Miao Jinqing (苗晉卿)

Overview

Miao Jinqing was an official and Statesman.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	Wen-zhen	文貞

Life and dates

Death

AD 765 永泰元年四月
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 83

Attested activity

AD 744 天寶三載閏二月
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 28
AD 743 天寶二年春
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 18
AD 763 廣德初
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passages 80-81
AD 765 永泰元年四月
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 83
AD 755 祿山叛逆
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 38
AD 756 肅宗至鳳翔
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 42

Show 4 more source-backed claims

AD 739 開元二十七年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 11
AD 735 開元二十三年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 9
AD 741 開元二十九年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 13
AD 736 開元二十四年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 10

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Dai-shu (殆庶)
father 父
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 4

Origins and identity

Confucian simplicity for generations 世以儒素稱
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 2

Career and standing

Prefect of Wei and Hebei investigating commissioner 魏郡太守、河北采訪處置使
AD 744 天寶三載閏二月 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 28
Left Chancellor 左相
AD 756 肅宗至鳳翔 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 42
in charge of personnel selection 權知吏部選事
AD 739 開元二十七年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 11
Director in the Ministry of Personnel 吏部郎中
AD 735 開元二十三年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 9
Vice Minister of Personnel 吏部侍郎
AD 741 開元二十九年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 13
Secretariat Drafter 中書舍人
AD 736 開元二十四年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 10

Show 23 more source-backed claims

assistant magistrate of Wannian 萬年縣尉
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 7
Governor of Shaan; Defense Commissioner of Shaan and Guo 陜州刺史、陜虢兩州防禦使
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 39
Grand Guardian 太保
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 82
Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent 太子太傅
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 44
Hedong Prefect and Investigating Commissioner 河東太守、河東采訪使
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 37
magistrate's assistant of Xiuwu in Huai 懷州修武縣尉
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 6
Minister and Eastern Capital guardian 尚書、東京留守
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 37
Minister of Justice 憲部尚書
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 37
Palace Attendant 侍中
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 43
Prefect of Ankang 安康郡太守
AD 743 天寶二年 · Demoted to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 24
Registrar of Xu Prefecture 徐州司戶參軍
Demoted to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 6
magistrate's assistant of Fengxian 奉先縣尉
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 6
Vice Director of Revenue, War, and Personnel 度支、兵、吏部三員外郎
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 8
regent (acting grand steward) 攝冢宰
Ordered again
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 64
regent (acting grand steward) 攝冢宰
AD 762 玄宗崩 · Ordered
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 50
Attending Censor 侍御史
Promoted to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 8
Palace Attendant 侍中
Reappointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 45
Grand Guardian (retired) 太保致仕
Retired as
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 82
Minister of Justice (retired) 憲部尚書致仕
Retired as
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 40
Duke of Han 韓國公
Households 500 · Granted
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 43
court mourning three days; state funeral gifts 輟朝三日
Granted
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 84
share sacrifices in Suzong's temple 配享肅宗廟庭
AD 772 大歷七年 · Ordered
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 88
Duke of Han 韓國公
Enfeoffed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 43

Places and affiliations

Tang 唐
Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 1
At Huguan in Shangdang 上黨壺關
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 1

Learning and skills

Earned
Credential Presented Scholar (jinshi) 進士
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 5

Works and attributed material

Quoted Rites to clerk
Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passages 32-34
Refused regency to Daizong
Memorial · Author · With Daizong (代宗)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passages 65-76
Refused regency to Suzong
Memorial · Author · With Suzong (肅宗)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passages 51-62

Events and relationships

Hid then fled to Jin
Flight · Fugitive · At Jin Prefecture 金州
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 41
Ranked Shi first
AD 743 天寶二年春 · Examination favoritism · Examiner · With Zhang Shi (奭)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 18
Refused to speak to Tibetans
AD 763 廣德初 · Coercion · Victim
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 81
Returned to Huguan on foot
Home visit · Actor · At Huguan 壺關
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passages 29-30, 32-34
Relation Colleague of · Person Song Yao (宋遙)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 16

