Pei Tan (Late Tang)
Encyclopedia
Pei Tan (died June 25, 874), courtesy name Zhijin (知進), was an official of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
, serving briefly as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xizong
.
refers to him as being from the "Southern Origin" branch of the Pei clan (i.e., the branch that was descended from Pei Shuye (裴叔業), who had been a Southern Qi
general who submitted to Northern Wei
), the table did not actually trace any family lines from Pei Shuye to Pei Tan. Rather, it gave a family line tracing Pei Tan as part of the family tree of the "Middle Juan" branch, ultimately claiming ancestry from the mythical emperor Zhuanxu
. The traceable parts of Pei Tan's ancestry included officials of Han Dynasty
, Cao Wei
, Northern Wei
, Northern Zhou
, Sui Dynasty
, and Tang Dynasty
. Pei Tan's grandfather Pei Gao (裴郜) served as a prefectural secretary general, and his father Pei Ai (裴乂) served as the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Fujian Circuit (福建, headquartered in modern Fuzhou
, Fujian
).
s in the Jinshi class — although when that occurred is not known — the official Shen Chuanshi (沈傳師), who was then the governor of Xuanshe Circuit (宣歙, headquartered in modern Xuancheng
, Anhui
), invited Pei to serve his staff. Pei Tan was later recalled to the capital Chang'an
to serve as Zuo Shiyi (左拾遺), a low-level advisory official at the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng), as well as an editor of the imperial history. He later served as the prefect of Chu Prefecture (楚州, in modern Huai'an
, Jiangsu
).
Later, during the time that Linghu Tao
was the leading chancellor, Linghu recommended Pei Tan to serve as Zhifang Langzhong (職方郎中), a supervisory official at the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, Libu), and be put in charge of drafting edicts. Another chancellor, Pei Xiu
, however, vehemently opposed, to no avail. (The reason for Pei Xiu's opposition is not stated in history.) The customs of the time dictated that when an official in charge of drafting edicts were to be installed, four chancellors would congratulate him and place a bench in their office to allow him to sit. When Pei Tan met Pei Xiu at this ceremony, he thanked Pei Xiu. Pei Xiu, however, reacted angrily, stating, "This was the action of Chancellor Linghu. What did I, Pei Xiu, have to do with this?" Pei Xiu then had his attendants bring a litter
, got on the litter, and left. The administrators who saw this were deeply shocked, believing that no official, ever since the start of the dynasty, had been subjected to such humiliation as Pei Tan had been.
Pei Tan later successively as the deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, Libu Shilang), governor of Jiangxi Circuit (江西, headquartered in modern Nanchang
, Jiangxi
), and prefect of Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan
, Shaanxi
). At some point, he must have also served as Shangshu Zuo Cheng (尚書左丞), one of the secretaries general at the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng), for it was during that time that his son married the daughter of the chancellor Yang Shou
. When his daughter-in-law's household items, which were given as dowry
, arrived at the Pei household, however, Pei saw that many of them were decorated with rhinoceros
horns and jade. This display of luxury angered him and said that it would destroy his family tradition for being frugal, and he had them destroyed.
, Pei Tan was recalled from Hua Prefecture to serve as Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng); he was also given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. He died three months later, while still serving as chancellor.
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty 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...
, serving briefly as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xizong
Emperor Xizong of Tang
Emperor Xizong of Tang , né Li Yan , later name changed to Li Xuan , was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 873 to 888. He was the fifth son of his predecessor Emperor Yizong and was the elder brother of his successor Emperor Zhaozong...
.
Background
It is not known when Pei Tan was born. While the table of the chancellors' family trees in the New Book of TangNew Book of Tang
The New Book of Tang , is a classic work of history about the Tang Dynasty edited by Ouyang Xiu and Song Qi and other official scholars of the Song Dynasty. The emperor called for a revision of the former Book of Tang in 1044. The New Book was presented to the throne in 1060. It was given its...
refers to him as being from the "Southern Origin" branch of the Pei clan (i.e., the branch that was descended from Pei Shuye (裴叔業), who had been a Southern Qi
Southern Qi
The Southern Qi Dynasty was the second of the Southern dynasties in China, followed by the Liang Dynasty. During its 23-year history, the dynasty was largely filled with instability, as after the death of the capable Emperor Gao and Emperor Wu, Emperor Wu's grandson Xiao Zhaoye was assassinated...
general who submitted to Northern Wei
Northern Wei
The Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...
), the table did not actually trace any family lines from Pei Shuye to Pei Tan. Rather, it gave a family line tracing Pei Tan as part of the family tree of the "Middle Juan" branch, ultimately claiming ancestry from the mythical emperor Zhuanxu
Zhuanxu
Zhuanxu , also known as Gaoyang is a mythological monarch of ancient China.A grandson of the Yellow Emperor, Zhuanxu led the Shi clan in an eastward migration to present-day Shandong, where intermarriages with the Dongyi clan enlarged and augmented their tribal influences...
