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卷一百四十二 列傳第九十二: 李寶臣 王武俊 王廷湊

Volume 142 Biographies 92: Li Baochen, Wang Wujun, Wang Tingcou

Chapter 146 of 舊唐書 · Old Book of Tang
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Chapter 146
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1
殿
Xue Bo was from Baoding in Hezhong. He was the great-grandson of Wen Si, who had served as Attendant Gentleman at the Secretariat. His father Yuan Hui had been magistrate of Shifang; on Bo's account Yuan Hui was posthumously granted the title Director in the Ministry of Works. During the Tianbao reign Bo passed the jinshi examination and entered service as a Collator. He rose through a series of posts: Assistant Magistrate of Wannian, Magistrate of Wugong, Palace Attendant Censor, Vice Director in the Ministry of Justice, and again Magistrate of Wannian. Bo was affable and quick-witted and excelled at cultivating relationships. Li Qiyun, Chang Gun, and Cui Youfu each took him up and advanced his career. Once Youfu assumed a leading role at court, Bo was appointed Attendant Gentleman at the Secretariat. He was sent out to serve as Prefect of Ruzhou, then demoted to Prefect of Quanzhou on account of an official infraction. He was soon appointed Prefect of Jinzhou and Intendant of Henan, then promoted to Left Vice Director of the Secretariat and finally Vice Minister of Rites. He fell ill and died in the third year of the Zhenyuan era (787). He was posthumously granted the title Minister of Rites.
2
使殿 使 西使
Bo's uncle Yuan Ai had died in office as Assistant Magistrate of Xicheng, leaving a widow, Lady Lin of Jinan, younger sister of the Danyang prefect Yang. She was a woman of exemplary bearing and learning, well read in the Five Classics and accomplished as a writer; contemporaries often recited her compositions. After Yuan Ai's death his sons Yanfu, Yanguo, Yanwei, and Yanyun, along with Bo's elder brothers Ju and Zong, were left fatherless while still children. Lady Lin raised and tutored them all to maturity, and each won a reputation for literary accomplishment. Over the twenty years spanning the Kaiyuan and Tianbao reigns, all seven—Yanfu, Ju, and the rest—passed the jinshi examination one after another, a run of successes that became the pride of their clan. Bao Fang was a native of Xiangzhou. Orphaned in childhood and raised in poverty, he pursued his studies with single-minded devotion and showed a gift for writing. Near the close of the Tianbao era he passed the jinshi examination and joined the staff of Xue Jianxun, governor of Zhedong, rising eventually to Palace Attendant Censor. He was recalled to the capital as Vice Director in the Bureau of Appointments, then appointed Vice Intendant of Taiyuan and finally invested as full Military Governor. He returned to court as Censor-in-Chief, served as governor of Fujian and then Jiangxi, and was summoned back to receive appointment as Left Regular Attendant. He accompanied the emperor to Fengtian, was made Vice Minister of Rites, and soon after promoted to Minister of Works before retiring from office.
3
忿 祿使 殿使
In his stints governing Hong, Fu, and the capital region he earned a reputation for capable administration, but command of armies was not his strength—yet he insisted on holding military authority. Taiyuan's forces included large numbers of fierce nomadic cavalry. When the Uyghurs launched a deep raid, Fang marched out to meet them and was routed. While serving as Vice Minister of Rites he once met the supervising censor Dou Can on a public road. His escort failed to clear the way promptly, and Can had one of Fang's servants whipped. Once Dou Can seized power at court, Fang was abruptly forced into retirement. Fang told friends and kin, "I am the same age as Xiao Xin's son, yet I am retiring on the very day Xin does—not because I am worn out with age, but because Can's grudge has undone me. A veteran man of letters who had served at court and in the provinces, Fang was driven out not for any crime but by a coarse official's spite, and he died embittered. Public sympathy lay with Fang and blame with Can, so when Can's fall followed almost at once, few regarded it as undeserved. Li Ziliang was a native of Sishui in Yanzhou. When the An Lushan rebellion broke out, Ziliang served under Neng Yuanhao, military governor of Yan and He, and won repeated promotion for his battlefield record, eventually rising to Right Commander of the Guard. He later campaigned under Yuan Zai against the rebels Yuan Chao and Chen Zhuang, accumulating enough merit to be named Acting Director within the Palace, and was assigned to the staff of Xue Jianxun, governor of Zhedong. When Jianxun transferred his headquarters to Taiyuan, Ziliang went with him and was appointed chief military aide of the Hedong command. After Jianxun's death Bao Fang succeeded him, and Ziliang continued in service as one of Fang's guard officers. When the Uyghurs raided, Fang ordered his generals Jiao Boyu and Du Rongguo to take the field against them. Ziliang told Fang, "The Uyghurs have marched a great distance eager to fight. We should not meet them head-on. Instead, erect two fortified posts along their line of retreat and man them. Hold fast without giving battle. Denied a fight, their troops will tire and withdraw on their own. When they turn back in high spirits, strike at once. Even a modest success will leave them in disarray. Blocking their retreat with two forts—that is the best plan. Fang refused. He pressed Boyu and the others to give battle and met the enemy at Baijing. Boyu and his command were routed. Ziliang's counsel, ignored, nonetheless brought him a measure of notice. When Ma Sui replaced Fang as commander, he had Ziliang appointed Prefect of Daizhou and concurrent Censor-in-Chief while retaining him as army adjutant. Diligent, resourceful, and utterly dependable, Ziliang won Ma Sui's deepest trust. In the Jianzhong era, when Tian Yue rebelled, Ma Sui marched east with Bao Zhen to suppress him. Ziliang regularly led the Hedong vanguard, breaking enemy lines and helping bring Tian Yue to defeat. In the campaign against Li Huai'guang at Hezhong he served as chief commander of the Hedong forces and accounted for the lion's share of their victories. Ma Sui's reputation and achievements owed much to Ziliang's support on campaign.
