Yuan Zai (元載) | 24 Histories

Overview

Yuan Zai was a Chancellor and Statesman.

Life and dates

Death

AD 777 大歷十二年
Cause Executed for crimes
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 130, passage 45
AD 777 元載以罪誅
Cause executed for crimes 以罪誅
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 45
AD 777 十二年三月
Execution
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 64
AD 777 大歷十二年
Executed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 54; Old Book of Tang 157, passage 82

Attested activity

AD 777 十二年三月
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 64
AD 763 to AD 770 代宗朝
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 51, passage 164
AD 762 to AD 777 以父為元載排抑…訖載得罪
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 159
AD 777 元載以罪誅
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 45
AD 762 to AD 777 元載在相位
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passages 119-120
AD 762 to AD 777 元載當國期間改晉卿美謚
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 211

Show 18 more source-backed claims

AD 765 to AD 769 元載秉政
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passages 123, 125, 133
AD 762 to AD 777 元載秉政
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 130, passages 39, 42, 45; New Book of Tang 150, passages 41, 43
AD 769 元載秉政
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 117, passages 115, 125
AD 756 to AD 765 初，晉卿東都留守，引用…元載
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 222
AD 762 to AD 777 及載登相位
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 42
AD 766 to AD 771 大歷中
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 86
AD 777 大歷十二年
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 54; Old Book of Tang 157, passage 82
AD 768 to AD 779 寧在蜀久
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 144, passages 145-146
AD 763 尋授御史大夫
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passages 12, 15
AD 766 to AD 770 少遊又已納賄於元載子仲武
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 108
AD 762 to AD 777 引元載之恩
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 203
AD 762 to AD 777 曩為元載所疾
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 138, passage 226
AD 765 永泰元年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passages 83, 86
AD 762 to AD 777 為無載所排
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 177
AD 742 to AD 752 王鉷辟為巡內時
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 124
AD 765 至是載為中書侍郎、平章事
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 223
AD 742 to AD 752 載為新平縣尉，王鉷辟在巡內
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 116
AD 770 魚朝恩誅時
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 138, passage 208

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Yuan Bohe (元伯和)
son 子
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 121; Old Book of Tang 130, passage 121
Parent of Zhongwu (仲武)
son 子
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 108
Parent of Yuan Zhongwu (元仲武)
son 子
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 130, passage 108

Kinship Role sons · Quantity unspecified
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 146

Key source chapters

Career and standing

investigating officer under eastern capital guardian 推官
AD 756 to AD 765 初，晉卿東都留守，引用大理評事元載為推官 · Appointed
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 222
investigating officer under Jinqing 推官
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 86
chief minister controlling government 秉政
AD 769 元載秉政 · Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 115
chief minister (pingzhang shi) 平章事
AD 765 至是 · Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 223
Vice Director of the Secretariat 中書侍郎
AD 765 至是 · Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 223
county defender of Xinping 新平縣尉
AD 742 to AD 752 載為新平縣尉 · Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 116

Show 17 more source-backed claims

Assessor of the Court of Judicial Review 大理評事
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 86; Old Book of Tang 117, passage 222
Chancellor 宰相
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 138, passage 208
chancellor 宰臣
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 64
Chancellor 相公
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passages 17, 27
chief minister 宰相
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passages 42, 120
Chief Minister 宰相
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 51, passage 164
magistrate of Xinping County 新平縣尉
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 124
Vice Director of the Secretariat and chief minister 中書侍郎、平章事
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 87
Entered
Under suspicion
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 120
Exercised
Held reins of government
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 123
Held
In power
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 86
Suffered
Conviction fall
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 159
Suffered
Executed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 150, passage 43
Suffered
AD 777 十二年三月 · Executed
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 64
Suffered
AD 777 元載以罪誅 · Execution
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 45
execution 誅
AD 777 大歷十二年 · Suffered
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 82
Suffered
AD 777 大歷十二年 · Execution
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 54

