the Yellow River or the Luo River .
* One large food storage would be built on each side of Sanmenxia. The food supplies intended for Chang'an would be shipped from Luoyang to Sanmenxia and stored there.
* A road would be built from Sanmenxia upstream to the Wei River, allowing food to be shipped on land when the water flow was unsuitable for shipping on water.
* Once the food supply had been shipped to the Wei River either on land or on water, the food could then be shipped easily to Chang'an.
Emperor Xuanzong agreed with the proposal. Later that year, when he removed the s Xiao Song and Han Xiu from their chancellor positions, he made Pei and Zhang Jiuling new chancellors to succeed them. Specifically, Pei was made ''Huangmen Shilang'' , the deputy head of the examination bureau of government with the chancellor ''de facto'' designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'' . He was also made the director of food supply shipments .
In 734, Zhang proposed that private citizens be allowed to mint money. Pei opposed, pointing out that the quality of the coins would be greatly reduced. Emperor Xuanzong, with opposition also from , decided not to allow private minting. Later that year, Pei was made ''Shizhong'' , the head of the examination bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor. Pursuant to Pei's proposal, a shipping station was built at the point where the Yellow River and the Bian River joined, with two large food storages -- Heyin Storage to the east and Boyai Storage to the west. At Sanmenxia, Jijin Storage was built to the east, and Yan Storage was built to the west. A road 18 '''' long was built from Sanmenxia to the Wei River. With Pei's plan implemented, the government received considerably savings during the next three years, and Pei's subordinates suggested that he submitted the surpluses to the emperor as a tribute. Pei stated, "This is money saved for the government. How can I use it to ingratiate the emperor?" Instead, he saved the money for future transportation improvements. However, at that time, an incident occurred where there were strange apparitions appearing in the Luoyang Palace, and Emperor Xuanzong did not want to stay at Luoyang. On or right before November 9, 736, he summoned the chancellors to ask them whether he could depart for Chang'an immediately. Pei and Zhang, pointing out the fact that it was harvest season and that the imperial train would interfere with harvest, requested a one-month delay. After Pei and Zhang exited, however, Li Linfu remained personally and stated his agreement with the departure, arguing that the farmers could be compensated by relieving their taxes. Emperor Xuanzong was pleased and immediately departed for Chang'an.
* Emperor Xuanzong was, then, impressed with Niu Xianke, the military governor of Shuofang Circuit , wanted to make him the minister of defense. Zhang, who pointed out that Niu was not well-learned and had started from the ranks of low-level administrators -- contrary to the Tang tradition of going through the imperial examinations -- opposed, and then further opposed the creation of a title. Eventually, despite Zhang's opposition, Emperor Xuanzong, with concurrence from Li LInfu, created Niu the Duke of Longxi.
* Li LInfu was associating with Emperor Xuanzong's favorite concubine and trying to have Emperor Xuanzong make her son Li Mao the Prince of Shou crown prince to replace Emperor Xuanzong's then-crown prince Li Ying, who had long lost Emperor Xuanzong's favor. With Zhang strenuously opposing such a move, Li Ying remained in his position.
* The deputy minister Xiao Jiong , whom Li Linfu recommended, was demoted on the suggestion of Zhang and Zhang's friend Yan Tingzhi , who further offended Li Linfu by refusing to meet with him. Soon thereafter, there was an incident where Wang Yunyan , the husband of Yan's ex-wife, was accused of corruption. Yan tried to intercede on Wang's behalf, and this was discovered.
Li Linfu thus made accusations to Emperor Xuanzong that Zhang and Pei were engaging in factionalism. Around the new year 737, Emperor Xuanzong removed Pei and Zhang from their chancellor posts, making them ''Chengxiang'' -- the heads of the executive bureau instead. Niu was made chancellor to replace them, serving with Li Linfu. At the same time, Pei was created the Marquess of Zhaocheng.
Later in 737, there was an incident in which the Yang Jun the prefect of Yi Prefecture , was accused of corruption and received a death sentence. Emperor Xuanzong commuted the sentence to caning for 60 times and exile to Gu Prefecture . Pei submitted a petition, pointing out that while caning instead of death was grace already, public caning nevertheless was undignified for someone who had been an honored official. Emperor Xuanzong agreed and commuted the caning as well.
In 740, Emperor Xuanzong, impressed at the military accomplishments of the general Gai Jiayun , the military governor of Hexi and Longyou Circuits, summoned him to the capital to reward him and commissioned him to plan an attack on Tufan. Gai, happy about the imperial favor, lingered in Chang'an and did not immediately depart. Pei submitted a petition, pointing out that while Gai was brave, he was becoming arrogant and unattentive in light of imperial favors. He suggested that Gai's commission be cancelled, or, in the least, that Emperor Xuanzong order Gai to immediately return to his command. Emperor Xuanzong did the latter. Later, as Pei predicted, Gai was unable to prevail over Tufan.
Pei continued to serve as ''Pushe'' for the next several years. He died in 743 and was given posthumous honors.
Mo Xuanqing
Mo Xuanqing born in , was the first youngest Number One Scholar from Tang Dynasty, in Chinese History.He renowed as a talented person at the age of 12. According to the history, in 851, at the age of 17, he was also the first youngest Number One Scholar in chinese history since Sui Dynasty and the first Number One Scholar in Lingnan.
In mid 2006, descendants of Mo's came from all over China especially from Hunan, Guangxi and also Guangdong Province locol's around 15.4 million people, to hold a memorial day with series events for“1171 anniversary of Mo Xueqing Scholar Celebrations”.
There are 4 famous poems Mo Xueqing wrote under this title. He had composed approximately more than 200 pieces Poems and songs.However, most of his poems were lost and there are not more than 20 pieces remain published in China's literary history such as Complete Tang Dynasty Poetry, Cantonese Poetry Collection, and , in today.
*【答問讀書居】''Answer Question Study Room''
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*【百官乘月早朝聽殘漏】
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*【賦得水懷珠】''To Endow Water with Bosom Pearl''
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*【句】莫宣卿 ''A Sentence''
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In mid 2006, descendants of Mo's came from all over China especially from Hunan, Guangxi and also Guangdong Province locol's around 15.4 million people, to hold a memorial day with series events for“1171 anniversary of Mo Xueqing Scholar Celebrations”.
