Overview
the emperor was a ruler.
IdentityHistorical · Male · Title only
Life and dates
Attested activity
Places and affiliations
- Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Ruled
Works and attributed material
Events and relationships
Appointed more than ten court officials as prefects
Personnel · Ruler
Audited Hua Huan and exiled him
Decided to move against Li Qi
Declined Tibetan envoys
Diplomatic · Ruler
Dispatched envoys to grant relief
Disaster relief · Ruler
Dropped plan to return Hao and Si
Political · Ruler
Show 4 more source-backed claims
Escorted Jifu at Tonghua Gate
Investigated and demoted Dou Qun and associates
Issued edict thanking Tibetan ruler and declining maps
Promoted Jifu to chancellor
AD 807 元和二年 · Personnel
· Ruler
· With Jifu (吉甫)
References in the histories
No matching passages.
New Book of Tang, Chapter 146Volume 146 Biographies 71: Two Li's · 18 passages
帝辭其使。
The emperor declined the Tibetan envoys.
今吐蕃綿山跨谷，以數番紙而圖千里，起靈武，著劍門，要險之地所亡二三百所，有得地之名，而實喪之，陛下將安用此？」
Now Tibet spans mountains and valleys and maps a thousand li on a few sheets of paper from Lingwu to Jianmen; two or three hundred strategic strongpoints are lost—we gain the name of territory while in fact surrendering it. What use can Your Majesty make of this?"
帝乃詔謝贊普，不納。
The emperor then sent an edict thanking the Tibetan ruler and declined the offer.
張愔既得徐州，帝又欲以濠、泗二州還其軍，吉甫曰：「泗負淮，餉道所會，濠有渦口之險，前日授建封，幾失形勢。
After Zhang Yin secured Xuzhou, the emperor again wished to return Hao and Si prefectures to his army; Jifu said, "Si commands the Huai and sits at the junction of supply routes; Hao holds the strategic Wokou crossing. When we gave these to Jianfeng before, we nearly lost control of the region.
乃止。
The emperor dropped the plan.
吉甫請間，劾其奸，帝使簿渙家，得貲數千萬，貶死雷州。
Jifu requested a private audience and impeached his corruption; the emperor ordered an audit of Huan's household and found assets worth tens of millions; Huan was demoted and died in exile at Leizhou.
由是帝愈倚信。
Thereupon the emperor trusted him all the more.
吉甫連蹇外遷十餘年，究知閭裏疾苦，常病方鎮強恣，至是為帝從容言：「使屬郡刺史得自為政，則風化可成。」
After more than ten years of setbacks in provincial posts, Jifu knew firsthand the hardships of common people and had long deplored the overbearing power of military commissioners; now he told the emperor calmly, "If prefects in the subordinate commanderies could govern on their own, good government could take root."
帝然之，出郎吏十餘人為刺史。
The emperor agreed and appointed more than ten court officials as prefects.
又度錡必反，勸帝召之，使者三往，以病解，而多持金啗權貴，至為錡遊說者。
He also judged that Li Qi would surely rebel and urged the emperor to summon him; envoys went three times but Qi pleaded illness, while he lavished gold on powerful courtiers until some even lobbied on his behalf.
帝意決。
The emperor made up his mind.
從之。
The emperor followed his advice.
會皇甫湜等對策，指權強，用事者皆怒，帝亦不悅。
When Huangfu Shi and others answered the policy examination by denouncing the powerful, those in office were furious and the emperor was displeased as well.
右拾遺獨孤郁、李正辭等陳述本末，帝乃解。
Right remonstrance officials Dugu Yu and Li Zhengci explained what had actually happened, and the emperor understood.
帝大駭，訊之無狀，群等皆貶。
The emperor was greatly alarmed; investigation found no substance to the charge, and Qun and the others were all demoted.
帝為御通化門祖道，賜御餌禁方。
The emperor saw him off in person at Tonghua Gate and bestowed imperial provisions and secret medical prescriptions.
江淮旱，浙東、西尤甚，有司不為請，吉甫白以時救恤，帝驚，馳遣使分道賑貸。
The Jianghuai region suffered drought, especially eastern and western Zhe; the relevant offices failed to request relief; Jifu reported the need for timely aid; the emperor was alarmed and urgently dispatched envoys along separate routes to distribute relief.
吉甫雖居外，每朝廷得失輒以聞。
Though posted outside the capital, Jifu reported every gain and loss at court to the emperor.