Quan Deyu - During Emperor Xianzong's Reign

During Emperor Xianzong's Reign

Early in the Yuanhe era (805-821) of Emperor Dezong's grandson Emperor Xianzong, Quan Deyu served as the deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang) and then deputy minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎, Libu Shilang). After an incident in which his subordinates selected inappropriate officials, however, he was made Taizi Binke (太子賓客), an advisor to the Crown Prince, before he was again made the deputy minister of defense. He later was made the minister of worship (太常卿, Taichang Qing). While serving as the minister of worship, there was an occasion when Yang Ping (楊憑) the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the Chang'an region) was indicted for corruption, exiled, and demoted to be a sheriff. When a sheriff, Xu Hui (徐晦), who had served under Yang, went to send Yang off as he was leaving Chang'an, Quan, who was friendly with Xu, warned him that doing so might hurt his prospects of promotion. Xu pointed out that Yang had treated him well while even while Yang was a commoner, and that it was proper to send him off — commenting that if one day Quan were falsely accused and exiled, surely he would also send Quan off. Quan was impressed and praised Xu while meeting other officials. The chief deputy imperial censor who indicted Yang, Li Yijian, thus retained Xu as an imperial censor.

In 810, after the chancellor Pei Ji suffered a stroke, Emperor Xianzong made Quan the minister of rites (禮部尚書, Libu Shangshu) and chancellor de facto with the title Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事). Later that year, when Emperor Xianzong was intending to award the military governor (Jiedushi) Wang E (王鍔) an honorary chancellor title, Quan and fellow chancellor Li Fan earnestly opposed on the ground that Wang had no great accomplishments that warranted the title, and Emperor Xianzong ultimately did not give Wang such title. In 811, when Emperor Xianzong asked the chancellors for their opinions on whether he should govern harshly or leniently, Quan advocated for a lenient rule, arguing that Qin Dynasty was destroyed quickly due to its harshness and that Han Dynasty persisted due to its leniency, further arguing that Tang itself survived various rebellions since the Anshi Rebellion because Emperor Taizong had been lenient and thus gained the deep loyalty of the people. Later that year, after the officials Yu Gaomo (于皋謨) and Dong Xi (董溪) were found to have been corrupt, Emperor Xianzong ordered them exiled, but after they left Chang'an sent eunuchs to order them to commit suicide. Quan submitted a petition pointing out that it was wrong to initially spare Yu and Dong from death and then, after some time, nevertheless put them to death. Emperor Xianzong agreed with him.

Meanwhile, Quan had been serving with fellow chancellors Li Jifu and Li Jiang during this time. At this time, due to Emperor Xianzong's desire for effective governance, he granted great authority to the chancellors. Li Jifu and Li Jiang often had disagreements in their exercise of authority and often broke into arguments before Emperor Xianzong. Quan rarely took a side in these arguments and was often silent. As a result, Emperor Xianzong lost his respect for Quan, and in 813, he removed Quan from his chancellor position, having him serve just as the minister of rites. He was soon thereafter made the defender of the eastern capital Luoyang, then the minister of worship again, and then the minister of justice (刑部尚書, Xingbu Shangshu). He was also created the Duke of Fufeng. Previously, the officials Xu Mengrong (許孟容) and Jiang Ai (蔣乂) had been commissioned to revise the Tang laws, but as Xu was soon transferred to another position, Jiang had to individually complete the 30-volume revision. After Jiang submitted the work, however, the emperor did not promulgate it. Quan and his deputy minister Liu Bochu (劉伯芻) then further revised the work and submitted it in 815. In 816, Quan was made the military governor of Shannan West Circuit (山南西道, headquartered in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi). In fall 818, he fell ill, and Emperor Xianzong issued an edict allowing him to return to his own mansion in Chang'an to recuperate. On the way, Quan died. He was given posthumous honors.