Poetry
There are 4 famous poems Mo Xueqing wrote under this title. He had composed approximately more than 200 pieces Poems and songs.However, most of his poems were lost and there are not more than 20 pieces remain published in China's literary history such as Complete Tang Dynasty Poetry, Cantonese Poetry Collection, and , in today.
*【答問讀書居】''Answer Question Study Room''
:
:
*【百官乘月早朝聽殘漏】
:
:
:
*【賦得水懷珠】''To Endow Water with Bosom Pearl''
:
:
:
*【句】莫宣卿 ''A Sentence''
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:
Luo Yin
Luo Yin , born Luo Heng, courtesy name Zhaojian , was a statesman and poet of the Tang Dynasty. Luo was born in . At the age of 20, he took his first imperial exam. He failed the exam ten times. As a result, he gave himself the pseudonym Yin .
He was said to be of ugly countenance, and that he thought highly of himself and looked down on others. In 870, he was given a post in Hunan. However, he was unable to take advantage of the post, and returned to Zhejiang in 887. Penniless and frustrated, he later became an assistant to Qian Liu, but never shed his arrogant ways. He died at the age of 77.
Luo Yin is best known for his plain spoken poetry and satiric wit. His most famous poem was called "Self Consolation" :
*:，。，。
*::A gain makes me sing; a loss makes me sullen. Worries and regrets are always around. If there is wine today, then today is the day to get drunk. Worry about tomorrow's worries when they come tomorrow.
Life
He was said to be of ugly countenance, and that he thought highly of himself and looked down on others. In 870, he was given a post in Hunan. However, he was unable to take advantage of the post, and returned to Zhejiang in 887. Penniless and frustrated, he later became an assistant to Qian Liu, but never shed his arrogant ways. He died at the age of 77.
Works
Luo Yin is best known for his plain spoken poetry and satiric wit. His most famous poem was called "Self Consolation" :
*:，。，。
*::A gain makes me sing; a loss makes me sullen. Worries and regrets are always around. If there is wine today, then today is the day to get drunk. Worry about tomorrow's worries when they come tomorrow.
Luo Binwang
Luo Binwang , courtesy name Guanguang , was a of the Tang Dynasty. His family was from modern , but he was raised in Shandong. Luo is grouped with Wang Bo, Yang Jiong and Lu Zhaolin as one of the Four Greats of the Early Tang as the most outstanding writers of their time.
It was said that Luo Binwang could recite poetry when he was six years old. In adulthood, after a period serving on the staff of Li Yuanqing Prince of Dao, an uncle of then-ruling , Luo worked in the central government in Chang'an from 665. In 670, he was exiled to Xinjiang, after which he travelled to Yunnan with the army. He later served on staff of the prominent general Pei Xingjian while Pei was serving as the commandant at Tao Prefecture , and was in charge of the military correspondences, but he did not have a good relationship with Pei, who also disapproved of the other three greater writers grouped with Luo — Wang, Yang, and Lu, instead favoring the talents of Wang Bo's brother Wang Ju and Su Weidao. Eventually, Luo became a secretary at the county government of Chang'an County — one of the two counties making up the capital Chang'an — a low position that was however considered fairly prestigious due to its location at the capital.
In 678, Luo Binwang was dismissed and imprisoned for criticising Wu Zetian, but was released the following year. After Emperor Gaozong's death and the subsequent takeover of Emperor Gaozong's wife as regent over initially their son , whom she quickly deposed, and then , Luo made a number of suggestions to her, which she did not accept, and he was in turn demoted to the post of secretary general of Linhai County in 684. He and a number of similarly demoted officials met at Yang Prefecture , and they, supporting Li Jingye the Duke of Ying as their leader, rose against Empress Dowager Wu at Yang Prefecture, claiming as their goal Emperor Zhongzong's restoration. Luo was in charge of the resistance forces' correspondences, and he wrote a particularly sharp-worded declaration against Empress Dowager Wu:
It was said that when Empress Dowager Wu read the declaration, she smiled and laughed at what he wrote. However, when she reached the portion that read, "The soil on the new imperial tomb is not yet dry, and to whom can the two-meter-tall orphan be entrusted?" she turned solemn, and she commented, "It is the fault of the s that we lost this man's service." After Li Jingye's defeat later that year, Luo was also killed, and Empress Dowager Wu, impressed with his writing, sent people to gather them and publish them.
In prose, he was a master of the ornate ''bianwen'' style. His poetry is often similarly complex. Among his works is a long, autobiographical narrative, but he is best known for his poem "Ode to the Goose", said to have been written when he was seven years old. His "Ode to the Cicada" is also of great renown and influence.
Early career
It was said that Luo Binwang could recite poetry when he was six years old. In adulthood, after a period serving on the staff of Li Yuanqing Prince of Dao, an uncle of then-ruling , Luo worked in the central government in Chang'an from 665. In 670, he was exiled to Xinjiang, after which he travelled to Yunnan with the army. He later served on staff of the prominent general Pei Xingjian while Pei was serving as the commandant at Tao Prefecture , and was in charge of the military correspondences, but he did not have a good relationship with Pei, who also disapproved of the other three greater writers grouped with Luo — Wang, Yang, and Lu, instead favoring the talents of Wang Bo's brother Wang Ju and Su Weidao. Eventually, Luo became a secretary at the county government of Chang'an County — one of the two counties making up the capital Chang'an — a low position that was however considered fairly prestigious due to its location at the capital.
Participation in Li Jingye's rebellion
In 678, Luo Binwang was dismissed and imprisoned for criticising Wu Zetian, but was released the following year. After Emperor Gaozong's death and the subsequent takeover of Emperor Gaozong's wife as regent over initially their son , whom she quickly deposed, and then , Luo made a number of suggestions to her, which she did not accept, and he was in turn demoted to the post of secretary general of Linhai County in 684. He and a number of similarly demoted officials met at Yang Prefecture , and they, supporting Li Jingye the Duke of Ying as their leader, rose against Empress Dowager Wu at Yang Prefecture, claiming as their goal Emperor Zhongzong's restoration. Luo was in charge of the resistance forces' correspondences, and he wrote a particularly sharp-worded declaration against Empress Dowager Wu:
It was said that when Empress Dowager Wu read the declaration, she smiled and laughed at what he wrote. However, when she reached the portion that read, "The soil on the new imperial tomb is not yet dry, and to whom can the two-meter-tall orphan be entrusted?" she turned solemn, and she commented, "It is the fault of the s that we lost this man's service." After Li Jingye's defeat later that year, Luo was also killed, and Empress Dowager Wu, impressed with his writing, sent people to gather them and publish them.
