Sui and Tang · Official and Statesman

Chang Gun 常袞

Attested AD 755 - AD 781

Passages: 18
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Chang Gun was an official and Statesman.

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 777 元載死
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 150, passage 69
AD 755 to AD 756 天寶末
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 150, passage 53
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

Career and standing

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
Prefect of Chaozhou 潮州刺史
Demoted
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 84

Show 3 more source-backed claims

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

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 53
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 · 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
Relation Colleague of · Person Yang Guan (楊綰)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 69
Relation Rival of · Person Yang Guan (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

References in the histories

Search passages

History

18 passages

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

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."

袞建言：「今西蕃盤桓境上，數入寇，若相連結，以乘無備，其變不細，請早圖之。」 Gun proposed: "The western barbarians now linger at the borders and raid repeatedly. If they join forces to strike when we are unprepared, the consequences would be grave. Please plan for this early."

袞以為：「漢文帝還千里馬不用，晉武帝焚雉頭裘，宋高祖碎琥珀枕，是三主者，非有聰明大聖以致治安，謹身率下而已。 Gun argued: "Emperor Wen of Han sent back a thousand-li horse and would not use it; Emperor Wu of Jin burned the pheasant-head fur robe; Emperor Gaozu of Song smashed the amber pillow. These three rulers did not owe their peace and order to surpassing wisdom and sagacity; they simply guarded themselves and led those below by example.

時宦者劉忠翼權震中外，涇原節度使馬璘為帝寵任，有所幹請，袞皆拒卻。 At that time the eunuch Liu Zhongyi's power shook court and countryside alike, and Jingyuan military commissioner Ma Lin enjoyed the emperor's favor. Whatever they requested, Gun refused.

綰長厚通可，而袞苛細，以清儉自賢。 Guan was generous and easy to work with, but Gun was exacting in detail and made frugality his claim to virtue.

帝內重綰而顓任之，禮遇信愛，袞弗及也，每所恨忌。 The emperor valued Guan inwardly and entrusted affairs to him alone, treating him with trust and affection that Gun never matched; at every turn Gun nursed resentment.

會綰卒，袞始當國。 When Guan died, Gun at last held the reins of government.

時韓滉使度支，與袞皆任情輕重。 At that time Han Huang handled the office of revenue; he and Gun both adjusted amounts as they pleased.

滉惡國子司業張參，袞惡太子少詹事趙惎，皆少給之。 Huang hated Zhang Can, Vice Director of the Directorate; Gun hated Zhao Ji, the Heir Apparent's Junior Administrator. Both men received reduced stipends.

故事，日出內廚食賜宰相家，可十人具，袞奏罷之。 By precedent, at sunrise food from the inner kitchen was sent to the chancellor's household for ten persons. Gun memorialized to abolish the practice.

政事堂北門，異時宰相過舍人院咨逮政事，至袞乃塞之，以示尊大。 The northern gate of the Administration Hall: in former times chancellors passed through the drafters' courtyard to consult on affairs of state; only under Gun was it blocked, to display his loftiness.

懲元載敗，窒賣官之路，然一切以公議格之，非文詞者皆擯不用，故世謂之「濌伯」，以其濌々無賢不肖之辨雲。 Punishing Yuan Zai's fall, he blocked the sale of offices, yet he rejected everything by public discussion. Those without literary skill were all cast aside unused. The age therefore called him "Sloppy Uncle," because he sloppily made no distinction between the worthy and the unworthy.

袞為相，散官才朝議，而無封爵，郭子儀言於帝，遂加銀青光祿大夫，封河內郡公。 As chancellor Gun held only the scattered post of Chaoyi and had no enfeoffment. Guo Ziyi spoke to the emperor, and Gun was then given the rank of Silver-Green-Ware Glory Grandee and enfeoffed as Duke of Henei.

德宗即位，袞奏貶崔祐甫為河南少尹。 When Emperor Dezong took the throne, Gun memorialized to demote Cui Youfu to Vice Governor of Henan.

建中初，楊炎輔政，起為福建觀察使。 At the beginning of the Jianzhong era, when Yang Yan came to power, Gun was appointed Fujian Observation Commissioner.

始，閩人未知學，袞至，為設鄉校，使作為文章，親加講導，與為客主鈞禮，觀遊燕饗與焉，由是俗一變，歲貢士與內州等。 At first the people of Min had not yet taken to learning. When Gun arrived he established village schools, had them compose essays, and personally lectured and guided them. He treated them with the equal ceremony of host and guest, attended their outings, banquets, and feasts, and thereby changed the local customs entirely. Each year the scholars they presented for examination equalled those of the inner circuits.

其後閩人春秋配享袞於學官雲。 Thereafter the people of Min sacrificed to Gun at the learning hall in spring and autumn.