Places and affiliations

Tang 唐
Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 86
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Active in
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 144, passage 146
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 159; Old Book of Tang 117, passages 222-223; Old Book of Tang 126, passages 39, 42, 108-109, 120, 177; Old Book of Tang 127, passage 64; Old Book of Tang 153, passage 54; Old Book of Tang 157, passage 82; New Book of Tang 51, passage 164
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 123; Old Book of Tang 117, passages 115, 203; New Book of Tang 138, passages 208, 226
At Xinping County 新平縣 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 124

Works and attributed material

Letter · Addressee · With Liu Yan (劉晏) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passages 16-56
Memorial · Author · With Kui (揆)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 42

Events and relationships

Accepted bribe and reassigned
AD 770 魚朝恩誅時 · Political · Protector · With Jia Mingguan (賈明觀)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 138, passage 208
Blocked appointment as censor in chief
Political · Opponent · With Pei Xu (裴谞)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 177
Confessed to all charges
AD 777 十二年三月 · Legal · Defendant
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 66
Fell from power
Political · Fallen minister
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 159
Helped up and spoke thanks
Ritual · Helper · With Mian (冕)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 127
Memorialized Kui's appointment as acting Director of the Secretariat to convalesce in Jianghuai
Political · Actor · With Kui (揆)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 42

Show 23 more source-backed claims

Nursed deep grudge against Kui
Personal · Subject · With Kui (揆)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 41
Planted partisans across the empire
Political · Faction builder
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 65
Plotted against
Political · Plotter · With Yu Chao'en (魚朝恩)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 51, passage 164
Prompted change of Jingqing posthumous name to Wen zhen
AD 765 至是 · Political · Advocate · With Miao Jinqing (苗晉卿)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 223
Recommended
Political · Recommender outside palace · With Chen Shaoyou (陳少遊)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 109
Saved Mingguan from mob
Political · Protector · With Jia Mingguan (賈明觀)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 119, passages 87-88
Secured improved posthumous name
Political · Benefactor · With Jinqing (晉卿)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 211
Secured posthumous title
Patronage · Patron · With Miao Jinqing (苗晉卿)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 203
Supported and spoke thanks for
AD 769 載趨而扶起，代為謝詞 · Ritual · Supporter · With Pei Mian (裴冕)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 119
Relation Old colleague of · Person Liu Yan (劉晏)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 17
Relation Drew into ministry as colleague · Person Pei Mian (裴冕)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 118
Relation Grateful to · Person Pei Mian (裴冕)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 116
Relation Recommended as successor · Person Pei Mian (裴冕)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 117
Relation Patron of · Person Chen Shaoyou (陳少遊)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 119
Relation Recommender of · Person Chen Shaoyou (陳少遊)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 109
Relation Protege of · Person Miao Jinqing (苗晉卿)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passages 86-87; Old Book of Tang 117, passage 222
Relation Suppressor of · Person Cui Huan (崔渙)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 159
Relation Blocker of · Person Pei Xu (裴谞)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 177
Relation Patron of · Person Jia Mingguan (賈明觀)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 86
Relation Rival of · Person Kui (揆)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passages 41-42
Relation Colleague of · Person Mian (冕)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 126
Relation Protege of · Person Mian (冕)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 124
Relation Recommender of · Person Mian (冕)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 113, passage 125

Assessments and attributes

Assessment aids and supports the enlightened sovereign · Mode quoted-speech Speaker Liu Yan (劉晏)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 27
Assessment feared by Wei Shaoyou · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 138, passage 209
Assessment humble origins · Mode named-person-report Speaker Kui (揆)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 40

Source notes

Source writes 無載; standard identification is 元載 (Yuan Zai)
Field personal-name · Form In Source 無載 · Normalized Form Yuan Zai 元載
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 177
Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 159; Old Book of Tang 117, passage 115; Old Book of Tang 126, passages 39, 108, 119; Old Book of Tang 127, passages 15, 64; New Book of Tang 51, passage 164; New Book of Tang 144, passage 146; New Book of Tang 172, passage 195
Value historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 117, passage 222

References in the histories

Search passages

History

47 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 112Volume 108 Biographies 58: Wei Jiansu, Cui Yuan, Cui Huan, Du Hongjian · 1 passage

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縱孝悌，修飭自立，以父為元載排抑，居退十餘年，左宦外府，訖載得罪，不求聞達。 Zong was filial and self-disciplined. After his father was ruined by Yuan Zai he lived in retirement for more than ten years in minor posts in the provinces and sought no advancement until Zai fell.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 117Volume 113 Biographies 63: Miao Jingqing, Pei Mian, Pei Zunqing · 8 passages

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初，晉卿東都留守，引用大理評事元載為推官。 Earlier, when Jingqing was eastern capital guardian, he had appointed Yuan Zai, an assessor of the Court of Judicial Review, as his investigating officer.