Assessments and attributes

Assessment compared to Hu Guang of Han · Mode commentator-judgment · With Hu Guang (胡廣)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 49
Assessment modest and even-tempered in selection disputes · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 12
Assessment praised for caution through three reigns · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 79
afflicted in both feet/legs
Illness
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 78
Item 30,000 cash for village school 俸錢三萬為鄉學本 · Relation Endowed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 36

Source notes

From Yi-xian 懿獻 · To Wen-zhen 文貞 · Posthumous
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passages 85, 87

References in the histories

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History

21 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 113Volume 109 Biographies 59: Feng Gang, Ashinashe'er, Qibi Heli, Heichi Changzhi, Li Duozuo, Li Siye, Bai Xiaode · 21 passages

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○苗晉卿裴冕裴遵慶子向向子寅寅子樞=苗晉卿=苗晉卿，上黨壺關人。 This section covers Miao Jinqing, Pei Mian, and Pei Zunqing, together with Pei Xiang, Xiang's son Yin, and Yin's son Shu. Miao Jinqing was from Huguan in Shangdang.

父殆庶，官至絳州龍門縣丞，早卒，以晉卿贈太子少保。 His father Dai-shu rose only to assistant magistrate of Longmen in Jiang prefecture and died young; on account of Jinqing's eminence he was posthumously granted the title Junior Tutor to the Heir Apparent.

晉卿幼好學，善屬文，進士擢第。 Jinqing had loved study from childhood, wrote well, and passed the jinshi civil examination.

晉卿性謙柔，選人有訴訟索好官者，雖至數千言，或聲色甚厲者，晉卿必含容之，略無慍色。 Jinqing was modest and even-tempered: when examinees petitioned or quarreled for better appointments, sometimes at great length or with angry outbursts, he always listened patiently and never showed annoyance.

李林甫為尚書，專任廟堂，銓事唯委晉卿及同列侍郎宋遙主之。 Li Linfu held the ministerial post but kept his grip on court power, leaving the actual running of selections to Jinqing and his fellow vice minister Song Yao alone.

天寶二年春，御史中丞張倚男奭參選，晉卿與遙以倚初承恩，欲悅附之，考選人判等凡六十四人，分甲乙丙科，奭在其首。 In the spring of Tianbao 2 (743), Zhang Yi's son Shi entered the examinations. Jinqing and Yao, eager to curry favor with the newly favored Zhang Yi, ranked sixty-four candidates in three tiers and placed Shi at the top.

上怒，晉卿貶為安康郡太守，遙為武當郡太守，張倚為淮陽太守。 The emperor's rage sent Jinqing to Ankang as prefect, Yao to Wudang, and Zhang Yi to Huaiyang.

晉卿曰：「《禮》：『下公門，式路馬。』 Jinqing replied: "The Rites say: 'When you leave a nobleman's gate, you bow to the horses on the road.'

屬祿山叛逆，楊國忠以晉卿有時望，將抑之，乃奏云：「宜以大臣鎮東道。」 When Lushan rose in rebellion, Yang Guozhong, wishing to curb Jinqing's standing at court, memorialized: "A senior minister should be posted to guard the eastern route."

及朝廷失守，衣冠流離道路，多為逆黨所脅，自陳希烈、張均已下數十人盡赴洛陽，晉卿潛遁山谷，南投金州。 When the capital fell, officials fled along the highways and many were forced into the rebels' ranks; dozens from Chen Xilie and Zhang Jun down went to Luoyang, but Jinqing hid in the hills and fled south to Jin prefecture.

會肅宗至鳳翔，手詔追晉卿赴行在，即日拜為左相，軍國大務悉以咨之。 When Suzong reached Fengxiang he sent a personal summons for Jinqing to join the mobile court and that same day named him left chancellor, consulting him on every major civil and military matter.