4
使 使 使
In the third year of Zhenyuan (787) Ziliang accompanied Ma Sui to the capital. The emperor stripped Sui of his command and intended to install Ziliang in his place. Ziliang declined firmly, saying he had served under Ma Sui too long to take his command. Public opinion applauded his loyalty, and the court appointed him Right General of the Majestic Dragon Guard instead. Hedong lay close to the northern frontier, and finding a suitable commander proved difficult. The next day, when Ziliang came to decline again, the emperor told him, "Your regard for Ma Sui's standing is proper, but for guarding the northern gate there is no one I would trust sooner than you. That same day he received appointment as Acting Minister of Works, concurrent Censor-in-Chief, Intendant of Taiyuan, Defender of the Northern Capital, and Military Governor of Hedong with full civil and military authority. He governed the region for nine years, administering with frugality and discipline, and won the satisfaction of both troops and populace. Though he had risen through the ranks as a soldier, he conducted himself by the book and rarely resorted to harsh or arbitrary punishment. In the fifth month of the eleventh year (795) he died in camp at the age of sixty-three. The emperor mourned him deeply, suspended court for a day, posthumously appointed him Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, and granted graded funeral gifts of cloth, silk, rice, and grain. Li Yue was a descendant of Prince Huai'an Li Shentong. His father Li Yu had served as Vice Censor-in-Chief during the Tianbao reign. Yue entered government by hereditary privilege and served on several governors' staffs in succession. Whenever Ma Sui held command—first at the Three Cities of Heyang, then at Taiyuan—he recruited Yue to his staff. He rose through censorial posts to Vice Censor-in-Chief and Vice Intendant of Taiyuan, then was sent out as Prefect of Fenzhou. When Li Ziliang became military governor, he had Yue recalled as Vice Intendant of Taiyuan, Acting Chamberlain for the Heir Apparent, and concurrent Vice Censor-in-Chief.
5
使 使使使宿 使 使
In the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zhenyuan (795), Ziliang fell ill and died six days later. Yue and his allies concealed the death, publicly claiming Ziliang was gravely ill, and only announced the funeral several days later. Zhang Yao, the army's chief inspector, had long served in the command and enjoyed the troops' loyalty. He had once asked leave to rebury a relative, which Ziliang had refused. Yue conspired with the army supervisor Wang Dingyuan. They granted Zhang Yao his leave, installed the general Mao Chaoyang in his post, and only then sent word that Ziliang had fallen ill. The palace envoy Diwu Guozhen was returning from a mission to Yun and Shuo when he passed through Taiyuan, heard that Ziliang was ill, and lingered two nights. When Ziliang died, Guozhen raced to the capital—but Yue's messenger had already arrived ahead of him. The court issued orders appointing the Prince of Tong nominal military governor of Hedong, with Li Yue as campaigning army marshal, acting military governor, and Vice Defender of the Northern Capital. Guozhen was sent back to Taiyuan bearing Yue's commission and more than thirty edicts appointing headquarters officers and prefects. Once these were proclaimed, the army quieted.