至是載為中書侍郎、平章事，懷舊恩，諷有司改謚曰文貞。 By then Yuan Zai was vice director of the Secretariat and chief minister; remembering old kindness, he prompted the authorities to change the posthumous name to Wen-zhen ("Cultured and Upright").

元載秉政。 Yuan Zai was then in control of the government.

載為新平縣尉，王鉷辟在巡內，冕常引之，載頗德冕。 Zai had once been county defender of Xinping. When Wang Hong recruited him into his inspection staff, Mian had often spoken well of him, and Zai felt deep gratitude toward Mian.

會宰臣杜鴻漸卒，載遂舉冕代之。 When Chief Minister Du Hongjian died, Zai recommended Mian to succeed him.

冕時已衰瘵，載以其順己，引為同列。 Mian was by then aged and ill, but Zai, knowing he would not oppose him, brought him into the chief ministry as a colleague.

受命之際，蹈舞絕倒，載趨而扶起，代為謝詞。 When he received the appointment he performed the ritual dance and collapsed in a faint. Zai rushed forward to support him and delivered the words of thanks on his behalf.

歿改美謚，引元載之恩焉。 after death he received a flattering posthumous title through Yuan Zai's favor.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 119Volume 115 Biographies 65: Cui Qi, Zhao Guozhen, Cui Guan, Jing Kuo, Wei Yuanfu, Wei Shaoyou, Wei Boyu, Li Cheng · 3 passages

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朝恩、希暹既誅，元載當權，納明觀奸謀，容之，特令江西效力。 After Chao'en and Xixian were executed, Yuan Zai held power, took Mingguan's treacherous counsel, sheltered him, and specially ordered him to serve in Jiangxi.

載聞之，特令所由吏擁百姓入城內，由是獲免。 When Zai heard of it, he specially ordered subordinate officials to drive the crowd back into the city, and so Mingguan escaped harm.

在洪州二年，少遊為觀察使，承元載意茍容之。 For two years at Hongzhou, Shaoyou as observation commissioner indulged him according to Zai's wishes.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 127Volume 123 Biographies 73: Liu Yan, Di Wuqi, Ban Hong, Ban Shao, Li Xun · 9 passages

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至江淮，以書遺元載曰： Reaching Jianghuai, he wrote Yuan Zai:

晏賓於東朝，猶有官謗，相公終始故舊，不信流言，賈誼復召宣室，弘羊重興功利，敢不悉力以答所知。 Though as a guest at the Eastern Court I still face official slander, you have remained my old friend from first to last and will not heed idle talk. Just as Jia Yi was called back to the privy chamber and Sang Hongyang was trusted again to manage state revenue, I dare not spare myself in repaying your confidence.

相公匡戴明主，為富人侯，此今之切務，不可失也。 By supporting our enlightened sovereign you would become a great lord of wealth—this is the urgent task of the moment and must not be let slip.

十二年三月，誅宰臣元載，晏奉詔訊鞫。 In the third month of Dali 12 (AD 777) Chancellor Yuan Zai was executed; Yan was ordered to conduct the interrogation.

晏以載居任樹黨，布於天下，不敢專斷，請他官共事。 Because Zai had built a faction network across the empire during his tenure, Yan did not dare decide alone and asked other officials to join the investigation.

敕御史大夫李涵、右散騎常侍蕭昕、兵部侍郎袁傪、禮部侍郎常袞、諫議大夫杜亞同推，載皆款伏。 The emperor ordered Chief Censor Li Han, Regular Attendant Xiao Xin, Vice Minister of War Yuan Kan, Vice Minister of Rites Chang Gun, and Remonstrance Officer Du Ya to join the inquiry; Zai confessed to all charges.