Chang Gun (常袞) | 24 Histories

Overview

Chang Gun was a Chief Minister.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Nickname	Sloppy Uncle	濌伯

Life and dates

Death

At in office (Fujian) 卒於官 · Age Value: 55 · Reckoning: Sui
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 87

Attested activity

AD 778 十三年十二月
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 73
AD 777 十二年三月
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 66
AD 778 大歷十三年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 153, passages 4, 7
AD 777 元載死
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 150, passage 69
AD 766 to AD 780 劉晏理財用事之世
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 257
AD 779 及袞為相
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 129, passage 102

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c. AD 755 to c. AD 858 唐代本傳敘事
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 197
AD 777 to AD 779 大歷
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 55, passages 126, 130
AD 766 to AD 779 大歷中
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 129, passage 101
AD 755 to AD 756 天寶末
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 150, passage 53
AD 778 宰相常袞…袞貶官 (after Dali 13)
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 35
AD 780 to AD 781 建中初
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 150, passage 85

Family

Kin of Affinal relative of Chang Gun (常袞姻家)
affinal relative 姻家
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 76

Key source chapters

Career and standing

chief minister 宰相
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 7
Fujian Observation Commissioner 福建觀察使
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 85
Grand Academician of Hongwen and Chongwen halls 弘文、崇文館大學士
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 69
Secretariat Drafter 中書舍人
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 55
Vice Minister of Rites 禮部侍郎
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 67
Vice President of the Chancellery and Co-Chancellor 門下侍郎、同中書門下平章事
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 69

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Prefect of Chaozhou 潮州刺史
Demoted
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 84
chancellor 宰臣
AD 778 十三年十二月 · Held
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 73
Vice Minister of Rites 禮部侍郎
AD 777 十二年三月 · Held
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 66
Chancellor 宰相
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 55, passage 130
Chief Minister 宰相
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 7; Old Book of Tang 157, passage 35
chief minister 相
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 129, passage 102
Duke of Henei 河內郡公
Enfeoffed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 82
posthumous Left Vice Director 贈尚書左仆射
Posthumously granted
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 87
Silver-Green Glory Grandee 銀青光祿大夫
Granted
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 82
Demoted
Demotion
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 35
Entered
Demoted
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 7

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 66; Old Book of Tang 129, passage 102; Old Book of Tang 153, passage 7; Old Book of Tang 157, passage 35; New Book of Tang 150, passage 53
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 257
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 55, passage 130
At Jingzhao 京兆
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 53

Learning and skills

Earned
Credential Presented Scholar 進士
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 53

Works and attributed material

Memorial · Author · With Liu Yan (劉晏)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 74
Memorial · Author · Speaker Chang Gun (常袞)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passages 58, 60, 62-65

Events and relationships

Founded village schools in Min
Administrative · Reformer
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 86
Increased stipends for capital regular officials and circuit commissioners
Political · Chancellor
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 55, passage 130
Resented
Political · Envier · With Liu Yan (劉晏)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 257
Tried to kick Liu Yan upstairs
AD 778 十三年十二月 · Political · Monopolizer of government · With Liu Yan (劉晏)
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passages 73-75
Tried Yuan Zai
AD 777 十二年三月 · Legal · Co investigator · With Yuan Zai (元載)
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 66
Relation Rival of · Person Liu Yan (劉晏)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 257

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Relation Patron of · Person Liu Congyi (劉從一)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 129, passages 101-102
Relation Friend of · Person Yao Nanzhong (姚南仲)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 7
Relation Colleague of · Person Yang Wan (楊綰)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 69
Relation Rival of · Person Yang Wan (楊綰)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 71

Assessments and attributes

Assessment called Sloppy Uncle for failing to distinguish worthy from unworthy · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 81
Assessment held Congyi in high esteem · With Liu Congyi (劉從一) · Mode named-person-judgment Speaker Chang Gun (常袞)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 129, passage 101
Assessment secretly jealous of Liu Yan · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 74

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 66; New Book of Tang 55, passage 130; New Book of Tang 172, passage 197

References in the histories

Search passages

History

27 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 127Volume 123 Biographies 73: Liu Yan, Di Wuqi, Ban Hong, Ban Shao, Li Xun · 3 passages

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敕御史大夫李涵、右散騎常侍蕭昕、兵部侍郎袁傪、禮部侍郎常袞、諫議大夫杜亞同推，載皆款伏。 The emperor ordered Chief Censor Li Han, Regular Attendant Xiao Xin, Vice Minister of War Yuan Kan, Vice Minister of Rites Chang Gun, and Remonstrance Officer Du Ya to join the inquiry; Zai confessed to all charges.

時宰臣常袞專政，以晏久掌銓衡，時議平允，兼司儲蓄，職舉功深，慮公望日崇，上心有屬。 Chancellor Chang Gun then dominated the court. Yan had long controlled appointments with a reputation for fairness and also managed state granaries with deep achievement; Gun feared Yan's rising prestige and that the emperor might favor him for higher office.

本秀於林，風必摧之，常袞見忌於前，楊炎致冤於後，可為長嘆息矣！ A tree that stands above the forest is sure to be broken by the wind. Chang Gun resented him first; Yang Yan engineered his ruin afterward—enough to draw a long sigh.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 129Volume 125 Biographies 75: Zhang Yi, Liu Congyi, Xiao Fu, Liu Hun · 2 passages

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從一少舉進士，大歷中宏詞，授秘書省校書郎，以調中第，補渭南尉，雅為常袞所推重。 Congyi passed the jinshi examination in his youth. During the Dali era he passed the hongci examination and was appointed collator of the Secretariat. Through the transfer examination he placed in the middle rank and was made assistant magistrate of Weinan. Chang Gun held him in high esteem.

及袞為相，遷監察御史。 When Chang Gun became chief minister, Congyi was promoted to investigating censor.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 153Volume 149 Biographies 99: Yu Xiulie, Ling Huhuan, Gui Chongjing, Xi Zhi, Zhang Jian, Jiang Yi, Liu Deng, Shen Chuanshi · 1 passage

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與宰相常袞善，袞貶官，南仲坐出為海鹽縣令。 He was friendly with Chief Minister Chang Gun. When Gun was demoted, Nanzhong was implicated and sent out as magistrate of Haiyan County.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 157Volume 153 Biographies 103: Yao Nanzhong, Liu Nai, Yuan Gao, Duan Pingzhong, Xue Cuncheng, Lu Tan · 1 passage

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與宰相常袞善，袞貶官，南仲坐出為海鹽縣令。 He was friendly with Chief Minister Chang Gun. When Gun was demoted, Nanzhong was implicated and sent out as magistrate of Haiyan County.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 55Volume 55 Treatises 51: Finance and Economics 4 · 1 passage

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楊綰、常袞為相，增京官正員官及諸道觀察使、都團練使、副使以下料錢。 As chancellors, Yang Wan and Chang Gun raised stipends for regular capital officials and for circuit commissioners, regional training commissioners, and their deputies.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 150Volume 150 Biographies 75: Li, Chang, Zhao, Cui, Qi, Lu · 18 passages

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常袞，京兆人，天寶末，及進士第。 Chang Gun was a man of Jingzhao. At the end of the Tianbao reign he passed the jinshi examination.

袞奏：「成均之任，當用名儒，不宜以宦臣領職。」 Gun memorialized: "The charge of the Exalted Harmony institution should be given to renowned Confucians; it is not fitting that a eunuch official hold the post."