Liu Zheng (留正) | 24 Histories

Overview

Liu Zheng was a statesman and Chief Minister.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 1172 to AD 1200 丞相留正稱璘
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 410, passages 104, 109
AD 1194 五年
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 392, passages 77, 91
AD 1194 去歲
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 392, passage 166
AD 1193 四年
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 392, passage 63
AD 1194 寧宗內禪之際
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 392, passage 100
AD 1194 to AD 1195 寧宗即位之初
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 392, passages 142, 146

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AD 1194 納祿去
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 469, passage 152

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Chief minister 相位
Abandoned
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 166
prefect of Jiankang 判建康
Appointed
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 146
Chief Minister 丞相
AD 1193 to AD 1194 四年至五年 · Held
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 392, passages 63, 77
chief councilor 丞相
Held
Directly stated · History of Song 410, passage 109
Chief Minister 丞相
Held
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 107
head of the hundred officials 長百僚
Recalled to
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 139

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abandoned post / left the capital 棄國
Departure · Left post
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passages 100, 107, 140
punishment for abandoning the state 棄國之罰
Proposed · Authority Zhang Shuchun (張叔椿) · Negated true
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 140

Places and affiliations

Polity Song 宋 · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passages 63, 77, 116; History of Song 410, passage 109
Polity Song 宋 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · History of Song 392, passage 166
Polity Southern Song 南宋 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · History of Song 392, passage 142
At Jiankang 建康 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 146

Works and attributed material

Memorial · Author · Direct quotation
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passages 78-83

Events and relationships

Feigned fall and planned departure
AD 1194 六月丁未 · Political · Chief minister
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 392, passage 91
Led officials in mourning
AD 1194 六月丁酉 · Ritual · Chief minister · At Chonghua Palace 重華宮
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 392, passage 76
Left city before dawn
AD 1194 寧宗內禪之際 · Political · Departing chief minister
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 100
Restored to chief ministry
AD 1193 四年 · Political · Chief minister
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 392, passage 63
Returned to court
Political · Returnee
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 142
Sent out through wedge
Political · Transfer victim · With Han Tuozhou (韓侂胄)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 146

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Sought curtain regency
AD 1194 六月壬寅 · Political · Planner · With Empress Dowager Xiansheng (憲聖太后)
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 392, passages 77, 84

Assessments and attributes

Assessment called Shu Lin the foremost instructor of the age · Mode named-person-speech Speaker Liu Zheng (留正) · With Shu Lin (舒璘)
Directly stated · History of Song 410, passage 109

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passages 66, 93, 142, 166

References in the histories

Search passages

History

17 passages

History of Song, Chapter 392Volume 392 Biographies 151: Zhao Ruyu and Son: Chongxian · 14 passages

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臣嘗論朝廷數事，其言未見用，今陛下過重華，留正復相，天下幸甚。 I have urged several policies that went unheeded. Now that Your Majesty has visited Chonghua and Liu Zheng is chief minister again, the realm is greatly blessed.

壬寅，將成服，留正與汝愚議，介少傅吳琚請憲聖太后垂簾暫主喪事，憲聖不許。 On renyin, as the hemp mourning garments were to be donned, Liu Zheng and Ruyu consulted. Junior mentor Wu Ju asked Empress Dowager Xiansheng to draw the curtain and temporarily oversee the funeral. She refused.

正等附奏曰：「臣等連日造南內請對，不獲。 Zheng and the others added, "We have gone day after day to the Southern Palace seeking audience without success.

蓋是時正、汝愚之請垂簾也，以國本係乎嘉王，欲因簾前奏陳宗社之計，使命出簾幃之間，事行廟堂之上，則體正言順，可無後艱。 In truth Zheng and Ruyu sought the drawn curtain because the succession hinged on Prince Jia. They hoped to lay state policy before the empress dowager at court, so orders would issue from behind the screen and business proceed in the open hall—proper in form and word, without later strife.

留正見之懼，因朝臨佯仆於庭，密爲去計。 Liu Zheng was terrified. At the next audience he feigned a fall in the courtyard and secretly planned his departure.