6
使
Wang Dingyuan, claiming credit for putting Yue in power, grew arrogant and took sole charge of military and civil affairs. He even petitioned for an official seal. The practice of issuing seals to army supervisors began with Dingyuan. Once he held the seal, Dingyuan grew still more brutal, appointing officers on his own authority. Yue's displeasure deepened, and enmity grew between them. That seventh month Dingyuan named the army inspector Tian Hong a ranked general to replace Peng Lingyin. Peng Lingyin refused to accept the change and declared openly, "Promotion to ranked general requires real merit. What has Hong done to take my place? Dingyuan, enraged, had Lingyin summoned and executed, then buried the body in a heap of horse manure. When his family asked for the body, Dingyuan refused. Resentment spread through the entire command. Yue reported the entire affair to the throne. Because Dingyuan had accompanied the emperor to Fengtian, Dezong spared his life and merely suspended him from office. Before the edict arrived, Dingyuan, furious at Yue's report, rushed to headquarters to kill him. He burst into the hall, drew his blade, and lunged at Yue, who fled and survived. Dingyuan galloped to the gate, assembled the officers, and produced from a chest more than twenty scrolls of edicts and commissions. He told them, "By imperial order Li Jinglue is to take command, Li Yue is recalled to the capital, and each of you has a new appointment. As the officers began to bow in acceptance, the general Ma Liangfu shouted, "Those are Dingyuan's old commissions, not new imperial orders. Do not accept them—he is only preparing a coup." Seeing his plot collapse, Dingyuan fled to the Qianyang Tower and called his followers. Few answered. That night he fell from the wall timbers, injured but alive. An edict soon stripped his rank and banished him to distant Yazhou. Yue executed Gao Di and the other conspirators. He was soon formally appointed Military Governor of Hedong and Acting Minister of Rites.
7
Yue governed for six years. At first he attended diligently to administration, but illness later slowed his speech and gait until he could no longer manage headquarters affairs, which fell entirely to the army supervisor. Clerks such as Song Ji deceived him further, and military administration fell into disorder year after year. He died in the tenth month of the sixteenth year (800) at the age of sixty-one. The court mourned him for a day and posthumously appointed him Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs.
8
使 殿 使 使使
That same month Zheng Dan, campaigning marshal of Hedong, was appointed Acting Minister of Works, Intendant of Taiyuan, Censor-in-Chief, and full military governor with civil authority. He died in office before a year had passed. Yan Shou was a native of Shu. His great-grandfather Fangyue had served as Director of Merit in Lizhou. His grandfather Yizhi had been magistrate of Fuli. His father Dan had served as Palace Attendant Censor. Shou passed the jinshi examination during the Dali reign and served on several governors' staffs in succession. During Zhenyuan he rose from Attendant Censor to deputy commissioner of the Xuan-She defense command, where Governor Liu Zan relied on him heavily and consulted him on most administrative matters. When Liu Zan died in the twelfth year (796), Shou took charge of the command, emptied its treasury to send tribute to the court, and was rewarded with appointment as Vice Director in the Ministry of Justice. The practice of provincial staff sending tribute to the throne began with Shou.
9
使 使 祿使
Soon afterward Li Yue, military governor of Hedong, fell chronically ill. Affairs languished until the campaigning marshal Zheng Dan took over military administration. When Yue died, Dan was appointed military governor in his place. The court was then indulging regional commanders and rarely named outsiders to succeed them. When a governor died, his campaigning marshal was usually promoted, in the hope the army would accept the change. With Dan installed as governor, Dezong looked for a court official to replace him as campaigning marshal. The emperor remembered Shou's recent tribute and appointed him Acting Director in the Bureau of Enfeoffments as campaigning marshal of Hedong. Less than a year later Dan died, and Shou was promoted to Silver-Gleaming Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, Acting Minister of Works, Intendant of Taiyuan, Censor-in-Chief, Defender of the Northern Capital, and full military governor of Hedong. In the first year of Yuanhe (806), when Yang Huilin rebelled at Xiazhou and Liu Pi at Chengdu, Shou memorialized offering to lead troops against them. Shou selected the best troops and entrusted them to his guard officer Li Guangyan and his brother, who won repeated victories on campaign. After the rebellions in Shu and Xia were suppressed, Shou was promoted to Acting Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs. He was soon appointed Minister of Works, raised to the Golden Purple rank, and enfeoffed as Duke of Fufeng. During nine years in command he ruled with lenience and kindness. His forces and herds prospered, and the region was regarded as well governed.
10
使
In the fourth year he was recalled to court as Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs. Though born to a distinguished house and capable in office, Shou was avid for power and profit and cared little for reputation. Men of standing looked down on him for it. Once, at a corridor feast for the hundred officials, the emperor sent the palace envoy Ma Jiangchao to distribute cherries. Shou stood at the head of the civil ranks. Having known Jiangchao from his days in the provinces, he fell into conversation about precedence and, without thinking, knelt and bowed to him. Censor-in-Chief Gao Ying bowed as well. That day the censors impeached him. Shou awaited judgment at court, but the emperor ordered him released. The next day the emperor rebuked Jiangchao and reduced his rank by one grade. He was soon sent out to govern Jingnan and advanced in rank to Duke of Zheng. A tribal leader of Xuzhou named Zhang Bojing killed the local prefect, seized Chen, Jin, and neighboring prefectures, and united nine cave districts in his defense. The court ordered Shou to campaign against him. Shou sent his officer Li Zhonglie with proclamations to win them over, and they all submitted.
11
使西使
In the ninth year (814) Wu Yuanji rebelled. The court resolved to send more troops. Shou's reputation for magnanimity led the court to entrust him with command, appointing him military governor of Shannan East Circuit and soon adding the title Commissioner for Pacification and Recruitment in Huaixi. Shou led his army to the rebel border himself but lacked the strategic authority to master the enemy. On his first day in camp he emptied the public treasury to reward the troops, spending in one day what had been saved over many years. He also lavished bribes on palace eunuchs to secure their backing at court. His force of more than ten thousand men simply held their walls. After a full year they had achieved nothing. Pei Du told the emperor repeatedly that Shou lacked the talent of a commander and should not be charged with military affairs. Shou was replaced and recalled as Heir Apparent Junior Tutor. He was soon appointed Acting Minister of Works. In time he was promoted to Grand Tutor with a fief income of three thousand households. He died in the fifth month of the second year of Changqing (822) at the age of seventy-seven. The court posthumously appointed him Grand Protector.
12
簿 祿 祿 西 退 西 使 使 西使
Shou's abilities were unremarkable, but his scrupulous devotion to his elder brother and sister-in-law won contemporary praise. He cultivated a reputation for lenience and lived to great old age, rising to the highest noble rank. He governed three of the empire's mightiest commands in succession, and nine men in his circle rose to become generals or chief ministers. Such were the rewards of his long and privileged career. Xiao Xin was a native of Henan. In youth he was selected as a Chongwen jinshi. In the nineteenth year of Kaiyuan (731) he topped the Broad Learning and Grand Eloquence examination and was appointed Chief Clerk of Yangwu County. Early in the Tianbao reign he passed the Grand Eloquence examination again, was appointed Defender of Shou'an, and soon promoted to Left Reminder. Xin once befriended the commoner Zhang Hao, housed him with honor, and memorialized the throne: "A man like Hao, if used, would be a king's teacher; if passed over, no more than an old man in a secluded valley. Xuanzong appointed Hao Reminder, and within a few years he was moving in and out of the highest civil and military offices. When An Lushan rebelled, Xin recommended the Good Companion Lai Tian as fit for high command. In the campaigns against Shi Siming, Tian accounted for most of the victories. He rose to Vice Director in the Bureau of Justice and served as chief secretary to the deputy commander Geshu Han. After the defeat at Tong Pass he made his way by hidden routes into Shu and was appointed Director in the Bureau of Gates. He soon served concurrently as Chief Administrator of Anlu and as judge on the staff of the Henan theater commander. He was promoted to Attendant Gentleman at the Secretariat and concurrently Military Aide of Yang Prefecture. After further service on campaign he returned to court and eventually rose to Director of the Palace Library. When Emperor Daizong went to Shaan, Xin passed through Wu Pass to join the mobile court and was appointed Chancellor of the Directorate of Education. Early in the Dali reign he was dispatched with imperial credentials to offer condolences to the Uyghurs. The Uyghurs, proud of their service, confronted Xin in audience: "The rebellions of An Lushan and Shi Siming could not have been crushed without us. Why does Tang buy our horses yet fail to pay on time? The Tang envoys blanched. Xin replied, "Since pacifying the rebellions the court has rewarded every service without stint—how much more should it honor a neighboring state! Moreover Pugu Huai'en was our rebel subject, yet you aided his revolt and joined the Tibetans in raiding our capital approaches. When the Tibetans were routed, the Uyghurs were filled with remorse and fear and came begging for peace with foreheads pressed to the ground. Had Tang not remembered your former service, not a single horse of yours would have been allowed beyond the passes! It is the Uyghurs who have cut themselves off, not Tang that has broken faith. The Uyghurs withdrew abashed. Xin returned with added honors and was appointed Regular Attendant. In the twelfth year. During Zhu Ci's rebellion he fled the capital on foot. Ci searched for him urgently, and he hid in the mountains. Reaching Fengtian, he was appointed Heir Apparent Junior Tutor. Early in Zhenyuan he was made concurrent Minister of Rites and soon resumed charge of the civil service examinations. In the fifth year he retired. He died at home in the seventh year at the age of ninety. Court was suspended for mourning, and he was given the posthumous title Yi. Du Ya, style name Cigong, claimed descent from Jingzhao. In youth he studied widely and spoke fluently on practical affairs and the rise and fall of past dynasties. Early in the Zhide reign he submitted a sealed memorial on state affairs at Lingwu and was appointed Collator. That same year Du Hongjian became military governor of Hexi and recruited Ya to his staff, promoting him through Evaluator and Censor. He later entered court and served in succession as Vice Director in the Ministries of Works, Revenue, War, and Personnel. Late in Yongtai, when Jiannan rebelled, Hongjian went out as chancellor and deputy commander of the Shan-Jian theater, appointing both Ya and Yang Yan as his staff judges. On his return he was appointed Director in the Ministry of Personnel and Remonstrance Grandee. Yang Yan meanwhile had risen to Director in the Ministry of Rites, drafter of edicts, and Attendant Gentleman at the Secretariat. Ya believed his talents entitled him to the highest office. Though appointed Remonstrance Grandee, he was dissatisfied. Li Qiyun enjoyed imperial favor and was widely expected to become chancellor. Ya cultivated a close alliance with him. When Yuan Zai fell from power, Ya joined Liu Yan, Li Han, and five others in interrogating him. The day after Zai's execution Ya was promoted to Attendant Gentleman and Commissioner to Console Hebei. Chancellor Chang Gun likewise disliked him. After little more than a year Ya was sent out as Prefect of Hongzhou, concurrent Vice Censor-in-Chief, and commissioner of the Jiangxi defense command.
