Cui Gong (崔珙) (died 854), formally the Duke of Anping (安平公), was an official of the
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
, serving as a
chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
during the reign of
Emperor Wuzong.
Background
It is not known when Cui Gong was born. He was from the "Second Boling branch" of
Cui clan of Boling The Cui clan of Boling (博陵崔氏) was a notable Chinese clan of noble descent which was politically active from the Han dynasty to the end of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. They shared the same ancestry as the Cui clan of Qinghe. T ...
. Cui Gong's grandfather Cui Yi (崔意) and Cui Gong's father Cui Ting (崔頲) were served as a prefectural prefect. Cui Ting had eight sons, all of whom were considered capable and who later became Tang officials, and it was said that they were compared to the Han Dynasty official
Xun Yu
Xun Yu (163–212), courtesy name Wenruo, was a Chinese military official and politician who served as an adviser to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China.
Early life
Xun Yu was from Yingchuan Commandery (around pr ...
's father and his seven uncles, who were known as the "eight dragons."
[''Old Book of Tang'', vol. 177.]
Cui Gong had the same mother as his older brother Cui Guan (崔琯), who would also have a prominent career of his own. It was said that Cui Gong passed a special
imperial examination
The imperial examination (; lit. "subject recommendation") refers to a civil-service examination system in Imperial China, administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureaucrats by ...
s for making prompt rulings, and subsequently served on staffs of regional governors. It was also said that he was serious in disposition, and was skillful in administration.
[
]
During Emperor Wenzong's reign
Early in the ''Taihe'' era (827–835) of Emperor Wenzong, Cui Gong served as the prefect of Si Prefecture (泗州, in modern Huai'an
Huai'an (), formerly called Huaiyin () until 2001, is a prefecture-level city in the central part of Jiangsu province in Eastern China. Huai'an is situated almost directly south of Lianyungang, southeast of Suqian, northwest of Yancheng, almos ...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...
), and later was recalled to the capital Chang'an
Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin Shi ...
to serve as the minister of palace supplies (太府卿, ''Taifu Qing''). In 833, he was commissioned at the military governor (''Jiedushi
The ''jiedushi'' (), or jiedu, was a title for regional military governors in China which was established in the Tang dynasty and abolished in the Yuan dynasty. The post of ''jiedushi'' has been translated as "military commissioner", "legate", ...
'') of Lingnan Circuit (嶺南, headquartered in modern Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
, Guangdong
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
) and the prefect of its capital Guang Prefecture (廣州). Before he departed, he met with Emperor Wenzong to thank the emperor for the commission. Emperor Wenzong asked him how he planned to govern the circuit, and Cui was able to respond clearly and concretely, impressing Emperor Wenzong.[ At that time, Gao Yu (高瑀) was the military governor of Wuning Circuit (武寧, headquartered in modern ]Xuzhou
Xuzhou (徐州), also known as Pengcheng (彭城) in ancient times, is a major city in northwestern Jiangsu province, China. The city, with a recorded population of 9,083,790 at the 2020 census (3,135,660 of which lived in the built-up area ma ...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...
), which was well known for its unruly and difficult-to-control soldiers. As Gao was unable to control them, Emperor Wenzong wanted someone with serious presence to govern Wuning, and he therefore decided to transfer Cui to Wuning to serve as its military governor and the prefect of its capital Xu Prefecture (徐州); Wang Maoyuan (王茂元) was sent to Lingnan instead. It was said that after Cui arrived at Wuning, he was able to draw a balance between strictness and grace, causing the Wuning people to fall into line.[
In 837, Cui was recalled to Chang'an and made the commander of the Chang'an police. Soon thereafter, he was made the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the Chang'an region). That year, there was a serious drought in the region. Cui requested that the Chan River (滻水) waters that usually were directed into the palace be reduced by 90%, so that the water could be used to water the people's fields, and Emperor Wenzong agreed.][ In 838, when an assassination attempt was made against the ]chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
Li Shi Li Shi or Lishi may refer to:
* Lishi (理事; "Noumenon and Phenomenon"), a Zen Buddhist concept, see Five Ranks#Interplay of Absolute and Relative
People
* Li Shi (emperor) (died 361), emperor of Cheng Han
* Lishi (Three Kingdoms) (李氏, ...