Style
In prose, he was a master of the ornate ''bianwen'' style. His poetry is often similarly complex. Among his works is a long, autobiographical narrative, but he is best known for his poem "Ode to the Goose", said to have been written when he was seven years old. His "Ode to the Cicada" is also of great renown and influence.
Lu Tong
Lu Tong was a poet of Tang Dynasty known for his lifelong study of the "Tea Culture". He was a peculiar man who never became an official, and is better known for his love of tea than his poetry. The poems that survive are about tea; a favorite being the "Seven Bowls of Tea":
The first bowl of tea moistens my throat,
the second breaks my loneliness, and
the third bowl racks my brains, bringing to light the texts of 5,000 volumes.
The fourth induces perspiration whereby all ills evaporate through my pores.
The fifth makes my muscles and bones feel light, and
the sixth links me to celestials.
Be careful when drinking the seventh bowl,
as it makes you feel as if a cool breeze were coming from your armpits.
Poetry
The first bowl of tea moistens my throat,
the second breaks my loneliness, and
the third bowl racks my brains, bringing to light the texts of 5,000 volumes.
The fourth induces perspiration whereby all ills evaporate through my pores.
The fifth makes my muscles and bones feel light, and
the sixth links me to celestials.
Be careful when drinking the seventh bowl,
as it makes you feel as if a cool breeze were coming from your armpits.
Lu Guimeng
Lu Guimeng , courtesy name Luwang , was recluse Chinese poet of the Tang Dynasty. He lived in seclusion at near Suzhou. His pseudonyms included, Mr. Puli , Tiansuizhi , and Jianghu Shanren .
He and his friend, poet Pi Rixiu created a style of matching rhyme poetry: first one party composed a poem, the other party then reply with a new poem using the same rhyme. His works included:
* ''Songlin Ji'' , a collection of matching rhyme poems by Lu and Pi Rixiu
* ''Puli Ji'' , Collection of Puli.
Lu Guimeng tomb is near the Baoshen temple in Luzhi, Suzhou. Two tall ginkgo trees were handplanted by him, still standing today. The Fare Breeze Pavilion was reputed to be his favourite place for study and meeting friends.
He and his friend, poet Pi Rixiu created a style of matching rhyme poetry: first one party composed a poem, the other party then reply with a new poem using the same rhyme. His works included:
* ''Songlin Ji'' , a collection of matching rhyme poems by Lu and Pi Rixiu
* ''Puli Ji'' , Collection of Puli.
Lu Guimeng tomb
Lu Guimeng tomb is near the Baoshen temple in Luzhi, Suzhou. Two tall ginkgo trees were handplanted by him, still standing today. The Fare Breeze Pavilion was reputed to be his favourite place for study and meeting friends.
Liu Ji (Tang Dynasty)
Liu Ji , courtesy name Sidao , was a during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, who was particularly relied on by Emperor Taizong late in his reign. However, around the new year 646, Liu Ji was accused of planning to seize power after Emperor Taizong's death, and Emperor Taizong ordered him to commit suicide.
Very little is known about Liu Ji's family background, other than his family was from Jiangling . It is not known when he was born. Late in Sui Dynasty, when a descendant of the imperial house of Liang Dynasty, Xiao Xi, rose in 617 against the rule of near Jiangling, claiming to be rebuilding Liang Dynasty, Liu became his subject and served under him as the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government. In or before 621, Xiao sent Liu to the modern Guangdong region to persuade cities to submit to Liang rule, and 50 some cities did so. However, before Liu could return to Jiangling, Jiangling came under the attack of the Tang Dynasty general Li Xiaogong, and Xiao was forced to surrender. Liu thus submitted to Tang rule with those 50 odd cities. Emperor Gaozu of Tang made him the secretary general at Nankang Prefecture .
Liu Ji's activities for the next decade were not clear. In 633, it was said that he was promoted to be a mid-level official at the examination bureau of the government and created the Baron of Qingwan. In 641, he was made the deputy imperial censor, when he submitted a petition outlining what he saw as faults by the exeutive bureau in avoiding nepotism. It was said that soon after he submitted the petition, he was made a deputy head of the executive bureau. In 639, he was made the deputy head of the examination bureau, and he was given the additional bestowment of ''Canzhi Zhengshi'' , making him, while not titularly a , a ''de facto'' one.
It was said that Liu was blunt in his actions and words. During an imperial feast, when Emperor Taizong, playing with his officials, wrote some and held it out to give to an official, Liu bypassed everyone by climbing up onto the imperial seat and grabbing it from Emperor Taizong. When he was then accused of being disrespectful to the emperor, Emperor Taizong laughed it off and gave him the calligraphy.
In 642, when Emperor Taizong wanted to review the imperial historical records that the imperial historian Chu Suiliang was responsible for keeping, Chu rebuffed Emperor Taizong, stating that it would be irregular for an emperor to look at how an imperial historian was writing about him. Emperor Taizong then made the comment, "Do you record the bad things I do as well?" Chu responded, "It is my responsibility, and I would not dare not to record them." Liu then stated, "Even if Chu Suiliang does not record them, everyone will." Emperor Taizong agreed with both of them.
In 643, when Emperor Taizong's son crown prince Li Chengqian was discovered to plot to overthrow Emperor Taizong, Emperor Taizong deposed him. Initially, Emperor Taizong considered making his favorite son Li Tai the Prince of Wei crown prince instead -- a suggestion that Liu and Cen Wenben concurred in -- but later, after deciding that Li Tai's scheming was responsible for Li Chengqian's downfall by making Li Chengqian insecure about his position, Emperor Taizong created another son, the Prince of Jin crown prince instead. After Li Zhi became crown prince, Liu pointed out that the crown prince should be often near righteous individuals so that he could learn how to act from them. In response, Emperor Taizong made Liu, along with Cen and Chu, often visit Li Zhi to have conversations with him.