13
使 使使 使
When Dezong first ascended the throne he sought to revive governance and ordered a palace envoy to summon Ya. Convinced he was to be summoned as chancellor, Ya hurried to the capital. Along the way he discussed affairs of state openly and accepted petitions from those who sought his favor. When he arrived the emperor learned of this and was displeased. His answers at audience proved vague and unsatisfactory, and he was sent out as governor of Shanzhou and transport commissioner. He was soon transferred to govern the Hezhong, Jin, and Jiang defense command. When Yang Yan became chancellor and Liu Yan fell, Ya was demoted to Prefect of Muzhou.
14
使
Early in the Xingyuan era he was recalled and appointed Vice Minister of Justice. He was sent out as Chief Administrator of Yangzhou, concurrent Censor-in-Chief, and military governor of Huainan. The region still bore the burden of Chen Shaoyou's heavy taxes and extravagant rule, and had lately been ravaged by the rebel Wang Shao. The people of Huainan looked to Ya's arrival to sweep away old abuses and restore peace. Ya believed himself fit for the highest offices yet found himself repeatedly posted to the provinces. Discontented, he left most administration to his staff and occupied himself with entertaining guests. Yangzhou's canals were silted up and transport choked. Sojourning officials, merchants, and artisans had built houses across the thoroughfares, crowding travelers. Ya dredged and cleared the waterways to general relief, yet indulged himself in lavish display. In Jiangnan custom, spring brought boat-racing festivals in which paired boats raced and the swiftest won. Ya had the boat bottoms lacquered to make them faster. He also had fine silk garments oiled so the boatmen could wear them in the water without getting wet. A scholar by origin, Ya had become so extravagant that reports soon reached the court.
15
使 使使西使 西使 西使 使 使 使 使 使 使 使 使使使 使
In the fifth year of Zhenyuan (789) Dou Xian, Vice Minister of Revenue, was appointed military governor of Huainan to replace him. Ya still carried his former prestige, and Dou Xian stood in awe of him. He was reassigned as Acting Minister of Personnel, head of the Eastern Capital secretariat, Defender of the Eastern Capital, and metropolitan defense commissioner. Though stricken with illness, he still sought profit to secure favor and memorialized to open imperial parklands as military farms to supply army grain. The court approved his plan and reduced the annual allotment from the Department of Public Works. Ya did not oversee the project himself but left it to his staff judges Zhang Jian and Yang Tian. When he petitioned to open wasteland for military farms, the cultivable parklands had already been seized and farmed by palace officials and soldiers. Pressed for funds, Yang Tian lent army money at interest to peasants near the capital. At harvest he sent soldiers through the villages to seize the grain and haul it back to camp. Households were stripped bare, unable to pay taxes or feed themselves, and the population largely fled. He bribed palace eunuchs to denounce the Intendant of Henan as incompetent, hoping thereby to seize that post himself, but the scheme failed. The emperor gradually learned the truth and replaced him with Minister of Rites Dong Jin as Defender of the Eastern Capital, recalling Ya to the capital. His illness worsened and his legs failed him, leaving him unable to attend court. He died at home in the fourteenth year of Zhenyuan (798) at the age of seventy-four and was posthumously appointed Heir Apparent Junior Tutor. Wang Wei, style name Wenqing, was a native of Taiyuan. His grandfather Jing had served as Vice Director in the Bureau of Gates and Prefect of Laizhou. His father Zhixian had been Defender of Chang'an. He and his brothers Zhiben and Zhihuan were all accomplished writers. Zhixian was repeatedly posthumously promoted to prefect on account of Wei's eminence. Wei passed the Mingjing examination and ranked in the document-judgment category. He served as Defender of Chang'an, on governors' staffs, and in censorial posts before entering court as Vice Director in the Bureau of the Treasury, Commissioner for Tax and Corvée in Jiannan, Acting Director in the Bureau of