Ji Xu
Encyclopedia
Ji Xu was an official of Wu Zetian
's Zhou Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor.
. He was said to be tall, good at hiding his emotions, but daring to speak. After passing the imperial examination
, he was made the sheriff of Mingtang County (明堂), one of the counties making up the western capital Chang'an
. At that time, his father Ji Zhe (吉哲) was serving as the prefect of Yi Prefecture (易州, in modern Baoding
, Hebei
) and was accused of receiving bribes, a capital offense. Ji Xu went to see Wu Zetian's powerful nephew Wu Chengsi
and offered to have his two younger sisters become Wu Chengsi's servant girls. Ji Xu's sisters, after being delivered to Wu Chengsi's mansion, however, would not speak for three days, and he asked them why -- and they responded, "Our father has violated the law and is set to be sentenced to death, and therefore we are worried." Wu Chengsi interceded on Ji Zhe's behalf, and Ji Zhe was spared.
-- a previously powerful secret service official who had been demoted -- and let Lai report this to Wu Zetian. As a part of subsequent investigation ordered by Wu Zetian, 36 families were slaughtered. Lai then wanted to monopolize Wu Zetian's awards, and therefore began to accuse Ji Xu of crimes. When Ji Xu heard this, he made an emergency secret report to Wu Zetian, and when she summoned him to her presence, he defended himself. Therefore, while Lai became powerful again, Ji was also promoted.
Later that year, when Lai was accused of planning to falsely accuse the Wu clan imperial princes and Wu Zetian's daughter Princess Taiping
, Princess Taiping and the Wu clan princes reported this to Wu Zetian, and she arrested him, but was not certain whether to execute him, as she believed that he had contributed to her reign. On an occasion when Wu Zetian was touring her garden, Ji was attending to her, and she asked him whether there was anything unusual happening among the people. He pointed out that the people were surprised that, despite the serious crimes that Lai was accused of, Wu Zetian had not put him to death. Wu Zetian, accepting Ji's suggestion that Lai should be put to death, and did so. She also promoted Ji to be an assistant censor. It was said that because Ji was talented and full of strategies, Wu Zetian greatly trusted him as a strategist.
, a former emperor of Tang Dynasty
, which was interrupted by Wu Zetian's reign, was crown prince
, but her nephews Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi
had designs on the position, and were constantly having their associates lobby for them, pointing out that no emperor had ever designated someone of a different clan as heir. Ji, who was friendly with Wu Zetian's lovers Zhang Yizhi
and Zhang Changzong
, advised them that they would be in desperate situations if Wu Zetian should die and suggested that they should suggest the return of Li Dan's older brother Li Zhe
the Prince of Luling, himself a former emperor whom Wu Zetian had deposed and exiled -- something also advocated by the chancellors Di Renjie
, Wang Fangqing
, and Wang Jishan
. The Zhangs did so, and Wu Zetian, knowing that it was Ji who had given them the idea, summoned Ji and questioned him about it. At Ji's further urging, Wu Zetian agreed with the proposal and, in 698, recalled Li Zhe to the capital. Soon, Li Dan offered to yield the position of crown prince, and Wu Zetian created Li Zhe crown prince and changed his name to Li Xian.
