Pei Du


Pei Du , courtesy name Zhongli, formally Duke Wenzhong of Jin, was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Xianzong, Emperor Xianzong's son Emperor Muzong, and Emperor Xianzong's grandsons Emperor Jingzong and Emperor Wenzong. Although a civilian official, he was also known for his military strategies, and he is best known for being in charge of the campaign against the warlord Wu Yuanji during Emperor Xianzong's reign.

Background

Pei Du was born in 765, during the reign of Emperor Daizong. His family was from Hedong and traced its ancestry to a line of officials of Han Dynasty, Jin Dynasty, Former Yan, Later Qin, and Northern Wei, although Pei Du's direct ancestors was not listed with governmental offices for several generations until his grandfather Pei Youlin, who served as a county magistrate, and his father Pei Xu served as a county secretary general.
In 789, during the reign of Emperor Daizong's son Emperor Dezong, Pei Du passed the imperial examinations and the special examination for grand speech. He later further passed special examinations for those who could properly criticize the government. He was thereafter made the sheriff of Heyin County, and thereafter was made an imperial censor with the title Jiancha Yushi. At one point, he submitted a secret petition that criticized those who were powerful due to their associations with Emperor Dezong, and thus was sent out of the capital Chang'an to serve as an administrator at the Henan Municipality government. He later became an imperial archiver.

