Sui and Tang · Official and Statesman

Wu Yuanheng 武元衡

First attested AD 805; died AD 815

Passages: 8
Chapters: 3
Histories: 1

Overview

Wu Yuanheng was an official and Statesman.

Life and dates

Death

Assassinated · Authority Li Shidao (李師道)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 75
Cause Assassination · Murdered by assassins planted by Wang Chengzong and Li Shidao
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 173, passage 23
AD 815 元和十年
Assassination
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 84

Attested activity

AD 815 元和十年
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 213, passages 75, 84
AD 811 to AD 817 元和間
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 173, passages 6, 14, 23
AD 805 to AD 820 憲宗時
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 175, passage 22

Key source chapters

Career and standing

chief minister 宰相
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 173, passages 14, 23; New Book of Tang 213, passage 74

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 173, passage 6

Events and relationships

Remonstrated
Political · Advocate · With Pei Huan (裴寰)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 173, passage 14
Relation Recommender of · Person Pei Du (裴度)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 173, passage 6

Assessments and attributes

Assessment had the emperor's ear · Mode named-source-report
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 74

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 173, passage 6

References in the histories

Search passages

History

8 passages

New Book of Tang, Chapter 173Volume 173 Biographies 98: Pei Du · 3 passages

武元衡帥西川，表掌節度府書記。 When Wu Yuanheng took command of Xichuan, he recommended Du to head the secretariat of his headquarters.

宰相武元衡婉辭諍，帝怒未置。 Chief minister Wu Yuanheng pleaded gently on Huan's behalf, but the emperor was furious and would not relent.

王承宗、李師道謀緩蔡兵，乃伏盜京師，刺用事大臣，已害宰相元衡，又擊度，刃三進，斷靴，刜背裂中單，又傷首，度冒氈，得不死。 Wang Chengzong and Li Shidao, hoping to ease pressure on Cai, planted assassins in the capital to kill leading ministers. They had already murdered Chief Minister Wu Yuanheng and now attacked Du. The blade struck three times, cutting through his boot, slashing his back and tearing his under-robe, and wounding his head. Du survived only because he was wearing a thick felt cloak.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 175Volume 175 Biographies 100: Dou, Liu, Two Zhangs, Yang, Xiong, Bai · 2 passages

武元衡、李吉甫皆所厚善，故召拜吏部郎中。 Wu Yuanheng and Li Jifu both favored him, and he was recalled as Director in the Ministry of Personnel.

元衡輔政，薦群代為中丞。 Yuanheng, as chief minister, recommended Qun to replace him as censor-in-chief.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 213Volume 213 Biographies 138: Buffer Regions: the Black, Green, and Yellow Seas · 3 passages

又有說師道曰：「上雖志討蔡，謀皆出宰相，而武元衡得君，願為袁盎事，後宰相必懼，請罷兵，是不用師，蔡圍解矣。」 Another adviser told Shidao: "The emperor means to crush Cai, but strategy rests with the chief ministers, and Wu Yuanheng has his ear. Do as Yuan Ang did—strike down the minister the emperor trusts; the court will panic and sue for peace, the armies will stand down, and Cai will be saved."

乃使人殺元衡，傷裴度。 He sent assassins who killed Wu Yuanheng and wounded Pei Du.

及窮治，嘉珍、察乃害武元衡者。 Under full investigation it emerged that Jiazhen and Cha were Yuanheng's assassins.