明日，正以五更肩輿出城去，人心益搖，汝愚處之恬然。 The next day Liu Zheng left the city in a litter before dawn. Public anxiety grew, but Ruyu remained perfectly calm.

禮曰：「此事人人知之，今丞相已去，所賴者趙知院，旦夕亦去矣。」 Li replied, "Everyone knows it. The chief minister is already gone. All that remains is Controller Zhao—and he will be gone any day now."

汝愚即喪次，召還留正長百僚，命朱熹待制經筵，悉收召士君子之在外者。 At the mourning site Ruyu recalled Liu Zheng to head the officials, appointed Zhu Xi to the classics colloquium, and brought back worthy men who had been abroad.

侍御史張叔椿請議正棄國之罰，汝愚爲遷叔椿官。 Attendant censor Zhang Shuchun asked that Liu Zheng be punished for deserting his post. Ruyu promoted Shuchun instead.

留正至，汝愚乞免兼職，乃除特進、右丞相。 When Liu Zheng returned, Ruyu asked to give up the concurrent post and was made specially advanced right chief minister.

孝宗將攢，汝愚議攢宮非永制，欲改卜山陵，與留正議不合。 As Xiaozong was to be placed in the temporary palace, Ruyu argued that this was not permanent and wanted a new mountain tomb site. He and Liu Zheng disagreed.

侂胄因而間之，出正判建康，命汝愚爲光祿大夫、右丞相。 Tuozhou drove a wedge between them, sent Zheng out as prefect of Jiankang, and appointed Ruyu Grandee for Splendid Happiness and right chief minister.

汝愚本倚正共事，怒侂胄不以告，及來謁，故不見，侂胄慚忿。 Ruyu had counted on working with Zheng and was angry that Tuozhou had not told him. When Tuozhou came to call, he refused to see him. Tuozhou was humiliated and furious.

國子祭酒李祥言：「去歲國遭大戚，中外洶洶，留正棄相位而去，官僚幾欲解散，軍民皆將爲亂，兩宮隔絕，國喪無主。 National University libationer Li Xiang said, "Last year the state suffered a great bereavement. Within and without there was uproar. Liu Zheng abandoned office. The bureaucracy nearly collapsed. Soldiers and civilians were on the verge of riot. The two palaces were estranged and mourning had no chief.

History of Song, Chapter 410Volume 410 Biographies 169: Lou Ji, Shen Huan, Shu Lin, Cao Yanyue, Fan Yingling, Xu Jingsun · 1 passage

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丞相留正稱璘為當今第一教官，司業汪逵首欲薦璘，或謂璘舉員已足，逵曰：“吾職當舉教官，舍斯人將誰先？” Chief Councilor Liu Zheng called Shu Lin the foremost teacher of the age. Vice Director Wang Kui was the first to recommend him. Some said Lin's recommendation quota was already full. Wang Kui replied, "My duty is to recommend teachers. If not this man, whom should I recommend first?"

History of Song, Chapter 469Volume 469 Biographies 228: Eunuchs 4: Shao Chengzhang, Lan Gui Kanglu, Feng Yi, Zhang Quwei, Chen Yuan, Gan Bian, Wang Deqian, Guan Li, Dong Songchen · 2 passages

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孝宗崩，光宗疾，不能執喪，樞密趙汝愚等請建儲以安人心，光宗禦批又有“念欲退閑”語，丞相留正懼，納祿去，人心愈搖。 When Xiaozong died Guangzong was too ill to mourn; Zhao Ruyu and others urged establishing an heir; Guangzong’s rescript even spoke of “wishing to retire”; Chancellor Liu Zheng quit in fear and the realm shook.

禮指天自誓不言，侂胄遂白其事，禮即入宮，泣告太后以時事可憂之狀，且曰：“留丞相已去，所恃者趙知院耳。 Li swore by Heaven he would keep silent; Tuozhou then confided; Li rushed in weeping to tell the empress dowager the realm was in peril: “Chancellor Liu is gone—we have only Director Zhao.