During Emperor Xianzong's reign

In 811, during the reign of Emperor Dezong's grandson Emperor Xianzong, Pei Du was made Sifeng Yuanwailang, a low-level official at the ministry of civil service affairs, and put in charge of drafting edicts. He was soon promoted to be Sifeng Langzhong, a supervisorial official at the ministry of civil service affairs.
In 812, after Tian Xing the military governor of Weibo Circuit submitted his circuit to imperial orders, Emperor Xianzong sent Pei to Weibo to comfort Tian Xing and the soldiers and to give a large cash reward to the Weibo soldiers. It was said that while at Weibo, Pei often spoke of the ways of faithfulness to Tian Xing, and that Tian Xing was attentive to Pei's encouragement. After Pei returned from the mission to Weibo, he was made Zhongshu Sheren, a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government.
In 814, Pei was made deputy chief imperial censor. While serving in that office, there was an occasion in spring 815 when he interceded on behalf of the exiled official Liu Yuxi, who was set to be made the prefect of Bo Prefecture, pointing out that, as Liu Yuxi's friend Liu Zongyuan, who was also to be exiled and who had offered to go to Bo Prefecture in Liu Yuxi's stead, that Bo Prefecture was so remote that Liu Yuxi could not possibly take his mother with him, and further pointing out that Emperor Xianzong himself also still had to support his mother. Emperor Xianzong thus made Liu Yuxi the prefect of the somewhat less remote Lian Prefecture.
By that point, Emperor Xianzong was deeply involved in a campaign against the warlord Wu Yuanji, who controlled Zhangyi Circuit. He sent Pei to the front to observe the campaign. Upon return, Pei reported his belief that Wu could be defeated, and further commended the general Li Guangyan for his bravery and righteousness. When Li Guangyan subsequently often had victories against Zhangyi troops, Emperor Xianzong came to believe Pei to have good judgment of character.
In winter 815, assassins killed the chancellor Wu Yuanheng, who had been in charge of the campaign against Wu Yuanji; on the same morning, assassins tried to kill Pei as well, injuring Pei's head and causing Pei to fall into a ditch, but Pei's head was protected by a thick hat, allowing him to survive the attack. There was suggestions by some officials that Pei should be removed from office to appease Wu Yuanji's allies Wang Chengzong the military governor of Chengde Circuit and Li Shidao the military governor of Pinglu Circuit. Emperor Xianzong rejected such talk, stating, "If I remove Pei Du from office, it will fulfill the desires of the treacherous, and the imperial government will no longer have any authority. My having Pei Du is sufficient to destroy the two bandits." He made Pei Zhongshu Shilang, the deputy head of the legislative bureau, as well as de facto chancellor with the title Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi. Subsequently, when Pei pointed out that then-overall commander of the campaign against Wu Yuanji, Yan Shou, was incompetent, Emperor Xianzong made Han Hong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit overall commander instead.
Pei continued to be a steadfast advocate for continuing the campaign against Wu Yuanji. In summer 816, after the imperial general Gao Xiayu suffered a major defeat against Zhangyi troops, there were renewed talks among officials that the campaign should end. Emperor Xianzong was said to continue to follow Pei's advice, and Emperor Xianzong spoke sternly against those who suggested ending the campaign.
In winter 816, after the official Wang E died and offered much of his wealth to the imperial government, two servants of Wang's made a report that Wang Ji had secretly modified Wang's will and hid some of the assets. Emperor Xianzong was set to send eunuchs to investigate this report, but Pei pointed out that Wang E had already offered a large amount of wealth, and investigations would cause all other officials to worry about what would happen after they died. Emperor Xianzong agreed, ended the investigation, and had Wang's servants executed.
As of fall 817, the campaign against Zhangyi was still ongoing without ultimate success. Pei's colleague Li Fengji advocated ending the campaign on account of army fatigue and treasury depletion. Pei, instead, offered to personally head to the front to oversee the campaign. Emperor Xianzong agreed, and, while Han remained titular overall commander, Pei was effectively put in charge and given a staff of talented officials and military officers, and he was also made the military governor of Zhangyi in anticipation of victory. When he wanted to take the general Zhang Maohe as a subordinate, Zhang was fearful and declined. Pei requested that Zhang be executed for refusing a direct order, but Emperor Xianzong spared Zhang and only exiled him. Also, as Pei was concerned that the imperial scholar Linghu Chu would cooperate with Li Fengji in opposing the campaign after he left Chang'an, he accused Linghu of using inappropriate language on Pei's commissioning edict and had Linghu demoted. Before Pei departed, he stated to Emperor Xianzong:
Emperor Xianzong was greatly touched and shed tears.