Enfeoffments, Prefect of Pengzhou, Acting Chamberlain for the Heir Apparent, concurrent Vice Censor-in-Chief, and deputy commissioner for military farms in Xichuan. During the Dali era, when Lu Sigong was governor of Jiangxi, he framed his staff judge Li Mi and was about to have him executed. Wei, who also served on Sigong's staff, persuaded him to relent, and Mi was spared. In the third year of Zhenyuan (787), when Mi became chancellor, he promoted Wei to Attendant Gentleman. Within days he was further promoted to Prefect of Runzhou, concurrent Vice Censor-in-Chief, and commissioner of the Zhejiang West defense command. In the tenth year he was made Censor-in-Chief and concurrent commissioner for salt and iron transport on all circuits. Three years later he was appointed Acting Minister of Works. Wei was diligent and frugal and maintained a clean record in office, but he was excessively meticulous, employing harsh subordinates who hounded his jurisdictions until the people could scarcely live. He died in the fourteenth year of Zhenyuan (798) at the age of seventy-one. The court mourned him for a day and posthumously appointed him Heir Apparent Junior Tutor. Li Ruochu was a native of Zhao Commandery. He was the great-grandson of Hongjie, who had served as Chief Administrator of Bingzhou and Vice Minister of Works under Emperor Taizong. His grandfather Daoqian had been Director of the Palace Treasury. Orphaned and poor in youth, Ruochu began in a minor post on the staff of Transport Commissioner Liu Yan. Yan's staff judge Bao Ji admired his diligence and gave him his daughter in marriage. He served as Magistrate of Taikang in Chen Prefecture. When Prefect Li Peng first took office, Ruochu proposed collecting surplus funds and cultivating ties with the powerful. Peng favored him generously. After several years Peng was transferred to command the Three Cities of Heyang and had Ruochu appointed to his staff, entrusting him with most military affairs. He rose through Acting Director, concurrent Vice Censor-in-Chief, and Prefect of Huaizhou. Transferred to Prefect of Guo Prefecture, he was impeached by his military governor for an official matter and dismissed. After a time he was appointed Prefect of Quzhou, then Fuzhou, with concurrent Vice Censor-in-Chief and metropolitan training commissioner of Fujian. He was soon promoted to Prefect of Yuezhou and commissioner of the Zhedong defense and observation command. In the autumn of the fourteenth year he succeeded Wang Wei as Prefect of Runzhou, Censor-in-Chief, Zhejiang defense commissioner, and salt and iron transport commissioner for all circuits. Skilled in administration and stern by nature, he enforced tight control over subordinates, who feared and obeyed him. He was then reorganizing the salt laws with considerable success. He fell ill and died in the fifteenth year of Zhenyuan (799). The court mourned for a day and posthumously appointed him Minister of Rites. Yu Yi, style name Xiuming, was a native of Henan. His father Tingwei had been Warehouse Clerk in the establishment of the Prince of Ji and was posthumously promoted to Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs. Yi won early notice for administrative skill and rose to Clerk of Gentlemen in Jingzhao, where Intendant Shi Hui valued him highly. When Hui took command of Xiang and Han, he had Yi appointed Censor and staff judge. When Hui was killed by mutinous troops, Yi stepped forward to recover and bury his body, an act contemporaries praised as righteous. Commissioner of Public Works Diwu Qi appointed him Hedong tax and corvée commissioner. He rose through Vice Intendant of Fengxiang, Director in the Department of Public Works, Vice Censor-in-Chief, and various transport and supply commissions. Yi memorialized to relocate the transport depot from Bianzhou to Heyin, since Bianzhou had repeatedly suffered military disorder and lost its stores of cash and silk. Yuan Zai, commissioner for military farms on all circuits, appointed him a secretary and ordered him to establish farms at the Eastern Capital and in Ru Prefecture. He served as Vice Minister of Revenue, Vice Director of the Palace Library, Intendant of Jingzhao, and Director of the Palace Treasury, and replaced Du Ji as Intendant of Jingzhao.