Also in 698, there was a major Eastern Tujue attack. Wu Zetian made Ji the prefect of Xiang Prefecture (相州, in modern Handan
, Hebei
), and made him in charge of reviewing the affairs of the armies she sent against Eastern Tujue forces. Ji initially declined, claiming that he knew nothing about military mattes, and she responded, "The thieves [(i.e., the Eastern Tujue forces)] will be departing, and I want you to calm the people." During the campaign, Ji observed that the people were glad to serve on the campaign when they heard that Li Xian had been nominally put in command of the army, and he told this to Wu Zetian, who in turn told him to publicize it to imperial officials. Because of this, the Wu clan imperial princes despised him. Upon the end of the campaign, there was an occasion when Ji and Wu Yizong (武懿宗) the Prince of Henan, a grandson of Wu Zetian's uncle Wu Shiyi (武士逸), were arguing over whose contributions during the Eastern Tujue campaign was greater -- and during the argument, Ji, who was tall and strong, physically imposed himself over Wu YIzong, who was short and bent in his stature, leading Wu Zetian to be displeased, commenting to herself, "Ji Xu even disrespects the Wus in my presence. After that certain day [(i.e., her death)], how can I depend on him?" Still, in 699, she made him, along with Zhang Yizhi, Zhang Changzong, Tian Guidao (田歸道), Li Jiongxiu
, Xue Ji
, and Yuan Banqian (員半千), imperial attendants. She soon made him the deputy minister of civil service affairs (天官侍郎, Tianguan Shilang) and gave him the designation Tong Fengge Luantai Pinzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. While he was serving as chancellor, Wu Zetian, still displeased over his disrespect for Wu Yizong, on an occasion when Ji was reporting on matters of state and citing various historical incidents to support his argument, in order to frighten him, intentionally showed her anger, stating:
Ji, in fear and sweating profusely, knelt and begged for forgiveness, and Wu Zetian did not take any actions against him at the time.
, Zhejiang
). Before he departed, he had a last meeting with Wu Zetian, in which he wept and stated, "I am departing far from the palace gate, and I may never see Your Imperial Majesty again. However, I have some final words." Wu Zetian ordered him to sit down and asked him what he had to say. He said, "If clay and water are mixed into mud, do clay and water have any dispute with each other?" She responded, "Of course not." He then said, "If you divide the mud, taking one half and molding it into a Buddha
, and taking the other half and molding it into a Tianzun, do they have a dispute with each other?" She responded, "Of course." Ji then bowed and stated:
She responded, "I know this as well, but the situation is already like this, and there is nothing I can do."
Ji appeared to not have actually reported to Angu, but instead settled in Yang Prefecture (揚州, roughly modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
), and died soon thereafter. His contribution to Tang Dynasty's restoration was not recognized until Li Dan was restored to the throne in 710 as Emperor Ruizong, and Emperor Ruizong posthumously honored him.
Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian , personal name Wu Zhao , often referred to as Tian Hou during the Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant...
's Zhou Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor.
Background
It is not known when Ji Xu was born, but it is known that he was from the Zhou capital LuoyangLuoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
. He was said to be tall, good at hiding his emotions, but daring to speak. After passing the imperial examination
Imperial examination
The Imperial examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of...
, he was made the sheriff of Mingtang County (明堂), one of the counties making up the western capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
. At that time, his father Ji Zhe (吉哲) was serving as the prefect of Yi Prefecture (易州, in modern Baoding
Baoding
-Administrative divisions:Baoding prefecture-level city consists of 3 municipal districts, 4 county-level cities, 18 counties:-Demographics:The Baoding urban area has a population of around 1,006,000 . The population of the Baoding administrative area is 10,890,000. The considerable majority are...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
) and was accused of receiving bribes, a capital offense. Ji Xu went to see Wu Zetian's powerful nephew Wu Chengsi
Wu Chengsi
Wu Chengsi , formally Prince Xuan of Wei , was a nephew of Chinese sovereign Wu Zetian and an imperial prince during her Zhou Dynasty...
and offered to have his two younger sisters become Wu Chengsi's servant girls. Ji Xu's sisters, after being delivered to Wu Chengsi's mansion, however, would not speak for three days, and he asked them why -- and they responded, "Our father has violated the law and is set to be sentenced to death, and therefore we are worried." Wu Chengsi interceded on Ji Zhe's behalf, and Ji Zhe was spared.
Rise to prominence
In 697, Ji Xu heard that the official Liu Sili (劉思禮) had been involved in a treasonous plot to make another official, Qilian Yao (綦連耀), emperor. He reported this to fellow sheriff Lai JunchenLai Junchen
Lai Junchen was a secret police official during the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, whose ability to interrogate and falsely implicate officials of crimes made him a subject of fear and hatred...