Once Pei reached the front, he saw that the generals were hesitant to make their own decisions because they were being monitored by eunuchs sent by Emperor Xianzong. At Pei's request, the eunuch monitors were recalled, and it was said that only thereafter did the generals dare to make their own decisions. While Pei was at the front, there was an occasion when a surprise attack by the Zhangyi general Dong Chongzhi nearly killed him, but he was protected by Li Guangyan and Tian Bu and escaped the attack.
Meanwhile, one of the imperial generals, Li Su the military governor of Tangsuideng Circuit was planning a surprise attack on Zhangyi's capital Cai Prefecture. When Li Su reported this plan to Pei, Pei approved of it. In winter 817, Li Su launched his attack and captured Cai Prefecture, taking Wu Yuanji captive and delivering him to Chang'an. When Pei subsequently arrived at Cai Prefecture, Li Su waited by the road to be ready to pay proper respect to Pei by military ceremony. Pei initially, in humility, wanted to avoid having Li Su bow to him, but Li Su pointed out that it was proper for them to demonstrate the proper etiquette for the imperial army before the surrendered soldiers and people of Cai Prefecture. Pei thus agreed.
During the brief time that Pei was at Cai Prefecture, he used the Cai Prefecture soldiers as his own guards. When there was warning by his subordinates that there were still many rebellious individuals in the Cai Prefecture army, Pei laughed and responded:
It was said that Pei's attitude touched the people of Cai Prefecture. Further, as during the rule of Wu Yuanji and his father Wu Shaoyang the people of Cai Prefecture were under strict regulations not to congregate, not to light candles at night, and not to hold feasts, Pei repealed all of these regulations. It was said that only then was some measure of normal life restored to the people of Cai Prefecture.
Around the new year 818, Emperor Xianzong was then set to recall Pei. Pei made his officer Ma Zong the acting military governor and departed Cai Prefecture. On the way, he encountered the imperial eunuch Liang Shouqian, who had been bestowed two swords and given order to execute Wu Yuanji's former officers. Pei accompanied Liang back to Cai Prefecture and, not following Emperor Xianzong's orders in entirety, carried out punishment according to the faults of the officers rather than executing them. Only after doing so did he again depart Cai Prefecture. Emperor Xianzong thereafter created Pei the Duke of Jin and recalled him to Chang'an to again be chancellor.
While Pei was still at Zhangyi, his subordinate Han Yu recommended the commoner Bo Qi for a mission to persuade Wang Chengzong to submit to imperial orders. Pei agreed and sent Bo. Wang, who was fearful after Wu Yuanji's destruction, sent his sons as hostages and surrendered two of his six prefectures to imperial control, offering to submit to imperial orders. Emperor Xianzong, after Tian Xing spoke in favor, agreed.
In 818, when Emperor Xianzong commissioned the imperial guards to construct a number of palaces, the imperial guard generals Zhang Fengguo and Li Wenyue, believing that the realm was not yet peaceful, did not want the constructions to commence, and so reported this to the chancellors. Pei advised Emperor Xianzong to stop the constructions, but Emperor Xianzong became angry and did not agree with Pei. He moved Zhang and Li Wenyue to other positions and then commenced the constructions anyway. However, he continued to rely on Pei's advice on military matters, and Pei's colleague Li Yijian, believing himself to be less capable than Pei, offered to resign. Li Yijian was thus sent out of Chang'an to serve as the military governor of Huainan Circuit. Emperor Xianzong subsequently commissioned the officials Huangfu Bo and Cheng Yi as chancellors. As both Huangfu and Cheng had received imperial favor because of their gathering of money for the palace treasury. Pei, believing that neither was suitable to be chancellor and being ashamed to be chancellor with them, opposed the move. Emperor Xianzong disbelieved Pei and commissioned Huangfu and Cheng as chancellors anyway.
After Wang submitted to imperial orders, Li Shidao also offered to surrender three of his 12 prefectures and submit to imperial orders, but soon reneged on the offer. Emperor Xianzong thus declared a general campaign against Li Shidao. During the campaign, Tian Hongzheng offered to immediately attack Li Shidao, but Pei, pointing out to Emperor Xianzong that if he did so, per regulations at the time, the Weibo soldiers would have to be supplied by the imperial treasury immediately. He thus suggested that Weibo soldiers be kept at Weibo until winter 818. Emperor Xianzong agreed, and when Tian finally launched his attack in winter 818, the attack was effective and crossed the Yellow River into Pinglu territory. In spring 819, Li Shidao's subordinate Liu Wu killed Li Shidao and surrendered Pinglu to imperial control.
After the campaign against Pinglu was complete, it was said that because of various accusations that Huangfu and his associates made against Pei, Pei was sent out of Chang'an to serve as the military governor of Hedong Circuit and the mayor of its capital Taiyuan Municipality, continuing to carry the title of chancellor as an honorary title.

