Cui Rao (崔蕘) | 24 Histories

Overview

Cui Rao was an official.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Yefu	野夫	Yěfū

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 874 to AD 879 乾符中
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passages 199-200
AD 870 to AD 900 唐世為左丞
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passages 72-73
AD 870 to AD 907 崔蕘之子
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 79

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Cui Jujian (崔居儉)
son 子
father 父
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 79
Child of Cui Li (崔蠡)
son 子
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 199

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Observation Commissioner of Shan and Guo 陜虢觀察使
AD 874 to AD 879 乾符中 · Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 199
Left Regular Attendant 左散騎常侍
Ended as
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 206
Vice Minister of Personnel 吏部侍郎
AD 874 to AD 879 乾符中 · Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 199
Left Vice Director 左丞
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 73
Military Adjutant of Duan Prefecture 端州司馬
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 206
lost his post 失守
Loss of command · Incurred
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 206

Show 2 more source-backed claims

seized by officers and beard shaved 為軍吏所執，髡其髯鬢
Seized and humiliated · Suffered
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passages 203-204
Military Adjutant of Duan Prefecture 端州司馬
Demotion · Demoted
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 206

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 73; New Book of Tang 144, passages 199, 206
At Duanzhou 端州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 206
At Shanzhou and Guozhou 陜虢 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 199

Learning and skills

Skill debate 談辯 · Level brilliant
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 199
Skill literary composition 文辭 · Level skilled
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 199

Works and attributed material

AD 874 to AD 879 乾符中
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 201
Speech · Speaker · With Yanrong (崔彥融) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 73

Events and relationships

Begged drink and was given urine
Personal · Supplicant
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 205
Entrusted government to menials
AD 874 to AD 879 乾符中 · Administration · Commissioner
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 200
Had petitioners beaten
Legal · Authority
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 202
Saw a list of bribes to inner attendants on Yanrong's desk and came to despise him
Personal · Visitor · With Yanrong (崔彥融)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 72
Seized by military officers and beard shaved
Political · Victim
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passages 203-204

Assessments and attributes

Assessment conduct vulgar and corrupt · With Yanrong (崔彥融) · Mode speech Speaker Cui Rao (崔蕘)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 73
Assessment gifted in letters and eloquent but poor at personnel selection · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 199
Assessment shallow, incompetent, self-regarding, neglectful of the people's suffering · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 200

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 199

References in the histories

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 58Volume 58 Book of Later Tang 34: Biographies 10: Zhao Guangfeng, Zheng Jue, Cui Xie, Li Qi, Xiao Qing · 4 passages

Open chapter

彥融素與崔蕘善，嘗為萬年令，蕘謁於縣，彥融未出，見案上有尺題，皆賂遺中貴人，蕘知其由徑，始惡其為人。 Yanrong had long been friendly with Cui Rao. When Yanrong was magistrate of Wannian County, Rao called at the yamen before Yanrong had come out and saw on the desk a list of names—all gifts to inner attendants. Rao understood his methods and came to despise him.

及除司勳郎中，蕘為左丞，通刺不見，蕘謂曰：「郎中行止鄙雜，故未見。」 When Yanrong was appointed director in the Bureau of Merit, Rao was left vice director. Yanrong sent a visiting card but was refused an audience. Rao said, "The director's conduct is vulgar and corrupt—that is why I will not receive him."

誡其子曰：「世世無忘蕘。」 He admonished his sons: "Never forget Rao, generation after generation."

與中書舍人崔居儉相遇於幕次，協厲聲而言曰：「崔蕘之子，何敢相見！」 He encountered the secretariat drafter Cui Jujian in the curtain office and cried out, "Son of Cui Rao—how dare you show your face before me!"

New Book of Tang, Chapter 144Volume 144 Biographies 69: Lai, Tian, Hou, Cui, Yan · 3 passages

Open chapter

子蕘，字野夫，乾符中為吏部侍郎，美文辭，談辯華給，以銓管非所長，出為陜虢觀察使。 His son Rao, style name Yefu, in the Qianfu era was vice minister of personnel; gifted in letters and eloquent debate but poor at personnel selection, he was sent out as observer of Shanzhou and Guozhou.

是時王仙芝亂漢上，河南群盜興，蕘簡侻不曉事，但以器韻自高，委政廝豎，不恤人疾苦。 While Wang Xianzhi ravaged the Han River region and Henan swarmed with bandits, Rao was shallow and incompetent, prized only his own air of refinement, left affairs to lackeys, and ignored the people's suffering.

蕘再拜祈免，乃得去。 Rao bowed repeatedly for mercy and was finally allowed to go.