Cui Yanzhao (),
courtesy name
A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...
Siwen (), 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 ...
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 Xizong.
Background
It is not known when Cui Yanzhao was born. He was from the "Lesser Branch" of the prominent Cui clan of Qinghe (清河, in modern
Xingtai
Xingtai (), formerly known as Xingzhou and Shunde, is a prefecture-level city in southern Hebei province, People's Republic of China. It has a total area of and administers 4 districts, 2 county-level cities and 12 counties. At the 2020 censu ...
,
Hebei
Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...
), and his ancestors originally claimed ancestry from the ruling house of the
Spring and Autumn period
The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives fr ...
state
Qi. Cui Yanzhao's traceable ancestry included officials of
Han Dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
(including
Cui Yan
Cui Yan (165–216), courtesy name Jigui, was a Chinese politician serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. In his early life, he served briefly in the local district office before leaving home to study und ...
),
Liu Song
Song, known as Liu Song (), Former Song (前宋) or Song of (the) Southern Dynasty (南朝宋) in historiography, was an imperial dynasty of China and the first of the four Southern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. ...
,
Northern Wei
Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties ...
, and
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 ...
. However, neither his grandfather Cui Zhi () nor his father Cui Qi () was listed with any official titles.
['']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. 178. Cui Yanzhao and Wang Ning () were cousins (their mothers were sisters), but they developed an enmity because Wang passed the
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 in the ''Jinshi'' class first and became arrogant. On one occasion after Wang did so (but before Cui would eventually do so as well, in 849
[), when Cui was at Wang's house, Wang met him while dressed informally (thus showing a lack of respect), and further commented to Cui, "Maybe you should take the ''Mingjing'' 明經)examination instead." This greatly offended Cui,]['']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 ...
'', vol. 252. as the ''Mingjing'' examination was considered far less prestigious than the ''Jinshi'' examination. Still, even by this point, Cui was known for his deep understanding of Confucianism
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...
.[''New Book of Tang'', vol. 183.] After Cui himself passed the imperial examinations in 849 (during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong), he served on the staffs of several regional governors. He was known for his understanding of the economy as well as administrative capabilities.[
]
During Emperor Yizong's reign
Early in the ''Xiantong'' era (860-874) of Emperor Xuānzong's son and successor Emperor Yizong, Cui Yanzhao became ''Bingbu Langzhong'' (), a low-level official at the ministry of defense (兵部, ''Bingbu''); he was then promoted to be ''Bingbu Langzhong'' (), a supervisory official at the ministry of defense, and put in charge of drafting edicts. He was then made ''Zhongshu Sheren'' (), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, ''Zhongshu Sheng''), and later deputy minister of census () and director of finances.[
In 869, Cui was made 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 Heyang Circuit (河陽, headquartered in modern Jiaozuo
Jiaozuo ( ; postal: Tsiaotso) is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Henan province, China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the south, Xinxiang to the east, Jiyuan to the ...
, 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 ...
) and the prefect of Heyang's capital Meng Prefecture (). In 871, he was transferred to Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
Taiyuan (; ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; also known as (), ()) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. ...
, Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
), to serve as its military governor and the mayor of its capital Taiyuan Municipality. It was said that at that time, the Shatuo
The Shatuo, or the Shatuo Turks (; also transcribed as Sha-t'o, Sanskrit SartZuev Yu.A., ''"Horse Tamgas from Vassal Princedoms (Translation of Chinese composition "Tanghuyao" of 8-10th centuries)"'', Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences, Alma-Ata, I ...
tribesmen of the region did not obey Tang laws, and the circuit was much disturbed. Cui governed the circuit with both grace and might, and within a span of three years, the circuit had become peaceful. According to his biographies in both the ''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 ...
'' and the ''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 ...
'', when he was initially set to be transferred to another circuit at that point, the senior residents of the circuit submitted a petition requesting that he remain at Hedong,[ and Emperor Yizong agreed.][
]
During Emperor Xizong's reign
Emperor Yizong died in 873 and was succeeded by his young son Emperor Xizong.[ At that time, one of 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 ...
s was Zhao Yin Zhao Yin (, died 881),'' Old Book of Tang'', vol. 19, part 2. courtesy name Dayin (大隱), formally the Count of Tianshui (天水伯), was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Yizong and ...
, who passed the ''Jinshi'' examination in the same year as Cui Yanzhao, and Zhao recommended Cui as having economic abilities.[ In 874, Cui was recalled from Hedong to serve as the deputy minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎, ''Libu Shilang'') and the director of the salt and iron monopolies.][ Later in the year, when he was referred to as deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, ''Bingbu Shilang'') and director of finances, he was made ''Zhongshu Shilang'' (), the deputy head of the legislative bureau, and given the designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'' (), making him a chancellor ''de facto''.][ As chancellor, Cui assisted his senior colleague Xiao Fang in reforming the chancellors' office (as several recent chancellors, ]Yang Shou
Yang Shou (; died April 11, 868 Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter'' Old Book of Tang'', vol. 177.), courtesy name Cangzhi (), formally Baron of Jinyang (), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chan ...
, Lu Yan
Lu Yan (路巖) (829–874), courtesy name Luzhan (魯瞻), was an official of the Tang dynasty of China, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Yizong.
Background and early career
Lu Yan was born in 829, during the reign of Emp ...
, and Wei Baoheng Wei Baoheng (韋保衡) (died 873), courtesy name Yunyong (蘊用), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty. He became extremely powerful late in the reign of his father-in-law Emperor Yizong, rising to the post of chancellor and becoming the m ...
, had just recently been exiled and then put to death for their corruption as chancellors).[
Despite his high status, Cui, who was considered filially pious, and he attended to his mother daily as if he were a civilian.][ When he became chancellor, however, his mother, fearful that he would punish his cousin Wang Ning, who was then the deputy minister of defense, commented to her maid servant within Cui's earshot, "Make some new socks and shoes for me. Deputy Minister Wang and his mother will surely be exiled to the wilderness. I will leave with my sister." Cui bowed and wept, stating, "I will never do that." Therefore, Wang was not punished.][
In 876, because of illness, Cui was removed from his chancellor position and made a senior 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.] He died thereafter, but when he did so is not known.[
]
Notes
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. 178.
* ''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. 183.
* ''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 ...
'', vol. 252.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cui, Yanzhao
9th-century deaths
Chancellors under Emperor Xizong of Tang
Tang dynasty economists
Tang dynasty jiedushi of Heyang Circuit
Tang dynasty jiedushi of Hedong Circuit
Mayors of Taiyuan
Year of birth unknown
Cui clan of Qinghe