During Emperor Muzong's reign

In 821, during the reign of Emperor Xianzong's son Emperor Muzong, Chengde and Lulong soldiers rebelled under the leadership of Wang Tingcou and Zhu Kerong, respectively, killing Tian Hongzheng and imprisoning Zhang Hongjing. Emperor Muzong put Pei Du in command of the overall operations against Chengde and Lulong, but soon effectively gave that responsibility to Du Shuliang as Du was put in command of the armies trying to relieve Niu Yuanyi, the prefect of Shen Prefecture, who was holding out against Wang. Further, it was said that the imperial scholar Yuan Zhen, who wanted to be chancellor, and the eunuch Wei Hongjian, were apprehensive that if Pei were victorious, he would again be in charge of the government, and thus interfered with requests that Pei submitted to Emperor Muzong. When Pei submitted an accusation against Yuan and Wei, Emperor Muzong felt compelled to demote Wei and strip Yuan of his status as imperial scholar, but was said to continue to trust Yuan. Nevertheless, with the imperial forces paralyzed by their need to receive imperial approval on decisions the generals were making and unable to prevail over Wang and Zhu, despite having a large numerical advantage and despite the presence of Pei and capable generals Wu Chongyin and Li Guangyan. By 822, Emperor Muzong abandoned the campaign and commissioned Zhu, then Wang, as military governors of their circuits.
After the campaign ended, Pei was initially made Sikong and defender of Luoyang, continuing to carry the honorary chancellor title. After the advisorial officials submitted many petitions pointing out that Pei had both civilian and military talents and should not be left in a largely ceremonial position, Emperor Muzong did not change Pei's commission initially but ordered him to first report to Chang'an to meet the emperor before heading for Luoyang. While Pei was at Chang'an, he apologized for being unable to defeat Wang and Zhu. Meanwhile, around the same time, Liu Wu, who had been made the military governor of Zhaoyi Circuit, had detained the imperial eunuch monitor Li Chengjie after Li Chengjie had disrespected him and further plotted with his subordinate Zhang Wen to arrest him and replace him with Zhang. Pei suggested issuing an edict executing Li Chengjie, believing that such a move would regain Liu's faithfulness to the imperial government, but Emperor Muzong, as both he and his mother Empress Dowager Guo favored Li Chengjie, did not do so. Rather, he accepted Pei's alternative suggestion to order that Li Chengjie be exiled. Only after such an edict was issued did Liu release Li Chengjie, but thereafter Liu began to disobey imperial orders. Shortly after the incident involving Liu Wu, Pei was commissioned to serve as the military governor of Huainan Circuit. However, the advisorial officials again petitioned to keep Pei at the central government. Emperor Muzong thus kept Pei at the capital as chancellor and sent Wang Bo to Huainan instead.
However, an incident shortly after would lead to both Pei and Yuan both losing their chancellor positions. During the Chengde campaign, the official Yu Fang had suggested to Yuan that emissaries be sent to Chengde to persuade Wang Tingcou's officers to release the siege against Shen Prefecture. Soon, however, a rumor developed that Yu and Yuan were plotting to assassinate Pei. One Li Shang reported the rumored plot to Pei, but Pei took no heed of it. Li Shang instead reported it to the imperial Shence Army. Emperor Muzong ordered an investigation, headed by the official Han Gao. No positive evidence that Yu and Yuan plotted to assassinate Pei was discovered, but both Pei and Yuan were relieved of their chancellor duties, with Pei being made You Pushe, one of the heads of the executive bureau, and Yuan made the prefect of Tong Prefecture. When advisorial officials again objected, Emperor Muzong stripped Yuan of his additional title as director of Changchun Palace but left the orders otherwise unchanged. Li Fengji was made chancellor.
In winter 822, Emperor Muzong suffered a stroke after being shocked by the accidental death of a eunuch at a polo game. As he was unable to rule on the petitions by the officials, the government was thrown into confusion and alarm. At the urging of Pei and Li Fengji, Emperor Muzong created his oldest son Li Zhan crown prince.
It was said that because Li Fengji disliked Pei, and his associates often criticized Pei, In 823, Pei was sent out of the capital to serve as the military governor of Shannan West Circuit. However, contrary to the customs at the time when former chancellors were sent out to be military governors, he was not given an honorary chancellor title.

During Emperor Jingzong's reign

In 824, by which time Emperor Muzong had died and been succeeded by Li Zhan, Wang Tingcou, upon hearing the Niu Yuanyi, who had been serving as the military governor of Shannan East Circuit, had died, slaughtered Niu's family, which he had detained at Chengde. Emperor Jingzong, hearing reports of the Niu household being slaughtered, sighed and blamed the incident on the chancellors' lack of ability. The imperial scholar Wei Chuhou pointed out that Pei Du had great accomplishments but had been squeezed out of the chancellorship. Further, Emperor Jingzong saw that whenever Pei submitted reports, he did not list an honorary chancellor title among his titles. Wei blamed Li Fengji's machinations for this, and the chancellor Li Cheng also advised that Pei should be shown more respect. Emperor Jingzong thus conferred the honorary chancellor title on Pei, although he did not recall Pei at that time.
In winter 825, after Emperor Jingzong had sent several messengers to Shannan West's capital Xingyuan Municipality to confer with Pei and secretly asking him to request a trip to Chang'an to pay homage to the emperor, Pei did so. He arrived in Chang'an in spring 826, and, despite attacks Li Fengji and his partisans laid on Pei, Pei was again made chancellor. Under Pei's advice, Emperor Jingzong abandoned his plans to visit Luoyang. Meanwhile, at that time, both Wang Tingcou and Zhu Kerong were submitted impolite petitions that, on the surface, offered to send troops to help repair Luoyang's defenses, but were intending to threaten the imperial government, Emperor Jingzong, per Pei's advice, acted without undue alarm and simply declined their offers.