16
使 使殿 使 西使
Once he reached high office he relied on intrigue, courted the powerful, and treated colleagues without influence with open contempt. He curried favor with Yuan Zai and grew close to him. In government he was petty and lacked broad vision. He left office to observe mourning for his birth mother. After Zai's fall he was sent out as Prefect of Zhengzhou, then Intendant of Henan, and was recalled for lack of achievement. The court was then summoning Liu Xian, Prefect of Fenzhou. Xian was stern and incorruptible; in several prefectures he had governed, censorial commissioners feared him. Chancellor Lu Qi feared that if Liu Xian became Censor-in-Chief he would obstruct Qi's designs. Qi therefore hastily recommended Yi instead, judging him pliable and easy to control. He accompanied the emperor to Fengtian and was appointed Left Regular Attendant, then Left General of the Thousand-Ox Guard, Chief Justice, Heir Apparent Junior Tutor, and Minister of Works in succession. He collapsed during a court audience and was helped up by Golden Crow guards. He was reassigned as Heir Apparent Junior Tutor and retired. He died in the fifteenth year of Zhenyuan (799) at the age of seventy-four. Lu Zheng was a native of Fanyang whose family had settled in Zhongmou in Zheng Prefecture. In youth he studied secretarial work. During Yongtai, Transport Commissioner Liu Yan recruited him to his staff, entrusted him with confidential duties, and promoted him to Palace Attendant Censor. When Yan fell, Zheng was demoted to Registrar of Zhen Prefecture. Yuan Xiu, another of Yan's protégés, became Vice Minister of Revenue and head of the Department of Public Works in the Xingyuan era and recommended Zheng as Jingzhao Registrar and Vice Director in that department. When Xiu fell, Zheng was demoted to Chief Administrator of Xin Prefecture. He was promoted to Prefect of Xin Prefecture. He entered court as Director in the Right Secretariat and was soon promoted to Attendant Gentleman. Vice Minister of Revenue Dou Can favored him deeply and intended to make him his successor. In the spring of the eighth year of Zhenyuan (792), when the prefecture of Tong was vacant, Can proposed Left Vice Director Zhao Jing for the post, but a special edict appointed Zheng instead, inserting him between Can and his inner circle. Several years later he was transferred to Prefect of Hua Prefecture. Hoping to return to central office, Zheng cultivated palace eunuchs and lavished gifts on them. By custom, because Tong and Hua were near the capital and their populations poor, tribute at New Year, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the emperor's birthday had always been modest. Zheng exhausted local resources, exceeding the customary amounts on every tribute occasion until the people could not endure it. Ill for years he governed from his bed and died in the sixteenth year of Zhenyuan (800) at the age of sixty-four. Yang Ping, style name Xushou, was a native of Hongnong. He passed the jinshi examination and served on several governors' staffs. Appointed Investigating Censor, he disliked its constraints and asked to be relieved. He rose through Diary Attendant, Left Secretariat Vice Director, Director in the Ministries of Rites and War, Vice Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and governor of Hunan and Jiangxi before entering court as Left Regular Attendant, Vice Minister of Justice, and Intendant of Jingzhao. Ping was accomplished in letters and possessed moral resolve from youth. He was close to his younger brothers Ning and Ling, and all three enjoyed contemporary renown. He valued friendship and kept his word. With Mu Zhi, Xu Mengrong, Li Yong, and Wang Zhongshu he formed a celebrated circle known as the friends of Yang, Mu, Xu, and Li; Zhongshu joined them as a junior admirer. Proud and aloof by nature, he treated subordinates coldly, and many resented him for it. Once he governed two commands, his extravagance grew still worse.
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In the fourth year of Yuanhe (809) he was appointed Intendant of Jingzhao. Vice Censor-in-Chief Li Yijian impeached him for embezzlement and other offenses from his days as governor of Jiangxi. The case was referred to the Censorate, with Minister of Justice Li Yong and Chief Justice Zhao Chang conducting the inquiry. Ping's former Jiangxi staff judge Yang Yuan was also arrested. Vice Chief Justice Hu Xing, Left Secretariat Vice Director Hu Zheng, and Attendant Censor Wei Yi were ordered to interrogate him jointly. An edict declared, "Yang Ping was not long ago entrusted with a provincial command under the former emperor and rose to high rank. The censorate has now exposed his past conduct: wealth amounting to tens of thousands that he never reported. How can he escape the charge of concealment? He also built residences beyond proper scale, indulging extravagance that offends the court's frugal virtue. Because he had lately governed the capital and retained some public goodwill, the court showed mercy when sentencing. He is banished to serve as Defender of Linhe County in He Prefecture, with rank retained in name only, and is to be sent off at once by relay post. Earlier, when Ping governed Jiangxi, Yijian had served there as a touring censor under his command. Ping treated him with negligent disdain and refused his acquaintance. Yijian nursed bitter resentment. When Ping returned to court he built a mansion in Yongning Ward and kept a large household of entertainers in a separate residence in Yongle Ward, drawing widespread criticism. Yijian seized on public outrage to impeach Ping for past crimes and presumptuous building, intending at first to have him executed. After he was imprisoned, days of interrogation failed to establish the capital charge. Yijian pressed harder. The emperor heard the case and ordered demotion instead, summoning former staff to verify the lesser charges. Since Zhenyuan, regional commanders indulged by Emperor Dezong had grown extravagantly presumptuous without fear of reprisal. When Emperor Xianzong ascended and governed by law, Yijian's prosecution of Ping was widely regarded as appropriate. Yet public opinion also criticized Yijian for pressing the case too far. Zheng Yuan passed the jinshi