Gao Ying


Gao Ying , courtesy name Gongchu, was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Dezong and Emperor Shunzong.

Background

Gao Ying was born in 740, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. His ancestors were originally from Bohai, but later moved to the later Wei Prefecture, and claimed common ancestry with but not descendant from the imperial house of Northern Qi. His grandfather Gao Zhi served as a prefectural secretary general.
Gao Ying himself was said to understand the Spring and Autumn Annals at age eight and already capable of writing, such that he was praised by the Confucian scholars. When the Anshi Rebellion erupted, and the rebel Yan forces captured the capital Chang'an, Gao Ying's father Gao Boxiang was serving as the sheriff of nearby Haozhi County and tried to resist, but was captured by Yan forces. He was set to be executed, but the young Gao Ying spread his legs and loosened his clothes, offering to be executed in his father's stead. The Yan officers praised him for his filial piety and released them both.

Early career

Gao Ying later passed the imperial examinations and was selected in the special class of those with great talents or unusual deeds. He was made the sheriff of Huayin County. In 767, when Emperor Xuanzong's grandson Emperor Daizong, who was then emperor, was building a large Buddhist temple — Zhangjing Temple — in honor of his mother Lady Wu, Gao changed into white clothes and submitted petitions against the waste of money in building the temple, but Emperor Daizong did not heed his advice.
Later, while the general Guo Ziyi was serving as the military governor of Shuofang Circuit, he invited Gao to serve on his staff as a scribe. In 778, Guo was angry with his deputy Zhang Tan, believing that Zhang disrespected him on account of the fact that he rose from the soldier ranks. Guo's associate Wu Yao thereafter made false accusations against Zhang, and Guo executed Zhang under the pretense that Zhang was encouraging soldiers to disobey orders — over Gao's objection. Guo thus demoted Gao to be the secretary general of Yishi County.

During Emperor Dezong's reign

After the general Li Huaiguang became the military governor of Binning Circuit in 779, during the reign of Emperor Daizong's son Emperor Dezong, he invited Gao Ying to serve as a secretary, and Gao was eventually promoted to be his assistant. When Li rebelled against Emperor Dezong in 784, Gao tried to get him to change his mind and again submit to Emperor Dezong, but Li refused. When Li gathered his troops at his base Hezhong and prepared to again attack west against the Tang general Hun Jian, Gao and fellow staff member Li Yong spoke against it, and Gao further persuaded Li Huaiguang's son Li Wei as well, and while Li Wei was fearful of the consequences of acting against imperial forces, he was also unable to persuade Li Huaiguang. Later in 784, after Zhu was destroyed by another imperial general, Li Sheng, Gao was able to get Li Huaiguang to agree to resubmit to Emperor Dezong. However, when Emperor Dezong's emissary Kong Chaofu arrived at Hezhong, he angered Li Huaiguang and his soldiers by not immediately offering the command back to Li Huaiguang, and the soldiers, with Li Huaiguang's tacit approval, killed Kong and the eunuch Dan Shouying. Li Huaiguang thereafter continued to stand against imperial forces. In 785, when Gao's colleague Lü Mingyue secretly submitted to imperial forces and was discovered by Li Huaiguang, Li Huaiguang killed Lü and his family and arrested Gao and Li Yong when they revealed that, they, too, had been in communication with imperial forces, but as Li Huaiguang was unwilling to execute them as well, he kept them imprisoned. After Li Huaiguang, after defeats at the hands of the imperial general Ma Sui, committed suicide later in 785, Ma invited Gao and Li Yong to serve on his own staff.
Not long after that, Gao was recalled to Chang'an to serve as Zhuke Yuanwailang, a low-level official at the ministry of rites. He later successively served as Xingbu Langzhong, a supervisorial official at the ministry of justice, and then Zhongshu Sheren, a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government, where he served for nine years. He was then made deputy minister of rites, and he was put in charge of the imperial examinations. It was said that at that time, the examinees often neglected their studies and spent their time on feasting and associating with officials to receive preferential treatment. Gao had long despised this trend, and after he became in charge of the imperial examinations, he refused the other officials' intercessions on part of the examinees, and it was said that within three years of Gao's becoming in charge of the examinations, the habits of the examinees had changed for the better. Gao later served as the minister of worship. Around the new year 804, Gao was made Zhongshu Shilang, the deputy head of the legislative bureau, and given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi, making him a chancellor, along with Zheng Xunyu. He was also given the honorific title Yinqing Guanglu Daifu.

During Emperor Shunzong's and Emperor Xianzong's reigns

After Emperor Dezong died in 805 and was succeeded by his severely ill son Emperor Shunzong, Gao was made the minister of justice and continued to serve as chancellor. When, later in the year, Emperor Shunzong passed the throne to his son Emperor Xianzong, Gao was removed from his chancellor post but continued to serve as the minister of justice and acting minister of civil service affairs. In 806, he was made the prefect of Hua Prefecture.
Later in 806, Gao was recalled to Chang'an to again serve as minister of worship, and soon he was made the chief imperial censor. Several months later, he was made the minister of defense. Just after a month, he requested retirement, and Emperor Xianzong agreed, giving him the title of You Puye, one of the heads of the executive bureau before approving the retirement. Gao died in 811 and was give posthumous honors and the posthumous name Zhen.