Emperor Taizong was said to favor rhetoric, and whenever officials made suggestions in his presence, he would often interrogate them at length as to the soundness of their suggestions. In 644, Liu Ji submitted a petition stating that doing so was intimidating to the imperial officials, not all of whom were strong with speech and would often be unable to respond. Emperor Taizong agreed, and from that point on he tried to be even milder in his expressions and words to try to comfort imperial officials stating their suggestions.
Later in 644, when Emperor Taizong, at an imperial gathering, stated to his key officials their strengths and weaknesses, he spoke, with regard to Liu:
:''Liu Ji is firm and faithful, and he benefits the administration in what he does. However, he overly emphasizes his promises and thus overly favors his relatives and friends.''
Soon thereafter, he made Liu ''Shizhong'' , the head of the examination bureau -- a post that was one for a chanellor.
In 645, Emperor Taizong launched a campaign against Goguryeo. While on the way to the frontline, he put Li Zhi in charge at Ding Prefecture , responsible for the logistics behind the lines. Liu Ji, along with Gao Shilian, Ma Zhou, Zhang Xingcheng, and Gao Jifu, were left to assist the crown prince. Liu was in charge of exercising ''de facto'' authority over the ministeries of civil service affairs, ceremonies, and census. Before Emperor Taizong departed Ding Prefecture, he stated to Liu, "I am going on an expeditio, leaving you to assist the Crown Prince. The safety of the state rests on you. I trust that you know what I want." Liu responded, "Your Imperial Majesty need not worry. If there were high level officials who committed crimes, I will immediately execute them." Emperor Taizong, shocked by his resopnse, stated, "You are carless and overly strong in your personality. You may bring disaster on yourself if you keep this up. Be careful."
Later that year, after the end of the Goguryeo campaign, Emperor Taizong returned to Ding Prefecture and was ill at that time. After Liu and Ma visited Emperor Taizong at his secondary palace and exited it, Chu Suiliang asked them what the emperor's condition was, and Liu, weeping, stated, "The emperor is extremely ill, and it makes me worried!" Chu then falsely reported to Emperor Taizong that Liu said, "There is nothing to worry about as far as the matters of state were concerned. We only need to assist the young emperor. By the precedents of Yi Yin and Huo Guang, we execute the high level officials who were double-minded, and the state will be secure." Because of Liu's earlier comments, Emperor Taizong believed the accusation. Liu asked Ma to corroborate his innocence, and Ma did so, but Chu insisted that Liu did make the inappropriate comments. Emperor Taizong, believing Chu, ordered that Liu commit suicide, but pardoned his family. Before Liu committed suicide, around the new year 646, he requested a pen so that he could write a final statement for Emperor Taizong, but the officials having him under arrest did not dare to give him a pen, and so he died without a final statement. When Emperor Taizong found out about this, he punished those officials.
In 656, Emperor Taizong's death and succession by Li Zhi and after Chu himself fell from grace due to the machinations of Emperor Gaozong's wife and her associates, Liu Ji's son Liu Hongye submitted a petition, alleging that his father was forced to commit suicide due to Chu's false accusations. The chancellor Li Yifu, a close associate of Empress Wu and a former subordinate of Liu Ji's whom Liu Ji favored, helped him with his case, and most officials, wanting to please Li Yifu, all stated that Liu died without fault. However, Le Yanwei opposed revisiting the case, pointing out that Liu did still make inappropriate statements, and that revisiting the case would be an implicit rebuke of Emperor Taizong's actions. Emperor Gaozong agreed, and took no action on Liu Hongye's petition. It was not until 684, after Empress Wei had become empress dowager and was in total control, that Liu Ji's honors were posthumously restored.
Background
Very little is known about Liu Ji's family background, other than his family was from Jiangling . It is not known when he was born. Late in Sui Dynasty, when a descendant of the imperial house of Liang Dynasty, Xiao Xi, rose in 617 against the rule of near Jiangling, claiming to be rebuilding Liang Dynasty, Liu became his subject and served under him as the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government. In or before 621, Xiao sent Liu to the modern Guangdong region to persuade cities to submit to Liang rule, and 50 some cities did so. However, before Liu could return to Jiangling, Jiangling came under the attack of the Tang Dynasty general Li Xiaogong, and Xiao was forced to surrender. Liu thus submitted to Tang rule with those 50 odd cities. Emperor Gaozu of Tang made him the secretary general at Nankang Prefecture .
Service under Emperor Taizong
Liu Ji's activities for the next decade were not clear. In 633, it was said that he was promoted to be a mid-level official at the examination bureau of the government and created the Baron of Qingwan. In 641, he was made the deputy imperial censor, when he submitted a petition outlining what he saw as faults by the exeutive bureau in avoiding nepotism. It was said that soon after he submitted the petition, he was made a deputy head of the executive bureau. In 639, he was made the deputy head of the examination bureau, and he was given the additional bestowment of ''Canzhi Zhengshi'' , making him, while not titularly a , a ''de facto'' one.
It was said that Liu was blunt in his actions and words. During an imperial feast, when Emperor Taizong, playing with his officials, wrote some and held it out to give to an official, Liu bypassed everyone by climbing up onto the imperial seat and grabbing it from Emperor Taizong. When he was then accused of being disrespectful to the emperor, Emperor Taizong laughed it off and gave him the calligraphy.
In 642, when Emperor Taizong wanted to review the imperial historical records that the imperial historian Chu Suiliang was responsible for keeping, Chu rebuffed Emperor Taizong, stating that it would be irregular for an emperor to look at how an imperial historian was writing about him. Emperor Taizong then made the comment, "Do you record the bad things I do as well?" Chu responded, "It is my responsibility, and I would not dare not to record them." Liu then stated, "Even if Chu Suiliang does not record them, everyone will." Emperor Taizong agreed with both of them.
