Sui and Tang · Official

Wei Jian 韋堅

Attested AD 713 - AD 756

Passages: 3
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Wei Jian was an official.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 713 to AD 756 開元
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 134, passage 241

References in the histories

New Book of Tang, Chapter 134Volume 134 Biographies 59: Yuwen, Wei, Yang, Wang · 3 passages

盧鉉者，本以御史事韋堅為判官，堅被劾，鉉發其私以結林甫。 Lu Xuan had first served as investigating censor and case officer under Wei Jian; when Jian was impeached, Xuan exposed his private wrongdoing to win favor with Li Linfu.

於是韋堅、楊慎矜、王鉷、楊國忠各以裒刻進，剝下益上，歲進羨緡百億萬為天子私藏，以濟橫賜，而天下經費自如，帝以為能，故重官累使，尊顯烜赫。 Then Wei Jian, Yang Shenjin, Wang Hong, and Yang Guozhong each rose by ruthless extraction, squeezing the people to enrich the throne. Each year they forwarded tens of billions in surplus coin into the emperor's private hoard to fund lavish gifts, while ordinary state expenses seemed untouched. The emperor took this for competence and heaped offices and commissioner posts on them until they blazed with rank and power.

而堅等所欲既充，還用權冒以相屠脅，四族皆覆，為天下笑。 Once Jian and the others had gotten what they wanted, they turned power and intrigue against one another; all four families were destroyed and became a laughingstock to the realm.