examination and rose to Vice Censor-in-Chief. During Zhenyuan he served as campaigning marshal to Du Que, military governor of Hezhong. When Que died he succeeded him as military governor and later entered court as Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs. In the second year of Yuanhe (807) he became Vice Minister of Revenue, concurrent Censor-in-Chief, and head of the Department of Public Works. In the spring of the third year he was appointed Minister of Justice and concurrent Intendant of Jingzhao. In the ninth month he resumed charge of the Department of Public Works while retaining his posts as Minister of Justice and Censor-in-Chief. Stern and decisive, Yuan took on demanding posts and was praised for his ability. In the fourth year of Yuanhe he resigned on account of illness and died within a month. Du Jian was a native of Jingzhao and fifth-generation descendant of Chancellor Du Zhenglun of the Zhenguan era. He passed the jinshi examination, served on several governors' staffs, and was appointed Prefect of Hao Prefecture. Jian was unstable in character, extravagant, and arrogant. In Zhenyuan, when Dezong was weary of war and indulged the commands, even prefects were hard to replace. Reading the emperor's mood, Jian drilled troops, recruited more than three thousand strong men, reported this to court, and then ruled by brute force. Registrar Wei Shang and training commissioner Lu Chu offended Jian by doing their duty. Jian secretly memorialized that they were conspiring to stir up the army. When an imperial envoy suddenly arrived, Jian met him at the post station, had Wei Shang and Lu Chu brought out, and executed them by edict with the staff. Shang had passed the jinshi examination; Chu was grandson of Duke Xiangxian of Yan. Both came from distinguished families with reputations among scholars. Executed without guilt in a single morning, they left the command terrified and the empire mourning an injustice. He also framed Li Fan and nearly had him killed; that story is told in Fan's biography. Wherever Jian went, people watched him with fear and distrust. Early in Yuanhe he entered court as Director in the Ministries of Justice and Personnel, became Attendant Gentleman, then Defense Commissioner of Jin-Shang, soon Vice Intendant of Henan, and finally full Intendant of Henan. All of this owed to the protection of Du You while he was chancellor. He died in office in the fourth year of Yuanhe (809). Pei Bin was a native of Jingzhao. His fifth-generation ancestor Chuo, king of Kucha, came to court in the Wude era, was appointed General of the Soaring Hawk and enfeoffed as Duke of Tian Commandery, and remained at the capital, where the family became Jingzhao natives. Bin first served as personal attendant to Golden Crow General Lun Weiming.
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When Dezong went to Fengtian, Bin was enfeoffed as Prince of Zhongyi Commandery for his service in battle. When Weiming governed Mei and Fang, he repeatedly appointed Bin chief army inspector. After Military Governor Wang Qiyao died, Central Army General He Chaozong plotted a coup and set fires at midnight. Bin held back from fighting the blaze, then at dawn seized Chaozong. Dezong sent the Three Offices to investigate. Chaozong and campaigning marshal Cui Lu were executed. Liu Gongji of Tong Prefecture became military governor, and Bin was appointed Chief Administrator of Fang Prefecture, concurrent Attendant Censor, and campaigning marshal. The following year, when Gongji died, Bin was appointed Prefect of Mei Prefecture, Censor-in-Chief, and full military governor. Three years later he was transferred to military governor of Shannan West Circuit.
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Over two commands Bin governed with public integrity, austerity, and moral discipline. He shunned the powerful, refused extravagant tribute, ate plainly and dressed poorly, and lived in quarters that barely kept out the weather. Yet his granaries were full, troops and civilians secure in their livelihoods—a record unmatched among recent commanders. When chronic illness forced him to resign, he asked to return to Chang'an. He died in the seventh year of Yuanhe (812) at the age of sixty-five. The court posthumously appointed him Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs with the posthumous title Jie (Integrity). Xue Pi was the son of Huan, Prefect of Sheng Prefecture. The Sagely Father, Prince of Fenyang, took him into his service, and he won renown among the generals. When Left Vice Director Li Kui went as envoy to Tibet, Pi served on his military escort. During Zhu Ci's rebellion, when allied forces came to the emperor's aid, Pi rode ahead as guide as far as Wugong and was promoted to General of the Left Majestic Guard. He served four times as envoy to distant regions and rose through Left General of the Golden Crow Guard, Acting Minister of Works, concurrent Director of the Directorate of Works, to military governor of Mei and Fang. He died in office in the eighth year of Yuanhe (813) and was posthumously appointed Grand Governor of Lu Prefecture. The historiographer remarks: Xue Bo was gracious, quick-witted, and literate; Bao Fang was no soldier; and the Taiyuan administrations of Li Ziliang and Yan Shou were genuinely admirable. Xiao Xin possessed the discernment of a sage; Du Ya entertained ambitions beyond his station. Wang Wei was scrupulously honest but excessively meticulous; Ruochu was capable in administration but stern by nature. Yu Yi loved intrigue and courted the powerful. Lu Zheng extorted wealth and cultivated palace eunuchs. Yang Ping loved luxury; Zheng Yuan had decisive authority. Du Jian killed upright officials and used disorder to impose on the throne. Pei Bin exposed conspiracies and brought peace to troops and people alike. Yet he dressed plainly, shunned the powerful, filled the treasuries, and kept his jurisdictions at peace. If a gentleman does not demand perfection in others, overlooks faults for strengths, and makes virtue plain while exposing evil, then Pei Bin's goodness, though understated, shines all the brighter. Du Jian's wickedness, the more one would hide it, the more plainly it shows.
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