In 643, when Emperor Taizong's son crown prince Li Chengqian was discovered to plot to overthrow Emperor Taizong, Emperor Taizong deposed him. Initially, Emperor Taizong considered making his favorite son Li Tai the Prince of Wei crown prince instead -- a suggestion that Liu and Cen Wenben concurred in -- but later, after deciding that Li Tai's scheming was responsible for Li Chengqian's downfall by making Li Chengqian insecure about his position, Emperor Taizong created another son, the Prince of Jin crown prince instead. After Li Zhi became crown prince, Liu pointed out that the crown prince should be often near righteous individuals so that he could learn how to act from them. In response, Emperor Taizong made Liu, along with Cen and Chu, often visit Li Zhi to have conversations with him.
Emperor Taizong was said to favor rhetoric, and whenever officials made suggestions in his presence, he would often interrogate them at length as to the soundness of their suggestions. In 644, Liu Ji submitted a petition stating that doing so was intimidating to the imperial officials, not all of whom were strong with speech and would often be unable to respond. Emperor Taizong agreed, and from that point on he tried to be even milder in his expressions and words to try to comfort imperial officials stating their suggestions.
Later in 644, when Emperor Taizong, at an imperial gathering, stated to his key officials their strengths and weaknesses, he spoke, with regard to Liu:
:''Liu Ji is firm and faithful, and he benefits the administration in what he does. However, he overly emphasizes his promises and thus overly favors his relatives and friends.''
Soon thereafter, he made Liu ''Shizhong'' , the head of the examination bureau -- a post that was one for a chanellor.
Death
In 645, Emperor Taizong launched a campaign against Goguryeo. While on the way to the frontline, he put Li Zhi in charge at Ding Prefecture , responsible for the logistics behind the lines. Liu Ji, along with Gao Shilian, Ma Zhou, Zhang Xingcheng, and Gao Jifu, were left to assist the crown prince. Liu was in charge of exercising ''de facto'' authority over the ministeries of civil service affairs, ceremonies, and census. Before Emperor Taizong departed Ding Prefecture, he stated to Liu, "I am going on an expeditio, leaving you to assist the Crown Prince. The safety of the state rests on you. I trust that you know what I want." Liu responded, "Your Imperial Majesty need not worry. If there were high level officials who committed crimes, I will immediately execute them." Emperor Taizong, shocked by his resopnse, stated, "You are carless and overly strong in your personality. You may bring disaster on yourself if you keep this up. Be careful."
Later that year, after the end of the Goguryeo campaign, Emperor Taizong returned to Ding Prefecture and was ill at that time. After Liu and Ma visited Emperor Taizong at his secondary palace and exited it, Chu Suiliang asked them what the emperor's condition was, and Liu, weeping, stated, "The emperor is extremely ill, and it makes me worried!" Chu then falsely reported to Emperor Taizong that Liu said, "There is nothing to worry about as far as the matters of state were concerned. We only need to assist the young emperor. By the precedents of Yi Yin and Huo Guang, we execute the high level officials who were double-minded, and the state will be secure." Because of Liu's earlier comments, Emperor Taizong believed the accusation. Liu asked Ma to corroborate his innocence, and Ma did so, but Chu insisted that Liu did make the inappropriate comments. Emperor Taizong, believing Chu, ordered that Liu commit suicide, but pardoned his family. Before Liu committed suicide, around the new year 646, he requested a pen so that he could write a final statement for Emperor Taizong, but the officials having him under arrest did not dare to give him a pen, and so he died without a final statement. When Emperor Taizong found out about this, he punished those officials.
In 656, Emperor Taizong's death and succession by Li Zhi and after Chu himself fell from grace due to the machinations of Emperor Gaozong's wife and her associates, Liu Ji's son Liu Hongye submitted a petition, alleging that his father was forced to commit suicide due to Chu's false accusations. The chancellor Li Yifu, a close associate of Empress Wu and a former subordinate of Liu Ji's whom Liu Ji favored, helped him with his case, and most officials, wanting to please Li Yifu, all stated that Liu died without fault. However, Le Yanwei opposed revisiting the case, pointing out that Liu did still make inappropriate statements, and that revisiting the case would be an implicit rebuke of Emperor Taizong's actions. Emperor Gaozong agreed, and took no action on Liu Hongye's petition. It was not until 684, after Empress Wei had become empress dowager and was in total control, that Liu Ji's honors were posthumously restored.
Li Yifu
Li Yifu was a of the dynasty Tang Dynasty, during the reign of . He became particularly powerful because of his support for Emperor Gaozong's second wife when her ascension was opposed by then-chancellors, and he had a reputation for treachery. In 663, on account of corruption, he was removed from his post and exiled, and in 666, after Emperor Gaozong had declared a general pardon but excepted the long-term exiles from the pardon, Li Yifu died in anger.
Li Yifu was born in 614, during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, and his clan was originally from what would become Ying Prefecture , but as his grandfather served as the secretary to the county magistrate of Shehong County , his family stayed in the area thereafter. In 634, during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, the official that Emperor Taizong sent to examine the region, Li Daliang , believing that Li Yifu was literarily capable, recommended him, and after an imperial examination, he served as a protocol officer at the examination bureau of government . and Ma Zhou, two officials who were his supervisors , both praised him for his capability. Soon, he was made an assistant imperial censor and also made a member of the staff of Emperor Taizong son the Prince of Jin. In 643, after Emperor Taizong deposed Li Zhi's older brother Li Chengqian the Crown Prince and replaced him with Li Zhi, Li Yifu continued to serve on Li Zhi's staff, and among his staff members, he and Lai Ji were particularly known for their literary talent. Li Zhi was particularly complimentary of his semi-lyrical essay ''Chenghua Zhen'' , and submitted it to Emperor Taizong. Li Yifu, for his talent, was also ordered to participate in the editing of the ''Book of Jin'', the official history that Emperor Taizong commissioned for .
After Emperor Taizong's death in 649, Li Zhi became emperor , and sometime thereafter, Li Yifu became a mid-level official at the legislative bureau . In 651, he took on additional responsibilities of assisting in editing the imperial history.
