Sui and Tang · Official and Administrator

Liu Qichu 劉棲楚

Attested AD 820 - AD 826

Passages: 12
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

Liu Qichu was an official and Administrator.

Life and dates

Death

Directly stated · New Book of Tang 175, passage 75

Attested activity

AD 820 to AD 826 敬宗前後
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 175, passage 50
AD 824 敬宗立
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 175, passage 52; New Book of Tang 181, passages 84, 88

Key source chapters

Career and standing

metropolitan magistrate of Jingzhao 京兆尹
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 175, passage 69
remonstrance official 拾遺
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 181, passage 84
Right Reminder 右拾遺
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 175, passage 50
Left Regular Cavalryman-in-Attendance 左散騎常侍
Posthumous
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 175, passage 75
poor and low birth 寒鄙
Humble origin
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 175, passage 49

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Emperor Jingzong (敬宗)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 175, passages 53-58, 62

Events and relationships

Angered at mild posting
Political · Resentful opponent · With Li Shen (李紳)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 181, passage 88
Relation Client of · Person Li Fengji (李逢吉)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 175, passage 51

Assessments and attributes

Assessment perverse, rash, relied on patronage to advance · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 175, passage 73

References in the histories

Search passages

History

12 passages

New Book of Tang, Chapter 175Volume 175 Biographies 100: Dou, Liu, Two Zhangs, Yang, Xiong, Bai · 10 passages

劉棲楚，其出寒鄙。 Liu Qichu sprang from poor and low birth.

逢吉之罷裴度、逐李紳，皆嗾而為奸者。 Fengji's ouster of Pei Du and banishment of Li Shen were both driven by Qichu as his scheming henchman.

棲楚諫曰：「惟前世王者初嗣位，皆親庶政，坐以待旦。 Qichu admonished: "Ancient kings at the start of their reigns personally handled government, sitting up to await dawn.

棲楚捧首立，帝動容，揚袂使去。 Qichu stood clutching his head; the emperor was stirred, gestured dismissal, and had him led away.

棲楚曰：「不聽臣言，臣請死於此。」 Qichu said, "If you will not hear me, I beg to die on this spot."

棲楚一切窮治，不閱旬，宿奸老蠹為斂跡。 Qichu pursued every case to the limit; within ten days old evils drew in their claws.

又新與拾遺李續、劉棲楚等為逢吉搏吠所憎，故有「八關十六子」之目。 Youxin, with Li Xu and Liu Qichu, were detested as Fengji's attack dogs, earning the name "Eight Passes and Sixteen Sons."

劉棲楚為京兆尹，樹權勢，望日出入門下，為刺取事機，陰佐計畫。 As Qichu built power as Jingzhao magistrate, Wang came and went daily, picking up intelligence and plotting in secret.

棲楚薦望，未及用，帝崩。 Qichu recommended Wang, but before the post was filled the emperor died.

如群、棲楚輩則然，肆訐以示公，構黨以植私，其言纚纚若可聽，卒而入於敗亂也。 Men such as Qun and Qichu do the same—parade accusation as public duty, knit factions for private ends; their speech glides like truth, yet ends in ruin.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 181Volume 181 Biographies 106: Chen, Three Li's, Cao, Liu · 2 passages

逢吉滋怒，乃用張又新、李續等計，擢虞、昔範與劉棲楚皆為拾遺，以伺紳隙，內結中人王守澄自助。 Fengji, enraged, followed the counsel of Zhang Youxin and Li Xu, promoting Yu, Xifan, and Liu Qichu as remonstrance officials to spy on Shen while secretly winning the eunuch Wang Shoucheng.

棲楚等怒得善地，皆切齒。 Qichu and his allies, furious that Shen had received so mild a posting, gnashed their teeth.