Quan Deyu - During Emperor Dezong's Reign

During Emperor Dezong's Reign

When the official Han Hui (韓洄) served as surveyor of the Henan region (河南), the region immediately south of the Yellow River, he invited Quan Deyu to serve as his secretary. Early in the Zhenyuan era (785-805) of Emperor Daizong's son Emperor Dezong, Quan served on the staff of Li Jian (李兼) the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Jiangxi Circuit (江西, headquartered in modern Nanchang, Jiangxi). When his term of service under Li Jian finished, two other regional governors, Du You and Pei Zhou (裴冑) both invited him to serve on their respective staffs whilst both their requests for his service arrived at the capital Chang'an at the same time. As Emperor Dezong had also heard that Quan had a good reputation, he summoned Quan to serve as Taichang Boshi (太常博士), a consultant at the Ministry of Worship (太常寺, Taichang Si), and later as Zuo Bujue (左補闕), a low-level consultant at the Chancellory, also known as the Edict Examination Bureau (門下省, Menxia Sheng).

While Quan served in Emperor Dezong's administration, he submitted advice to Emperor Dezong that was at times listened to. For example, in 792, following a major flood in the Guandong region (關東), the territory east of modern Sanmenxia, Henan, it was on Quan's advice that Emperor Dezong dispatched four imperial officials to comfort the victims. In 793, Quan submitted a petition criticizing the frivolous nature of Emperor Dezong's trusted Director of Finances, Pei Yanling, but in this case Quan's advice was ignored. In 794, Quan became Imperial Archivist (起居舍人, Qiju Sheren), and was soon also put in charge of drafting edicts. Whilst serving in that capacity, he received several successive promotions in title — to Jiabu Yuanwailang (駕部員外郎), a low-level official at the Ministry of Rites; Sixun Langzhong (司勳郎中), a supervisorial official at the Ministry of Personnel (吏部) and Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the Imperial Secretariat (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). When Quan started serving as the drafter of edicts, he shared the responsibilities with Xu Dai (徐岱) and Gao Ying, but as Xu and Gao were later transferred to other responsibilities, Quan ended up with sole responsibility for drafting edicts. He once pointed out that doing so was inappropriate — as the emperor needed to have multiple staff in charge of the task to avoid having a single person abuse power. However, Emperor Dezong responded, "It is not that I do not know that I am overworking you, but I cannot find anyone with your abilities." In the winter of 801, Quan became responsible for the Imperial examinations at the Ministry of Rites. The next year, he was made deputy Minister of Rites (禮部侍郎, Libu Shilang). and thus responsible for imperial examination for three straight years. Records show that he was a good selector of talented examinees. He was later made Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Revenue (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang).