Sui and Tang · Ruler

Emperor Xuanzong 玄宗

Xuanzong

Attested AD 713 - AD 730

Passages: 12
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Emperor Xuanzong was a ruler.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 725 封太山還
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 134, passage 35
AD 713 to AD 730 開元
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 134, passage 13

References in the histories

Search passages

History

12 passages

New Book of Tang, Chapter 134Volume 134 Biographies 59: Yuwen, Wei, Yang, Wang · 12 passages

玄宗以融為覆田勸農使，鉤檢帳符，得偽勛亡丁甚眾。 Emperor Xuanzong made Rong Commissioner for Reclaiming Fields and Encouraging Agriculture. He audited the registers and uncovered a vast number of spurious honors and unregistered adult males.

帝悅，引拜御史中丞。 The emperor was delighted and personally summoned him to appoint him Vice Censor-in-Chief.

初，議者以生事，沮詰百端，而帝意向之，宰相源乾曜等佐其舉。 Initially critics warned that the scheme would create unrest and obstructed it from every angle, yet the emperor was inclined toward it, and Grand Counselor Yuan Qianyao and others supported the effort.

又集群臣大議，公卿雷同不敢異，唯戶部侍郎楊玚以為籍外取稅，百姓困弊，得不酬失。 The emperor convened the ministers for a full debate; the high officials chimed in agreement and none dared object, except Vice Director of the Treasury Yang Chang, who argued that levying taxes beyond the registers would exhaust the people and that the costs would outweigh the benefits.

融所過，見高年，宣天子恩旨，百姓至有感涕者。 Wherever Rong traveled, he would address the aged and announce the emperor's benevolent intentions, and some among the people were moved to tears.

使還言狀，帝乃下詔：「以客賦所在，並建常平倉，益貯九谷，權發斂； When the commissioner returned and made his report, the emperor issued an edict: "In every place where migrant taxes are collected, Ever-Normal Granaries shall be established to store more grain and regulate its release and collection;

會帝封太山還，融以選限薄冬，請分吏部為十銓。 Soon afterward the emperor returned from the Mount Tai feng ceremony. With the appointment season pressing into deep winter, Rong asked that the Ministry of Personnel be split into ten selection boards.

帝疾其黨，詔說致仕，放隱甫於家，出融為魏州刺史。 Weary of their factional fighting, the emperor ordered Shuo to retire, dismissed Yinpu to his home, and sent Rong away as inspector of Wei Prefecture.

數按獄深文，玄宗以為才，進兼和市和糴、長春宮、戶口色役使，拜御史中丞、京畿關內采訪黜陟使。 He repeatedly prosecuted cases with fabricated charges of the gravest kind. Xuanzong took this for talent and promoted him to concurrent commissioner of market purchase, grain purchase, Changchun Palace, and household corvée and special labor, appointing him censor-in-chief and transport commissioner for the capital region and Guannei with authority over promotions and demotions.

又厚誅斂，向天子意，人雖被蠲貸，鉷更奏取腳直，轉異貨，百姓間關輸送，乃倍所賦。 He also levied crushing taxes to please the emperor. Even when the people had been granted tax relief or loans, Hong would memorialize to collect transport fees, converting goods into exotic commodities. Commoners struggled along the roads to deliver them and often paid double the original levy.

故鉷迎帝旨，歲進錢鉅億萬，儲禁中，以為歲租外物，供天子私帑。 Wang Hong therefore catered to the emperor's wishes, each year presenting hundreds of millions in coin, stored within the palace as revenue beyond the annual rent, to fill the emperor's private purse.

於是韋堅、楊慎矜、王鉷、楊國忠各以裒刻進，剝下益上，歲進羨緡百億萬為天子私藏，以濟橫賜，而天下經費自如，帝以為能，故重官累使，尊顯烜赫。 Then Wei Jian, Yang Shenjin, Wang Hong, and Yang Guozhong each rose by ruthless extraction, squeezing the people to enrich the throne. Each year they forwarded tens of billions in surplus coin into the emperor's private hoard to fund lavish gifts, while ordinary state expenses seemed untouched. The emperor took this for competence and heaped offices and commissioner posts on them until they blazed with rank and power.