-- a previously powerful secret service official who had been demoted -- and let Lai report this to Wu Zetian. As a part of subsequent investigation ordered by Wu Zetian, 36 families were slaughtered. Lai then wanted to monopolize Wu Zetian's awards, and therefore began to accuse Ji Xu of crimes. When Ji Xu heard this, he made an emergency secret report to Wu Zetian, and when she summoned him to her presence, he defended himself. Therefore, while Lai became powerful again, Ji was also promoted.
Later that year, when Lai was accused of planning to falsely accuse the Wu clan imperial princes and Wu Zetian's daughter Princess Taiping
Princess Taiping
Princess Taiping was a princess of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and her mother Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty. She was the youngest daughter of Wu Zetian and Emperor Gaozong and was powerful during the reigns of her mother and her elder brothers Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong , particularly...
, Princess Taiping and the Wu clan princes reported this to Wu Zetian, and she arrested him, but was not certain whether to execute him, as she believed that he had contributed to her reign. On an occasion when Wu Zetian was touring her garden, Ji was attending to her, and she asked him whether there was anything unusual happening among the people. He pointed out that the people were surprised that, despite the serious crimes that Lai was accused of, Wu Zetian had not put him to death. Wu Zetian, accepting Ji's suggestion that Lai should be put to death, and did so. She also promoted Ji to be an assistant censor. It was said that because Ji was talented and full of strategies, Wu Zetian greatly trusted him as a strategist.
As Wu Zetian's confidant
At this time, Wu Zetian's son Li DanEmperor Ruizong of Tang
Emperor Ruizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Dàn , known at times during his life as Li Xulun , Li Lun , Wu Lun , and Wu Dan , was the fifth and ninth emperor of Tang Dynasty...
, a former emperor of Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, which was interrupted by Wu Zetian's reign, was crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
, but her nephews Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi
Wu Sansi
Wu Sansi , formally Prince Xuan of Liang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and his aunt Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, becoming an imperial prince and chancellor during the reign of Wu Zetian and subsequently, while only briefly chancellor during the second reign of Wu Zetian's son...
had designs on the position, and were constantly having their associates lobby for them, pointing out that no emperor had ever designated someone of a different clan as heir. Ji, who was friendly with Wu Zetian's lovers Zhang Yizhi
Zhang Yizhi
Zhang Yizhi , formally the Duke of Heng , nickname Wulang , was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty who, along with his brother Zhang Changzong, became a lover of Wu Zetian and became very powerful late in her reign...
and Zhang Changzong
Zhang Changzong
Zhang Changzong , formally the Duke of Ye , nickname Liulang , was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty who, along with his brother Zhang Yizhi, became a lover of Wu Zetian and became very powerful late in her reign...
, advised them that they would be in desperate situations if Wu Zetian should die and suggested that they should suggest the return of Li Dan's older brother Li Zhe
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Xiǎn , at times during his life Li Zhe and Wu Xian , was the fourth Emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 684 and again from 705 to 710.Emperor Zhongzong was the son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu...
the Prince of Luling, himself a former emperor whom Wu Zetian had deposed and exiled -- something also advocated by the chancellors Di Renjie
Di Renjie
Dí Rénjié , courtesy name Huaiying , formally Duke Wenhui of Liang , was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, twice serving as chancellor during her reign...
, Wang Fangqing
Wang Fangqing
Wang Fangqing , formal name Wang Lin but went by the courtesy name of Fangqing, formally Duke Zhen of Shiquan , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.- Background :It is not known when Wang Fangqing was...
, and Wang Jishan
Wang Jishan
Wang Jishan , formally Duke Zhen of Xing , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.- Background :...
