Mian (冕) | 24 Histories

Overview

Mian was an official and Statesman.

Life and dates

Death

AD 769 大歷四年十二月
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 133

Attested activity

AD 757 兩京平
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 115
AD 769 大歷四年十二月
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 133
AD 765 永泰元年
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 118
AD 756 肅宗即位
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passages 100, 109-110
AD 757 肅宗移幸鳳翔
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 114

Family

Kinship Role sons and nephews · Kinship Term sons and nephews 子弟 · Quantity unspecified
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 132

Career and standing

Censor-in-Chief 御史大夫
Appointed concurrently
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 119
scholar awaiting edicts at the Jixian Academy 集賢待制
AD 765 永泰元年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 118
co-ordinating minister of the Secretariat and Chancellery 同中書門下平章事
AD 756 肅宗即位 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 110
Vice Minister of the Secretariat 中書侍郎
AD 756 肅宗即位 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 110
Right Vice Director of the Departments 右僕射
AD 757 肅宗移幸鳳翔 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 114
Censor-in-Chief 御史大夫
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 116

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Commissioner for Guarding the Imperial Tombs 護山陵使
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 119
fellow chief minister 同列
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passages 126-127
Military Governor of Jiannan West Circuit 劍南西川節度使
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 116
Prefect of Chengdu 成都尹
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 116
Right Vice Director 右僕射
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 117
Prefect of Shi 施州刺史
Demoted to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 121
military command and capital guardian 兵權留守之任
Held concurrently
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 128
Left Vice Director 左僕射
Recalled as
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 122
handling affairs of government 知政事
AD 757 肅宗移幸鳳翔 · Removed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 114
Prefect of Li 澧州刺史
Transferred to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 122
Duke of Ji 冀國公
AD 757 兩京平 · Enfeoffed · Stipend Households 500
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 115
Grand Commandant 太尉
AD 769 大歷四年十二月 · Posthumously granted
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 134
Duke of Ji 冀國公
AD 757 兩京平 · Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 115
demoted because of Liu Xuan's offense 坐貶
Demoted · Demoted
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 121

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 110
AD 757 肅宗移幸鳳翔
At Fengxiang 鳳翔 · Relation Present at
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 114
At Chengdu 成都 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 116
At Jiannan West Circuit 劍南西川 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 116
At Li Prefecture 澧州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 122
At Shi Prefecture 施州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 121

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AD 765 永泰元年
Organization Jixian Academy 集賢 · Relation Member of
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 118

Works and attributed material

Memorial · Author · With Daizong (代宗)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 120
Speech · Speaker · With Suzong (肅宗) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passages 100-102, 105-108

Events and relationships

Collapsed while dancing obeisance
Ritual · Appointee · With Yuan Zai (元載)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 127
Entertained guests with lavish banquets
Personal · Host
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 130
Settled succession
AD 756 以定策功 · Political · Counselor
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 110
Sold offices and licensed clergy
AD 756 to AD 757 肅宗朝 · Administrative · Issuer
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passages 112-113
Urged accession
AD 756 肅宗即位前 · Political · Persuader · With Suzong (肅宗)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passages 100-102, 105-109
AD 765 永泰元年
Relation Colleague of · Person Pei Zunqing (裴遵慶)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 118

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Relation Recommender of · Person Yuan Zai (元載)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 124
Relation Sought patronage of · Person Li Fuguo (李輔國)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 120
Relation Recommender of · Person Liu Xuan (劉烜)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 120

Assessments and attributes

Assessment extravagant by nature; fond of fine carriages, dress, and rare delicacies · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 129
Assessment failed to grasp the larger picture; made stockpiling revenue his chief concern · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 112
Assessment greedy for profit; delighted at the salary ledger · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 132
Assessment loyal and industrious; devoted to public service; gradually won people's trust · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 111
feeble with chronic illness (衰瘵)
Illness
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 126
Item famed horses worth several hundred gold pieces each 名馬 · Relation Possessed · Quantity Amount: 10 · Modifier: about-a-dozen
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 129

Show 1 more source-backed claim

Item funeral silk and grain 賻 · Relation Bestowed · Quantity Silk Bolts: 500 · Grain Shi: 500
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 134

Source notes

monthly salary exceeded two thousand strings of cash
Quantity Amount: 2000 · Unit: strings of cash · Period: month · Modifier: more-than
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 128
designed a novel headcloth copied by shops as the 'Vice Director style' (僕射樣)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 131

References in the histories

Search passages

History

14 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 113Volume 109 Biographies 59: Feng Gang, Ashinashe'er, Qibi Heli, Heichi Changzhi, Li Duozuo, Li Siye, Bai Xiaode · 14 passages

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冕與杜鴻漸、崔漪等勸進曰：「主上厭勤大位，南幸蜀川，宗社神器，須有所歸，天意人事，不可固違。 Mian, Du Hongjian, Cui Yi, and others urged him to take the throne: "The sovereign has wearied of rule and gone south to Shu; the altars of state and the imperial regalia must find a home—Heaven's will and men's needs cannot be defied.

冕與杜鴻漸又進曰：「殿下藉累聖之資，有天下之表。 Mian and Du Hongjian pressed again: "Your Highness inherits the accumulated virtue of successive sovereigns and carries the bearing of one destined to rule the realm.

肅宗即位，以定策功，遷中書侍郎、同中書門下平章事，倚以為政。 When Suzong took the throne, Mian was promoted to vice minister of the Secretariat and co-ordinating minister for his role in settling the succession, and the emperor relied on him in governing.

冕性忠勤，悉心奉公，稍得人心。 Mian was loyal and industrious by nature, gave himself wholly to public service, and gradually won people's trust.

肅宗移幸鳳翔，罷冕知政事，遷右僕射。 When Suzong moved the court to Fengxiang, Mian was removed from active governance and made right vice director of the departments.

兩京平，以功封冀國公，食實封五百戶。 After the two capitals were recovered, he was enfeoffed as Duke of Ji with a stipend of five hundred households for his service.

代宗求舊，拜冕兼御史大夫，充護山陵使。 Daizong looked to men of long service and appointed Mian concurrently censor-in-chief and commissioner for guarding the imperial tombs.

冕以幸臣李輔國權盛，將附之，乃表輔國親昵術士中書舍人劉烜充山陵使判官。 Because the favored minister Li Fuguo's power was great and Mian meant to attach himself to him, he memorialized that Fuguo's close associate, the diviner and drafting secretary Liu Xuan, serve as aide to the tomb-guard commissioner.

烜坐法，冕坐貶施州刺史。 Liu Xuan was punished for breaking the law, and Mian was demoted to prefect of Shi.

載為新平縣尉，王鉷辟在巡內，冕常引之，載頗德冕。 Zai had once been magistrate of Xinping County; Wang Hong recruited him within his inspection circuit, and Mian often recommended him—Zai felt deep gratitude toward Mian.

會宰臣杜鴻漸卒，載遂舉冕代之。 When chief minister Du Hongjian died, Zai recommended Mian to replace him.

冕時已衰瘵，載以其順己，引為同列。 Mian was by then broken with chronic illness; Zai, finding him compliant, brought him in as a fellow minister.

冕兼掌兵權留守之任，俸錢每月二千余貫。 Mian concurrently held military command and the duties of capital guardian, with a monthly salary of more than two thousand strings of cash.

初代鴻漸，小吏以俸錢文簿白之，冕顧子弟，喜見於色，其嗜利若此。 When he first replaced Hongjian, a petty clerk reported on the salary ledger; Mian looked at his sons and nephews, delight plain on his face—such was his appetite for profit.