Meanwhile, Emperor Gaozong's favor for his wife had been waning, and he particularly favored , who had designs on the empress position, and she falsely implicated Empress Wang in the killing of her daughter. By 655, Emperor Gaozong had wanted to depose Empress Wang and replace her with Consort Wu, but most of the chancellors were opposed. It happened at that time, the most powerful of the chancellors, Emperor Gaozong's uncle Zhangsun Wuji, who had not placed Li Yifu in high esteem, was set to send Li Yifu to Bi Prefecture to serve as the military advisor to the prefect. Li Yifu received the news in advance, and he requested advice from his colleague Wang Dejian . Wang Dejian pointed out that Emperor Gaozong was favoring Consort Wu, and that if Li Yifu supported Consort Wu, his situation would be improved. Li Yifu agreed, and he submitted a petition to depose Empress Wang and replace her with Consort Wu. Emperor Gaozong and Consort Wu were pleased, and they promoted Li Yifu to be the assistant head of the legislative bureau. After Emperor Gaozong did depose Empress Wang and replace her with Consort Wu later that year, over the strenuous objections of the chancellors Chu Suiliang, Han Yuan, and Lai Ji and implicit disapproval of Zhangsun, Li Yifu was given the designation of ''Canzhi Zhengshi'' , making him a chancellor ''de facto''. He was also created the Baron of Guangping.
Traditional historians, when discussing Li Yifu's rise to power, stated that he appeared to be mild, humble, and respectful in his temperament, and he was often smiling, but in secret, he was full of treachery and machinations, and therefore, it was said that he had knives in his smile, and he was also referred to as "Cat Li" , referring to his insincere smiles.
In 656, after Empress Wu's son Li Hong was created crown prince, Li Yifu was given an additional post as Li Hong's assistant, and he was created the Marquess of Guangping. That year, he had heard that a Lady Chunyu, from the eastern capital Luoyang, was beautiful, and had been arrested for an offense and held in custody. Li Yifu had the secretary general of the supreme court, Bi Zhengyi , improperly find her not guilty and release her, with the intent that he would then take Lady Chunyu as a concubine. When this improper release was noticed by the chief judge of the supreme court, Duan Baoxuan , Duan reported to Emperor Gaozong, and Li Yifu, in fear, forced Bi to commit suicide. The assistant imperial censor Wang Yifang then submitted an accusation against Li Yifu, but offended Emperor Gaozong by using language that Emperor Gaozong found obscene -- language that implied that because of Li Yifu's good looks, Liu Ji and Ma Zhou must have favored him after having sexual relations with him -- and Wang was demoted to Lai Prefecture to serve as census officer, while Emperor Gaozong took no actions against Li Yifu.
Later in 656, with Chu having been demoted out of the capital, Li Yifu had Liu Ji's son Liu Hongye submit a petition claiming that his father was forced to commit suicide after false accusations by Chu. However, after Le Yanwei pointed out that revisiting Liu Ji's case would imply that Emperor Taizong made improper decisions, Emperor Gaozong took no action on Liu Hongye's petition.
In 657, Li Yifu was made ''Zhongshu Ling'' , the head of the legislative bureau and an office considered one for a chancellor. He was also created the Duke of Hejian. Later that year, he, and another ally of Empress Wu's, Xu Jingzong, falsely accused Chu, Han, and Lai of conspiring to commit treason, and both Han and Lai were demoted out of the capital to be prefects, while Chu and Empress Wang's uncle were demoted to be prefects of exceedingly distant prefectures.
By 658, Li Yifu was said to be so powerful due to favors that Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu showed him that even his young children were given official posts, and that his mother, wife, and sons were receiving bribes from officials to give them preferential treatments. His fellow chancellor Du Zhenglun, whose post was also ''Zhongshu Ling'', had considered himself senior to Li Yifu and therefore was not willing to yield to Li Yifu, while Li Yifu was also not yielding to Du. The conflict between the two eventually erupted into an argument before Emperor Gaozong. Emperor Gaozong, rebuking both for their conflict, demoted both to be prefectural prefect -- Du to Heng Prefecture , and Li Yifu to Pu Prefecture .
Despite Li Yifu's demotion out of the capital, Empress Wu was still protecting him. Around the new year 659, Tang Lin , the minister of civil service affairs, had submitted suggestions that Xu Hui be made the examiner of the Jiangnan Circuit and Zhang Lun be made the examiner of the Jiannan Circuit . The sensitive Empress Wu saw ulterior motives in this -- because Xu was a friend of Lai Ji's, and Lai Ji's prefecture Tai Prefecture was a part of Jiangnan Circuit, whereas Zhang was an enemy of Li Yifu's, and Li Yifu's Pu Prefecture was a part of Jiannan Circuit. As a result, she had Tang Jian removed from his post.
In fall 659, Emperor Gaozong recalled Li Yifu to the capital, to serve as the minister of civil service affairs and chancellor ''de facto''. It was said that at this time Li Yifu carried out a revenge killing. Li Yifu's ancestors were originally from Hejian Commandery , but after he had become chancellor the first time, he claimed that his ancestors were actually from Zhao Commandery , as the Lis of Zhao Commandery, during Northern Wei and the subsequent dynasties, had been considered one of the most honored clans of the land. Many young officials from the Li clan, because they wanted Li Yifu's favor, therefore claimed to be in fact of the same clan as Li Yifu; one of these junior officials was one Li Chongde , who listed Li Yifu in his family tree. When Li Yifu was demoted to Pu Prefecture, Li Chongde immediately removed Li Yifu from his family tree. When Li Yifu returned to the capital, he falsely accused Li Chongde of crimes, and Li Chongde committed suicide.
Later that year, Li Yifu, angry that he had previously sought to have his son married with a daughter of a traditionally prominent clan but had been unsuccessful in doing so, persuaded Emperor Gaozong that it was improper for these clans to be exclusive in their marriages and also demanding large amounts of dowry or bride price. Emperor Gaozong thus issued an edict forbidding the seven most prominent clans from marriage with each other and also limiting the amount of dowry and bride price they are permitted to receive.
In 661, Li Yifu's mother died, and he resigned to observe a period of mourning for her, but was recalled in 662 to again serve as minister of civil service affairs and chancellor ''de facto''. He soon received permission to rebury his grandfather near the tomb of Emperor Gaozong's great-great-grandfather Li Hu , and it was said that he conscripted seven counties' laborers for the task and that the reburial was so grand that no burial since the founding of Tang Dynasty could rival it.
In 663, Li Yifu was made the head of the legislative bureau , but continued to be in charge of civil service. He was also made the secretary for Emperor Gaozong's youngest son . However, it was said that Li Yifu actually lacked talent for selecting officials, and instead generally ranked officials simply based on the bribes they gave him, drawing discontent from the officials. Eventually, Emperor Gaozong heard about this, and on one occasion, still calmly stated to Li Yifu: "Your sons and sons-in-law are careless, and they have committed many unlawful acts. I was forced to cover for you. You should be careful." Li Yifu unhappily responded, "Who told Your Imperial Majesty?" Emperor Gaozong responded, "If I am correct, why do you want me to tell you who the informant is?" Li Yifu did not apologize but instead walked out, drawing Emperor Gaozong's displeasure.
Meanwhile, an astrologer Li Yifu trusted, Du Yuanji , informed him that there was an aura of imprisonment at his house, and that he could only suppress it by a large store of money. Li Yifu believed Du and redoubled his corruption. When this, in addition to Li Yifu's and Du's observations of auras, as well as Li Yifu's extortion of money from Zhangsun Wuji's grandson Zhangsun Yan , were reported by the low-level official Yang Xingying , Emperor Gaozong ordered that Li Yifu be arrested, and then had the minister of justice Liu Xiangdao, as well as the imperial censor and the chief justice of the supreme court, investigate, reporting their findings to the chancellor . Li Yifu was found guilty, removed from his posts, and exiled to Xi Prefecture . His sons and sons-in-law were also exiled.
In 666, Emperor Gaozong offered sacrifices to heaven and earth at Mount Tai and, to celebrate the occasion, declared a general pardon -- but specifically exempted from the general pardon anyone who was given a long-term exile. Li Yifu, in anger and fear, died of an illness. His wife and children were not allowed to return to the eastern capital Luoyang until 674. In 692, after Empress Wu had seized the throne from her son Emperor Ruizong and took the title of emperor for her own, she, in recognition of how Li Yifu and five other officials had supported her, posthumously awarded Li Yifu the title of commandant of Yang Prefecture, but the posthumous honor was again stripped in 710 after Emperor Ruizong returned to the throne.
Background
Li Yifu was born in 614, during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, and his clan was originally from what would become Ying Prefecture , but as his grandfather served as the secretary to the county magistrate of Shehong County , his family stayed in the area thereafter. In 634, during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, the official that Emperor Taizong sent to examine the region, Li Daliang , believing that Li Yifu was literarily capable, recommended him, and after an imperial examination, he served as a protocol officer at the examination bureau of government . and Ma Zhou, two officials who were his supervisors , both praised him for his capability. Soon, he was made an assistant imperial censor and also made a member of the staff of Emperor Taizong son the Prince of Jin. In 643, after Emperor Taizong deposed Li Zhi's older brother Li Chengqian the Crown Prince and replaced him with Li Zhi, Li Yifu continued to serve on Li Zhi's staff, and among his staff members, he and Lai Ji were particularly known for their literary talent. Li Zhi was particularly complimentary of his semi-lyrical essay ''Chenghua Zhen'' , and submitted it to Emperor Taizong. Li Yifu, for his talent, was also ordered to participate in the editing of the ''Book of Jin'', the official history that Emperor Taizong commissioned for .
Rise to power
After Emperor Taizong's death in 649, Li Zhi became emperor , and sometime thereafter, Li Yifu became a mid-level official at the legislative bureau . In 651, he took on additional responsibilities of assisting in editing the imperial history.
Meanwhile, Emperor Gaozong's favor for his wife had been waning, and he particularly favored , who had designs on the empress position, and she falsely implicated Empress Wang in the killing of her daughter. By 655, Emperor Gaozong had wanted to depose Empress Wang and replace her with Consort Wu, but most of the chancellors were opposed. It happened at that time, the most powerful of the chancellors, Emperor Gaozong's uncle Zhangsun Wuji, who had not placed Li Yifu in high esteem, was set to send Li Yifu to Bi Prefecture to serve as the military advisor to the prefect. Li Yifu received the news in advance, and he requested advice from his colleague Wang Dejian . Wang Dejian pointed out that Emperor Gaozong was favoring Consort Wu, and that if Li Yifu supported Consort Wu, his situation would be improved. Li Yifu agreed, and he submitted a petition to depose Empress Wang and replace her with Consort Wu. Emperor Gaozong and Consort Wu were pleased, and they promoted Li Yifu to be the assistant head of the legislative bureau. After Emperor Gaozong did depose Empress Wang and replace her with Consort Wu later that year, over the strenuous objections of the chancellors Chu Suiliang, Han Yuan, and Lai Ji and implicit disapproval of Zhangsun, Li Yifu was given the designation of ''Canzhi Zhengshi'' , making him a chancellor ''de facto''. He was also created the Baron of Guangping.
Traditional historians, when discussing Li Yifu's rise to power, stated that he appeared to be mild, humble, and respectful in his temperament, and he was often smiling, but in secret, he was full of treachery and machinations, and therefore, it was said that he had knives in his smile, and he was also referred to as "Cat Li" , referring to his insincere smiles.
In 656, after Empress Wu's son Li Hong was created crown prince, Li Yifu was given an additional post as Li Hong's assistant, and he was created the Marquess of Guangping. That year, he had heard that a Lady Chunyu, from the eastern capital Luoyang, was beautiful, and had been arrested for an offense and held in custody. Li Yifu had the secretary general of the supreme court, Bi Zhengyi , improperly find her not guilty and release her, with the intent that he would then take Lady Chunyu as a concubine. When this improper release was noticed by the chief judge of the supreme court, Duan Baoxuan , Duan reported to Emperor Gaozong, and Li Yifu, in fear, forced Bi to commit suicide. The assistant imperial censor Wang Yifang then submitted an accusation against Li Yifu, but offended Emperor Gaozong by using language that Emperor Gaozong found obscene -- language that implied that because of Li Yifu's good looks, Liu Ji and Ma Zhou must have favored him after having sexual relations with him -- and Wang was demoted to Lai Prefecture to serve as census officer, while Emperor Gaozong took no actions against Li Yifu.