During Emperor Wenzong's reign

Around the new year 827, Emperor Jingzong was assassinated by the eunuch Su Zuoming. The eunuch Liu Keming wanted to support Emperor Jingzong's brother Li Wu the Prince of Jiàng as emperor, but another faction of eunuchs, headed by Wang Shoucheng, Yang Chenghe, Wei Congjian, and Liang Shouqian, killed Liu, Li Wu, and Liu's associates, and instead supported another brother of Emperor Jingzong's, Li Han the Prince of Jiāng as emperor. Before Emperor Wenzong could formally take the throne, Pei served as regent for three days.
Meanwhile, around this time, Li Quanlüe the military governor of Henghai Circuit had also died, and his son Li Tongjie tried to take control of the circuit. Emperor Wenzong tried to induce Li Tongjie not to do so by offering him the military governorship of Yanhai Circuit, but Li Tongjie refused. Emperor Wenzong ordered the military governors of the circuits around Henghai to attack Li Tongjie. Of those, Shi Xiancheng the military governor of Weibo was secretly in communication with Li Tongjie, as the two families had a marital relationship, but Pei, not knowing this, believed Shi to be dependable. Wei Chuhou, who was also chancellor by this point, however, told Shi's emissaries that he was aware of Shi's communications with Li Tongjie, and Shi thus did not dare to openly aid Li Tongjie.
In 829, when Li Deyu the governor of Zhexi Circuit was recalled to serve as deputy minister of defense, Pei recommended Li Deyu to be chancellor, but due to the eunuchs' recommendations, another deputy minister, Li Zongmin, was made chancellor instead. Subsequently, by this point, Pei was also serving as the director of finances. His colleague Lu Sui, however, opined that chancellors should not also handle financial matters, pointing out the prior examples of Yang Guozhong, Yuan Zai, and Huangfu Bo. Pei thus resigned his post as director of finances, but remained as chancellor.
In 830, Pei, as he was old by this point, offered to resign his chancellorship. Emperor Wenzong, in response, made him Situ and gave him the unusual chancellor title of Pingzhang Junguo Zhongshi, ordering him to report for duties only once every three or five days. Soon thereafter, however, as Li Zongmin resented Pei for having recommended Li Deyu over him, he had Pei sent out of the capital to serve as the military governor of Shannan East Circuit, carrying the honorary chancellor title of Shizhong. Once he reported to Shannan East Circuit, at his request, a large grazing range at Shannan East that was used to breed military horses, which was not yielding much results, was abolished, and the fields were returned to the farmers. In 834, he was made the defender of Luoyang. In 835, he was given the honorary chancellor title of Zhongshu Ling. Later that year, after a major outward clash of between the officials headed by Zheng Zhu and Li Xun and the powerful eunuchs, known as the Ganlu Incident, led to the deaths of four chancellors and massive eunuch reprisals against those viewed as Zheng's and Li Xun's associates, Pei urged leniency, and it was said that some 10 families were spared because of his efforts.
In 837, Pei was again made the military governor of Hedong Circuit as well as the mayor of Taiyuan. Pei declined on the basis that he was too old to command an army, but Emperor Wenzong did not agree, issuing an edict that praised Pei but not changing the orders, so Pei was required to report to Hedong. In winter 838, he grew ill, and he requested to return to Luoyang to try to recuperate. In spring 839, Emperor Wenzong instead recalled him to Chang'an to serve as chancellor with the title of Zhongshu Ling. After he arrived at Chang'an, however, he was too ill to receive the commission officially and was permitted to return home. He died shortly after and was given great posthumous honors. When Emperor Wenzong inquired about why Pei did not have a final petition as was customary for officials at the time prior to death, Pei's family submitted a draft that he had partially written — in which Pei had expressed concerns that Emperor Wenzong did not yet create a crown prince, and in which Pei did not make requests on behalf of family members — as was also customary at the time. Pei Du had 7 sons. The old book of Tang and new book of Tang only included 5 of them and thus omitted 2 remaining sons. However, the list of chancellors of new book of Tang listed all 7 of his male children. Historians did not say anything about his female offspring.