. The Zhangs did so, and Wu Zetian, knowing that it was Ji who had given them the idea, summoned Ji and questioned him about it. At Ji's further urging, Wu Zetian agreed with the proposal and, in 698, recalled Li Zhe to the capital. Soon, Li Dan offered to yield the position of crown prince, and Wu Zetian created Li Zhe crown prince and changed his name to Li Xian.
Also in 698, there was a major Eastern Tujue attack. Wu Zetian made Ji the prefect of Xiang Prefecture (相州, in modern Handan
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwestern part of Hebei Province of China.- History :Handan was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period , after the capital moved from Zhongmu. The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
), and made him in charge of reviewing the affairs of the armies she sent against Eastern Tujue forces. Ji initially declined, claiming that he knew nothing about military mattes, and she responded, "The thieves [(i.e., the Eastern Tujue forces)] will be departing, and I want you to calm the people." During the campaign, Ji observed that the people were glad to serve on the campaign when they heard that Li Xian had been nominally put in command of the army, and he told this to Wu Zetian, who in turn told him to publicize it to imperial officials. Because of this, the Wu clan imperial princes despised him. Upon the end of the campaign, there was an occasion when Ji and Wu Yizong (武懿宗) the Prince of Henan, a grandson of Wu Zetian's uncle Wu Shiyi (武士逸), were arguing over whose contributions during the Eastern Tujue campaign was greater -- and during the argument, Ji, who was tall and strong, physically imposed himself over Wu YIzong, who was short and bent in his stature, leading Wu Zetian to be displeased, commenting to herself, "Ji Xu even disrespects the Wus in my presence. After that certain day [(i.e., her death)], how can I depend on him?" Still, in 699, she made him, along with Zhang Yizhi, Zhang Changzong, Tian Guidao (田歸道), Li Jiongxiu
Li Jiongxiu
Li Jiongxiu , courtesy name Maozhi , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.- Background :...
, Xue Ji
Xue Ji
Xue Ji , courtesy name Sitong , was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Ruizong. He was considered one of the four greatest calligraphers of early Tang, along with Yu Shinan, Ouyang Xun, and Chu Suiliang.-Background:Xue Ji was born in...
, and Yuan Banqian (員半千), imperial attendants. She soon made him the deputy minister of civil service affairs (天官侍郎, Tianguan Shilang) and gave him the designation Tong Fengge Luantai Pinzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. While he was serving as chancellor, Wu Zetian, still displeased over his disrespect for Wu Yizong, on an occasion when Ji was reporting on matters of state and citing various historical incidents to support his argument, in order to frighten him, intentionally showed her anger, stating:
Ji, in fear and sweating profusely, knelt and begged for forgiveness, and Wu Zetian did not take any actions against him at the time.
Fall from power
However, the Wu clan princes, still despising Ji Xu, reported in 700 that Ji's younger brother had submitted false documentations in order to be made an official. As a result, Ji Xu was demoted to be the sheriff of Angu County (安固, in modern WenzhouWenzhou
Wenzhou is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. The area under its jurisdiction, which includes two satellite cities and six counties, had a population of 9,122,100 as of 2010....
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
). Before he departed, he had a last meeting with Wu Zetian, in which he wept and stated, "I am departing far from the palace gate, and I may never see Your Imperial Majesty again. However, I have some final words." Wu Zetian ordered him to sit down and asked him what he had to say. He said, "If clay and water are mixed into mud, do clay and water have any dispute with each other?" She responded, "Of course not." He then said, "If you divide the mud, taking one half and molding it into a Buddha
Buddhahood
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
, and taking the other half and molding it into a Tianzun, do they have a dispute with each other?" She responded, "Of course." Ji then bowed and stated:
She responded, "I know this as well, but the situation is already like this, and there is nothing I can do."
Ji appeared to not have actually reported to Angu, but instead settled in Yang Prefecture (揚州, roughly modern Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), and died soon thereafter. His contribution to Tang Dynasty's restoration was not recognized until Li Dan was restored to the throne in 710 as Emperor Ruizong, and Emperor Ruizong posthumously honored him.