Later in 656, with Chu having been demoted out of the capital, Li Yifu had Liu Ji's son Liu Hongye submit a petition claiming that his father was forced to commit suicide after false accusations by Chu. However, after Le Yanwei pointed out that revisiting Liu Ji's case would imply that Emperor Taizong made improper decisions, Emperor Gaozong took no action on Liu Hongye's petition.
In 657, Li Yifu was made ''Zhongshu Ling'' , the head of the legislative bureau and an office considered one for a chancellor. He was also created the Duke of Hejian. Later that year, he, and another ally of Empress Wu's, Xu Jingzong, falsely accused Chu, Han, and Lai of conspiring to commit treason, and both Han and Lai were demoted out of the capital to be prefects, while Chu and Empress Wang's uncle were demoted to be prefects of exceedingly distant prefectures.
Removal and restoration
By 658, Li Yifu was said to be so powerful due to favors that Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu showed him that even his young children were given official posts, and that his mother, wife, and sons were receiving bribes from officials to give them preferential treatments. His fellow chancellor Du Zhenglun, whose post was also ''Zhongshu Ling'', had considered himself senior to Li Yifu and therefore was not willing to yield to Li Yifu, while Li Yifu was also not yielding to Du. The conflict between the two eventually erupted into an argument before Emperor Gaozong. Emperor Gaozong, rebuking both for their conflict, demoted both to be prefectural prefect -- Du to Heng Prefecture , and Li Yifu to Pu Prefecture .
Despite Li Yifu's demotion out of the capital, Empress Wu was still protecting him. Around the new year 659, Tang Lin , the minister of civil service affairs, had submitted suggestions that Xu Hui be made the examiner of the Jiangnan Circuit and Zhang Lun be made the examiner of the Jiannan Circuit . The sensitive Empress Wu saw ulterior motives in this -- because Xu was a friend of Lai Ji's, and Lai Ji's prefecture Tai Prefecture was a part of Jiangnan Circuit, whereas Zhang was an enemy of Li Yifu's, and Li Yifu's Pu Prefecture was a part of Jiannan Circuit. As a result, she had Tang Jian removed from his post.
In fall 659, Emperor Gaozong recalled Li Yifu to the capital, to serve as the minister of civil service affairs and chancellor ''de facto''. It was said that at this time Li Yifu carried out a revenge killing. Li Yifu's ancestors were originally from Hejian Commandery , but after he had become chancellor the first time, he claimed that his ancestors were actually from Zhao Commandery , as the Lis of Zhao Commandery, during Northern Wei and the subsequent dynasties, had been considered one of the most honored clans of the land. Many young officials from the Li clan, because they wanted Li Yifu's favor, therefore claimed to be in fact of the same clan as Li Yifu; one of these junior officials was one Li Chongde , who listed Li Yifu in his family tree. When Li Yifu was demoted to Pu Prefecture, Li Chongde immediately removed Li Yifu from his family tree. When Li Yifu returned to the capital, he falsely accused Li Chongde of crimes, and Li Chongde committed suicide.
Later that year, Li Yifu, angry that he had previously sought to have his son married with a daughter of a traditionally prominent clan but had been unsuccessful in doing so, persuaded Emperor Gaozong that it was improper for these clans to be exclusive in their marriages and also demanding large amounts of dowry or bride price. Emperor Gaozong thus issued an edict forbidding the seven most prominent clans from marriage with each other and also limiting the amount of dowry and bride price they are permitted to receive.
In 661, Li Yifu's mother died, and he resigned to observe a period of mourning for her, but was recalled in 662 to again serve as minister of civil service affairs and chancellor ''de facto''. He soon received permission to rebury his grandfather near the tomb of Emperor Gaozong's great-great-grandfather Li Hu , and it was said that he conscripted seven counties' laborers for the task and that the reburial was so grand that no burial since the founding of Tang Dynasty could rival it.
Final downfall
In 663, Li Yifu was made the head of the legislative bureau , but continued to be in charge of civil service. He was also made the secretary for Emperor Gaozong's youngest son . However, it was said that Li Yifu actually lacked talent for selecting officials, and instead generally ranked officials simply based on the bribes they gave him, drawing discontent from the officials. Eventually, Emperor Gaozong heard about this, and on one occasion, still calmly stated to Li Yifu: "Your sons and sons-in-law are careless, and they have committed many unlawful acts. I was forced to cover for you. You should be careful." Li Yifu unhappily responded, "Who told Your Imperial Majesty?" Emperor Gaozong responded, "If I am correct, why do you want me to tell you who the informant is?" Li Yifu did not apologize but instead walked out, drawing Emperor Gaozong's displeasure.
Meanwhile, an astrologer Li Yifu trusted, Du Yuanji , informed him that there was an aura of imprisonment at his house, and that he could only suppress it by a large store of money. Li Yifu believed Du and redoubled his corruption. When this, in addition to Li Yifu's and Du's observations of auras, as well as Li Yifu's extortion of money from Zhangsun Wuji's grandson Zhangsun Yan , were reported by the low-level official Yang Xingying , Emperor Gaozong ordered that Li Yifu be arrested, and then had the minister of justice Liu Xiangdao, as well as the imperial censor and the chief justice of the supreme court, investigate, reporting their findings to the chancellor . Li Yifu was found guilty, removed from his posts, and exiled to Xi Prefecture . His sons and sons-in-law were also exiled.
In 666, Emperor Gaozong offered sacrifices to heaven and earth at Mount Tai and, to celebrate the occasion, declared a general pardon -- but specifically exempted from the general pardon anyone who was given a long-term exile. Li Yifu, in anger and fear, died of an illness. His wife and children were not allowed to return to the eastern capital Luoyang until 674. In 692, after Empress Wu had seized the throne from her son Emperor Ruizong and took the title of emperor for her own, she, in recognition of how Li Yifu and five other officials had supported her, posthumously awarded Li Yifu the title of commandant of Yang Prefecture, but the posthumous honor was again stripped in 710 after Emperor Ruizong returned to the throne.
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