. The traceable parts of Pei Tan's ancestry included officials of Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
, Cao Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
, Northern Wei
Northern Wei
The Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...
, Northern Zhou
Northern Zhou
The Northern Zhou Dynasty followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581. It was overthrown by the Sui Dynasty.Northern Zhou's basis of power was established by Yuwen Tai, who was paramount general of Western Wei, following the split of Northern Wei into Western Wei and...
, Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
, and 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...
. Pei Tan's grandfather Pei Gao (裴郜) served as a prefectural secretary general, and his father Pei Ai (裴乂) served as the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Fujian Circuit (福建, headquartered in modern Fuzhou
Fuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
, Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
).
Prior to chancellorship
After Pei Tan passed the imperial examinationImperial 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...
s in the Jinshi class — although when that occurred is not known — the official Shen Chuanshi (沈傳師), who was then the governor of Xuanshe Circuit (宣歙, headquartered in modern Xuancheng
Xuancheng
Xuancheng is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Anhui province of Eastern China. It borders Wuhu to the northwest, Chizhou to the west, Huangshan to the southwest, and the provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu to the southeast and northeast respectively....
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
), invited Pei to serve his staff. Pei Tan was later recalled to the 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...
to serve as Zuo Shiyi (左拾遺), a low-level advisory official at the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng), as well as an editor of the imperial history. He later served as the prefect of Chu Prefecture (楚州, in modern Huai'an
Huai'an
Huai'an , known as Huaiyin before 2001, is a prefecture-level city in northern Jiangsu province of Eastern China. It borders Suqian to the northwest, Lianyungang to the north, Yancheng to the east, Yangzhou to the southeast, and the province of Anhui to the southwest.The municipality has 4,799,889...
, 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...
).
Later, during the time that Linghu Tao
Linghu Tao
Linghu Tao , courtesy name Zizhi , formally the Duke of Zhao , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was the leading chancellor during the last nine years of the reign of Emperor Xuānzong, but was removed from his chancellor position after Emperor Xuānzong's death, subsequently...
was the leading chancellor, Linghu recommended Pei Tan to serve as Zhifang Langzhong (職方郎中), a supervisory official at the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, Libu), and be put in charge of drafting edicts. Another chancellor, Pei Xiu
Pei Xiu
Pei Xiu , style name Jiyan , was a minister, geographer, and cartographer of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history, as well as the subsequent Jin Dynasty. Pei Xiu was very much trusted by Sima Zhao, and participated in the suppression of Zhuge Dan's coup...
, however, vehemently opposed, to no avail. (The reason for Pei Xiu's opposition is not stated in history.) The customs of the time dictated that when an official in charge of drafting edicts were to be installed, four chancellors would congratulate him and place a bench in their office to allow him to sit. When Pei Tan met Pei Xiu at this ceremony, he thanked Pei Xiu. Pei Xiu, however, reacted angrily, stating, "This was the action of Chancellor Linghu. What did I, Pei Xiu, have to do with this?" Pei Xiu then had his attendants bring a litter
Litter (vehicle)
The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of persons. Examples of litter vehicles include lectica , jiao [较] , sedan chairs , palanquin , Woh , gama...
, got on the litter, and left. The administrators who saw this were deeply shocked, believing that no official, ever since the start of the dynasty, had been subjected to such humiliation as Pei Tan had been.
Pei Tan later successively as the deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, Libu Shilang), governor of Jiangxi Circuit (江西, headquartered in modern Nanchang
Nanchang
Nanchang is the capital of Jiangxi Province in southeastern China. It is located in the north-central portion of the province. As it is bounded on the west by the Jiuling Mountains, and on the east by Poyang Lake, it is famous for its scenery, rich history and cultural sites...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
), and prefect of Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan
Weinan
Weinan is a Municipality in the province of Shaanxi, PRC. The Grand Historian Sima Qian was born in Weinan.-Administration:...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
). At some point, he must have also served as Shangshu Zuo Cheng (尚書左丞), one of the secretaries general at the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng), for it was during that time that his son married the daughter of the chancellor Yang Shou
Yang Shou
Yang Shou , courtesy name Cangzhi , formally Baron of Jinyang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Yizong. He was known for his literary talent as a young man, but subsequently, as chancellor, was accused of corruption...
. When his daughter-in-law's household items, which were given as dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
, arrived at the Pei household, however, Pei saw that many of them were decorated with rhinoceros
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
horns and jade. This display of luxury angered him and said that it would destroy his family tradition for being frugal, and he had them destroyed.
Chancellorship
In 874, during the reign of Emperor XizongEmperor Xizong of Tang
Emperor Xizong of Tang , né Li Yan , later name changed to Li Xuan , was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 873 to 888. He was the fifth son of his predecessor Emperor Yizong and was the elder brother of his successor Emperor Zhaozong...
, Pei Tan was recalled from Hua Prefecture to serve as Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng); he was also given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. He died three months later, while still serving as chancellor.