(traditionally believed to be engineered by the powerful eunuch
A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function.
The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium ...
Qiu Shiliang Qiu Shiliang () (died 843), courtesy name Kuangmei (), formally the Duke of Chu (), was an eunuch official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, becoming particularly powerful after the Ganlu Incident — an event in which Emperor Wenzong tried, b ...
),[''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 246.] Cui, who was unable to capture Li Shi's would-be assassins, was punished by being stripped of part of his salary.[
]
During Emperor Wuzong's reign
Emperor Wenzong died in 840 and was succeeded by his brother Emperor Wuzong. At that time, Cui Gong was serving as the minister of justice (刑部尚書, ''Xingbu Shangshu''), and soon after Emperor Wuzong's ascension was made a chancellor ''de facto'' with the title ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'' (同中書門下平章事). He was also made the director of the salt and iron monopolies. When, in 841, Emperor Wuzong, believing the former chancellors Yang Sifu
Yang Sifu (楊嗣復) (783–848), courtesy name Jizhi (繼之), nickname Qingmen (慶門), formally Count Xiaomu of Hongnong (弘農孝穆伯), was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenz ...
and Li Jue had opposed his succession and therefore wanted to force them to commit suicide, Cui, along with his fellow chancellors Li Deyu
Li Deyu (; 787 – January 26, 850Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter.''Old Book of Tang'', vol. 174.), courtesy name Wenrao (), formally the Duke of Wei (), was a Chinese poet, politician, and writer during the Tang Dynasty, serv ...
, Cui Dan Cui Dan () was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Wenzong and Emperor Wenzong's brother Emperor Wuzong.
Background
It is not known when Cui Dan was born. He was from the "Lesser Branch ...
, and Chen Yixing Chen Yixing (陳夷行) (died 844''Old Book of Tang'', vol. 18, part 1.), courtesy name Zhoudao (周道),was a Chinese historian, military general, and politician during the Tang dynasty, serving twice as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor ...
, interceded, and Yang and Li Jue were spared of their lives, although they were exiled.[
It was said that Cui Gong was friendly with Li Deyu, who was then, effectively, the leading chancellor.][ However, in 842, there was an occasion when Cui Gong recommended ]Liu Gongquan
Liu Gongquan (), courtesy name Chengxuan (), was a Chinese calligrapher, essayist, and politician who lived during the late Tang dynasty. Liu Gongquan was especially famous for regular script () and was one of the 4 calligraphic masters of regular ...
to be an imperial scholar at Jixian Institute (集賢院) and serve as its acting director. Li Deyu, displeased that this recommendation did not come from himself, found an excuse soon thereafter to have Liu demoted.[ Further, Cui Gong had a rivalry with another official, ]Cui Xuan Cui Xuan (), courtesy name Taishuo (), formally the Duke of Wei (), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving two terms as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Wuzong and Emperor Wuzong's uncle Emperor Xuānzong.
Backgrou ...
. After Cui Gong was removed from his chancellor post in 843 and made ''You Pushe'' (右僕射, one of the heads of the executive bureau of government (尚書省, ''Shangshu Sheng'')), Cui Xian succeeded him as chancellor and the director of salt and iron monopolies, and accused him of having misused the salt and iron monopoly funds from Songzhou
Songzhou or Song Prefecture () was a ''Zhou (country subdivision), zhou'' (prefecture) in history of China, imperial China centering on modern Shangqiu, Henan, China. It existed (intermittently) from 596 to 1006.
The Song dynasty was named after t ...
and Hua (滑州, in modern Anyang
Anyang (; ) is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi and Hebei to its west and north respectively.
It had a ...
, Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
) Prefectures, as well as being protective of the warlord Liu Congjian Liu Congjian () (803–843''New Book of Tang'', vol. 214.), formally the Duke of Pei (), was a Chinese military general and politician of the Tang Dynasty who is most known for his term as the military governor (''Jiedushi'') of Zhaoyi Circuit (昭 ...
