Kui (揆) | 24 Histories

Overview

Kui was a statesman and Official.

Life and dates

Death

AD 784 興元元年四月
At Fengzhou 鳳州 · Cause illness 疾
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 47

Age

74
AD 784 興元元年四月 · Reckoning Sui
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 47

Attested activity

AD 777 元載以罪誅
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 45
AD 762 to AD 777 及載登相位
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 42
AD 763 to AD 776 後累年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 38
AD 783 to AD 784 德宗在山南
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 46
AD 759 to AD 762 揆在相位
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 32
AD 784 興元元年四月
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 47

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AD 761 to AD 763 貶揆萊州長史同正員
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 36

Family

Kinship Role widows and orphans · Count 100
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 43
Kinship Role elder brothers · Quantity unspecified
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passages 33, 37

Career and standing

Director of the Directorate of Education 國子祭酒
AD 777 元載以罪誅 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 45
prefect of Muzhou 睦州刺史
AD 777 元載以罪誅 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 45
acting Director of the Secretariat 試秘書監
AD 762 to AD 777 及載登相位 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 42
prefect of Shezhou 歙州刺史
AD 763 to AD 776 後累年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 38
envoy to the western tribes for the alliance conference 入蕃會盟使
AD 783 to AD 784 德宗在山南 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 46
senior administrator of Laizhou with concurrent regular status 萊州長史同正員
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 36

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Minister of Rites 禮部尚書
AD 777 元載以罪誅 · Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 45
Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs 左僕射
AD 783 to AD 784 德宗在山南 · Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 46
chief minister 宰相
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passages 32, 39
Minister of Works 司空
AD 784 興元元年四月 · Posthumously granted
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 48
Entered
Without salary
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passages 42-43
demoted to senior administrator of Laizhou with concurrent regular status 貶萊州長史同正員
Demotion · Suffered
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 36

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passages 32, 46
AD 777 元載以罪誅
At Muzhou 睦州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 45
AD 762 to AD 777 凡十五六年
At more than ten prefectures 十余州 · Relation Resided in
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 44
AD 762 to AD 777 及載登相位
At Jianghuai 江淮 · Relation Resided in
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 42
AD 763 to AD 776 後累年
At Shezhou 歙州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 38
AD 784 興元元年四月
At Fengzhou 鳳州 · Relation Died at
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 47

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At Laizhou 萊州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 36

Works and attributed material

Order · Author · With Lü Shen (呂諲)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 35
Speech · Speaker · With Miao Jinqing (苗晉卿) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 40

Events and relationships

Appointed alliance envoy to the western tribes
AD 783 to AD 784 德宗在山南 · Diplomatic · Envoy
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 46
Brothers reassigned after his dismissal
Political · Subject
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 37
Charged in edict with stirring eight prefectures south of the lake and obstructing Jiangling control
Political · Accused
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 36
Drifted among prefectures for fifteen or sixteen years
Travel · Subject
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 44
Funeral expenses supplied by the state
AD 784 興元元年四月 · Ritual · Honoree
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 48
Household impoverished; dependents begged for food
Personal · Subject
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 43

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Refused to advance elder brothers in office
Political · Actor
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 33
Secretly ordered investigation of Lü Yin's faults
Political · Actor · With Lü Shen (呂諲)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 35
Sent to convalesce in Jianghuai without salary
Personal · Subject · With Yuan Zai (元載)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passages 42-43
Relation Hated by · Person Lu Qi (盧杞)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 45
Relation Colleague of · Person Lü Shen (呂諲)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 34
Relation Spoke to · Person Miao Jinqing (苗晉卿)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 40
Relation Refused recommendation concerning · Person Yuan Zai (元載)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passages 39-40

Assessments and attributes

Assessment keen for fame and profit; widely condemned · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 32
Assessment trusted in pedigree; despised Yuan Zai as humble-born · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 40

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 32

References in the histories

Search passages

History

10 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 126Volume 122 Biographies 72: Zhang Xiancheng, Lu Sigong, Qu Huan, Jin Hanheng, Yang Chaocheng, Fan Ze, Li Shuming, Pei Zhou · 10 passages

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揆在相位，決事獻替，雖甚博辨，性銳於名利，深為物議所非。 As chief minister Kui decided affairs with apt corrective counsel and was highly eloquent, yet he was keen for fame and profit and was widely condemned.

懼其重入，遂密令直省至諲管內抅求諲過失。 Fearing that Yin might return to high office, Kui secretly ordered secretariat officials to enter Yin's jurisdiction and hunt for faults.

諲密疏自陳，乃貶揆萊州長史同正員，其制旨曰：「扇湖南之八州，沮江陵之節制。」 Yin submitted a secret memorial in his own defense, and Kui was demoted to senior administrator of Laizhou with concurrent regular status. The edict declared, "He stirred up the eight prefectures south of the lake and obstructed control from Jiangling."

揆既黜官，數日，其兄皆改授為司門員外郎。 Within days of Kui's dismissal his brothers were all reassigned to outer office director posts in the Ministry of Justice.

後累年，揆量移歙州刺史。 After several years Kui was transferred by quota to prefect of Shezhou.

初，揆秉政，侍中苗晉卿累薦元載為重官。 While Kui held power, Palace Attendant Miao Jinqing had repeatedly recommended Yuan Zai for high office.

揆自恃門望，以載地寒，意甚輕易，不納，而謂晉卿曰：「龍章鳳姿之士不見用，麞頭鼠目之子乃求官。」 Kui, trusting in his own pedigree, looked down on Zai because of his humble origins and refused the recommendation. He told Jinqing, "Men of dragon markings and phoenix bearing go unused, while deer-headed, rat-eyed fellows come seeking office."

及載登相位，因揆當徙職，遂奏為試秘書監，江淮養疾。 When Zai became chief minister, he took advantage of Kui's scheduled transfer and had him appointed acting Director of the Secretariat to convalesce in the Jianghuai region.

元載以罪誅，除揆睦州刺史，入拜國子祭酒、禮部尚書，為盧杞所惡。 After Yuan Zai was executed for his crimes, Kui was appointed prefect of Muzhou. He later entered court as Director of the Directorate of Education and Minister of Rites, but Lu Qi bore him ill will.

德宗在山南，令充入蕃會盟使，加左僕射。 While Dezong was in Shannan, Kui was appointed envoy to the western tribes for the alliance conference and was additionally made Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs.