Sui and Tang · Statesman and Official

Fang Guan 房琯

Attested AD 712 - AD 757

Passages: 7
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

Fang Guan was a statesman and Official.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 756 八月…同賫冊赴行在
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 127-128
AD 756 to AD 757 奉使靈武…敗軍左降
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 57, 81
AD 712 to AD 754 房琯每見德秀
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 194, passage 34
AD 756 肅宗即位／天寶十五載
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 112, 126

Key source chapters

Career and standing

chief minister 宰臣
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 126
chief minister 宰臣
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 57
Grand Councilor 同平章事
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 128
Demoted after military defeat
Demotion
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 81

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 57, 112, 126, 128

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Mode quotation · With Yuan Dexiu (元德秀)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 34

Events and relationships

Delivered investiture registers
Diplomatic · Envoy
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 127-128
Sent to Lingwu for investiture
AD 756 奉使靈武 · Diplomatic · Envoy · With Wei Jiansu (韋見素)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 57, 68
Sent to Suzong court
AD 756 肅宗即位 · Diplomatic · Envoy
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 112
Relation Recommender of · Person Cui Huan (崔渙)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 126

Assessments and attributes

Assessment reputation weighty · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 69

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 57, 128; New Book of Tang 194, passage 34

References in the histories

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 112Volume 108 Biographies 58: Wei Jiansu, Cui Yuan, Cui Huan, Du Hongjian · 6 passages

尋命見素與宰臣房琯賫傳國寶玉冊奉使靈武，宣傳詔命，便行冊禮。 Soon Jiansu and chief minister Fang Guan were sent to Lingwu bearing the imperial seal and jade registers to proclaim the succession and perform the investiture ceremony.

肅宗在東宮，素聞房琯名重，故虛懷以待； When Suzong had been crown prince he had long heard of Fang Guan's reputation and received him with respect;

及房琯以敗軍左降，崔圓、崔渙等皆罷知政事，上皇所命宰臣，無知政事者。 When Fang Guan was demoted after his military defeat and Cui Yuan, Cui Huan, and others were removed from office, none of the chief ministers appointed by the retired emperor still held real power.

肅宗即位，玄宗命圓同房琯、韋見素並赴肅宗行在所，玄宗親制遺愛碑於蜀以寵之。 When Suzong took the throne, the retired emperor sent Yuan with Fang Guan and Wei Jiansu to Suzong's court and personally composed a stele praising Yuan's service in Shu.

宰臣房琯又薦之，即日拜黃門侍郎、同中書門下平章事，扈從成都府。 Chief minister Fang Guan also recommended him, and that same day he was made vice director of the chancellery and grand councilor, accompanying the court to Chengdu.

八月，與左相韋見素、同平章事房琯、崔圓同賫冊赴行在。 In the eighth month he went with left chancellor Wei Jiansu, Fang Guan, and Cui Yuan to deliver the investiture registers to Suzong's court.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 194Volume 194 Biographies 119: Outstanding Conduct · 1 passage

房琯每見德秀，嘆息曰：「見紫芝眉宇，使人名利之心都盡。」 Whenever Fang Guan met Dexiu he would sigh and say: "A glimpse of Zizhi's countenance makes every craving for fame and gain disappear."