. As a result, Cui Gong was exiled and demoted to be the prefect of Li Prefecture (澧州, in modern Changde
Changde ( ) is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Hunan province, People's Republic of China. In addition to the urban districts, Changde also administers the county-level city of Jinshi City, Jinshi and six counties. Changde is adjacent ...
, Hunan
Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to ...
), and yet later further demoted to be the military advisor to the prefect of En Prefecture (恩州, in modern Jiangmen
Jiangmen (), alternately romanized in Cantonese as Kongmoon, is a prefecture-level city in Guangdong Province in southern China. As of the 2020 census, its three urban districts, plus Heshan City being conurbated, with 2,657,662 inhabitants ar ...
, Guangdong
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
).[
]
During Emperor Xuānzong's reign
In 846, after Emperor Wuzong died and was succeeded by his uncle Emperor Xuānzong, Cui Gong and four other former chancellors that Emperor Wuzong had exiled – Li Zongmin Li Zongmin (李宗閔) (died 846?''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 248.), courtesy name Sunzhi (損之), was a Chinese politician of the Tang Dynasty, serving twice as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenzong. He was considered one of the leading fi ...
, Niu Sengru, Yang Sifu, and Li Jue – were allowed to be moved closer to Chang'an; in Cui's case, he was made the secretary general of An Prefecture (安州, in modern Xiaogan
Xiaogan () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Hubei province, People's Republic of China, some northwest of the provincial capital of Wuhan. According to the 2020 census, its population totaled 4,270,371, of whom 988,479 lived in the built ...
, Hubei
Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
).[''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 248.] Sometime thereafter, he was made an advisor to the Crown Prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...
,[However, as there was no crown prince at the time, the post was entirely honorary.] and then the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji
() is a prefecture-level city in western Shaanxi province, People's Republic of China. Since the early 1990s, Baoji has been the second largest city in Shaanxi.
Geography
The prefecture-level city of Baoji had a population of 3,321,853 accordin ...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see #Name, § Name) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichu ...
).[ In 848, in the middle of Tang campaigns to recover territory that had been lost to Tufan ever since the end of the ]Anshi Rebellion
The An Lushan Rebellion was an uprising against the Tang dynasty of China towards the mid-point of the dynasty (from 755 to 763), with an attempt to replace it with the Yan dynasty. The rebellion was originally led by An Lushan, a general offi ...
, Cui had a victory over Tufan forces and recaptured Qingshui (清水, in modern Tianshui
Tianshui is the second-largest cities in Gansu, city in Gansu list of Chinese provinces, Province, China. The city is located in the southeast of the province, along the upper reaches of the Wei River and at the boundary of the Loess Plateau and ...
, Gansu
Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province.
The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...
).[
In 849, Cui Xian was again chancellor. When Cui Gong heard this, he offered to resign on account of illness. Emperor Xuānzong made him an advisor to the Crown Prince, with his office at the eastern capital ]Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...
. Sometime before 851 he served as defender of Luoyang, and in 852 he was made military governor of Fengxiang Circuit again. He died in office, probably in 854, as in this year a new military governor of Fengxiang Circuit was appointed. His grandnephew Cui Yuan later served as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Zhaozong and Emperor Ai, near the end of Tang Dynasty.[
]
Notes and references
* ''Old Book of Tang
The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...
'', vol. 177.
* ''New Book of Tang
The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...
'', vol. 182.
* ''Zizhi Tongjian
''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...
'', vols. 244
__NOTOC__
Year 244 (Roman numerals, CCXLIV) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Tiberius Pollenius Armenius Peregrinus, Arm ...
, 246
__NOTOC__
Year 246 ( CCXLVI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 246th Year of the Common Era ( CE) and Anno Domini ( AD) designations, the 246th year of the 1st millennium, th ...
, 247, 248
__NOTOC__
Year 248 ( CCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Philippus and Severus (or, less frequently, year 1001 '' ...
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cui Gong
849 deaths
Chancellors under Emperor Wuzong of Tang
Tang dynasty jiedushi of Lingnan Circuit
Tang dynasty jiedushi of Wuning Circuit
Mayors of Xi'an
Tang dynasty jiedushi of Fengxiang Circuit
Year of birth unknown
Year of death uncertain
Cui clan of Boling