Han Xiu , courtesy nameLiangshi, formally Viscount Wenzhong of Yiyang, was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. His wife was called Liu. He was known for his bluntness and honesty.
Background
Han Xiu was born in 672, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. His family was from the Tang Dynasty capital Chang'an and traced its ancestry to the royal house of the Warring States period state Han. It also claimed, as ancestors, a line of officials during Han Dynasty, Jin Dynasty, Northern Wei, Northern Qi, Northern Zhou, Sui Dynasty, and Tang. Han Xiu's grandfather Han Fu served as a prefectural prefect during Tang, and Han Xiu's father Han Dazhi served as a census official at the eastern capital Luoyang. Han Xiu's uncle Han Damin was a more-known official who, during the early reign of Emperor Gaozong's wife Wu Zetian, refused to falsely implicate the official Li Xingbao, and ultimately, when Wu Zetian executed Li Xingbao anyway, was forced to commit suicide. Han Xiu was known for his literary abilities and knowledge, and after he passed the imperial examinations, he was made the secretary general of Taolin County. During the second reign of Emperor Gaozong's and Wu Zetian's son Emperor Ruizong, Emperor Ruizong's son and crown princeLi Longji was personally examining a number of recommended junior officials. Han and Zhao Dongxi received the highest ratings, and Han was promoted to be Zuo Bujue, a low level official at the examination bureau of government. He was subsequently made Zhujue Yuanwailang, a low level official at the ministry of civil service affairs. He subsequently successively served as Zhongshu Sheren, a mid-level official at the legislative bureau ; and deputy minister of rites, where he was in charge of drafting imperial edicts.
During Emperor Xuanzong's reign
In 724, while Han Xiu was still serving as deputy minister of rites, he was, as a part of Emperor Xuanzong's attempts to increase the prestige of the prefectural prefects by selecting officials with good reputations to serve, sent to Guo Prefecture. Guo Prefecture was positioned between Chang'an and Luoyang, and as the emperor often travelled between the two capitals, it was often disturbed by the size of the imperial train and often was required to carry out labor. Han thus requested a tax exemptionfor the people of the prefecture—which the chancellor Zhang Shuo initially rejected. Han repetitioned for the exemption. When his subordinates warned him that this might offend Zhang, Han responded: Han's petition was eventually accepted. After about a year, he left civil service to observe a mourning period for his mother, and at his insistence, was allowed to serve out the three-year period. After the mourning period was over, he was recalled to serve as the deputy minister of public works and was again in charge of drafting edicts. Subsequently, he was promoted to be Shangshu You Cheng, one of the secretaries general for the executive bureau. In 733, after the chancellor Pei Guangting died, Emperor Xuanzong asked Pei's fellow chancellor Xiao Song for a recommendation. Xiao was set to recommend his friend Wang Qiu, but Wang declined and recommended Han instead. Xiao, believing Han to be meek and easy to control, recommended Han. Emperor Xuanzong thus made Han the Huangmen Shilang, the deputy head of the examination bureau, and gave him the designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi, making him a chancellor de facto. Despite Xiao's hopes to dominate his junior colleague, Han turned out to be stern and not bending simply to Xiao's will, impressing the senior official Song Jing with his determination. It was also said that he was willing to speak bluntly, sometimes offending Emperor Xuanzong but earning his respect. On one occasion, when Li Meiyu the sheriff of Wannian County was accused of an offense unspecified in historical accounts. Emperor Xuanzong ordered that Li be exiled to the Lingnan region. Han responded: Emperor Xuanzong initially refused, but Han spoke further: Emperor Xuanzong, impressed with Han's blunt talk, agreed. It was also said that whenever Emperor Xuanzong was being overly pleasure-seeking or wasteful in the palace, he would turn to his servants and ask, "Do you think Han Xiu knows this?" and that soon thereafter, a petition would arrive from Han urging him to change the behavior. It was also said that when one of the servants made the comment, "Since Han Xiu became chancellor, Your Imperial Majesty has become thinner and thinner. Why not send him away?" Emperor Xuanzong responded: Emperor Xuanzong gave Han the honorific titleYinqing Guanglu Daifu. However, soon, Han drew Emperor Xuanzong's displeasure by repeatedly criticizing Xiao, leading to Xiao's offering to retire. Emperor Xuanzong, touched by Xiao's tearful request, removed both from chancellor positions later in 733 and made Han the minister of public works. In 736, Han was made an advisor to Li Ying the Crown Prince and created the Viscount of Yiyang. He died in 739 and was given posthumous honors. He was buried in Guozhuang Tang tomb. His sons Han Hao, Han Qia, Han Hun, Han Hong, Han Hong, Han Huang, and Han Hui all served as officials, and Han Huang was particularly powerful as a regional governor during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong's great-grandson Emperor Dezong and briefly served as chancellor.
